Source
Somewhere in Nigeria.
NYSC in Nigeria fulfills its purpose on me and I can tell the story over and over again.
Apart from exposing me to different part of the country; people’s culture and tradition, it has also brought me to meeting some other persons of the nation with their specialty. I love it!
Today, something different happened and I thought of AFRICA! It was raining when I was coming back from the studio. I tried to rush down home when I heard the cloud making some noise, little did I know that the rain had already started. I was frightened. Frightened because of the sloppy area of the radio station grounded with stones of different sizes. I put on my flash light. Something I hate to do but had to. I ran and almost fell. Then something said within me, “your passion for football will not kill you, had it been you had left the studio early, this would not have happened but you were watching PERRU VS DENMARK” I smiled.
Just after the hill to the station is a small house which the occupants can not be seen easily because of the wind breakers surrounding the building. Humans rarely come out of this lodge. May be because they are farmers and they go to farm during the day and return at sunset. I don’t know. I had to secure refuge in this building not minding whoever was inside. I was outside for a while before a dog came near me. It was fiercely long but calm. It was dark though but I could see it with the lightning from the cloud. The dog kept quiet and I concluded it already knew my intention so, there was no need to bark at me. I almost thanked it when a woman opened the iron-door and was wondering who was I. I greeted immediately to avoid embarrassment of, one; greetings in Hausa Language that I might not be able to interpret, two; angry at me for hanging in her corridor without been notified. She replied, “good evening” . I reported myself as a refugee and she went back inside.
Few minutes later, a man (I guessed, the husband) came out and spoke in a language I didn’t understand. Could I describe it as Hausa but for hardness in the tone so, I supposed it’s a dialect. Finally he asked in English language, ' which tribe are you?' because he sensed I couldn’t reply in the language he spoke. 'oh sorry' I replied, ' I’m a Yoruba and a Corper' He exclaimed, 'ooooh Corps Member? He told me to come in and felt at home. I went in and met a number of people.
What really baffled me was that, the man didn’t bother to know my name or where I’m from, not even my religion or the political party I support. Immediately I felt happy because this is the Nigeria that I’ve ever prayed for.
I was offered roasted maize and water. Come on, why not? I ate it because I was at home.
It was during my conversation with that he got to know that I’m a Muslim and he is a Christian. And we preached the Africa I read in the book. Tolerance!
He lamented over the problem of ethnic crisis in the area and said it was just called ethnic crisis but in the real sense, it’s religious crisis. People take religion to the extreme here and it’s affecting the principle of our co-existence in the country. I nodded severally to agree with his points. I was happy to meet him and love to meet him again.
Nigeria will be more sweet if we can put our differences apart and live a life of genuine tolerance.
