ACH’ÈRÈ TOGBA: THE LONG MATCH TO UNITY IS WAXING STRONGER
By DAN EJIH, Esq.
The long match to Unity is waxing stronger; never again will the Igala nation swim in second fiddle; the subjugation is over, for never can the truth be buried.
It was all pomp and pageantry; ‘ the graves stood tenantless”, as the spirit and the living converge at the Civic Center for a reunion and a new dawn.
Friday, March 4th, 2022 was another historic day at Idah, the ancestral home and ancient capital of Igala people, the 9th ethnicity on demographic map of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Attah Igala palace was a beehive of collation of all strata of Igala people including Igala extractions bellied amongst other ethnicities in Nigeria. History resonated as all stocks and off springs in the labyrinth of searching for their roots finally located it to the warm embrace of the one who God approved – Agabaidu, Matthew Alaji Opaluwa, Oguche-Akpa II, formally received Staff of Office in his capacity as Attah Igala in the realm and publicly stepped in as the President, Kogi State Council of Chiefs, at the instance of His Excellency Yahaya Adoza Bello, Governor of Kogi State. It was momentous heavenly endorsements, a fulfilling massive prophetic exodus of a people, who have sworn on oath to savour a dawn of renaissance resolving to speak Omuka henceforth.
The strange thing was not in the bond of unity crystallizing in the hosting of the event of public presentation of Staff of Office to the 28th Attah (since the advent of Abutu Ejeh Dynasty), but the massive return of peoples of Igala descends (who are native to their locations) across Nigeria. They all returned to roost physically or by proxy. There was the Olu of Warri who traced the footsteps of his ancestors from Warri, Delta State to Idah, who retorted on sighting Idah, that the serene and terrain was homely; there was Etsu Nupe, a distant offsprings of Igala Prince Tsoede, who unified the Nupe into single royalty; there was arraigns of Igala extractions, who notwithstanding their assimilation into the hubs of Igbo language and traditions, traced their way home. Good will messages flooded the arena from people of Igala blood who could not make it to the occasion; the Asagba (Achogba) of Asaba, the Royal Head of Ebu, Delta State, the Ohimege (Ohiemi- Egbe) of Igu (Kotonkarfe), who more to the event had a tinker with his root; and many chiefs from Ajaokuta, Lokoja, Kotonkarfe and Abaji axis.
Igala Communities in states across Nigeria were led by their Chiefs, so also, were Igala people in diaspora, US, UK, etc , and more interestingly, the Igala aborigines in the new world, who found themselves there, owing to the illicit human trade in the past centuries, now united under Igala culture and monarch.
Sovereign and paramount traditional rulers across Nigeria made it obligatory to witness the making of emergent Ata Igala. His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto and President, Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, representations and good will messages were received from the Emir of Zazau and others in that esteemed class.
The expression of the moment was a magical wand, which compelled assemblage of Igala Statesmen and all other strata from all walks of lives parleying in an unprecedented manner. They found themselves under an atmosphere of pan Igala pax and unity, where they drank from beauty of fraternity.
More emotional was the silence, but common statement and proclamation in the air for those who cared to listen; that never again conflicting interests be taken to a crescendo of conflagrations. The melting point was the overwhelming joy of Agabaidu, HRM Oguche Akpa II, who though known to be reserved and of few words, slipped into tons of expressions; prayers, oaths, assurances, affirmations, prophecies and all.
It was a moment of chains of accolades to one man, His Excellency, Yahaya Adoza Bello, Governor of Kogi State, who unequivocally proclaimed the Attah Igala as President of Kogi State Council of Chiefs with a mandatory injunction to take the entire gamut of Kogi State as his jurisdiction. On this, the duo of their Excellencies, Governor Yahaya Bello and Edward David Onoja, Deputy Governor won the hearts of all.
The Challenge to Igala nation and people is to sustain the tempo of the gains, retain the uniqueness of their considerate nature and roll to coasting at their enviable heights. ACH’ÈRÈ TOGBA with Omuka, eschewing rancour and to settle all differences (if any) at Anukwu Ayegba. This is the only honour deserving to our new realm; Agabaidu, Matthew Alaji Opaluwa, Oguche Akpa II.
We are poised for a renaissance of our values, with fragrance and aroma of fairness to all and sundry; to each according to his worth proportionately. This is the order of divine mandate.
