Our elders say, when a mighty iroko falls, the birds of the forest do not chirp carelessly. The passing of a King is not the passing of an ordinary man. The ground trembles, the rivers pause, and the land holds its breath.
Recall that the passing of the Ochie of Etche Land is the first of its kind in our contemporary history. There is no living precedent, no standard record that anyone can readily refer to on how best to carry out the successive traditional rites and activities that follow the demise of a monarch of this stature. We are, as it were, walking on sacred ground with bare feet.
Less than 24 hours after the official announcement of the passing to glory of our revered Ochie, a lot has happened and is still happening in our land. The drums have changed their tone. Tongues have begun to wag. Ambitions have begun to stir where there should be solemnity. It is on this premise that I have decided to make this harmless but timely statement.
Though, I am aware that there is a constitution written by the Etche Ethnic Supreme Council that is supposed to guide the actions and inactions of traditional rulers and Chiefs, including all indigenes and tenants in Etche Land, we must still exercise utmost restraint, wisdom and decorum. For the law may guide the body, but it is wisdom that guides the spirit.
This is a sacred period. It is not a time for struggle, showmanship, or unhealthy rivalry. It is not a time for one to beat his chest and say "I am now". As our people say, when the funeral is still at the gate, the heir does not share the inheritance. It is a time for sober reflection, for unity, and for prayer. A time to cover our mouths, watch our steps, and guard our utterances.
I therefore plead with all and sundry — traditional rulers, chiefs, political leaders, youths, and all residents of Etche — to be sober and to pray for the peace of Etche. Let no man by his action or inaction open a wound that our tradition cannot heal. At this critical time, every one of us owes Etche a duty of patriotism, loyalty and reverence for our tradition.
May the gods of our land guide us aright, and may the soul of our great Ochie find peaceful rest in the bosom of our ancestors.
Thank you.
_Chief Loveday Okere, JP._
