ETHICS OF AFRICAN-IGBO PATERNITY IN THE WAKE OF DNA POLITICS
In Igbo ontology, paternity bothers on who is the father of the child, but not necessarily who fathered the child. This is a statement of fact among the Igbo because once a child is delivered; automatically the child belongs to a father whether biologically or not. The issue of paternity DNA test is alien to them not essentially because they seemingly lack the scientific technical knowhow, rather because they believe that children do not fall from nowhere but are gifts from the gods through sexual relationship between a man and a woman. This is why the quest for paternity using DNA is not originally part of Igbo tradition, because any child that is given birth to in your family automatically becomes your child whether freeborn or slaves or even adopted, so long as the child recognizes you and calls you father. Fatherhood or paternity in Igbo ontology is an honor, a responsibility, an identity and acceptance not necessarily passing on the bloodline or a title. This explains why the child belongs to the community; every adult male member of the community can stand-in as a father to any child in the area of tutelage. DNA is the molecule inside cells that contains the genetic information responsible for the development and function of an organism. This paper analytically tries to understand the African-Igbo concept of paternity vis-a-viz Western concept, the politics of DNA and ethical implications of DNA paternity test to Igbo African culture like ontological uprootedness and divorce on the extreme case.
Keywords: african-igbo, dna, ethics, paternity, politics, wake