Okolobo, he of the Creeks, sat down quietly waiting for the appointed time. However, his mind refused to stay quiet. It traveled far and wide examining so many aspects of life, as Okolobo sat still in the Parliamentary Hall. At the end, it settled on the thorny issue of the ways of the People of the City.
There is one thing the People of the Waterfronts have vowed not to do. They have vowed not to follow the People of the City sheepishly. The People of the Waterfronts often wonder at the silly ways of the People of the City. For example, Okolobo wondered, why should a chairman of a local government, a governor or president be showered with accolades and awards because he built roads, hospitals, established industries, provided security, employment and other social amenities? Why was he elected? Was he elected just to occupy the Government House and feed fat at the expense of the masses? Even if he imposed himself through a coup de tat or rigged election, was it not for the purpose of using the public fund to provide amenities for the people? Did he carry out the projects with his father’s money or his own personal money? Was he not paid, provided security and given other allowances? If it is because he performed his duties very well, what about the messenger or cleaner that has performed creditably his own assignments? The ways of the People of the City are so silly that you can hardly understand them.
The road into Oyigbo town in Oyigbo local government area is like a road in a long abandoned village. Strangely, the state of that road reflects the state of most of the roads in the entire nation. You will not believe that the chairman of the local government plies that road daily, nor will you ever imagine that the governor has ever visited Oyigbo. Perhaps the road is waiting for the president’s visit so that a face-lift could be given to it. Of course, no one lifts his face forever. So, after the visit, the road given a face-lift drops its face and goes back to its former sate of dilapidation. Oyigbo local government hosts the legendary Afam power station and so the road reminds all of the epileptic NEPA, sorry, Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, jerking you up and down, throwing you sideways, back and front, in the midst of plenty.
Perhaps, due to the trauma they experience on daily basis, the People of the City have resorted to superstition to go through life. Unconsciously, they have adopted the saying, “God bless you,” to take care of their fear of the unknown. What is superstition anyway, if not the fear of the unknown? The People of Ireland had a peculiar custom. They fear greatly what they called the evil eye. Someone could look at you and say ‘you have the evil eye.’ The only way to avoid being troubled by neighbours was to say “God bless you, God bless you, God bless you,” to anyone around you, including animals or even a thing. Now, due to the negative acts of The People of the City that have instilled fear in the masses, the fear of the unknown, the fear of facing more calamities, the fear of being crushed by the negative policies of the People of the City, particularly the leaders, the masses now sing “God bless you, God bless you, God bless you,” to whoever they meet on the road. On the face of it, it seems to be a positive statement, but deep down it was born out of fear.
Again, they have resorted to believing in miracles. You cannot blame them. When a man could not make ends meet despite working 24 hours of the day, he has to ask for manna from heaven. After all there was no record that manna have finished in heaven. Every night now, the People of the City, particularly the masses, stay awake to pray in camps, shouting and wailing for miracles to happen. The pastors, reverends, bishops and apostles, play upon the intelligence of the People and prey on them by hammering into them the possibility of God giving even the virgins among the ladies, children, giving husbands to all the attendees, and wives to all the men even the ones that have no source of livelihood. All the unemployed are promised jobs while those who failed their WAEC are promised university admission. Like the politicians who will promise you all the treasures of heaven and earth, the so-called men and women of God promise the masses all that the People of the City have denied them and of course they fall for it. Odumodu, help them.
The People of the City have added a strange angle to this miracle issue. You remember that the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, said the President and every other person must convert to Islam for the nation to have peace. This, according to them is because it is the only approved religion by Almighty God. To make it authentic, barely three months ago, it was said that a baby was born with a mini Quran in Mushin area of Lagos State. Perhaps it was to prove that it is the only holy book to rely on. Now, as if that was not enough, God, according to them, has to perform another miracle. Another baby has been born in Sagamu, Ogun State, with an Islamic rosary otherwise known as ‘Tesbeu’. The father of the baby said the delivery of the son has helped to confirm his faith in Allah. “Allah is indeed righteous and good, he said.. The chief Imam of Remoland, Alhaji Anofi Adeyemi Allison who is also the Ogun State President of League of Imams and Alphas said it was like the visit of Prophet Musa to Medina where Allah sent his light to herald his visit ‘Almighty Allah is sending us signals and message which we must all understand. First it was about a baby born with a miniature of the Holy Quran and now, a baby with Tesbeu,’ he stated. Yes, it must be a miracle badly needed by the masses to assuage their devastated hearts. This is why I do not like the comments of the Chief Medical Director of Ogun State General Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, Dr. Wellington Ogunsanya. Can you imagine him saying there was no biological link of the story with the normal conception and baby delivery by a woman? Now, is that not a sign of miracle? Imagine him going ahead to say, it might be due to some women who inserted Intra Uterine Device, IUD, through their vaginas into the uterus. Can you imagine that? He even said it was possible for the baby during delivery to hold on to or bring such an object out of the woman! I think someone should stop him before he destroys the only hope of the masses.
One can understand the anger of former president Olusegun Obasanjo, when someone sang ‘Nigerian Jaga jaga, everything scatter scatter.’ You don’t say that about your beloved country. No. it is like casting aspersions on your parents that gave birth to you and sustained you. Besides, the musician forgot that Obasanjo has ruled the nation twice, both as a military man and a civilian. He has the right to feel like a father of the nation. Imagine one of his children disparaging his household? However, a careful analyst will reveal reasons why the singer had to use such nasty words. Ruin seems to stir at one’s face wherever one looks. Whatever, there is power in the words of men, so we must continue to hail the nation, not wail it.
The Oldman of the Waterfronts got up, stretched his left hand and picked up the bottle of the local white brew. His right hand picked up the little glass cup and he filled it. All thoughts including that of Okolobo, he of the Creeks, seized. The ancestors must be appeased first before any deliberation in the Parliamentary Hall.
“Odumodu! He began, “great ancestor of the People of the Waterfronts, dweller at the domain between the Land and the Sea, take and drink. Your eyes are all over us and we feel reassured of your protection. It is a miracle that we have survived to this day and we cannot afford to fail in our duty to pour the local white brew in your name. Take, drink and continue to perform your ancestral duties. You know that the People of the City are wonderful people. The one who performs his duty creditably is often vilified and sacrificed while the rotten ones are elevated. When I heard that the workers of PHCN rejoiced when Prof. Barth Nnaji resigned, I knew there was something wrong. How could they rejoice over the resignation of a minister who has improved the supply of electricity? “I feel particularly proud of the fact that my exit comes at a time that the administration has been able to generate and supply an unprecedented quantum of steady, reliable electricity power in the history of our nation,” Prof. Nnaji has stated as he resigned. Can any of the happy workers controvert that? Just because they grow fat not performing their duties in a country where labour will not allow you to get rid of a worker even if he has not done his work for years, they are happy over the exit of a man working for the good of the nation. They talk of conflict of interest, what about them? Do they not have an interest to protect? What about the issue of blind trust and Nnaji’s open declaration of his interest in a company, divesting himself of any responsibility?
“Otumo-Ogugu, Favourite of the Maidens, please accept our drink and join your co-ancestor.
“Osokolo, another Favourite of the Maidens, we also enjoin you to find solutions to the madness of the People of the City.”
The Oldman refilled the little glass cup and swallowed all. ###
By Kenneth Amabipi
0803 668 7846
Email: kennymaps@yahoo.co.uk
