#Episode1: Uboji

#Introduction

My name is Biaku,born in 1962 and a native of uboji,a land very rich in petroleum resources with over 5000 populations.

My town is a very large peaceful environment surrounded by water with a single school for the kids,which made majority of us uneducated.

Uboji indigenes are known to be farmers and a fishermen,few are good in artworks and the women engaged in petty trades and food selling.

Uboji has paramount ruler,which we do address as king Dede and the king has his subjects which are chiefs that makes decision with him and my father is proudly one of them.

Our religions are categorized into two,Egungun or Obiri so you either be Egungun or Obiri worshiper as indigene of Uboji and different day are chosen for the festive of the individual religion to avoid chaos.

I grown up knowing all this under my warrior dad(Chief Mazuka).

My Dad is the Egungun’s chief priest and a farmer so farming is our family heritage in which every male child must choose as occupation after stardard 6 education.

There was a lot to eat in Uboji both from the river and farmer’s product until the gods in white skin arrived �.

....to be continue

A Land With Oil.

Episode2:Oct 3rd,1972.

#Gods In White Skin.

It was a very sunny day around noon, we just came back from the farm with my Dad and saw majority assembled under the huge mango tree that served as shield for every village’s meeting.

We rushed down there to check what’s going on and on getting there I saw big people that has the same features like my Dad but with white skin and a coloured hair.

Many questions ran through my mind that moment but no one ready to answer them so I kept watching...there was a Blackman that dressed like a groom, he stood in-between the king and the white gods doing the interpretation for both parties.

This lasted for over 30minutes and the king,chiefs and few elders escorted the white gods to the canoe that conveys them back to their god knows destination.

I waited till dinner time before I could asked my dad about the white gods but he scolded me not to talk while eating...after the dinner I still sat beside him to get the clue of the white gods visit.

As a wiseman he is,he noticed my curiosity and told me to ask my question, with this I cleared my throat and asked him what did the white gods came for?

Chief Mazuka, look at me intelligently and told me to listen very well because what he was about to discuss with me might be the future or the ruin of Uboji,I was sweating on hearing this.

He explained to me that crude oil has been discovered in Uboji and the white gods are ready to set-up a mining plant in Uboji.

The white gods has promised us free healthcare and education for both the young and adult in exchange for our oils,this sound sweet but I’m still scared to the bone if we will not be loosing beyond the Oil alone.


...to be continue

ALand With Oil.

Episode3: The Betrayal.

#The Elders’ Journey.

Everything went back to normal in Uboji after the whiteman’s visit.

Two years later the white gods summoned the King,Chiefs and the Elders to round table meeting at the city for dialogue over the crude oil discovered.

The next day,King and the kins men traveled to city to negotiate with the white gods and the meeting lasted 2 nights,the next day we waited at the river bank with drum and flute to welcome the King and the chiefs,it was a very joyful day in the history of Uboji.

After the festive,I went home with my dad...on getting home,my Dad called me privately to his room as his eldest son and disclosed the outcome of the meeting to me.

He told me to pack my little stuff and hook-up with Obi which also the first son of King Dede at the river bank,this scared me and asked him why? He told me about how the majority of the chief preferred monthly cash gift from the white gods to free healthcare and education that was earlier promised by the white gods.

With tears my Dad gave me a description to Mazi Buru’s house at neighbouring town near us called Ogoni,He instructed me to stay there until we get further instruction from him...
I wanted to ask many odd questions but my Dad told me to move fast as Obi might be waiting for me at the river bank by now.

Please comment to encourage more updates ��

A Land With Oil.

#Episode4: Me and Obi

#Riverbank

With my Dad instruction,I sneaked out of the compound without my mom’s conscience...headed down to the riverbank to hookup with Obi.

Obi was already there waiting for me with his little luggage, it was a very cold night with dark cloud...Obi asked me what are the instructions from my Dad? I told him everything but the first challenges was how to cross the Eke river to Mazi Buru’s village.

So I suggested we climb a tree to take cover until we see any canoe coming, we are on this tree when we saw Chief Zoro leading his fellow Chiefs with my Dad and the King tied together with robe and blindfolded.

We are both scared but we have to remain calm, this moment remains the saddest moment of my life...we watched them tortured our fathers to death and later thrown them into the river deep end with heavy stone tied to their neck.

I wanted to scream and advance at them at this point but Obi hold me down for our safety sake.

We slept on this tree till very late midnight until we saw a fishing canoe from the neighbouring village, we quickly whistle to them and we are fortunate they heed to our calls and took us across the river, I’m still shivering from the past incident.

We got to Mazi Buru’s compound before the first cock crow and we are well received, I was quick to tell him everything that happened and he told us that my father had forseen it that was why he reason with King to send I and Obi here.

He told us how Chief Zoro betrayed he entire community to bargain with the whitemen over the crude oil.

After a month with Mazi Buru, we heard story of how the white gods empowered Chief Zoro with foreign’s power to rule over Uboji.


...to be continue

Many episodes are ready but I’m not encourage without comments.

A Land With Oil.

#Episode5: Chief Zoro

#How it started

Within a year of Chief Zoro ruling the mining plant has been functioning to it full length and a big mansion was built as Zoro’s empire and his kids and the rest Chiefs’ wards were sent to abroad on scholarship.

On hearing this news, I nearly blamed my Dad for not supporting Zoro’s movement not until a month later that the tragedy happened.

There was heavy outbreak of cholera in Uboji that claimed over 50 kids’ life,the white gods want to brings in the medical experts but Chief Zoro stopped them that the attack is spiritual and the solution is to appease the Obiri god which will cost 50 thousand US dollars.

So the white gods obliged to his option and the money was giving to him and death tolls keep rising...I felt sad for my village, the Oil has been blessing to the Zoros and the few but a curse to the majority.

After this outbreak, some youth gang-up to challenge Chief Zoro on this misfortune but Chief Zoro was too smart for them, they were roped for disturbing the community peace which led to there arrest through law enforcement sent by the white gods.

I woke Obi up very late in the night to discuss with him brutally about what to do to have our lovely Uboji back but Obi declined my idea of fighting back with excuse that we are too young to fight that.

After the community youth attack, Chief Zoro recruits some able men and tagged them #ZoroGuide ,most of this able men are from neighboring villages...He empowered them with arms and charms for his safety.

ZoroGuides are so powerful that they did many odd things and went scot free with it...As all this matter unveiled Mazi Buru notice my pains and warned me to becareful, that I’m too young to fight the battle ahead.


...to be continue

A Land With Oil.

#Episode6: My greatest mistake

#Mom.

Not that I only miss Uboji but I miss my mom most, this I discussed with Mazi Buru after 2years to see my mom so I pleaded for over 2weeks before he finally granted my request to see my mom but he warned me to be very careful.

On the day of my departure to Uboji, Mazi still called me aside to warn me again on been careful with my journey to Uboji and I gave him my words to be extraordinarily careful.

I got to the river bank very early, and I was the only passenger on board so I have to wait till the canoe get full passengers,with this I adjust the cap Mazi Buru gave me to disguise...while waiting I saw a very beautiful angel of the same age with me, guided by ZoroGuide ,on seeing this I quickly recognized her as one of Chief Zoro’s daughter that was on scholarship studying abroad.

We are all forced to vacant the canoe for her alone, this got me angry but I remembered Mazi Buru’s warning so I obliged.

So we boarded the next available canoe to Uboji, on getting to Uboji I have to hide by the river bank till late night before I could approach my father’s compound.

While on the tree at the river bank, the same Zoro’s daughter came to play at the river without guide, she stood the same spot where his father murdered my Dad...this woke the devil in me and I jumped down from the tree and approached her with force and pushed her into the same deep end of the river.

She screamed so loud that attracted the ZoroGuide ,I was scared on seeing ZoroGuide approaching cause I never knew they are around...I ran so fast to the nearby forest, I kept running without looking back but my greatest fear was when I heard one of them screaming Biaku Mazuka.

With luck on my side I was able to outsmart them,I spent the night inside the huge forest with fear, in the midnight I sneaked out and follow fishermen canoe back to Ogoni, so I slept at the barn till daybreak.

When Mazi Buru saw me he was so mad at me ,I never knew how the rumour spread so fast...I was about pleading when Mazi Buru gave me shocker of my life that my Mom was murdered overnight after it was disclosed that I was the one that killed the Zoro’s daughter.

With this,I have no reason to live again, I cried so deep with sweat all over me...Obi tried to console me but I’m really down with pain and hatred for Uboji.

For the fear of been discovered Mazi Buru asked us to vacant Ogoni...a journey of thousands miles.

...to be continue

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A Land With Oil.

#Episodes7:Obiri

#Marginalization.

After the evil incident that claimed the soul of my innocent mum,we moved to Buche village from Ogoni.

The white gods want to increase the labour force at their plant so they roles-out vacancy for employment,the whole Uboji expect this to be transparent one but it was also hijacked by Chief Zoro.

In which he gave the employment to the Obiri’s worshippers alone and sidelined the Egunguns, this generates a lot of grievances within the community and it leads to battle between the two religion groups.

The Egungun had a secret meeting over this issue but the meeting was leaked out to Chief Zoro, so the next night attack was launched on Egungun chief priest’s compound and he was kidnapped in the process.

The Egunguns searched the whole village and beyond but they couldn’t find their priest, so they consulted their gods and it was revealed to them the attack was made by the Obiris so the next day they stage a protest to Chief Zoro’s compound been the Obiri’s chief priest.

On getting to Zoro’s compound the ZoroGuide attack them and the Egunguns fought back but the ZoroGuide used weapons on them that got many Egunguns wounded and left one dead.

Great Uboji has been divided into two under same community (The Egunguns and the Obiris) and Obiris enjoyed the the benefits from the white gods’ oil while the Egunguns are the less privilege and the mission of the Obiris is to eliminate the Egunguns from Uboji.

Chief Zoro told all the Obiris to be vigilant and security conscious .

#Episodes8: Back To Uboji.

#Hero.

On hearing the news of the clashed between the Egunguns and the Obiris,I felt so disappointed from staying far from my belief...I can’t bear to see the Egunguns religion dead as proposed by Chief Zoro, with this I left Buche very early the next morning without informing any soul of my motive.

I got to Uboji by 6am in the morning,I met with some Egungun’s youth secretly and I told them my motive but they said is impossible,I felt discouraged but I was courageous when one of the youth (Duru) promised to pull the movement with me.

So we left to my hideout in the forest till late night...when it was very dark we left to Chief Zoro’s compound and set the barn beside his building on fire to distract the Zoro’s compound,all his household was scared and scattered with the blazing from the barn so we snatched the opportunity and advanced into the main building and luckily for us we met Chief Zoro at the bathroom covered with soap, from behind I chained his both hands and dragged him out with the command of the local gun I got from my Dad’s armoury.

He tried to fight back but I was to fast to use my sleeping powder on him...he was really weak to the bone so I pushed him forward through the backyard straight to the deep forest I used as hideout.

Through all this process the ZoroGuide were still busy quenching the fire at the barn, so the next morning the news of Zoro been kidnapped was all over the whole town.

I tied the mighty Zoro inside a very deep hole been dug for this purpose, he woke up looking at me surprisingly.

After 24hours of kidnapping Zoro,the white gods placed a huge amount for whom ever has details on Zoro where about.

It was a very risk task but thinking of my late parents alone gave me all the courage needed for the task ahead.

#Episodes9:The Search.

#Fall.

After two weeks of kidnapping Chief Zoro the whole Uboji was so tough for the Egunguns, the Obiris threatened to kill any Egunguns within their reach so for this reason the Egunguns stay indoor.

To relief the Egunguns I sent message to both the white gods and Obiris that Chief Zoro’s life is at stake if anything should happen to any Egunguns either young or old.

This my threat really work on them, because the White gods really need Chief Zoro alive to keep their business functioning in Uboji.

The worst happened when I woke the next morning I met Chief Zoro dead with wounds of snake’s bite all over his body, with this I told Duru to get back to the community without informing anyone of Chief Zoro death.

After Duru left,I departed to boriogoni as well, I told Obi the achievement so far and he was so proud of my courage.
The Obiris still lives in the fears of not hurting the Egunguns to safe the life of their hero at captive, this lasted for over a year...The Egunguns seeks for my attention in Uboji so I went there with Obi.

I walk boldly in the company of the Egunguns straight down to the White gods’ plant to demand justice and equality for the Egunguns if they really want peace to reign Uboji or else we are ready to fight till death with the last blood in our veins.

After an hour of protesting at the white gods’ plant, they summoned me and some Egunguns’ elders inside for brief meeting and at the meeting I suggested a meeting should be schedule with the Obiris representatives and the White gods agreed to do this and get back to us.

I traveled back to Boriogoni to await the meeting and for safety sake.

What a well penned African tale.
My Writer, I want your back,
There you deserve a path.
An awesome work, I must say.
���

Thanks a lot for this encouragement...�

#Episodes10:-Egunguns.

#Power.

Everything went back to normal in Uboji without knowing the whereabouts of Chief Zoro, so I still kept this as secret till date for the safety of Egunguns.

The white gods summoned us for a meeting a month later so I went to Uboji very early the meeting day, I had a brief meeting with the Egunguns on what should be our requests from the white gods in which we listed down.

Before we got there, The Obiris are already there so the clerk ushered us in...we are briefed on the rules and regulations to have a successful meeting.

Before the meeting commence, we are arranged to sit opposite each other and we are served coffee rounds.

The white gods asked us to submit our requests list to the clerk and we are ordered to signed peace accord with the Obiris before our requests could be granted, so we seek for few minutes to deliberate on that before signing the peace accord.

The peace accord was signed by the both parties and the white gods promised to get back to us on our requests...After the successful meeting I went straight to my father’s compound to pay homage to the gods of Egungun and I later slept there till next day.

The next day I looked around my father’s compound without seeing my parents or siblings, though we have the liberty already but it cost me my whole family, I still cursed Chief Zoro at death.

I picked the hoe and cutlass to clear the environment, Obi came to visit me during the clearing and he told me about how baffled he feel if the kingship title will ever be given back to the Egunguns, I noticed his fear and told him to be courageous over the issue.

Is a very long walk to freedom.