He was a generous man, full of hope and drive. He was focus and kind. Many called him "Omereora" because he was good to his people not only his people but also those that came on his way. He was created to touch lives and recreate a shattered dreams. He believed life without touching lives of people are not worth living at all. Back then, his mother told him how she had to suffer before she could give birth to him. Many of his brothers and sisters died on her laps. Life was miserable to her. When she conducted the chief priest of the village, she was told that most of the children coming to her were evil children; Ogbanje. She had buried close to five children of hers within a short while. The chief priest advised her to make sacrifice to stop the coming and going of that particular child which she did before she could get him. And after few months that he was given birth to, they came again; the spirits came to torment her and the child again. She rushed him to the chief priest again. The chief priest performed some rituals and gave her some substances which she must be taken every day and rob on the body of her baby. Then she left with that substances and obeyed the instruction of the priest which result in keeping him. He was named Obiajulu; meaning the heart now is at rest.
Growing up in the little village of Golima was fun, Obiajulu was introduce to many adventures ranging from hunting for Games, playing of hide and seek with the little children in the village and going to farm with his parents, he also helped the old women in the village to fetch water with his parents permissions. Life to him was full of fun. His mother Golibe, was unable to give birth again after him. She did all she could to have another child to no avail then she was left with no other option than to remain with Obiajulu; the only palm fruit given to her by Nature. She make sure that every thing that he needed was provided to him. The best of toys, food, clothes and others were provided for him to make life easier for the young lad. Obiajulu was born with a silver spoon, no doubt about that. He was handsome to the admiration of many of the villagers.
When he was of age to go to school, his parents put him in the best school in the village and the teachers in there never ceased to praise his performance in school. He was brilliant, smart and good looking. Whenever the teacher step into the class and he was not in class, she must find out why he was not in school. Obiajulu was among the first five students that were given scholarship to study in the whole school due to their performances in the school. He had won many trophies for the school and the students can't ceased talking about him. After his primary school, he proceeded to the secondary school where he never relent but worked more hard to get the best he was known for. The principal noticed him, the teachers noticed, the proprietor observed his performance and the whole school knew that someone with the name Obiajulu came to their school. Upon his graduation from the secondary school, he was given a scholarship to Study any course of his choice at the university. There he was face with another life of living alone yet, he promised never disappointing, never to disappoint his people, never to put down all the effort that his parents had invested on him. Immediately after four years, he grauduated and served his fatherland. Then he proceeded in the hunt for a good job which he found very difficult to get. He moved and searched from one locality to the other but to no avail, the earth mocked him, the situation of things robbed him the right to see what the problems of his people was. Five years later, he finally found a job that could sustain him and make him a man.
Within a period of time, Obiajulu became wealthy. He was known in and out of the country because of how wealthy he was and the kind of business he does. Everything was working fine for him, many servants were at his calls. He travel from one country to the other. So many foundations where the less privilege are taken care of was he controlling. The money was there, the fame was there, he never see the poor and leave them frustrated, he helped whosoever that come on his way. He constructed the roads in his village, built hospitals, schools, recreation centres, sporsored many to the university. And many other things has he done and was accredited to it.
Obiajulu built so many bridges and gave jobs to many who were seeking for job and all these things brought more fame and wealth to him because he was given many titles from "Omereora" to "Igwekagu", from "Nwata na eme nka" to "omena uko". Everyone loves him because of his generosity. During the election, many people adviced him to constest for the seat of a Governor but he refused because he was not a politician neither does he like politics. After much persuasion from his people, he came out and won the primary of his party. Therefore, he became the flag bearer of his party. He won the election because everyone in the state loved him and voted for him as their To- be- governor. Everyone was joyful because he was someone they looked up to that would change their lives. In as much as all politicians are bad and worst than death, he was exceptional to them. They see him as a man of intergrity, a man of peace and love for the poor, the Rich and the meek; everyone in the society. His opponent wasn't much known in the society.
At exactly 5 am on the day he was to be sworn in as the governor of the state, he was reported died. He was shot by unknown assassins who invaded into his compound and killed all his security men and later made their way into his room where they shot him black and red. The whole state broke apart when the news spread like a wild fire in a harmattan season, the center could no longer hold each other, the sun hid in fear, the air stopped moving, the cloud became red, the ground became soft; the sand multiplied in an abnormal way, the moon could not come out in the night because humanity had made their weakness known to the world. Mother earth wept for a lost son; For a lost palm fruit that can not bring another. Truly a one blind eye man is a debtor to blindness.
The wailing and weeping continued as they brought the corpse into his home town. The villagers all worn a sack cloth to mourn him. Tears of the saints broke the ground in an abnormal way. Many men committed suicide because of him. Laying him down to mother earth, she cracked and became crooked. It was burial amidst tears; when the sun, the water and the air are died and men see nothing to live on.
(C) John Chizoba Vincent
Another Voice from the East
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