GbaramatuVoice At 8: Otuwoye – a global dance to the Niger Delta region through the media
By Asiayei Enaibo
The canoe was carved from the creeks of the Gbaramatu kingdom with no knowledge of how it could navigate to this extent, even to the oblivion of the carver of the canoe, but the owner of the canoe, God directed the sail till now. It was a journey of uncertainties; the more we sail, the more the future becomes certain. The publisher in his wisdom navigated us from the brooks, estuaries, creeks, rivers and seas of the Niger Delta region, safely landed religiously every year, and we forged ahead with the vision, and the impact of GbaramatuVoice is God’s own handwriting in redefining the new media in the Niger Delta region, GbaramatuVoice is now the speaking space of the Ijaw nation.
OTUWOYE is that fantastic Izon word which means that unconsciously or consciously, humanity must contribute their quota in nation building. When we say this man is a hero, it is the praise singers that make the heroism known globally. The starting point could be tempting, undulating, fighting from unknown and known sources to demoralizing, hate speech, hatred from hearsays, then unusual love from admirers, favours–all help to propel the journey of life are all OTUWOYES from friends, foes, believers of the mustard seed vision. That is the GbaramatuVoice! We are expected to make this mandatory contribution in the canoe of life that could sail us to where we do not know, and then our results in this unknown journey are what humanity talks about. Today, the GbaramatuVoice journey as media is reconstructing the image of the oil rich Niger Delta region with the potential in redirecting the people to tap from the resources of the region “developing maritime agronomic architecture – tilling for food security”, as our thematic thrust this year reminds us as a people to diversify our thought process into agronomic – yes not just a reliance on the limited resources-but the alternative approach. For if the oil runs dry, where will our hope be?
It is expedient to make this glorious call to the Niger Delta people to be vigilant in agriculture as climate change and other environmental threats await us. Yes because I am not the Keynote Speaker, I will narrow my thoughts to my note of “Thank you.”
The 8th anniversary has come and gone, as a new milestone for us to conceptualise the same vision of our journey to carve a niche that we are all contributing our quota to propagate the best from the Niger Delta region, from our communities, kingdoms in telling these stories of neglect, poverty, environmental degradation, oil theft, Kpofire, climate change, flooding, lack of political will in developing the region. The best approach and guidelines are that we tell our own stories the way they are.
Sometimes, it is not wise to cry foul for your challenges to the public. Some will see reasons to support you, but the danger in it is that you have created a vacuum for others to laugh at you, leaving a silent mood–somehow the best–to keep pushing until you achieve your dream. Once your challenges are known, people hide from you. When you are around, silent dignity is a form of respect like the tale of how a goat threatened his neighbourhood Tiger into running away. When a set of reliable believers work together, they in their few, grow like the unity ants that build an empire, focus is the password to determination.
8th years after, the GbaramatuVoice media organization continued to waxed stronger beyond human understanding. The key role player is the Creator of Heaven and Earth, God who created the gods; God who created humanity. His plans are beyond the ordinary thought processes of man. Who is man before God? 8th years of dedicated commitment, objectivity, consistency, purpose driven vision, team play, God is good.
Today with a deep sense of this drive, I want to say a very big thanks to the CEO of GbaramatuVoice media organization, the Publisher Mr. Jacob Abai. You have created a vision where our talents are known and appreciated: a vision where we are independent storytellers from the creeks to the global world. Your capacity in making unusual history for the Ijaws, Your Kingdom and the NIGER Delta region is phenomenal. Thank you!
Value chain and efforts are from what you do and what makes people appreciate your efforts in words, in kindness, in finance and otherwise. To the people of Bayelsa, to the Ijaw nation led by its President, Prof. Benjamin Ogele Okaba, Niger Delta monarchs, thank you. Kind individuals, private and public firms from Delta, Bayelsa, Edo, Ondo, Rivers, and Nigerians in the Diaspora, I extend my deepest appreciation. God will uplift you all! Yes to the all inspiring Bayelsa State Art and Culture team, their songs and words soaked our hearts with new inspirations to believe in the GbaramatuVoice dream, the echoes still remain in our hearts.
Yes, those who left their families to attend the 8th GbaramatuVoice Anniversary Dinner and Awards at the Chief DSP Alamienyeseigha Memorial Banquet Hall, Government House, Yenagoa, may God bless you all. To corporate organizations, supporters, and government sectors, oil companies, we take seriously our democratic role as watchdogs, holding the powerful accountable as we hold ourselves to the core principles of honesty, integrity, independence, accuracy, contextual truth, transparency, respect and fairness for the people we serve and the people we cover.
As you believe in us as young visioneers, we will continue to remain focused and determined to reconstruct the image of the Niger Delta region through the GbaramatuVoice media organization and globalize our visions as the leading and most trusted media house from the South South region, through our stories, anniversary programs, seminars, and workshops to change the narratives.
To the female awardees of our anniversary, 2023 a new history has been made for gender balancing through the media, women consciousness and their role toward nation building, first of it kind in our region, GbaramatuVoice keeness to the value chain of life.
God Bless GbaramatuVoice!
God bless the Niger Delta region!
God bless Humanity for believing in us!
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