LET THERE BE LOVE...

LET THERE BE LOVE,

BETWEEN ALL OF MANKIND,

LET THERE BE LOVE...

LET THERE BE LOVE, INSTEAD OF WARS,

AND LET'S GIVE PEACE A CHANCE...

LET THERE BE LOVE, SO WE CAN FORGIVE.
INSTEAD OF ALL THE HATING AND KILLING,
SO JUST LET THERE BE LOVE.

LET THERE BE LOVE, COS IT IS REALLY GREAT,
IT'S HOW BABIES GET MADE, AS WE ALL KNOW.
SO LET LOVE FLOW ALL AROUND.
IT'S THE GREATEST FORCE WE KNOW,
SO JUST LET THERE BE LOVE.

LET THERE BE LOVE, PURE AND TRUE.
LET THERE BE SO MUCH LOVE IN THE WORLD,
BECAUSE IT CAN ONLY DO US GOOD,
LOVE BETWEEN HUSBANDS AND WIVES,
AND FOR THE BABIES IN ARMS,
BETWEEN SIBLINGS AND FRIENDS,
INCLUDING OTHER RELATIVES TOO.

WHEN THERE'S REAL LOVE AT HOME,
IT'S THEN EASIER TO SPREAD,
TO ALL THE FRIENDS THAT WE MEET,
AND THE SOCIETY WE GREET.
SO LET THERE BE LOVE
AS ORDAINED BY OUR GOD,
AND AS WE WERE SHOWN BY JESUS CHRIST.

LET THERE BE LOVE AT ALL TIMES,
IN ALL WAYS, AND FOR ALL.
WE WERE MADE FROM MUCH LOVE,
OUR CREATOR HAS SAID,
 AND HE LOVES US SO MUCH,
HE ONLY DESIRES OUR GOOD,
 
SO LET'S JUST REST IN HIS LOVE,
THEN IT'S EASIER TO BE,
LOVE FILLED OURSELVES,
AS HE  SO WANTS US TO BE.
THEN WE'LL DO AS HE SAYS;
AND JUST LOVE ALL MANKIND.

AND TRUE LOVE NEVER DIES,

EVEN WHEN PEOPLE DO.

BECAUSE LOVE LIKE GOD IS ETERNAL,

SO AU REVOIR MY BABY BROTHER PETER...

TILL WE MEET TO PART NO MORE,
 IN GOD'S GRAND LIVING ROOM,

 SELAH.

In memory of Peter
By Christie Nonye Akumabor -25th April 2013

Whenever we unite we'll actually make the world a better place

Genuine love within families creates such a solid foundation for the children 

With my darling brother Peter on his wedding day, May 2006

AFRICA MY AFRICA...

Africa my Africa...
My love for you runs so deep.
No matter how long I've been away,
How I can never ever forget you?
This land of my fathers and my mothers

Africa, oh my Africa...
Oh I love you so, despite it all...
I love the feel of the warm red sand beneath my bare feet.
And that unique smell of the earth which rises in the air,
When a little rain has just fallen on it after a long dry season.

Africa, my Africa,
Land of the Nile, Pyramids and the Masai Mara,
All of which I have been blessed to see.
Land of the Serengeti, Mt Kilimanjaro and Timbuktoo
All of which I am yet to see, but know I shall.

Africa, oh my Africa,
A land so rich in all it's ramifications,
From it's fertile soil, to it's living thriving rain forests.
From it's resilient, beautiful and diverse peoples,
To it's rich culture, numerous languages and melodious songs.
And the food, oh oh oh the delicious yummy food, hmmmm.

Africa, oh my Africa,
Land of noble Kings, Queens, Princes and Princesses
Your artwork is beautiful beyond compare!!!
Your fauna and foliage draw folks from across the globe.
And the ever present sun warms our hearts and souls, our blood and bones...
Thus, despite all that besets us from within and without,
We still smile so brilliantly and have been deemed even,
The happiest of peoples by the rest of the world!!!

Africa, oh my Africa!
When will you finally arise my dear Africa?
And take your rightful place amongst the committee of nations??
When will you finally throw off all the mental, religious and economic shackles???
Those shackles that have held you bound,
Have held you bound for over 400 years in one form or another.
From the dreadful, evil human slave trade,
To your division and colonisation by outsiders,
To the current neo-colonialism that enslaves us till this very day.

Africa, oh my dearest Africa,
When will you unite and arise?
When will you assume the noble destiny??
The great destiny that has been ordained for you???
When will you recover the splendour and noble status you once had????
And which you so rightly deserve.

Africa, oh my dear Africa.
From the land of the Pyramids, to the land of the brave Zulu's.
From the caves of "no return" in Senegal, to the horn of Africa on the Indian Ocean.
Your time is NOW dear land of my fathers!!!
Your time is RIGHT NOW dear land of my heart...
Your time is nigh, because the beautiful ones have indeed been born.
And nobody can keep them prisoner any longer,
No one will keep "us" prisoner for much longer!!!

So Arise my dear Africa,
Arise Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritania and Eritrea,
Arise Sudan and South Sudan, The Congo's and Angola,
Arise Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Mali, Niger and Lesotho...
Arise and claim back all you've once lost, my dear Africa,
Claim back all that is rightfully yours, your sacred heritage.
Because the time is ripe, because the Lord says so...

By Christie Nonye Akumabor © 22/04/13

Going back to our natural and beautiful roots

The beautiful mask of Queen Idia of Benin

Africa's future belongs to these little ones

Delicious Achara soup from Southeast Nigeria

Soon, very soon we shall arise and claim our birth right...

MY ODE TO THE BAGA DEAD; ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FIVE INNOCENT SOULS KILLED !!!

ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FIVE SOULS!
ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FIVE SOULS, JUST KILLED!!
ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FIVE MORE SOULS KILLED THIS PAST WEEKEND!!!
KILLED BY THE EVIL, HATING, CALLOUS AND MURDEROUS BOKO HARAMISTS,

WHY SO MUCH HATRED, WHY SO MUCH UNTHINKING KILLING?
WHAT ON EARTH DO THEY HOPE TO ACHIEVE BY ALL THIS KILLING??
WHY KILL INNOCENT AND DEFENCELESS CHILDREN, WOMEN AND  POOR MEN TOO,
MEN SUCH AS YOURSELVES??? AND ALL FOR WHAT????
WHY! WHY!! WHY!!! I KEEP ASKING, I'M YET TO GET ANY ANSWER...

LAST WEEK THE WHOLE WORLD MOURNED WITH BOSTON,
WHEN "ONLY" THREE WERE KILLED...
IN NIGERIA TODAY WE BLITHELY GO ON WITH OUR DAILY LIVES,
WITHOUT SO MUCH AS THE FLICKER OF AN EYELID.
NO NATIONAL DAY OF MOURNING DECLARED,
NO MEMORIALS ERECTED IN HONOUR OF OUR DEAD,
NOTHING, NADA, BABU, ZILCH!!!

I WON'T ASK WHEN LIFE BECOME SO CHEAP IN NAIJA,
BECAUSE IF I PONDER TOO HARD, IT SEEMS TO ME AND SADLY TOO,
THAT IT HAS "ALWAYS" BEEN SO.
AT LEAST SINCE THE EARLY YEARS OF OUR INDEPENDENCE AS A NATION,
AND IF WE CONTINUE PLODDING ALONG IN THIS VEIN,
WITH THIS OUR YEYE SIDDON LOOK ATTITUDE,
LIFE WILL SURELY BECOME YET CHEAPER STILL...

I WON'T ASK WHAT THEY HOPED TO ACHIEVE BY THESE KILLINGS.
I WON'T BOTHER TO FIND OUT IF THE NUMEROUS DEAD ARE;
SOUTHERNERS OR NORTHERNERS, CHRISTIANS OR MUSLIMS, POLICE OR CIVILIANS...
I LEAVE THAT FOR OTHERS TO DO, MOST OF THEM SO PETTY IN MY VIEW.
ALL I DO KNOW IS THAT ONE NIGHT 185 SOULS WENT TO SLEEP HALE AND HEARTY,
AND THE NEXT DAY THEY WERE NO MORE!!!!

THEY DIDN'T DIE IN ANY NATURAL DISASTER; A FLOOD, EARTHQUAKE OR VOLCANO!!!
THEY DIDN'T EVEN DIE IN ONE OF THE NUMEROUS MAN-MADE DISASTERS,
THAT OCCUR TOO FREQUENTLY TO MENTION IN THIS OUR DEAR NAIJA,
MULTIPLE CAR CRASHES, COLLAPSED BUILDINGS, RAGING FIRES AND THE LIKES!!!
NO, THEY WERE DELIBERATELY KILLED BY MEN JUST LIKE YOU AND I.
EXCEPT THESE ONES, THESE WICKED HEARTLESS MEN ARE JUST SO HATE-FILLED,
THEY NO LONGER SEEM TO KNOW JUST WHO TO DIRECT THEIR MINDLESS HATRED AT...

OUR HAPLESS, CLUELESS GOVT WHOM I SOMETIMES SIMPLY CONSIDER CALLOUS,
ARE TOTALLY UNABLE TO EITHER PROTECT THE LIVES OF NIGERIANS,
CATCH ANY OF THE KILLERS AND KEEP THEM SAFELY IN CUSTODY,
OR BEGIN TO PROSECUTE THE FEW THAT HAVE BEEN ALREADY CAUGHT!
INSTEAD THEY OFFER AMNESTY TO THESE UNREPENTANT, UNRELENTING KILLERS.
AMNESTY KO, AMNESTY NI. NA WAH O, HOW FOR DO???

WHILST THE AMERICANS CAUGHT THEIR BOMBERS WITHIN JUST FIVE DAYS!!!
SHUTTING DOWN A CITY FOR SEVERAL DAYS JUST TO ACHIEVE THIS.
NIGERIANS HAVE ALREADY BURIED THEIR DEAD AND BLITHELY MOVED ON...
YES, ALL ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FIVE SOULS HAVE ALREADY BEEN BURIED...
ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FIVE MORE FAMILIES LEFT TO MOURN, SO SAD.
ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FIVE MORE ORPHANS, WIDOWS, WIDOWERS, MOTHERLESS AND FATHERLESS CHILDREN LEFT TO MOURN,
AND IN SOLITUDE TOO!!!

MORE MISERY, MORE UNTOLD SUFFERING AND DEVASTATION,
AS HOMES, BUSINESSES AND THEIR MARKET GOT RAZED TO THE GROUND.
AND NO RELIEF LIKELY TO COME FROM GOVT EITHER, NOT EVEN MONETARY AID.
AND YET THE EVIL, WICKED HARAMISTS IF THEY DECIDE TO ACCEPT "AMNESTY",
WILL BE OFFERED HUMONGOUS FIGURES JUST TO SHEATH THEIR SWORDS!!!

I AM JUST TOO SAD RIGHT NOW TO EVEN GET ANGRY AT THIS OFFER OF AMNESTY.
NONSENSE AMNESTY! WICKED AMNESTY!! CRUEL AND CALLOUS AMNESTY!!! YEYE AMNESTY!!!! SELF-SERVING AND COWARDLY AMNESTY SEF!!!!
BUT THAT'S A STORY FOR ANOTHER DAY, RIGHT NOW I AM JUST SO SAD
AT MORE NEEDLESS LOSS OF LIFE,
LIVES TAKEN BY MEN WHO CANNOT EVEN BREATH LIFE INTO A FUNGUS!!!

I HAVE NO ANSWERS FOR NOW, NO CLUE ON HOW TO STOP THE KILLINGS.
AND EVEN IF I DID, I'M CERTAINLY NOT IN A POSITION TO IMPLEMENT THEM.
I HAVEN'T BEEN TOUCHED PERSONALLY BY THE KILLINGS, YET!!!
BUT I'VE INDEED BEEN TOUCHED AND WOUNDED IN MY SOUL,
 BY ALL THE NEEDLESS LOSS OF LIFE THAT CONTINUES UNABATED IN NIGERIA...

SO THIS IS MY FUNERAL DIRGE TO THE ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FIVE SOULS,
TO ALL THE HUNDREDS, ACTUALLY THOUSANDS OF OTHER INNOCENT SOULS WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE...
SO LET'S ALL JOIN THEIR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS IN WEEPING AND MOURNING,
LET'S ALL FEEL THEIR PAINS, SHARE IN THEIR SORROWS, GNASH OUR TEETH,
COS WHO KNOWS, TOMMORROW IT COULD BE ME OR EVEN YOU!!!
EITHER KILLED, TERRIBLY MAIMED OR PERHAPS IN MOURNING...

THEN LET'S ALL GET ANGRY, SOOOOOOOOO ANGRY MY FRIENDS AND RESOLUTE.
SO THAT WE WILL DO "ALL" IN OUR POWER TO STOP THESE KILLINGS,
EXPOSE ANY KNOWN KILLERS, SPONSORS OR THEIR WICKED OGAS-@THE-TOP.
LET'S RESOLVE TO STOP ACCEPTING OUR YEYE GOVT'S CALLOUS INEPTITUDE,
PARTICULARLY WHEN IT COMES TO DEALING WITH THESE EVIL HARAMISTS.

LET'S HOLD OUR JUDICIARY AND POLICE TO ACCOUNT TOO,
WHENEVER THEY ATTEMPT TO LET THESE KILLERS GO SCOT FREE.
AND LET'S STAND UP AND SAY A BIG NO TO THESE GOVERNMENT APOLOGISTS,
WHO KEEP URGING US TO ACCEPT "YEYE" AMNESTY AS A DONE DEAL,
AS THE ONLY SOLUTION TO THE CONTINUED CARNAGE AND WANTON DESTRUCTION

LET'S TELL THEM THAT WE'LL ONLY ACCEPT AMNESTY ON THE GROUNDS THAT; GEJ, SAMBO, THE SULTAN OF SOKOTO AND ALL PROPOSING THIS CRUEL AMNESTY,
FIRST OFFER THEIR FIRSTBORNS, WIVES OR HUSBANDS TO BE SLAUGHTERED BY BOKO HARAM,
AND PERHAPS SOME OF THIER OWN LIMBS CAN EVEN BE BLOWN OFF TOO!!!
THEN IF THEY'RE STILL SINGING THAT YEYE AMNESTY SONG,
SOME, BUT NOT ALL OF US, MAY ACTUALLY JOIN THEM IN THEIR FOOLISH SINGING.

LET US BEGIN TO MAKE HONEST INQUIRIES INTO ALL GOVERNMENT-SANCTIONED EXTRA-JUDICIAL KILLINGS TOO,
WITH AN AIM TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THE KILLINGS, IDENTIFY CULPRITS, APPORTION BLAME AND APPROPRIATE SANCTIONS.
LET US STOP CLOSING OUR EYES AND EARS TO THE CRIES OF THE INNOCENT, JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT OUR KITH AND KIN.
LET US BEGIN TO DEMAND THAT OUR GOVERNMENT STARTS TO DO RIGHT BY ALL NIGERIANS ONCE INJUSTICE IS KNOWN TO HAVE OCCURRED, SHIKENA...

 GOD PLEASE COMFORT AND CONSOLE THE BEREAVED AS ONLY YOU CAN,
AND SHOW US THE WAY SO THAT WE CAN PUT AN END TO ALL THESE KILLINGS,
BECAUSE IT HAVE DO, THIS EVIL KILLING AND CARNAGE IN NIGERIA HAVE TRULY DOES!!!

BY CHRISTIE NONYE AKUMABOR 22/04/13

AFTER THE DARK NIGHT COMES THE NEW DAWN

LOVE AND UNITY ARE THE ANSWER

FOR PEACE TO REIGN JUSTICE MUST FIRST BE SERVED!!!

 P.S. Please pardon my writing in capitals, I just had to in order to try and express the degree of my angst...

HONOURING ACHEBE; 16th November 1930- 21st March 2013

The mighty Iroko has fallen in the forest,
So let's roll out the drums,
And beat a solemn tune, a worthy tune.
Because an African giant has gone home to rest,
A worthy son of the most high has been called home,
And we are all left bereft by his absence.

The acclaimed father of African literature is no more,
He has been called to a glorious resting place in the sky.
His mortal body is no longer with us,
But his words remain, his so beautiful words remain.
Words from his magnificent first; Things fall Apart,
Through to his glorious magnum opus; There Was A Country!!!

Prof Chinualumogu Albert Achebe is being laid to rest soon,
What can we give him, what can we bring that is worthy?
Mere words, when such words were his medium?
And so glorious a medium he wielded them too.
Sweet words, like new yam to be eaten with the best of palm oil .
Words taken from the memories of our great forebears,
Which contained in them the wisdom of the Ancients.

Achebe dug deep, collected and then presented these words to us,
In so palatable a form that they resonated with all and sundry.
With the old and the young, Igbo's and none-Igbo's,
Africans, Europeans and indeed the rest of the world...
Not many can do this, not many ever have, and few ever will!!!
So we were blessed to have lived when he did,
I know I certainly have been, though I never met him personally.

But meet him I did though, through his wonderful books.
Things Fall Apart, No longer at ease, The Arrow of God,
These were the first of his magnificent books I read, but certainly not the last.
So forgive my often rambling ineloquence,
Pardon my perhaps effusive praise and accolades,
I feel like I've lost a favourite wise and kindly uncle, and indeed I have.
Some of us have indeed lost a husband, father, grandfather, uncle, cousin, friend, teacher and mentor.

So goodnight our dearest Chinua Achebe,
Rest well you worthy son of your parents; Isaiah Okafor and Janet Anaenechi
Rest well you noble soul, for you have proved yourself true.
And we all know the Most High rewards those such as you.
Rest well our gentle Prof, till hopefully we all meet up again some day,
Never to be parted again from your family, friends and readers too.
Ije oma Prof, jeme nkoma, for it is well with your soul.



The Prof reading from one of his own works

 


He presented Africa to the world as proud, noble and beautiful

.

Prof Chinualumogu Albert Achebe !930-2013

BE KIND TO EVERYONE...

Be kind to everyone,

For you never know the battles they are facing or fighting,

You never see the tears behind their eyes,

You are not there when their torrents of bitter tears fall,

In the silence and solitude of their private places.

 

Be kind to everyone,

Because you don't want to be the last straw,

That makes their human [camels] backs break!!!

Because we don't always see beyond the mask of smiles,

That so many of us wear to cloak and hide our dreadful pain...

 

Be kind to everyone,

And even if that seems impossible,

Which we know it sometimes does.

Then please DO NOT be deliberately cruel,

That's the least I can ask, the very least I ask of you my dear friends.

 

Be kind to everyone,

Because it is what we did automatically as children,

And it's the best way to be, indeed everyone says so.

And even when we fail, let's not stop there just because we can,

Let's pick ourselves up, look deep into our hearts and do better, be kinder...

 

Be kind to everyone,

Especially to children, the elderly, the infirm and the recently bereaved,

Let's also be really kind to widows, to the orphans amongst us and the disabled too.

To our mothers, fathers, friends, relatives and even strangers!!!

Cos that's what God asks of us if we are to truly follow him...

 

Be kind to everyone,

Because kindness is the precursor of love,

And that's what we are all expected and commanded to do,

We are to love everyone we meet, as we would love ourselves,

So at least let's start with being kind, it costs nothing really, but produces such great gains...

By Christie Nonye Akumabor 05/04/13

The picture above was the inspiration for my poem

Even little chicks are kind to each other

 

God loves us, truly, madly, deeply...

Thanks dear, but you know I've really got ta share,

Gotta let his people know,
Just how much our God does care.

Cos to him we are all so dear,

And we know our Lord is truly fair.

 

He just wants us to know he's always there,

And when we trust Him then we'll need not fear.

We can to do all what we choose and dare,
Because God loves us beyond compare..

And so this I cannot help but share,

Cos I've truly felt his love surround me here,

And there's really no feeling to compare

His love's pure, priceless and full of care.

 

Oh how I wish all folks could truly know,

Just how much their Creator loves them so.

Then they'd live full lives and be at peace,

With the assurance that only knowing God gives...
 

Three mighty cheers for our God,
Gbooza! Gbooza!! Gbooza!!!

By Christie Nonye Akumabor 03/04/13



 

His love for us is more beautiful than the loveliest rose

Than all the most beautiful roses in the whole wide world

It'ss more precious than the love between the bestest mother and child