As reactions continue to trail the recently concluded 2023 African Cup of Nations, Here are ‘prophecies’ and predictions of some clerics that attracted knocks and kudos from netizens

There was a high level of anxiety among football lovers in Nigeria as the senior national team, the Super Eagles, squared up against the host of the 2023 African Cup of Nations, Ivory Coast, in the final in Abidjan, last Sunday.

Millions of Nigerians at home and in Abidjan had high hopes that the Eagles would crown their impressive campaign with victory at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium.

But the match ended 2-1 in favour of Ivory Coast and came as a rude shock to Nigerians and other supporters of the Eagles who expected the Nigerian team to lift the trophy as the favourite, based on its impressive performance.

No doubt, the tournament came with different surprises, including a shocking exit of some highly ranked teams.

However, among the other interesting features of the competition were the several prophecies and predictions made by religious leaders on and off social media about the outcome of scheduled matches leading up to the finals.

In Nigeria, prophecies about the outcome of football matches are not new and are studiously followed by many football fans, some of whom use them as their tips for sports betting. 

Saturday PUNCH learnt that while some of the prophecies do have true outcomes and tend to authenticate the spiritual calling of the men on the pupil, others fail woefully, resulting in the clerics being viciously trolled online by angry Nigerians.

For years, the late founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, Temitope Joshua, was known for giving prophecies about the outcome of football matches, several of which his followers claimed were accurate.

Last Tuesday, an old video of the late cleric predicting the outcome of the 2012 AFCON final match between Zambia and Ivory Coast went viral on TikTok.

The 12-year-old video which was shot live at the SCOAN, located in Ikotun, Lagos, captured the moment the well-known preacher shared what God supposedly told him about the winner and the penalty shootout that would decide the outcome of the 2012 match.

“This victory is for a country you are not expecting. Just to make them smile because of the past record they have – what happened to them in their history. God wants to make them happy because of the victims of what happened to them in the past,” he was quoted by the church’s Emmanuel TV website as saying.

The match ended in favour of Zambia. Although Joshua did not disclose the name of the team that would secure victory, the church said the outcome of the match was “true to the prophetic word” of its founder.

2023 AFCON ‘prophecies,’ predictions

Yul Edochie

A day before the semi-final match between Nigeria and South Africa, actor-turned-pastor of True Salvation Ministry, Yul Edochie, said that Nigeria might be in for a surprise.

Taking to Instagram, Edochie wrote, “Why am I having the feeling that South Africa may surprise us tomorrow? God abeg oo. Super Eagles no gree for anybody oo. Kwechili. Leave no stones unturned. Bring home the trophy.”

Our correspondent observed that the actor came under fire for his post. For instance, a netizen named John Peiller wrote, “Very smart way to prophesy. So you can say you say that South (Africa) won but if Nigeria wins, then you can say you prayed against defeat. This country and cruise.”

Another netizen, Akosa Obinna, wrote, “Because you are carnal and guesswork without faith is just as good as guesswork period! Man of gosh. There are no supernatural powers, (it) is either you analyse with experience or expertise or rest till the game is over.”

Before the final match, Edochie, in a post on his Instagram page gave another prediction that the Super Eagles would defeat Ivory Coast.

“Today’s game will not get a penalty shootout. Nigeria will comfortably defeat the Ivory Coast,” he had written.

However, on Sunday, February 11, the Super Eagles of Nigeria lost 2-1 to the Elephants of Ivory Coast.

Edochie’s page was swamped by Nigerians expressing their dissatisfaction and called his prophecy bogus.

One of them, named @iam_baron, said, “With due respect sir, close down (your) church.”

Another user, @Official queendee, wrote, “And then what should we think now? For the second time you have prophesied lies.”

Reacting amid the backlash, on Monday, Edochie in a post attached a photo of the Super Eagles team and its coach, Jose Peseiro, wrote, “It is well. Thank you Super Eagles.

“Getting to the finals is as good as winning. We are proud of you all. Great performance in the tournament.”

In a subsequent post showing the Nigerian flag, the Nollywood actor turned pastor added, “I love my country, Nigeria. Win or lose, good or bad, we pin here. Better days ahead. Giant of Africa.”

Elijah Ayodele

The spiritual leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Oke-Afa, Lagos, Primate Elijah Ayodele, who garnered much popularity for his predictions about politics, economy, and sports, also gave his prophecies regarding AFCON.

In a video said to be dated September 17, 2023, and shared on his TikTok page and which went viral before the final match on February 11, the cleric was heard predicting that the Super Eagles would be knocked out of the semi-finals.

He stated, “Talk about CAN 2024, if Nigeria will do much preparation, listen, and do all that is needful (sic), Nigeria will get to the finals. And if they do all that is needful (sic), they can lift up the cup.

“If they don’t do it, and do ‘bigmanism’ in the Nations Cup they will not perform. They will have a heavy crash.

“They will survive the elimination series but they will be knocked out of the semi-finals. That’s the fact. Nigeria has all it takes to win Cote d’Ivoire 2024 irrespective of anybody that is going to play but if they are doing big, big then they will fail.”

In another video that was not dated but was also shared via his TikTok account, Ayodele was heard saying, “The Nations’ Cup 2023, or 2024 in Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria is supposed to qualify. If Nigeria listens, Nigeria can go far but of course, if they score best, Nigeria will lose it with slim chances; they will slip out the cup from them.

“So it’s quite unfortunate that Nigeria will go into this cheap… I see this as a cheap World Cup. Of course, Ghana, and Egypt will qualify in the B, and Senegal and Cameroon will qualify also.

“This Cote d’Ivoire 2024 is for Nigeria, but will they be able to coordinate and do what is needful (sic) for them to lift up the cup? That’s a question that I couldn’t answer.”

Nigeria went through to the final after defeating South Africa 4-2 on penalties.

Joel Atuma’s green-coloured flag prediction

Another cleric who is the senior pastor of the Lord Graces Provinces Church, in Umuahia, Abia State, Prophet Joel Atuma, in a YouTube video titled, ‘Another prophecy for AFCON,’ posted by the cleric on February 2, he said, “I want to say again and again that if you don’t have the colour green on your flag, you can’t carry this AFCON cup, and a northern nation can take up the cup. These are two things that Jesus said to me because what is happening on that soccer field is strategic to the voice and rising of the African nation.

“And I remember that I said on Sunday that Osimhen has been released from that place and he is going to get closer and closer because there is something that God is doing in African nations. I want you to watch what is going to happen, because the Nigerian match is going to be minus one.

“The people who know my format know my format. That match is going to be minus one. I want to reiterate that if you don’t have green, the Nations Cup is not for you.”

Atuma, who claimed to have received a message from God, added, “God said to me that this AFCON is a statement (and) not a tournament. Angola has never beaten Nigeria.

“I will come back to tell you if Nigeria will win this trophy or not but I won’t be open. I will still encode it because the prophet will speak in quotes and parables, it is not for everybody, but let Osimien (sic) know that there is a gang up against him. All I will do for him is to slow down the time.”

Marcus Tibetan

Ahead of the Nigeria versus South Africa match last Wednesday, a prophet from the Celestial Church of Christ, Marcus Tibetan, expressed confidence the Super Eagles would defeat the Bafana Bafana in the AFCON semi-finals, claiming that “the Lord” revealed it to him.

“You know, the Lord revealed this to me. I’ve seen it before and I’ve told you that the first and second matches are going to be slow, but the third match is going to be firebrand.

“I told you in the Wednesday service that we are going to buckle up to take the trophy because the trophy belongs to us. But with what the Lord revealed, as they did to Cape Verde in the last match, because the people of South Africa are too diabolical, and playing with four penalties into one direction, it has an ulterior motive. There is something behind it.

“Our own we need to kill the match in the first half and they have to change some of the players but most of the players that should have been used have gone. 

“(Victor) Osimhen has to step in a little. It could be 4-1 or 4-0 tomorrow, 4-0 is very eminent (sic). Tomorrow is our day and we will get it tomorrow,” he said in a video shared on YouTube by 12 Start TV.

Elijah Abiri

The founder of Jesus Alive Ministry International, Elijah Abiri, describes himself as a “prophet of fire” on his Facebook biodata. On January 26 he prophesied in a post that Cameroon would defeat Nigeria by three goals to one.

The Cameroon-based cleric, who told his followers not to see his prophecy as a parable, also instructed the coach of the Indomitable Lions, Rigobert Song, and another ex-international, Samuel Eto’o, to let the players use olive oil and salt to bathe in a bucket before the game commenced to secure victory.

He wrote, “Any arrow fired at you, backfired right now! Three-one is the score for Cameroon versus Nigeria in favour of Cameroon. This time I’m not talking in parables, I said Cameroon is winning Nigeria period! it’s written and it’s done, watch.”

But the game ended in Nigeria’s favour. Angry netizens dug up the cleric ‘prophesy’ and lambasted him.

In another video posted on Instagram on January 19, Abiri could be seen being conveyed on a motorcycle while he reeled out a prophecy about an impending match between Cameroon and Senegal. 

“It is 30 minutes to the game between Cameroon and Senegal and I’m here to announce to you that Cameroon will win (against) Senegal. Cameroonians start celebrating, Cameroon will win Senegal today.

“We are going to trash Senegal. Three goals for Cameroon and one goal for Senegal. Tell the world that I am coming from a mission, I am done with the assignment. It is written and it is done.”

Again, at the end of the match on January 19, the reverse was the case as Cameroon lost 3-1 to Senegal.

Clerics using fake prophecies to make money – Mbaka

The Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry in Enugu, Fr Ejike Mbaka, expressed displeasure over some Nigerian clerics who regularly dished out fake prophecies and conducted false miracles to make money and fame.

The cleric, who stated this in a video clip uploaded on the ministry’s official Facebook page, and YouTube channel on Sunday.

He said, “Many of us (clerics) have started using this preaching and prophecies to mine money. I call it ‘money mining.’ The worst is that they have started using prophecies as though it is betting. Prophetic trial and error. 

 “Such things do not last. What is fake will fade. If you want to make money, enter into business and do it. Stop using the name of God to dupe people. If you want to be famous, you can be famous by any other means.”

Also speaking in a phone interview with PUNCH, the pastor of Multiply Christian Network, Daniel Okunoye, described predictions for football games as an aberration that had replaced the gift of prophecy in the church.

According to him, the gift of prophecy, as contained in the Bible, is operated based on some guidelines.

“For instance, true prophecy is directed at the church for edification, exhortation or comforting a member of the body of Christ. A prophecy wasn’t meant to be like predictions utilised for mundane issues like soccer or other things that have no bearing on the church.

“There is a difference between prophecy and psychic reading. True prophecy comes from the Spirit of God and not from the heart of the person speaking it and it’s not based on lucky guesses or human knowledge.

“These people who make it their trade to predict outcomes of football matches under the guise of Christianity are making a mockery of the faith they profess. They worship money and fame,” Okunoye added.

Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe seems to be edging towards a Real Madrid move, with excitement already building in the Spanish capital.

The 25-year-old France captain informed PSG officials he intends to leave in the summer at the end of his contract, a source close to the Ligue 1 champions said Thursday.

Madrid are in pole position to sign a player whom they have moved for several times in the past only to be rebuffed, although they declined to comment when asked by AFP.

Spanish media report Madrid’s offer to Mbappe is lower than in 2022 when he decided to renew his PSG contract, with Cadena SER saying he wants 50 million euros ($54 million) gross a season along with a hefty 120 million euros signing-on bonus.

Media outlet Marca claimed that Mbappe has already informed club bosses “that he only wanted to play for Real Madrid” and added that he informed the Spanish giants of his decision to leave PSG on Tuesday, 48 hours before it was revealed from a source close to PSG.

With the numbers and financial fair play impact left for Madrid’s accountants to manage, supporters and local media are starting to dream of what may come.

“The countdown has started,” wrote Marca earlier in the day.

“Seven years later everything points to Mbappe’s arrival being a reality from July 1.”

Mbappe had the chance to join Madrid from Monaco in 2017 but chose PSG instead, perhaps cowed by the difficulty of ousting Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale or Karim Benzema from the attack.

Now he could lead the line alongside Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham.

“That would be perfect,” Luis Caceres, the president of Real Madrid’s fan club federation told AFP.

“He’s the best player in the world, that’s undeniable. We’ve seen him play and we know what he can do, he’s a great player.”

Mbappe, yet to win the Champions League, could still cross paths with record 14-time winners Madrid in this year’s competition.

Spanish newspaper AS say Madrid will “keep silent” on Mbappe while the two sides are still competing in Europe.

Last June a Real Madrid fan did manage to lure club president Florentino Perez into giving a clue away about Mbappe’s future.

Enrique Higueras, 22, stumbled across Perez outside a restaurant and asked him if he would bring Mbappe to the Santiago Bernabeu.

“Yes, but not this year,” replied Perez.

Higueras, a student doctoring in sports science, told AFP he believes Mbappe will succeed if and when he arrives.

“I am sure that he will play at Madrid and make history,” said Higueras.

“I don’t think Madrid needs Mbappe to win the Champions League… but obviously if Mbappe joins then the chances of winning that precious trophy go up a lot.”

‘Bitterness’

However some supporters still recall Mbappe’s snub and perceived slights since.

Oscar Movellan Martinez, a 42-year-old business consultant and self-described “huge fan” of Madrid, said he was not happy with Mbappe seemingly mocking Los Blancos after renewing his PSG deal.

“What happened in 2022 I can understand, for the pressure the kid received… in the media all the way up to (French president Emmanuel) Macron,” said Movellan.

“What I didn’t like was the attitude after… I understand that he might have been pressured to renew with PSG when he wanted to come to Madrid, but I don’t understand his reaction.”

If Mbappe does join Madrid in the summer then it may take a few goals from PSG’s all-time top scorer to smooth things over.

“I think the fans at the Bernabeu will have a bit of bitterness at the start, but look — it’s a fanbase that even whistled (Zinedine) Zidane back in the day,” added Movellan.

Others are cautiously choosing not to trust Mbappe will join until it is made official.

“Until I see him sign, I won’t believe it, after what happened in 2022,” added Caceres.

A former Edo Deputy Governor, Lucky Imasuen, has withdrawn from the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship direct primary election holding today.

Naija News reports that Imasuen announced his withdrawal in a letter released on Saturday morning.

Recall that Imasuen and 13 other governorship aspirants were screened and cleared by a committee constituted by the National Working Committee (NWC) of APC.

The ex-deputy Governor’s withdrawal letter, which was addressed to his “highly-esteemed supporters,” explained he withdrew from the race in the interest of peace and unity.

He said: “I have come to the conclusion that since members of our National Working Committee (NWC), in their wisdom, have expressed their preference for zoning the governorship position to Edo Central Senatorial District, it is wise to align with the decision of the party.

“I am immensely grateful for your unwavering support and belief in me throughout this journey. Your dedication and passion have been the driving force behind my campaign.

“While this decision was not made lightly, I trust that you will understand and continue to support our party as we work together towards our shared goals.

“From the foregoing, I am ready to support whoever emerges as our candidate in the primary election.”

Recall that a former Edo governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, had on Friday also pulled out of the APC gubernatorial primary.

[NaijaNews]

International students studying for a master’s program less than two years in length are now eligible for a three-year post-graduation work permit (PGWP). 

Previously, the duration of a granted PGWP was linked to the duration of the study program. However, acknowledging the potential of master’s students to excel in Canada’s job market, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has opted to broaden the eligibility criteria for these students to receive extended work permits. 

Details of the eligibility  

Nairametrics learns that PGWPs issued to students enrolled in programs other than master’s level will still align with the program’s duration, capped at three years. 

Additionally, students in programs at PGWP-eligible designated learning institutions (DLIs), which are at least two years long, qualify for an extended three-year PGWP. 

In the coming weeks, IRCC will also revise regulations regarding spousal work permits for international students at the undergraduate level.

Consequently, only spouses of students at the master’s and doctoral levels will be eligible for a spousal work permit.

However, this adjustment will not affect spousal open work permits for the spouses or conjugal partners of Canadian citizens or permanent residents. 

What are the PGWP eligibility criteria? 

For international students to qualify for a PGWP, they must meet the following criteria: 

• Completion of studies in an academic, vocational, or professional training program lasting at least eight months at a designated learning institution (DLI) eligible for PGWP issuance. 
• Enrollment in a program leading to a degree, diploma, or certificate. 
• Maintenance of full-time student status in Canada throughout each academic session of the completed program or programs of study, as indicated on the PGWP application (with certain exceptions permitted). 

• Provision of a transcript and an official letter from an eligible DLI confirming fulfilment of program requirements, both of which must be included in the PGWP application. 
• Have graduated from a public post-secondary institution such as a: 
• College; 
• Trade or technical school; 
• University; 
• CEGEP (in Quebec); 
• Private post-secondary school (in Quebec) that operates under the same rules as public schools in Quebec; 
• Private secondary or post-secondary school (in Quebec) that offers qualifying programs of 900 hours or longer and results in the issuance of a diplôme d’études professionnelles (DEP) or an attestation de specialization professionnelle (ASP); or 
• Canadian private schools that can award degrees under provincial law (for example, Associate, Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctorate) but only if the student was enrolled in a study program that leads to a degree as authorized by the province. 

According to the new rule, from September 2024, some students will no longer be eligible to apply for a PGWP.

These are students attending a program that utilizes a curriculum licensing framework (where a private college has been licensed to deliver the curriculum of an associated public college). 

[Nairametrics]

Super Eagles and Chippa United goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali, has said he is in no rush to move to a European club.

Nwabali was one of the revelations of the just concluded 2023 Africa Cup of Nations where the Eagles finished as runners-up.

He was only drafted into the squad just few weeks before the commencement of the tournament and handed the first choice position.

The 27-year-old went on to impress as he kept four consecutive clean sheets.

Also, in the penalty shootout win against South Africa, he made two saves.

According to reports, his brilliant performance for the Eagles has attracted interests from some European clubs and one of such clubs is Belgian side Royale Union Saint-Gilloise.

Commenting on talks about a move to Europe Nwabali told Arise News, via Soccer Laduma:“People have been sending messages like they want me to move to Europe or they want me to move to a bigger club.

“I really appreciate that, but to be honest, one thing about me is that I always feel comfortable even if I’m in a small place; I don’t like to rush.

Meanwhile, Nwabali could be back in action for Chippa on Saturday when they will host Cape Town City.

Chippa United, on 18 points, are 13th on 18 points in the 16-team South African Premier Soccer League (PSL).

[Leadership]

Nigeria’s economic crisis has plunged millions of its citizens into poverty. The situation is dire in the northern region, where insecurity, poor infrastructure and low human capacity development have worsened living conditions. In this report, Daily Trust Saturday captured a migration trend among northern youths who leave the shores of Nigeria in search of better living conditions in the Middle East and North Africa.

Hassan Dantsoho, a graduate of the Yusuf Maitama Sule University in Kano State plans to relocate to Kuwait, one of the world’s oil-rich countries in the Middle East.

Five years after his graduation from the university, Dantsoho remains unemployed but anticipates a better life across Nigeria’s borders.

With a well mapped out plan and an anticipated N40million in fortunes within two years, the 30-year-old is optimistic that by the end of February 2024 he would bid farewell to his family in Kano, North West Nigeria, for a new life in Kuwait.

“My plan is to start a travel agency when I make it to Kuwait,” he told this reporter in December 2023.

“I will then focus on health personnel and other skilled and unskilled persons in Nigeria who want to migrate.

“If you take plumbing for example, the Arab do not delve into such menial jobs, but if you take our people to Kuwait they will do it and earn at least N600,000 as monthly income,” Dantsoho said.

Dantsoho is already building a network and scouting for big companies in Kuwait that require employees from Nigeria, especially from the medical field.

“As a doctor in Kuwait you can earn a salary of at least N6million a month. So, with that you won’t need to return to Nigeria; instead, you can invest by building a hospital in the country,” he said.

Faced with unemployment at home, Dantsoho is one of many Nigerians from the northern region whose dream for a better life is pushing to seek better opportunities in foreign lands, such as Kuwait, Qatar, Algeria and other Middle East and North African countries.

Records show a growing migration trend in Nigeria, with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) tracking about 243, 121 persons who migrated from Nigeria to different countries in 2022.

The record, which is based on migrants’ health assessment, shows that 196,695 Nigerians migrated to the United Kingdom, while 40,706 persons migrated to Canada and 2,428 persons to the United States of America in the same year. It also captured 3,280 persons who migrated to Austria, while 12 persons migrated to unspecified destinations.

The data shows an increase of 127.5 per cent in 2022, which is twice the 102,503 migrant assessments conducted in 2021, especially across the UK, Canada, USA and Austria.

The growing migration trend is similar to findings of a 2023 research by the Migration Control.Info, which revealed that the number of Nigerians living outside the country had almost tripled between 1990 and June 2020. The figure rose from 447,411 to 1,670,455, with majority of Nigerians in the diaspora from the country’s South-South, North-Central and South-West geo-political zones.

However, this report by Daily Trust Saturday captures another largely undocumented migration pattern among many youths from the northern region in search of better opportunities travel to the Middle East and North Africa.

‘I came back home smiling after my first voyage’

From the narrow streets and alleys of Madigawa in the metropolitan city of Kano State, where tradition and modernity intersect, a 27-year-old Hassan Abdulsalam, a tailor found his way across Nigeria’s borders to Algeria in 2021.

A year later, he returned home with “accomplished wealth,” after which he bought a plot of land and built a house in Kano. He now plans to migrate to Qatar, where he hopes to find a more lucrative job.

“I travelled through Niger Republic and didn’t pay money to anyone,” he told this reporter with a smug, while pedaling a manual sewing machine with keen concentration.

“It was with the use of phone calls and the assistance of my brother that I went to Algeria successfully, and within one year of my stay, I made a lot of money. I am grateful to God,” he said, even though he admitted that Algeria, like Nigeria, faces security challenges.

Abdulsalam explained that tailoring was highly lucrative for emigrants who have no professional qualifications in Algeria. “Sewing clothes is the main work people go there to do because Algerians leave such work to foreigners living in their country,” he said.

This demand among northern youths to migrate to the Middle East is real, said Aliyu Ibrahim, who owns Alkiswa Hajj and Umrah Travel and Tours in Kano.

He told this newspaper that his travel agency receives numerous inquiries daily from youths who are eager to leave the shores of Nigeria to various destinations for job opportunities.

“A lot of people come to us because they want to migrate. We get at least 30 in a month. The major challenge we face is that most of them do not have the money. Secondly, many of them do not have specific reasons they want to migrate. Their main reason is that they are tired of the hardship in Nigeria and they want to search for wealth elsewhere,” he said.

He explained that some of the popular destinations are Dubai, Qatar, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

Findings by this newspaper revealed that northern youths pay between N700,000 and N3million to agents like Ibrahim to make their migration dream come true. However, it was gathered that the fee depends on the country of migration, type of visa, duration of stay, job agreements and expected salary.

But Ibrahim of Alkiswa Hajj and Umrah Travel and Tours explained that his agency accepted an average fee of N1.8million for migration processes, including business visa costs. Following this, he said the client could find a cheap air ticket, sometimes one way for the journey.

“Many of those that have migrated to Dubai are now into cargo related works, some in lollipop companies and others in chocolate companies. Those who migrated to Jordan are now working in shoemaking companies. Those in Saudi Arabia are working in car washing companies and restaurants. In Qatar, some of them are working as barbers,” he said.

The travel agent said there were several jobs available for Nigerians who have no professional qualifications, ranging from driving, waitressing, car-washing, gardening and even as stable hands.

“We have people in Jordan. There is a travel company there we relate with. We help them look out for people willing to migrate to work in a shoemaking factory. So, we search for these people and link them with the agency, who in turn link them to the companies looking for workers,” he added.

Nigerian migrants in despair – Qatar immigrant

Ahead of the FIFA World Cup in 2022, the Qatari government had predicted that hosting the World Cup would create more than 1.5million new jobs in key sectors like construction, real estate and hospitality.

The Charge‘d’ Affaires of Qatar’s embassy in Nigeria, Ahmad Al-Horr, had in August, 2022 sought collaboration on labour migration with the Nigerian government. Al-Horr was quoted as saying, “Qatar needs more Nigerian components in its labour force because the number of Nigerian workers in the country is limited.”

However, though the end of the World Cup had slowed down Qatar’s labour migration needs, the appetite for northern youths to migrate to the country has not been quenched.

Abdulwahid Ibrahim, a Kano State indigene has in the last 16 years mastered the art of hand embroidery for traditional and royal attires. The 29-year-old plans to emigrate to Qatar for a better life by the end of February.

Having made a deposit of N600,000 for his ticket and visa, he is banking on a promised job in a beverage company in Qatar, where he hopes to earn enough money to pay back his debts and support his family.

“From here, you can pay all the money for processing or you can make a deposit on the condition that they withdraw some percentage from your monthly salary until you complete the payment. I have made a deposit payment and I will complete the remaining when I start work.

“Some of my friends are already working there, which is why I plan to go there. What we are only waiting for is our visa,” he said.

But life in Qatar may not be as rosy as Ibrahim and many northern youths envisage. A Qatari-based Nigerian emigrant, Yusuf Isah said many youths from northern Nigeria had become stranded.

“I swear, many people here are stranded without jobs. In the last three days, over 70 Nigerians, including four of my siblings, have left Qatar to return home because they were stranded. They applied for exit to be deported back to their country at no cost,” Isah told this newspaper through a phone conversation in early January.

Having lived in Qatar for at least a year, Isah said, “Here, they have a government agency for those who are stranded and want to return to their country at zero cost. All they need is to fill some forms and make applications on the condition that they will not return to the country for at least five years.”

He said the number of migrants into the country was far greater than the available job opportunities, but added that despite this challenge, Qatar was more receptive to migrants from Uganda, Ghana, Kenya, Sudan, Bangladesh and Philippines.

“In Qatar, they prefer people from other countries, not Nigeria. If you are from any other African country, not Nigeria, you will easily get a job,” he said.

He said that unlike Ugandan migrants, who are allowed to work before the medical commission issues them permits, Nigerian migrants have no such opportunity as they need to be cleared by the commission to work in Qatar.

We are not against migration – NIS

The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has said that it is not against migration as long as people do it the right way.

“Migration is part of our lives. Humans must move from one place to another for one reason or another; it could be economic, security, environmental, education and so on. Migration is not bad at all, as long as you do it the right way,” said the spokesperson of the NIS, Adedotun Aridegbe.

Reacting through WhatsApp, Aridegbe, a Comptroller of Immigration (CIS), urged migrants to fulfill the requirements of the country they are travelling to, stressing that the Service frowns at a situation where migrants travel without valid travel documents and through unrecognised points of entry.

“Irregular migration is a crime against nation-states. It undermines sovereignty and national security. It is the root of all evils associated with trans-border criminality. Therefore, if we must migrate, we should do so in a regular manner, adhering to national and international laws on migration,” he added.

“It was with the use of phone calls and the assistance of my brother that I went to Algeria successfully, and within one year of my stay, I made a lot of money. I am grateful to God,” he said, even though he admitted that Algeria, like Nigeria, faces security challenges.

Abdulsalam explained that tailoring was highly lucrative for emigrants who have no professional qualifications in Algeria. “Sewing clothes is the main work people go there to do because Algerians leave such work to foreigners living in their country,” he said.

This demand among northern youths to migrate to the Middle East is real, said Aliyu Ibrahim, who owns Alkiswa Hajj and Umrah Travel and Tours in Kano.

He told this newspaper that his travel agency receives numerous inquiries daily from youths who are eager to leave the shores of Nigeria to various destinations for job opportunities.

“A lot of people come to us because they want to migrate. We get at least 30 in a month. The major challenge we face is that most of them do not have the money. Secondly, many of them do not have specific reasons they want to migrate. Their main reason is that they are tired of the hardship in Nigeria and they want to search for wealth elsewhere,” he said.

He explained that some of the popular destinations are Dubai, Qatar, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

Findings by this newspaper revealed that northern youths pay between N700,000 and N3million to agents like Ibrahim to make their migration dream come true. However, it was gathered that the fee depends on the country of migration, type of visa, duration of stay, job agreements and expected salary.

But Ibrahim of Alkiswa Hajj and Umrah Travel and Tours explained that his agency accepted an average fee of N1.8million for migration processes, including business visa costs. Following this, he said the client could find a cheap air ticket, sometimes one way for the journey.

“Many of those that have migrated to Dubai are now into cargo related works, some in lollipop companies and others in chocolate companies. Those who migrated to Jordan are now working in shoemaking companies. Those in Saudi Arabia are working in car washing companies and restaurants. In Qatar, some of them are working as barbers,” he said.

The travel agent said there were several jobs available for Nigerians who have no professional qualifications, ranging from driving, waitressing, car-washing, gardening and even as stable hands.

“We have people in Jordan. There is a travel company there we relate with. We help them look out for people willing to migrate to work in a shoemaking factory. So, we search for these people and link them with the agency, who in turn link them to the companies looking for workers,” he added.

[DailyPost]

Since 1999 when the journey to civil rule began, having witnessed military rule for over 15 years, there have been arguments and counter-arguments as to the best form of democratic government for Nigeria.

While some have argued that the American styled presidential system of government which Nigeria practised between 1979 and 1983, and which is currently in practice, remains the best for Nigeria, others want a return to the parliamentary system which the British bequeathed to Nigeria at independence in 1960.

Those who are pushing for a return to what Nigeria’s colonial masters, Britain, handed down to the country in 1960, which is parliamentarianism, have argued that such a system would eliminate wastages in governance and ensure accountability.

They insist that with such a system of government in place, there would be no need for a two-chamber legislature- that is the Senate and the House of Representatives; instead, the country would make do with a unicameral legislature, which is less expensive and less cumbersome.

This, they argued, would cut down drastically on the amount of money used to run a bicameral legislature.

Recall that in the parliamentary system of government, the head of the government, who is the Prime Minister, is chosen from among the lawmakers or parliamentarians. He/she is always from the political party that has the majority in the parliament. And the ministers are also picked from among the lawmakers. This, the proponents of the system argued, would reduce, to the barest minimum, the cost of governance.

However, those pushing for the presidential system which was copied from the United States of America in 1979, have also argued that the system ensures checks and balances, as no organ or arm of government, represented by the executive, the legislature or the judiciary, can wield arbitrary powers.

It is their belief that absolute powers corrupt absolutely and to prevent a powerdrunk politician from riding roughshod over the masses, there is the need for each arm of government to act as watchdog and check the excesses of the other.

What is needed, according to them, is to modify the current system to suit Nigeria’s peculiarities as evidenced in its diversity.

But, the argument has refused to die. It has continued to rage on, with the House of Representatives exhuming the argument on the need for Nigeria to return to parliamentary system of government, considering the current economic realities in the country.

On Wednesday last week, a bill to return Nigeria to parliamentary democracy passed the first reading at the lower legislative chamber of the national assembly.

The bill, co-sponsored by about 60 lawmakers from across party lines, is expected to be gazetted for the second reading, before it would be referred to the Ad-hoc Committee on Constitution Review, chaired by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, for further legislative actions.

Briefing journalists at the National Assembly (NASS) complex in Abuja, after the bill scaled the first reading, Wale Raji, noted that the idea behind the proposed bill was to initiate a conversation about the possibility of transitioning from the current presidential system to a less expensive parliamentary system of government.

The bill, if passed into law, would have the new system of government kick off in 2031.

“We anticipate that the process may not necessarily conclude with the current administration. We expect it to extend beyond 2027, with the actual commencement potentially in 2031. It’s a gradual process that we have now initiated,” he noted.

Speaking on behalf of the 60 lawmakers that sponsored the bill, Hon Abdusamad Dasuki, said: “Today, we stand on the cusp of history as lawmakers from different parties and regions, to present bills proposing constitutional alterations for a transition to a Parliamentary System of Government.”

He noted that the proposed alteration, if passed, would significantly impact the national political landscape, even as he highlighted the imperfections in the current presidential system, to include high cost of governance, excessive executive powers, and lack of direct accountability to the people, among others.

The bill seeks to return Nigeria to the governance system of the First Republic, which was characterised by accountability, responsibility, and responsiveness, ultimately being less expensive.

The changes outlined in the bills include replacing the President with a Prime Minister as the Head of Government, and establishing the office of the President as a ceremonial leader.

Other proposed changes involved shifting the process of electing governors and chairmen of local governments from the general elections to voting within their respective legislative bodies, aiming to streamline administration, reduce bureaucratic hurdles, and enhance collaboration between the executive and legislative arms.

Dasuki and his group are of the view that a streamlined executive branch could bring about a smaller central government, leading to reduction in expenses, and that electing officials from the parliament could save costs spent on state and nationwide campaigns.

The bill also aims to spark a national conversation and encourage public debates, stakeholders’ consultations, and informed decision-making processes about the future of Nigeria’s governance system.

Commenting on the move, the president of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), Dr Pogu Bitrus, said even though the parliamentary system would be cheaper for Nigerians, the presidential system currently in operation could still serve Nigerians if well modified.

He stressed that much as the parliamentary system was welcomed by him, what Nigeria needs was restructuring so that the current presidential system could be modified to suit Nigeria appropriately.

He also stated that whether the country would return to the parliamentary system or not was a decision for Nigerians to take after they must have debated on it.

He said: “I am one who feels that the American system, which we adopted, can still be modified and corrected to serve this nation appropriately. All we need to do is to restructure the country so that there will be some real good representations.

“Another thing is to ensure that the western system we copied is not a holistic thing. We should modify it to serve our own peculiarity. The parliamentary system will definitely work for us; it is cheaper than the presidential system, but it is left for Nigerians to debate on it and see which will work better for us.

“But, I still believe that with restructuring, this presidential system, which we currently operate, will still serve us well.”

On his part, a former House of Assembly member in Katsina State, Hon Yusuf Shehu, said he was in total support of the move for the country to return to parliamentary system.

He said the system is best for Nigeria, and that was why the British who colonized Nigeria bequeathed the system to the country at independence.

“Don’t forget that it was the system given to us by our colonial masters, Great Britain. They gave us our constitution and they considered our makeup before introducing the system to us. I believe they know it is the system that is best for us.

“Secondly, the system is less expensive and it promotes unity. Nigeria is diverse in culture, religion and tribe. The British knew about this diversity before they introduced the parliamentary system because it would suit our differences in culture and traditions.

“Remember that the presidential system was copied from America by the military and forced on us in 1979. It is alien to us. The parliamentary system is much cheaper than the presidential system. Under the parliamentary system, the prime minister is selected among the ministers.

“Under the parliamentary system, the states or the federating units are more powerful than the centre, but in the presidential system, the centre is more powerful than the states; it shouldn’t be so.

“Even the recent calls for the creation of state police would not have arisen if we were in a parliamentary state because the state would have been given the power constitutionally to take care of things like security, natural resources and others.

“So, the bill for Nigeria to return to the parliamentary system is a welcome idea. I learnt it has even passed the second reading. So, we are expecting the third reading before the presidential assent, so that it can become law in Nigeria.

“I support the move completely, and in fact, the situation in Nigeria today, calls for total revisit of the constitution,” he stated.

In his contribution, the president of the Arewa Youths Consultative Forum (AYCF), Alhaji Yerima Shettima, equally threw his weight behind the call for a return to parliamentary system of government.

For him, the system would throw up good leaders, instead of the poor, incompetent and mediocre crop of leaders that the presidential system encourages.

He said: “I have no problem with the parliamentary system of government because the way our politicians are taking advantage of the centre is not going to augur well in the nearest future.

“A situation where every Tom, Dick, and Harry can just go to the centre and receive the blessing of one God-father will not augur well for us in the nearest future.

“We can also not sustain a system where governors will sit down, fold their arms, and expect miracles to fall from the centre.

“So, for me, it is only when we have a parliamentary system in place that the states can become more viable. Only then, will the states begin to harness their resources.

“This is because the constitution will spell out the percentage that the state or region will pay to the centre. That way, the centre will be less attractive and at that point, we will begin to produce good leaders because whether you have money or not, once you come from a community that can vouch for your antecedents that are good, you are good to go.

“But under the current system where somebody in Abuja will force an armed robber, or a fraudster on the people, you don’t expect to produce good leaders.

“For me, I welcome the parliamentary system of government because that is what fits Nigeria. That is what fits us as a country; we don’t have to borrow from America or Russia because they are not the same with us. And other people in any other country are not the same as us.

“We are Nigerians and we must be able to work with things we feel that can benefit us and that are good for us.

“So, I welcome the parliamentary system of government and it is the parliamentary system of government that can give Nigerians the state police we are all talking about.”

[DailyPost]

• We are not comfortable with all the stories – Youth leader
• Community insists on banker’s burial in hometown

Gloom and despair defined the atmosphere in Isiokpo, a community in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State on Thursday as the indigenes continued to mourn the tragic death of their illustrious son, reputable banker and philanthropist, Dr. Herbert Wigwe.

Their faces welled up in tears as the reality of an event they had received with disbelief finally dawned on them. Wigwe, his wife and son had died horribly last Saturday after the chopper they boarded in the US crashed and what started like a rumour in Isiokpo became a painful reality.

Isiokpo chiefs wept. Their women cried. Their youths were lost in melancholy and their children felt some vacuum. Since the incident, Isiokpo has been quiet. In fact, the entire Ikwerre Local Government Area felt the far-reaching sound of the fall of an Iroko tree in the wild. The Nigerian flag at the Ikwerre Local Government Headquarters located in the community was flown at half mast.

Undoubtedly, Isiokpo lost a great soul. Their shinning light was extinguished abruptly, causing thick darkness to pervade the entire community. Wigwe, indeed, meant different things to all the stakeholders of his community. The women and widows called him husband. For the youths, he was their hope, source of inspiration and role model. The chiefs and the traditional ruling council saw him as the pillar of Isiokpo’s development and the bringer of peace.

Little wonder everybody is mourning his exit. The community suspended all activities to reflect on the lives and times of Wigwe. In fact, markets, stalls and all business premises were shut in the community to mourn philanthropist Wigwe. The farmers abandoned their farmlands. Wigwe meant a lot for them.

Isiokpo Kingdom immediately declared eight days of mourning in honour of their benefactor. To begin the mourning period, all the indigenes and non-indigenes wore black outfits. Many were completely dressed in black while others wore clothes with touches of black. Vehicular movement was skeletal. Most of the vehicles seen that day in Isiokpo belonged to persons who came from other parts of Ikwerre and the state to join the mourning.

No market opened and no store sold anything on that day. All the busy roads of Ikwerre were dominated by persons in black carrying out processions in honour of Wigwe. Different groups of youths and women took over the procession. They sang sorrowful songs and dirges for Wigwe.

At the palace of the Isiokpo Traditional Ruler, HRM King Blessing Wagor, were canopies erected for mourners. The entire place was congested.

Others who could not join the procession were seen at the entrances of their houses sitting in melancholy and gazing into empty spaces. Some held their chins in their palms as they wondered what would become of their community without Wigwe.

At the palace of the Isiokpo Traditional Ruler, HRM King Blessing Wagor, were canopies erected for mourners. The entire place was congested.

He said: “We must traditionally bury him. He cannot be buried outside Isiokpo. He must be buried here. Isiokpo must find a way to probe his death. We must get to the root of the whole thing. Isiokpo is an ancient city. We must go back to our traditional way and find out what really killed Herbert Wigwe. If his death is natural, we will know. If it is from a human we will know.”

His demands were echoed by Apostle Ezemoye Peter, the President of Isiokpo Youth Council and the Coordinating Chairman of all the Ikwerre community youth leaders, who said said Wigwe would be remembered for restoring the elusive peace in Isiokpo.

Like the traditional institution, Peter called for a thorough probe of the circumstances that led to the copter crash that killed Wigwe.

He said: “We are not too comfortable with the stories. We, the youths of Isiokpo are using this opportunity to call on the Federal Government, the state and the National Assembly to look into this and follow up investigations to know what actually happened.

“We are not buying into the stories. It is a great loss to us and we can’t just lose a brother and father like that. We want the INTERPOL and the Nigerian government to find out what actually happened. 

“I am not a pilot and I am not an engineer. But in my layman’s understanding, when the weather is bad, you don’t take off. So the engineering crew and the helicopter company should be investigated. We need a thorough investigation to see what really happened.”

The President of Ikwerre Isiokpo Women Association, Christiana Ikpe, also said the women would not stop grieving over Wigwe’s death, insisting that Wigwe’s death was not natural.

She said: “Wherever this death comes from, let the land of Isiokpo locate it and find them out. None of them will go free. He was everything to us. He never loved us to cry. He was always backing us. He was taking care of the widow and many people were feeding under him.”

But why will the death of one man throw the entire community into maximum gloom? King Wagor said the personality of Wigwe was the reason behind the community-wide mourning.

King Wagor described Wigwe as a special man to the community, saying he was championing the development of Isiokpo before his shocking demise. He said Wigwe fulfilled many promises he made to the community. But his death has truncated many other life-changing projects he promised the community.

“Who will now complete the ongoing electricity project he initiated? Who will give us light?” the monarch lamented. He said Wigwe began an ambitious project of electrifying all the communities in Isiokpo before his death

The monarch said: “He is a special man to us. We are crying and mourning him. God knows everything. I won’t ask God why. We have handed over everything to Him. May God give us the mind to endure it.

“We relied on him. He came to develop Isiokpo. He was a wonderful person to us. He left many legacies in the community. He sited a university here. He made many promises. He promised us plenty things. We are in tears.

“The light project He promised us is still ongoing. Who will give us light again? He has gone and we are in pains. What happens to our Xmas bonus? He used to supply rice all over Isiokpo. We enjoyed him and his death is painful. He was humble, honest and respectful.”

The traditional ruler said Wigwe’s death had taught others to strive and make positive impact in their communities. He said if Wigwe had not left such legacies, the entire Isiokpo would not be mourning him.

He said: “This death is an example to all of us. You must make impact in your community. If Herbert is not a good man, this crowd will not gather here today. We can’t be here crying. Let’s follow in Herbert Wigwe’s footsteps.”

For the youths, Wigwe stood for hope and peace. Isiokpo was a war-torn community before Wigwe’s intervention. The youths were known for kidnapping, cultism and armed robbery. The area was initially deserted as people fled the community because of insecurity.

Apostle Ezemoye Peter said Wigwe would be remembered for restoring the elusive peace in Isiokpo.

Peter said: “Wigwe was one of those who brought peace in the land. One of the task he gave to me as a youth leader is ‘if the town is quiet and cool, if the youths are changing into getting themselves educated and integrated into the society, I will support them’. It was a task and we ensured we carried it out.  Everywhere has been transformed”.

He said Wigwe also promised to place the university on the world map. He, however, said the late banker fulfilled the promise through his vision of recreating the Harvard University in Isiokpo.

Peter said one of the ways he did that was through his decision to set up an ambitious university project, the Wigwe University, with a Harvard standard within the community.

Quoting what Wigwe told the youths, he said: “Our late father and boss Wigwe came back to us and said, ‘I am bringing down  this university to our community and I am bringing down many of my friends to ensure that they put things in place that will put the community on the map’.”

Peter insisted that Wigwe fulfilled that promise, adding that through the Wigwe University, Isiokpo had been etched on the world map.

He said: “And I can tell you he did that. Isiokpo today is in the map of the world. Sometimes empowering the youth is not just about giving money. When they create an enabling environment for you to excel, it is empowerment. That is what has happened in Isiokpo.”

The youth leader lamented the death of Wigwe, describing it as shocking and saying that the entire community had been crying since the incident occurred.

Peter said: “The only way we can honour his death is to ensure that his legacies are sustained. That is the best way anyone can mourn him. We must protect all and ensure we actualise all his dreams and aspirations.

“His dreams and his name shouldn’t be allowed to go into extinction. He has done his own. The only thing left for the youth is to do their part.

“We must protect all and ensure we actualise all his dreams and aspirations. His dreams and his name shouldn’t be allowed to go into extinction.

“We are mourning him for eight days. But after today, activities will go on in the community on a low key. Wigwe did a lot for the community.”

Perhaps, the women are the worst hit. Wigwe took care of them all, including the widows. The President of Ikwerre Isiokpo Women Association, Christiana Ikpe, said the women would not stop grieving over Wigwe’s death.

Christiana said: “Herbert was a brave man and a great man. He didn’t eat alone and he loved his people. It is not everybody that made it that came home. But he made it and came back to give back to his community.

“He was my cousin, our brother and our husband. Our hearts are bleeding. The entire Ikwerre Isiokpo are in tears. Ikwerre as a whole we are in tears. Though you don’t ask God question, some things will happen and you will ask questions. Where did this thing come from? We want to know.

“This is a great shock in Isiokpo. We are crying for both his father and mother. It is only God that will console them. We can only tell them sorry the same way people are coming here to tell us sorry. Only God knows our hearts.”

Emphasising how Wigwe rescued the community from instability, he said: “He was feeding everybody. Ikwerre land was hot before; kidnapping and killing everywhere. But he came and collected all our children and gave them employment. More than 2000 of our children are there working. Since then, Isiokpo and all Ikwerre land became calm because of his good heart.”

At the massive site of Wigwe University located within the community, constructions are still ongoing. In fact, the general area is a construction site. An employee of the university, Godspower Brilliant Ezendu, who hails from Isiokpo described Wigwe as a father to all.

He said: “He was a father to everybody. The work I am doing today is as a result of his project, the Wigwe University. This his singular project employed over 10,000 youths. People should try to imitate him.”

The people of Isiokpo may take long to recover from the death of a man who floated different projects to rescue them from poverty, underdevelopment and unemployment. They are only praying that some of his projects such as the Wigwe University and the electricity project will not die with him.

[TheNation]

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, on Friday, said his administration will sustain purposeful governance and administrative efficiency because they are helping the people of the state to engage in ventures that bring honour.

Fubara spoke when he hosted the Super Eagles goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali, who participated in the just concluded 2023 African Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.

The governor, who announced a N20million reward for Nwabali said he will also be bestowed with the honour of Distinguished Service Star of Rivers State.

Fubara also gifted N30 million to the Super Eagles’ crew who were present.

In a related development, for emerging as champions in the Louis Edem National League competition, Fubara gifted N50 million to the Rivers Hoopers Basketball Team.

This was contained in a statement issued by the media aide to the governor, Boniface Onyedi, and made available to newsmen.

Fubara said in providing leadership, his focus was to create an enabling environment in which Rivers people will continue to feel encouraged to do the right thing to align with what he is doing in changing the narrative of how Rivers State is perceived globally.

The governor commended the Rivers-born  Nwabali for his excellent goalkeeping in the Super Eagles team, playing alongside other patriots in the just concluded AFCON, which has made Nigeria proud.

He said, “I want to join the great and wonderful people of Rivers State to congratulate you, our brother Stanley Nwabali and our wonderful team.

“We are here again in just about four months after you won a local trophy.

“Today, you have brought a national trophy. So, when people say or talk behind us to ask what we are doing, we are achieving those things that are not, maybe, seen physically but they give joy and fulfilment.

“If we have not encouraged you in a way that motivated you, you won’t be where you are. So, it is part of purposeful governance and administrative efficiency.

“So, I want to thank you and assure you that we will continue to do our best.”

He urged residents of the state to continue to consciously do positive things that promote the state and attract honour.

The state Commissioner for Sports, Christopher Green, lauded Fubara for his support that motivated the Rivers Hoopers Basketball Team to clinch the national league trophy as champions.

Also speaking, a former Commissioner for Justice and one-time Super Eagles player, Chief Adokiye Amiesimaka, while recognising the impact of sports development in the state, commended the purposeful leadership of ubara.

[Punch]

Ejindu`s grandfather, Okachie the wise, was always a man of great insights. He knew Alaoma and its people like the back of his hand. But he was also not a man of many words. Were he a man of many words, he would have told Ejindu, his grandson, and many other people, that his insight into people’s nature and character was a gift of the gods. He would also probably have said that it was partly because he had seen so many years in the village that he could tell the turn of events simply by sniffing the wind.

But he was no talkative. Thus, no one knew his thoughts on these matters.

He was always his own man. He believed that the spoken word should be accompanied by action; hence his aversion for people who talked too much. He once rebuked an imprudent prattler by advising him to watch his steps, lest he step on a rattlesnake and join his ancestors prematurely.

Okachie taught his son Obidike, and his grandson, Ejindu, that one must always do one`s best to ascertain which bridges to burn and which ones to cross in life. He always warned them never to forget that no one could do an evil did and truly be at peace with himself, or with the gods.

He sometimes spoke of destiny, but of destiny made by each individual for himself. He would not give window to the lazy and unsuccessful who blame destiny for their failings. Nor would he approve of the attitude of the brave and successful who make the mistake of flaunting their achievements, as if in defiance of the gods.

He respected and praised diligence and responsible behaviour, in leaders and the led alike. He had no regard for the bad people in the community, whatsoever. The repeated attempts of many good people to call the depraved among them to their senses over the years had all been to no avail.

Okachie, therefore, knew for a fact that the bad, the depraved and the temporarily triumphant in Alaoma, had prepared their own fate. He also knew that the fate so prepared had become inevitable.

He has seen many people rise and fall in his long and eventful life. He has also watched the fortunes of those who overrated themselves plummet. He has come to realize, with time, why the fate of people who overrated themselves was always easy to predict.

He likened them to reckless butterflies which, thinking that they could take liberties with the flickering light of the open flame of an oil lamp, soon discovered that the fire usually burnt flying insects to death. And the discovery always came when it was too late for the unfortunate insects.

The few reckless, fire-loving, night insects that managed to survive such encounters usually got de-winged and diminished; unable to ever fly again. Thus, de-winged, they would not show themselves anywhere among flying things ever again. They had become crawling things, through their own efforts at folly. They would all be eventually eaten by ants, rodents, frogs and worms. Their tomfoolery made their fate inevitable.

Okachie used to warn Ejindu, his grandson, not to be deceived if some bad and reckless people appear to be doing well. Not even when their prosperity lasts for a while! And not when their apparent good fortune seemeds to make a mockery of the gods and of the laws of the land. It would only seem to be so, Okachie would say.

Such people usually came to no good in the end. More often than not, their end was quick and inglorious. They would pass away with appalling ease, unsung; to be remembered occasionally when parents wished to admonish their children about the dangers of presumption and reckless living.

Like the morning flower that withered with the upward climb of the morning sun, the memory of such people served as perpetual reminders to others; that only fools used the early morning flow of customers to make proud pronouncements about how the day’s sales would be in the market.

Okachie once told a group of reckless young men that a man who refused to learn from the mistakes of others was like an oiled calabash that remained dry inside and outside, after long hours in water.

The oiled calabash absorbs no water. Therefore, it gives none. It gets immersed in the richest abundance, but only serves as an instrument for carrying such abundance to others. It is no example of how to absorb water when immersed in it.

Okachie would call such people forests without game! Cobs without corn! Castles without gates and guests! Clouds without rain! Hens that do not know the value of ‘kwom, kwom’, the calling sound, for guiding young chicks along the path of life and away from danger!

He once warned a disrespectful young man thus: ‘When elders see the first dance steps of a young man who receives the Ozo title at the age of twenty, they know whether he would live to be an old man.’

Okachie could say that because he had seen many such young men come and go. He was an old man now; a very old man indeed, from whom even other old men often sought wisdom.

Ejindu, his grandson, often recollected the many patient lessons and kind words of wisdom from his grandfather. He always felt humbled by the fact that his grandfather was a man so completely without airs that you sometimes wonder who, or what, he really was.

Through this patient old man, Ejindu had come to know and understand much that he would not otherwise have ever known, or understood, without the benefit of being close to his grandfather. Yes, Okachie was a man from whose words you sometimes discerned the voice of the gods.  It was as if his ancestors knew his nature and gave him that name.

The name, Omee-Okachie, means ‘one who does, or says, and rules that it is over and cannot be redone – or undone’; `one whose actions, and pronouncements, are to be accepted as a matter of course’. An Omee-okachie is not to be contradicted in word or deed. He earns, receives and enjoys respect without being arrogant.

And this particular Omee-Okachie has held his position as head of his filial clan with a quiet, unobtrusive but unassailable dignity and authority.  As head, he was the custodian of a family tradition.

He lived true to his name, but almost like some kind of benevolent guardian spirit to everyone. Alaoma people knew that for a fact. As the oldest and wisest man in the community, he was now also the village Patriarch. He was, at once, leader, guide, teacher, nurse, mentor and healer.

While his position as community patriarch was conferred on him by age and wisdom, his status as Patriarch of his extended family was conferred on him by the filial Patriarch before him. It would be his task to also eventually identify another and hand over this custodianship, the way he was identified and given the mantle.

He thought about this from time to time, often wondering whether he was taking too long in handing over the custodianship to another. At least the feeling was creeping in on him that he was running out of time and that he needed to discharge this burden sooner than later.

Then, one fateful Eke market day, an incident occurred that led to his son, Obidike, becoming the new head of the filial clan. And it came without any warning.

It was just like any other day for Agbonma, his wife, Obidike and his siblings, until Okachie came back after the day`s work. They were all surprised, even a little startled, when the man of the house walked into the family compound with strangely slow and heavy steps. This was most unlike him.

When he stopped midway and stood on one spot in the compound, apparently lost in thought, Obidike and other members of the family sensed that all was not well. More so, because they noticed that he was not fully conscious of what was going on around him.

He was like a man in a semi-trance, or someone who was seeing only the thoughts in his head. Strange!

It was still early evening when he walked into the compound. The full evening was merely sneaking up from behind the late afternoon, to subtly drag it along and force it to become night. Yes, the sun’s eyelids were beginning to look heavy. They were slowly covering it in the western sky. And it looked so terribly red.

As the giver of daylight was quietly disappearing under the massive, crimson eyelids of clouds, while it was still visible, with its wide afterglow, Okachie was still standing there in his compound.

The full evening finally came! The evening birds started singing and chirping in neighbouring bushes. The crickets started clearing their throats and warming up their wings for yet another round of night music. What would moonlight games be without these musicians of the night? How would you enjoy the moonlight tales without the sounds that made them so genuinely traditional and real? The crickets, the insects and other creatures of the night, usually created the chorus of sounds that added joy to every night in the community.

But Okachie could hear none of that as he stood transfixed. Whatever put him in this state must be serious and ominous. Given the sombre air, there can be no gathering of children under any benign moonbeams. No dreamy, and sometimes scary, stories about the amazing exploits of the ever-cunning tortoise, no!

But enough of Omee-Okachie and all that.

The above, from my coming book, “The Return of Ejindu, deliberately “speaks in tongues”. Nigerians are perplexed. There is fear and trembling, everywhere. Riots may escalate, as insecurity and hunger escalate. State and local governments ignore their roles as primary custodians of the people’s welfare. The precipice is so close, but is overlaid with coloured mats. Do you smell bad news in the air, from Okachie; who is still standing in the compound – as night closes in?

QUOTE

Nigerians are perplexed. There is fear and trembling, everywhere. Riots may escalate, as insecurity and hunger escalate. State and local governments ignore their roles as primary custodians of the people’s welfare. The precipice is so close, but is overlaid with coloured mats. Do you smell bad news in the air?