AWO-OMAMMA

AWO-OMAMMA AND ITS AGGRIEVED OCCUPANTS


Brethren, gone are the days when virtually all men and women were known for their extreme honesty and sincerity. The days are also gone when kids or children were known for their intense respect for the adult folks or the elderly ones. But if we must analyze, then I will unequivocally tell you that there will never be respect or respect would never hold in any honesty-free society because honesty or sincerity ascertains human dignity. Thus apparently in recent times, the stride or crusade towards obtaining a society loaded with the euphoria of human respect seem to be a mirage since the only tool that ascertains human dignity has been tremendously betrayed. Let’s put it this way; respect is a product or one of the products of human dignity or reputation. On the other hand, dignity is a product of honesty/sincerity. In a nut shell, a dishonest fellow is really day-dreaming if he/she expects respect from his/her junior or younger ones.

The above should not just be seen as a conviction or ideology of the columnist, rather ought to be regarded as a fact. I’m just representing the people by putting up this critique, thus I strongly believe thousands of souls would have come up with similar view many years before now provided they were granted the opportunity. In other words, I’m not alone or I’m not standing on this rostrum alone, therefore I shouldn’t feel lonely.

Penultimate week on the 28th of January, Monday precisely, I had one of the greatest shocks in my life which yielded a very high level of sensitivity that has been hidden in me. Before then, I had always thought that I would never be sensitive to that extent. In the morning of that fateful day exactly eight o’clock on the dot, I received a phone call from one of my relatives in Awo-Omamma, my home town who happens to be my bosom friend. Before the call came in, I just concluded ironing the clothes I would use for the day in my humble lodge at Owerri. As soon as I picked the call, the caller exclaimed “Doc, what are you still doing at Oweerri while Awo-Omamma is on fire?” in his high voice. ‘Doc’ has been a name I was known for since my childhood and most of my friends and relatives go by it. Honestly, I couldn’t comprehend where the fellow was coming from, therefore having taken a quick breath in subsequent to his exclamation, I urged him to expatiate his striking headline which he did in haste before he dropped the call. At that point, I needed not a prophet to inform me that truly Awo-Omamma has been set ablaze. As a concerned indigene, without taking my usual morning bath, I hurriedly gathered myself and began my journey to my home town.
Beloved, on reaching Awo-omamma junction, I was astonished and dumbfounded over what I saw through my panoramic view. The entire Awo-Omamma junction which happens to be situated at the federal road, Onitsha-Owerri road to be precise was blocked owing to a protest initiated by the entire youths of the town. There was no atom of movement and I learnt the protest had lasted for over three hours before my arrival. Even the pedestrians were finding it difficult to migrate. As soon as I got down from the taxi which I boarded, I tried to enquire what really prompted the protest. I was informed that my fellow indigenes/youths were protesting about bad road, poor drainage system and non power supply in some of the areas. The bone of contention was the State road that leads to Okwudor in Njaba L.G.A.

According to the honourable representing Oru East State Constituency in the person of Hon. Barr. Greg Okemili who was there to see things for himself, I learnt the contract for the construction of the road in question had already been awarded to All Seasons construction Company and that the company had been duly paid the sum of 10.8 million naira for the contract. In his further speech, he made the unarmed mob to know that he has severally written to the government for the contract to be rewarded to a different company but all to no avail. After the convincing speech given by the house member, the aggrieved youths agreed among themselves to give the State government more benefit of doubt. In respect to the agreement, the road-block was put to an end at about twenty minutes past eleven (11:20 am) having lasted for over four hours.

Apart from the road issue, for over one year now if I’m not mistaken, the occupants of the community located within the Awo-Omamma junction have been experiencing total black-out due to lack of transformer. And other social amenities the locality has been deprived of. Who is deceiving who? Question yet to be answered.

Brethren, should we continue to live like people destined to experience penury due to the insincere lyrics being dished out by the unworthy musicians or poets amongst us; where has our honesty gone or travelled to? What blasphemy!

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FDN NWAOZOR

Social analyst & activist