IGWEBUIKE: An African Journal of Arts and Humanities. Vol. 6. No. 5. ISSN: 2488-9210 (Print) 2504-9038 (Online) 2020. Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Tansian University 116 REVITALIZATION OF AFRICAN MORAL VALUES Ifeyinwa Cordelia Isidienu Department Of Igbo African And Asian Studies Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka 08033027892;ifyisidienu@gmail.com DOI: 10.13140/ RG.2.2.23433.67684 Abstract Moral is being in compliance to a standard of right behaviour. It relates to the pri nciple of right and wrong in behaviour. African culture basically cherishes and e mphasizes high moral standard. Wealth without moral is despised and unacceptab le to almost all African communities. People prefer good name as something more valuable than wealth. African values such as truthfulness and sanctity of life wer e regarded very highly. It has become worrisome how these values fare in the face of contemporary challenges, how they are safeguarded or discarded in many conte mporary African societies. The study therefore deems it necessary at the recovery and conservation of these values in order to give them their rightful place in the p resent day realities of change and advancement. The study drawing primarily fro m the Igbo culture uses observational method, library sources and oral interview f or data collection. Findings show that there is the need to revive the African mora l values. The responsibility for this revitalization lies on every African, starting fr om the family to proudly portray their rich African moral values. Keywords: Revitalization, Moral, Value Introduction This paper is on the rebirth of African moral values at the verge of total an nihilation. African moral values are moral codes that were handed from g eneration to generation. They are the unwritten laws that guide the lives o f the people. Onuoha (2015) refers to moral principles as that which guide the actions and belief systems of people. Therefore any “action, decision o r belief which serves the purpose of a group, a community or race eventua lly becomes part of the value system of such a group”. (Ezeoke, 2010:19). P eoples‟ moral value system evolves over a period of time through mutual experiences and collective relations. Africans, especially the Igbo people o f Eastern Nigeria were known to be truthful, honest, just, and humanitaria n, they are their brothers‟ keepers, and they have respect for the sanctity o f life among other values and virtues. In the past a truthful person is held i n high esteem, the person is looked for whenever there is conflict because he can be trusted to give a true verdict. However, presently most people with ill gotten wealth were accorded more respect to the detriment of the mailto:ifyisidienu@gmail.com IGWEBUIKE: An African Journal of Arts and Humanities. Vol. 6. No. 5. ISSN: 2488-9210 (Print) 2504-9038 (Online) 2020. Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Tansian University 117 society. This could be part of what lead to the problem which the society i s battling today. These challenges are the immoral acts as murder, human trafficking, kidnapping, insincerity, injustice and lies among other ills whi ch have eaten dip into most African societies. It is a misplaced priority, jus t as Mapaure (2011) has noted that Africans as a product of colonialism an d imperialistic ambition, has contributed to the loss of African values. It ca n be said that westernization, coupled with globalization and quick mone y syndrome has given way to the loss of African moral values found in tru thfulness and sanctity of life. Therefore, in the face of the onslaught from g lobalization, technological and scientific discoveries, many scholars are w orried that African values face the threat of total annihilations.(Onuoha, 2 015). From the foregoing, revitalization of African moral values has become nec essary in this fast moving and changing world. Moral values are the hub o f any given society. Before now the Africans were known for preserving t he sanctity of life and upholding truthfulness, which gave rise to Africans being their brothers‟ keepers. But alas these great values are fading gradu ally as advancement and development continue to creep in. We now hear of murder in many African societies, and the murderers do not receive ad equate punishment for their offences. Lies, including those that are very g rave and could lead to loss of lives and property, are no longer viewed as great evil in some parts of African societies. Speaking about the Igbo peop le of eastern Nigeria, Ezeoke (2010:20) states, “Igbo were known and respe cted for their total regard for sanctity of life.” Do we still merit that respect ? Have the Igbo not been known to shed the blood of their siblings or even their parents in the quest for material acquisition?” The rate of decay in m oral values among most Africans has become worrisome for the imbalanc e it has created in the entire system. Isidienu (2016: 128) decries thus and c autions that “This drift in value has a lot of consequences.” Having seen t hat in many African communities life is wasted; and most people tell lies a t will and live a kind of life that totally negates African moral values. The researcher deems it necessary to proffer ways to revitalize African moral v alues, especially those found in truthfulness and value attached to life. Thi s will go a long way in re-awakening the forgotten and neglected values a nd therefore enable the Africans to live an upright life for a better African society. The study will therefore explore different concepts relevant to the study s uch as value, revitalization, moral; bring to light the value attached to life and the value attached to truthfulness; and the implication of neglect to th IGWEBUIKE: An African Journal of Arts and Humanities. Vol. 6. No. 5. ISSN: 2488-9210 (Print) 2504-9038 (Online) 2020. Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Tansian University 118 ese values; solutions are proffered with regard to revitalizing the lost valu es. Explication of Concepts Value Value implies something of usefulness, importance and worthwhile. It is t hat quality that makes something to be desired and the amount of meanin g attributed to it. Values are those things that make the life of a people ad orable. Okoye (2010:63) states that, Value as the single factor that mould character, conduct, cult ure and world view are central in the life of any people. They represent basic convictions that shape the specific modes of c onduct and ultimate objectives preferred by a people. Value h as a judgmental element. They (value) prescribe what is right or wrong, good or bad, desirable or despicable. Value is the ultimate for the survival of any group of people or society. Ez eoke (2010: 22) captures this when he asserts, “A people without value are a people sliding into a fiery hell. They are doomed to a disgraceful extinct ion.” However when a people‟s value system threatens to skid due to mis placed value, the only option for the survival of such people is revitalizati on. Revitalization Revitalization is to provide novel existence, vigor, motion or attainment to a deteriorated situation. It means to stir something from the state of depre ciation to an enhanced situation. According to Okwudishu (2010: 45), revit alization implies “Reinvigoration, revival and restoration.” On the face of degeneration of moral values the only option is to revive or mobilize vario us agencies that will rejuvenate the people‟s moral standards. Based on th e above Mifflin (2016) avers that revitalization is betterment, improvement , a change for the better, and progress in development. Generally speaking , there is need to revive African moral values, as Iwe (nd: 85) rightly states , “There is an urgent need to revive and revitalize the drooping spirit and basic institution of our culture, if we have to avoid the incidence of selling our souls to foreign cultures.” From the foregoing, it seems therefore, that revitalization is the answer to the degenerating African moral lapses. Moral Moral actions and moral uprightness are highly appreciated among Africa n communities. Thus, speaking about Igbo people of eastern Nigeria Isidie nu (2016: 84), affirms that “Igbo people believe in hard work and good mo ral standard.” Every culture, society, group or individual has some moral IGWEBUIKE: An African Journal of Arts and Humanities. Vol. 6. No. 5. ISSN: 2488-9210 (Print) 2504-9038 (Online) 2020. Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Tansian University 119 standards it wants to protect. It is the moral standard, ethics and moral va lues that build up the people‟s identity. Onyewuenyi (2002: 421) states tha t “ethics generally deals with judgment of approval and disapproval, right ness or wrongness, goodness or badness of actions”. The midpoint of the a bove opinion is the assessment of life which gives the African character. It is the intermediary between the seen and the unseen and both have a very strong binding relationship. An action does not only affect an individual personally; rather it also connects the community and the spiritual beings. This is why a “breach of customs normally earns for the community some evils and disharmonious reaction from the ancestral spirits.” (Ilogu 1985:2 7) The assertion among the Igbo that Otu mkpịsị aka rụta mmanụ, O zue ọ ha literally translates as when one finger collects oil, it will affect other fin gers explains the fact that, there is a great relationship between morality a nd ontological order. Further, and abomination such as murder committe d by an individual will arouse anxiety in the entire community. This is so because once it happens, an expression of untold wrong, solicitude, unnec essary calmness and anxiety grips the entire community because of the on tological relationship with the offender. Kanu (2015:238) avers, “With rega rds to morality, there is a strong connection between moral rules and the t ype of communal kinship relationships that exist among African societies” . When an abomination is left unattained and the gods unappeased or an a ct of injustice is allowed to perpetuate in a community the consequential e ffect is usually calamitous. Morality is highly advocated in African society because of the role it plays in the life of the community. Mbiti (1981:175) adds that, “In the course of t he years, this moral sense has produced customs, rules, laws, traditions an d taboos which can be observed in each society”. It is a general belief amo ng the Igbo that their morals were given to them by God. The ancestors th erefore keep watch over the people to ensure their observances of these m oral laws. Ilogu (1985:26) enumerated some of these moral laws among th e Igbo as: 1. Do not take the life of the member of the commune 2. Do not steal, especially yam, the staple food of the people 3. Do not commit incest 4. Do not defraud strangers 5. Do not hide abominations Certainly any deviation from these moral rules is highly punished becaus e “by committing a particular offence, a person puts himself and other peo ple in the dangerous situation where God punishes him and other people” (Mbiti, 1981). Morals help to keep the society together. Its emphasis is on IGWEBUIKE: An African Journal of Arts and Humanities. Vol. 6. No. 5. ISSN: 2488-9210 (Print) 2504-9038 (Online) 2020. Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Tansian University 120 human conduct that enables him to live at peace with himself and other m embers of the community. Without morals, the society would be in a state of anarchy, as morals help people to ensure that they perform their duties to the society and enjoy certain rights from the society. “It is morals which have produced the virtues that society appreciates and endeavours to pre serve, such as friendship, compassion, love, honesty, justice, courage, self- control, helpfulness, bravery and so on” (Mbiti 1981:75). Morals are deep rooted in the life of the African people because of their long standing tradi tion of what is right or wrong. High moral standard needs to be revitalize d because it keeps the society together and keeps them from disintegratin g. African Moral Values with respect to Care for Life In African ontology the desire to preserve life rates high in the act of mora lity. The idea that life is precious manifests in all aspects of their life such as personal names, proverbs, parables as well as in events and other activi ties of life. Obi (2009:7) emphasizing on Igbo peoples‟ value for life, states that everything the Igbo do is towards the preservation of life. He enumer ated them thus: “eating, drinking, sacrifices, rituals and rites, kinship, tab oos and other moral provisions, worship and even the existence of sacred specialists is for the preservation of life”. Ogugua (2003: 10) added that “T he enterprising spirit of the Igbo is to preserve, maintain and better life.” S uch Igbo clichés and statements as Onye dị, ihe ọ ga-eme adị. Literally, me ans that, as long as one lives he or she will still have responsibilities. This i dea also manifests in Igbo justice, the principle of Egbe bere ugo bere mea ning literally let the kite perch, let the eagle perch (live and let live).In Afri can philosophy, once one is alive, he will be allowed to live freely and pe acefully with other members of the community. He will live and also allo w others to live their own lives. It is this communal living ideology that m ade Mbiti (1982:108) to declare that “I am because we are and since we are , therefore I am”. It is the community that gives the individual his meanin g in existence, without which life is meaningless and unattainable. Among the Igbo, justice and moral obligation demands that both the eagle and th e kite should perch and that whichever denies the other the right should s uffer a broken wing. In admiration of this situation, Amadi (2005:58) affir ms that this proverb expresses with varying subtlety the golden rule „live and let live‟. He points out that the “principle is regarded as the acme of g ood neighbourliness”.Ndụ onye aghala nwanne ya, Ndụ ịbụ onye nche nw anne. The assertions mean that one should be one‟s brother‟s keeper and a preserver of one‟s brothers‟ life. This life is further x-rayed by Iroegbu in Kanu (2015:191): IGWEBUIKE: An African Journal of Arts and Humanities. Vol. 6. No. 5. ISSN: 2488-9210 (Print) 2504-9038 (Online) 2020. Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Tansian University 121 The community is the necessary and sufficient condition for t he life of the individual person. The individual person is imm ersed into the natural world and nevertheless emerges from it as an individual and a person within his conscience and free dom given him by the meditation of the community in which he senses a certain presence of the divine. The individual has the right and free will to live his life. However he shou ld bear in mind that his rights stop where another‟s starts and therefore, s houldn‟t infringe another‟s. If it does the community has the power to ad minister justice without fear or favour. According to Onyewuenyi (2002:41 9) “Life expresses the supreme value of Igbo as betrayed in their speech, t hought, and their acts and deeds. People are named Ndubuisi (Life is first ), Ndukaku (Life is worth more than wealth). This means that no matter th e achievement of the individual, if it does not lead to the preservation and increase of life, then they are meaningless”. The sense of bodily mortal life or physical strength is not what an Igbo understood as life. It is understoo d as existence, being. It means both living and existing. For instance, a hu man being who is dead is no longer living but existing. The implication of this is that life is, therefore fully actualized in the ancestral world. The anc estors on the other hand influence the growth of life of the living. Onyewu enyi (2002:420) emphasizes that the concept of “Ndụ is understood hierarc hically in that God is Ndụ. The spirits and ancestors participate in a higher degree in the life of God; then the living according to Primogeniture”. It i s clear that this ontological relationship prevails on every African to increa se, preserve and strengthen life. It is therefore not surprising that God, ear th, spirits, deities, ancestors, the living are usually called upon in matters r elating to uprightness of life. It is also strongly believed in African metaph ysics that other creatures have certain forces and power embedded in the m and are thus in most cases, beckoned on to manifest as witnesses in mat ters that affect life. Based on findings therefore, it was observed that life is valuable and shoul d not be wasted. Everyone has the moral obligation to protect life. The rea sons why Africans attach much value to life as gathered were as follows: i. Life is sacred, precious and sacrosanct. Preservation of life brings pr ogress and development, but life destruction brings all kinds of evil to the community. Ogugua(2003:10) avers that “The sacredness of li fe is what makes murder or homicide a heinous crime.” ii. Life is given by God and very important to God and humanity and without life one becomes a non-living thing. Life therefore ensures continuity of existence. IGWEBUIKE: An African Journal of Arts and Humanities. Vol. 6. No. 5. ISSN: 2488-9210 (Print) 2504-9038 (Online) 2020. Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Tansian University 122 iii. Life is paramount, valuable, and fragile and a natural gift from the c reator and so man cannot create man. iv. Life should be preserved to avoid silly behaviour from the citizenry . If you allow people to kill, there will be nothing like family, kindre d, village and community. Therefore for harmony, peace and orderl iness, life must be preserved. v. Life has no duplicate; life once taken cannot be replaced anymore so everything is done to avoid the loss of life. Every life is from God a nd nobody has powers to terminate it. God gives life and no one sh ould take away what he did not give and cannot replace because lif e is irreplaceable. vi. Life is very essential and every individual have right to life. Also lif e is valued in order to protect the dignity, sanctity of life. It is also to ensure safe living in the community and protection of properties an d foreigners who came to the town. vii. Value attached to life propels people to pursue peace and order in t he society. The reason is for security, production and economic gro wth. viii. Value attached to life gives the citizenry a sense of freedom. T hey live without fear in the society. It therefore helps to curb social vices. Also when one considers the value of life he or she may not t hink of killing another person. These help to move the community i n a better direction because the progress of any community is its re putation. It was also gathered that right to live is a natural justice recognized by the traditional religion, that everybody has a right to life which is nature‟s rul e. All humans value their lives and none wants to lose his or hers. Truthfulness in the Moral Life of Africans Generally morality in African world view perceived truth as very importa nt to life. Morality also deals with truth and truthfulness. Africans value tr uth so much so that they do not want to associate with lie and liars. The ex tent can only be appreciated when one comes to understand that derogato ry names among the Igbo such as Ntụ bụ ọzọ meaning that, the person in q uestion has attained lie as his highest title. It should be noted that in most parts of Igbo land ozo title is the highest title in Igbo land; Onye ire abụa meaning literally „a person with double tongue‟ and who speaks from bot h sides of his mouth or tongue. The other remarks are ọ sị gị kwuru, gbaba that is, if he tells you to stand at a place, what he actually meant is for you to run away for your safety. Liars, as Oputa (1998:93) maintains are, peo IGWEBUIKE: An African Journal of Arts and Humanities. Vol. 6. No. 5. ISSN: 2488-9210 (Print) 2504-9038 (Online) 2020. Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Tansian University 123 ple “Whose speech is full of contradictions, fictions and inconsistencies. S omehow, the Igbo come to know and identify people who talk in this man ner and of course, such people are not respected in the society”. The way the Igbo value truth made them to equate it to life. This is expres sed in their often used maxim Eziokwu bụ ndụ meaning that truth is life. T ruth brings harmony in interpersonal relationships. It gives one security, s trength and makes one to be in a state of tranquility. Truth gives meaning, reason and value to life. Truth as noted by Ogugua (2003:13) “Is correlate d value of justice. Real justice acts on the truth. The Igbo say ihe a dighi e me onye aka ya kwụ ọtọ - “Nothing happens to the man of truth”. Justice i s denied when truth is concealed. Igbo people believe that truth can never be hidden; that one day the truth will manifest. Meadow (2016) affirms th at “Nothing speaks like the truth, and it cannot be hidden for long.” Igbo people use to say, e tigbusie eziokwu, O gbaa ihe elu. After suppressing th e truth, it will surely manifest. E jighi aka ekpuchi eziokwu literally means that truth cannot be covered with hands. Igbo people believe that anythin g that is true is as clear as day time as in Eziokwu dịka ehihie. It is self-ex planatory and needs no conviction. From the forgoing it was clear that Africans attach so much value to truth. The following observations were made: i. Truthfulness brings God‟s nearness to a community. God means tru th. It is the key to all progress and development in the community. ii. Truthfulness is life and can save every situation. One feels safe if on e is on the side of truth.Onye na-ekwu eziokwu na-adị ogologo ndụ. Onye na-ekwu eziokwu na-enwe nsọpụrụ. People value honesty. iii. When truthfulness is enthroned in every case in the community, jus tice must take its place. iv. Truthfulness brings trust, equity, fairness, peace, love and unity am ong members of the community. Truthfulness ensures that justice p revails. v. Truthfulness exalts a nation. vi. Value attached to truthfulness is that without it, one becomes a bad citizen. vii. Truth is seen as divine, supreme and sets one free. It is an easy mea ns for resolving disputes. viii. Another reason for this value is that people around you kno w you and whenever they need to rely on people, they come to you. „Ezi afa ka ego‟ Truthfulness is valued in order to build a fidelity re lationship amongst people and for justice and fairness to take place. Truthfulness makes people to have trust in one another. Truth boos ts people‟s trust and honesty. IGWEBUIKE: An African Journal of Arts and Humanities. Vol. 6. No. 5. ISSN: 2488-9210 (Print) 2504-9038 (Online) 2020. Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Tansian University 124 ix. Truthfulness is a way to preserve life. It brings peaceful co-existence . Truthfulness lessens the gravity of an offence. x. God is always beside whomever that says the truth. Truthfulness br ings progress, peace and tranquillity. It was also gathered that truthfulness makes one to be justified, and that, i t is only the truth that can give justice. Truthfulness in every matter will s urely pave way to justice and that when the truth is determined, justice is automatically done. Without unveiling the truth of a matter justice cannot be possible. Truth makes people responsible and trustworthy. Truth enha nces final judgment. It is a divine dimension that ensures that life is preser ved. According to Ogugua (2003:13) “It is truth that brings meaning to life . The truthful person is always at peace with himself; and he shows the wa y to the rest.” A truthful person makes things easy for others by ensuring t hat justice is maintained. Truth and justice are the two sides of a coin. Justi ce depends on truthfulness and truthfulness paves way for justice. When j ustice is done the value for life is attained. Truthfulness results or translat es to a good society. It ensures that things are done the right way. When o ne admits that he or she has done wrong, it depicts remorse and willingne ss to change for better. Implications of Relegation of African Moral Values It was gathered that the value attached to life brings to lime light the need to uphold African moral values; this will help in binding the members of t he society together. It was indicated that life is sacred and very important to God and humanity and ensures continuity. According Ogugua (2003:7) Life proceeds from God and belongs to God. It is sacred, give n to man on trust. It is a supreme gift with irreplaceable value . Every other human value is subordinated to it. The tradition al Igbo do not toy with life. This is noticeable in the prayers t hey say daily before breaking kolanut, sacrifices they offer be fore their deities, and names they bear, myths and even in the organization of their community. The above is applicable to all African communities. The implication is that , if life is not preserved and the value attached to life not revitalized, the h uman race will diminish, and this will be against the law of nature. If valu e attached to life is neglected, human society might go into extinction. Go d created the human race and gave them power to maintain its continuity; therefore everyone must be allowed to live his or her life. It was noted tha t people are aware of this fact since it was gathered that everybody has rig IGWEBUIKE: An African Journal of Arts and Humanities. Vol. 6. No. 5. ISSN: 2488-9210 (Print) 2504-9038 (Online) 2020. Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Tansian University 125 ht to live, that nobody has right over another person‟s life, for that is the r ule of nature. It was opined that care for life makes people feel reluctant in doing evil si nce no one would want to be portrayed as an evil person. Here value attac hed to life plays the role of making people to be good citizens. It was emp hasized that enlightenment on the value of life will help African communi ties to abstain or to avoid any act that threatens life. Value attached to life therefore ensures security of life and property and will be used to maintai n orderliness, peace and harmony in the society. Care for life gives the citi zenry a sense of freedom. Freedom makes people to live without fear and helps to curb social vices. However, when value attached to life is neglecte d, the results are anarchy; insecurity, disharmony, hardship and these will make people to remain in perpetual bondage. It is therefore impossible to further the common good without acknowledging and defending the righ ts to life, upon which the other inalienable rights of individuals are found ed and from which they develop. A society lacks social foundations when on the other hand, it asserts values such as the dignity of the person, justic e and peace, but then, on the other hand, radically acts to the contrary by allowing or tolerating a variety of ways in which human life is devalued a nd violated especially where it is weak and marginalized. Only respect for life can be the foundation and guarantee of the most precious and essenti al goods of the society, such as democracy and peace. (Pope John Paul 11, nd.) From the foregoing it is clear that the value attached to life helps to mainta in communities‟ reputation. It is impossible for any community in hostilit ies to experience peace. Automatically the indigenes will migrate and inv estors will find it difficult to invest any meaningful business in a communi ty where there is no security of life and property. The situation will create a great setback in terms of economic growth, political peace, and social rel ationship among others. On the value attached to truthfulness, there is an indication that truth is lif e and a way to preserve life. Truth is divine, supreme and gives freedom t o people. Truth brings progress, peace and tranquility. The law of nature a sserts all human parts functions they perform. Therefore lying to one anot her or lying in situation where people want to ascertain the truth of a matt er is wrong. It is against the role to which speech is supposed to play in hu man communication. Communication deals with the thought in our mind, so an action becomes deceptive where there is desire or inclination and in tention to lie. Lying creates hostilities and dishonesty so that the friendly r IGWEBUIKE: An African Journal of Arts and Humanities. Vol. 6. No. 5. ISSN: 2488-9210 (Print) 2504-9038 (Online) 2020. Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Tansian University 126 elationship in the society becomes scornful. Justice is easily attained in a c ommunity where people always say and stand on the truth. It lifts the co mmunity to a greater height, it lighten burden, makes people free and cre ates a harmonious living among people. The implication is that anyone w ho refuses to say the truth of a matter has denied justice to the people conc erned. Suggestions on Revitalizing the lost African Moral Values African moral values will be revived when Africans make it a duty to pro udly display and uphold their rich moral values found in truthfulness and sanctity of life. When truth is said, justice is assured and life is persevered . African moral values are an important aspect of African culture. People an d their culture are inseparable, for this reason every African should be aler t to their moral values which made them unique and gave them identity. Most foreign moral values that negate African moral values should be stro ngly discouraged. Wars, murder, human trafficking, kidnapping and injus tice should be avoided by all African countries. African leaders should pr omote peace, togetherness, truthfulness, justice and concern for life. The family as an agent of socialization should carry it as a function and re sponsibility to orient the young ones on the need to imbibe the rich Africa n moral values found in truthfulness and sanctity of life. Families should make the young ones to internalize these values and virtues so as to ensur e same behavioural pattern and for the exhibition of African ideology. Africans should always remember the sacredness of life and so learn to fo rgive others even when it pains to do so. Revenge should not be desired fo r offence done to one, rather one should work towards forgiving and reco nciling with others. Africans should stand firm on the promotion of African moral values even when it is opposed to foreign dominant moral values. They should vehe mently oppose the forceful imposition of foreign moral values and life styl e that is not in line with African ideology. Teachers should exhibit high moral standards by practicing honesty, fair j udgments and having value for life. They should live an exemplary life, a nd be role models to the young ones. They should also emphasize the rich IGWEBUIKE: An African Journal of Arts and Humanities. Vol. 6. No. 5. ISSN: 2488-9210 (Print) 2504-9038 (Online) 2020. Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Tansian University 127 African moral values found in truthfulness and sanctity of life which is th e hallmark of all the values. Conclusion It is the stance of this study that the spirit of honest and urgent revival is n eeded in the African moral values found in care for life and truthfulness. Life is so precious to be undermined; truthfulness one of the elements that preserve life need not be degraded. Revival will be achieved by the availa bility of adequate cultural elements and organizations for the recapture of African cultural moral values for a total cultural emancipation, identity an d sanctity of life of African nations. References Amadi, E. (2005). Ethics in Nigerian Culture. Ibadan: Oluseyi Press. Ezeoke, J. (2010). “Igbos, Listen.”Proceedings of the National Seminar on Revival of Igbo Values.Benin: Mindex publishers. Ilogu, E. (1985). Igbo Life and Thought. Onitsha: The Varsity Press. Isidienu, I. C.(2016). “Igbo Political Organization and Impinity.” In Ogueji ofor,J. O. andAdirika,B. N.Mgbakoigba Journal of African Studies. Ontisha: New Life Press. Isidienu, I. C. 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