OHAFIA: OKWESI OKPOGO ANYI NIKPA IKU OHAFIA our trajectory and campaign towards assisting one another and the overall development of OHAFIA wont die until this lifestyle becomes part of us. This campaign reminds me of my mother’s late uncle, Nnanna Okorie and one of his popular sayings to my mother and other family members of his, Ha Okpogo nikpa iku, which by interpretation, means let money circulate in the family. Today, the message I have for everyone in this house, group is, Ha Okpogo anyi nikpa Iku. Before I go into this concept fully let me tell you little about the man Nnanna Okorie from whom I learnt it. Nnanna Okorie was a very tall and huge man and dark in completion. He was a man of the people, rich in kindness and material things and very down to earth. He loved everybody, his own family members, his friends, and neighbors all alike. Nnanna Okorie was a man who hated seeing people suffering or been oppressed. He wanted a community of people living in peace and loving and helping each other in any way possible. During his time in Ebem, he was one of the Elder Statesmen; one of the men who made decisions on how to run the community smoothly; one of those who would be called upon to give a last verdict on any critical issue. Whatever verdict Nnanna Okorie and other Elder Statesmen of his position and calibre in Ebem gave on any issue, was considered just, and was never to be over ruled by any other individual or group of persons. He and his team of Elder Statemen was impeccable in their rulings. When he was alive, Nnanna Okorie meant many good things to many people. To some he was a loving father, brother, uncle and husband. To some he was a patrioct man, one who loves his community. Yet, to some people like me, he was a custodian of wisdom of the ancient. Little wonder one of his sayings, Okpogo akpa iku, comes back to my mind anytime the issue of helping and assisting each other is mentioned. Okpogo akpa iku was Nnanna Okories philosophy of patronizing your own brother, sister, neighbor or those that are dear to you of what they do. For him, Nnanna Okorie, you dont just go to the market to buy anything without first of all asking your brothers, sisters, in-laws, or people close to you whether they have what you want to buy. And if you know they have what you need, you dont bother going to the market to patronize another fellow you dont even know or have any cordial relationship with. In my family then, I mean when Nnanna Okorie was alive, anytime one of our family members wanted to do any kind of Mmemme, and needed something like a he-goat, firewood, oil, etc, Nnanna Okorie would make sure the person source those things from within the family members who have them for sale. You only get from the market those things which nobody in the family provided or was willing to sale. On several occasions people come to Nnanna for money, or telling him they wanted to sale this or that in other to raise money to meet one pressing need in their family, few days after another family member had just spent so much money buying the same thing for their occasion from the market, even at a higher price. Such thing always paiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiined Nnanna. Why didnt you tell me you had need for money, and why didnt you tell me you had this or that to sell to raise the money, we would have bought them from you when the daughter of so and so did her this or that he would say. For Nnanna it made no sense that one person is buying outside what another person inside has. They should and ought to patronize one another. Thats my Nnanna Okorie for you! Let me bring it home. How does this principle of Okpogo nikpa iku, applies to us here? Very simple.Rather than patronize outsiders, let us begin to seek out for people among us who can offer the product, goods and services that we need and patronize them instead. I have seen some of us, OHAFIANS, advertise what they do and calling on others to patronize them. Thats a good one. Lets go ahead and patronize them. The other day someone said she was into customizing gifts items for occasion, lets go ahead and patronize her, or are we saying we dont have people who will need gifts items for their Mmemme, occasion this Xmas? Our brother, BENJULY, Benjamin Uka, has been telling us to patronize him, are we saying we dont have people here who want to buy cars this Xmas? Or is it that we dont have the money, ( I dont think so), Is it that he doesnt the type of cars we want? I doubt it. Why then are we not patronizing him, them? You see, its not that this peoples business will die or suffer if we dont patronize them. No, far far far foul! But we just want to create; be the change we preach -,by example. Doing so means you are willing and interested in seeing change happen in the families of our fellow OHAFIANS and community as a whole. I remember that time in my family, the moment one member of the family patronizes another family member, you see the person (the one that has been patronized), offsetting his dues in church, uke, etc. All because money has entered their hand. It will be the same here. When we patronize someone BIG TIME, the person cannot but give back to his people out of his income. Should we therefore begin to put down our names, what we do and our contacts so that those interested will begin to reach out to us? So that we in turn can begin to help others when the transaction turns out well? I think it will not be a bad idea, OHAFIA. OHAFIA kaa ni
Posted on: Thu, 21 Aug 2014 09:20:55 +0000
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