The first time I came in contact with my father-in-law was sometime in 1991. A national headcount was in progress at that time and the federal government had declared public holidays and restricted movements. However, my would-be spouse and I moved around any let or hindrance because as journalists, we had our newspaper identity cards as licences to do so. When we arrived at Jege, a settlement in Yagba East LGA of Kogi state, everybody was surprised to see us.
I had planned to spend two days but when I saw the kind of reception and hospitality my in-laws pampered me with, I extended the stay by two more days. My fiancée did not know why I extended the stay until years after our marriage. She thought I loved her family so dearly. Yes, I loved them quite alright but not as much as to double my stay. The reason for doubling the duration of our stay was the provision of stomach infrastructure. And that was years before Ayo Fayose came up with his philosophy of tummy politics that propelled him to the Government House in Ekiti a few months ago.
My father-in-law had a prior knowledge of our arrival and my fiancée must have hinted him that her man was a pounded yam and bush meat slave. It was likeness at first sight. The man was a retired headmaster and well-informed. He could have been a journalist as well from what I later found out.
The morning following our arrival was a memorable one. I was expecting a breakfast of local gruel and moin moin or akara. But upon unveiling the content served in a tray, what did I behold? I saw a mountain of pounded yam in one bowl. In the adjacent bowl was egusi soup and bush meat submerged by dazzling palm oil. Pounded yam and bush meat for breakfast? “May God bless this household for me” was my silent prayer. Pounded yam for breakfast is a super stomach infrastructure that could last you a whole day. Even though I am a teetotaler by nature, I found fresh-from-the-tree-top and undiluted palm wine irresistible because it is brewed by nature. And my father-in-law commissioned a tapper to see to the supply of the drink throughout my sojourn in the local community.
My first impression of Jege was also my last impression. After our marriage, I became a regular visitor to the community and the tendency to stay longer than planned was always there.
About two and a half years ago, tragedy befell the family. One of the shining stars fell in the early hours of April 12, 2012 to be precise. The young man was a senior employee of Julius Berger Plc and was believed to have chatted with some friends on Facebook until 3 o’clock before going to bed. But he never saw the light of the day at his Warri base. He died in his sleep. After the fall of the star, things had not remained the same with my father-in-law. In his old age, he had no sufficient strength to withstand the devastating impact of his son’s death. And the repercussion was hypertension with a manifestation of epiphenomenon of diabetes type 2.
Twelve years before the death of his son, seen as the apple of his eye, he had been made the traditional ruler of the community with the title of Owa of Jegeland, and he marked his 14th year on the throne last April. Towards the end of last month, a call came through that he lost consciousness after taking a diabetic medication and was rushed to the hospital at Isanlu, the local government headquarters, where he was admitted and brought back to consciousness. After 24 hours, he was ferried to the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, for a better medical attention. He spent close to three weeks where they ran all manner of tests on him prior to a surgery for excision of prostate gland enlargement that suddenly manifested upon losing consciousness. Unfortunately, the very day he was to have the surgery, nurses at the nation’s medical institutions all over the country went on strike. He had to be evacuated to Abuja on November 15, 2014 where he was admitted in three hospitals within the next 72 hours. Having been subjected to the stress of moving from Lokoja to Abuja and the trauma of going from one hospital to another in search of good medical attention, his condition worsened. The urologist that attended to him at a private clinic in Asokoro, Abuja, said that the old man could not go under the knife until his condition was stabilised. So, we had to move him to Garki Hospital, Abuja, for that purpose. However, the old man lost the survival battle at the Garki Hospital in the early hours of Wednesday, November 19, 2014.
We rushed to the hospital to conclude the necessary formalities and his cadaver was wheeled into the mortuary accompanied by his first son and myself. I had never been to a mortuary in my life. It was my first experience. I saw corpses of different shapes and sizes. Some were lying on the stretchers. Others were dumped on the bare floor with their faces uncovered. You would think they were just sleeping… men and women lying stone dead and frozen. However, we were able to rescue my father-in-law’s corpse and it was conveyed home for interment three days later.
After the mortuary encounter, my perception of life changed. Ecclesiastes 1: 2 has said it all: “Vanity upon vanities, all is vanity”. I invite all mortals, inclusive of thieving civil servants, corrupt politicians, the proud and the wicked that have everything going for them, to visit a mortuary and see the vanity of life.
May the kind and gentle soul of the Owa of Jegeland, Oba David Bamidele Olugboye, rest in perfect peace. Amen.