SIR: Asiayei Enaibo of Bobogbene community is a Warri, Delta State based journalist who made a necessitated choice/sacrifice by opting out of conventional journalism to explore formation that is supremely foundational to knowledge and cultural production processes. This knowledge in question focuses on the heritage, belief, and values to the true origin and practical belief to commune with the gods and ancestors.
Adding context to the discourse, Enaibo hails from Ayakromo, Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State. He is a thorough bred journalist with great insight in political reportage as well as laced with in-depth knowledge of socioeconomic issues, development and analysis. Also working in his favour is the fact that he is well foresighted and naturally at home when it comes to broadcast and any other form of commentary.
Despite these virtues, attributes and proficiency needed by the global community, Enaibo, in what could be described as extra ordinary sacrifice and response to a call for highest level of spirituality, opt for little known and less attractive cultural communication where he has since become both sign and symbol to the hearth of traditional worshippers in the whole of Ijaw land and Niger Delta region in general.
Also newsy is the awareness that Enaibo has remained resolute laced with unwavering commitment to this spiritual call for the past 15 years, precisely since 2009. Like a self-willed prisoner, Enaibo has travelled a long windy road to be here.
Most profound about the country is his deep understanding of Ijaw in the African traditional worship institution which has given him both leverage and latitude to deconstruct negative arguments that posture African traditional worship system as evil. He has not only changed the narrative but vehemently defended African culture and traditional worship system at local and international gatherings.
For instance, he believes and has argued beyond reasonable doubt that the consciousness of Ijaw spirituality hang on the powers of Egbesu and Egbesu, according to him, is the deity of justice of the Ijaw people of the Niger Delta region. Egbesu, he said is also perceived as the spiritual foundational force for combating evil and cleanses them at every point of confession for forgiveness. The Egbesu force can only be used in defence or to correct an injustice, and only by people who are in harmony with themselves and the universe.
Enaibo’s regular intervention in Ijaw culture and worship has blown fresh wind to the discourse in ways that accelerates the process of reemergence of a fully functional historical document that will be trusted by both present and future generations.
Regardless of what others may say, the new awareness created by the cultural journalist has the capacity to engineer disruptive as well as constructive ideas that will help shatter set patterns of thinking, threaten the status quo or at the very least raises peoples’ concern to further question time-honoured historical accounts.
Jerome-Mario Chijioke Utomi is the programme coordinator (Media and Public Policy), Social and Economic Justice Advocacy (SEJA), Lagos..
