Chapter one continued!
He arrived at Mr. Orland Ejind’s home just on time, there was a mild crowd around the mildly fanciful home located at the high brow area of town called Shelter Afrique Estate. A small circle of youths were seated already under a shed cover; a crowd of politicians he thought for Orland had just been appointed a commissioner in the cabinet of His Excellency the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Udom Emmanuel. David wondered how much glitterati surrounded these highly placed political offices as he stepped in the red iron surrogated gates manned by armed police men. He noticed the striking identification by language among the youth littered in the compound; they spoke the slippery type of the Ibibio language indigenous to the occupants of the riverine areas of the state. These tribes were noted for togetherness which almost, was construed for tribalism for seemingly they preferred to deal with one of theirs to a person of another tribe, howbeit, they were minority in the state.
Almost 25 minutes had gone by, seated there in the mist of words which made opaque meanings to him. Just then an aide to the commissioner stepped and called out “who is David?”, he stood to identify himself, the aide simply nodded, tossed a few words to a mobile officer at the gate and walked back in lackadaisically.
The ‘boys’ seated outside talked mostly about how difficult it was for the ruling party, the People’s Democratic Party in the state to penetrate Oron Nation and how it will be the duty of Hon. Orland Ejind to make that happen “matter of fact, that is why His Excellency has appointed him Commissioner, do you know what it means to be Commissioner for Transport and Petroleum? It’s not childsplay, it’s a big ministry, there is real money there, with the daily taxation returns a man is made for life” said a man in a fairly tattered red t shirt not more than 35 years of age who would later be identified as a youth caucus leader in one of the Local Government Areas that made up the Oron Nation.
The conversation changed to the recent killings in Ukanafun and Etim Ekpo LGA of the state. A skinny man in his late 40s picked up the conversation assuming all knowledge about the crisis as he supplied reasons after reasons why the killings have gone unabated stressing that the said transition chairman of Ukanafun Council who has been indicted by a sufficient testimony of a gang arraigned by the police in connection to the murder of the secretary of council had paid the sum N400 000 (equivalent of $1250) for the assassination.
David wondered if the claim of the suspected criminals was true or perhaps a stakeholder from the LGA had arranged for the plot and would later also arrange for the police to release the boys of course after the character assassination of the sitting transition chairman has been accomplished and the man sent to jail for the act. Such set ups were a common occurrence in Nigerian politics not limited to Akwa Ibom State, furthermore, the aspect which highlighted David's postulations as near truths is the fact that it was rumored that a certain commissioner in the Governors cabinet from the same area, at the time, was interested in placing his cousin as council chairman come next elections and that he may have concluded plans to install him as a staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) a body solely saddled with the responsibility of conducting elections in the country and announcing the results but whose reputation for rigging the last presidential elections that saw the exit of an incumbent president was renowned; well, Nigerians may have voted for President Muhamadu Buhari based on the persuasive media campaigns which promoted his ‘integrity’ as the ultimate offer. Nigerians were sadly tired of decades of lootings and corrupt minded leadership which lasted for decades in the name of Government. Whatever it was, they unknowingly bargained for worse. The situation in the country under the leadership of the Fulani Rtd Army General was muffed with crisis and the standard of living of the common man was inhuman. His thoughts kept wondering in these directions when, just then, the chief of staff to the Hon. Commissioner, for he was identified as such much later, stepped out again and signaled to David to come in, he rose, exchanged some greetings with the small audience and stepped forward as the now friendly chief of staff who looked to be a little above 40 years of age led the way.
The commissioner was already seated for it was a crucial meeting as David bore a highly classified information which of course was against the interest of Government. Rt. Hon. Orland Ejind sat dodgely seemingly half afraid of what evidences may him. His wife was present…
"to be continued tomorrow, follow @steemitaddicted for update"
--THE LOVE OF THE WONDERLANDS is a book project in chapters that seeks to preserve the typical African urban living solely for the benefit of the younger generation and generations to come. It is our believe that they must have a clear picture of how we lived even in our times--
Sathagraha...
I do not understand you, what could that word mean?