A Birthday Tribute To Ide Akokwa

DON EBUBEOGU

When the gods and ancestors of our revered land conferred the prestigious title of Ide Akokwa on you, I felt uneasy, fearing you were too young to shoulder the responsibility of such a title and the honour it carried.

Today, several years after that memorable day, you have proven that the gods were never wrong.

You have stood tall against all adversaries, weakening their machinations with your silence and weathering storms so fierce that the only weapon left in their hands is a desperate conspiracy of lies.

When the winds of discord blew hard against our community, you did not bend with the shifting political breeze. You stood against kings and mortals alike—speaking the truth, anchoring yourself to it, and refusing to let go.

You have consistently been the shield for the oppressed and the voice for those who have been deprived. You spoke and stood for them without hesitation, willingly trading the comfort of elite friendships and the applause of earthly lords for the quiet peace of a clear conscience.

You dined with labourers instead of the nobles. You looked past the gilded halls of self-interest and found your fellowship at our market square, among the everyday people who bear the real weight of life.

You found your true comfort not in the company of the powerful, but in the midst of the truthbearers.

They ganged up against you. They took your name out of their privileged registers, held meetings without you because your voice is feared, loathe your presence because truth is fearsome, trying time and again to ostracise you and keep you isolated in the cold.

But they miscalculated the architecture of your life. The gates of your home refused to close; instead, they have stayed wide open, thronged day after day by a living sea of people who know the truth, who love the truth, and who see themselves protected within your walls.

As you celebrate another year of life, stay tall, unshakeable, and immensely proud. The storms will pass, the noise will fade, but the pillars you have built with your integrity will stand long after the temporary madness is gone.

The truth you have lived and defended will always vindicate you.

Happy birthday, my brother. The family is super proud of you.