Our hospitality and love for each other is unmatched. Many attempts have been made in the past to bring disharmony amongst the people of Abiriba by envious outsiders using some like-minds within Abiriba to achieve their aims.
We (Nde Abiriba) are not known to be envious people but progressive-minded. Many old shrines in Abiriba are a shadow of themselves today even though there were not as sacred or feared as those in other communities. Many known old or ancestal shrines in Abiriba always suffer lack of care after the original chief priest is gone. Many whose fathers practiced as native doctors in Abiriba find it difficult to take over from where their fathers stopped, and yet, outsiders still enviously call us PEOPLE THAT DOES NOT KNOW GOD. NDE OGWU EGO or OGWU OKPOGHO,etc.
I can say it unequivocally that Abiriba embraced and allowed Christianity into the community long before Churches and missionaries began to be allowed into some of these accusers' communities and this happened when it was believed that many were still idol worshipers in Nigeria and Africa in general.
The Church of Scotland Mission ( C.S.M) which is today known as THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH NIGERIA ( P.C.N or Church Afia Nkwo in Abiriba parlance) which is the FIRST CHURCH TO ENTER ABIRIBA KINGDOM came into Abiriba over 100 years ago. I know many villages today that cannot even allow a pastor to enter their village or certain areas in their villages to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ,yet,when they hear about Abiriba,they start saying what they don't know. Nde okpa nkem akpaghu nke ya.
From opening the Igwu River for economic activities by our fore-fathers over 100 years ago to traveling outside the shores of Abiriba and starting businesses from Akkara down to Uzuakoli,then to Umuahia, Port-Harcourt and Calabar by our workaholic ancestors, our people believed in EMULATION and NOT ENVY and that is why progress will never depart our homeland.
Mr & Mrs Accusers, may I bring to your notices that,till date,record shows that Abiriba has the worst record of settling an apprentices after many years of serving a master by a young man, but instead of the young man to get frustrated, envy or plan how to kill his master, he will find a different thing,add hard work to it while believing that God will open a way for him. Simply put, we are an adventurous people.
I have checked around and didn't hear that the most dangerous kidnapper, armed robber or ritualist in Igboland or Nigeria is from Abiriba.Envy will always follow successful people and I know it is natural.
From time immemorial, I have never heard that Abiriba is a destination for rituals who want to make money, because, I have never seen nor heard of any deity or shrine that people can run to in order to make money located in Abiriba due to its efficacy.
Those who accuse Abiriba of being money ritualists and bla bla bla cannot tell us why FEARED DEITIES and SHRINES are located in their communities instead of Abiriba. Upon that, they will not tell us why is becomes a hard thing for them to travel down to their villages to celebrate Christmas together with brothers and sisters and drink in one cup without fear.
One thing is certain, our people will continue to prosper provided handwork is attached while the Onyokometers will keep trying to find the magic wand or tree that vomits those monies while times passes.
Yes, we are rituals but we are number one when it comes to eating in one plate and drinking in one cup. Yes, we are nde ogwu okpogho,yet, we build houses which many lives in and still prosper. Yes,we are Nde ogwu ego,yet we built factories and employed many to feed their families.
Today,we have made many progress and inroads into various life endeavours and we are not going to look back.
I only pray that the love and peace that brought our fathers together which culminated into the idea of establishing A.C.I.U, building of Enuda high school, Akahaba General Hospital, Onarubi Technical School, Egwuena Girls Secondary school, Ojighiriendu Tower,etc will return back to Abiriba so that we can move together in harmony which will bring more progress within Abiriba, while envious people looks from afar and wonder like papawonder.
Kaani.
By: Prince .N.Kalu ( P.N.K)
