Izonebi Alfred's Musical Discourse on Amaseikumor 1 - Ekanpou

By: Enewaridideke Ekanpou

My Ijaw people, a story has come again.
I have discovered why we are backward in this nation.
It is written in the Bible that we should give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar; we should also give to God what belongs to God. 
Don't destroy what belongs to another.
People on this earth don't serve God the way it should be. Rather than simply serve God, Christians dissipate their time and energy invoking curses on satan.
Nigeria is the most religious nation, yet we are the poorest.
Christians are only busy invoking curses on the gods. When an idol worshipper goes for worshipping in his temple, he gives offerings to the gods either in the water or on land in supplication.
When Christians go to church, they spend their entire time and energy on invoking curses on satan to die when they are supposed to thank God and pray for their heart desires to be granted.
This tendency to prayerfully destroy Satan rather than pray for long life and good health is the cause of the backwardness of Nigeria.
Satan is on his own , yet Christians self-righteously curse and invoke fire on satan to be destroyed.

The position of Tompolo, Prince Omon and Joshua Maciver is that we should not spoil one another and that Christians and traditional religionists should live in peace without being mutually denigratory.
 
For Tompolo, Prince Omon and Joshua, we should stick to the core Ijaw tradition and venerate the gods.
Egbesu is with the Ijaws; the Ijaws should respect the Ijaw tradition.
However the Ijaws journey away, they will never get lost in the river because Egbesu is with them.
Amaseikumor is here.
Everyone is going to Gbaramatu.
The Gbaramatus don't play with their tradition.
You are free to go to church after you have handled the traditional necessities. There is nothing wrong in this engagement.

Dance to Gbaramatu because Amaseikumor season is here.
Whatever your afflictions, come to Gbaramatu for the Amaseikumor festival.
Whatever your wishes are, come because they will be granted.
April every year is designated for the Amaseikumor festival.
You need money, long life, wealth, marriage and children, come to the festival.
Let everybody come to the festival.
For Tompolo, if the Ijaw tradition is strictly followed, no harm shall come to the Ijaws no matter how far they have journeyed in the river. 

No harm shall come upon Ijaw man because Egbesu is always with us.
No harm shall come to the Ijaws because Egbema, Ekeremor and Gbaraun Egbesu is with us.
Amaseikumor is with us 
so we shall not get lost in the river.

Some people sanctimoniously raise critical voices at Gbaramatus engaged in their traditional activities. 
They sanctimoniously parrot everywhere that the Gbaramatus are too deeply involved in idol-worshipping.
Gbaramatus are a reference point for tradition because they don't toy with their Ijaw tradition.

Freeborn, we can no longer be misled by sanctimonious critical voices meant to distract us from our Ijaw tradition.
Now people carry idols to the church and worship under false pretences.
We nor go fall for their wayo again!

Satan was the most beloved son of God in Heaven before conflict erupted between them.
Now the earth is god's while the sky is God's. 
Do you know if God and god have amicably settled their rift?
Mere mortals are straining their muscles over a conflict between God and god.
The earth belongs to Oru.
The one who does not own the house is the one driving the owner of the house and the earth.
You don't even want to hear that God says the earth belongs to Oru.

God is a forgiving father.
Do you know if He has  forgiven Satan with whom he had once clashed?

Ijaws don't get lost in the river because the protective power of the Ijaw tradition is upon them.
Prince Omon the priest of Amaseikumor, Tompolo, Jacob Otiki, Kestin, Dennis and  MacDonald hold the position that those who spray money on Amaseikumor shall lack nothing.
Anyone who spends money on Amaseikumor shall not suffer again. 
May Amaseikumor shower blessings on Dennis and  Kestin who are busy spending money on Amaseikumor.
Izonebi is in the festival too.
May Izonebi have new songs composed and sung after the festival as a special benediction.

Prince Omon says everybody is in the Amaseikumor Festival.
Suffering disappears when Amaseikumor is rightly worshipped.
May the blessings of Amaseikumor descend upon all the comers.
Both the old and the young are here in your festival.
Men and women are here.
May blessings cascade upon all comers as prayerfully anchored  by Prince Omon and Tompolo.
Jacob, Chief Ekomienyefa, Felix Denbo, Julius Pudi, Chief Kestin, Hon. Macdonald, Chief Dennis Otuaro, Ebolomoboere, Tony Ayebibode, Ebipade, Veronica Emmanuel, Fesiyan, Ebipade Kari, and Gabriel the Ebenanaoweii are in your festival.
Vero is here dancing in your festival just like Ebolomoboere who is dancing too.
Izonebi the musician is here in your festival too.

Dr. Ekanpou translates and writes from Akparemogbene, Delta State.