If I have wings like an eagle and would come and still return to meet up with the schedule in my work place; this is one event I will not hesitate to fly from my far away location to attend on 2nd October, 2021. I would have made it to the event against the will of my Facebook friend and brother PIUS AGOR; who would not want me to be among the participants, though his wish was refuted by an arrow head of the forum- a reliable brother and friend JULIKINGS OGAKWU. In all, we thank God for this epoch making event and a big congratulation to OJU UNITY FORUM.
According to the pen wizard Mr OBO WILSON- “The sons and daughters of Oju have decided to be very deliberate about their Peace, Unity and Development (PUD). The idea is to roll back the years when love was neither diluted nor polarized along political, clannish, and parochial lines.”
Let me congratulates the initiators and wish them a successful and profitable event. This to me is the best thing that will be happening to us as a people and it is a golden opportunity to reunite with friends and also make new ones. As you dine and wine, let it be done with great caution and with the hope that common interest would prevail and selfish interest will take its last breath.
Even though the agenda is not made public, the name EPWEDII caught my attention very well. I remember how it was done at family levels way back in the village in the 70s. I am not very conversant with the details of the one done at OJEGBE and I don’t even think the one at the pavilion will take after that pattern. But in EPWEDII in all instances, whether at Ojegbe or Local Government Pavilion, certain qualities are commonly found- TRUTH AND FORTHRIGHTNESS.
The eating and drinking together may not be new and may not help any better; because we were drinking together before we burnt down our main market and surrounding houses at slightest provocation. The smiles may not be new; as we have been smiling together, but when critical issues bothering on collective interest showed up, we turn full cycle to pitch our tent with a person from our clan even when he is obviously wrong, thank goodness! the Epwedii hopes to bury that. We knew we were brothers, but still go after each other’s wives with brazen impunity for sexual immorality-thank goodness! the Epwedii hopes to bury that. I wish and pray that the Epwedii will invoke the gods/alegu to visit unrepentant delinquents as we eat together, or do I say, God will forgive them as a Christian.
We should be able to look straight into our faces and tell a thief, a cheat, a betrayal, a pathological liar, and a pull-him-down marshal to stop or not appear again in EPWEDII or dip hands in the same bowl of food with seeming good people. We should purge ourselves of duplicity and called white shirt or black shirt what it is, even when it is worn by a friend or foe. That is the truth and frankness that is characterised of an ideal EPWEDII. What will be the use of our UNITY forum, if we are not unified or cohesive in morality and purpose for the good of Igede society. There is a saying that “if brothers go to EPWEDII and come out smiling, it is either they don’t tell themselves the truth or they have recovered from the initial shock after telling themselves the home truth”. History has it that when the ancient Chinese decided to live in PEACE, they made the Great Wall of China; they thought no one could climb it due to its height. During the first 100 years of its existence, the Chinese were invaded thrice and every time, the hordes of enemy infantry had no need of penetrating or climbing over the wall, because each time, they bribed the guards and came through the doors. The Chinese built the wall, but forgot the character. The Epwedii is first and principally about character formation before development blue print, cultural reengineering or political plans; because UNITY and PEACE built without solid moral values will not endure.
We have no option than to work to have a society that will be healthy for our children. But, if the EPWEDII is only to discuss how to move House of Representative seat to OJU in 2023, then I may not be missing too much because I am not a politician. Happy EPWEDII 2021 and congratulation again to OJU UNITY FORUM.
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