Obi Edward Akaeze Ofulue III of Ubulu Uku
By Michael Igwebuike Nwaesei
The dastardly and dishonorable act committed by a group of hoodlums is a wakeup call that our values and identity is seriously under attack in Nigeria. A few weeks ago, I heard what I first thought to be- musings- about the kidnap of an Obi of a community (Anioma). It sounded to me like a dream, a taboo, and an unimaginable stance for the ears to understand how it can be heard. I quickly checked it out on the internet, and lo and behold, it was true. Agbogidi Obi Akaeze Ofulue III had been kidnapped. I was stunned. I was in tears for the cry of a people that had begun to reduce its values into a discourse that no longer had boundaries. My cry was different. It became a cry for humanity. Tears that flow down the cheeks due to devaluation of life and degradation of humanity are different. It leaves a mark on the face that becomes indelible. My imagination went wild. “How can someone touch a sitting Obi in a manner that does not carry reverence”. Monarchy? My knees buckled. I could not understand it. I could not comprehend it. What is happening to our heritage? What is happening to our youths? What is happening to our elders? What is happening to our generation? I asked. The silence that greeted my questions gave me a clue. When a fire starts from the shrine, no precaution can be possible. My tears dried up quickly as it became clear and real to me that events in history are circumstances of the people that are in that space at that particular time. Hmn.
Then came the shocker, the nightmare of humanity – death took the Agbogidi Obi Akaeze Ofulue III. On Sunday evening January 24th, I received a text from one of our Anioma leaders, and it read “Obi Ubulu kidnapped found dead”. I quickly checked the internet again and it was confirmed. This time around, I could not find tears. Instead, blood in my eyes refused to flow, but was visible in my eyes as it closed for a brief moment. I sat dumbfounded at what just happened to a heritage. A very rich heritage. I sat flabbergasted by the silence of our community in this heinous act. I sat confused by this reprehensible, detestable, and horrible deed. I became disturbed. It is not the death of this young Obi that is making me livid, but the way he died, and the circumstances surrounding his death. Let me make myself clear hear at this point. I do not know this Obi in person. I never met him. It was his father that I met twice, in Washington DC, and in his palace in Ubulu-Uku in 2000. We had lunch together in his palace. It was during that visit that I saw for the first time in my life an eagle bird up close and personal. I am not from Ubulu Uku, but as an indigene of Issele Uku, I share this pain. I share this tragedy that has befallen us. I share this redirection of history for the worse. We have begun to weaken our birthright and identity. How can we form the words to use in explaining this to our children that when the roots of a tree begin to decay, it spread death to the branches. Others are making theirs stronger, and we are busy tearing ours, a God given rich heritage apart for greed and personal gain. We have begun a journey that sets a bad example for our coming generation.
My present concern now is the complacency and smugness of our people, the ‘Enuani’s’, the ‘Anioma’s’, and all-a-sundry that dwell in our community. If one neglects a small pot, it boils over and extinguishes the fire. All the Chiefs in Anioma should rise up and do something. All titled men and women in Anioma should see this tragedy as a challenge to the current values placed on tradition. Our heritage has been seriously attacked. The adage that “Eze nweani” no longer holds. What a waste of life. If one thinks that this problem is only for the Ubulu people, heads need to be examined. All you have to do is look back at history and see how this type of event can quickly envelope an area. This dent is so heinous that we all should be talking about this including those of us in the diaspora. Our future and legacy is seriously under attack. This is beyond emotions. This abominable act must be condemned by all, irrespective of whatever. All Anioma’s who hold their town meetings should put this issue in their agenda and show concern. In the words of Dr. Paul Utti, he said, and I quote “How can a society permit such retrograde behavior. How can we convince our children that we are other than history has made us to be; a people whose claims to glorious past lack the validation that prudent and civilized behavior would demand. How did Ubulu become as spineless as to allow this abomination”. Well said; it is an atrocity. A mouse that removes the palm-nut that turns out to be the bait of a trap, would already have known that the palm-nut does not ripen on the ground. We are taking this turn of events for granted, and it is heartbreaking and pernicious. Nothing can be explained to justify the loss of life. We are living under a very troubling time. A phase when corruption and greed for wealth has become an enabler for financial gain at all cost. Ifunanya is no longer at the spectrum of human feelings in the community. All bets are now off. This is indeed disquieting.
Whatever is the motive for this act, it has reduced the Anioma community and society in general to a level of valueless moral decadence, that dancing in the rain with no clothes is no longer madness. What happened to Obi Akaeze Ofulue III is a huge loss to humanity. It is a dent in our history and we all should be held responsible in effecting change and making sure that this type of act should never be imagined, let alone being hatched. It is the house of a coward that people gather and point to the tomb of yesterday’s warrior. We should rise up as one people and conquer this evil that has continued to threaten our peace and existence as one family unit. Ife onye si ka ife bu ka oga bu. “Oyaga eze, yaga onwe”. The value of human life in Nigeria is astounding and sad.
May the soul of Agbogidi Obi Edward Akaeze Ofulue III rest in peace. In the words of my cousin bros. Patrick Abili, he said “Thank God he gave his life to Christ as a born again Christian, so you know he is with God”. May God grant his family and the entire Anioma community speedy peace, the strength to pull through this life changing event and make it in such a way that we shall enshrine a plaque on his tombstone as a reminder for our coming generation that says “Never again”?
Michael Igwebuike Nwaesei
Author / filmmaker
mmglobalfilms@gmail.com
Africannovel.com
