The member representing Enugu East/Isi Uzo Federal Constituency of Enugu State in the House of Representatives, Hon. Professor Paul Sunday Nnamchi, has paid a glowing tribute to the late folklore legend, Chief Mike Ejeagha, describing him as a “cultural titan” whose music carried the heartbeat of Igbo heritage.
In a heartfelt statement issued in Abuja over the weekend, Hon. Nnamchi said Chief Ejeagha’s body of work was not just entertainment but a vital archive of Igbo philosophy, wisdom, and culture.
“Chief Ejeagha was more than an artist; he was a living archive, a sage in sound, and a philosopher in melody. He carried the soul of the Igbo nation in his voice and laid its history gently upon the chords of his guitar,” the lawmaker said.
“Through his proverbs, songs, and stories, he preserved our wisdom and reminded us, always, of our roots,” Nnamchi added, praising the late musician for his lifelong contribution to cultural preservation.
He further noted: “Through proverbial wisdom and poetic storytelling, he preserved what colonial erasure could not steal and what modernity could not replace of our heritage.”
Paying his final respects, Prof. Nnamchi said:
“We do not merely mourn him—we rise in tribute. For though he is gone, Chief Mike Ejeagha did not die. Omenka adịghị anwụ anwụ. The true artist never truly dies. He lives on, wherever culture is honored, and truth is sung.”
Reflecting on the personal connection many shared with Ejeagha, especially in his Enugu East base, the lawmaker added:
“Now, the griot has returned to the ancestors. But his words endure. His strings still vibrate in our consciousness. His legacy is not buried; it is planted, and it shall bear fruit in every child who rediscovers his music, every scholar who studies his lyrics, and every Igbo soul who finds in his proverbs the mirror of their identity.
“We deeply mourn him because he lived and worked in our midst in Abakpa-Nike in Enugu East Area Council and we were privileged to share space with one whose music transcended entertainment to become a moral compass for generations. Though he has departed, his voice will never fade. His legacy lives on—in every lyric, every proverb, and every heart that beats proudly Igbo.”
Hon. Nnamchi concluded with a solemn farewell:
“May his noble soul find rest among the ancestors he so often invoked. And may his family find peace in knowing that their patriarch belongs to eternity now—and to history. Farewell, Omenka the Great One. Your voice has gone quiet, but your wisdom will echo through the ages.”
