The Oldman of the Waterfronts got up. It was the appointed time to begin deliberations in the Parliamentary Hall. The People of the Waterfronts had gathered as usual for their weekly deliberation. The ancestors must be informed and their protection sought before commencing any deliberation, so the Oldman of the Waterfronts stretched his left hand and picked up the bottle of the local white brew favourite of the ancestors. His right hand went for the little glass cup, permanent companion of the bottle of the local white brew. He filled it, ready for the call on the ancestors.
“Odumodu,” he began, “Great ancestor of the People of the Waterfronts, he who dwells at the domain between the land and the sea, take and drink. An elder cannot be around and watch the goat give birth in tethers. Odumodu, we know that your watchful eyes constantly hover above your descendants, the People of the Waterfronts. But for you, we wonder what would have happened to us. Take and drink.
“Odumodu, he who makes his presence felt at every promontory, the People of the City have spread the killing poison on the air and it is now dangerous to breathe freely. Boko Haram, the killer squad, has been decimating their brothers and sisters and kinsmen. As if that is not enough, just last Sunday night, precisely August 19, 2012, trigger-happy youths, in the dead of the night, turned a Salah celebration party to a bloody game, leaving nine dead. What is happening, Odumodu? We are crying that Boko Haram respects no hallowed places or periods. Yes, did they not kill in churches and mosques and desecrate the Ramadan period with blood everywhere? Now, as if to tell them that they do not have the sole right to kill during a holy period, right here, a party held at a place on Aggrey road was splattered with the blood of the celebrant and others. Odumodu, we hold on to your knees!
“Odumodu, the party was organized by a Muslim youth, Ahmadu, after a successful Ramadan fast which he actually participated in. According to eye witness account, the party was fully on course with the host helping to dish out meals in the kitchen, while dancing and drinking went on within the premises. A friend of his walked in and called him out to the dancing arena, embraced him and patted him at the back. Unknown to Ahmadu and others dancing, that was Judas betraying a beloved friend. The friend carried out the act to show the killers their target, their prey. Poor Ahmadu, he went back to ensure that meals went round.
“In a ploy to drag Ahmadu out of the serving room to the dancing arena, the killers mocked up a quarrel among themselves. Of course, the host had to come out to ensure peace and avoid disruption of his party. He fell into the trap. As he went round trying to calm the quarreling party, the guns spoke ‘rat-tat-tat’ and the party turned into a bloody mess, leaving nine dead including the host and several injured. The killers quietly left to celebrate their murderous victory, while parents, brothers, sisters, relations and friends of the victims wailed in anguish. Odumodu the domestic cat trained by the owner to chase out rats in the room now feels too big to eat rats, climbs the table to eat with the master and still not satisfied, wants to kill and eat the master. Odumodu, a rescue team must be raised before the water level passes the waist. Take and drink
“Otumo-Ogugu, Favourite of the Maiden, he who goes in and out of the Maidens, detecting the unfaithful ones as they perform ablution in the Waterfronts, take and drink. You, the ancestors must do something before something is done to us. You must take control of the situation before the People of the City utterly destroy the nation.
“Osokolo, another Favourite of the Maidens, he who pursues the Maidens out of the Waterfronts, reminding them of their domestic duties at home, take and drink. Direct our deliberations. The soup for the People of the City cannot be cooked in a little pot. Join your ancestors and assist us.”
The Oldman of the Waterfronts, refilled the little glass cup and swallowed all before allowing the bottle of the local white brew and the little glass cup to go round. Why he alone would swallow a glassful while the entire ancestors would manage with one glassful, is a mystery yet to be solved.
Angaladikibo, the Watcher of the Mangroves, got up to speak immediately the bottle of the local white brew and the little glass cup returned to the table. As usual, he has been gazing at the Mangroves, his favourite pastime. He had the urge to open up the discussion.
“People of the Waterfronts, I greet you. I know why I am standing up in front of you all to talk. Just be patient with me and I will reveal my mind to you. They say an average person laughs fifteen times in a day. I am talking of the world over. In Nigeria, as much as you all know, the People of the City do not follow the natural orders. Strangely, for the people of this nation, an average person laughs thirty times in a day. When you ask anyone why he or she is happy, the person tells you, ‘I am happy that I am healthy.’ Or, they tell you, ‘I am happy that I woke up this morning’, or they tell you ‘I am happy that despite the fact that I am sick, I am still alive’. The People of the City have so traumatized the masses that they give thanks to God when they sleep and wake up the next morning. Here, we thank God for waking up and not for the goods of life, not good roads, not constant electricity, not abundance of food, not security, but just being awake the next morning. You will wonder if we are living in a jungle where the rule is survival of the fittest.
“Have you visited Borikiri part of Port Harcourt of recent? It is a no go area in the mornings and the evenings. It will take you at least two hours to get to the township area of Port Harcourt, if you are coming out of Borikiri and the same hours, if you are going into Borikiri at those periods. Why? Because an area inhabited by thousands of people has only one outlet. They are like rats that have only one hole and so have a short span of life. Instead of filling the several potholes that slow down traffic or provide another road, say from Bonny Waterfront to New Road part of Borikiri, they make do with the only road provided by our colonial masters when only a few hundred lived there. What is the solution provided by them? One way for most of the few roads within Borikiri, which during school period, would make the hold up to stretch to New Road or Enitonia High School. A filling of the potholes in addition to the new rule of one ways, would have helped to heal the frustration. Yet, the People of the City, despite these hardships, will tell you they are happy. No wonder anyone in power does whatever he likes knowing that the people would take it in their strides and life would go on despite the injustice.
“People of the Waterfronts, my purpose of standing up before you today is to remind you, because I know that you already know it, that the music of the youths we frown out, is a reflection of the society and not the other way round. So when it jars our throats, I hope you still remember the strange words of Wole Soyinka, “Metals on concrete jars my drinks lobes”, we should realize that we set up the trend and our youths followed. The reactions of the youths reflect our present actions. Grandpa, please let me wet my throat.
The Oldman of the Waterfront filled the little glassful cup with the local white brew and swallowed all. He then allowed the bottle of the local white brew and the little glass cup to go round the Parliamentary Hall.
It was Okolobo, he of the Creeks, that got up to speak, immediately the bottle of the local white brew and the little glass cup returned to the table.
“People of the Waterfronts, I greet you all. I am not here to make a speech. I only got up to look for solutions to some certain questions agitating my mind in respect of the contradicting police report on the murder of the Personal Assistance of Governor Oshiomhole. The first question is this; Is it possible that hired killers who negotiated for a whopping N20m to kill someone, would accept a little sum of N200,000 as advance? The second question is this, is it possible that after accepting that negligible sum, when compared to the agreed total, they would be patient for some months demanding for the balance, refraining from violence?
“People of the Waterfronts, the third question is, was it not reported that Olaitan’s wife, I mean the wife of the Personal Assistance of Adams Oshiomhole killed by unknown gun men, called David, the Reverend, his friend, to take the wounded man to the hospital immediately the hoodlums left? If so, how come the same David was reported by the police to have phoned the killers the following morning to know if the job he supposedly paid for had been done and if the victim has been taken to the mortuary?
“Grandpa, pardon me, these questions demanded another round of the local white brew. Okolobo sat down.
The Oldman of the Waterfronts, as usual, swallowed a glassful and allowed the bottle of the local white brew and the little glass cup to go round. ###
By Kenneth Amabipi
0803 668 7846
Email: kennymaps@yahoo.co.uk
