By Inah Boniface Ocholi.
A respected royal voice from Nigeria’s Middle Belt has echoed a heartfelt appeal to the nation and her sons and daughters abroad. HRH, Chief Sunday Suleiman, the Onu Awohi Attah Ehecho Ejinya of Udama District, Ankpa Local Government Area, has urged the Igala diaspora and other well-meaning individuals to come home and developed the land.
He said they should come home without fear of any superstitions and join hands with the government in reviving and developing rural communities across Kogi State and beyond.
Speaking at a recent village assembly in Udama, Chief Suleiman acknowledged that Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s ongoing efforts to improve infrastructure and security across the state.
“We truly appreciate the work the government is doing, and we see the efforts,” he said. “ But as a community, we must also rise and partner with the government. This is a joint task. Our villages need us now more than ever.”
He emphasized the urgent need for more investment in rural areas—especially in basic infrastructure like clean water, electricity, healthcare centers, and accessible schools. According to the royal father, development must reach the grassroots for national progress to be complete. “Let what is built in the cities also touch the villages. When the roots are strong, the tree will flourish,” he said.
The chief highlighted the essential role of the diaspora in nation-building. “Community development is not possible in these tender times if those who are well-to-do don’t partner with the government at the community level,” he stated. “We need our sons and daughters abroad to remember home—not only in times of mourning but also in seasons of rebuilding.”
With wisdom and conviction, he called on the diaspora to offer their skills, resources, and hearts to their ancestral lands. “The hands that now operate machines and sign contracts abroad once dug wells and planted yams here,” Chief Suleiman said. “Let us return with what we have gained and sow into the land that gave us our name.”
He further suggested that individuals could support development by drilling boreholes, renovating schools, funding scholarships, supporting farming groups, or building small health centers. “Even one borehole or one classroom can change the face of a village. Let every family return with a gift of impact,” he added.
In appreciation of the government’s role in maintaining peace, the chief also encouraged continued attention to rural security. “We are grateful for the peace we enjoy even though we mourn with other communities who lost loved ones to the mayhem by Fulani herdsmen. We only ask that this peace be sustained and extended to all corners of the land, especially those bordering neighbouring states. Where there is peace, there will be progress,” he said.
An elder statesman, Eneojo Atanu, 82, spoke warmly in support of the chief’s message: “We are not forgotten, but we want to be remembered more often. Our children abroad should help complete what the government has started.” He reminisced about a time when unity and community spirit kept the village strong, urging a revival of that shared commitment.
Chief Suleiman concluded his plea with an old Igala proverb: “Ichewn k’Oma gbenyo unyi nwu, am’ebo mudi ononojo nwu“ “When a child forgets home, the gods become strangers to him.” His message, though ancient in tone, rings modern in urgency. It is a reminder that while the government lays the foundation, it is the people who must raise the walls—together, with hands stretched in unity, memory, and hope. Lets not forget to develop our home.
