A Prince Kelly Udebhulu's
Message of Hope!
From a distance, tiny bodies make swift movements
on branches of a huge wild fruit tree. One would mistakenly think they are wild
animals scavenging for food, but a closer move to the tree shocks one’s life.
Children as young as five years hang on branches as they make and search for
today’s meal.
The first conscience at such
a touching sight is the children’s safety. What if the little kids fall 15 meters down the tree, one ponders, It is hot weather (summer) season and snakes are active,
what is to become of the kids if they cross the path of vicious and poisonous
snakes? As a concerned adult, you attempt a word of advice on the dangers of
climbing trees, but with stunned faces the kids stare at your ignorance. You
are just coming from distant town and not well versed with the happenings.
The kids climb down with pockets full of the fruit meal. It is them now lecturing you on the biting poverty and neglect, they and their parents face on a daily basis.
“Don’t you know that you have to consume this fruit in the morning and afternoon and serve it for the main meal in the evening),” explains eight-year-old Ogbeide in the local vernacular.
Cooked meal, which forms the most basic of the majority’s diets, is not readily available. In rare cases where grain is sold, many cannot afford it, as it sells at exorbitant pegged prices.
The kids climb down with pockets full of the fruit meal. It is them now lecturing you on the biting poverty and neglect, they and their parents face on a daily basis.
“Don’t you know that you have to consume this fruit in the morning and afternoon and serve it for the main meal in the evening),” explains eight-year-old Ogbeide in the local vernacular.
Cooked meal, which forms the most basic of the majority’s diets, is not readily available. In rare cases where grain is sold, many cannot afford it, as it sells at exorbitant pegged prices.
Nigeria is a country in
which failure, injustice, cover-ups, sadism, iniquity, wickedness, persecution,
lies and abuse of power are welcomed. A
land in which “men of God” do not worship God in truth and holiness but instead
sell the anointing and buy private jets indiscriminately..
Here is a country where ignorance and mediocrity is exalted and in which excellence and knowledge is scorned. Where truth has no place and in which those that tell it are hated and treated with contempt. Ogbeide gazed far beyond horizon!!!
At one village homestead, a six year old pleads with his mother to make porridge so that he can eat. The mother tries to explain that there are no ingredients for the porridge but with a sad look, the kid explains to the mother that it is better than not having anything at all. Young children know what it means to eat porridge without palm oil, salt and pepper. They seem to understand poverty like mature people.
74-year-old Akhigbe Ujiagbe lies on his bench chair. He is puffing tobacco from his long pipe. His grey eyes are looking in the distant space in the direction of two villages. He declares:
“I have known poverty in this country as a growing young man but this is just too much. I think the ancestors are cursing us. Only a week ago two kids from beyond those two villages died after eating too much of these wild fruits.”
These rural folks like many Nigerians believe that the lack of accountability and corruption among Political leaders are the root cause of their suffering.
As one villager, Akhigbe Ujiagbe remarked: “You have to be in this poverty to understand It.” One wonders if that is the reason politicians seem not to notice the urgency required to solve Nigeria’s political problems and corruptions.
Here is a country where ignorance and mediocrity is exalted and in which excellence and knowledge is scorned. Where truth has no place and in which those that tell it are hated and treated with contempt. Ogbeide gazed far beyond horizon!!!
At one village homestead, a six year old pleads with his mother to make porridge so that he can eat. The mother tries to explain that there are no ingredients for the porridge but with a sad look, the kid explains to the mother that it is better than not having anything at all. Young children know what it means to eat porridge without palm oil, salt and pepper. They seem to understand poverty like mature people.
74-year-old Akhigbe Ujiagbe lies on his bench chair. He is puffing tobacco from his long pipe. His grey eyes are looking in the distant space in the direction of two villages. He declares:
“I have known poverty in this country as a growing young man but this is just too much. I think the ancestors are cursing us. Only a week ago two kids from beyond those two villages died after eating too much of these wild fruits.”
These rural folks like many Nigerians believe that the lack of accountability and corruption among Political leaders are the root cause of their suffering.
As one villager, Akhigbe Ujiagbe remarked: “You have to be in this poverty to understand It.” One wonders if that is the reason politicians seem not to notice the urgency required to solve Nigeria’s political problems and corruptions.
The kids in unison and
chorus stared furiously at me and remarked:
“May God deliver Nigeria
from the blood-sucking and relentless demons that plague and afflict her,
may the adults realize to give kids vocational skills to face their future as the
Government disappoints daily”
…to be continued
By Prince Kelly Udebhulu
You can tweet to
@princekelly75
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