Music: What the Government Has failed To Do 23 Years After The Death Of Legendary Prince Nico, Singer Of Sweet Mother

IN MEMORY OF LEGENDARY PRINCE NICO MBARGA.

Dear Prince as you were called by close associates

You were born into a humble agrarian family in the 1950 and from that background you determined as a little boy to find your way to impact your world through your found passion (music)

As a little boy you took the risk of crossing the Nigerian/Cameron borders during the Nigerian civil war just to go and master the art of music, working with different groups as a band boy and carrying instruments.

Your father only thought you how to play the Xylophone and you made your own first local version from dried plantain leaves and scooped bark, you started playing Konga, learning the drums, in a short while you masterd the drums and you started learning the bass guitar, then you migrated to the rhythm guitar and even the piano.

After the Nigerian civil war you came back to Nigeria through a bush part scaling through obstacles.

You started playing in hotels in Onitsha and you later on formed your first Rocafiljazz band

Later on EMI records signed a record deal with you and you recorded your fist regional hit "I no go marry my Papa"

You got tired of the bandwagon about love songs and talking down on the womem folk and you wanted to make a change, inspired by the suffering of your parents in raising you up and your late mother in particular (Ma, Joan Etam Mbarga) you decided to write a tribute song that you called  "sweet mother", but unfortunately the song was rejected by a label "for being too childish" but you didn't give up because you always believed in your God given talent

With resilience, you had to travel to Lagos in 1974 to reord the song all night even with the heavy rainfall that night.

It still took you another time of waiting for two years to actually see the song start making radical impact, then in 1976, the song started spreading like wild fire across the African continent and the world at large, selling over thirteen million copies world wide.

From the commercial city of Onitsha, you started traveling the states of Nigeria even to far Northern Nigeria, performing your art, later on you went on an African tour performing in Cameron, Ghana, Cote de'vour, Senegal, Republic of Congo, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Togo etc.

After your African tour in the 60's you crossed the African sub region and performed in France, in the 70's you crossed over to the United Kingdom, USA, Germany etc, performing in venues like St. Pancras Hall and the African center.

You dined with Kings and Queens and you were making preparations for your concert in the royal house of the Queen of England before you bowed out.

In Onitsha, your Nicoline hotel became a place to be in weekends by various business moguls due to the soulful melodies you always played

When you left Onitsha for Cross River State to be closer to your Obubrra and Cameron family, you decided to settle in Ikom the border town between Nigeria/Cameron which was a point of equidistance between your maternal and paternal homes.

You decided to continue with your hospitality business as you built your famous SweetMother hotel in the now SweetMother street in Ikom CRS.

You also had close business association with the Paradise City hotel in State Housing Estate Calabar and business was booming there while you were alive

You were at your prime when your creator received you home

You left Ikom for Calabar to pick up travel documents for you and your band members when your car ran out of fuel because of the scarcity of the moment, you searched for fuel to continue your mission but could not find any, then as a simple Man that you were you decided to take a commercial motorcycle and then the unfortunate happened, there was a head on collision and you were rushed to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital which was the best that year.

On the hospital bed in the intensive Care unit you gave up after series of medical surgeries.

Although there are several accounts online stating that you died poor inspite of being one of Africans most famous musicians, but we who knew you closely do not believe you died poor

In your philosophy, you thought us that a Man's life does not consist of the abundance of his material inheritance but in the eternal impact left behind and his ways with his creator.

How would anyone say you died poor when at age 24 your music had broken global records and impacting humanity for decades now.

If your riches were to be measured in terms of impact and influence, you should make the top list of richest Africans even at death.

Today traditional weddings, birthdays, mothers days and major celebrations are not complete without Men, Women and children dancing to your music.

In far away Europe and America, your music is still making waves till date.

Even though you died living your children in kindergarten, but you are today a success story because four of your children, Estelle Mbarga, Philz Mbarga, Dezire Mbarga, and Nico Mbarga junior your photo copy have reproduced your music art and are consolidating your legacy.

You concieved of a Sweet Mother Foundation to reach out to Women and Children while you were alive, but even at death your children has made that dream come through as today we have a Nico Mbarga SweetMother Foundation, upon which platform we are celebrating your life today.

Estelle Mbarga's SweetMother fashion studios in Calabar is happily clothing women and girls in your memory.

You have been honored with several post humous awards ranging from the Federal government, Television/Radio houses, entertainment brands and various corporate bodies.

You were not a political office holder but at death you were given a State burial that lasted over a week with dignitaries across board in attendance

Even though you are no more living with us in flesh, but your spirit is very much alive with us through your legacy.

You recorded over ninety-nine songs and a greater percentage of them were hits.

Rest on Prince Nico Mbarga, 23 years is gone but your memory is still very much alive with us.

From all of us in the SweetMother Brand, we want to let you know that your impact on Earth still radiates like the morning star, even after decades of your demise.

It is however unfortunate that 23 years after the death of this legendary singer and songwriter, the Nigerian and Cameron Governments have not put in place proper steps to immortalize this African giant. Yet the Government has been spending monies on frivolous things.

We hereby called on relevant authorities to employ deliberate steps in immortalising the music legend.