BY EVEREST EZIHE, Ihitte Uboma
Amainyi is an ancient autonomous community in Ihitte Uboma council area of Imo State. An agriarian environment rooted in substance farming, naturally calm with scerene environment. This community is hardly in news, either for the good, the bad or the ugly. They just dwell in self satisfaction, arrogance and pomposity, very much contradictory to modern thinking and reality.
However, for the past 6 years, HRH Eze Pharm. Emeka Ogbonna was coronated and installed as the traditional ruler(Inyi 111, of Amainyi) and with the title of Ezeohazurume, the narratives have been positively changed.
Certainly, from the actions and inactions of the youthful Royal Father, it’s obvious he is a product of the philosophical schools of Socrates and Pluto as an ardent believer, that it’s better for a child to remain unborn than being untaught, hence knowledge is power and wisdom is an endowment asset.
As a mark of his vision about communal revolution and transformation, on assumption of throne, he introduced what his associates described as a comprehensive palace weekend free training on motivational and inspirational development of man. Thus, every weekend, once it’s 10 am, children of the community, numbering over 100 from various families and within the ages of 6 – 20 years assembly in his palace and experts on these fields were recruited to teach them for 3 hours on various subjects of Motivation and Inspiration.
It’s important to inform that during the training Ezeohazurume as the initiator and facilitator freely provides all the books and materials needed by the participants as well as given them three course meal and other refreshments every day of the training. Just to encourage participation and comportment.
The good news is that after about six months, most of these participants rediscovered themselves, their destiny and the need for unity of purpose. This is the genesis and secret of transformed and reformed Amainyi ancient community in the 21st century.
Majority who passed through this tutelage are today role models in their choosing endeavours and at the end Amainyi community is major beneficiary. This is just an envisaged patriotic sacrifice of one man, who’s thirsty of repositioning his community in tandem with the new world order.
Then, most of his critics saw his action as that of idle “mad man” but today as the products of the dogged strategic thinking are bringing honours and respect to the community, the same critics are now calling Eze Ogbonna, the man who saw tomorrow and the Daniel that has come for deep rooted sustainable development and transformation.
Just last Saturday (9/4/2022), this humble traditional ruler, reinvent another programme that borders on fear of God and good morals as the bases for genuine and sustainable human capital development and transformation.
The ancient of days, open field of Central School Amainyi that in all ramifications begging for rehabilitation attention was a beehive
of activities, again initiated by this Never Say Die traditional ruler who has a status of an institution.
Worried by the extent of moral decadence prevailing our society and the need to liberate his community from the negative influences of the societal decays, HRH Eze Pharmacist Emeka Ogbonna has again taken the bull by the horns, through introduction of 2022 Amainyi Bible Recitation Non Denominational Competition among children of the community within the ages of 10 – 18 which he has vowed to be an annual event.
The well attended programme that raised goose pimples and tears of joy, among the guests was honoured by Hon. Okey Anukwuem, Imo State Commissioner for Special Duties who ably presided as Chairman of the historic occasion. Interestingly, St Paul’s Catholic Church Parish building, Umuawaeke Amainyi Choir spiced the occasion with angelic choral songs.
Anukwuem who was so impressed on the biblical knowledge of the teenagers applauded Eze Ogbonna for initiating such a programme that would certainly be a tonic in the lives of the children and for overall benefits of the society.
The Honourable Commissioner pointed out that the essence of the competition is to instill into the children the knowledge of God and enshrine in their minds the words of God that will lift them against worldly challenges.
He canvassed on the need for other traditional rulers in the State to emulate Eze Ogbonna’s vision of grooming children for better tomorrow.
Anukwuem also enjoined the children on the need to respect their parents and elders so as to earn the biblical injunction of longetivity as well as to be guided in all their endeavors by Rotary International Four Way Test principles of human relationship.
The astute politician further advised on the need to issue that all traditional rulers in the state should organized same in their various communities.
He gave kudos to the Shared Prosperity administration of Governor Hope Uzodimma for being visionary and people oriented in terms of infrastructural development and transformation in all the books and crannies of the state.
The Commissioner further described Governor Uzodimma as God sent and that he means well for people of the state, he called for the people support and cooperation to the State government.
Anukwuem enlisted some of the legacy projects of the government in terms of infrastructural transformation and developments in areas of road, water, health, education, agriculture among others.
While calling for patience among the populace with the state government, he advised the people on the need to take the Covid – 19 vaccine for their health benefits and to jettison all negative reports against the vaccine.
Responding, Eze Ogbonna the essence of the competition is to help the children develop their memory, will, reason, perception and imagination which are vital in human development.
He recalled that in his days in primary school he was advised not to memorize things but rather he should learn and understand what he was taught.
According to him ” though, it is very good to understand what you are taught but please learn how to memorize things and when you grow to understand what you memorized, you will understand them” he noted.
The reverred traditional ruler also informed that he was motivated to facilitate the programme because of the philosophical stand of Buckminster Fuller, a renowned inventor who said that” you never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete”.
He further said that ” we can not have a better society by only criticizing and fighting existing reality, we can build a new model and create attention to the news and as we do that, the old will begin to crumble.
In place of talking and making mockery of our children, who are taking drugs we can start things like this. We can help them into forming book reading association, debating club, sports club, memory development association, music, drama, singing and dancing association among others.
Eze Ohazurumee observed that since he ascended the throne, he has been looking for like minds to drive his educational programmes for youths of the community and commended Nzeobi Jonas Okeke for being a good ally.
He commended Chief Chinedu Nwankpa, Sir Livinus Amajuoyi, Sir Ugochukwu Edomobi, Engr. Ogechi Nwankwo, Sir Cletus Oguayo, Prof. Joseph Uwaleke, John Uwaleke, James Uwaleke, Nzeobi Jonas Uwaleke, Joachim Uwaleke, Sir Eze Okafor and Lady Blessing Nwaoba among others for assisting him in sponsoring the programme.
Nzeobi Jonas Uwaleke in his address as the Chairman Organizing Committee lamented that the world has been taken over by phone and with social media churning out negative images, violence, drugs, the love of money, glamour and other social vices any effort to direct the youths and children into fear of God and appreciating Almighty God as the author and finisher of their faith deserves serious commendation and appreciation.
According to him, quoting a biblical injunction from the book of Proverbs 22, verse 6 that says “train up a child in the way he should go; even when he’s old he will not depart from it”.
Uwaleke insisted that Eze Ogbonna and his cabinet commitment towards organizing the Bible Recitation Competition is to encourage young people of the Christian faith in their community to be biblically literate with a vision of knowing God’s word so as to raise their moral up bringing, inculcate good values and arrest youths restiveness and moral decadence.
The competition he said is opened solely for youths of the community who are between the ages of 6- 20 years where as the biblical recitation was taking from the booKs of Psalms and Proverbs. It’s geared towards making the participants to imbibe good virtues, become better and useful members of the society.
Fifty one children participated in the biblical recitations that anchored on Psalm 34 Vs 1-22,Psalm 78 Vs 37-55,
Psalm 107 Vs 23-43,Psalm 119 Vs 1-22, Psalm 119 Vs 41-64,Psalm 145 Vs 1-23 and Proverb 3 Vs 1-23.
Among the participants are Marcus Ibezim, Nwankwo Chizirim Pearl, Ugochukwu Uwaleke, Faith Korieocha, Uchechi Ufomadu, Ekpereamaka Nwankwo, Udodiriunu N. Nduji,Mary Jane Onwukanjo and Precious Ohia.
Others include Nwaiwu Innocent, Victor Rowland, Blessing James, Nwankwo Chibuikem David, Nduji Amarachi, Nduji Maureen, Friday Esther, Sunday Chinaecherem, Uzoma Sotochukwu, Michael Nwaegbule, Precious Idimogu, Asibe Esther and Chinatu Chibuzo among others.
However, at the end of the highly competitive biblical recitation competition Master Chizurum Nwaonu Uche took first with instant cash prize of N50,000=, hyperactive Master Ihekwueme Kelechi Korieocha came second and received N30,000= while little Miss Nwankwo Amarachim Grace came third and received N20,000= .
Highlight of the occasion was presentation of certificate of participation to all the participants by Dr. Okey Anukwuem, the honourable Commissioner for Special Duties and HRH Eze Pharmacist Emeka Ogbonna, ( Inyi 3 of Amainyi, Ezeohazurume 1 ).
Eminent personalities graced the occasion among whom are HRH Eze Sir Lawrence Ihekweme (Nna 1 of Ihinna), Dr. Bon Asiegbu, the Provost of Imo State College of Education, Ihitte Uboma, Nze Ignatius Obilor, Hon. Chidiebere Agu, Chief Stanley Chukwunaru, Nze Samuel Nwankwo, Ichie M.J.O Nwankpa ,Nze Patrick Amadi and Bro. Ikechukwu Nwoke among others.
