Farewell! Kelikume!! I dedicate this part to you Mike. You died too young, but not without impact. You died leaving so many lessons about life which many may not fathom. Life is simple but gets complicated by the complexities of our human nature, craves and desires. I was at your funeral Mass yesterday. Even in your lying in state before the altar the stupidity of human nature of struggle for everything was displayed. They struggled for your brochure, made needless noise because of it, while in real essence, mournful and sober disposition should have been the mood, but the Nigeria…
Author: Jarlath Opara
Must It be always on bereavement, ill health or death? Severally I have watched skits, read inspiring stories and watched cartoons that expressed in graphic ways the selfishness and needless showcasing of the self-centeredness of the human heart, its lack of prioritisation and caring for the needy when life is still in them. We have become too transactional in our relationship with one another, only eager to help most often, either in times of bereavement or in things that would in reciprocation favour us in equal measure. There is this video clip that got me emotional, exposing the very selfish…
The song below written by Jenn Johnson is one of the songs that touch me to the depth of my soul. Take time, read through the wordings and the mercy and love of God would become evident. I love You Lord Oh, Your mercy never fails me. All my day. I’ve been held in Your hands. From the moment that I wake up. Until I lay my head. I will sing of the goodness of God_ Chorus All my life You have been faithful. All my life You have been so, so good. With every breath that I am able…
Make that day unique. Make it a day of smile for the less privileged, who would only say thank you, but wouldn’t pay back. Make the needy smile again. Give hope to the helpless and lift the spirit of the downtrodden. Touch them, stroke their hands, give them warmth and sense of belonging. You may be giving life to a walking corpse. Walk through the cities, by the road sides. Walk through all the corners, seek them out, the beggars, the homeless and make them smile again. Be a Jesus to them, the reason for them to continue to live…
Fatherhood! Beyond being married. Married are many who have children, but poles away from being fathers. Being fertile and able to put one in a state of motherhood makes no one a father, mad men are are capable too. Fatherhood is a role, a responsibility, a duty, an emotional connection etc only those with the emotional and social intelligence should be considered fathers! Fatherhood isn’t “Daddyhood”. Many are Daddies who live in their world, enjoy their comfort zones and never cared how their families are structured and run. They are Daddies because of life circumstance. Strangers in their homes, their…
Very interesting! Issues, views and concerns are raised. I guess I have been touching the hornet’s nest, playing around the trigger zones and dancing around heaps of gunpowder with inflammable apparel. My Inbox for days has been inundated with reactions. Many equally took exception to the proposal for men to help their spouses with chores. To them, it is traditionally a no go area. How can a man help cook for the wife? But why wouldn’t he cook and assist in chores for the woman he wooed, married, expose himself before her in nakedness daily, begs apparently most times for…
Come close fathers who are yet to cheat on their wives. There are revelations I would like to share with you, which I wouldn’t want the cheating Fathers to hear. Check around, if you see anyone who has cheated, caused pains and discomfort to the wife and family, please tell me. This discussion is not for the weak. You all remember how two weeks ago mothers celebrated their mother’s day. In my parish it was great, amazing with many side attractions. They served as Mass Servants, proclaimed the readings as lectors and animated the liturgy with their beautiful voices from…
Happy mothers’ day to mothers, real mothers not women and wives, but mothers whose values, virtues and morals are beyond reproach. Happy mothers’ day to mothers who live through the rough edges of life without faulting and “loose guarding”. To you who endured and still enduring, sacrificed and still sacrificing, bearing happily the burden of motherhood. To you mothers who deal with the drunk and depraved husbands, loving them, respecting and honouring them regardless, happy mothers’ day! To you who deal with the pains and pangs of adulterous husbands, who beat, starve and misbehave, Happy mothers’ day. To you who…
I feel like shooting! An AK47 Silver Gun Shots. I knew him, but suddenly realised I didn’t really know him. Many years ago I met him, but realised I didn’t really meet him. I saw him then, but it seems now I didn’t see him at all. He keeps evolving, making his new version dimmed the glow and dazzle of his older self. Vibrant and still is, all engaging with a boisterous energy, very endearing, making many who desired and still desire to place him in a mould of identity predictions, very confused. 25 years of marriage isn’t a walk…
Yesterday I did a piece on the trending criticisms on Air Peace hostesses adorned on what was generally agreed to be an Igbo cultural attire, the “Isi Agu”, in that piece I tried to throw more light on the difference between Agu( lion) and Odum( Tiger) which I later found out to be wrong. Thanks to my beloved brother Dr. Kachi Nwoga who sent me a well detailed work on Igbo concept and differentiation on the cat family. Reading that piece whose author is unknown brought clarity and further reinforced my earlier stand on the wrong use of Isi Agu…
Recently the pictures of Air Peace hostesses adorned beautifully on Ishi Agu ( not Odum) erupted some controversial conversations, which shouldn’t afterall. What was the kernel of the controversy? The attire made Air Peace to look like a tribal thing, reflective of the culture of the South East. How petty can people be? And and how low they can decend trying to score cheap goals along tribal and religious lines? Nothing has divided Nigerians more than these tribal and religious bigotry. The hurts and wounds such have inflicted on us very irreparable, the very reason we are where are, striving…
We are too normal! Too gentle. We talk too much, analyse pretty well, rationalise issues and situations, manage and endure extreme pains and discomfort, suffering and smiling. Sadly, we are not mad enough to change and reset the balcanized corrupt minds of our leaders and those at the corridor of powers, doing the doings that have perpetually kept us in a very impoverished situation. They walk right inside our bathroom, take away our towels, off they sprint away with it. For shame on how to pursue them in our nakedness, we allow them to go unpursued. They looked at our…
The internet awashed with clips and episodes of tributes. So touching tears rolled down my cheeks, flowing like a flood. Severally I went back to those clips, watched, rewatched and watched again, nothing but the emptiness of life jumped at me each time. I cried, yes for the way and manner the trio exited gruesomely in one day, but more importantly I cried at the emptiness of life, we struggle, slave round, step on toes, kill , destroy, defame, loot etc to amass only to leave all and go empty and bare. Though I knew that life without an assurance…
Strange and bizarre? Flaunting and playing to the gallery? Grandstanding and overly sanctimonious act? What exactly was he looking for, in a Job that many see as one for the low -life, those who struggle and pull through life with financial strains and difficulties. These and more are the first instinctive reaction of many as the news of Hon. Mcdonald Kelechi Ebere PhD becoming Government House Chapel Catechist makes the round. It takes a deeper and contemplative soul to understand the very unusual but privileged position it is being a Catechist at whatever cadre. It is very challenging both physically…
Nigeria isn’t doomed after all. The future not completely bleaked and the hope of the younger generation to be in the saddle not entirely eclipsed. With the stuff and status of people like Hardy Onyinye Biaduo one could still heave a sigh of relief. It is no coincidence that he celebrates his birthday on this day 21st of Feb 2024. It is a unique day , even in the religious circles 7th, 9th and 21st are notable, holding deeper religious activities. He isn’t given to things that would stain and scorch integrity. Fair and firm in approach, blunt and audacious…
There are a lot of secrets around me. I guess same is applicable to you. Not all that ones eyes see, one ears hear and ones nose perceives are meant to play guest to ones mouth. Certain things are meant to find a place of eternal rest in the mind,far removed from the scratching ears 9and slippery mouths of many. We are a repository of secrets not a dispenser of them. We are the cistern, where people come to unburden their pains, worries, challenges and disappointments, with the assurance of them being safe, sealed never to experience leakages. We are…
Almost seven days since the unfortunate death of Dr. Herbert Wigwe, his wife and child the Internet has been awashed with revelations behind the “stupendiosity” of his wealth. I remember writing my little tribute to him a day after his death. It was one death that touched my emotions deeply. It brought closer to me the vanity of life and the need to focus more on things that defie transiency, more on things that would determine ones place in the infinite world. I also expressed my displeasure on the way and manner his position was filled immediately he died. Though…
He will always not disappoint. His “Controversies” are usually strong and deep, no matter how one tries to skew them, they will always be what they are , the true spirit of the gospel. All his “Controversies” have been speaking truth to reality, reasoning above doctrines and dogmas. When he said that heaven and hell are a state, the whole Catholic Church went agog. When he talked about the blessings of gay, It was riotous. Now you can eat and drink anything one desires during lent. Hmmmm! One wonders the kind of uproar it will generate. Kudos to Pope! You…
I didn’t hear the normal noise. Everywhere was quiet. I could practically hear the footprints of ants and chirping sounds of crickets. The last time I noticed this kind of magna silencia was on 1st of March 2023 by 4.18 am when Yakubu declared Tinubu the President. 11th of Feb was a night of sorrow, tension and nightmare. The bottles of champagne set aside to be popped remained untouched. The dance shoes already arranged for the victory, nobody remembered them again. One by one,with a drooping spirit many walked out of the viewing centres believing it was a dream. For…
A time like this will surely come. Time to go. Nothing remains permanent, transience and finite the very quality of humanity. Nothing changes it, it is beyond the creativity and artistry of anybody. Time to go! one reality we will all experience one day and when it comes nothing changes it, nothing stops it. Looking back, beholding all the beauty of the world, the achievements of our industry, the fame, the eulogies, the laurels and every other things done that etched our name on gold , saying time to go could be challenging; but we must when the time comes.…
This isn’t the first time. Severally it has happened. It isn’t a coincidence, rather a divine orchestration to unmask and demobilise the ploy to make love a channel for immorality. I4th February isn’t what it had already been painted to look like. It is much more, worths more and gives a pure dimension of what true love is and should be. For years, 14th February has suffered corruption. Marred and made to look like one dirty thing that daints and smears. It is much more than it has been presented to the world. It is Purity. It is charity, godliness…
Why do bad news travel so fast, spreading like harmattan fire? Why are people’s fingers so proficient in typing and sharing bad news than they would with good news? Why do some people crave to be the first to break bad news than goodnews? I have taken time to ruminate over it, honestly it beats my imagination. Is it our nature? Just being human? The death of an APC Chieftain, Dr. CAIRO OJOUGOH on Wednesday 7th February 2024 was an unfortunate one, not even himself expected it. Hale and hearty, full of life, sitting in the comfort of his home,…
He is a “young man” beginning another round of journey into a deeper level of what life is. Usually not everybody gets this privilege of accessing this deeper side of ones life. It feels good, very refreshing for those with less baggages to be obsessed with. My Dad before he passed was in this space for six years. My mum just arrived at this level last year December. She is as fresh as Cardinal in this highly privileged space, basking in joy, happiness, piety and simplicity that come with it. A lot written already about Cardinal since his 80th birthday…
I thought the meeting with the Rev. Sr and the three men from Plateau, Benue and Taraba ended three days ago. Little did I know it ended to be reconvened again in no time. Arising from that meeting of Tuesday, I wrote a piece titled *Gowon: The Igbo Nation He Never Saw* . That piece went viral. My email box inundated with requests to send them the earlier piece *Gowon: Before you say Goodbye*, which I referenced in the latter post. It was an hornet nest touch, scraping healed wounds and causing fresh blood, gushing out from the already healed…
I had a classmate years ago, very bright and elegantly built. One could easily envy him. Very much endowed specially. The only way we could describe him properly then was with the word infant terrible. Gifted with power of speech, his hands very artistic, his voice quite angelic. That ones body isn’t filled with goose pimples was that he hasn’t sung. Those days, his voice before the microphone, rendering solo songs the delight of all ears; so sedating, those suffering from insomnia could snore at the sound of it. That was a bit description of who he was then. Unfortunately…
This morning I received a call inviting me for a meeting in one of the hotels around town. I tried finding out who the person was and the purpose for the meeting, the voice I heard at the other end of the phone very edifying to my ears and would want to hear it over and over again. Are you Jarlath Opara? Yes I am, I replied. I read your piece on Gowon: “Before you say goodbye” and would like us to have a conversation around it. For seconds I couldn’t alter a word and my breath in palpitation mode.…
Four years of Sen. Hope Uzodimma on 15th of Jan 2024 ended, heralding yet another four years. Baring any pronouncement from the judiciary which seems the visible, functional and last standing institution in the process of electoral conduct and pronouncement, his four years is a done deal. Looking back, there were a lot of bickering, acrimony, bad politics, image staining and laundry, hyping, lies, over promises etc in the last four years. It wasn’t a case of one man culpability, it was more of a collective one, we all shared certain percentages from the whole drama of distractions, denying our…
Few days ago, the reaction of Nigeria President, his Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu made waves on social media. In his reaction through his Special aid on Media and Publicity, he asked the Super Eagles to up their games from a lacklustre level to something befitting to the agility, swiftness and accuracy of an Eagle ( paraphrase is mine). He was not happy with their performance, even though they qualified for the round of 16. As much as Mr. President’s reaction was a true description of the reality of their performance, social media never spared him. Angry Nigerians changed it for…
He isn’t the only one that walked and worked with Buhari for eight years, we all did. He isn’t the only person that acted as the Special Adviser to the President on Media and publicity, we the masses all did that job too. We even were better Media and publicity advisers to the president than he was. Ours were pro bono, nobody paid us and we were under no authority to influence our unbiased reportage. We said it the way it was without fear or favor. His was more of a sycophancy, doing the biddings of the one who pays…
Almost 55 years ago when the war that battered the future of a tribe ended, the hate, the discrimination and the suspicion are still palpable. It was a war that ought have been avoided. It wasn’t hell bent, but the broken trust and deceit of one man made it a must. Today, the pains of that war remains so fresh, the dripping of blood , the tears and cry of the killings a nightmare. The scars are there, but one would even forget and forgive if love, remorse and honest hug of no victor, no vanquish are shown. No! In…
