Popular Liturgical Music Composer, Jude Nnam, Miraculously Escapes Death

 

• _Visits Choirs in Awka With New Songs Inspired by Encounter_ 

Sir Jude Nnam, during his rehearsal with St. Cecelia Choir of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Parish, Awka

By Ifeyinwa Ogwo

FRONTLINE African contemporary musical composer, Jude Nnam has miraculously escaped death.

The prolific composer of Christian hymns and general worship songs was struck by a mysterious ailments that kept him bed-ridden for over one year to the extent that he was deemed dead by his minders but he suddenly rose from the coma from which he received inspiration for some new songs that he is currently Nigeria to share with choral groups.

According to the popular composer an head of the National Catholic Liturgical Music Council in Nigeria, sometime in early months of 2022,  he fell ill with internal body aches. 

The condition made him get increasingly weak to the level of inability to get up from a spot or move about. Several checks at hospitals and diagnosis centres, comprising the very top-level ones, failed to disclose anything wrong with him.

"All they kept telling me after every investigation is that there was nothing wrong with me but I was increasingly getting weak and weaker until I passed out," he disclosed.

It got to a point that he was lifeless. In the comatose state, he saw himself in a surreal situation that appeared like being in the 'final judgement' but the "judge on the throne kept saying: "Go back!... Go back! But there was a dark angel, frantically urging the judge to hand me over to him.

 Whenever the judge refused, the dark angel would show him my sins, like in a recorded film. He kept telling the judge: "You say, you are the 'God of Justice' leave him to come to me."

But the judge kept replying him: "I also the 'God of Mercy" at any point he flashed my sins... That drama continued until the judge commanded me to "go back!"

"At that command, I woke up. The people around me were shocked. I learnt that I have been lifeless for days."

Sir Jude said, ever since that encounter, he neither had any pain nor the ailment. One of the songs he composed after the experience is 'Amara Chukwu' (God's Grace) which he introduced to church choirs of the Catholic Diocese of Awka during his visit in the last week of September.

The encounter of the popular Catholic liturgical composer, with the St. Cecilia Choir of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, G.R.A., Awka, was marked by excitement.

The impromptu visit attracted a large turnout of choristers and the learning of the new song, 'Amara Chukwu', taught by the composer himself.

Among Jude Nnam's popular compositions are such hymns of various Nigerian languages as 'Obi Eze Chukwu,' 'Olisa,' 'Adupe Baba,' 'Abinci Alheri,' 'Chinechere M,' 'Chizara M,' and scores of others.

Addressing the choristers at the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, the composer expressed gladness and appreciation to God for the divine healing he received from his illness, describing it as an "unmerited grace and miracle". He said he privileged to meet the choir.

He encouraged the choristers to be steadfast, punctual and serious with choir rehearsals, noting that there are always divine rewards attached to it.

"As choristers, we offer three "Ts"-our Talents, Time, and Treasure- for the service of God and the growth of the church. The talent we offer is our voices and the playing of the instruments we do during mass; the time we offer is by coming to rehearsals regularly while the treasure we offer is the monetary sacrifices we make to obtain music scripts and other essential items needed for the liturgical celebration.

"Always see every song you rendered during liturgical celebrations as a prayer and with this, you will help the congregation to uplift their mind and soul towards God," he said.

On his part, the Coordinator of the St. Cecilia Choir, Engr. Obinna Nnoruo expressed profound gratitude to Sir Jude for his visit and for conducting that day's rehearsal.

He lauded the choristers for turning out in large numbers despite the short notice.

In his vote of thanks, a member of the church's choir, Prof James Obiegbuna thanked Sir Jude for making out time, from his tight schedule to visit and rehearse with the choir. He thanked God for the music maestro's divine healing, noting that the good health, blessing and protection are the real joys of the Grace of God.