IGBO
CHRISTMAS:
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS TO IGBO CULTURAL ASSOCIATION OF EDMONTON
AND FRIENDS IN EDMONTON, Saturday Dec. 27th, 2008
By
Chief (Dr.) Patrick Iroegbu
(The Ezumezu 1 of Agbaja-Mbano of Igboland)
Ladies and gentlemen, guests, friends of Igbo Cultural Association
of Edmonton (ICAE) and our honourable committee of Elders, it
is right to say, it is Christmas, an Igbo Christmas time. Be
welcome! Be happy and spread the joy of Christmas to everyone
around you.
As a fact that we need to restate, Igbo people of Nigeria and
all over the world love Christmas and indeed celebrate it to
the best of their cultural heart and soul. Christmas is called
kreshmeshe in Igbo parlance. Every child is raised to adore
it and to see it as a wonderful moment to share the joy of the
birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas brings a moment in a year when
all Igbo people living outside Igboland return home to the villages
to reunite with their kit and kins. Father Christmas popularly
known as Santa Claus for the Igbo is expressed in a popular
cultural networking whereby everyone visits everyone else to
share meals, gifts, money, snuff, drinks and stories. No one
person dresses like Santa Claus to handout gifts. Santa Claus
is therefore symbolized in parents, brothers, sisters, cousins,
and guests who come by and appreciate each other with everyone
else around. Without written or oral invitation before hand,
visiting and being visited provides the opportunity to share
and relate with one another. Failure to visit and being visited
is considered a bad attitude and it will be openly criticized
and condemned for a change. Both private and public events for
development are also engaged in. Families discuss family affairs,
settle grudges and grievances. Religious institutions and their
ministers take advantage of the home-coming of people from towns
to celebrate long masses, and organize activities for developments
such as harvests and bazaars to raise funds.
The Igbo in general appropriate the Christmas message of -
JOY to the World The Lord is Born to rise to a merry
Christmas for all. As such, people will turn to their right,
and to left, will move forward, step backward and graciously
hug and shake Christmas joy of hands. At this Igbo Christmas
in Edmonton, this turning movement for joy was exercised and
everyone loved it as it helped open up everyone with joyful
greetings and moving around in the Ritchie Community Centre
where the celebration was held.
The President fondly asked everyone how they felt after sharing
the joy of shaking hands and greeting everyone around. Response
was a chorus of feeling good! The CBC will otherwise say this
experience as keeping cool and kind! Culturally, the
Igbo are warm people. We the Igbo signify a multiplicity of
cultural guarantees of identity. We are happier. We laugh louder,
and we are shrewdly assertive. Culturally we the Igbo are migrant-entrepreneurs,
as we are noticeably out-going, solidly adaptive and immensely
competitive. It is noble that we are so. With hand
shakes, hugs, big smiles, and of course, with our Kola nuts
(oji) and kola nut accessories, we open our Igbo hearts and
spaces of belongingness, accommodation and cheerful welcome.
As a pattern, a speech to Igbo audience will surely call for
Igbo kwenu (a rally call for unity, agreement and support).
Let me call you up and say Che Che Che Igbo mma mma nu,
nnuria nu, kwenu, kwezue nu --- e h h !!
According to one Nigerian conservative music artist, popularly
known as Beautiful Nubia, life is to be seen
as a wonderful gift to be lived and enjoyed. And it goes
with challenges too, because any life without challenges is
not worth it (Dec. 21, 2008). God was wise to give us
life with challenges. We make and celebrate that life with Christ
at Christmas. Igbo Christmas is a celebration of life with our
families, friends and neighbours cognisance of the love
of Christ in our lives and society. Typically, the Igbo are
very religious and the coming of every Christmas turns them
on to be at peace and glorious to God and their neighbours.
The Igbo Association of Edmonton, ICAE was founded in 2002.
It was distracted from its activities for about two years but
has re-mobilized. And as your president with the entire board
of directors, I want to invite all of you to recognize the need
for a community life we can believe in. The executive members
are so far doing wonderfully well, each identifying with roles
and responsibilities that are good for us. A big thank you to
all the board members namely
Dr. Idong Obiefuna - Vice President
Barr. Ifeoma Okoye - Secretary
Penny Eleweke Fin. Secretary
Jude Anawalam Treasurer
Attorney Obi Agbarakwe PRO
Nze Eleazar Nwachukwu Social Director
Chief Ferdinand Mbajiogu Provost
Emma Morah Board Member Pleni-Potentiary
Dr. Chiemeka B. Ihejirika (Ex-Officio, President)
Ifeanyi Uzoh - (Ex-Officio, President).
We hope to celebrate the next Christmas also in a recognizable
way when we think awards will be handed out to ICAE members
and friends who may distinguish themselves and contribute to
the mission and goals of ICAE. Today count yourself and say
like Obama has given to the world, yes we can. So
see you then! The coming year 2009 will be a busy year for ICAE
to keep alive. We will line up activities and meetings to move
on. Continue to come and get involved. And let no one be afraid
to talk to your team of leaders for effective community initiative
and for providing leadership. Your views will help shape ICAE
policies and concrete actions.
Quickly, ladies and gentlemen, let me respectfully recognize
the absence of our late First President Mr. Anselm Okereke
who died on December 29th last year (2007). Two days away from
today he will be one year old for a memorial rite of passage.
Please stand up for a one minute silent in his honour! (please,
the master of ceremony). May his soul continue to rest in peace,
amen!
Let me also thank everyone here for braving the weather today
to grace this occasion. Today is all yours to be merry. We have
prepared for you. We have come to adore one another as
we adore Him, Christ the Lord. At the same time I add that:
afoma chresmeshe dasa ICAE, dasakwara Ndi Igbo na ndi enyi nile
in Canada and elsewhere Amen! As you look around, as the Igbo
will say at home and among themselves: biko gbara m kreshemeshe
(please do or celebrate Christmas for me) is clearly seen in
the wonderful decorations of this hall, in the plenty of variety
of intercultural dishes provided, in the diversity of people
who have attended, in the mood of joy of our children punching
the air around, in the excellent music blaring, in the manner
of volunteerism we have put together as it has never happened
in recent history, and more importantly, in the great spirit
we have come down here to celebrate Igbo life, culture and Christmas.
The Igbo Cultural Association of Edmonton will always be proud
of you in the spirit of biko gbara m kreshemeshe for our love,
dignity and community expression of our identity. Happy Christmas
to you, and also to me.