There is an old historical movie, ‘Roots’, which tells pathetic stories about slave trade and of how Tobby, whose root-name was Junta Kinte, traced his home of origin to West Africa, even though distant years ago, his ancestors were forcefully taken to America. Umbilical cord is defined as a long narrow tube of flesh that joins an unborn baby to its mother. Biologically, that narrow tube of flesh is meant to provide nutrition and other connecting radiations to the unborn baby from its mother, at the beginning of its earth-life.
Root of origin, connectivity, linkages and affinities are inevitable facts with regard to any species in creation. Nothing and no one hangs in the air without a root or source of origin. It is not without logical reasons and purposes that everything in existence must have some root of origin, neither can such affinity be disconnected or repudiated without some penalty. Rather, what is common is that human myopia, conceit and indolence often throw away that narrow tube, but memory of its roles can always be obliterated.
Yes, a child may grow up to be greater and wiser than the parents that served as its gateway into existence, yet, the root of origin could not have been for nothing. Neither is it a sign of wisdom for anyone to disown or denounce that narrow tube of flesh which connected and nourished a baby from its mother. The process of connectivity between an unborn baby and mother is not an issue of academic debate because it goes beyond what is seen and commonly known.
Beginning with the root core and origin of human beings on earth, there are wide range of controversies, ignorance and misinformation, making it difficult for humans to have a convinced knowledge of who they are. Similarly, the issues about birth, death and continuity of life become rooted in erroneous foundations, so that many people rarely know exactly what to be convinced about. Without having a root-foundation based on accurate truth, there can hardly come about the benefit derived from a sure link of affinity. The nourishing flow facilitated by the umbilical cord from the core of origin would be undermined.
Blockage or disconnection which undermines the nourishing cord from the root of origin brings about estrangement and reduced empowerment. The beauty and progress we find in nature come about only where there is a continuous and steady improvement of what already exists, rather than a situation characterised by imitation and borrowing from what others had done. Thus, a policy of local content is a policy of indigenisation whereby people should explore what is rooted in their own culture and peculiar endowments.
Therefore, it is not in vain that various people have various soil, root and culture of origin, different from others’. There must be differences among people, but such differences usually provide opportunities whereby, through complement  and collaboration, full blossoming of inherent endowments comes about. But a situation where people adopt habits and customs alien to their root, for whatever reasons, what comes next would be a disconnection from the soil of origin. A healthy growth does not entail alienation from grassroots.
A writer once said that no man deserves more pity than he who wants to be something or someone else than what he inherently is in body, soul and spirit. Neither is it praiseworthy for anyone to disown his root or origin. Rather, everyone is better off by identifying with his grassroots, no matter how humble or under-developed. Diligence entails the ability to build up from a humble beginning and improve what already exists, rather than disown one’s lot and adopt what is alien.
Destiny places individuals exactly where they deserve to be, without any injustice, so that they can bestir themselves through the diligence involved in improving one’s conditions. It is a wrong frame of mind to bloat one’s status and ability in an effort to be like someone else, rather than strive diligently to raise and improve oneself. We gain strength, health and mature better if we accept our native soil and peculiar circumstances, and strive to grow from there, without seeking to deny ourselves.
One serious error arising from colonising activities is a situation where indigenous people are deprived of their identity, customs and long-established practices, in an effort to put them in an alien mode of civilisation. French colonial policy of assimilation sought to inculcate French culture and lifestyle into colonised people, whereby  indigenous habits and practices must be done away with, deemed embraced Western education tried to Europeanise their lifestyle and manner of speaking. To say the least, those who disown their root and origin merely do so on a superficial level; quite hypocritical!
Idiom of the umbilical cord is an admonition that he who disowns and throws away what is indigenous and personal to him, can neither be true to that which he adopted, nor develop that which is inherent to him. The laws of nature ensure that individuals come into existence via the bridges most appropriate and also suitable for them. Mothers provide such bridges, so affinity with the environment of birth as well as the necessary sustaining provisions. The umbilical cord represents the visible but last outermost of the bridges which link babies and mothers.
Even though children grow into adulthood and often veer into lifestyles peculiar to them, yet, the fundamental bridge represented by the umbilical cord, remains as the basic grassroot. Cases of abortion in expectant women can arise from gaps in the bridge providing the basic grassroots, such that where there is no affinity, there would be no room to accommodate an alien entity. There is more to the birth of babies than what is commonly known by an average person.
Like the umbilical cord at birth, there is also what is known as the silver cord at death, which serves as connecting support for stability purpose. People who are tied and more inclined to earthly desires and pleasures find it hard and painful to detach from the silver cord, thus accounting for prolonged death struggle. Severance of the umbilical cord and the silver cord does not obliterate the provision of grassroots and support for individuals on earth. Roots provide support, nourishment, etc.

By: Bright Amirize
Dr Amirize is a retired lecturer from the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt.