By Christian Enebe
“Abia Ike na – eti” – A great and powerful is beating in Enugu West Senatorial District. Anyone who cares to listen, will definitely hear the thundering sound of the great drum and the rhythmic message it utters with piercing eloquence.
The drum resoundingly announces the emergence of the youthful and dynamic leader poised to take Enugu West to the next level – a leader driven with a passion to deliver; a leader imbued with strong faith, a sense of duty, clear direction, focus, capacity, credibility and courage – a man of the people, most noble in character and highly esteemed – *the PDP Senatorial Candidate for Enugu West Senatorial District, Engr. Osita Ngwu, popularly known as RG,* the embodiment of “Abia Ike”, a great iroko of a man, a young man who washed his hands clean at a very young age, now dinning among Kings and bears upon his shoulders the burden of leadership.
Engr. Osita Ngwu is well known throughout the state and even beyond. He represents the historic and heroic drumbeat reverberating across Enugu West Senatorial zone of Enugu State. His fame rests on solid personal achievements, remarkable contributions to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the society at large. As a young man, he has earned so much respect and brought honour to himself by his outstanding achievements which has written his name in gold and responsible for the piercing sound he stimulates, the excitement and hope that trails his candidature.
This great drum that is beating, reminds me of Chinua Achebe’s immortal quote – “the drums were still beating, persistent and unchanging. Their sound was no longer a separate thing from the living village. It was like the pulsation of its heart. It throbbed in the air, in the sunshine, and even in the trees, and filled the village with excitement.”
Like the drum in Chinua Achebe’s verse, a big drum is beating in Enugu West Senatorial District – “Abia Ike”, a drum that is persistent and unchanging with a rhythmic message, a drumbeat that resonates with excitement, a drumbeat that resounds throughout Enugu West, throbbing in the air and practically rending it with its message of hope.
A drum awakening the consciousness of our people, a drum inviting out our people to the making of their next Senator and hero out of a deserving personality. It is indeed a spectacle which everyone needs to see, an occasion for all to partake in given the nature and nurture of the candidate which has prepared him for dedicated service to his people and ingenuous leadership.
The development is akin to a scenario in Things Fall Apart: “the opening ceremony for Umuofia’s great annual wrestling match has begun, and the drums resound throughout the village. The persistent drums signal the initiation of the event. But the drumbeat also builds anticipation, and everyone in Okonkwo’s family feels anxious to get to the village ilo and watch the spectacle.”
As expressed by an analyst, “in this quotation, Achebe captures the pervasive sense of excitement by characterizing the drumbeat as a language that speaks not in words but in the community’s lifeblood.”
It goes to say that the message of “Abia Ike”, like the awakening sound of the drum that pulsates the heart of the people and which has become their lifeblood is readily understandable by our people, who become fluent in drum language early in life. The message is clear and well understood.
The rhythmic message of Abia Ike encapsulates a new dimension of quality representation which the candidacy of Engr. Osita Ngwu promises, a representation which offers an opportunity to the youths to be critically involved in how their affairs will be managed and which in the person of Engr. Osita Ngwu, whose aspect of his macrocosmic constituency is common with theirs, gives them a voice to speak for themselves.
The message captures a new dimension of transformation that the entire Enugu West is about to experience as a direct consequence of their choice of a vibrant and competent achiever with a knack for solving problems and turning things around.
The message announces the triumphant and impending entry of Engr. Osita Ngwu into our communities and the inevitable interphase with our people that will reflect his agenda to reach out to those he represents with a view to carrying them along and making a mark in line with his decision to emblazone his foot prints on the soil of every Community in Enugu West when they graciously give him their mandate.
The message graphically expresses the hope of new levels of attainments and accomplishments that Engr. Osita Ngwu’s entry inspires and which he will deploy his tested leadership prowess to engender.
In African methology, drums, ‘Abia’ or ‘Igba’ in Igbo music parlance, speaks a language that the people understand – warriors are praised and awakened by the language of the drums. Kings and great men may be acknowledged and even honoured with drumbeats.
According to a study, “Talking drums which are quite popular, are so named because they imitate human voices while some others are just melody borne. The talking drums can be traced back to the Old Oyo Empire in South-West, Nigeria where it was introduced as a means of communication during the coronation of the Alaafin of Oyo. The language of the talking drum depends on what the message or chant is intended to be. Its pitch can be adjusted using the cords and strings around the drum.” This is common with other types of drums of varying origin – they have a language and they are deployed to deliver the message of the moment.
In some cultures, a person cannot be crowned king without the playing of some sets of drums. Drums are used in different functions including festivals, carnivals and coronations. Some convey messages of praise, meriment and war but “Abia Ike” bears a message of hope for new attainments and accomplishments that will further benefit the good people of Enugu West Senatorial District.
Drums’ debut often is significant. Every time a communal event occurs or about to occur in a typical Igbo society and indeed in other cultures, drums are rolled out to communicate the situation in a bid to reflect and stimulate a powerful tribe or group mood.
Hence, the drumbeat is used as a symbol of unity among people. Drums give musical notes that stimulate group cohesion, good mood, relaxation, excitement. Drums create a rhythm that can inspire and boost the spirit. Hence, it is used to awaken a people. It tends to awaken quicker and to excite the most when it vibrates more with high pitch rhythms that are coherent, melodious and piercing. These features literally characterize the “Abia Ike.”
Beyond its literal connotation, “Abia Ike” has an allegorical narrative. It announces a quintessential personality with a mission. It symbolizes a new dimension of representation that is in the offing, it is analogous to an eventful time that offers hope, anticipation and excitement. “Abia Ike” invites us to unite for a common cause towards our collective progress and development that is all inclusive. “Abia Ike” invites everyone without exclusion to join hands in the making of *the next distinguished Senator of Enugu West Senatorial zone, in the person of Engr. Osita Ngwu (RG)*
