FREEDOM AT LAST II

Death is something inevitable. It is a necessary stage in life we all must pass. It is a corridor we must pass to reach the afterlife; to reach Chukwu Okike, God the Creator. So do not flinch or have second thoughts when it is discussed. However, the focus of this mental exercise is not on death itself but the manner, nature and form in which it comes.

Alot has been said about the ‘Aluu 4’ killings. While I pray for the repose of their souls, I baffle at the nature of death these four passed through; despicable to say the least, barbaric as many had tagged. Truth is that the only people fit to die this way are those at the top echelon of power who add 57 kobo on every litre of petrol for no just sake; those who use their ‘good and high’ offices to take loans that mortgage our collective future; those who doctor reports for a fee and have the effrontery to deny it even when evidence proves otherwise.

Reports had it that the four undergraduates were beaten, clubbed and hacked to death by supposed “vigilante” boys within the locality as one of them went to collect a debt owed him. I strongly believe that those who deserve this kind of death are those governors, senators, (dis) honourable members of the House of Representatives and public officials who loot the public treasury, who betray the public trust and those who by hook or crook rape our democracy and insult our collective intelligence.

Many a time, I have sat x-raying the manner of death these young handsome boys went through, I can’t but agree that the killers are not only blood thirsty but have perfected the art and science of killing. I think that they are not fit to be in a society like ours. But the bottom line is that “the Aluu 4” are free at last; free from the hassles of this world, free from the endless ASUU strikes, free from subsidy removal, free from hike in school fees, free from incessant power outages and ‘flexing’.

I was heading to the East early last month and what I saw and heard left me dumbfounded.  Top on the list is the nightmarish experience commuters have on the ‘federal road’ that was said to be earlier awarded to PDP stalwart (Anthony ‘fix it’ Anenih) and now another company is handling the same road. Nothing has been said about the billions paid to this man to execute the contract. Known as Mr. Fix it, he could not fix a length of road he was paid to do or is it part of the ‘settlement’ he got for his loyalty to Baba?

Recall that it was on this same road that a former minister of works Diezani Allison Madueke (now a serving minister of oil), shed crocodile tears in front of press men and Nigerians. In fact it got to an extent that she vouched that ‘something’ will be done to the death trap called road. Till now, nothing has been done to the road. The least I know is that FERMA the federal government agency charged with ‘patching’ roads has been working on the road, leaving much to be desired. At some points, they close one carriage way leaving the other road to drivers. The effect is traffic gridlocks for up to eight hours and exposing travellers to armed robbers and other security risks.

This was the case the day I travelled but the luck we had was that the bus I travelled in left Lagos very early to beat some of these traffic bottlenecks. But on the way, I noticed that a particular society in the Catholic church, Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement CCRM had a programme in Benin . I saw many of their buses at some point and the driver driving us actually overtook many of them. The day was a Friday.

After the wedding I attended on Saturday, early Sunday morning, I took off to Lagos so that I can start work on Monday morning. On reaching Lagos, my aunty broke the news that one of the Lagos delegates was shot by armed robbers on their way to the conference. She narrated how the bus they had planned to go with disappointed them at the last minute. They had to look to for an alternative arrangement and in so doing lost some vital time. They left Lagos late and their bus was not entirely in a good shape. Due to the traffic bottle necks and the late beginning, they were caught up on the road at night. She said when the armed robbers shot at their bus and the bullet penetrated hitting the young man. He did not die immediately, as he was rushed to a nearby hospital but the medical personnel (I hate to call them professionals) demanded for police report at about 9 pm! As they were explaining and pleading, the young man left to the afterlife.

I felt so sad. I had a brainwave and I still think that the Chief Consultant of the hospital, Diezani Allison Madueke, Tony Anenih, FG should be sued to court as accomplices in this murder.  Huge compensation should be paid to the boy’s family. My reason is based on the premise that if the afore mentioned had put their foot down to ensure that the road was repaired with guarantee, commuters will spend less time on the road no  matter when they take off. This will in the long run reduce the security risk people will face in the road.

As his parents and the whole parishioners of St. Dennis Catholic Church, Akoka, mourn this loss, his blood will be on the head of the medical staff that refused to offer first aid before demanding for the police report. His ghost and the ghosts of others who have died on the road will haunt the likes of Madueke, Anenih and other top public officials who have politicized the contract on the road (either on newspaper pages or to appeal the sense of the public) and have done little to ensure that the contract is executed.

We must not lose focus of the fact; the young man is free at last. For us, he has run a good race. He is free from trekking long distances without seeing a commercial motor bike also known as okada to take him to his destination. He is free from the hustle and bustle of Lagos. Freedom at last!

Last week my father called me to give me an update on a particular issue. When he was through, he informed me that a particular woman from my place died same day after some complications arose from a fibroid surgery. I was downcast and sad even till now. For one, the woman in question, Lady Ndukwe, was an epitome of motherhood; a very strong charismatic and understanding woman. In all the times I went to visit her family in Owerri, there was no day I came she did not treat me and feed me like a son. She was the type you could crack jokes with and discuss very confidential matters with. She was a good ally. To aggravate my grief, her last son is more than a good friend to me. He is a big brother to me. He has been there for me many times over.  I respect him for he is a Strong Man and believes in the Spirit of hard work. As I share these thoughts, I curse those who either by omission or commission have contributed to the poor state of our health sector. As they cause the deaths of many, may they reap what they have sown a million times over. As they cause sorrow, grief and tears in families, may theirs be an unending tale tragedy.

According to the family, the burial will be on December 21. For her, for my Black Lord and for the family, I will travel the same death trap of a road (not minding if mine will be taken on the road) to pay my last respects as she is committed to mother earth. So while others will travel home to rejoice, this December will be a sad one for me, for my partner, ally, and the entire community. As the first daughter rightly said ‘she is free from the troubles of this world’. She has gone to rest with the Lord. Freedom at last!

In my next edition, I will be discussing how a group of people are transforming their community. Call them a League of Extra ordinary Gentlemen, LXG (guess you have watched the movie), the thrust is how they are working round the clock to make sure that they reposition, rebrand and open up their community to the world.

It is a must read. Look out for it.