The fingers of the organist gripped the keyboard. The organ rose to a crescendo as soul stirring songs of praise climaxed with the congregation of choirs literally singing out their hearts. Suddenly, the entire atmosphere was highly charged with heavenly melodies that set the congregation gyrating, perhaps under the influence of ‘holy ghost’ or gospel songs.
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The occasion was the annual Cross-Over Night church service tagged, “Carol of Nine Lessons” organized by the Enugu State Governor, Chief Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi at his Orba country-home in Udenu Local Government Area of the state.
Daily Trust on Sunday was reliably informed that Governor Ugwuanyi had been holding the ‘yearly ritual’ even when he was representing Igboeze-North/Udenu in the House of Representatives. “The only difference now is that Governor Ugwuanyi has expanded it beyond that geographical location to encompass the entire state,” said the Enugu State Commissioner for Information, Mr Ogbuagu Anikwe in an interview with our correspondent.
Though seen as “a spiritual carnival,” the Cross-Over Night which commenced some minutes after 8pm (Sunday, December 31, 2017) and lasted till about 1.09am (Monday, January 1, 2018) was an occasion for prayer and thanksgiving. It afforded the government and people of Enugu State an opportunity to re-dedicate themselves and the state to the Almighty for his blessings in the passing year as well as hopes and great expectations which the New Year would usher in.The 2016 edition was held at the same venue in line with the slogan, “Enugu State is in the hands of God,” – a rather catchy and optimistic slogan Ugwuanyi has often used in opening and closing his public speeches. Little wonder at the Cross-Over Night the officiating priest, Rev Fr. Emeka Ngwoke of the Department of Religion, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, expressed gratitude to Ugwuanyi “for bringing the government and people of Enugu State back to the path of God.”
Nobody, not even the host, Governor Ugwuanyi, his wife, Monica, and the rest of the dignitaries could resist the heart-lifting worship songs/music which swept virtually everybody off their feet. And such dignitaries included, though not limited to former governor of old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo, one-time governor of Enugu State, Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo, President General of Ohanaeze Ndi-Igbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, Senator Chukwuka Utazi who represents Enugu North Senatorial District in the Senate, Senator Fidelis Okoro, Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Lady Cecilia Ezeilo, Speaker, Enugu State House of Assembly, Edward Ubosi, Attorney General of the State, Mellitus Eze, former Nigerian Ambassador to Spain, Dr Kingsley Ebenyi, former Minister of State for Defence, lady Fidelia Njeze, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Elder Gabriel Ajah, Head of Service (HOS), Chidi Ezema and others.
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Indeed, it was all for the praise of the Almighty when the Enugu-based Glorious Singers choir did a rendition entitled, “Ndalu Jehovah,” “Jigidem aka Jehovah,” and St Patrick’s Catholic choir Ohuma Orba sang “Lift Up Your Heart” ,while the African Vocals band rendered the high-pitched choral, “Alleluah” and the J. K. Cross choir from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka mesmerized the audience with “Crown of Glory,” among others. There was also the cultural music group – Ikoro Odo – made up of mainly ‘red-capped’, elderly men in their late 60s and mid-70s whose traditional tunes ‘pulled’ Chief Nnia Nwodo out of his seat when he could no longer resist the native rhythms ,as the old men pounded their traditional musical instruments with so much vigour.
The serenity of the area was even made more conducive by the harmattan breeze which ‘kept faith’ with the congregation, hence nobody was seen sweating. And of course, there were the fireworks of different types provided by Chief Tony Eze, a licensed dealer and importer of various brands of the crackers: which painted the sky within Orba area in rainbow colours, thereby adding more eye-popping sensation to the event.
Interestingly, some fireworks were launched far skyward. And as they moved upward into the air, they formed huge pillars of ‘fire’ with chains of very bright meteor-like lights on their trails, producing at the same time some ear-pleasing hissing sounds that climaxed with uncountable blasts into the air ,which altogether resulted in ‘falling fireworks’ causing enormous balls and columns of rainbow colours descending from the sky. It was, indeed, a spectacular sight to behold!
Ironically, the excitement produced some thick smoke which polluted the air mildly, although the harmattan wind quickly ‘swept’ away the ‘pollution.’ Plus the several earth-shaking ‘cannon shots’ fired to add more colour and incredible excitement to the occasion. And there were also plenty of assorted food and drinks to consume, at least to energise the people to participate actively in shouting ‘Halleluiah.’
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However, after the entertainment, the Cross-Over mass proper commenced with chorals and sermons preached by the firebrand officiating priest, Rev Fr. Emeka Ngwoke who is also a lecturer in the Department of Religion, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The mass was rather a huge contrast to the entertainment session in that it was a solemn period ,which actually reminded the gathering of over 2000 people the spirituality of the evening ,which eventually snowballed into the dawn of the New Year.
Addressing the congregation, Fr. Ngwoke said: “I’m delighted to share with you a few reflections. This is a night for introspections, a night of being solemn…A night for sober reflection and moving forward from 2017 into 2018. As we step into the New Year, leaving behind us the year 2017, which was full of insecurity and economic hardship; …We’ve come here to move from good to better. By the grace and mercy of our risen lord, I hereby declare the year 2017 gone and the arrival of 2018…May the lord uncover his face to you and bring you peace…May the lord make his face shine upon you.”
He announced that the day was “World Peace Day,” advising members of the congregation to always “pray for peace in our hearts, peace in the countries of the world and peace in our families.” He, however, stressed that anybody who wants peace must cultivate justice because “justice is a basic requirement in dealing with fellow human beings.”
Fr Ngwoke regretted that “we are all experts in diagnosing the nation’s problems but when it comes to applying the solutions, nobody has the liver to do that.”
He advised the leaders of the country to stop wasting the future of the nation by engaging in embezzlement of public resources, stressing that when people in public offices are “consuming what belongs to us, we are consuming what belongs to the future.” He added: “Peace of the grave yard is not peace,” and thanked Governor Ugwuanyi for “destroying the politics of exclusion in our state.”
He recalled that 2017 was a challenging year but he tasked the Enugu state legislature to make 2018 a year with a difference ,in terms of making laws that would protect the citizens from the menace of herdsmen and other trouble makers.
“I am happy that the Speaker of the State House of Assembly is here. Our people have cried. Our governor has cried because of invasion of herdsmen. Please, give us anti-grazing law. We have to protect our people. Other states are doing it. Those who want to rear cattle should do so in ranches. Let no cattle be found in streets or roads or farms. Let it be from ranch to market or the slaughter,” said the university don.
He praised the southeast governors for the proscription of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the stopping of its activities, arguing that Igbo land could not be used as an experiment in bloodshed after what happened in the civil war.
“I thank the southeast governors for standing up against that agitation. We need a larger place to co-exist peacefully with our neighbours,” he said, adding that it took ‘Operation Python Dance’ of the Nigerian Army to call the IPOB members “back from their illusions.”
As Fr Ngwoke announced the passage of 2017 and the arrival of 2018 at midnight, several fireworks that sounded like cannon shots were released, which shook the entire environment while the people jubilated for having witnessed the New Year.
Commenting on the event, Senator Jim Nwobodo, who read the 4th Lesson entitled, “The Coming of Prosperity,” told Daily Trust on Sunday in an interview: “The event was good… If you begin the year with prayers and thanksgiving to God; what can be better than that? And thanking the Almighty for bringing us into the new year…I think it’s a good thing when families stay in their homes and pray together to enter the new year. But the Cross-Over Night done by our Governor involves the state and a good number of the citizens. So it’s a good thing that Enugu people now pray together and thank the Almighty for the blessings of the passing year and the hopes and expectations of the new year.. I think it’s a good thing starting the year with prayers and thanks to the Almighty .”
Also, Chief Nnia Nwodo who read the 5th lesson tagged, “The Virgin Is With Child,” taken from Isaiah 7:10-15, told our reporter: “It was solemn, very inspirational, very modest, and generally characterized by the Godly and humane nature of our Governor. That he could bring the entire leadership of the state, cutting across various party lines, to the event was a very special way of ushering us into the new year, and we pray that the government and people of the state will benefit from the events when God will pour His blessings after answering our prayers. I was very impressed. It was very commendable.”
Again, the Commissioner for Information, Mr Ogbuagu Anikwe provides more insight into, and interpretation of the event. “The Cross-Over celebration is an annual event which has rapidly become the cultural fiesta in Orba, the home of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Gburugburu) but it encompasses the entire state and there is always this desire by citizens to be part of it; not just because of the networking opportunities that it represents based on the quality of the VIPs that come there but also because of the entertainment – both modern and traditional entertainment at play,” Anikwe told Daily Trust on Sunday.
The Commissioner also explained: “There, you will see that there is a cultural group. There is also a choral group that you find in religious ceremonies and there is the other one you find in social ceremonies. And then there are traditional dance troupes; so everything is coming together to still indicate that sense of unity which the governor is pursuing among all segments of the Enugu population. You see all of them intersect in one ceremony and everybody is carried along; everybody is entertained not just by the music and dances on display, but also by the food that is served before the ceremony proper. And then the entire thing is concluded with two spiritual elements: The carol itself and then the mass. As you know, the governor is of a particular faith and he would always want to be inserted within that faith in that period that one year is ending and another one is beginning. And so, that’s what you see there in that ceremony.”
According to Ogbuagu, the concept of the event is that of the Governor’s, hence it is seen as a very unique event because “We had Carol of Nine Lessons at Okpara Square but never a spiritual cum cultural event that takes people from one year into the next one. It is unique to him, and he is using it to promote culture, spirituality, unity among the people, and it gives a lot of opportunity to the attendees to network because everybody who is anybody in Enugu State and beyond would like to come.”
Can the event be said to be grassroots-based, and is there any part of it that could be improved upon?
Again, Anikwe offers an explanation, noting that a lot of improvisation is going on there, which shows the creativity of the organizers.
He said: “Well, to the extent that it is conducted in a grassroots setting and not in Government House, Enugu, it is both grassroots and international in scope. But if I’m asked to recommend, I would have said: Can the event be televised live to the people of the state so that everybody from their living room can enjoy it. But as for your question, it is both grassroots and international.
“I am sure that as the years go by, there may come a time when that event will no longer be held in the governor’s residence but in the local government headquarters, where there may be no possibility of anybody being excluded. The only reason you find people outside the gate is because the venue is limited in terms of the number of people it can accommodate.”
Anikwe’s position was corroborated by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Ugwuanyi, Mr Uwakwe Abugu. He told our reporter: “Everybody saw the effervescence that heralded the entry into the New Year as the pass over night was in its top gear. There were bits of cultural fiesta, avalanche of religious celebration – the songs in celebration of liturgy in the Catholic faith, and of course, the full mass. Then there was the retinue of clergy men and women.
“Apart from the Ikoro Odo which is a pure cultural music, there were also the gospel bands, highlife band which was playing highlife tunes with the gospel songs. In my view, it’s one celebration that will always bring together the political leaders, opinion leaders, the clergy, members of the congregation – and they all come together and give their Governor that comfort and sense of support to show that really, you are leading us well and we are happy to usher you into the new year. That’s exactly what I saw there.”
As the over 2000 people left the venue at the end of the memorable ceremony, the events to come in 2018 will determine if indeed, “Enugu is in the hands of God” or in the hands of the men who decide the fate of the millions of the citizens.
