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‘Igwe’ and my heroes for 2011
Written by Dr Ben Ajayi Thursday, 29 December 2011
I had arrived at the party with my wife about thirty minutes earlier and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. The music was good but there were just a few people on the dance floor. The DJ put on another disc and all of a sudden, as if on cue, everyone, including my usually reserved and reticent wife, sprang to their feet.
The atmosphere changed completely. It was electrifying. The music was super; the dancers sang joyfully along with the artistes as they danced in ecstasy raising their arms and some waving white handkerchiefs. What a wonderful moment!
What is in this song, “Igwe” that changed the mood and caused a unity of purpose? “Music knows neither creed nor nationality,” says IgnatzWaghalter. The lyrics were a combination of about three Nigerian languages and some of the wordings, I could discern, seemed to suggest it was a song of praise, appreciation and gratitude. I got lost while listening and watching the scintillating gyrations of both men and women and could hardly follow the details of the lyrics. However, there was this particular sentence that could not escape my attention and you can guess why! It goes like this, “He brought me out of darkness and set my feet upon the rock; he put a new song in my mouth to sing and now I can shout Hallelujah.”
In the past year some international and local organisations and friends have literarily brought out a number of Nigerians out of darkness into light through their generous donations in cash or kind. They have had their sight restored and can now see! Thus they can now “shout Hallelujah.” The atmosphere following such mass surgery to restore sight is often akin to the scene described above. The beneficiaries dance and wriggle and are full of praise and gratitude for their benefactors. On their behalf and behalf of all members of United for Vision Club, I would like to thank you all for your kindness and love. But how do I thank you? It is easier to express myappreciation with a poem,
The true meaning of THANK YOU,
Two words worth more than gold.
It’s a prayerful wish that means,
You’ll receive more than you give,
And greater good will come your way.
It’s a great blessing to give.
The more you give,
The more “Thank You” you receive.
And that’s an awful lot of prayers!
Habitual takers forfeit this beautiful prayerful wish.
Everyone has something to give.
Some give out of their talent,
Some out of their time,
Others out of their treasure.
Each one’s as good as the other
If from the heart it comes.
You have crossed ethnic and religious lines, like the song “Igwe”. While some heartless souls are bombing, maiming and killing people who they do not know; people who have not offended them in anyway, on the contrary these generous men and women are busy helping to provide sight to the needyirrespective of creed or ethnicity and thus giving them a new life. May your show of love open the eyes of these bigots so they can see.
May it touch their hearts so they can exude love instead of hate. May the coming year bring peace and joy to all of us. DJ, if music be the food of love put on the disc, Igwe and let us dance into the new year and through the year!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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