By Prince Ejeh Josh
While exploring the beautiful world of artistic and poetic appreciation to draw inspiration that would enable a graphic, precise and remarkable description of the fascinating qualities that ought to adorn the human existence and shape our world to a just, peaceful, secure and egalitarian society where the spur and urge to live life itself to the fullest would be motivated by neighbors, I found a vast swamp replete with agony, cobwebs entrapping and eliminating humanity in a display of Hobbesian’s state of nature where life is brutish, nasty and short.
My composure of a lyrical serenade in a world where humanity is progressively running on a treadmill of selfishness compounded by the entrenched commodification of self and autogenous desire borne by introversion, narcissism and egotism, I could only find solace in the faintest part of the sphere after a flash of luck. After all, all hope is not lost on humanity as very few in the crowd of overlords is still dedicated to the restoration of that pride and goal of being, first and foremost, humankind.
It’s this cradle of hope, though faint but flickering within the globe and spatially distributed even amongst our neighbors that compels me never to be dismissive of the benevolence of the human race.
Coincidentally, today, in the Christian calendar is Maundy Thursday or what is generally referred to as, Holy Thursday. But that is not self-sufficient in the celebration of this Lenten Season. In the Catholic liturgical reading, one could glance from the community reading of the book of Isaiah and the Gospel of Luke the foundation of the restoration of that search for the “just, peaceful and secure” world amidst tumults, confusion and distortion. We need not be religious before these values of brotherhood, selflessness, good samaritanism and love for the neighbors can be fulfill.
Like Prophet Isaiah tersely worded the true message of hope, and not only being fulfilled by Christ unrolling the scroll and reciting the good news; “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,” but far beyond that. The message was handed down to us as a cross to shoulder the burdens of our neighbors, of the oppressed, of the wounded, of the captives, of those depressively leaning at the “extreme corner of the earth”. Franz Fanon, the famous Algerian psychiatrist would refer them collectively as the “Wretched of the Earth”.
To be justified by those relishing on self-pleasure, the holy book had it that the “lawyer” asked Christ, “Lord, who is my neighbor”. Such a refined question. It’s question as this that sundered the world into the centre and the periphery. This has ripple effect ad infinitum. Within the centre is the centre of the centre, periphery of the centre, centre of the periphery and periphery of the periphery. It’s quite understandable. The definition of who a neighbor is has been narrowly defined not only by the human minds generally but by those that heard the message of Christ, insisting neighbor encompasses the known and the person unknown. To me, my mind overstretched such imagination to even animals and nature in need of our help. Weirdly, while humans are yet to come to term on their moral obligation to lend help to even persons known, the crass was given another dimension.
In all this, like the American priest of the Maryknoll Order, James Keller, factually stated, which to me is incontrovertible in thought, a candle loses nothing by lighting another candle. This is where I draw my inspiration and love for humanity. Among people who could have had this philosophy as naturally ingrained in them is my principal and senior scholar, Mr. Dan Nwomeh.
I have an undefined sphere of immutable deference for this character and outstanding figure whose neighborhood principle is beyond the stretch of imagination. Far beyond the propagation of egocentrism, Chief Nwomeh (even though he kicks against attachment of titles) believes in the philosophy that there is nothing more beautiful than someone who goes out of their way to make life beautiful for others.
It’s often acclaimed that helping one person might not change the world, but it could change the world for one person. I could vouch and confidently write, that meeting Chief Dan Nwomeh has been a new turn in my life and has, indeed, changed my world. It’s a new phase of a new beginning. Not peculiarly for pecuniary measure; that benefit spans through intellectual inputs, new formation, learnings, and attitude to work. It’s a value that I would forever cherish as I sojourn through life.
We’ve seen in Dan Nwomeh, the passion, desire and transcendental motivation to reach out to neighbors and persons unknown immaterial of where and when of the environmental consideration once all ethical principles are complied with. He remains unassuming, friendly, and lively to work with. I salute your intellectual grits. I celebrate your friendship even with your subordinates and sundry staff. That equal measure of treatment, egalitarian pursuit and undying, sincere love to ensure justice for all, especially for the weak and oppressed is a anchor of hope I have learned from you.
Hon. Dan Nwomeh, describing you as a man changing the world in every slightest opportunity that presents itself is not an overstatement. It’s a testament of fact and testimony for us. You’re showing the light and setting the pacesetter for others to follow. I’m proud of you. I have no doubt that the thousands of lives you’ve touched positively and genuinely impacted upon will also be proud of you. Whoever works with you without appreciating your humanity, should be interrogated because you have shown you can work with people of diverse backgrounds and orientation. You’ve shown that you command respect through legitimacy and special character.
As you celebrate today, I want to commend you on how you piloted the Peter Mbah and PDP Media Organisation with adroitness, understanding, maturity, love, compassion and competence in the face of pressure, storm, and calm. I’m happy working with you and toeing your path. Many more years of God’s goodness and grace, Chief. Congratulations.
