Bishop Eunice Osagiede: The Lady Who Taught me How to Pray.

It came by accident. I was robbed. And in the process of seeking revenge, I found myself contending with expulsion. Three petitions were filed against me - the University Registrar, the Director of Student Affairs, and the Dean of the Law Faculty. The hearings were on a Friday, Monday, and Wednesday. My mind told me to go to the village to discuss with my sister. But my heart said no. And to Benin City, I went to meet with my cousin, Sunny. He attends a white garment church somewhere at Ewa Road in Benin City. And he is a good match for the job.

I got to Benin City on time. And Sunny was home from work when I arrived. I repeated myself over and over again about what happened. And he assured me that all will be well and his Pastor will take care of me and my problem. We arranged to meet with the Pastor the next day at about 6 p.m. He promised to pick me up at about 5.p.m.

In the afternoon on the day of the arranged meeting, Bendel Television or Edo Television was doing its weekly telecast of two hours paid religious program, featuring about four different pastors. Each of them has 30 minutes. I was watching without following. My mind was afar, reminiscing on the sacrifice I made accepting the admission to study law at Ekpoma instead of traveling to London, England.  

As my mind was wandering aimlessly, came this gorgeous lady on the screen. She was the third pastor to preach. I have never seen her before on TV or heard about her. Her name was Eunice Osagiede. For the first five minutes, I kept on asking myself,  what is this beautiful lady doing on the pulpit, "I beg make she go set up a beauty salon and leave the preaching job for men," I whispered out loud. (God forgive me). And I kept on flipping through the pages of my huge Guardian newspaper, not concentrating on any story. Then like a bolt from the blue, the Preacher hit a high note that rhyme with me. I stood up transfixed in amazement, motionless. 

She said two things that changed my life forever. It was as if God send her to minister to me that very moment. She said why do you have to patronize fortune tellers to create fear in your mind about who is troubling you. What is the difference between going to Pastors to tell you your problems and going to a traditional native doctor to play oracle for you? The only difference, if at all, is in the process. One is holding the Bible while indulging in prophecies, and the other is throwing cowries on the floor. If you cannot patronize the native doctor, why would you patronize the other? 

Hearing that, I went for the refrigerator to grab a coke and sat down. She was not done yet.  She said what you have to do is talk to God by yourself. Take your problems to God by yourself. You don't need me and you don't need anybody to talk to God for you or to pray for you. The pastor doesn't know your problems. I don't know about your problems. I can only guide you on how to pray, how to study your Bible, and how to connect with God. That's my responsibility as a Pastor. To teach the gospel and bring you to Christ. All that is required of you is faith. Go into your room, lock your door if you have to, and cry before God. Tell Him your problems and leave the rest to Him. You can do it. The power is in your mind and your mouth. Use them.

When she was done, I grabbed my briefcase and headed for the staircase. I went straight to my cousin's workshop to tell him I saw an angel. The moment he saw, he looked at his watch. I said you don't have to look at your watch. I have changed my mind. I am going back to school right now. He asked in amazement, why? Is there any problem? I replied no. There is something I have to do in school this evening. He pleaded with me to be patient and go with him. I insisted on going back to school. Eventually, he relented and gave me some money for my transport back to school.

I got to Ekpoma on time and went straight to the Library to take care of the missed lectures. As nightfall approaches, I left the campus and went home. I sat down, closed my eyes to watch the video of the Pastor over and over again in my mind. I knelt down and pray my heart out. That was my first time praying alone and for something. Apart from the prayers in churches, I have never done anything like that before. 

My first hearing was before the Registrar of the University, Dr, Omonbude. And the second hearing was the following day before the Director of Students Affairs, Dr. Edokpayi. The hearings came and both of them were dismissed. The final hearing was before the Dean of the Law Faculty.

The Dean of the Law Faculty, Professor Aihe is an Ekpoma man. The Faculty Officer, who is like the Chief of Staff of the Faculty is also an Ekpoma indigene. And I was scared. The crime was not a joking matter. The allegation was that I forced the entire family out of their private home, using cult members. Will the Faculty Officer consider the case frivolous and dismiss it just as the Registrar and the Director of Student Affairs did? That was a question I couldn't answer.

As I walked into the Faculty office, the Petitioner was already at the reception, waiting. He was a 200L Law Student. We've been told that the Faculty Officer will hear the case. He is an elderly guy and highly respected in the Law Faculty. They took us in and he was ready to hear the case. The Petitioner was the first to speak. His story was that I accosted him at the Law Library and told him that the shirt he was wearing is mine. And I came to his house twice to harass him and his family. And later contacted the Police. His younger brother, a 300L English student was eventually arrested. 

When did Mr. Aidaghese come to your house, before or after the arrest of your brother? Before the Police arrest. So, he didn't come after the arrest? Yes, sir. Did he come alone?. The first time he and his friend followed me home from the campus. The second, he came with two other students? Two other students? Yes, sir. When did he come with the gang or the cult members? He didn't answer the last question.

His case was brief. The Faculty Officer look at me and asked do you understand the weight of the allegation against you? I replied, yes, sir. Okay, go ahead and tell me your side of the story. 

Sir, I went to his house twice as he rightly stated. So, I have nothing to add to his story. 

That's okay. What about the shirt and the altercation at the Library. 

When I saw him with the shirt, I went to him and told him politely that the shirt he is wearing is mine. I told him upfront that I am not accusing him of participating in the robbery. All I want from him is to tell me who sold the shirt to him. I want my school fees, my briefcase, and the value of my stolen properties. 

He told me that the shirt belongs to his younger brother who is a student in the Faculty of Arts. When I met with the junior brother, I pleaded with him as well to tell me how he got the shirt. But he wasn't forthcoming as well. The next day, I went to the Police station to file a complaint against the two of them and the younger brother was arrested. By the way, I did not accompany the Police to their house during the arrest. 

Is that it? The FO asked me, and I replied in the affirmative.  He said, this black suit that I am wearing, I bought it about ten years ago. If you place it among other hundred black suits, I can easily identify it. Be that as it may, seeing your shirt with another student, doesn't give you the right to take the law into your own hand or the audacity to invade his residence, and forcing the entire family out of the house as he alleged. Do you understand that, Mr. Aidaghese? And I replied yes, sir. He said okay, I will brief the Dean and get back to you in a few days. You guys can go.

As we were passing through the Secretary's office, her phone rang and she answered. Then she said, Mr. Aidaghese, Oga wants to see you. I said we've just finished with him. She said he wants you back right away. I took a deep breath and followed the Secretary as she opened the door for me again. As I closed the door behind me, he said sit down my son. Hearing the word "my son," tears dropped down from my eyes. He said it is over. Clean your face - pointing at the paper towel on his desktop - and listen to what I am going to say. I grabbed one and wiped away my tears. 

Then, he began. I have been here as the Faculty for many years and I have seen many students come and go. If not for this case, there is no way the Dean or myself would have known that a child like you is a part of the student body of this Faculty. Most often, we focus only on students we perceived are likely to be problematic or who are problematic. But we don't care to concentrate on the real gentlemen we have. Mr. Aidaghse, I believe everything you said. I also believe the shirt is yours. And I believe you didn't go to his house with cult members. So, the petition against you is dismissed. 

But there is something I want you to do for me and for your family. As you are working out of this office, I want you to go straight to the Police Station and withdraw the case. I don't want you to fail and I don't want you to miss a class because of this case. Do you understand that? I replied, yes sir. He asked, do you have enough white shirts and ties for your class, I said, yes sir. One of my classmates gave me five longs sleeves shirts and three ties already. Who must that be? And for the first time, I saw him smile. I replied, Mr. Lateef Ajayi. He said, the gentleman with the Beetle car? I replied yes. What about black suits? I have one left, sir. He said you can wear any suit or long sheet shirts to class until further notice. But you must always put on a tie. The case is over and I will brief the Dean accordingly. As I was going for the door, he repeated: go straight to the Police Station and drop the case. I bow my head to that, thanking him once again.

As I walked out of the Faculty office, the Petitioner and two ladies were waiting for me outside, not knowing the case is over. One of the ladies is a lecturer in one of the Department of Sciences and she is the elder sister of the Petitioner. She looked at me and said, you think you are a tough guy, I will use everything I have in this school to ensure that you are kicked out of this school. I paused and looked at her and said: I don't have a godfather, God is my God Father. 

A lot happened after this case. The lady and I became friends as well as her younger brother (the English student who arrested). The Petitioner? Total bizarre as you would see at the end of the story 

A few months after the case was over, I bumped into the Petitioner's younger brother, the English student who voluntarily agreed to pay for the crime and suffered in detention. We greeted each other and I told him that I knew he was not the owner of the shirt, but his brother. He said, well it one of those things. I asked about his Mom. He told me that his Mom died a few weeks ago after a brief illness. Hearing that, I was moved. I told him that his Mom reminded me of my Mom. The last time we met at the Police Station he pleaded with me to drop the case. I told her that you volunteered to go to jail to protect your elder brother. The guy didn't say much, we shook hands and parted ways.

About a week later, it was her big sister, the Lecturer. I have never seen a lady as beautiful as that woman. It was just the two of us. As walk by it appears she didn't see me. And I pretended I didn't see her, too. We didn't say a word to each other. After a few seconds, I didn't hear the sound of her shoes again on the ground behind me. Then, I stopped, looking back, I saw her staring at me. She is older than me, so I must give her respect. 

I walked back to meet her and said, good morning, Ms (mentioning her last name). And she was still staring at me, not saying a word. I said, you are a  very special person, and I don't like having trouble with people like you. I said something I don't want to repeat here. As I pause, she said, who are you? Somehow astonished by her question, I said Madam, it seems you have forgotten me, I am Alex Aidaghese. She said stop it, of course, I know you are Alex Aidaghese. Who are you, she asked again. Feeling relaxed, I said, okay, I remember telling you the last time we met at the Law Faculty that I have no godfather and that God is my God Father. That's who I am. I am untouchable. And my hands are clean. always clean. I won't initiate a fight. But, when one comes, I don't run. 

She said, yes, I remember that. Still sta God Father Statment. She said, my younger brother told me that the two of you met a few days and how you felt bad when he told you about the death of my Mom. And I said, yes, the news of her death troubles me greatly. Adding, I would have attended her funeral if I knew beforehand. She said for the little I know about you now, I trust you would have attended. She then went ahead to apologize for not advising her brother (the Law student) to be forthcoming with me about how he got the shirt. 

Before we parted way, she asked about the three petitions and how I handle them. I told her God did. She said I believe you, there is nothing He can't do. And she walked away. 

What actually happened was that the 200L Law student who I saw with the shirt was already holding a position in the Law Student Association. Knowing the precarious position that he was in, if it is reported that he was arrested for or prosecuted for being in possession of stolen goods, he decided to approach his immediate younger brother to claim ownership. His brother did and paid for it, spending about a month in Police custody. 

But God has a unique way of dispensing judgment. The law student failed the final and repeated 200L. That was not all. His class was the last class to spend four years for the LLB program before the National University Commission increases it to five years of pre-Nigerian law school. So, when he repeated 200L, he automatically becomes a classmate of the first class of the five-year program. Meaning, all things being equal, he will be spending six years for his LL.B program before proceeding to the Nigerian Law School.

Anyway, when I was cleared by the Registrar, the Director of Student Affairs, and the Faculty Officer of the Law Faculty, I traveled to Benin City to attend the Church of the Super Preacher who saved me. When I got to Benin City, I asked about her and her church, and a family friend told me that her church is more like a women's ministry and she has no building yet. Not many knew about her at the time outside of the GRA in Benin City. 

My plan was to tell this story as a testimony in her church one day when I am back in Nigeria, but I waited too long. She did not only save me, but she also taught me how to talk to God and believe in the power of prayer. When I reminisce on the journey so far, surviving all the temptations and the victory over satanic forces and enemies of progress, I can only thank the Beautiful Lady Pastor who introduced me to Jesus Christ in the true sense of it and made me believe I can talk to God myself. May her soul rest in peace. 

 An Ode to Bishop Eunice Osagiede

It came by accident. I was robbed. And in the process of seeking revenge, I found myself contending with expulsion. Three petitions were filed against me - the University Registrar, the Director of Student Affairs, and the Dean of the Law Faculty. The hearings were on a Friday, Monday, and Wednesday. My mind told me to go to the village to discuss with my sister. But my heart said no. And to Benin City, I went to meet with my cousin, Sunny. He attends a white garment church somewhere on Ewa Road in Benin City. And he is a good match for the job.

I got to Benin City on time. And Sunny was home from work when I arrived. I repeated myself over and over again about what happened. And he assured me that all will be well, and his Pastor will take care of me and my problem. We arranged to meet with the Pastor the next day at about 6 p.m. He promised to pick me up at about 5  p.m.

In the afternoon on the day of the arranged meeting, Bendel Television or Edo Television was doing its weekly telecast of a two-hour paid religious program, featuring about four different pastors. Each of them has 30 minutes. I was watching without following. My mind was far, reminiscing on the sacrifice I made accepting the admission to study law at Ekpoma instead of travelling to London, England.  

As my mind was wandering aimlessly, a gorgeous lady appeared on the screen. She was the third pastor to preach. I have never seen her before on TV or heard about her. Her name was Eunice Osagiede. For the first five minutes, I kept on asking myself,  what is this pretty lady doing on the pulpit, "I beg go and set a beauty salon and leave the preaching job for men," I whispered out loud. (God forgive me). And I kept on flipping through the pages of my huge Guardian newspaper, not concentrating on any story. Then, like a bolt from the blue, the Preacher hit a high note, and I stood up transfixed and motionless. 

She said two things that changed my life forever. It was as if they sent her to talk to me that very moment. She said Why do you have to patronise Pastors or Men of God who prophesize about what is troubling you. What is the difference between going to a Pastor to tell you your problems and going to a traditional native doctor to play oracle for you? The only difference, if at all, is in the process. One is holding the Bible, and the other is throwing cowries on the bare floor while they prophesy.  If you cannot patronise the native doctor, why would you patronise the other? 

Hearing that, I went to the refrigerator to grab a Coke and sat down. She was not done yet.  She said this is what you have to do - talk to God by yourself. You don't need me, and you don't need anybody to talk to God for you or to pray for you. The pastor doesn't know your problems. I don't know your problem. I can only guide you on how to pray, how to study your Bible, and how to connect with God. That's my responsibility as a Pastor. To teach the gospel and bring you to Christ. All that is required of you is to go into your room, lock your door if you have to, and cry to God. Tell Him your problem and leave the rest to Him. You can do it. The power is in your mind and your mouth. Use them.

When she was done, I ran to the room, grabbed my briefcase, and ran down the staircase. I went straight to my cousin's workshop to tell him I saw an angel. The moment cousin Sunny saw him, he looked at his watch. I said you don't have to look at your watch. I have changed my mind. I am going back to school right now. He asked in amazement, Why? Did Uncle Spaco talk to you? I replied no. There is something I have to do in school this evening. He pleaded with me to be patient and go with him. I insisted on going back to school. Eventually, he relented and gave me some money for my transport back to school.

I got to Ekpoma on time and went straight to the Library to take care of the missed lectures. As nightfall approached, I left the campus and went home. I sat down, closed my eyes, to watched the video of the Pastor over and over again. I knelt down and prayed my heart out. That was my first time praying alone and for myself. Apart from the prayers in churches, I have never done anything like that before. 

My first case was before the Registrar of the University. I've met the Registrar twice. The first time was when I was at 100L. I went to his office to process the transcript for my cousin, Mr. A.O. The second time was when he packed his car at the University Pavilion after school and gave about three of us a ride home in his car. I remember sitting with him in the back seat. Will he remember any of these past meetings? My mind was beating hard as his Secretary ushered me into his office. And told him why I am here.

He asked me, Do you know why you are here. As I was trying to explain myself, he cut me shut. Adding, do you know the charges against you? I said, No, sir. He said the petition against you is that you went to the house of another student with cult members to harass them because you accused him of stealing your shirt. And he continued, first of all, falsely accusing another student of a crime is a crime itself. Two, belonging to a cult is not acceptable in this university, and three, going to another student's house to intimidate him is not allowed in this school. 

Which of them did you pledge to? None, sir. Seriously, none, sir. Did you go to his house with your members? In my mind, I kept on saying, God, why can't this man believe that I am not a cult member. Sir, I did not go to his with members of anything. When I was going to his house, two students in the same complex as me, one a 200L law student and the other a 400L Engineering student. They accompanied me for my safety. He asked the students who accompanied you, Are your flatmates? I said, Yes, sir. Why did you go to his house? To plead with him to reveal to me how he got the shirt. I knew he didn't participate in the breaking into my room, but to tell me who sold the shirt to him. Was there a fight? No, sir. 

As I look on, he grabbed the petition, squizzed it with his right palm, and dumped it in the waste paper basket. He said Get out of here, The people I asked to look into your case said exactly the same thing you said. And I left, thanking my God.

The next day was Dr. Edopkayi, the Director of Student Affairs. I met this guy twice. The first time was when I went to collect my Bursary. The moment I entered his office, he said, "You don't need a bursary." I said, I do. Sir, I am from Edo State, and I am Ishan. He said, Stop, stop. Of course, I know you are from Edo State, but what I mean is that the student who wears the most expensive suit on campus doesn't need a bursary. Hearing that, I smiled. He handed me my money, and I left his office. How did he know me or my suits? I couldn't figure it out. 

The second time I met him was not directly. It was around the Faculty of Sciences. He was with two security personnel. And I was behind them. Then, I saw him accost this student in front of him. He greeted the student and asked him Are you a student here? The guy replied, Yes. And what is the name of your Faculty? The student replied, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Wrong answer. What Faculty did you say? The Director asked again. The student said, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, the second time. And that was it. 

The Director called the two security guys to apprehend the boy. At Bendel State  University, there is no Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, like most other universities. What we have is the Faculty of Arts. Period. And it is separate and different from the Faculty of Social Science.  The man who was able to identify a non-student in a crowd. The man who told me about a year ago that the guy who wears the most expensive suit on campus doesn't need a bursary. So, that is Dr. Edokpayi, the Director of Student Affairs, I am meeting next.

I was ushered into his office at the exact time slated for the hearing. As he walked in, he was already holding the petition. He looked at me and shouted, No, it can't be you. Mr. Aidaghese, what are you doing here? I looked on, not knowing what to say. Mr. Aidaghese, he repeated again, you, of all people, on this campus, belong to a cult, and I don't know about it, that means I've failed in my duty as the Director of Student Affairs in this University. At last, I summoned the courage to talk. I said, Good afternoon, sir. You did not fail in your duty as the Director of Student Affairs, because I do not belong to any cult, and I did not go to the petitioner's house with cult members. My cousin and another student in the same house as me accompanied me to the Petitioner's house for my safety. That was it, not to harass or fight. 

He asked if I was aware that the entire family had moved out of the house. I replied, no. Adding that I met the Mom at the Police Station a few days ago. As I was still talking, he was already squeezing the petition. He asked if I had met with the Registrar. I told him yes, and he dismissed the petition. He said, Okay, the case is over. You are free to go. 

I got home and prayed again and again as the Pasto said. The Dean of the Law Faculty, Professor Aihe, is an Ekpoma man. The Faculty Officer, who is like the Chief of Staff of the Faculty, is also an Ekpoma indigene, and I was scared. I drove away a whole Ekpoma family from their own home, using cult members. Not a small crime. 

As I walked into the Faculty office, the dude was already there. A 200L Law Student. They told us that the Faculty Officer will hear the case. He is an elderly guy and highly feared in the Faculty.  They took us in, and he was ready to hear the case. The guy was the first to speak. His story was that I accosted him at the Law Library and told him that the shirt he was wearing was mine. And I came to his house twice to harass him and eventually had his younger brother arrested. And they are no longer staying in their house. 

His case was brief and brutal. The Faculty Officer looked at me and asked Do you understand the weight of the allegation against you? I replied, Yes, sir. Okay, go ahead and tell me your side of the story. 

First of all, I do not belong to any cult. Two, yes, I went to his house twice, but not with cult members. The first time, I went to a fellow law student, whose name is Oziegbe. The second time, my cousin, also a law student, and another flatmate, an Engineering student, accompanied me for my safety. There was no quarrel, but there was fighting. He said that it is the second part of the case. What about the shirt and the accusation? Go ahead and tell me exactly how it started.

I was away for the holidays, and my room was broken into through the window. They took my mattress, all my clothes, and my briefcase containing my school fees. My briefcase is exactly the same make as the one the Dean of the Law Faculty uses. I bought mine at Balogun market in Lagos. And here is the receipt. So, when I saw him with my shirt, I told him politely that the shirt he was wearing was mine. I told him upfront that I am not accusing him of stealing the shirt. All I am asking of him is to tell me who sold the shirt to him so that I can get my school fees and briefcase back from them. 

Then, he told me that the shirt belongs to his younger brother, who is a student in the Arts Faculty. He gave me his house address and told me to meet him that evening. I got there with a classmate whose house was broken into in the same way. But his younger brother was not home. I went there the next day, and I met with his brother. I pleaded with him as well to tell me how he got the shirt, but he maintains that the shirt belongs to him. The next day, I went to the Police station to file a complaint, and the younger brother was arrested. I did not accompany the Police to their house during the arrest. 

That's it? Yes, sir. I responded. He said, This suit that I am wearing, I bought it ten years ago. If you place it among the other hundred black suits, I can easily pick it out. Be that as it may, it doesn't give me the right to take the law into my own hands or the audacity to invade the accused's private residence and force them out of the house with cult members. Do you understand that, Mr. Aidaghese? And I replied Yes, sir. He said Okay, I will brief the Dean about my findings, and he has the final say. You guys can go.

And we walked out of his office. As we were passing through the Secretary's office, her phone rang and she answered. Then she called out, Mr. Aidaghese, Oga wants to see you. I said we've just finished with him. She said he wants you back right away. I took a deep breath and I knocked and walked in. As I closed the door behind me, he said Sit down, my son. Hearing the word "my son," tears dropped down my face. He said Wipe away your tears and be comfortable. 

Then, he began. I have been on this Faculty from day one, and I have seen students come and go. If not for this case, there is no way the Dean or I would have known that a child like you went through this Faculty. The only students we put our eyes on are those who are likely to be problematic. I believe everything you said. I believe the shirt is yours. And I believe you didn't go to his house with cult members. 

This is what I want you to do right now, as you are leaving this office. I want you to go straight to the Police Station and tell them that you are dropping the case. I don't want you to fail, and I don't want you to miss a class because of this case. Do you understand that? I replied, Yes, sir. He asked, Do you have enough white shirts and ties to wear to class, I said, Yes, sir. One of my classmates gave me five long-sleeved shirts and three ties. Who is that? You must have rich friends in your class. For the first time, I saw him smile. I replied, Mr. Lateef Ajayi. What about black suits? I have one left, I replied. He said you can wear any suit or long-sleeved shirt to class until further notice. The case is over, and I will brief the Dean. As said, go straight to the Police Station and drop the case. I bowed my head and thanked him. 

As I walked out of the Faculty office, the Petitioner and two ladies were waiting for me outside, not knowing that the case was over. One of the ladies is a lecturer in one of the departments of Science, and she is the elder sister of the accused. She told me, You think you are a tough guy, I will use everything I have to make sure you are kicked out of this school. I paused and looked at her and said: I have no godfather, God is my Godfather. And I went to the Police station as instructed by the Faculty Officer to withdraw the case. The Police declined, arguing it is a criminal case and it is between the State and the accused. I told them that very well, but I am no longer interested. And I went back to school.

A few months after the case was over, I bumped into the Petitioner's younger brother, the English student who voluntarily agreed to pay for the crime and suffered in detention. We greeted each other, and I told him that I knew he was not the owner of the shirt, but his brother. He said, Well, it's one of those things. Then I asked about his Mom. He told me that his Mom died a few weeks ago after a brief illness. Hearing that was a real shock to me. I told him that his Mom reminded me of my Mom. The last time we met at the Police Station, he pleaded with me to drop the case, but I couldn't understand why you wanted to cover up for your brother. He didn't say much, we shook hands and parted ways.

About a week later, it was her big sister, the Lecturer. I have never seen a lady as beautiful as that woman. It was just the two of us. As she walked towards me, it was as if she didn't see me. And I pretended I did not see her, too. We did say a word to each other. After a few steps behind me, I didn't hear the sound of her shoes again on the ground. Then, I stopped and looked back, and I saw her looking back as well. She is older than me and she is a lecturer. I must give her respect. 

I walked back to meet her and said, Good morning, Madam. And she was staring at me, not saying a word. I said, You are a very special person, and I don't like having trouble with people like you. Let me, it is let's have a drink instead of going to the Police Station every day, wasting our time. As I continued to talk, she interjected, asking, Who are you? Somehow astonished by her question, I said It seems you have forgotten me. I am Alex Aidaghese. She said Stop it, of course, I know you are Alex Aidaghese. Who are you, she asked again. Feeling relaxed, I said, Okay, I remember telling you the last time we met at the Law Faculty that I have no godfather and that God is my Godfather.  

She said, Yes, I remember that. Still staring at me, she said, my younger brother told me that the two of you met a few days ago and how you felt when he told you about the death of my Mom. And I said, yes, the news of her death troubles me greatly. Adding, I would have attended her funeral if I had known beforehand. She said she trusts I would have done. She then went ahead to apologise for not advising her brother (the Law student) to be forthcoming with me about how he got the shirt. Before she left, she asked about how I handle the petition. I told her God did. She said, Be serious, what exactly did you do. I said I am serious, I just prayed and told God to handle it for me.  And he did. She said I believe you, there is nothing He can't do.

What actually happened was that the 200L Law student whom I saw with the shirt was already holding a position in the Law Student Association. Knowing the precarious position that he was in if arrested for or prosecuted for having stolen goods, he decided to approach his immediate younger brother, who was 300L English student at the time, to claim ownership. His brother did and paid for it, spending about two weeks in Police custody. 

But God has a unique way of dispensing judgment. The law student failed the final and repeated 200L. That was not all, his class was the last before the National University Commission increased the LLB degree program to five years before graduating to the Nigerian Law School. So, when he repeated 200L, he automatically became a classmate of the first class of the five-year program. Meaning, all things being equal, he will be spending six years for his LL.B program before proceeding to the Nigerian Law School for an additional one year. 

Anyway, when I was cleared by the Registrar, the Director of Student Affairs, and the Faculty Officer of the Law Faculty, I travelled to Benin City to attend the Church of the Super Preacher who saved me. When I got to Benin, I asked around about her and her church, and my family friends in GRA Benin City told me that it is more like a women's ministry, and they don't have a building yet.

My plan was to tell this story as a testimony in her church one day when I am back in Nigeria, but I waited too long. She not only saved me, but she also taught me how to pray and believe in the power of prayer. When I reminisce on the journey so far, surviving the temptations and the victory over satanic forces and enemies of progress, I can only thank the Beautiful Lady Pastor who introduced me to  God in the true sense of it and made me believe that I can talk to God and He is a Merciful God. May her soul rest in peace. 

Overcoming the Uncomfortable Truth in the Search for Nigeria's Economic Development.

SYNOPSIS!

The extent of our development as a nation-state is a mirror of the extent the Hausa/Fulani can dominate. In other words, our growth index hinges on their ability or capacity to be in charge. To be in charge and dominate, demand a competent and highly mobile trained workforce. If that mobile or competent workforce is absent, it dilutes their ability to be the driving force or the major players in a larger market. Therefore, the culmination or otherwise of that imaginary larger market is conditioned on their ability to generate a mobile and competent workforce. If they can't generate the mobile workforce to dominate the scene in the event of that larger market, then the market is history - it is not a national priority. Let's try the explanation below to drive home the thesis.  

When they rejected Chief Anthony Enahoro's 1953 motion for self-government in 1956, it wasn't on the ground that Nigeria lacked the human capital or managerial wherewithal to occupy the vacuum created by the exit of the British Colonial masters. And it had nothing to do with the ability of the new nation to be the driving force of her destiny. The argument that the Northern region propounded to thwart the motion was that they don't want a second colonisation. In other words, if they don't have the resources, human and otherwise, to propel their wheel of fortune at the same level as the South, and at the same time, to dominate the new government at the centre, then the proposed 1956 date was unrealistic and not in the national interest. 

Sixty years later, Nigeria has not been able to establish religious and ethnic neutral benchmarks to define what constitutes National Interests. The spirit that underscores the rejection of the 1953 motion for self-government in 1956 remains with us to this moment. That ethnic-influenced spirit is the Nigerian tragedy that we must first dislodge for a true nation-state that God wants us to be when He gave us the crude oil and gas-rich Niger Delta and the fertile land of the Benue Plateau. 

DISSECTING THE THESIS! 

Our economy has long outgrown the capacity of the Apapa Wolf and the Tin Can Island Sea Port. How come we've never considered it economically prudent to build other Tin Can Island capacity Ports at Ugheli, Warri, Yenagoa, Onitsha, Port Harcourt, Calabar, or Bakassi Peninsula to decongest the Igunmu/Apapa/Mile2 axis of Lagos? Just for a second, forget about the job opportunities and the expansion of our revenue base from such new ports, and dwell on the traffic gridlock at Apapa. 

Or is this a conspiracy of the Yoruba and the Hausa/Fulani to undermine the economic strength of the Igbos and the Niger Delta? 

Also, it is faster and more economical to move goods from Akwa Ibom or Bakasi Peninsula to Adamawa, Gombe, Yobe, Borno, Bauchi, Taraba, and Benue States than from Apapa Wolf. The economic advantages of that link to the North-Eastern states and Nigeria's GDP cannot be quantified in monetary terms. Then, why are we so lackadaisical in opening up Nigeria to the rest of the global community through the South-South coastline?

The reason for not doing it is not for lack of bold visions. Or the financial wherewithal. But control. Do they have the manpower to manage the volumes of commerce that would be coming in and out of Nigeria via the South-South corridor? The question is not whether Nigeria has the management expertise to run the volumes of trade, immigration, and Customs formalities. But whether the North can generate the number of Customs and Immigration senior staff required to head the sector. They don't. But they want to dominate the industry.   

If you have three or more Tin Can Island capacity Sea Ports on the South-South coastal lines, comes the demand for qualified Immigration and Customs Officers to man the ports. They don't have the trained manpower or a ready pool of college-educated Northerners for them to tap into for the top positions. If they lack the manpower, consequently, they are losing hold of one of the greatest revenue-earning establishments in Nigeria. If Lagos is all that their oligarchs and commission agents can dominate and control, good enough for Nigeria. And they have done that over the last 50 years.

Granted, English is not our first language, but have you ever wondered why we have Soldiers and Police Officers who have difficulties communicating in the English language or completing a sentence in the English language? Have you ever asked yourself why we are recruiting captured Boko Haram sect members into the Nigerian Armed Forces when the majority of them cannot communicate in our official English language? The truth is that they don't have an educated population ready, capable, and eligible to spread across all the branches of our armed forces and security agencies. Therefore, anything goals. 

If you eliminate the Federal Character and Quota System in the enlistment process in our armed forces and security agencies, Nigeria will have the most sophisticated military and security agencies in the developing world. Because the thousands of unemployed graduates from the South would readily enlist. If we do that, would the Northern region be colonised and be subjected to Southern ridicule? No, at all. It will be in the best interest of the Nigerian military and the armed forces. 

Given that scenario, the super-rich oligarch of the North and influencers of contracts who feed on our ethnic and religious divide to perpetuate their dominance of all the federal institutions will no longer enjoy a free ride with our oil wealth. It is not the North as a geographical expression that benefits, but a few of them. They are the ones holding Nigeria hostage, sabotaging our overall growth. And that is why what troubles you about Nigeria doesn't trouble them. Push comes to shove, and they will still get whatever they want to get from Nigeria and still be able to corner more wealth and live luxuriously.

ANALYZING SOUTHERN LEADERSHIP TRAGEDY. 

Why didn't President Obasanjo or President Jonathan, as Southern extraction, unbundle the stranglehold, especially concerning the Customs and Immigration Services? The first question is whether they were aware of the entrenched stranglehold or how the trend impacted realpolitik and GDP. 

It is about identifying the main issue in a given case and framing the argument accordingly, backed by the applicable laws and precedents. Otherwise, Governor Bello of Kogi State, who was defeated at the APC  Primaries, would not have been made a Governor by the court. Simply put, the lawyer who represented Bello's opponent couldn't frame a legal issue and didn't know what to argue before the court. That's by the way. In the instant discussion, President Obasanjo and President Jonathan had no idea of what is holding Nigeria's economic growth down. They were hunting for globally renowned economists and performers to assist them in revitalising our economy. They never had the likes of the late bodacious Professor Claude Ake or the fearless Economist, late Professor Ojetunji Oboyade, as brain powers of Southern extraction. 

 

President Obasanjo spent his second term doing everything possible to emasculate his Vice President, Abubakar Atiku, politically. He used Mallam El-Rufai as his emissary to the Northern region to lobby their important Traditional Rulers to endorse his third term gamble. (See "The Accidental Public Servant" by Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai). And at the same time, doing everything to appease the international community by ceding the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon. President Obasanjo, Asiwaju Tinubu, and Comrade Adam Oshiomhole are birds of the same feather. They believe they are smarter than everyone. So, they are the last to buy into the theory of the Northern monopoly of power within our MDAs. 

What about President Jonathan? He is an honest man who wasn't prepared for the job. Besides, he did not have the exposure or wisdom to discern the stranglehold under discussion. Worse of all, he didn't know how to build a team of urbane and progressive-leaning academics to invigorate his intellect. And these are the guys who would have taken him on a tutorial ride on Nigerian realpolitik and how to unbundle the entanglement. Also, like President Obasanjo, he did everything to be the good boy of the Northern traditional rulers for a possible second-term run.  

To see how shallow his Niger Delta team is, remember, his Petroleum Resources Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke couldn't assemble a formidable team to ensure the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) into law in the National Assembly. You cannot name one established intellectual in the capacity of Professor Claude Ake, Festus Iyayi, Ojetunji Aboyade, Bolaji Akinyemi, or Beko Ransome Kuti in President Jonathan's inner circle? He has to, first of all, know that something is wrong with the status quo before finding solutions. He didn't know. So, he could fight it. 

THE NORTHERN STRENGTH. 

Do you know why they've been able to sustain the stranglehold? Audacity. Most often, we parade a Third Eleven standard team against their First Eleven standard team. Figure that out. They have an edge because whenever push comes to shove, they go for the highly talented ones around them and tap into their wisdom for guidance. In the South, such talented ones are the enemies of the politicians; they are feared and resented rather than respected and patronised. 

Check this out: all the Northern radicals, mavericks, or fierce government critics have either served in the state or the federal government - Bala Muhammed, Jubrin Aminu, Atehiru Jegga, Mallam El-Rufai, Nuru Ribadu, Abubakar Rimi, Godwin Dabo, etc. But you cannot say the same about Southern radicals and human rights activists. Olisa Agbakoba, Gani Fawehimin, Festus Iyayi, Awojobi, Falan, Ken Saro Wiwa, etc. 

Another very disturbing trend is that most Southern Technocrats and academics in Federal Government jobs do overnight become strident antagonists of Southern interests and major critics of Southern values. Above all, they do everything possible to please their boss in anticipation of another federal government job. While they are busy playing the house boy role, their Northern colleagues are pulling all the strings to corner more federal presence and infrastructural facilities into their region, not knowing when another opportunity will come. That is our major tragedy as Southerners. And that explains why the few oligarchs that dominate our revenue streams and their sources remain entrenched. 

CONCLUSION

The dubious Cattle Colony, allegedly concocted by some "unknown soldiers" at the Ministry of Agriculture, died not because Southern or Middle-Belt career civil servants at Federal Ministries or NASS members opposed it. It died because of the rebellion and condemnation from social media. 

That is the stage we are at now. The age of self-publishing. Of the reign of public intellectuals,  influencing new thinking in high places. Today, the Northern mavericks and intellectuals who are the sources of strength behind the Arewa mafia and power brokers are no longer interested in the pronouncement of Southern members of the National Assembly on how to move Nigeria forward. Rather, the views, writings, and opinions of Southern public affairs commentators in social media dominate. 

On the last note, we can talk all the big talks about the free market, regulated market, Keynesian theory, Marxism,  or capitalism, and what's not, until we resolve Nigeria's social-cultural, ethnic, and religious divides, no theory will turn the Nigerian economy around. Not even the IMF or the World Bank experts can work the magic. Quote me on that. 

We are not a typical third-world country. We will never have a credible population census, real growth, and real democracy, applying global benchmarks, until the entrenched culture of "Hausa/Fulani first before the other Nigeria" is discredited and dismantled. It is doable, not because we hate the Hausa/Fulani, but because it is the right thing to do and the only way to sustainable peace and development throughout Nigeria. WE MUST FIRST AGREE THAT WE ARE ONE NATION OF EQUAL RIGHTS AND JUSTICE. If we cannot, then we have no business staying together. Peace.