The Shocking News

The Shocking News
A short story

The future belongs to those who think. Nigeria in the future is going to belong to people of ideas, people who think, people who read. So, anybody who is not preparing himself to be in one of these groups of people would have no place in the future in the country
~ Prof. Pat Utomi

August 22, 2006.
Abba Babbi sighed as he finished reading the article on the erudite Nigerian scholar and technocrat Dr. Pat Utomi in the Daily Sun.

He always admired Dr. Utomi. But he was disappointed when he couldn’t save the Volkswagen of Nigeria from collapsing. He was the Deputy Managing Director and they must have employed him to use his Midas touch on the Volkswagen Assembly Plant. But his Midas touch had no positive effect on Volkswagen Nigeria. Abba always referred to this minus in the outstanding life of Dr. Utomi, because the collapse of Volkswagen cost his cousin his job and hundreds of other employees lost their jobs and were scattered all over the place in search of other means of survival and welfare.

That was over fifteen years ago. And Dr. Utomi has gone ahead to manage other successful ventures and began the laudable Lagos Business School that has now developed into the Pan African University (PAU). And it was on the campus of PAU that Abba met Ronke. He put the newspaper aside and went into the bedroom to sleep.

October 1, 2006.
He was alone at home, because he chose to be alone. He was reading a big book. A closer look at the top of the pages showed A Great Mother Called Gladys Eke written on them. He did not want any company as at present. After reading for an hour or two, he wanted to concentrate on his Herculean task of designing a new reading method for pupils and students in Nigeria. He called his project Literaticos 101.
He was now feeling lonely as he sat watching the TV and he decided to blog on the 46th Independence Anniversary of Nigeria his adopted country.
Nation Building and the Future of Nigeria would be a good title he mused as he placed the laptop on his laps and sat up on his settee.
 Then the announcement hit his eardrums.
“The President of Nigeria has been impeached!”
The TV presenter was the popular Ajoke Taiwo whom he knew since her earlier years at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Lagos before she was transferred to Abuja the capital of Nigeria. She just read the news plaintively.
“The President of Nigeria has been impeached!” It echoed in his ears.
“Wow!” Abba exclaimed and jumped from the settee.
This called for a celebration! His cell phone was ringing.
He answered the call.
“Dearie, have you heard the news?”
Ronke’s voice was like she had just won one million dollars in the international Lottery she was fond of playing.
“Like music echoing in my ears!” Abba said.
“Should I come over?” She asked.
“As soon as you can. I don’t want to celebrate alone!” 
Then the TV went blank. They want to repeat the breaking news, Abba thought. He was about to pop the bottle of Champagne when the unmistakable sound of the Martial music hit his eardrums.
It was from the TV.
He gasped and gaped.
Then the image of a stern looking Nigerian soldier in uniform appeared on the screen. He was wearing a red beret and had a funny moustache.
“Fellow citizens of Nigeria, I…”
The bottle of Champagne dropped from Abba’s hands and broke as it hit the marbled floor.

Yes.

Seun,
Put that post on the Amazon Short Form Writing Competition on the frontpage,
Selected short stories are going to be published and sold on Amazon for .49 cents per copy.