In his first car-motor and flying-boat trip to Oboghoro in December 2024 the gleaner-glimpser-glitterer did not really know what to expect or find there before taking the first step of steps that landed him on the island town via the vast, open form of the Benin River which he found so gripping as a gripping sea he had encountered only in books – such as Ernest Hemingway’s and Joseph Conrad’s, respectively. He expected to see traumatic things that the terrain would tease him with hurtfully. But this was not the case once he entered the aggressively reclaimed island of beautiful beauty. Everything about him in Oboghoro gave him solace, the kind of solace that gave him affectionate affection and satisfying satisfaction. “Oboghoro Warri’s Benin River is a lovely place to behold!” This was a hum of joy and happiness.

Now in his second trip he still experienced this important happiness and joy – that he can call – and he is now calling – “rare startlements into happiness and joy.” Without mincing words, the government of development in Oboghoro has charmed him charmingly. The government of development in Oboghoro has enchanted him enchantingly.

After reading parts 1 and 2 of this column, Sehaji Jacob Oshodi, a universal mystic of great renown, and always an inspired seer, discoursed with me at great length on the timeless greatness of Oboghoro which shall definitely come to pass.

All the villages and towns in the immediate vicinity of Oboghoro and even beyond it will benefit from the government of development and abundance which the leaders of Oboghoro community are already giving patriotic attention through divine guidance. In fact, the leaderly leaders’ minds are perfectly equipped – and divinely so – for a chain of events that shall make manifest the ideal order that already has been ordered to expand Oboghoro in a manner that befits its designed greatness. Do I believe Sehaji Jacob Oshodi’s mystical discourse and prophecy relating to the world of Oboghoro? Why not?

The gleaner-glimpser-glitterer was astounded by other revelations relating to the universe of Oboghoro and other matters pertaining to the Niger Delta landscapes which Warri and Benin Kingdoms will engender, but they must remain as unknown to my readers for now as those (that is, “landscapes”) that may exist in a distant galaxy in the galactic plane.

When I arrived at Oboghoro, before I could pay any quality attention to anything that would inspire my literary imagination, I was ushered into the very fine residence of Dr Godwin Ebosa, my host-in-chief. His residence was more than a very fine residence. His living room was spaciously spacious, well-lighted and its predominant décor was white and yellow, and a lavishly large LG television was on; it was on CNN channel. Oboghoro was alive! I sat in one of the easy chairs, very well-wrought easy chairs, manufactured by expert hands. Dr Godwin Ebosa was still in his inner room doing his rituals, I presumed, when I arrived – no, when we arrived.

The gleaner-glimpser-glitterer had made up his mind to attempt valiantly to extract some impressively patriotic material on his leaderly development vision and goals for his island community. The gleaner-glimpser did not go to Oboghoro as a reporter or as a columnist but as a glimpser, scholar, researcher and literary investigator to pen, to ink, Oboghoro and its festival factually, frankly and truthfully for posterity. When Hon. (Dr) Ebosa came out of his inner room and entered the living room other guests from the Ijaw ethnic nationality had arrived.

The patriotic material that was to be extracted from him had to wait. After we exchanged pleasantries, I decided to go know a typical Oboghoro life. I decided to do a Proustian excursion. Anyone who is a little familiar with French Literature would know what I mean here. I went out to look at buildings the people live in. The creek people are modern people who live in modern buildings. They have and enjoy uninterrupted electricity. They have and enjoy uninterrupted tap water supply. The majority of the roads are well done and are of durable quality. They can compare with any good road from Warri, Benin and Sapele. The people spoke glowingly about the government of development in Oboghoro that enervates the land, the island. There humanistic love and unity and communal joy and happiness are wholesomely recognised – unlike what happens in some oil-rich Itsekiri communities, where daggers are drawn silently and openly, quietly and loudly, every now and then. Can any meaningful development visit any of those communities? The so-called leaders and political game stars in such communities short-change the natives and people generally.

They uproot their post-colonial wealth and drain the communities of their glorious wealth which they employ to serve their selfish ends and personal interests. They send their children abroad – to the UK, Canada, United States of America and sundry European countries – where they have acquired choice buildings, and houses and properties for commercial and non-commercial purposes as their people languish in pain exploitation induces. In fact, they compete among themselves as they boast about their exploits as conquerors of their people – who know and see no tangible development in any of their homelands in the creeks of Benin River, in Warri’s Benin River.

Unlike these leaderless leaders, the leaderly leaders of Oboghoro have proved – and are proving – their mettle with respect to the humanistic development of their people and community.

They have developed and invented a template of development that is development for their island community in the creek, in one of the creeks, in Warri’s Benin River. Sooner or later things will change in other places as Oboghoro has blazed and is blazing – the trail.

Let the gleaner-glimpser-glitterer state the following remark for posterity. He cannot vouch here that some leaders of the Oboghoro community do not have their children studying abroad. But from what he is discovering, their children, even if they are studying abroad, have not been sent – and are not being sent – there in any manner one can question. They are not neglecting their homeland they have sacrificed – and are sacrificing – so much for in the spirit of Prince Ijala, their forebear and founder of Oboghoro. This point needs to be stated and re-stated and re-stated without qualms.

Two of our regular and important readers – who shall remain nameless, at least for now – wanted to know why my “brutal pen” has written glowingly about the leaderly leaders of the government of development in Oboghoro. If my earlier instalments did not obviously make clear what I am trying to make clear now, I will be glad to hear what they will say to me in the end. But I am not justifying myself – and will never justify myself – on whatever grounds on this and other scores.

The gleaner of gleaners, glimpser of glimpsers and glitterer of glitterers will end this instalment with the following quotation he is borrowing from Toyin Falola, one of our pre-eminent historians, for the philosophical education of Dr Godwin Ebosa: “As long as your heart beats with purpose and your spirit rises in faith, you will attract attention. Just as no one kicks a dead dog or throws stones at an empty tree, your growth in God’s grace will shine bright and attract envy. You are a living testament to his power, a reflection of this light because you are the light of the world. Embrace the challenges, for they are signs of your progress, your transformation. Keep walking in faith, for the world will notice your journey, and His glory will shine through you”

This speaks volumes philosophically and religiously. You (and the gleaner and other patriots) who are committed to changing the circumstances of the people in Warri’s Benin River of post-colonial (or neo-colonial) wealth must beware of the post- and neo-colonial rhetoric of calumny. But you must prevail – and will prevail. Divine light beams in your favour – creek child now leaderly son.

To be concluded next week.

Afejuku can be reached via 08055213059.