Memoir From A Troubled Land
by Onwunmelu, Wisdom Nnadozie
Chinelo suddenly paused the song she was singing as the sponge she used in scrubbing her body gradually approached her waist line. Uzochi, a popular drunkard in Umuaka village had in one of his drunk-jokes hinted that a woman stops singing in the bathroom when she starts cleaning her private parts. This statement, Chinelo has over time discovered to be true. Soon, she was done scrubbing and continued singing.
It was noon, and the second time Chinelo was taking her bath. Unlike other days she bathed twice to quail the heat. Today, a training program for women she was attending prompted her to bath now. ‘Nelo, Nelo, Nelo Imechago?’ Nelo, Nelo, Nelo are you done? Could be heard from a distance. Chinelo knew it was Ifenyinwa her friend, so she ignored the call, as she gently combed her hair. It was ‘customary’ for Ifenyinwa to call her three times, without listening if she answered. Ifenyinwa had become a friend of hers since childhood. ‘Nelo, you have already taken your bath. Well, I came to tell you that I will not be attending the training with you today. Mama and I are going to the farm to mulch, because the sun is making our crops die' Ifenyinwa said. Chinelo who felt disappointed added ‘nsogbu adiro', no problem. I will tell you everything that happened when I return, she announced. The two hugged, and both made their way to the exit door.
Chinelo a pretty, busty, and tall young lady, in her early thirties, was among individuals that have witnessed a great transformation in Umuaka village. From being a village, which in Chinelo’s childhood years was blessed with beautiful landscapes, a flowing stream, tall trees that graced the paths, as well as possessing the very popular Ahia Eke Umuaka, which was the pride of every son and daughter of Umuaka, to now becoming a village hunted by heat and scorching sun, strange illnesses, death, poverty and also gradually recovering from plastic pollution and deforestation.
This transformation in Umuaka can be traced back to the reign of chief Udemba, a one-time community prime minister of Umuaka, who sold a portion of the community’s land to an Energy company whose activities involved burning coal and crude oil. The company’s activities shortly after commencing operation caused the roofs of many houses in Umuaka to turn to be covered with soot as well as the leaves of trees and vegetables. Umuaka men gathered and deliberated on what action to take to stop the company’s activities, Umuaka youths protested, while Umuaka women cried. Yet, the company operated with little or no recourse to various agitations. Maybe, because Chief Udemba had told them not to worry about the complaints. Nine years later, Chief Udemba handed over the mantle of leadership to Chief Ezeike. He left office, destroying what Umuaka was known for. Chief Udemba had sold off all the trees in Umuaka to a wood company, who in less than 3 months hewn down all the trees in Umuaka. Umuaka elders were helpless. Chief Udemba had given each family a sum of 5,000 NGN from proceeds of the sales of the trees.
Life in Umuaka turned from bad to worse. The Ikenga stream, the only source of water in Umuaka have become undrinkable, following its pollution with plastics and waste from Elixir factory. Elixir factory, a polythene bag and plastic production factory situated in Umuaka, shortly after commencing operation began channelling their waste close to Ikenga stream; Chief Ezeike had in his first moments in office sold a portion of Umuaka land to Elixir factory.
Now, the indigenes of Umuaka were taunted badly. The trees which protected them was no more. Their water, now contaminated. The houses and vegetables they cultivated were covered with soot. Eke market day in Umuaka, was now a ghost of itself, as nothing was brought out for sales. To crown it all, strange sicknesses and death held sway.
The company contracted by the state government to assess the level of environmental damage, in Umuaka have gone far in the environmental reclamation process, shortly after changes in Umuaka was reported to the government by a local media. The state governor, who once visited Umuaka to assess the level of damage had made a statement that seemed striking to Chinelo. He said. ‘ I am very passionate about the environmental restoration of this community. Now, scientists have warned that by 2050, over half of the world could face water scarcity, unsafe levels of air pollution and unpredictable weather events. My administration will not let that happen or begin in Umuaka. My administration will ensure that Umuaka community, as well as other communities in this state facing a similar challenge, is completely restored to an eco-friendly atmosphere, where deforestation, water and air pollution, as well as unpredictable weather events will be a thing of the past. My administration intends to achieve this in Umuaka, by first ensuring the complete dredging of Ikenga stream, erecting a solar borehole, and immediately suspending any factory whose activities poses a threat to the health and well-being of Umuaka indigenes. I want to rebuild an Umuaka which by 2050, the future generation will be proud of. An Umuaka that will be recognized as the green city of Africa’. The governor wittingly said, ‘I want posterity to recognize me as someone who helped in the reestablishment of a sustainable, biodiversified, and eco-friendly environment in Umuaka’. He continued, ‘to achieve this, the leadership of Umuaka community, and the environmental reclamation team will organize a tree planting exercise. Also, to equip you all with the skills needed to be economically relevant in today’s world, my office is initiating a training program for Umuaka youths and women’, he concluded. A thunderous clap followed the governor’s pronouncements.
Indeed, the governor fulfilled all his promises to Umuaka. The training program for the women which he promised, is what Chinelo is headed to today with all enthusiasm.
‘Hello dear, how’re you doing today? A greeting by a petite-size, fair young lady who had earlier introduced herself as Cindy, was enough to bring Chinelo back to consciousness. While seated on the tiny plastic chair, which barely contained her buttocks in Cindy’s office, her mind drifted to how stressed she has become. Having paddled the bicycle from her house, through the dusty road, and down to the training ground.
‘I am doing good', Chinelo responded. Cindy who was now looking closely at Chinelo enquired further. ‘ can you tell me about yourself. I mean everything about you. It will guide me in counselling you, and mind you, everything said here is strictly confidential.
Chinelo first felt sober and said ‘First of all my name is Chinelo Udemba. The only surviving child of Chief Udemba, a former prime minister of this community'. Chinelo’s younger twins had died 12 years ago, when one of the trees being hewn down by the wood company contracted by her father, lost its direction and fell on them. The death of the twins almost caused a heart attack for Nne, Chinelo’s mother, who had lost hope of giving birth again till the twins came.
‘Secondly, I have one secret I haven’t told anyone. I think this is the right time for me to say it. Chinelo tearfully continued. ‘I killed my father, Chief Udemba'. A brief silence engulfed the office before Chinelo broke more into tears, and Cindy walked toward her to comfort her. Chinelo had poisoned her father, following her conviction that his greed and that of his successor was the cause of the unlikely events in Umuaka, and in their family.
Chinelo never forgave her father. She believed he was the reason she was lonely at home, following the death of her siblings. She also believed her dad was the cause of Nne’s sudden illness. Nne had been diagnosed with Emphysema, an illness which the doctors explained resulted from long-term effects of chemical and smoke intake. She believed that if those factories whose activities polluted their water and vegetables weren’t present, Nne would be healthy. So, one fateful evening, she added ‘otapiapia', an insecticide to his meal and the rest is history.
Cindy gently tapped Chinelo on the back to console her, as she sobbed in tears. A heavy knock on the door, and a shout 'Chinelo, open the door it’s urgent !!!’ followed the knock. Aunty Ify, a middle-age woman, who wore a pale and tearful look entered the office immediately Cindy opened the door. ‘Chinelo, you have to come with me. Your mother is dead. She died in my hands, a few hours ago, Emphysema has finally killed my sister’, she announced.
'Nne oooh, Nne ooh' Chinelo screamed on top of her voice, as Adaugo her younger sister gently tapped her on the back. ‘What’s the nightmare all about?' Adaugo enquired. Chinelo woke up, lostly looked around the room, pinched herself, exhaled, and said, 'Adaugo, you will not understand. But, I thank God it was all a dream’.
About
I am currently an undergraduate Agricultural Science student of Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State. I am passionate about causes related to the environment, climate change, and agriculture. I also have a flair for writing.
My passion for climate change/environmental protection causes spurred me to participate in the 2020 edition of Tide Turners Challenge. A plastic pollution awareness challenge, organized by Junior Achievement Africa, in partnership with United Nations Environmental Programme. At the end of the challenge, I emerged as one of the champions.
My writing prowess also helped me in emerging as one of the 9- winners of the national essay contest organized by the Chevening Alumni Association of Nigeria (CAAN), in partnership with the British High Commission, Abuja, in January 2021. The essay contest attracted over a thousand applications.