Helping those who forget to remember and tapping those who remember to forget will be appropriate in this vignette.
Sometimes, one forgets that one has to remember so that it doesn’t become an exercise in futility insisting that one reverses self against the loss of memory.
In 2019, Clan Chief (Prof.) Kingsley Chimezie was conferred with chieftaincy title “Ebube Chukwu Jirim Nye Mba”, Ikeduru”, whaoo!!! What a name. To impress the name in the sub-consciousness of human mind, he came with the name, ‘Ebubemba Ikeduru’.
This name has dotted the length and breadth of Uzoagba Ikeduru LGA, Imo, Nigeria and across the globe whereupon he has globetrotted.
You cannot have an encounter with Ebubemba Ikeduru without having a mental parking lot of the good deeds impression he will leave behind in your life.
I call him, ‘mmiri oma na-asachapu ubiam’. He meets you in the miry clay of life, he puts you on the stable panache of living. His assistance and gestural magnanimity know no consanguinity consideration.
On the 30th of December, 2021, all roads will lead to Umueziogwu in Uzoagba Ikeduru LGA, Imo State at the residence of Obi Ebubemba Ikeduru where the crème de la crème will gather to celebrate this iconic personality.
The specialty of this year’s celebration is that Ebubemba Ikeduru in his style is introducing in Uzoagba Ikeduru and Imo State, a novelty yearly anniversary called Ofala. You would recall that Ofala is not the style of celebration in Imo State but great moment of celebration for those of us who have seen it in Anambra State. It is said that when one sees a good culture, one should bring it home. If Ebubemba Ikeduru, in search of his damsel, found one, replete with heart of gold, adorable mother in the person of Lolo Maureen Kingsley Ebubemba in Anambra, bringing home Ofala is welcome development.
The uniqueness of this two year’s Ofala anniversary emanates from the fact that 2020 was a year full of challenges that took the whole world by storm, halting every aspect of the economy, companies were shutdown, people lost their jobs as a result of COVID-19, especially that alot of people died, hence thanking God for His mercies this year.
This year’s event is according to him, a celebration of Grace of God upon his life to impact on people, especially Ikeduru, Imolites and other parts of Nigeria, through his empowerment scheme and humanitarian gesture, adding that to whom is given, much is expected.
“What makes this year’s Ofala more special is that from giving empowerment to the youths, widows, less privileged and disabled in form of motorcycles, Keke bus, sienna among others to enable them start good life, we stepped up by giving scholarship to the whole of Ikeduru LGA. I have been giving scholarship within the villages in Uzoagba. Now I am going to give scholarships to Ikeduru sons and daughters who want to study, are talented and skillful. This scholarship will run through primary, secondary and tertiary levels. As long as you’re an indigene of Ikeduru, you want to go to school but have no one to train you, Ebubemba Ikeduru will, through his empowerment and scholarship schemes sponsor that person to school at university level. That’s what makes this year’s Ofala special” , Ebubemba Ikeduru posited.
“Again, this year’s Ofala marks another milestone of Ebubemba Empowerment Scheme, partnering with the Deking Printing Hub to train trainees and apprentice who want to learn different printing works in different areas, like MoZ or 5units Operation, Cord Operation, CTCP, Flex Operation, Direct Imaging, Graphics Designing, Heat Press, Cap Press, among others, adding that the letter has been sent to Churches in Ikeduru to announce for those who are interested to apply through their traditional rulers with guarantors to the Deking Printing Hub. Ebubemba Ikeduru noted that the empowerment scheme is completely free of charge for Ikeduru youths.
For those who are keepers of history, you would recall that of all the empowerment and humanitarian gesture being doled out to Uzoagba people by this great man, this year’s scheme is mega, superlative and gloriously all-inclusive.
I am talking about a man who is not given to wishy-washy sentimentality, a man who helps without minding whether you appreciate or not, a man who is a totem of generosity, a man who asserts his contribution to humanity with sacerdotal sagacity, a man whose milk of human kindness overflows and nourishes others. I am presenting the Ebubemba Ikeduru who on the 30th December shall showcase his love for his people, not that show of love that’s transient and short-lived but one that endures the passage of time. If you want to grow a community, give them education. I have also said to my friends that “Every other thing can wait but not the education of the child”.
This is what Ebubemba Ikeduru has simply done to place Ikeduru on the pedestal of knowledge upon which the world is driven.
This man whose sense of humor is not only therapeutic but also christocentric shall bestride the local government like the lover of education that he is, touching lives and removing garments of financial burden from those who are willing.
Like the biblical man at the pool of Bethesda (John 5) whom when asked “do you want to be made whole?, the man answered, I have no man. For those who want to go to school but don’t have the wherewithal, the man has arrived and you shall surely go to school because he is a man of his words. Ikeduru people should be grateful to God for blessing them with the likes of Ebubemba Ikeduru who continues to have sleepless nights thinking about how to leave people better than he meets them. He believes that ‘we all rise by lifting others’. It is not about how much one has but having the mind to help when and where one can.
In the coming editions, I will tell you the Who is Who, including artistes, politicians, captains of industry, comedians and activities packaged for your delight at the two years Ofala celebration. This platform will be dedicated to this great event because of the importance that the empowerment brings to the people of Ikeduru who are counting down to the date. It will indeed be a rallying point for a no-holds-barred anniversary cooked, garnished and seasoned with mega empowerment.
See you next week.
