Life goes on whether we like it or not. Life also ends whether we like it or not. Michael Jackson's demise last week brought the world grinding in shock, but life went on as usual---sunrise, sunset, moon and stars. Nothing stopped. The world went on as usual with no interruption whatsoever.What people do in their lives and with their lives have consequences, whether we like it or not. Our actions and inactions all have consequences.Last weekend in Atlanta Georgia, the keynote speaker at the NnewiUSA convention, an Nnewi so, resident in the United States delivered the best keynote speech ever delivered at our conventions. In other years, keynote speakers were invited from the homeland or outside the country and with great effort. This year, with the great wisdom of the president Mr Nathan Mommah, Dr Ndubeze Okonkwo of Louisiana was tapped as keynote speaker. His speech was short, to the point and very powerful. His speech accomplished so much for Nnewi, ushering in deep thinking, soul searching, and motivation. It was as if a breeze blew over the house taking with it deep resentments and discord. To God be the Glory. We live as the "Okpa aku eri eri" of Oriental Brother's glory days. They asked Okpa aku eri eri to take a good look at the mouth of the dead. We need to do that today. We acquire knowledge, sometimes great knowledge and flount our degrees and honors and titles, yet we accomplish very little with our academic "aku". Our nuclear families, our extended families and our communities continue to suffer. Death and dying has become the biggest business in our homeland. Premature aging and dying have taken seige of Igbo at home and abroad, yet we have so much in monetry terms and otherwise. India and South Africa have become places where the haves rush for emergency medical treatment sometimes going home in caskets or half dead only to die. Nobody really knows what kind of treatment or non treatment they receive, yet we have the best in every specialty, name it residing in foreign lands laboring for others, wasting time in pettiness, planning and helping in pulling down or destroying their very own.I will get Dr Ndubeze Okonkwo's permission to publish his keynote speech. Maybe more soul searching will result from it. If we as individuals put in the little bit we have or if we can leave the few who truly want to chip in what they have alone, our homeland and our people will gain so much and in so many ways. Tackling our problems with whatever we have goes a long way in improving things and bringing understanding which help solve our problems.Take for example the case of Domestic violence and spousal homicide. This year 2009, no single case of spousal homicide have been reported. The publicity it recived in the last few years and the discussion from it at great cost to some, played a major role in the progress. The awareness was made and the problem was out there for all to see and think about. It was at great cost as toes were stepped on to bring truth and ugliness to the surface.Prices are still being paid as slander and malicious press continue to follow people to their church and places of work and neighborhood. One thing is certain----- --- Ochu Okuko nwe ada, nwa okuko nwe mwo- mwo oso. Ezi okwu na emechaa put ihe na ikpe azu. Let the bad press and slander continue. It will not change anything or stop anything that God himself did not stop or change. People may avoid, mock, sneer at innocent people, but only for a season. The truth usually emerges at the end of the day.There are consequences for everything. The consequences of our inaction in the real sense of it is very evident in the state of affairs and life in the homeland. The truth must be told, be it to parent, child, brother, townsman os woman, the truth and the hard truth must be told. Character assasination will not cut it. If God is with one, who, WHO, can be against him or her ? Even if the whole church and co workers reject him or her as they are told, what diference does it make when GOD Has not rejected her and Has not avoided him or her. Being a social reject is laughable because those doing the rejecting are most likely already rejected by God, who is no respecter of persons.Michael Jackson (May his soul rest in peace) succumbed to daeth when it came, even with all his glory. The world did not stop when he passed on into history. The sun, the moon, the stars and everything else in the universe continued in their continous march, declaring the glory of God.Using our individual " Aku" for our own benefit and the benefit of the world around us will save Ndi Igbo, Nigeria and Africa form the grip of backwardness and poverty. Instead we invest our best in bringing out the worst in others whether real or staged. May God help us.
Nwada (Lady) Chinwe Enemchukwu
Onye Uwa Oma
na Orlando, Florida
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