Source: Book Launch
Date: 30th September 2009

My RESPONSE TO REVIEW by DR. O. IZEVBIGIE (JP)
I congratulate Dr. Izevbigie for his review of my book TAKE OVER CONTROL: Without Physical Violence. The attempt is creditable, because it rightly exposes aspects of the book on African metaphysical concepts. His opinion is the more vital as it comes from an eminent scholar, lecturer at the University of Benin (our mutual place of birth), and a native speaker of Edo language like me. He therefore doubles as a witness.
He did leave out some fundamental issues raised in the book, which form cardinal purpose of the book. One of these is the metaphysical black hole. My goal was to make readers become aware of it, and hence do something about it. They would attain salvation if they did, and would be damned if they failed.
He mentioned the metaphysical black hole without stating its definition, which was as follows: “We have no control over our lives individually or otherwise, because a [metaphysical] “black hole” exists in our psyche, heritage, soul, life, etc. as members of the human race. This made us incapable of organizing our lives rationally”. (Introduction p. 7) In other words, the victims had no control over life or destiny.
“The evil geniuses in Africa (and their extension amongst their descendants in the Diaspora) concentrated on making rituals and potions, which resulted in making the potential geniuses into fools or “stupid idiots”. The rituals, potions, and hallucinogens, coupled with voodoo, witchcraft, magic, hypnotism, etc. would make any member of any race (not just Africans or Blacks) incapable of certain mental or intellectual capabilities.” (Chapter One p. 12) Those who robbed them of any mental or intellectual capabilities made slaves of them; the victims neither remember the purpose of existence nor exercise of choice.
The consequence is that they are confounded without control over own lives and destiny.
He equated Ebo to artifacts alone when he wrote, “. . . cultures that colonized them for decades, invaded their religious Temples and shrines, removed their ancestral staves, sacred objects, and images including their “Ebo” which was their supernatural force for controlling everything. . .” (p. 8). Ebo being a supernatural force could not have been removed when the “crusaders” could only get their hands on artifacts. It is granted that the intentions of the “crusaders” included removing our “supernatural force for controlling everything”, which is akhas?. This was not located in artifacts alone or primarily. Besides, the force was not used primarily for good.
Hundred years on, the Ebo (akhas?) as force is available to the persons who “. . . know the appropriate formula, sorcery, science, or have the means. Those who have been in control of the destiny and life of the race have used [these] to the detriment of all others of the race . . .” (Chapter One p. 12) They failed to abide by the Universal Golden Rule (UGR) which states, “Commit only those acts, which if everyone were to join you to engage in would increase the good of all”. OR “Be not guilty of any event, which if others were to copy and join in perpetuating would increase the suffering of all or would bring deserter”. (Chapter One p. 21)
The capability to exercise akhas? has indeed been diminished as a consequence of the influence of foreign religions as he rightly mentioned. This is part of the loss of control that should be take over again as I canvassed.
I wish to reiterate the journey of the soul or psyche in the context of stations of existence on earth (re Homotheism – Chapter Nine p. 115 ff), namely “(i) life (at birth), (ii) judgment (at the throes of death), (iii) death, and after that (iv) execution of the judgment.” One sense of death was numbered “. . . (d) a . . .permanent sleep . . .full of frightful images such as of dragons, vampires, faces of African or voodoo masks, and other forms of nightmares. . . .”. (Chapter Twelve p. 137)
One remains in this nightmare, until one wakes up when one is reincarnated on earth.
The circles of reincarnation will persist until the person takes over control and attains spiritual sovereignty and dies in sense, “(h) . . . passes from one universe or condition into a new one irreversibly. This may not necessarily involve rotting of the flesh and blood. Marks a beginning where everything is new and has no semblance with the former state - one forgets everything of one world as one learns the new as the next ‘language’”. (Chapter Twelve p. 138) Or one leaves this universe for the next without dying and decaying physically. (Chapter Thirteen p. 145)

Source: Book Launch
Date: 26th September 2009

BOOK REVIEW
TITLE: TAKE OVER CONTROL – Without Physical Violence
Author: Rudrakhosere Dhara Hargaalga Snr. – (The Oboiro)
Publishers: Author HouseTM, 1663 Liberty Drive, Suit 200 Bloomington, Indiana, 47403, USA.
Introduction:
The first thing that stroke me about the book is the title – “Take over control without physical violence”. It reminded me of the slogan “Resource control” prevalent in the Niger Delta with the current “Amnesty” policy of the Federal Government which calls on militants youths to lay down their arms (weapons). In consequence, many militants in the Niger Delta have actually surrendered their arms even though they have not given up their quest for the control of the resources of the region.
The second thing that attracted my attention even before opening the book to read was the name of the author. “Rudrakhosere Dahra Hargaalga Snr.” – a name that has no relationship with Benin culture.
My impression then was that the author of the book was not a Benin person – he was either an Indian or a German. No, my impression was wrong; he is a Benin and his name at birth was Edwin Idahosa Ogieva. The family house is at Ogbe-naghidi, Benin City.
His name, Edwin Idahosa Ogieva was changed during his sojourn in West Germany. The additional appellation: “Oboiro” was given to the author in the year 1990 by Chief Robert Osayande Ize-Iyamu who was then the “Esogban of Benin kingdom. It all happened when the author played host to some eminent chiefs and traditional Doctors in Benin.
Background of the Author
Edwin Idahosa Ogieva was born on the 19th July, 1942. He started his Primary education at Benin Divisional Council (BDC) School, Evbohighae in Orhionmwon Local Government Area, Edo State of Nigeria. He left BDC school, Evbohighae, when his senior sister Dorothy Orionsefe Agbontaen was transferred to other schools in Igbanke and Ovia Local Government Area. He finally completed his Primary School education in Benin City where he obtained his first school leaving Certificate in 1955. Between 1956 and 1958, he attended Anglican Boys Secondary Modern School, Benin City.
In January, 1959, he was employed as a Pupil Teacher and posted to St. Matthew Primary School, Evbokabua from where he gained admission into Government Trade Centre, Sapele. After two years in the school, and that was before he completed the Trade School Certificate course, he left for Germany in 1962 on scholarship to study for a Diploma Certificate in Engineering at the Land-Hessen Government Engineering Institute, West Germany.
At the end of the Diploma Programme, for about two years (i.e. 1967 – 1968), Edwin Idahosa Ogieva worked as a Supervisor of Maintenance crew of machine Tools in an Engineering Company in West Berlin. It was during that time that he had an encounter that has since changed his name and perception. He frequently visited 2nd hand bookstore where he read books that dealt with German magic, Runes dealing with mysteries, magic, creation, etc. There and then, he was given a nickname: “Dahra Hargaalga - meaning the person who unravelled Runic mysteries.
Between 1969 and 1974, he studied at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada where he obtained B.A. (special) in Economics. In 1975, he did a Post-graduate research in Theoretical Psychology (human personality, empirical semantics and Psychiatry/Anthropology) in the same University where he graduated. Soon after his graduation in 1974, he was commissioned by the Government of Alberta, Canada to do research studies in: “Some Basic Problems in Understanding Africa”.
For about two years (1975 – 1976) Hargaalga worked as an engineer in Byron Jackson Division of Borg-Wagner Company in Canada. He returned to Nigeria in 1977 and had a meeting with his family who wondered why he abandoned his original Benin name. In attempt to satisfy the quest of his family, he then coined what now becomes his first name: “Rudrakhosere” whose meaning has to do with the efficacy of Rudra drugless therapy which he used in curing patients. Before the end of the year he was employed as Master II teacher by Bendel State Board of Education, Benin City. In 1978 the University of Benin appointed him as Graduate Assistant Lecturer in the area of Production Technology and Industrial Engineering. He left the University job shortly after and has since been on his own coordinating “Faboul Cownic Worldwide” a non-profit organisation which seeks to reform personalities and enhance growth towards spiritual sovereignty.
THE BOOK TITLED: TAKE OVER CONTROL: Without Physical Violence.
“Take over control without physical violence” is a non-fiction Book which deals with universal human consciousness, religion, supernatural creativity, and spirituality.
The issues that are analysed, and for which solutions are propounded are based on a memorable lecture four of the USA in summer of 2008.
According to the author a person loses control when he is a victim of Spiritual, Psychic, and Ritual Abuse (SPRA), due to damages in the psyche and reasoning faculty. The African (including African American and others in the Diaspora) have no control of their lives, because a “black hole” exists in their thoughts about life and existence – not defined from within. Consequences of the hole have been observed by philosophers who erroneously claimed that Blacks are congenitally stupid (Chapter One pg. 9). Scientists hypothesized that the causes are in the genes. The true causes are ingredients in potions regularly consumed during initiations and funeral rituals. “The rituals, potions, and hallucinogens in African traditional practices would make any member of any race (not just Africans or Blacks) incapable of certain mental or intellectual capabilities”. (P. 12) This blight will continue unless the control of the sources is taken over.
Why take over control without physical violence?, asked the author.
Individuals make up families, families make up Nations. Therefore, let it be individuals taking over the control of their destiny, and individual nation taking over the control of the Nation’s destiny. We can do it more effectively without physical violence. Physical violence attracts physical violence; a violent environment can only lead to confusion and chaos; the result would be that the people that we were trying to liberate from spiritual tyranny get frightened and traumatized. This can only worsen their mental state further, which has already been conditioned and damaged by potions and rituals. (P 36).

The summary of the book is as follows:
1. Voodooism, Animism, Witchcraft
The rituals, potions, and hallucinogens in African traditional practices in connection with religion, voodoo, witchcraft, pollute the psyche and inhibit mental or intellectual capabilities.
2. Ebo concept
“The concept of Ebo is an idiom in Benin Language, which is not easily translatable into English….. Examples of Ebo-artifacts in History include the “Ark of the convenant”, staves (as of Runes), rods, staffs as of Prophets,…. Benin Kingdom (in Nigeria) once traversed all of West Africa to the observation of pioneer (European) explorers who named the whole of West Africa after it, as the Bight of Benin… They (Great Benin/Edo people) achieved this due to their wisdom about Ebo…. Every creator needs a medium or agent to bear his/her decrees to fruition… That medium or agent universally is what we call Ebo… The roles of Ebo include the roles that angels fulfil for God, (or God fulfil for “believers”) chiefs and slaves fulfil for “divine kings”…. Everybody includes Edo in one form or the other in every foundation (for buildings, businesses, shrines, temples, life etc.) Ebo-artifacts can include amulets, talismans, mojo, jewelry, crown, laurel, voodoo artefacts, juju, religious paraphemalia, magician’s wands, statutes etc.
3. African, The Ebo Maker:
Human beings by nature are toolsmaker or EBO MAKERS. The paradigm is, “WHATSOEVER one wills shall be fulfilled through the instrumentality of Ebo.” The African or black race has special needs that flow from this (i.e. existence determined by relationships with Ebo. P.55)
4. African Traditional Religion (ATR)
“ATR as performed comprises mainly of (A) initiation, (B) worship: (i) feasting, and dance performances impersonating a god, (ii) sacrifices
5. Homotheism
The author as an Obioro and a diviner of mysteries, formulator of ideas and thoughts, creator of words and through words, has synthesized the metaphysics of Africans as Homotheism. This will hopefully contribute to filling the void or “black hole” in the psyche. Our purpose is fulfilled if this aids healing of the psyche, reformation of personalities, spirits, or souls. (Chapter Nine p. 115).
6. Salvation (Life, judgement, Death, and Execution of judgement after death).
“Death means, in Homotheism , one or more of the following: (a) the cessation of physiological processes – commencement of rotting:… (b) Death marks the passing from one universe or condition into a new one irreversibly… One forgets everything of one world as one learns the new as the next earth, namely (i) life (at birth), (ii) judgement (at the throes of death), (iii) death, and after that (iv) Execution of the judgement. This sequence is analogous to what obtains in worldly Jurisprudence. You make your case and the Judge decides on the merits of your presentation. After the judgement is read, execution follows”. (Chapter Twelve p. 137).

7. Spiritual Sovereignty (SS)
“Finding and liberating each of the members of one’s team (or selves outside one’s physical body) is the all in all, in the entire quest of attaining Salvation as defined in Homotheism. Uhunmwun or “HEAD”, as a term in Homotheism refers to the collective members of the TEAM … Ultimate Task for every Homo sapiens is to liberate them and keep themselves together as a sovereign team or HEAD. This is a full time occupation for those on the path of Spiritual Sovereignty so that one has no time left to worship others”. (Chapter Thirteen p. 145).

CONCLUSION
In conclusion, “Take over control – without physical violence” explores what Africans and Blacks generally have suffered in the hands of foreign cultures – cultures that colonised them for decades, invaded their religious Temples and shrines, removed their ancestral staves, sacred objects and images including their “Ebo” which was their supernatural force for controlling everything. He has now called on Africans including those in diaspora to rise up and take over control without resorting to physical violence.
He is asking the people not to do what Othman Danfodio did between 1804 and 1817 when he fought the Holy war otherwise known as the jihad. There are those who organise suicide missions in some parts of the world trying to take over control with violence. The question is how many people are willing and ready to take over control in Benin today with or without violence?
There are many ideas and theories propounded by the author; some of which contradict the ones already held by the people. Take for example the theory of the “Black hole” which he claims to exist in Africans and African Americans. There is need for the author to do more research, especially secondary research which will help him to balance his current theories and ideas.
There is need to have reference list or Bibliography of the materials cited in the book. It is my recommendation that the 2nd edition of the book should include Index and glossary of terms for easy reference. There is need to straighten out the few areas identified as flaws in the current edition in order to enhance the quality of the book in the next edition.
Nevertheless, the book deserves to be part of the libraries of those who want to expand their knowledge about Benin philosophy and theology in particular and those of the Africans in general.


______________________
Dr. Omokaro Izevbigie (JP)
(Reviewer)