The Echoes of Ayakoromo Annual Convention, By Enaibo Asiayei

Asiayei Enaibo

If the people ignore their town, they will lose the values of their fathers.
We are the legacies that can stand to rewrite the wrongs and place things in order for growth and unity.

We are Ayakoromo people, with many communities and coastal pride as the Obodo.
Filafila ke fenivemo.
Yes, we quench any inferno with our saliva, our population speaks that volume of our strengthen when days where days in history, Gbekebor our Neighbour knows.

After the war in 2010, the military bombarded us. We lost our heritage, we lost our unity. We lost our values in the bombardment. They murdered our ancestors to the deepest grounds and we forgot to strengthen and bring them back for a proper burial rite.

Then the gods were also damaged with the fires that consumed us from the air, the water, the land. Ayakoromo lost its glories to the raging fires in 2010. Our heritage lost. Homes gone, the land was made empty for flooding.

What prides us, what keeps us alive is the wisdom that cannot be quenched by the raging fires.

Today, we are seated to reorganise, reintegrate ourselves to these values that were lost, for our voice to annexe with ideas where the older generation share their experiences with the greener generation.

Different thought groups were set up. Other legends of intellectual thoughts gathered as well. Seigha Manager made the first voice of ideas, Yerin Ekpedibo came, Akanyo, Dr. Ekanpou, Edumogiren, Ekedikumor, Kurugbe, Perekeme, Yeigagha, Moni, Demebide , Ozobo, and others seated, Asiayei Enaibo, the cultural journalist seated. These values must be regained. Our voices must be heard. We must stand firm, we must harness ourselves for these values in other to project our heritage.

Ozibou, the protector of the living and the dead stands with us; Opuaduwe stands with us; Olorogun stands with us so that what was lost can be regained with full force. Ayakoromo waibode, the drum of Convention of our shared ideas to move our communities forward is giving its peal.

We stand to tell the story. What about Ekedikumor? These men and women of royal blood, kings and queens we are must come together. The wisdom tree that grows in Ayakoromo will continue to inspire us. If Eyoro was still alive I would have consulted her famous Oracle of what wrong we had done to offer the sacrifice for the return of its lost glory. Oh Eyoro!

All our communities, we are Ayakoromo people! We are descendants of the great Ngbile. We must unite, we cannot betray or petition ourselves. Let this unity, let the consciousness of our pride forever guide us, let the voices be heard. Let the stories be told in the time past we are known with integrity. The most populated community with strength and wisdom and known historians. Yes, the Ondukus! We are warriors, we are great men and women. Any voice of disunity, let Ozibou silence it.

The Ngbile blood–royal blood flows in us. Yes, we are Ayakoromo people. The origin of coastal drama has returned back to it glories.

Seigha thank you; kurugbe, thank you; Akanyo, thank you; Ezonowei thank you; Ekanpou thank you; Cleric, thank you, yes Edumogiren thank you; Moni, thank you.

Let our lands and ownership should not trouble us into disunity. It is time Ayakoromo annexed all to be one so that the ravaging flood will not take ownership of our lands anymore. Too numerous court case, who are we at war with? Where is Saibakumo?

Let us work in one accord within ourselves for this purpose of unity.

Iseei.

Ayakoromo Convention drum echoes as the year is roling out.

A new song of love.

Asiayei Enaibo
Writes from
GbaramatuVoice
( Bobougbene Community Ayakoromo)