PROFESSOR EMMANUEL ODE, the Emwenyi 1 of the Iyeche Kingdom and Ugbehi-Upiriri 1 of the Igede Kingdom, is a household name. Not only as the owner of many educational institutions within and outside Nigeria but also as a High Chief recognized by the Iyeche/Igede Traditional Councils. What I don’t know about him is the prophetic office. Hmm, recently, he seems to veer into the prophetic. Before the recent happenings in the political space in Igede nation, he wrote this on his Facebook timeline–“COMPETITION IS THE LAW OF THE JUNGLE, BUT COOPERATION IS THE LAW OF CIVILIZATION”.
Igede, as one of the ethnic minorities in Nigeria, shot herself into prominence because of the life and value of hard work, integrity and oneness. Take these things away, and you will have nothing apart from a dusty and untarred roads. My concern here is straightforward; we should be careful of the length we would want to go to prove a political point against our supposed political rival because we may turn around to be the ultimate victim in the end. Unending litigation and desperation are alien to a typical Igede person. We should not malign, debilitate, deracinate and virtually assassinate ourselves as if a person’s existence depends desperately on the non-existence of the other person. We should not pursue political issues to the length that will beat the whole stretch of Lucifer’s imagination.
To whom it may concern–understand the following, and you will discover flowing peace and pacifying rest.
a. Leadership is a gift from God and is placed in time and season.
b. Leadership must not necessarily be as a repayment package for the good you have done because it is not trading by barter.
c. How much you are loved does not always translate to a leadership position.
d. If you are desperate, you will not know when it is a sincere ovation or a mockery.
e. No one is limited by the absence of a political position but only by a selfish heart.
f. It is where God plants you that you will blossom.
g. It is maturity to know your limits and shortcomings without being told.
h. Who you know cannot help more than who you are.
i. You limit God’s assistance when you hate the due process.
j. Several persons in Igede have made marks without political office.
k. When you have no one that can stop you from doing certain things, then you are a dangerous person to be given leadership position. A non-accountable person is a monster.
l. And so forth.
I sincerely desire that we don’t embrace this ugly resurgence as a norm that nobody sees anything wrong with. Those supporting desperation and violence without rational consideration–you will never realize how loud your everyday actions are until you do them in a tranquil place.
The political wounds will get healed in a matter of time, till then we will not cease to pray and join High Chief Prof Ode in saying –“COMPETITION IS THE LAW OF THE JUNGLE, BUT COOPERATION IS THE LAW OF CIVILIZATION”.
Happy Yuletide.
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