I went...I saw...I

                                   I went...I saw...I...

I have intentionally reserved this piece till this time. For one, I wanted to see how much news and hype the event will bring forth. Again, having traveled out of the state for one week, I had to relax and this goes also for my equipment. I also had to prepare for work which is in full swing.

As I sat back on the bed reflecting on the question that my aunt asked me when I called on them on my way back to Lagos, it dawned on me that I did not have any opportunity to either see my grand parents or even have time for myself.

I had taken a night bus on December 26 from Lagos to Owerri at a cut throat price. By 2 a.m on 27th, we had reached Owerri. I joined others in the Interdenominational Prayer and Worship session. As I thought, about the interdenominational worship, I smiled even more, for it was not just a success but an unprecedented success to be recorded in the annals of Umunumo history. While the event featured prayer, praise and worship sessions and motivational speeches (I do not want to tell you about the passionate speech made by Dr Uche Diala, co-ordinator of Umunumo Platform, because I will be doing grave injustice to an orator par excellence, a passionate Umunumo son and to his excellent speech delivered to motivate Umunumo sons and daughters to development. If you missed his speech, sorry. You will have to wait for another 11 months to hear another one.)  The event that stole the show was the presence of the three traditional rulers and their joining hands together to pray for the development of Umunumo.It was historic. The first of its kind anywhere within and around my Umunumo.

Elsewhere a group of people from Umunumo came together and decided to honour befitting and unbefitting members of the community. They got the three traditional rulers together but it was not the traditional rulers' first time in any way. Umunumo Platform again stole the show by enlightening people on what the online group has been doing and intends to do in the future through their pamphlets and Article of Faith. People scrambled for them and even asked for customized T-shirts.

I do not want to bore you with the number of old women, old men, youths and infants that received free medical treatment courtesy of Umunumo Platform. The free medical services include free eyeglasses, eye drugs, free eye check up, free medical check up, body analyses to and general body treatment. I do not want to bore you with the number of days spent in rendering this service to fatherland. Yes. It is official. Umunumo Platform spent 4 days for their maiden free medical and health fair which was earlier slated for one day. It is a big feat.  I want to tell you about the behind the scene intrigues that made the maiden Annual Home Coming a huge success. I want to tell you how professionals from far and wide braced it to prove their worth in their father land. I want to tell you how many forfeited their meals to make sure they put a smile on the face of an Umunumo man or woman. I want to tell you about the sacrifices and commitment of people that formed a template for other editions of the annual home coming.

Did I tell you of the group that claimed it had the interest of Umunumo at heart yet they went along to host a show that will rip Umunumo people off their hard earned money? Did I tell you that those who went for the show around 2 a.m that day came back and reported that 'nothing spectacular happened there'. History shall vindicate the just.

I had called my cousin to join us for the Annual Health Run as inspired and sponsored by another Umunumo son Dr Chijindu Uba. I remember telling him and his friends that the prize for the best and the craziest would be an Ipad. The Charity Run that hazy morning, turned out to be a dance show. Clad in exclusive customized T-shirts, members of Umunumo Platform and others danced, jogged and walked all the way from Nkwo Umunumo to Afor Ebu. I am not good with mathematics and I have not hidden it at anytime. But I was informed that the distance in question is about 5km and we spent about 45 minutes dancing out body fat, snapping pictures, cracking jokes and networking.

It is the networking and snapping picture aspect of it that I will shed more light on. The Run provided a platform for people to network discuss and crack jokes. This was the second day all the members of the Umunumo Platform were coming together and it was just an excellent 'unofficial' opportunity to mix up and socialize. With DJ BaroneXe blasting very current naija jamz, you could tell who can dance very well and the novices.  For those who are at home with Azonto, Etigi, and Alingo, these three very current dance steps formed a large part of the dance routine for the Charity Run. If you missed it, cross your fingers for even a bigger package in 11 months. Let me at this point stress that the Charity Dance, sorry Charity Run was meant to be a run that will see a winner emerge and take home the prize of an Ipad among other things but due to logistics reasons, it was changed to a dance and it was a huge success! It was a sight to behold. Some very old women at intervals joined us to dance and they got free T- shirts for their time and energy.  At the end of the dance show, my cousins alongside three of his friends came to ask me ‘anything for them?’ that they had concluded their part of the work. I smiled inside of me and bluntly told them, if you are done, you can go home.

The afternoon after the Charity Dance was held, we headed off to assist in any way we can to ensure that the free health fair was a huge success. It happened that on this same day it dawned on all of us that  our community was very sick. Sick in the sense that the both old and young scrambled for both eye care and general body treatment. Old men and women rained curses on some of us for not allowing them to access these free medical services even when they were not on the queue. A particular man called me aside and promised to give me 'something' if I let him in to see one of the eye doctors. I was so pissed off at this that I told him, I would make sure he sees neither of them till he joins the queue and it gets to his turn. Many stood under the scorching sun to ensure that they accessed the service. Some, owing to their inconsistency it took them four days to see a doctor.

There was this particular old woman I met. Even at old age, she had dimples that made her look beautiful (in an old way though). She is a fearless person and would jump out to speak once she sees somebody go into the room that housed the medical professionals. I would look at her, marvel at her beauty and tell her in Igbo that she came to be checked for some ailments that there was no need for her to  develop high blood pressure (as a result of her shouting) as an added ailment . She would smile and stop. At other times I would ask her if she applied powder on her face or used our local oil, palm kernel oil on her skin owing to the wrinkles on her skin. She would smile, hit me and say, "Nwa m, ghara m" which means, my son let me be.

 I had enjoyed myself thoroughly with those ladies, the men and the young ones. I learnt that the women would love to organise themselves in a queue alongside some of the men. I also found that a large chunk of the men and the youth never queued up but wanted to be given an 'express pass'. I came to the conclusion that it is this same mentality of not being organised that they would replicate outside, in their daily dealings and wherever they go. It was easy for me to decipher the ones among them who will be willing to compromise his position for a fraudlent transaction and those who will stand their ground.

For four days we were on it. We received blessing and prayers from many of them. Some others went the extra mile to assist us. While some offered to sweep the venue daily, a host of others donated chairs, tables and long benches. I remember one particular woman who gave us a bench and was on my neck to give her an 'express pass'. In my heart, I wanted to give her the free pass but  people were just too much inside the venue prompting the medical professionals to stop admitting any more people inside the room. She said alot of unprintable things but I looked at her and smiled. It was one of the things i signed up for when i joined Umunumo Platform. As a leader you get insulted, booed and abused. All these should neither make you falter or feel bad but they should make you stronger and device more appropriate strategy to ease the pain of the people. I also found that when two or three people are doing the same thing without good communication rapport there will be a breakdown of communication. i found that Umunumo Platform did not budget for the huge turn out of people in terms getting more medical professionals. It is my opinion that in the next edition, more medical professionals should sign up to  make this life touching venture a stress free success.

In between the four days, the Umunumo Christian Believers Assembly launched their Almanac and it was a big event! It recorded tremendous success. For those who missed this event wait till another December and attend it to see for yourself. I am mentioning this because the Christian group has formed a strategic alliance with Umunumo Platform. I am also saying this because some of the key members in the group have contributed immensely to the success of Umunumo platform. 

On 31st, as members of my age grade were in a high powered general meeting rubbing minds on how to help each other grow, I was on my way to Umueze Town School to tidy up the place. I had greeted them and left immediately. I had a 'higher calling' that will affect all of us positively. My happiness knew no bounds as the number of people coming for the free medical services decreased till the professionals saw all of them. Imagine my surprise when we got to one of the doctor's family house and there was a line of people waiting to see him! Diligently, he attended to all them and I helped out in finding out either the size of the frame or some of the routine drugs that he will administer to them.

I do not know about you, but I am fulfilled that it was a success and I saw old people smile again. For me I came, I saw and I touched a life.  

Later in the evening, I was opportuned to be in a gathering of members of League of Nobles. I did not fail to thank them for their partnership that facilitated the success of the Annual Homecoming. I had stressed that if we had sons in so many pharmaceutical companies and they were forthcoming like the League of Nobles, maternal mortality and infant mortality would be adequately taken care of in Umunumo.

At another forum, I did not fail to recognize the efforts of the medical professionals who ensured that the maiden edition of the Annual Home Coming was a huge success. I will not go on to list the names of everybody that participated actively (because like the rapper Ill' Bliss said ...it is longer than your IQ). But they know themselves and I strongly

 believe that they have done well for themselves and for the community.

In my next edition, I will tell you how not to marry a lady on 'hire purchase' and how a so called 'church apostle' turned and rebelled against his own people.