36 years after Rat Race, The Mandators’ essiet honoured as global peace ambassador
05 October 2024 |
3:15 am
Victor Essiet of the legendary reggae band that held sway in the 80s and 90s, The Mandators, has been honoured with Global Peace Ambassador and Music Mastermind Award by a United Nations affiliate, May Peace Prevail on Earth
Victor Essiet of the legendary reggae band that held sway in the 80s and 90s, The Mandators, has been honoured with Global Peace Ambassador and Music Mastermind Award by a United Nations affiliate, May Peace Prevail on Earth (MPPE), for the impact of his songs in the promotion of peace and harmony in Nigeria.
Leading the pack of other peace ambassadors at an event marking the International Day of Peace in Abuja, Essiet took home the grand crown years after the groups’ music advocated peace speaking about hardship, unrest and other disturbing trends currently plaguing the globe in rent times.
Accepting the honour, Essiet reechoed calls for peace around the world, rising from the ashes of the past by promoting equality, tolerance, dignity of all and humanity.
On the inspiration behind his peace songs, Essiet said: “Music is spiritual and sometimes when the inspiration comes it could speak about the future depending on the level you are receiving the lyrical message. That’s why we dealt with that situation way back that time because we kind of saw what direction the country was going.
“So, we tried to let people know that we need to come together and change the way we were doing things so that we will not get to this point that we got. As a kid whose family suffered during the Nigerian civil war, losing loved ones and witnessing my sister being shot; my father being stabbed, bullets raining, and the tragedy of losing family while trying to make meaning of life, I became concerned about the future of the country and concerned that people, families, should not go through such tragedy.
“This is why in all my music when you listen to it you will hear the appeal, not only to Nigerians but to all mankind because when people are oppressed, when people are sidelined, and when people are discriminated against, it breeds a situation where people feel they are not part of the society.”
Calling on the government not to neglect the youth, rather pay attention to the poor masses, the reggae icon adds, ”As a matter of urgency, the government needs to immediately arrest the situation.” MPPE Nigerian Representative, Mojima Etokudo, noted that the recognition of Essiet as a Global Peace Ambassador and his award as Music Mastermind in Nigeria, speaks to the immense contribution he brings using music as a vehicle for the promotion of peace not only in Nigeria but across the globe.
Etokudo who also introduced a new peace anthem tagged ‘O God of Peace’, to the UN Assembly recently, said “The Mandators through the songs promoted a culture of peace.”
Essiet and The Mandators remain one of Nigeria’s elite music teams that sang about the future, speaking of political upheaval, oppression of the downtrodden and the central place of peace as a unifying force for all men.
Their prophetic songs including Rat Race, Inflation, Apartheid, Nation and the People, Youth Awake, and many others, came way before the current economic hardship facing Nigerians including rising inflation, soaring food prices and food shortages, insurgency and insecurity among others.
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