Ivbiedo Nimose, I thank everyone that attended yesterdays ‘Iko Evbiedo’ (meeting) held in Stratford, London. Let me use this opportunity to encourage increased attendance, participation and actively involvement of all in future meetings and events to enable us build, strengthen and maintain unity, kinship, friendship, love and healthy relationships among our kindred here in United Kingdom and Ireland. Let us learn from living examples and parables, such as the Parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16). In this parable, the landowner hires workers at four different times in the course of a day, and then pays them all the same at the end of the day, no matter how long, or how briefly, they had worked. Those who worked a full day received what they had agreed to receive; they were not cheated in any way, but they were unhappy that those who worked less time got the same amount. In essence, the lesson in this parable isnt a question of “deserving.” The men in the parable all did one important thing: They accepted the invitation of the landowner to labour in his vineyard. Therefore, it’s not the work that was rewarded but the choice of accepting the invitation extended to them to come and work in the vineyard. Similarly, I am today extending a comparable invitation to all Benins in United Kingdom and Ireland to join me in cultivating the Great Benin vineyard here in our land of sojourn. Let’s put the past behind us as we cannot change it. We can certainly do something about the future by journeying in unison into a new era bursting with a renewed sense of purpose, optimism, partnership and love for one another. In the same vein, I will like to acknowledge and commend all heads and leaders of Benin unions, associations, organisations, and clubs here in United Kingdom and Ireland for the wonderful work you are all doing to meet and satisfy the needs of your membership. I pray that our ancestors and God Almighty continue to strengthen your resolves, efforts and endeavours aimed at achieving your group’s mission. Correspondingly, we must together, embrace opportunities and challenges that today and tomorrow presents us grounded on a sense of vigour and commitment to foster a stronger accord, teamwork, solidarity and bondness among us. The mammoth responsibility of community building is too tasking and enormous for one solitary group or individual to shoulder alone. Hence, it must be collectively shared and lightened, as a problem shared is a problem solved. As we approach the ‘Igue festival’, I encourage everyone to work collectively and mutually to reduce the challenge of building a more potent, broadminded and progressive Benin community here in United Kingdom and Ireland. We must work assiduously and cohesively to support and encourage the strong to upheave the weak among us. Our guiding principles must accentuate putting the good and progress of ‘community’ above the promotion of self-pride, self-positioning, egocentrism, herosim and narcissism. Please contribute your talent, ability and ‘widow’s mite’ towards this year Igue festival finance and refreshments to make our annual thanksgiving celebration even bigger and better attended this year. I sincerely thank you all for your steadfast support. May God Almighty continue to bless, protect, multiply and uplift you all in health, finance and temporal things that you all stand in need of - Amen. Oba Gha to kpere – Ise Pa (Engr). Bernard Woghiren Odionwere of United Kingdom and Ireland
Posted on: Sun, 10 Nov 2013 23:55:01 +0000
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