Akụkọ Mereme Nke m,
Dị Ka Onye Mmepụta Ọrụ a
Producer's Own Real Story
IGBO VERSION
(See English Version Below)
Akụkọ banyere Baịbụl Nsọ a n'Igbo malitere ogologo oge tupu e dekọọ ya na mbụ.
Na 1996, anọrọ m ọtụtụ izu ụka n'akụkụ ihe ndina (akwa) nne m bụ Oriakụ Agnes Anyarọgburu Eke (Née Oparaocha) n'ụlọ ọgwụ dị na Lagos, Naịjirịa. Ọ na-arịa ọrịa nke ukwuu. Mana, ọ bụ ezie na ezinụlọ anyị nwere olileanya ma kpee ekpere maka mgbake ya, ọnọdụ ya nọgidere na-akawanye njọ. Izu ụka niile ndị ahụ jupụtara n'ọnwụnwa na mwute, mana ha bịara ghọọ ụfọdụ n'ime oge kachasị mkpa nke gbanwere ndụ m n'ụzọ pụrụ iche.
Nne m hụrụ Okwu Chineke n'anya nke ukwuu ma nwekwaa Baịbụl Nsọ nke ya nke edere n’olu Bekee. N’agbanyeghị, dị ka ọtụtụ ndị agadi ụmụ nwanyị Igbo ndị ọgbọ ya, bụ ndị nwere obere ohere ije akwụkwọ, ọ ghọtara asụsụ Igbo anyị nke ọma karịa asụsụ Bekee. Kwa ụbọchị m gara ileta ya n'ụlọ ọgwụ, ọ na-enyefe m Baịbụl ya ma rịọ m ka m gụọrọ ya ha.
Ka m na-agụ Baịbụl Bekee ahụ, ana m atụgharị ma na-agụpụtakwa Okwu Nsọ ndị ahụ n'asụsụ Igbo n'otu oge ahụ. Ihe malitere dị ka ihe ịhụnanya dị n'etiti nwa na nne ya, bịara ghọọ omenala anyị na-eme kwa ụbọchị. Kwa ụbọchị, ọ na-atụsi anya ike maka oge m ga-abịa ileta ya. N'agbanyeghị ọrịa ya, ihe mgbu ya, nakwa amaghị ihe echi ga-ewete, ana m ahụ mgbanwe pụrụ iche mgbe ọ bụla ọ na-anụ Okwu Chukwu n'asụsụ kacha dị ya nso n'obi.
Ana m echeta ọṅụ ahụ dị ya n'ihu ruo taa.
Ana m echeta ọnụ ọchị ya.
Echetara m udo nke jupụtara n'ime ụlọ ahụ ka ọ na-ege ntị nke ọma ka a na-asụ Akwụkwọ Nsọ n'asụsụ eji mụọ ya.
Oge ndị ahụ kpugheere m eziokwu dị omimi. Okwu Chineke na-enwe mmetụta pụrụ iche n’ime obi mmadụ ma na-arụkwa ọrụ pụrụ iche mgbe mmadụ nụrụ ya n‘asụsụ nke ejiri mụọ ya.
Ọ dị mwute na nne m emerighị ọrịa ahụ. Ọnwụ ya hapụrù nnukwu oghere na mwute n'ime ndụ m. Otú ọ dị, ihe ncheta nke nleta ụlọ ọgwụ ndị ahụ nọgidere na-emetụ m n'obi ruo ọtụtụ afọ. Ọtụtụ mgbe, ana m atụgharị uche n'ihe ndị ahụ merenụ, ma na-ajụ onwe m ajụjụ dị mkpa, na-asị:
Ole ndị ọzọ n'ime ndị Igbo mere okenye enwenwughị ike ịnweta Okwu Chineke nke ọma n'ihi nsogbu asụsụ, ejeghị akwụkwọ, ime okenye, ikpu isi na ihe mgbochi ndị ọzọ dị iche iche?
N'akụkụ Naịjiria dị iche iche nakwa n'ime obodo ndị ọzọ dị n’ụwa ndị Igbo bi, e nwere ọtụtụ mmadụ ndị nwere ike ịsụ ma ghọta asụsụ Igbo nke ọma, ma ọ na-esiri ha ike ịgụ ya agụ m’ọbụ ide ya ede nke ọma. Otụtụ ndị okenye ka nsogbu anya nke ha nwere na-egbochikwa ịgụ ihe edere ede n‘akwụkwọ. Ụfọdụ bụ naani ejisimike ka ha na-eji agụ ma ghọta okwu bekee, ebe ndị ọzọ na-aghọta ihe omimi dị n’akwụkwọ nsọ naanị mgbe asụrụ ya n’asụsụ ejiri mụọ ha.
Ncheta ọnụ ọchị nne m bịazịrị ghọọ mkpụrụ mụpụtara Ebumnobi imepụta Ọdio nke a.
Amalitere m na-eche maka ụbọchị Ndị Nwoke na Ndị Nwanyị mere okenye, Ndị Ọrịa nọ n'ụlọ ọgwụ, Ndị Isi (anaghị ahụ ụzọ), Ndị Ime Obodo, na Ndị Nke Kraịst bi n’ụwa niile na-asụ Igbo, ga-enwe ike ịnọdụ ala soro ezinụlọ ha gee Baịbụl nsọ n'asụsụ Igbo doro anya ma dị mfe nghọta, ma sịkwa na ya nweta otu nkasi obi, olileanya, agbamume, na njikọ ime mmụọ ahụ nke nne m nwetara n'izu ikpeazụ nke ndụ ya.
Ebumnobi ahụ nọgidere m n'obi ruo ọtụtụ iri afọ.
Mgbe ọtụtụ afọ gachara, emechara m malite ọrụ ahụ.
Ihe malitere dịka nkwa nke m kwere onwe m bịazịrị ghọọ ọrụ ogologo oge nke chọrọ nnukwu ndidi, ntụkwasị obi, na ntachi obi. N'ime ihe dị ka afọ asaa, ejiri m nwayọọ nwayọọ rụọ ọrụ nke ịgụpụta, idekọ, dezie, hazie, ma kwadebe Baịbụl Nsọ Ọdio zuru ezu n'asụsụ Igbo, n'agbanyeghị ihe mgbochi dị iche iche dakwasara m n’oge ahụ, dịka nsogbu ego, nsogbu mmebi teknik igwe eji arụ ọrụ, nakwa nsogbu ihe mmụọ dị omimi ndị nke chọrọ igbochi ezigbo ọrụ nke a ịpụta ihe. E mechara tinye ọtụtụ puku awa iji hụ na Ọdio ndị ahụ ga-ekwe nghọta, zie ezi, dịrị onye ọ bụla mfe inwete, ma bụrụkwa ihe ga-ewetara ndị na-ege ha ntị uru nke ime mmụọ.
Ugbu a, ọrụ Ọdio ahụ mechara ugbua bụrụ nke nwere Isiakwụkwọ dị 1,336, na ihe karịrị ọrụ awa 93 eji ọnụ kwuo, nke mejupụtara Okwu Baịbụl Nsọ zuru ezu n'asụsụ Igbo.
Asị m kwuo, aga m asị n’ọrụ a karịrị ịbụ naanị nchịkọta Okwu Nsọ Ọdio zuru oke.
Ọ bụ ọrụ Okwukwe.
Ọ bụ ọrụ Ịhụnanya.
Ọ bụ ọrụ Ncheta.
Ọ bụ onyinye e nyere iji chekwaa ma kwalite asụsụ Igbo maka ọgbọ ndị ga-abịa n'ọdịnihu.
Nke kachasị mkpa, ọrụ a bụ mgbalị iji mee ka Okwu Chineke dịrị ndị mmadụ mfe, ndị nke nwere ike ịnwe nsogbu ịgụ akwụkwọ Nsọ nke edere ede.
Isiakwụkwọ Ọdio ọ bụla a gụpụtara nwere ncheta pụrụ iche nke ya.
Amaokwu ọ bụla a gụpụtara na-echetara m ụbọchị ndị ahụ m nọ n'akụkụ akwa nne m n'ụlọ ọgwụ.
Onye ọ bụla n'ime ndị na-ege Ọdio ndị a, onye nke sikwa n’ime ha nweta nkasi obi, olileanya, nduzi, ma ọ bụ agbamume, ketere oke n’akụkọ malitere kemgbe afọ iri atọ gara aga, nke bụ ịgụrụ nne mmadụ na-arịa ọrịa Baịbụl Nsọ n‘okwu Igbo.
Ekpere m bụ, ka Igbo Baịbụl Nsọ Ọdio nke a wetara onye ọ bụla n’ege ya okwukwe ebe enwere obi abụọ, nkasi obi ebe enwere ihe mgbu, olileanya ebe enwere nkụda mmụọ, ma bụrụ nri ime mmụọ nye ọtụtụ ọgbọ ndị na-abịa.
Ọ bụrụ n‘otu onye naanị na-ege Ọdio nke a enweta udi ọṅụ ahụ m hụrụ n'ihu nne m n‘afọ 1996, mgbe ahụ, mgbalị niile e tinyere n'ọrụ a, agaghị abụ ihe efu.
John-Paul Ogbonna Eke
Onye Olu Ya Dị Na Igbo Baịbụl Ọdio Nsọ Nke a
Onye Mepụtara Ọdio Nke a
©2026
ENGLISH VERSION
The story behind this Igbo Audio Bible began long before the first recording was made.
In 1996, I spent several weeks at the bedside of my mother Mrs. Agnes Eke (Née Oparaocha) in a hospital in Lagos, Nigeria. She was seriously ill, and although our family hoped and prayed for her recovery, her condition continued to worsen. Those weeks were emotionally difficult, yet they became some of the most meaningful and transformative moments of my life.
My mother loved the Word of God and owned an English Bible. However, like many elderly Igbo people of her generation who had limited educational opportunities, she understood our native Igbo language far better than English. Each day when I visited her in the hospital, she would hand me her Bible and ask me to read to her.
As I read from the English text, I simultaneously translated and interpreted the Scriptures into Igbo. What began as a simple act of love between a son and his mother soon became part of our daily routine. Every day, she eagerly awaited those moments. Despite her illness, pain, and uncertainty, I could see a remarkable change whenever she listened to God's Word in the language closest to her heart.
I still remember the joy on her face.
I remember her smiles.
I remember the peace that seemed to fill the room as she listened attentively to the Scriptures being spoken in her own language.
Those moments revealed something profound to me. The Word of God becomes especially powerful when it is heard and understood in the language that speaks most deeply to a person's heart.
Sadly, my mother did not survive that illness. Her passing left a deep void in my life. Yet the memories of those hospital visits remained with me for many years. I often found myself reflecting on the experience and asking an important question:
How many other elderly Igbo-speaking people are unable to fully access God's Word because of language, literacy, age, visual impairment, or educational barriers?
Across Nigeria and throughout the global Igbo community, there are countless people who can speak and understand Igbo fluently but struggle to read or write it comfortably. Many elderly people never had the opportunity to receive extensive formal education. Others have failing eyesight and can no longer read printed text. Some can read English only with difficulty, while others understand spiritual truths most clearly when they are communicated in their mother tongue.
The memory of my mother's smile became the seed of a vision.
I began dreaming of a day when elderly men and women, hospital patients, visually impaired persons, rural communities, and Igbo-speaking Christians in diaspora could simply listen to the Bible with their families in clear, understandable Igbo language and experience the same comfort, hope, encouragement, and spiritual connection that my mother experienced during her final weeks of life.
That vision stayed with me for decades.
Years later, I finally began the work.
What started as a personal promise became a long-term commitment requiring patience, dedication, and perseverance. Over approximately seven years, I gradually worked to narrate, record, edit, organize, and prepare a complete Igbo Audio Bible, despite numerous personal, technical, financial, and spiritual challenges encountered along the way. Thousands of hours were finally invested in ensuring that the recordings would be understandable, accurate, accessible, and spiritually meaningful to listeners.
The completed project now contains 1,336 audio chapters and more than 93 hours of recorded Scripture, covering the complete Holy Bible in the Igbo language.
For me, this project is far more than a collection of audio files.
It is a labour of faith.
It is a labour of love.
It is a labour of remembrance.
It is a contribution toward preserving and promoting the Igbo language for future generations.
Most importantly, it is an effort to make the Word of God accessible to people who may otherwise struggle to engage with it through traditional printed texts.
Every chapter recorded carries a memory.
Every verse spoken reminds me of those days beside my mother's hospital bed.
Every listener who finds comfort, hope, guidance, or encouragement through these recordings becomes part of a story that began nearly three decades ago with a simple act of reading the Bible to a sick mother.
My prayer is that this Igbo Audio Bible will bring faith where there is doubt, comfort where there is pain, hope where there is discouragement, and spiritual nourishment to generations yet to come.
If even one listener experiences the same joy that I saw on my mother's face in 1996, then this effort will have been worthwhile.
John-Paul Ogbonna Eke
Producer and Narrator
Igbo Audio Bible Project
©2026