Prof Pita Agbese (24th January, 2022).
Those who know these things have dutifully informed us that God has chosen an illustrious Idoma son as the new Och’Idoma. He is John Odogbo. You see, I did not use an honorific for him because I am not sure what to use. Some said that he was working on his doctorate degree in accounting. In America, if he has done everything on his program except write and defend the dissertation, he would be entitled to be referred to as ABD, for All But Dissertation. I don’t know if Odogbo is of the ABD status. Some have addressed him as Dr. Odogbo, implying that he has already successfully defended his doctorate dissertation. Yet, others refer to him as a pastor. With an earned doctorate, Odogbo would be the first Och’Idoma with that exalted academic achievement. So, the new king is not a boy.
Whatever his appellation is, I have to say that I was highly disappointed when I heard him speak for the time at the “takeover ceremony.” First, I was offended that the ascension to the Och’Idomaship would be tagged a takeover. It was not a coronation. Just a takeover. Even more jarring was that Ortom invoked the memory of military coups when he jokingly (?) repeated what Gen Ibrahim Babangida had said in 1993 as he was being forced out of office as president of Nigeria. Babangida had said that he was “stepping aside.” Ortom described the day Odogbo “took over” as a day of stepping aside. The Acting Och’Idoma, George Ede, echoed his master’s voice. It was a day of stepping aside, he repeated.
Ede stepped aside for Odogbo to step inside and it was surreal. For such an important occasion, Odogbo had no prepared speech. He tried to wing it by speaking extemporaneously. It was disastrous. It was a short speech, but it was a meandering one. Odogbo is very inarticulate. He pronounces words very awkwardly. He is a preacher, but it is “Almighting Gond” to whom he is grateful. His command of simple rules of grammar is nothing, but shocking, embarrassing, even. Hear him, “By the special grace of God, I will not failed you.” Odogbo has been chosen by God to be the king for “Idoma sons and daughter.” I wonder who that lucky Idoma “daughter” is.
Very arrogantly, Odogbo informs us that God has chosen him the king so that the Idoma would now be known all over the world. Yea, right. God created the Idoma people thousands of years ago, but it would take Odogbo becoming the Och’Idoma for the world to know about the Idoma. As he was making that weighty pronouncement, all I could think of was why God would give the Idoma a king through whom the rest of the world would “hear” of the Idoma and yet, the king is so inarticulate. If God must give us a king, is it too much to ask God to give us a king who is articulate and can communicate with us and the rest of the world? A doctoral student in any field ought to be “more sound” than this Ogaba’Idu. I guess it is a price a people who have their king selected for them by God and a non-native person pay for their second-class citizenship status.
Let me go and re-watch “The King’s Speech,” the movie about Prince Albert (King George VI of England) whose speech impediment (stammering) was a major issue with his wife. His wife was concerned that the king with his stammering would not be able to communicate with his subjects. The movie is about her efforts to find a speech therapist for her husband so the husband could learn to overcome his impediment to be able to communicate with his subjects. At least in that case, The King’s Speech had a happy ending.
SACRILEGIOUS: OUR OCHI IDOMA IS INARTICULATE -AGBESE
By Iorliam G. A Shija (24th January, 2022)
No matter how well you know how to dance, you don’t go near the flutist. You see where he is standing, you calculate your steps and measure every move to avoid him. You do it so that you don’t hit the flutist.
In another manifestation of his current status, Prof Pita Agbese , as the Tiv would say , vine Amar ta Sha ormiagh. He has for once spared Samuel Ortom and went for the newly elected Ochi Idoma
All men who are of the Kwararafa stock like the Idoma people treat their kings with honour and trepidation. Although the first Ochi Idoma was installed a year after the Tiv had Tor Tiv in 1946, through time, it is clear that The Idomas have proven to have more regards on their king , the Agabaidu , Ochi Idoma , one who stands between the gods and the people than many other tribes .
Such is the one Prof Agbese has risen against in his latest attacks. Today, Agbese didn’t sarcastically belittled the academic attainment of Ochi Idoma, he called him an inarticulate man.
In his words, ‘ Odogbo is very inarticulate. He pronounces words very awkwardly. He is a preacher, but it is “Almighting Gond” to whom he is grateful. His command of simple rules of grammar is nothing, but shocking, embarrassing, even. Hear him, “By the special grace of God, I will not fail you.” Odogbo has been chosen by God to be the king for “Idoma sons and daughter.” I wonder who that lucky Idoma “daughter” is. “
That is not all, Prof Agbese went on to say, ” Very arrogantly, Odogbo informs us that God has chosen him the king so that the Idoma would now be known all over the world. Yea, right. God created the Idoma people thousands of years ago, but it would take Odogbo becoming the Och’Idoma for the world to know about the Idoma. As he was making that weighty pronouncement, all I could think of was why God would give the Idoma a king through whom the rest of the world would “hear” of the Idoma and yet, the king is so inarticulate. If God must give us a king, is it too much to ask God to give us a king who is articulate and can communicate with us and the rest of the world? A doctoral student in any field ought to be “more sound” than this Ogaba’Idu. I guess it is a price a people who have their king selected for them by God and a non-native person pay for their second-class citizenship status. “
If anyone was in doubt about my fears then, Agbese has now shown us all that there is every need to pray for him. I went to school and was taught history by renowned Idoma professors like Yakubu Ochefu, Armstrong Adejoh and Okpeh Okpeh amongst others. They held their tribe and Ochi in awe. How could I have imagined that an Idoma professor in our day, will rise against an Ochi?
Agbese vine amar ta sha or imiagh.
Reply from Prof Pita Agbese on 24th January, 2022.
Iorliam GA Shija, you manifested your ignorance so much in your last sentence in English that your silly write-up is not worthy of a long rejoinder. Ochi in Idoma means a tree, not a king. That’s what happens to arrogant dolts who think they know much. If your imagination is that an Idoma professor cannot rise against a tree, your imagination must be very shallow, indeed. Trees are cut down every day in Idoma land.
Did you watch the video? Did Odogbo seem articulate to you? Did I misquote or mischaracterize him in anyway? So, now your duty as an SSA requires you to defend the Och’Idoma? Please, talk to other Idoma people and see if they are not embarrassed by Odogbo’s outing. Unfortunately, his performance reflects the growing criticism that he is Och’Ortom and not Och’Idoma.
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