On April 27, 1957, Olabisi Ajala, began a trip “around the world” and ultimately, he visited India, the Soviet Union, Iran, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Egypt, and finally, Australia, all of them on his Vespa scooter. I did not know him but I know the music dedicated to his exploits by the one and only Ebenezer Obey. So, when one junkets around and about, he is indulging in ‘Ajalanisation’! I left Lagos to Ago-Iwoye and Ijebuode, my regular route, on Monday 29/3/21, and on Friday, 2/4/21, my running-mate and I left Ijebu-Ode for Igbo-Ukwu, with the son-of-man on the steering. I won’t tell you our time of departure but by 10am, we were refuelling the car at NNPC Mega-Station, Asaba. The road was free as the usual traducers of travellers were not yet many on the road. However, we had an encounter just before we entered Benin. The men in black stopped us, asked for vehicle ‘partikolas’ and I gave them the usual things: driving licence, insurance certificates and 2021 vehicle certificate. He then queried: is that all? And then he started mentioning some strange papers but I told him that these were the only ones I had known since I started driving in 1982. He then ‘confiscated’ the papers and went away. I waited for about 10 minutes and I left him with the papers-all photocopies.
Immediately I got home, I joined the Holy Friday and other Catholic Easter programmes and thereafter, the usual 1001 meetings, funerals, and weddings. But there were some special programmes at home including the Communal Prayers by the town (to checkmate the activities of some man-made malevolent spirits), the centenary birthday celebration of Nze Umeokonkwo Umennadi, the onye-isi-nze ( oldest ozo-titled man), and the only living mgburichi (scarified face) in Igboukwu); the first Igbo-Ukwu History Project lecture( delivered by Professor Njoku and Enigma Obikwelu) and the 98th birthday ceremony of the Iconic Ide JNC Ezeife, retired Principal Special Class, the first Igbo-Ukwu graduate, and the oldest/longest-serving member of the Idu-Cabinet.
Nze Umeokonkwo, 100years; Iconic Ide JNC Ezeife,98 years Ide Ezesuokwu at his Mill
I also took out time to pay an industrial visit to Ide Ezesuokwu, a fellow Cabinet Member, who operates in the original ‘oil sector’ (runs an oil mill) creating value as well as employment with a staff strength of about 30. The technology was however old, which led to operational inefficiency and physical stress. And I asked: Where is the FG support for the agro-allied industry? Maybe, tomorrow! My wife ‘ won the prize’ of a keg of fresh and enticing palm oil. I was also at Awka to celebrate with my sister, Uju Chiekezie who ‘washed’ her professorship at the magnificent St Aquina’s Catholic Church, GRA, Awka.
Of Course, not less should be expected of a Church located at the GRA. The dedication of St Michaels Catholic Church, Ngo, IgboUkwu also took place and I had the good fortune of breaking the kola to declare the occasion open. It was a joyous occasion for us because, at a time, it looked as if that day would never come. But it came, courtesy of the commitment of the Parishioners and the determination of the Parish Priest, Fr Offordum.
The following week, I left for Aba through Ezinifite, Uga, Akokwa Arondizuogu Okigwe, and Umuahia. At Arondizuogu, we encountered a local Vehicle Inspection squad led by a woman. She checked this and that and found that one of the trafficators, one of the break-lights, and one other thing was not working and billed us N11000. After all said and done, she, on a ‘compassionate ground’, collected about N3500, which my wife told her was all the cash in her wallet. I was wondering how to handle the situation when I noted that she actually wrote the amount on the charge sheet. It was later that I saw that instead of N3500, she had written N2500, thereby cheating the state and probably her colleagues of the ‘surplus’. When we joined the smooth Enugu-PH expressway, a similar group ‘arrested’ us and when we protested that we had been charged and discharged, they argued that the first group did not charge us properly. When I told them that it was their internal affair after which they collected the first charge sheet and reissued another one. One interesting development was that they kept on asking: how much exactly did they collect from you, to which they did not receive any answer beyond what was written on the charge-sheet.
I was at Aba for about two weeks, and spent the period in Umuga Community, off Opobo Road in Ogbor Hill, a very serene rural community, where everybody knew everybody, still tended their farms in the morning before going anywhere and still relied on bicycles for transportation. It was very far from the maddening crowd.
I paid an industrial visit to Tanu Group, one of the landmarks of good old Ogbor Hill. Tanu Group was one of the industrial giants at Aba (Aba is more into commerce), and was manufacturing Varta Batteries and Cascamite industrial glue. But this is now history due to policy infidelity, foreign exchange crunch, high cost of credit, and all that. I looked at the idle factory buildings and the decaying machines and… Jesus Wept. I also visited the National Institute for Nigerian Languages, a Federal Government establishment with a revolutionary mandate and which needs more attention than it is getting. I met the ebullient and committed working DG, Prof Emejulu, who is doing everything to turn things around and in the process, trying to catch the lion with bare hands.
