INAUGURATION OF QUEEN’S SCHOOL ENUGU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION WEST COAST REGION

Protocols!

I am here to inaugurate the Queen’s School Enugu Alumni Association West Coast Region – the fifth in a row. Up Queen’s School Enugu Alumni Association World-wide! Hurray! There is an anecdote to embellish it.

The Igbo People have a Cultural expression of “ISE”, which means “FIVE”.
First of all, in their idiomatic and proverbial expressions, they say that:
“Mkpisi-aka di ise, zue-ezu, which means: COMPLETENESS!
Nke-ozo: “Mkpisi-aka di ise, mana fa n’ese araro ira”;
Meaning that they are FIVE, BUT NOT EQUAL!
Nke ozo: Mkpisi-aka nine di mkpa, n’alu olu fa – All the five fingers are important and functional;
Obulu na nke ise – isi-aka – adiro ya, aka agba ighaligha – meaning that: If the fifth finger, which is the thumb, is not there, the hand will be dysfunctional. This means that the hand cannot function well without the thumb - or the fifth finger;
The Queen’s School Enugu Alumni Association West Coast Region is the proud Fifth finger;
But that position is certainly not to render the other fingers unimportant or dysfunctional;
Rather, it should be to bind all of them together, like glue, and to enhance their performance!

Also in Igbo Cultural and Traditional Prayer, which is expressed in Igbo as “Igo-Ofo”, especially while praying with the Kola Nut (Oji, which I do not have here) or the pronouncement of Blessings, the Response or Herald of each pronouncement is: “ISE-E-E-E!”

With this, I inaugurate the Queen’s School Enugu Alumni Association West Coast Region, the Fifth Chapter, to make complete the five Fingers of the hand of the Associations of this great Institution, in the USA, ISE-E-E-E!
For the Empowerment of Girls to Be Architects of change! ISE-E-E-E!
And to be Outstanding and Shinning Beacons of Light of Achievements! ISE-E-E-E!
Queen’s School Enugu Alumni Associations of the USA have come into existence since 2006, but certainly this fifth Chapter will not be to close the door! ISE-E-E-E!
There may yet be the 6th, 7th and 10th Chapters! ISE-E-E-E-!
Congratulations! All say “ISE-E-E-E-E-E-E”!

HIP! HURRAH! HIP, HIP!! HURRAH!! HIP, HIP, HIP!!! HURRAH!!!

O. E. Odinamadu (Mrs.)
(Principal Emeritus)