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I was in the
newsroom last Wednesday tying up the loose ends for the Thursday Edition
of Imo Trumpeta when my colleague, Trumpeta
Weekend Editor, Mr.Victor Madumere jolted my nerves with breaking news. He unhappily announced to me that Master Chibuike
Paul Okafor, a 6 year old tumour/ cancer patient has kicked the bucket.
In other words, the little boy is dead as he gave up the fight to
survive an excruciating battle with cancer and tumour.
My
memory went back to Little Chibuike’s pitiable photograph that appeared
on the front page of Weekend Trumpeta
(Vol 2. No 51, October 26 Edition) where his father, a bus driver
narrated the pathetic ordeal of his son. His story was a chilly one and
could even move the devil to pity. In that exclusive interview, the
father said little Chibuike’s ordeal was a tortuous one having undergone
several treatments at various hospitals in the country.
According
to the father, what was needed to save the innocent child was a meagre
N3million naira! The N3million naira was never
forthcoming! Despite several appeals to well
meaning Imolites that N3million naira was all that was needed to ferry
Chibuike to India for surgical operation to remove the tumour on his
left eye, help never came his way. His precious
life was allowed to go. He was left to die. The boy died in pain. He
must have died wondering what a cruel world he came to- a place where
attention and priority are given frivolities. A place the cries and
wailings of the poor means nothing! What a world for Chibuike!
It
is unfortunate that Chibuike had to die because our rich politicians,
philanthropists, the church and the government especially, the Imo
Foundation, claimed not to have N3 Million naira to save his life. Yet
in Imo State where Chibuike hails from, we have many Churches with large
congregations who call on God to shower His blessings on us, yet they
pretend not to see the portion of the Bible that says we should give to
the poor and needy if we want to receive from the lord. They
fail to see the portion of the Bible that says we should be our
brother’s keeper. And we should love our neighbours as ourselves.
We are in a State
where the quality of cars ferried by our big men and women can save a
million Chibuikes – a State where past and present public office holders
live like kings, queens and emperors. We are in a
State that boast of philanthropists who brandish their real or
imaginary milk of human kindness only when elections are near. We are in a State where the cost of organising two owambes (birthday party) could have saved the live of
Chibuike and others in pain and misery.
Master Chibuike
comes from a State the Governor runs free education. In fact from a
State that is perceived as one that runs a welfarist policy of
governance. He comes from a State where a
Foundation was set up with State funds to carter for the less
privileged. Yet when he came asking for help from
these institutions set up to carter for the needy, the response was not
encouraging. The poor boy and his parents must
have realized that the entire package called a Foundation lacked the
wherewithal to save his life.
This is a State
politicians, especially those in public office will prefer to loot, loot
and loot. They will loot the treasury dry and stockpile their ill
gotten wealth for elections. Such loot is
stockpiled for the populace during elections. They are used as deceiving
tools to deceive the people in exchange for our votes. It
is not meant for the likes of Chibuike and those in dire need of it, it
is kept for election rigging and for the thugs and Agberos
that will carry ballot boxes on polls day.
The other aspect
of the loot is meant for the pleasures of life – to cruise expensive
cars and enjoy the filthy caresses of women of easy virtue in the
enclosure of towers of immorality. There is no place for the needy, the
motherless babies and those in penury in their hearts. Where is our
compassion? Where?
The painful death
of Master Chibuike has also kept me wondering what manner of distress
response mechanism the State Government has in place. Before Governor
Rochas Okorocha became Imo State Governor, he was mainly identified as
one who is not averse to rendering humanitarian services. Now as Imo
State Governor, one had expected immediate, sharp and effective response
mechanism put in place by the Governor to take care of the plight of
those in distress, especially those in pain and misery.
For instance,
victims of Oguta/Ohaji/Egbema flood were said to have been ignored by
the State Government when the disaster took place.
Some local
tabloids in the State claimed that it took the visit of key PDP
chieftains in the State to the flood victims to jolt the State
Government up from its slumber. That it only deemed it appropriate to
move in and console victims of the flood when it became embarrassing
that weeks after the flood, a Government that regards the people as its
integral component was yet to respond to the pains of its citizens. We were made to believe that the visits of former
Governor Ikedi Ohakim and Viola Onwuliri, the junior Minister of foreign
affairs to the flood ravaged areas jump started the State Government
into action several weeks after the disaster took place.
The welfare of the
flood victims was later submerged in a shameful scramble for the N400
Million naira the Federal Government doled out to victims of the flood
disaster in the State. We saw shameful political karate stunts by our
politicians who fought dirty over the monies for Oguta and Ohaji/Egbema
flood victims. Some went extra mile to blackmail each other in a bid to
take possession of monies meant for victims of flood in the State.
What a shame!
Based on this score, one can say that the litany of politicians who went
to Oguta and Ohaji Egbema Local Government to dash bags
of rice, beans and soap to the flood victims did so just to plant
political seeds in anticipation of a bountiful political harvest in the
future. To them, giving to victims of the flood and celebrating such act
in the media will translate to enough political capital in the future.
It is more or less a public relations stunt.
If
our politicians do have a heart of gold and claim to love victims of
the flood more than themselves, why did they not extend such aid to a
little boy ravaged by tumour/cancer? A boy the doctors said had one week
to live- a boy whose condition attracted so much media attention and
concern.
Perhaps,
they refused giving such aid or help to a tumour/cancer patient as
doing so will have no political gain or value. It
will not yield votes in 2015; neither will it be beneficial to their
various political ambitions and calculations. Because
little Master Chibuike’s ordeal will not contribute to the success of
their political ambition, he should not be catered for nor his condition
given attention. To them, giving the parents of Master Chibuike the sum
of N3 million naira for medical surgery is of no political gain. For a
House of Assembly or House of Representative aspirant, N3 Million can
help make some ‘noise’ between now and 2015! During elections, it can go
a long way to bribe electoral officials to rig elections in their
favour.
I have not singled out the political class in the State for scrutiny or tongue lashing here; but it is pertinent we tell ourselves the bitter truth. It is important we re examine the mindset of those who want to lead us. Do they have conscience? Can they offer succour to those who need it. Are they driven by the passion to serve or are they make belief comedians who smile at us when they need our votes and become conscious less when they succeed in their political endeavour?
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| LITTLE MASTER CHIBUIKE OKAFOR.....Before He Died |
We should also
critically look at those dysfunctional institutional support mechanisms
put in place by Government to carter for those in pain and misery. In a
State monies are frittered away under so many guises, I wonder why an
agency such as Imo Foundation cannot effectively to rescue so many
Chibuikes that are in desperate need for aid to survive.
It is
disheartening that we allow human lives perish simply because of the
ineffectiveness of institutions set up to look into their plight. A
society that neglects the downtrodden and the helpless does not prosper.
We should turn a
new leaf and learn to be compassionate.
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