Ndigbo & Christmas: An Imperative to Transcend the Might & Sound of a People To Greater Atmosphere

By Theo Rays Ejikeme

Everybody can attest to the fact that Christmas is a time when the might and sound of Ndigbo are largely in display. The might is all about what we have including people, money, and other valuable things that represent the power and strength of a people while the sound is all about the tone of what we do, our character, lifestyle, engagements and activities. Of note, the might and sound are displayed into a predictable atmosphere characterized mostly by ceremonies like marriage, burial, birthday party, Ofala, group meetings and religious service among other activities.

In other words, ceremonies as above listed and religious service are largely in control of the might and sound of Ndigbo. A clear observation shows that over 70% of the might and sound of the people during Christmas focused on ceremonies and religious service leaving behind teething challenges like: poor power supply, lack of adequate water supply, poverty, illiteracy, disease and crime including kidnaping, human trafficking, cultism and ritual killings among others.

One more challenge which is being ignored is the absent of some native food stuff, fruits and vegetables owing to lack of interest in farm work among us. For instance, orange which is the most common fruit in Enugu Ezike (my town) and which we use to export to Onitsha is no longer available in the village. This ugly trend has pushed me to champion the revival of farm work in Enugu Ezike targeting to mobilize our people to go back to farm to achieve what is called: One Village One Agriculture Produce (OVOAP).

At a colloquium organised by an elite group known as Nkpokote Nsukka Development Forum (NNPF) speakers after speaker lamented on the teething challenges facing Nigeria in general and Igboland/Nsukka in particular noting that it is time to awake the giant in us. Keynote speaker Professor Frank Ngwu observed that the level of poverty and iletracy are on the side while opportunities are wasting off in agriculture and other sectors of the economy

Another challenge facing us as Ndigbo is the inability to create and develop business with sport, technology including indigenous technology, media, traditional medicine, chemical, textile and garment, designing, construction and packaging. A quite number of Olympic sport like boxing, track and field, wrestling, tennis, swimming, basketball, volleyball and combat sports like judo, karate do not seem to exist in Igboland right now. I am not sure if we have up to two cable network television in Igboland. And talents are wasting.

Funny enough that in the midst of teething challenges listed above and which is hurting us badly, most
of us including the high and mighty were busy catching fun all over the place, dancing around town/village and shooting picture and video in social media. One begins to wonder where the Igbo salvation, breakthrough and advancement will come from if we continue to allow ceremonies and irrelevant religious service to dominate our strength and power.

The situation shows misplaced priorities. It is obvious that the impact of the Igbo power and strength that were in action during Christmas will vanish within one month and won’t translate into any meaningful progress because it was misplaced. And the implication is that we are yet to make adequate use of what we have to get what we don’t have. In other words we are yet to utilize our might to secure our need.

Permit me at this juncture to say that it is time for us as Ndigbo to channels our energy much more at greater paths of things that could put us in a stronger position to deal with the teething challenges listed here most particularly power supply, poverty, literacy, disease and crime. Let’s start to think, talk and act on how to move our strength and power into greater paths of things that enhance the atmosphere of life in Igboland such as agriculture, low cost housing schemes, sport, technology, media, textile and garment, designing and construction etc.

That is just the way forward and it is going to work out well for us. Call it self-help initiative you are right. Already there are places where individuals construct tarred roads, where new houses were donated to the poor by individuals, where individuals or group organized free medical treatment, where rice and clothes were distributed to the poor, where solar street light were installed by individuals and where individuals sponsored football competitions among other charity works during Christmas.