ShortStory II Jilted Angel

JILTED ANGEL

        He was standing ahead of Nneoma in the pathway, facing front, as she walked closer from behind. His identity was yet unknown. In a few minutes time, the gorgeously-looking damsel got to the point and passed by. Upon a burning quest to ascertain the nomenclature of the weird being, she turned to her left only to discover it was Obioha; everything about him, even from behind had obviously changed. He was the least person she imagined seeing, or wanted to behold.

        Nneoma was jilted by Obioha five years back. He abruptly left her for another lady named Ego who he believed was the angel of the moment after about seven years of fruitless courtship.

        But, at the moment, it seemed the 41-year-old dude had regretted that unannounced decision he took several years ago. The five-year-old marriage with Ego was yet to bear fruit. That was the least of all; the so-called wife enjoyed nagging to the core till date. Above all, there was no day she wouldn’t attempt to engage him in a physical combat. It was really terrible to assert the least. It suffices to say that the young man was apparently in hell, all in the name of matrimony.

        “Obioha!” the 34-year-old Nneoma exclaimed in a low tone, stopped.

        She was standing about two metres away from the dude who stood aloof along the ostensibly lonely pathway situated in Umundega, an ancient clan in old Anambra State, Nigeria (now Enugu State). They both hailed from, as well as resided in, the same town until immediately after his marriage with Ego when he disappeared into thin air, probably he relocated to a different locality owing to fear of the unknown. So, since five years back till date, this would be the first time Nneoma’s eyes would set on him. Incidentally, she was still unmarried.

        He was mute over the call as he stood erectly, clad in an outdated grey native attire, making his slim or rather thin, dark-skinned and average height posture seemed not unlike one that was overused in the Nigerian civil war. On her part, she put on a pleasant casual pink gown alongside plaited hairs, and was light-skinned, tall and plump.

        In spite of his archaic dress pattern coupled with the long years of out-of-sight, she was able to recognize his facial outlook, perhaps as a result of the fact that the ‘memorable’ time they spent together was a good reason to recall the face even in the dark.

        His silence puzzled her, thus she moved towards him to ascertain if truly it was the runaway Obioha as she was engulfed by goose bumps. “Obioha!!” she reiterated, but in a lower tone.

         “Nneoma.” He responded hesitantly.

          She stepped a bit further, whilst he remained firm – maintaining his position – about eighty centimeters (80cm) apart from her. “What are you doing here?” She inquired, still gripped by fear.

         He was wholly mute again, couldn’t even move any part of his body, thereby making her become more uneasy.

         “Didn’t you hear me?” quoth Nneoma. “I said, what are you doing here?” she echoed, paused. “Have you come to take my shattered life, five years after?” she furiously added, remained perturbed.

        The very road where they stood was the pathway that led to Nneoma’s ancestral home; they were about One kilometer (1km) away from her parental home. The dude’s clan of origin, Odoihe was about twelve kilometres (12km) away from hers.

        “On the contrary,” replied Obioha eventually. “I have come in peace…” He managed to utter, paused. “In search of you.”

        “For what?” the maiden queried, surprised. “To kill me..?”

        “Not at all.” He cleared the air, attempted to step closer to her.

        “Stop there!” she warned. “Don’t go any further.” She supplemented in a fierce mood.

         Since she was yet to acknowledge his true mission in Umundega, she was still unsure that he had genuine intention, thus had every reason to accuse his person of harbouring an ulterior motive.

         “Please…,” he tendered calmly. “Don’t whisk me away.” He said, paused. “I am for good.”

         “You are for good?”

           He nodded, still maintaining his initial position.

        “Just listen to yourself.” quoth Nneoma. “You are for good.” She echoed, took a breath. “Which imbecile would agree that you are for good?”

        “Nneoma, my dear.” quoth Obioha. “Things have not been at ease since we departed.”

        “And how would I be of help?” she ranted. “Besides, who is your dear?”

         Nneoma was well not unaware that Obioha’s marriage was in shambles. Ab initio, she kept receiving all sorts of news cum stories regarding the matrimony, particularly on how Ego had been acting like the captain of the ship. Each time she got the news, she laughed over it, though remained bitter that he was getting such unbearable attitudes from his supposed wife. She couldn’t deny the fact that she still bore a soft spot for the man whom she was meant to regard as ‘good-for-nothing’, perhaps due to the warmth moments they shared during the seven years of ‘wasted’ friendship. This was the singular reason she could not stop sharing the pains he was receiving from the marriage that could best be described as forsaken.

         “You wouldn’t believe how much pains I have been into since we departed.”

         As they communicate on the road, passersby – particularly Nneoma’s kinsmen – were seen in about every four minutes interval. Those who knew Obioha who was now looking pale, were marveled over what prompted the abrupt reunion, thus they began to gossip in their numbers as they headed for their respective destinations. No one who witnessed the scene that wouldn’t insinuate it was a scheduled meeting.

         “So, how does that concern me?”

         “Everything,” quoth Obioha calmly. “Everything about it concerns you...”

         “By the way,” interrupted the maiden. “Is that why you are looking like a broken bottle?” She thought aloud.

           He was speechless.

         “The pains are really written all over you.” She mocked. “Even the blind could see it.”

         “I know you can turn things around, Nneoma.” he asserted. “And you are the only one that can do it…”

        “Please, please, please..” she interrupted. “Don’t link me to your problems.” She urged, paused. “I don’t know anything about your predicament.”

         “I am not saying you do.” Obioma corrected. “Rather, I am the cause of my problem.” he confessed, paused. “But you can help me solve it.”

         “Non…sense.” she ranted, attempted to step out. “I can see, you are not serious.” She added, frantically walked away.

          At this time, it was 7:37pm, and she was headed home.

          To be continued, please!

FDN Nwaozor 

Executive Director, Docfred Resource Clinic - Owerri

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Twitter: @mediambassador

http://facebook.com/theMediaAmbassador         

Opinion I As We Await the Commissioners Nominees

AS WE AWAIT THE COMMISSIONERS NOMINEES

        

The last time I checked, Imolites in their entirety were graciously but anxiously awaiting the anticipated release of the commissioners’ nominees from the state’s governor Chief Rochas Okorocha. This implies that they presently cannot wait to realize who would be manning the various ministries in the Eastern Heartland.

        

Sure, the aforementioned perturbed mood is not in any way unusual. Being human, at such a time like this, every sane and rational individual is expected to be in a state of unease. But the good news remains that, amidst such scenario, the discerning ones would invariably wish to remain calm and observant till the needful is eventually done.

         

In a sincere note, I’m not in a position to say those that would make the awaited list; but as a well-informed Imolite, I can sense those that are likely to make it. I am equally not unaware that some other stakeholders in the state could as well foresee what the said list would look like. Whatever the insinuations, suggestions, or perhaps conclusions could be, what matters most is the need for us to witness a sound change. Yes, change is constant, thus ubiquitous and common, but it’s pertinent to acknowledge that a bad one could mar the functionality of the overall system.

          

It is at this juncture I wish to bring to our notice that this critique was necessitated by the compelling need for the governor to concentrate on the needful, and nothing less or more. We are aware that tension is apparently on the high side at the moment as regards who deserves to be among the incoming nominees. And in such situation, various factors are often considered prior to pronouncement of the lucky names.

        

One of the factors that are usually looked into is the quest of the party faithful. It is not anymore news that in such period, the leadership of the ruling party would always want to use its immunity to influence the awaited appointment. They would want to ensure that only those who had contributed meaningfully to the growth of the party are granted the opportunity to serve.

        

It happened at the federal level recently when the President Mohammadu Buhari – led administration emerged. The aforesaid president wanted only technocrats in his cabinet towards ushering in the prime motives of his election’s campaign manifesto. But unfortunately, the leadership of the ruling party – the All Progressives Congress (APC) – was totally in disagreement over the arrangement; hence, queried why the President would want to jettison those who suffered for the party prior to the its victory for the sake of people who probably were not even in the country when the show took place. So, to them, the President’s plan was an aberration.

         

Aside the pressure that would be mounted by the politicos in the state, the governor would also want to consider another factor perceived by him as crucial. He may want to bring those who would enable him actualize his next political ambition. Of course, we are not unaware that no reasonable politician in Nigeria, and the global community in general, would wish to end his or her political career as the governor of a state; in other words, every ambitious politician truly wants to attain to the peak by all means, and Governor Okorocha is not an exception.

         

It’s already in the know that numerous politicians have reportedly been trouping to both the office and residential complexes of the governor’s Chief of Staff, Chief Uche Nwosu with a view to ensuring that their names are favoured when the time comes. If all these countless politicos that are lobbying for such positions are to be considered, then one would wonder how many ministries would be made available by the governor. It suffices to assert that even if their favour-seeking visits eventually became effective, only but a few of them would definitely make the list.

          

The tradition has been that whenever such list is released, many must feel shortchanged, unknowingly to them that not everyone is meant to serve as a member of the governor’s cabinet. That you contributed during the election, in one way or the other, isn’t in any way a criterion or prerequisite that you must be appointed to serve.

         

It is against this backdrop that I wish to appeal to our teeming politicians to always endeavour to nurse an alternative profession outside politics, so that they would always fall to it when they are hit off-balance; they shouldn’t see politics as their only occupation. Continuous consideration of politics as the only occupation is the sole reason these politicians would invariably wish to cause havoc whenever they felt shortchanged.

         

Whatever the case might be, I want the governor to know that many of his political enemies would surely laugh at him if his administration failed to complete all the numerous capital projects that are ongoing across the nooks and crannies of the state. And, it’s pertinent to comprehend that such projects cannot come into completion if he fails to appoint competent and reliable individuals to man the various existing ministries in the state.

         

In view of the above fact, the governor must overlook what he thinks people would say regarding the awaited list and endeavour to do the needful. I’m one of the few citizens of the state that cannot wait to celebrate the Rescue Mission Government come 2019, so wouldn’t want anything that’s likely to mar its anticipated extreme success to be brought on board.

        

And when the list came out and thereafter tendered to the state’s House of Assembly to exercise its constitutional right, the legislators on their part ought to equally not compromise their mandate. Only the qualified ones are required to be accepted after every consequential screening is conducted.

        

This is obviously not time to compensate anyone; rather, time to serve Imo State selflessly so that the state would live to bless us and our entire generations yet to come. A word, they say, is enough for the wise. Think about it!

Comrade FDN Nwaozor

Executive Director, Docfred Resource Clinic - Owerri

________________________________

Twitter: @mediambassador

http://facebook.com/theMediaAmbassador     

Opinion II The Trending Intriguing 'Politics' in Ahiara Diocese

THE TRENDING INTRIGUING ‘POLITICS’ IN AHIARA DIOCESE

         

The last time I checked, the Ahiara Roman Catholic Diocese situated in the ancient Mbaise nation in the Ecclesiastical province of Owerri, Imo State was yet to boast of a substantive Bishop who is meant to serve as the boss of the said territory as the Catholic doctrine demands. It’s not anymore news that the quagmire has lingered for over six years now, if I’m not mistaken.

          

The Papacy had upon the demise of the immediate past and pioneer bishop of the Ahiara Diocese, Bishop Victor Chikwe, in 2010, approved the nomination of a Catholic priest, Rev. Peter Okpalaeke who hails from Awka in Anambra State to serve as the bishop of the diocese. Amazingly, the named clergy was outrightly rejected by virtually all the Catholic faithful in the diocese, stating that the favoured priest did not possess the required qualities to super-head the communion.

         

One of their reasons was that Rev. Okpalaeke does not hail from the Mbaise nation; according to them, it was a grievous blunder for the Pope not to find anyone among over seven hundred (700) Catholic priests of Mbaise origin worthy to serve as the bishop of the Ahiara Diocese. They equally lamented that Rev. Okpalaeke does not speak a dialect that could be comprehended by the members of the diocese, thus could not be ordained to lead them.

          

Notwithstanding, the appointed clergy was eventually ordained amidst the protest. Owing to the unwelcoming attitude of the aggrieved worshippers, the ordination took place outside the Mater Ecclesiae Cathedral of the Ahiara Diocese – Agbala in Owerri North LGA precisely – amid tight security. It was the first time in the history of the Catholic communion a prospective bishop would be ordained at a venue situated outside the diocese he was supposed to oversee.

         

It’s worth noting that after the ordination, the rebellion became more intense. Since then, the seat has been apparently hot for the innocent Bishop Peter Okpaleke who has mostly been operating from the Diaspora. In spite of the recent order from Pope Francis I instructing the Catholic faithful in the diocese to unanimously sheathe their swords, the people remain hell-bent towards ensuring that their own becomes the bishop of the diocese.

         

In a recent communiqué from the Papacy, precisely on 8^th June 2017, having received a delegation from the Ahiara Diocese, all members of the diocesan clergy – including the priests and deacons – were given 30 days ultimatum to personally write the Vatican pledging their unflinching obedience to the Pope and accepting Bishop Peter Okpalaeke. Based on the directive, those who failed to write would be suspended a ‘divinis’, which would prohibit such priest or deacon from administering any of the sacraments save for a clergy hearing the confession of a person in danger of death, and would equally be removed from their posts.

          

It’s mind-boggling and indeed ridiculous to realize that the ongoing scenario, which could best be described as dramatic and amusing, isn’t only ignited and fueled by the laity council in the diocese but rather has the full support of most of the Catholic priests from the area who are expected to be more informed regarding the Catholic custom.

         

It’s noteworthy that I’m not here to apportion blames; rather, to cushion the excruciating effects of the uncalled religious extremism. Ever since the melodrama began, I have chosen to be mindful of my utterances in the public domain thereby making my person seem not unlike a mere onlooker, knowing fully well that issues pertaining to religion are highly sensitive and delicate, hence ought to be handled as such. My muteness continued not until lately when I thought it wise to wake from slumber having keenly observed that the incidence is liable to degenerate into an untold crisis if it failed to receive an apt attention.

         

Lest I forget, two factors have ab initio made me not to be too surprised or shocked over the lingering altercation in Ahiara Diocese. One of the factors remains that I grew up to understand that religion harbours politics. Yes, read my lips. Since the world came into existence, the former has ceased to be dissociated from the latter. Prior to the emergence of Pope Benedict XI (rtd.), what transpired therein made me draw a holistic conclusion that politics is arguably ubiquitous. If you are still in doubt, please feel free to consult your history book for further details. If the above hypothesis as regards politics and religion holds water, then the Ahiara Diocese ought not to be an exception.

         

Another pertinent factor is the fact that the people of the Mbaise nation have been known for their unison. Mbaise as a people are so united that they invariably, or do not hesitate to, act as a body whenever it calls for action. This remains a core feature outsiders envy about them. Needless to assert that what is currently trending in Ahiara Diocese is an epitome of what the Mbaise nation represents.

          

However, it’s worthy of note that sometimes a cause pursued vigorously in unison could be misleading. In other words, we are required to tread with caution while treating matters that relate to our faith. The Mbaise nation may have thus far fought a good fight, but they must acknowledge in haste that their collective faith is ironically at stake.

          

There’s a compelling need for them to comprehend that the ongoing battle has unequivocally already made millions of individuals to become sceptical of the genuineness of the Catholic Church as a whole, thereby making those who intend being part of the membership of the Catholic community lose interest. The bitter truth surrounding the agitation is that several pagans who wished to become Christians, perhaps Catholics, are now fearful of the said communion; it suffices to say that the era of seeing this set of persons jettison their respective shrines for Christendom’s sake could be far-fetched.

         

I immensely appreciate the Imo State governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha for wading into the crisis when his imminent attention was needed most. Against this backdrop, I enjoin other well-spirited individuals cum entities to follow suit in ensuring that peace is thoroughly embraced by the warring factions. We are not unaware that some persons from the Mbaise nation have remain neutral in this case, thus we urge such set of people to serve as a mediator since silence is no longer the needed recipe.

        

No one is expected to sit on the fence toward resolving this imbroglio, because we are all – one way or the other – affected by it. It is better late than never. Think about it!    

       

Comrade FDN Nwaozor

Executive Director, Docfred Resource Clinic - Owerri

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Twitter: @mediambassador

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