AS IT WAS IN SAPELE I-III – BY CHRIS MUSTAPHA NWAOKOBIA

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you,

then they fight you, then you win."

- Mahatma Mohadas Gandhi.

I know a town in Delta State, nay the state of my birth. I know a town called, Sapele. I lived in the town for over a decade, I was 14 in 1985 when Civil Service job took the Nwaokobias to Sapele. I know a town that was a jambalaya of sorts, a melting-pot of ethnicities, a meeting-point of diversities, a minting-pot of religious harmony, and a melting-point of all that divide. I know a place called, Sapele.

There is indeed no educated child born before the 90s that does not know about Sapele. If you didn't visit Sapele, you read about the biggest Plywood mill in Africa, it was African Timber & Plywood, Sapele, unfortunately like most things that were the pride of Nigeria, AT & P is history.

Sapele boasts of the biggest THERMAL POWER generating station in Nigeria, but like Nigeria, Sapele has epileptic power supply. Are you surprised? Aren't we presently the second largest producer of crude oil in Africa, and the largest importer of refined petroleum products, nay a Country of benumbing ironies and befuddling contrasts.

But Sapele once worked, like Nigeria did in the 70s. Sapele is the Metaphor of my dream Nigeria. Sapele is the town where I intend to build the Nigerian equivalent of CAMP DAVID (The American Presidential Resort) when in 2019 I become the President of Nigeria. Yes, I shall build the Presidential Resort in Sapele. My dream is to take Nigeria back to Sapele. And this series shall tell you why.

I attended a school named after Nnamdi Azikiwe (Zik Grammer School) in Sapele. Sapele has roads named after most of the tribes in Nigeria. And Sapele defines unity in diversity. 

AS IT WAS IN SAPELE II

"I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift

and the battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise

nor wealth to the discerning nor favour to men of ability; for time

and chance overtake them all." - TEAM Eccles 9:11.

The deluge of positive feedback on the introduction to this series is heartwarming, even more revealing of the journey before us, shall the sequel be.

I know a Sapele that has three roads cutting across a major part of town, one is MacPherson Road, another Hausa Road, and the third, Cemetery Road. Those who named them were perhaps only being patriotic and historical, but it is more. It tells the story with Nigeria, it was a forewarning of the times ahead.

The MacPherson Constitution of 1951 was the first constitution in our nation's history that had huge input of the Nigerian people across creed and clan. It provided for revenue sharing predicated on need, derivation principles, and national interest. It was a Federal Constitution.

With MacPherson Road, Sapele became a Metaphor of TRUE FEDERALISM, DEVOLUTION OF POWER, RESOURCE CONTROL and PATRIOTISM.

Then we have Hausa Road running a parallel, due to no fault of theirs, but ours as a people and a nation. Somewhere in our history we bought into the hubris of ethnicity and threw away the values of brotherhood. We started working for regional, religious and ethnic gain, we started blaming our Igboness, Yorubaness, Hausaness and other ethnicities. And Nigeria as foretold by Sapele appears headed to the third, Cemetery Road.

Since I know Sapele, I humbly know the routes out of Cemetery Road, and I seek to navigate Nigeria to safety as President come 2019.

AS IT WAS IN SAPELE III

"I have been asked several times why it appears that I am blinded

to the divides of creed and clan, and my humble retort always is,

'out of Egypt HE brought HIS Son', speaking about Jesus The Christ.

And out of Sapele, a town without ethnic

and religious divide HE brought me." - CMN Jnr.

Sapele is a town with roads named after the major tribes and more. I know Yoruba Road, Hausa Road, Urhobo Road, Itsekiri Road, Benin Road, and amongst others, Okpe Road (formerly Igbo Road, only renamed after the Civil War). Sapele is thus a Metaphor of Nigeria, and as incumbent on Sapele we must bury the ills and the pain of the Civil War.

We must return the values of brotherhood and oneness, for which when I become President in 2019 along with the elected representatives of the people, we shall rename the Eagle Square in Abuja to UNITY SQUARE. But beyond the nomenclature, we shall take concrete steps at NATIONAL INTEGRATION centred on JUSTICE, EQUITY AND FAIRNESS to all, call it RESTRUCTURING if you like.

Sapele taught me the benevolence to rival thought, and to be lenient with opposing views. I remember the deep divide in the Western Region between the followers of Chief Awolowo and those of Chief Akintola, however Sapele has two strategic Roads named after both men. It goes to show that no matter how much we disagree, our humanity and indeed our Country must and should come first. To the HAILERS of PMB, and the WAILERS like me, now branded as HATERS, Sapele urges us to put COUNTRYFIRST.

I know a town without ethnic and religious dichotomy. I know a town where everyone is called 'AREA' be you rich or poor. I know Sapele, and I want to lead Nigeria to enduring harmony.

A NEW AND A BETTER NIGERIA IS POSSIBLE.

Chris Mustapha Nwaokobia Jnr., a Barrister-at-Law, and social critic, is a Presidential hopeful in the forthcoming 2019 Presidential election in Nigeria.