"My dear corps member,I have a question for you.But before I ask you my question,I would like to express my gratitude to the King, his royal Highness for making this clarion call. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first of its kind in this part of the country. Our rural fathers,these days have been relegated to the background, they watch helplessly as their subjects are shortchanged and abused by the political class. Here's our king daring to be different. May you live long in good health and prosperity and the enviable pace you are about to set,it is my prayer that God Almighty Bless and crown our collective efforts with success." Professor Makinde Ali stood to address the people after the brief break given immediately after the Corper's presentation. Everyone chorused 'Amin'.
"Now,my question. Is this a developmental model you found in a text book or somewhere on the internet? I'll like to know how viable it is because ... hmmm...the project as presented would gulp millions of Naira..."
"Like how much are we talking about Professor?"
"It can't be less than N100 million!" The Prof responded without thinking. The Balogun laughed shaking his head disappointedly.
"You see,young man,although, I must salute your courage and passion but,my son,this is nothing but a pipeline dream! This is why I need to know if you have a plan for the funding of this project .I don't know if you have an alternative means of funding the project,I can confidently assure you that the fundraising you hope to organize won't fetch you the kind of money you need for the project" The Prof said. Adisa laughed.
"Thank you,sir,for your observation. The fundraising is not for raising all the funding I need but to raise enough cash for kick off. I can assure you sir,that the project is self sustaining ...the project would take care of itself!" Adisa responded. The Prof nodded in agreement.
"Corper,I doubt if you understood the Prof's question. What we are saying here is that we are not interested in embarking on a white elephant project that would get half way and crash!" Balogun bellowed.
"God's grace sir,this project would be successful provided you cooperate with me." Adisa smiled.
"Thank you Corper. 'Kabieyesi o!' Greetings to the king,greetings to the chiefs,greetings to all present today. May God Almighty Who had made it possible for us to meet today make us successful all the time." Iyalode prayed. Everyone chorused 'Amin o!'
"Corper Adisa,my son, we have heard you and from the presentation you have made,it's glaring that you meant well. Personally ,I'm convinced of the workability of the project. I know that it would work well if we put hands together as a team. This is why I'm humbly seeking that we give the Corper a chance and cooperate with him and see how far we can go! Kabiyesi,I beg you to consider and grant my plea for the Corper.Kabiyesi o!" Iyalode knelt to pay homage to the King before taking her seat.
In a similar manner,every chief was summoned to say something and each agreed that they should give Adisa a chance. It was only the skeptical Balogun that added that the support would be a twice in a year thing. Every half a year,the progress of the Corper would determine if he should get more support or not. Adisa was smiling all the time. It's the King's turn to talk.
'Kabiyesi o!' Everyone chorused
"My people,I'm a very happy man today.As a matter of fact,I'm the happiest man on earth today! Corper Adisa,on behalf of the entire indigenes of this town,home and abroad,I want to thank you for your passionate love with which you have presented this proposal of yours.The way I see you now is like a son of the soil from another town,I'm really grateful,the whole town is grateful. Please,accept our gratitude." The King had begun. Corper Adisa had squatted by his seat since the time the King mentioned his name.
"Arise"the King commanded."Don't worry,stand up!" Adisa was hesitant until the Professor stood up to help him up. All that time,Kole and Rachael could not hide their amusement. This came all as a big surprise. They came to the program to make jest of Adisa when he eventually gets rejected by the royal council. To their dismay,it's the opposite of that that happened. Adisa is being celebrated! On the other hand,Shade was so happy for Adisa that she began to shed tears...tears of joy for Adisa. Her anxiety with which she came in has suddenly transformed to internal bliss and harmony. It's as though she had just been relieved of a very heavy burden.
"I don't want to say anything because I don't have much to say. The passion with which the Corper had presented his proposal had woken the Giant in me. Corper,I can see very clearly what my job is and exactly the best way to go about it. I shall be forever grateful for it!" The King continued .
"My people,the Corper is right,if there's anyone that should be concerned and ready to go any length to ensure that we continue to develop and move from strength to strength,it is I!" The King said,beating his chest.
"Truly,no one can be more passionate about Ijinle kingdom than the Ijinle people...Corper,I get your message and I'm ready to set the pace for all other kings of Nigeria to follow!" The King declared. The people shouted 'Kabiyesi o!!!'
"I'm,therefore,declaring to you,Corper, my unconditional support for your project. Just ask and you shall be given if it's within my reach!" The king said pointing towards the Corper. Balogun was shocked to hear this. He had hoped the King would agree with him and place the Corper on his toes.
"Balogun,I understand your view very,very well and I know you are right. But,I want you to observe the uniqueness of the Corper's plan. His plan is putting everything within our reach...we don't need anyone's support or approval to make or execute virtually every step in the plan. Never have I seen a beautiful plan as this! I also want you to note that everything in the plan revolves around and about the town. This is why I'm suggesting we give him a free hand. But,as you have rightly suggested,we shall be demanding for account of his stewardship every 6 months...I have spoken!!!" The King declared. Everyone around chorused 'Kabiyesi o!'
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
Call to duty #8
Wednesday, January 10, 2018
Call To Duty # 7
"I must warn,however,that the move forward is a long,difficult and challenging move indeed.This is not to scare anyone,but,to strength us and help keep our resolve to advance to greater heights in very high spirits!" Adisa continued.
"Having said that,I'll like to begin by presenting a skeletal outlook of the whole project.I call the project 'Project A'." Adisa said and his audience gave a round of applause.Just about the same time, Rachael and Kole walked into the court.They were directed by a hand gesture to join Shade at the back of Adisa.
"Project A has 3 main phases;the first phase is the 'Fundraising',the second is the 'The lay of Foundation' while the third phase is the 'Get to work' phase. The first phase that's the fundraising phase has to do with the most challenging This is because it's why you make sacrifice without expecting anything in return" Adisa continued.By now,the whole court is as silent as a graveyard as everyone in the court is paying rapt attention to the Corper in the spotlight.
"But I tell you,without the sacrificial contributions,this project has no life and would be dead on arrival.Come to think of it,you won't be putting in too much and it won't be a lifelong levy...it's just a token required of you as a true son or daughter of the soil.It's the token that would go down in history to be instrumental in the rapid development of Ijinle town. One thing I can assure you is that your name shall be written down in the book of history of Ijinle town and consequently in the history books of Nigeria as a great philanthropist and patriot that put the town and country's interests ahead of his personal interests" Adisa explains. Once again,there was another round of applause. Adisa's confidence is hitting the rooftop it shows overwhelmingly in the tune of his voice which seem to inspire his audience to give a louder applause each time they had to clap.Shade was beaming with smiles all along while Kole and Rachael watch with awe.
"To really get it right doesn't cost as much as we think it would if each and everyone of us contributes his or her own quarter to national development.The second phase which is the foundation phase is where we look inwards and assess what we have and how we can use it ti get what we want.Straight to the point,this is where we go back to memory lane,this is where we go back to history to find out we are known for traditionally...as in the job that our fore-fathers are known for.From my little findings,I learnt that it is agriculture.The staple food of the town was pounded yam while the major cash crop the town is known for is the palm tree." Adisa revealed.The King,his chiefs and all the elderly persons in the gathering nodded approvingly. Adisa was happy to see this.
"With the funds to be raised,we shall re-awaken this sleeping giant in us and bring the town back to live!" He declared.Everyone gave a thunderous round of applause.Balogun didn't know when he stood up to applaud the young man who smiled excitedly back at him.
"It is from this very familiar background we shall spring up and generate the much needed revenue to get the third phase started.The 'Get to Work' phase.In the get to work phase,funds from the the foundation stage shall be strategically expended to make life a lot easier and comfortable for the residents of this great town.A major aspect of life that would be tackled is food sufficiency,security and education..." Adisa continued to thrill his audience with the simplicity of his plans for the town.
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Akanni has not been himself ever since the night his wife would allowed him full access after a very long break.'Komolafe's right' He thought to himself.To win the heart of a woman,you must be ready to spend generously on her.There he was with barely enough to feed on.They'd had to skip lunch most of the time.Even dinner at times is a big problem.It was at that point that she became very aggressive and apprehensive.
He's been thinking very deeply about a way out.He trying extremely hard to fashion out a legal and easy way to make enough money to keep the sanity of his home that have just recently resumed.The N3 000 gift from Aro is fast fading out and unless he finds a way to make a little more in the next few days,he'll be back to 'square one'.God forbid!
"Having said that,I'll like to begin by presenting a skeletal outlook of the whole project.I call the project 'Project A'." Adisa said and his audience gave a round of applause.Just about the same time, Rachael and Kole walked into the court.They were directed by a hand gesture to join Shade at the back of Adisa.
"Project A has 3 main phases;the first phase is the 'Fundraising',the second is the 'The lay of Foundation' while the third phase is the 'Get to work' phase. The first phase that's the fundraising phase has to do with the most challenging This is because it's why you make sacrifice without expecting anything in return" Adisa continued.By now,the whole court is as silent as a graveyard as everyone in the court is paying rapt attention to the Corper in the spotlight.
"But I tell you,without the sacrificial contributions,this project has no life and would be dead on arrival.Come to think of it,you won't be putting in too much and it won't be a lifelong levy...it's just a token required of you as a true son or daughter of the soil.It's the token that would go down in history to be instrumental in the rapid development of Ijinle town. One thing I can assure you is that your name shall be written down in the book of history of Ijinle town and consequently in the history books of Nigeria as a great philanthropist and patriot that put the town and country's interests ahead of his personal interests" Adisa explains. Once again,there was another round of applause. Adisa's confidence is hitting the rooftop it shows overwhelmingly in the tune of his voice which seem to inspire his audience to give a louder applause each time they had to clap.Shade was beaming with smiles all along while Kole and Rachael watch with awe.
"To really get it right doesn't cost as much as we think it would if each and everyone of us contributes his or her own quarter to national development.The second phase which is the foundation phase is where we look inwards and assess what we have and how we can use it ti get what we want.Straight to the point,this is where we go back to memory lane,this is where we go back to history to find out we are known for traditionally...as in the job that our fore-fathers are known for.From my little findings,I learnt that it is agriculture.The staple food of the town was pounded yam while the major cash crop the town is known for is the palm tree." Adisa revealed.The King,his chiefs and all the elderly persons in the gathering nodded approvingly. Adisa was happy to see this.
"With the funds to be raised,we shall re-awaken this sleeping giant in us and bring the town back to live!" He declared.Everyone gave a thunderous round of applause.Balogun didn't know when he stood up to applaud the young man who smiled excitedly back at him.
"It is from this very familiar background we shall spring up and generate the much needed revenue to get the third phase started.The 'Get to Work' phase.In the get to work phase,funds from the the foundation stage shall be strategically expended to make life a lot easier and comfortable for the residents of this great town.A major aspect of life that would be tackled is food sufficiency,security and education..." Adisa continued to thrill his audience with the simplicity of his plans for the town.
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Akanni has not been himself ever since the night his wife would allowed him full access after a very long break.'Komolafe's right' He thought to himself.To win the heart of a woman,you must be ready to spend generously on her.There he was with barely enough to feed on.They'd had to skip lunch most of the time.Even dinner at times is a big problem.It was at that point that she became very aggressive and apprehensive.
He's been thinking very deeply about a way out.He trying extremely hard to fashion out a legal and easy way to make enough money to keep the sanity of his home that have just recently resumed.The N3 000 gift from Aro is fast fading out and unless he finds a way to make a little more in the next few days,he'll be back to 'square one'.God forbid!
Sunday, January 7, 2018
Call To Duty # 6
It's 3 a.m. early in the morning when the alarm of Corper Adisa's phone rang.He wasn't really sleeping when it did.He hardly slept all night long.He couldn't tell if it was excitement or anxiety that had so much overwhelmed him to have denied him his much needed night rest!
All the same,he has to get up and begin preparing for the day.After his normal stretching,twisting and bending,he did his normal 50 push ups and 30 minutes non-stop skipping before heading out to fetch water for his bath.
"Adisa,how far? Good morning!"
"Hey,what's up Shade?"
"I'm fine,I'm cool.How about you?"
"Me?Cool as always"
"Wow! That's awesome!I can't imagine a guy facing the Council of Elders to be feeling cool about anything o!"
Adisa laughed
"You are so funny!I don't see any big deal in that...probably because I've been looking forward to such an opportunity as this for a very long time now"
"Really?"
"Yea!"
"Hmmm?Nawa o!"
"You see,my dear,I've been scheming and planning for a very long time...as in stuffs that have very simple and plain solutions have proved so difficult hard that people perambulate around them aimlessly without solving them.I haven't been able to prove any of my theories true.Finally,here it is!" Adisa explained excitedly. Shade was happy to see him in such a high spirit.
'And there was I having sleepless night over him!' she thought to herself.
"Do you understand?" Adisa asked
"Of course,I do" Shade nodded "It's just that I don't know if I can come along?" She asked.Adisa looked surprised.He wasn't expecting it. Especially the shyness with which she requested it.
"Oh,it's okay...no problem!"
"Okay?"
"Okay!"
"Okay,see you later in the morning"
"Yep!" Adisa responded as he moves towards the well while Shade makes her way back to her room.
"Ehen! By what time are you leaving for the Palace?" Shade asked
"Yea,I shall be leaving by 9:30 a.m. prompt."
"Then,I'll be coming to your room by 9."
"Okay,that's fine,I'll be expecting you,then!"
"Yea,bye." Shade responded in a rather sweet tone that sent a little shiver down the spine of Adisa.That's the kind of shiver that one feels when one has just fallen in love.Though strange,Adisa recognizes it and was kind of pleased with it.
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Akanni had just woken up from his slumber.He stretched himself with both hands up as he let out a very big yawn. Last night reminded him of the honeymoon days after his marriage to Keji his beloved wife. Everything came back flashing in his head as though it happened yesterday. How could he ever forget the sweet memories of those days. It was like a week in Paradise with an angel!
'Nawa o! Money dey try o!When was the last time I enjoyed Keji like this? Just N2 500 fa and she gave me all that 5-star treatment! What if I came home with N5 000 or N10 000?Kai! Money good for body o!' He thought to himself as he approached the bathroom to ease himself.
He looked back at his bed to take another glance at the sleeping beauty in it. 'How I wish everyday would be this sweet! I wish the money can keep on coming in like this...ha! My God,na where your eyes dey?!' He queried as he shut the door to the toilet.
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"Your Royal Highness,Kabiyesi,the Council of Chiefs,distinguished ladies and gentlemen here present,my name is Mustapha Salman Adisa and I'm here to present a blueprint on the advancement and the Development of this noble town of ours,Ijinle." Adisa began his presentation. Along with the King and the Chiefs sat some eminent sons and daughters of Ijinle town who live nearby.Most came from the state capital while the remaining few came from neighboring towns and villages. They were seventeen in number.
"By the order of his royal highness,I have put together this little piece by which,as far as I know,this town would be moved to very great and enviable heights,God Willing" Adisa continued. Shade who was also in her full Khaki and boots as was Adisa was seated behind him praying for the safe delivery and acceptance of the blueprint.As far as she can tell,the plan is feasible and realistic enough,the problem has always been the fear of discarding it without a trial.Though Adisa is not worried about that,but she is very worried.
'What would the world think and say about us,what would our fellow corps members,especially Rachael and Kole say if he should fail?Hey! God,please o,he must not fail o!' Shade thought to herself.
All the same,he has to get up and begin preparing for the day.After his normal stretching,twisting and bending,he did his normal 50 push ups and 30 minutes non-stop skipping before heading out to fetch water for his bath.
"Adisa,how far? Good morning!"
"Hey,what's up Shade?"
"I'm fine,I'm cool.How about you?"
"Me?Cool as always"
"Wow! That's awesome!I can't imagine a guy facing the Council of Elders to be feeling cool about anything o!"
Adisa laughed
"You are so funny!I don't see any big deal in that...probably because I've been looking forward to such an opportunity as this for a very long time now"
"Really?"
"Yea!"
"Hmmm?Nawa o!"
"You see,my dear,I've been scheming and planning for a very long time...as in stuffs that have very simple and plain solutions have proved so difficult hard that people perambulate around them aimlessly without solving them.I haven't been able to prove any of my theories true.Finally,here it is!" Adisa explained excitedly. Shade was happy to see him in such a high spirit.
'And there was I having sleepless night over him!' she thought to herself.
"Do you understand?" Adisa asked
"Of course,I do" Shade nodded "It's just that I don't know if I can come along?" She asked.Adisa looked surprised.He wasn't expecting it. Especially the shyness with which she requested it.
"Oh,it's okay...no problem!"
"Okay?"
"Okay!"
"Okay,see you later in the morning"
"Yep!" Adisa responded as he moves towards the well while Shade makes her way back to her room.
"Ehen! By what time are you leaving for the Palace?" Shade asked
"Yea,I shall be leaving by 9:30 a.m. prompt."
"Then,I'll be coming to your room by 9."
"Okay,that's fine,I'll be expecting you,then!"
"Yea,bye." Shade responded in a rather sweet tone that sent a little shiver down the spine of Adisa.That's the kind of shiver that one feels when one has just fallen in love.Though strange,Adisa recognizes it and was kind of pleased with it.
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Akanni had just woken up from his slumber.He stretched himself with both hands up as he let out a very big yawn. Last night reminded him of the honeymoon days after his marriage to Keji his beloved wife. Everything came back flashing in his head as though it happened yesterday. How could he ever forget the sweet memories of those days. It was like a week in Paradise with an angel!
'Nawa o! Money dey try o!When was the last time I enjoyed Keji like this? Just N2 500 fa and she gave me all that 5-star treatment! What if I came home with N5 000 or N10 000?Kai! Money good for body o!' He thought to himself as he approached the bathroom to ease himself.
He looked back at his bed to take another glance at the sleeping beauty in it. 'How I wish everyday would be this sweet! I wish the money can keep on coming in like this...ha! My God,na where your eyes dey?!' He queried as he shut the door to the toilet.
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"Your Royal Highness,Kabiyesi,the Council of Chiefs,distinguished ladies and gentlemen here present,my name is Mustapha Salman Adisa and I'm here to present a blueprint on the advancement and the Development of this noble town of ours,Ijinle." Adisa began his presentation. Along with the King and the Chiefs sat some eminent sons and daughters of Ijinle town who live nearby.Most came from the state capital while the remaining few came from neighboring towns and villages. They were seventeen in number.
"By the order of his royal highness,I have put together this little piece by which,as far as I know,this town would be moved to very great and enviable heights,God Willing" Adisa continued. Shade who was also in her full Khaki and boots as was Adisa was seated behind him praying for the safe delivery and acceptance of the blueprint.As far as she can tell,the plan is feasible and realistic enough,the problem has always been the fear of discarding it without a trial.Though Adisa is not worried about that,but she is very worried.
'What would the world think and say about us,what would our fellow corps members,especially Rachael and Kole say if he should fail?Hey! God,please o,he must not fail o!' Shade thought to herself.
Thursday, January 4, 2018
Call to Duty # 5
It's been a week after the encounter with the Corper and the Balogun and Otun were relaxing under the big kolanut tree in front of Otun's house with a gourd of fresh palm wine and fried bush meat.
"Otun,tomorrow is the D-day?"
"Hmmm?" Otun queried with his mouth half full of wine.
"Ehen,now...the Corper...corper Adisa,have you forgotten?"
"Oh! Yes,that's true,the young man with a very big mouth!" They both laughed sarcastically.
"That boy,does not know anything and I pity him,oh,I pity the woman that bore him,by the time the King is through with him,he would beg the mother earth to swallow him alive!" Balogun commented.
"Well,I don't know because...hmmm...that boyseem so sure himself,he spoke so confidently about his plans for the village" Otun observed.
"Oh,please spare me that! Is he the first to do that,haven't we seen and attended countless number of politicians coming up to give similar speeches in the past,what exactly has that brought us? Nothing! Just a bunch of lies rehearsed for so long that they can say them out and make them look like they are true!" Balogun barked.
"Well,I don't know,but,something tells that this one is different...especially when we consider the fact that the politicians are beyond our reach while the Corper is at our beck and call..."
"That's it! That's a fact the Corper is about to realize in a very bitter way.He might be hoping to fool us with his sugar coated mouth and build a castle in the air and disappear into thin air after the completion of his term as a corper here.He is in for a shocker! I shall see to it that he stayed back to work the magic he promised to work.I'll let him see clearly that he is the fool not us! I will show him pepper!" Balogun declared in anger.
"Calm down,Balogun,calm down.I doubt if he's that stupid.If he is,well,I pity his father along with his mother,in fact,I pity his entire family for the loss incurred in him!" Both men laughed wildly.
"Wo,change the subject please,there are much better things to discuss.Tomorrow,we shall here his plans...ehehn,what of the proposed hotel your friend is intending to build in this town,how far has he gone with it? We have done our part when is he paying our balance as agreed"
"Otuuuun!You like money!"
"You nko,what do you like,poverty?"
"Eh!God forbid!"
"Ehehn,yan me better jare!" Otun inquired
"Well,as promised,he is coming to town next week and..." Balogun began.
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Jamiu and Akanni were struggling over a bowl of garri and 'Kuli-Kuli' (groundnut cake) when busted into their presence and almost spilled their garri.
"Ah-ah!Ogbeni,se o si,what's wrong with you,you won put shine-shine for our garri ni?!" Jamiu protested.
"I'm sorry,I'm sorry" Komolafe apologized. "Have you heard?"
"Heard what?" Akanni and Jamiu chorused.
"Aro is now a millionaire!"
"Which Aro...eh-eh-eh...that drunkard?!" Jamiu queried
"Yes,yes,he's the one!" Komolafe confirmed it.
"Millionaire,how...how come?!" Akanni asked. Komolafe slammed Jamiu's hand with a flyer.Jamiu quickly looked through the piece of paper with popping eyes.He suddenly hissed and passed the paper to Akanni who was equally eager to know the new magic in town.
"Gambling?" Jamiu asked and hissed again before Komolafe could respond.
"It's not gambling o,they call this one 'Bettings'..."
"It's the same thing,otondo!" Jamiu interrupted
"How much did he win?" Akanni asked
"Who cares if he had won N100 million,the fact remains that he got it from gambling!" Jamiu said before Komolafe could answer.
"And so,what does it matter,is it not better than stealing,armed robbery and the embezzlement of government fund? At least,he didn't have to steal it...he only tried his luck and won!" Komolafe responded in defense. Jamiu started laughing.
"See this one o!I'm sorry,but,I didn't realize that you are this daft!" Jamiu barked.
"Hey,hey,hey!!! No insults,please, no abusive words today.If you have something to say,just say it!There is no need to fight over such a trivial issue as this,please!" Akanni weighed in.
"Thank you jare,Akanni.However,he needs to apologize for hauling insults on me before we can continue" Komolafe protested. Jamiu looked at him and hissed looking away.
"Jamiu,oya now haba!"
"What?!"
"Aplogize now!" Akanni demanded. Jamiu paused for a while looking away
"I'm sorry,but,it's unfortunate that such stupid thing could excite you this much"
"In as much as I agree with you,it's still not enough reason to abuse him"
"I know and I'm sorry.But,come to think of it,how many people with long lasting wealth do you know that made their first million from gambling,what am I even saying,how many existing millionaires do you know made their money from gambling or...betting as you call it,how many hmmm?" Jamiu asked in a friendly manner. His friends were silent.
"None,abi? why then,do you rejoice with someone who made an easy million,do you need to be told that such money don't last long? I give him a year...just a year,that is when he thinks of investing it,come back to see the business or investment a year afterwards and tell me what would be left of it!" Jamiu continued.
"Hmmm...that's true o! That is when you win.We shouldn't forget that countless number of people had to loose for him to win. This is not to forget the gambling house owners themselves,don't they too need money.I don't know about anyone else o,but,as for me,before I can give out a million Naira to anyone,I would have had N100 million paid into my account!" Akanni observed.
"Hm! God bless you for that statement!" Jamiu said in agreement.
"But...but...considering the amount it costs to enter into it,I mean,N100 won't kill you!" Komolafe queried looking worried.
"Yes,you are right.But,in reality,how many people play for the first time and with just one entry and made a million,how many do you know,how many have you heard of?! Ogbeni,reason! The Gambling house owner did not set it up so that you can win,he set it up so that he can win!Like I said earlier,for every million you win and cash out,the game owners would have made hundreds of millions,that's why they keep coming back for you...they making millions to billions from your foolishness!" Akanni explained.
"Wait,Akanni,wait,let me help.Ogbeni,how many senators,governors or their family do you know that has taken to gambling as profession or past time? None! That's because you can only hope to loose more money than you make from such useless fronts!" Jamiu declared.
"Otun,tomorrow is the D-day?"
"Hmmm?" Otun queried with his mouth half full of wine.
"Ehen,now...the Corper...corper Adisa,have you forgotten?"
"Oh! Yes,that's true,the young man with a very big mouth!" They both laughed sarcastically.
"That boy,does not know anything and I pity him,oh,I pity the woman that bore him,by the time the King is through with him,he would beg the mother earth to swallow him alive!" Balogun commented.
"Well,I don't know because...hmmm...that boyseem so sure himself,he spoke so confidently about his plans for the village" Otun observed.
"Oh,please spare me that! Is he the first to do that,haven't we seen and attended countless number of politicians coming up to give similar speeches in the past,what exactly has that brought us? Nothing! Just a bunch of lies rehearsed for so long that they can say them out and make them look like they are true!" Balogun barked.
"Well,I don't know,but,something tells that this one is different...especially when we consider the fact that the politicians are beyond our reach while the Corper is at our beck and call..."
"That's it! That's a fact the Corper is about to realize in a very bitter way.He might be hoping to fool us with his sugar coated mouth and build a castle in the air and disappear into thin air after the completion of his term as a corper here.He is in for a shocker! I shall see to it that he stayed back to work the magic he promised to work.I'll let him see clearly that he is the fool not us! I will show him pepper!" Balogun declared in anger.
"Calm down,Balogun,calm down.I doubt if he's that stupid.If he is,well,I pity his father along with his mother,in fact,I pity his entire family for the loss incurred in him!" Both men laughed wildly.
"Wo,change the subject please,there are much better things to discuss.Tomorrow,we shall here his plans...ehehn,what of the proposed hotel your friend is intending to build in this town,how far has he gone with it? We have done our part when is he paying our balance as agreed"
"Otuuuun!You like money!"
"You nko,what do you like,poverty?"
"Eh!God forbid!"
"Ehehn,yan me better jare!" Otun inquired
"Well,as promised,he is coming to town next week and..." Balogun began.
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Jamiu and Akanni were struggling over a bowl of garri and 'Kuli-Kuli' (groundnut cake) when busted into their presence and almost spilled their garri.
"Ah-ah!Ogbeni,se o si,what's wrong with you,you won put shine-shine for our garri ni?!" Jamiu protested.
"I'm sorry,I'm sorry" Komolafe apologized. "Have you heard?"
"Heard what?" Akanni and Jamiu chorused.
"Aro is now a millionaire!"
"Which Aro...eh-eh-eh...that drunkard?!" Jamiu queried
"Yes,yes,he's the one!" Komolafe confirmed it.
"Millionaire,how...how come?!" Akanni asked. Komolafe slammed Jamiu's hand with a flyer.Jamiu quickly looked through the piece of paper with popping eyes.He suddenly hissed and passed the paper to Akanni who was equally eager to know the new magic in town.
"Gambling?" Jamiu asked and hissed again before Komolafe could respond.
"It's not gambling o,they call this one 'Bettings'..."
"It's the same thing,otondo!" Jamiu interrupted
"How much did he win?" Akanni asked
"Who cares if he had won N100 million,the fact remains that he got it from gambling!" Jamiu said before Komolafe could answer.
"And so,what does it matter,is it not better than stealing,armed robbery and the embezzlement of government fund? At least,he didn't have to steal it...he only tried his luck and won!" Komolafe responded in defense. Jamiu started laughing.
"See this one o!I'm sorry,but,I didn't realize that you are this daft!" Jamiu barked.
"Hey,hey,hey!!! No insults,please, no abusive words today.If you have something to say,just say it!There is no need to fight over such a trivial issue as this,please!" Akanni weighed in.
"Thank you jare,Akanni.However,he needs to apologize for hauling insults on me before we can continue" Komolafe protested. Jamiu looked at him and hissed looking away.
"Jamiu,oya now haba!"
"What?!"
"Aplogize now!" Akanni demanded. Jamiu paused for a while looking away
"I'm sorry,but,it's unfortunate that such stupid thing could excite you this much"
"In as much as I agree with you,it's still not enough reason to abuse him"
"I know and I'm sorry.But,come to think of it,how many people with long lasting wealth do you know that made their first million from gambling,what am I even saying,how many existing millionaires do you know made their money from gambling or...betting as you call it,how many hmmm?" Jamiu asked in a friendly manner. His friends were silent.
"None,abi? why then,do you rejoice with someone who made an easy million,do you need to be told that such money don't last long? I give him a year...just a year,that is when he thinks of investing it,come back to see the business or investment a year afterwards and tell me what would be left of it!" Jamiu continued.
"Hmmm...that's true o! That is when you win.We shouldn't forget that countless number of people had to loose for him to win. This is not to forget the gambling house owners themselves,don't they too need money.I don't know about anyone else o,but,as for me,before I can give out a million Naira to anyone,I would have had N100 million paid into my account!" Akanni observed.
"Hm! God bless you for that statement!" Jamiu said in agreement.
"But...but...considering the amount it costs to enter into it,I mean,N100 won't kill you!" Komolafe queried looking worried.
"Yes,you are right.But,in reality,how many people play for the first time and with just one entry and made a million,how many do you know,how many have you heard of?! Ogbeni,reason! The Gambling house owner did not set it up so that you can win,he set it up so that he can win!Like I said earlier,for every million you win and cash out,the game owners would have made hundreds of millions,that's why they keep coming back for you...they making millions to billions from your foolishness!" Akanni explained.
"Wait,Akanni,wait,let me help.Ogbeni,how many senators,governors or their family do you know that has taken to gambling as profession or past time? None! That's because you can only hope to loose more money than you make from such useless fronts!" Jamiu declared.
"Ehn...okay.What are we going to do,are we not going to collect our own share of the money. Our friend have just made N2.5 million and every Dick and Harry in town have been paying him visits and have been smiling home with thousands. So,far,none have left with anything less than N1000!"
"N1000?!" Akanbi asked
"Yes o!" Komolafe answered.
"Ehn,Jamiu,at this juncture,I think we need to put morality and reality aside and think of our dear poor belly and our integrity and ego that have suffered humiliation several times over in the hands of our wives. I trust Aro,if he see me today,at all,at all e go sama me with at least...hmmm...N3000 and that,my brother is sure ticket to enter Keji tonight!" Akanni said and they all busted into laughter.
"Akanni,kanni! Ha! Keji is in trouble tonight!" Jamiu hailed his friend.
"Yes o,she is and na throughout tonight I go take nak am....so,I no com shop early tomorrow, na because I won take one leg reach Paradise!" Akanni annpunced.They all laughed again.Jamiu finished off the rest of the garri as they set to follow Komolafe to rejoice with Aro.
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
Call To Duty #4
"Have you noticed something Rachael?"
"What?"
"Ever since Adisa came back from the Palace,he has not been himself" Kole observed
"What do you expect?The poor guy have just landed himself in a very hot pot of soup!" They both laughed.
"And what is so funny in that?" Shade demanded as she approached them at the centre of the Corpers' lodge compound.
"Eh! Sorry o! Im wife don land o!" Rachael announced
"Why don't you guys,mind your business if you have nothing ggod to offer?"
"No vex abeg! Shade,abeg no let im know abeg,I no want wahala o!" Kole begged
"If e hear nko,shey na we say make im go talk wetin pass im mouth,na we put am for trouble?"
"Trouble,what are you talking about?"
"Oh,you don't know,so you don't know that the King have heard of the mockery your husband made of the him? The King have summoned him to explain himself and from the look of things,your husband would be spending an extra 6 months in this horrible town without pay!" Rachael said and laughed mockingly. Kole had joined her as Shade watched them laugh as though laughing is strange to her.When they stopped laughing,she clapped her hands in amusement .
"Shoo? Enemy plenty like this?Do you guys realized that what happened to Adisa could happen to anyone,besides,who told you that he's going to serve an extension,na who tell you that,shey na the Z.I. or you just dey ,manufacture am from your industry of lies?"Shade queried. Rachael started laughing again.
"Babe,you too local,you never upgrade,that one no be secret na,in fact,na the talk of the town now.As part of his punishment for insulting the King,he'll have to stay back to serve the town for extra 6 months after which the NYSC year of service is over.Abegi,na who go dey pay am,the King?" Kole started laughing and she quickly joined.Shade walked away.
"Uuuuh! e pain am! Go meet your husband,tell am make e take heart,e go soon dey over" Rachael shouted. Shade shook her head in disappointment. It's not like she didn't know what had transpired between Adisa and the King,in fact she knew that the extra 6 months wasn't a punishment.She knew it was Adisa's idea. This is because she was the only one that approached Adisa to know what transpired between him and the King.
'I only wish Adisa would be my date as they say' She thought to herself as she passed by Adisa's room peeping through the window. Adisa was still planning and scheming,the only thing he's been doing every evening ever since he came back from the King's Palace.
'This could be my break through in life,Shade.So, be happy for me!' He had confided in her.She smiled as she the scene flashed through her mind. 'I'm happy for you dear,I just hope I'll also be there to enjoy the dividends with you...love!' She smiled again,only this time on the verge of laughing.
"What?"
"Ever since Adisa came back from the Palace,he has not been himself" Kole observed
"What do you expect?The poor guy have just landed himself in a very hot pot of soup!" They both laughed.
"And what is so funny in that?" Shade demanded as she approached them at the centre of the Corpers' lodge compound.
"Eh! Sorry o! Im wife don land o!" Rachael announced
"Why don't you guys,mind your business if you have nothing ggod to offer?"
"No vex abeg! Shade,abeg no let im know abeg,I no want wahala o!" Kole begged
"If e hear nko,shey na we say make im go talk wetin pass im mouth,na we put am for trouble?"
"Trouble,what are you talking about?"
"Oh,you don't know,so you don't know that the King have heard of the mockery your husband made of the him? The King have summoned him to explain himself and from the look of things,your husband would be spending an extra 6 months in this horrible town without pay!" Rachael said and laughed mockingly. Kole had joined her as Shade watched them laugh as though laughing is strange to her.When they stopped laughing,she clapped her hands in amusement .
"Shoo? Enemy plenty like this?Do you guys realized that what happened to Adisa could happen to anyone,besides,who told you that he's going to serve an extension,na who tell you that,shey na the Z.I. or you just dey ,manufacture am from your industry of lies?"Shade queried. Rachael started laughing again.
"Babe,you too local,you never upgrade,that one no be secret na,in fact,na the talk of the town now.As part of his punishment for insulting the King,he'll have to stay back to serve the town for extra 6 months after which the NYSC year of service is over.Abegi,na who go dey pay am,the King?" Kole started laughing and she quickly joined.Shade walked away.
"Uuuuh! e pain am! Go meet your husband,tell am make e take heart,e go soon dey over" Rachael shouted. Shade shook her head in disappointment. It's not like she didn't know what had transpired between Adisa and the King,in fact she knew that the extra 6 months wasn't a punishment.She knew it was Adisa's idea. This is because she was the only one that approached Adisa to know what transpired between him and the King.
'I only wish Adisa would be my date as they say' She thought to herself as she passed by Adisa's room peeping through the window. Adisa was still planning and scheming,the only thing he's been doing every evening ever since he came back from the King's Palace.
'This could be my break through in life,Shade.So, be happy for me!' He had confided in her.She smiled as she the scene flashed through her mind. 'I'm happy for you dear,I just hope I'll also be there to enjoy the dividends with you...love!' She smiled again,only this time on the verge of laughing.
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Call To Duty #40
The Local Government Chairman has been very busy. He had been so busy that he had almost forgot all about his political party that brought h...
