By Ajogwu Jerry Ochada
Abomi Igala!
It is Christmas again; the yuletide season where we all meet to show each other love.
The binding force preserving our coexistence – Igala race – is the inimitable show of love displayed by our heroine, Inikpi Oma Ufedo Baba. She died to save our race from the impending disaster of that century but the benefits of her sacrifice is not lucid in our contemporary interactions.
We must strive never to trash the grace of her compassion and commitment towards the growth and development of our land.
Inikpi died for us to live; she spared her last breath for the Igala nation but today we are toiling with her historic feat just like the Igala parable of a consumer of chicken eggs: ajege ima ki ofe awi ajuwen (an egg eater does not know that laying of eggs is difficult for the hen). Pardon my writing Igala writing.
Abomi Igala!
The ever-green memories of Inikpi must continue to echo till the end of time. She preserved our race for us to share the grace. I call on the various custodian of our traditional heritage to revamp the celebration of Inikpi Day annually to enable us pay respect to our heroine; we all owe her allegiance as a race because she set a pace that is difficult to emulate till date.
In this season of Christmas, let us remember to showcase the love bequeathed on us by the gracious understanding and sacrifice of Inikpi Oma Ufedo Attah. By the rare virtues of her courage, our ancestors succeeded and lived together as one; in unity, peace and the above all the pursuits of mutual goals.
We must learn to love one another, by learning from the story of Inikpi who displayed love at the greatest apogee of ratings. Today, our brothers and sisters are polarized as a result of personal aggrandizement against the pursuit of ethnic gains. This is not the spirit of Inikpi!
We existed as one united race before the era of fierce politics. In a practical notion of reality, politics is not supposed to divide us if at all we are seeking for the development of our land (Ane Igala). This is a red button agitating a timely intervention perhaps through a robust phase of mutual introspection.
Today, Igala sons and daughters are fighting themselves because a portion of a sour soup has been served by our detractors and the few men of goodwill amongst us are easily lured to taste the bread baked by Lucifer to cause commotion in our land. The gods are angry with us. Who can appease the gods?
Abomi Igala!
Our race is not cursed but our political decisions and affiliations is gradually earning us a curse; it is accumulating and let it be reiterated clearly that generation yet unborn may suffer from our actions and inaction except we halt our egocentric cravings at this juncture.
Amo’Omayemi!
It is time for us to return to the drawing board to draft new strategies aimed at bettering our prospects as a race. For how long shall we continue to fight and cast aspersions on our ourselves? We must not continue to sell our homes to the visitors while we wallow in confusion and gnashing of teeth triggered by avoidable sufferings. Aki d’unyi ta y’oko lan……
It is time to remember our heroine – Inikpi – by striving to emulate her passion and exemplary love for the Igalas and Ane Igala. It is a season of love, show some love.
Ojo ki dugbo me chaka….
Merry Christmas in advance.
This is very inspiring project.May we witness a resurgent of Igala dream in our time ,Acheee!