Are accountable to their house and clan
Are accountable to their house and clan
Those who hold authority are accountable first to their house and clan. Authority does not flow upward from the individual—it flows inward from collective responsibility.
No one stands above their house. No house stands outside its clan.
Source of accountability
Accountability arises from:
- belonging to a house
- carrying a name or crest
- exercising authority on behalf of others
- inheriting history and obligation
Authority is granted by relationship, not self-assertion.
What accountability requires
Being accountable to one’s house and clan requires:
- acting within granted authority
- honoring house history and adaawk
- respecting clan relationships and limits
- answering for decisions and consequences
- accepting correction when responsibility is breached
Accountability is continuous, not episodic.
Role of the house
The house:
- grants authority
- defines responsibility
- remembers history
- corrects misuse
- protects continuity
A house may affirm, limit, or withdraw authority.
Role of the clan
The clan:
- provides broader relational balance
- checks isolation or overreach by a house
- preserves inter-house accountability
- affirms legitimacy across families
Clan accountability prevents fragmentation.
Accountability through witnessing
Accountability is enforced through:
- living witnesses
- feast acknowledgment
- public recall of obligation
- intergenerational memory
Private authority is not lawful authority.
Consequences of failing accountability
When accountability to house or clan fails:
- legitimacy weakens
- authority may be challenged
- correction or consequence follows
- responsibility remains active until addressed
Avoidance deepens breach.
Core principle
Authority answers to the house and clan that sustain it. No one governs alone.