GIST | Meet the amazing guitarist who has no fingers...
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Simeon Djagbo hails from Ughelli South Local Government Area in Delta State. His story is amazing, a perfect reason that no young person has any excuse for failing in life. He was born without fingers and palms. Rather than allow the physical limitation of this congenital deformity to seize his destiny, he reached deep into himself and understood the true meaning of the biblical passage that says, ‘I’m fearfully and wonderfully made.
From a very young age set about overcoming the seeming obstacle posed by his not having fingers, in the process, Djagbo developed ability to do many things that would even make people with complete set of fingers green with envy.
His ability to play musical instruments is simply incredible and leaves you giving thanks to God. He swims, cooks and writes with his feet. Now wait for this: he has bagged a degree in Library and Information Science and is currently running a Master’s degree programme.
With determination and great courage, Djagbo has risen above his deformity and is enriching his life, buoyed by a strong belief that God has a reason for letting him be born without palms and fingers. By the time Simeon was almost five years old, his musical talent had become noticeable. As he now says, his musical talent is “a gift to showcase God’s wonders and be a blessing to others who feel hopeless.”
His guitar artistry has endeared him to the hearts of countless number of people. One of Simeon’s fans says he is one of the wonders of the world. Though he started out as a drummer, it was one incident in his life that led to his playing the guitar. He recalls it this way: “My church brought a man to teach the guitar to others. I was in the drum section just watching as he was teaching a lady to play a progression on a particular song. I watched the way the lady’s fingers were moving on the strings and I was capturing it in my head. When she dropped it, I picked the guitar up and played it exactly the way she was taught and everybody was shocked, because I was not taught how to play it. Although, I was always sneaking to play the guitar because some concerned people felt I would injure myself. I kept at it and became better. I feel God divinely directed me to the guitar.”
When Simeon was asked whether life has treated him fairly considering the congenital ‘amputation’ of his palms and fingers, he wasted no time to say there is a reason God created him the way he is. Rather, from the parents, siblings, and relatives who loved and supported him to the schoolteachers, classmates, and peers that inspired him, his gratitude is like the melodic tune from his guitar.
“My parents never gave up on me and treated me like a king; they supported me financially and prayerfully. I wanted to enroll in a primary school, but the school administrators rejected me because they felt I could not write. They also felt that my physical defect would scare off children from the school. My parents got information about a school owned by a white woman, St. Lukes Nursery and Primary School in Warri, Delta State. From there I moved to Sure Success College, Warri for my secondary education. I later gained admission into Delta State University, Abraka where I read Library and Information Science. For the mandatory National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) scheme, I served in Okrika Local Government Area, Rivers State and I am presently running my Masters programme in the same University,”
After the national service, he remained in Port Harcourt to seek employment, a quest that led him to apply to INTELS, a major IT service provider to oil and gas companies. But it was an unsuccessful effort. The company didn’t employ him because of his physical condition.
“I submitted my CV to INTELS in Port Harcourt through a friend who believed in my ability despite my challenges, but the Human Resources Manager who had initially promised to help later said he doubted my competence because I had no fingers,” Djagbo says, recalling the pain of that rejection. But being a person with an unstoppable spirit, he simply dusted off the disappointment and continued as if nothing happened.
For anybody tempted to curl into a corner and sulk because of a disappointment, Djagbo has this advice: “I want to say the greatest challenge that a man can have is a handicapped mind and not physical challenges. I believe that God who created me like this has a reason and a bigger and better plan that will take me to an expected end. Any challenge I face is a process to fire me up to become a better person in this world. No one is physically disabled except your mindset is. And I believe that it does not limit you from being who you are destined to be in life. Everyone is born with at least a talent. It is your duty to discover and make use of it. Like the Bible says in Proverbs 18:16 ‘A man’s gift maketh room for him and bringeth him before great men.’ Trust me, no one has any excuse.”
He counsels that faith is critical in the journey of life, saying, “The fact that Jesus lives means I can face tomorrow. I wake up praising Him because He owns my future, and I know I am a great child of destiny. I am inspired knowing that I am a friend of God and that even the angels are envious of me. God is alive and I see that the future is so bright for me.
Apart from the fact that many have confessed that Simeon’s talent has given them a sense of hope and possibility, he is determined to pursue his aspirations and get to the next level. “I hope to become one of the most sought after gospel bass guitarists both in Nigeria and abroad. I also want to be a blessing to people and put smiles on their faces,” he says with so much aplomb.
His dexterity in playing the guitar has taken him to places he never dreamt of and met different people, including famous artistes. “I believe the money will come too,” he says with infectious confidence.
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