Tompolo and the Amaseikumo Festival 2023 sermon at mount Oporoza – By Asiayei Enaibo

“Great men with inspiring ideologies are accused and persecuted in the global history of legends. Mine is not far from it either. Today’s sermon will show whether they are right or wrong, but ideas to propel a Nation defer with our fate and religious background. That I choose gods to mediate in the affairs of the mundane mind as a means to commune with God what wrong have I done? Hear me Oh Youths of Gbaramatu kingdom and Ijaw Nation! Listen with your ears and mind to what I have to tell you! For I am Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo, aka Tompolo.

“In every generation in history, men are made by the Divine Being for a purpose beyond the mere eyes of men. I could make history today, others are as well coming tomorrow. By then, mine becomes the history on the lips of the same men who might have castigated my philosophies, beliefs and principles of the Natural laws before I was born.

“I am the known devil on the lips of men and women who knew nothing I am doing. Yes, I am the Angel to the lips
of men who know what I stand for in this generation, then, I do not enforce my ideas on people but the evidence of what I see is what they have come to appreciate. The Divinity of our heritage defines me–who I am is who I am. For I am Tompolo the Son of Chief Osen Thomas Ekpemupolo! I know my roots and my roots know me.

“Those who know where we are coming from will not accuse me of where we are going. With the Egbesu I trust, the tradition of my progenitors, the custom, and practice of my people, for I do not come to add or remove but to hold firmly what has been there before my coming. What you read or heard to what you were told is not different from this belief and origin. We are Ijaw people with original powers in our belief system; we do not buy power! For these are powers given to us by God Himself in the book of man.

“I engraved these words into your heart and mind oh Youths of Gbaramatu! What you have come to enjoy today, I have come to sacrifice myself for you, and your Fathers can attest to it.

“In your liberty to freedom, you have crucified me as the carrier of idols; in your development, I am called the devil among men; in your education I am being pursued into the forest at night and day, I forsake my peace of mind for the betterment of your future, in your peace for your land intruders can call us customary tenants and I speak to the ancestors of the land for Justice but you all point accusing fingers at me that Tompolo is the one bringing the Worship of Idols in Gbaramatu Kingdom. But none of you had said, “Tompolo’s inward search to our roots is the liberty that has brought us peace and the small privilege we are enjoying today.”

Today I gather you all here to speak to you what is that Deity that was not in Gbaramatu Kingdom before I Was born. Is it Egbesu, Amaseikumo, Barugu, Okonoweibousingha, Oweighagba, Ibolomobo-ere, Ogoni, Aziza, Adere Opua-sain, Nanabodiseimugha, Amadifie, Tinbai,
all these were in this Gbaramatu before I was born., Yes what I did is to revive the efficacies of the these ancestral gods to bless our communities, Even in a time of challenges when our neighbours were putting direct pepper into our eyes because of our simplicity and accommodating spirit passed from our forefathers to us.Today they have vindicated us from the hands of our oppressors, both the Federal Government and our neighbours but today all know the strength of our ancestors. In that honour, I become the conscious custodian of this heritage at this time of my incarnation. Is that the bad thing I have done to you all to be crucified?

“I paused for answers. Before I continue, feel free to speak to me, do not be afraid, on this eve of the Amaseikumo Annual Festival I felt the prompting to interact with you all.”

The whole crowd becomes still like people poured ice on their heads. Waiting!

(Chief Hon.Macdonald Igbadiwei, Chief Engr.Kestin Pondi, and other noblemen of thoughts all await what the brethren have to speak)

“Yes if you look into our communities young boys and girls have misled themselves with drugs, cultism, stealing, rape and other social vices in our kingdom and none of you– both the educated ones– have come out to fight against these social vices that have come to destroy the lives of our youths. Nobody has said anything to stop this but when two or three are gathered, Tompolo’s worship of Egbesu is their problem. Ask your fathers and grandfathers what we have to defend ourselves in times of turbulent seasons. If not Egbesu, even your fathers who claim to be Church leaders today are not even true to themselves. Look at this Oporoza, is it, not the so-called church leaders that are dividing us? Or fighting themselves to divide the Oporoza to Zion and others? Why the division? We are Gbaramatu people. Everybody should be sincere to themselves and do what is right for the development of this Gbaramatu Kingdom and Ijaw nation at large.

“Since I developed a deep interest to do what I am willing to do: serve Gbaraun Egbesu, Ekeremor Egbesu, Egbema Egbesu or any other worship, have I forced anybody or go to your houses to call any of you to serve Egbesu? You will chorus NOOO!! Many of you have probably not known the value of what you have then abuse becomes inevitable.”

He further repeats, “Feel free to speak to us.

“Apart from God Almighty, have any of you seen any other unseen god power than Egbesu? All of us that have used the Egbesu in times of war to defend our land, some of you that are seated here and your fathers too, are saying that Tompolo has bedraggled Gbaramatu kingdom into Idol worship. We that are here–our brothers, sisters and relatives– when we have challenges with our neighbours, many of you are aware when the Ilaje people were at loggerheads with us and our AROGBO-IBE brothers, it was Egbesu we used. So, as I am I cannot force anybody to do what he or she is not willing to do. Those of you who are supposed to be experienced are the ones carrying a bible and moving to accuse us, and putting their heads back to the days of slavery. That is what pains me most! If there is war, or fight, our brothers that run to the mountain in Yoruba land to fast for twenty-one days, it is from the Yoruba mountain that you will take to come and defend your land? Even the Yoruba people too have their powers in time of challenges that they hold firmly”.

A moment of clapping from the crowd.

“Those of you who are here, when the Neighbors intruders with their falsified court papers tried to claim Okerenkoko, Kokodigebene, Benikururu, Oporoza as their own, did you Christians in Church A and B come out to defend your community? Which powers are you going to defend your land with?

“Why all the young boys and girls, as we speak, do not take intoxicative liquor or Egbo to come and listen to stories so that you can listen well and take those messages home for the younger generation? If we want to talk about Kingdom matters all of you are too young to be part of such conversation.

“I do not call you people to come and do Egbesu. Whether you are a Christian in Lagos or Israel or US, hold firmly to your traditional heritage from your land. Know your origin!

“What we encountered here in Gbaramatu Kingdom– our experiences– even though not up to 15 years, we have forgotten so soon when we used Egbesu? Why are you people cursing us? If today the Okerenkoko and Kokodiagbene communities, the Aselemo intruders claim to have won in court– those lands peradventure they come to claim them– what are you going to use to defend your forefathers’ land? That is the big question.”

Tompolo concluded to listen in a calm and orderly manner.

Yes, many Youths made a statement in a contradictory manner and apologized for the display of ignorance of the love and passion of what High Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo has done, and pleaded to be educated on the principles of nature and hope to do what is right. Others said Jesus is the true way. “No argument if Jesus is the true way, the laws of morality are the true way and Egbesu is one of the laws of morality, justice, peace, freedom, liberty and development so let us live with joy as the sermon ended to educate the people like what Socrates did in the time of old.

“When the prodigal son returns to his father’s land in this same Bible, you see the blessings therein, if you abandon the gods, the gods will abandon you, just as if you disregard your root the blessings of the land will be far from you. God did not make any mistake to give this Egbesu power to us as Ijaw Nation and every other thing is added onto it. That is what I have come to see. Those who have ears let them hear.

Pastors, Zionists all that were thinking to take Tompolo to the deeper part of the Bible, Tompolo quoted them all and pointed to the origin of their Ancestors:

Tell me anywhere it is written in the bible that you as a man, you should use your tongue on the private part of a woman? You have diminished your spirit and soul before the natural laws of God and man.This is what Egbesu forbids in totality.

I do not judge you by who you are but I correct you of what you should learn to know as you are growing up.

“You pour Olive oil on the ground to pray, and I pour Ogogoro, local gin to pray you are condemning mine. What is the difference?
You called the white man’s Ancestors as the God of Abraham and I called the God of Egbesu or Fiyewei the founder of Oporoza as an Ancestor to pray, do you think God will not answer my own?

“Sometimes humans turned themselves to be God. Please let us learn to be true to ourselves and do good to humanity. To avoid evil is the greatest natural principle of love and development; it brings peace among kinsmen, and unites us as one indivisible people as the Amaseikumo festival is our consciousness of the divinity of our wellbeing, Togetherness, one love and one voice”.

The sermon ends with the surprise of true native intelligence and wisdom beyond the supposed sage. “Tompolo is a sage” others laughed at and left but the Journalist kept this memory at GbaramatuVoice through the Talking Drum.

Asiayei Enaibo
The Talking Drum
Writes from GbaramatuVoice
media organization

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