I was in the newsroom last Wednesday tying up the loose ends for the Thursday Edition of Imo Trumpeta when my colleague, Trumpeta Weekend Editor, Mr.Victor Madumere jolted my nerves with breaking news. He unhappily announced to me that Master Chibuike Paul Okafor, a 6 year old tumour/ cancer patient has kicked the bucket. In other words, the little boy is dead as he gave up the fight to survive an excruciating battle with cancer and tumour.
My memory went back to Little Chibuike’s pitiable photograph that appeared on the front page of Weekend Trumpeta (Vol 2. No 51, October 26 Edition) where his father, a bus driver narrated the pathetic ordeal of his son. His story was a chilly one and could even move the devil to pity. In that exclusive interview, the father said little Chibuike’s ordeal was a tortuous one having undergone several treatments at various hospitals in the country.
According to the father, what was needed to save the innocent child was a meagre N3million naira! The N3million naira was never forthcoming! Despite several appeals to well meaning Imolites that N3million naira was all that was needed to ferry Chibuike to India for surgical operation to remove the tumour on his left eye, help never came his way. His precious life was allowed to go. He was left to die. The boy died in pain. He must have died wondering what a cruel world he came to- a place where attention and priority are given frivolities. A place the cries and wailings of the poor means nothing! What a world for Chibuike!
It is unfortunate that Chibuike had to die because our rich politicians, philanthropists, the church and the government especially, the Imo Foundation, claimed not to have N3 Million naira to save his life. Yet in Imo State where Chibuike hails from, we have many Churches with large congregations who call on God to shower His blessings on us, yet they pretend not to see the portion of the Bible that says we should give to the poor and needy if we want to receive from the lord. They fail to see the portion of the Bible that says we should be our brother’s keeper. And we should love our neighbours as ourselves.
We are in a State where the quality of cars ferried by our big men and women can save a million Chibuikes – a State where past and present public office holders live like kings, queens and emperors. We are in a State that boast of philanthropists who brandish their real or imaginary milk of human kindness only when elections are near. We are in a State where the cost of organising two owambes (birthday party) could have saved the live of Chibuike and others in pain and misery.
Master Chibuike comes from a State the Governor runs free education. In fact from a State that is perceived as one that runs a welfarist policy of governance. He comes from a State where a Foundation was set up with State funds to carter for the less privileged. Yet when he came asking for help from these institutions set up to carter for the needy, the response was not encouraging. The poor boy and his parents must have realized that the entire package called a Foundation lacked the wherewithal to save his life.
This is a State politicians, especially those in public office will prefer to loot, loot and loot. They will loot the treasury dry and stockpile their ill gotten wealth for elections. Such loot is stockpiled for the populace during elections. They are used as deceiving tools to deceive the people in exchange for our votes. It is not meant for the likes of Chibuike and those in dire need of it, it is kept for election rigging and for the thugs and Agberos that will carry ballot boxes on polls day.
The other aspect of the loot is meant for the pleasures of life – to cruise expensive cars and enjoy the filthy caresses of women of easy virtue in the enclosure of towers of immorality. There is no place for the needy, the motherless babies and those in penury in their hearts. Where is our compassion? Where?
The painful death of Master Chibuike has also kept me wondering what manner of distress response mechanism the State Government has in place. Before Governor Rochas Okorocha became Imo State Governor, he was mainly identified as one who is not averse to rendering humanitarian services. Now as Imo State Governor, one had expected immediate, sharp and effective response mechanism put in place by the Governor to take care of the plight of those in distress, especially those in pain and misery.
For instance, victims of Oguta/Ohaji/Egbema flood were said to have been ignored by the State Government when the disaster took place.
Some local tabloids in the State claimed that it took the visit of key PDP chieftains in the State to the flood victims to jolt the State Government up from its slumber. That it only deemed it appropriate to move in and console victims of the flood when it became embarrassing that weeks after the flood, a Government that regards the people as its integral component was yet to respond to the pains of its citizens. We were made to believe that the visits of former Governor Ikedi Ohakim and Viola Onwuliri, the junior Minister of foreign affairs to the flood ravaged areas jump started the State Government into action several weeks after the disaster took place.
The welfare of the flood victims was later submerged in a shameful scramble for the N400 Million naira the Federal Government doled out to victims of the flood disaster in the State. We saw shameful political karate stunts by our politicians who fought dirty over the monies for Oguta and Ohaji/Egbema flood victims. Some went extra mile to blackmail each other in a bid to take possession of monies meant for victims of flood in the State.
What a shame! Based on this score, one can say that the litany of politicians who went to Oguta and Ohaji Egbema Local Government to dash bags of rice, beans and soap to the flood victims did so just to plant political seeds in anticipation of a bountiful political harvest in the future. To them, giving to victims of the flood and celebrating such act in the media will translate to enough political capital in the future. It is more or less a public relations stunt.
If our politicians do have a heart of gold and claim to love victims of the flood more than themselves, why did they not extend such aid to a little boy ravaged by tumour/cancer? A boy the doctors said had one week to live- a boy whose condition attracted so much media attention and concern.
Perhaps, they refused giving such aid or help to a tumour/cancer patient as doing so will have no political gain or value. It will not yield votes in 2015; neither will it be beneficial to their various political ambitions and calculations. Because little Master Chibuike’s ordeal will not contribute to the success of their political ambition, he should not be catered for nor his condition given attention. To them, giving the parents of Master Chibuike the sum of N3 million naira for medical surgery is of no political gain. For a House of Assembly or House of Representative aspirant, N3 Million can help make some ‘noise’ between now and 2015! During elections, it can go a long way to bribe electoral officials to rig elections in their favour.
I have not singled out the political class in the State for scrutiny or tongue lashing here; but it is pertinent we tell ourselves the bitter truth. It is important we re examine the mindset of those who want to lead us. Do they have conscience? Can they offer succour to those who need it. Are they driven by the passion to serve or are they make belief comedians who smile at us when they need our votes and become conscious less when they succeed in their political endeavour?
We should also critically look at those dysfunctional institutional support mechanisms put in place by Government to carter for those in pain and misery. In a State monies are frittered away under so many guises, I wonder why an agency such as Imo Foundation cannot effectively to rescue so many Chibuikes that are in desperate need for aid to survive. It is disheartening that we allow human lives perish simply because of the ineffectiveness of institutions set up to look into their plight. A society that neglects the downtrodden and the helpless does not prosper.
We should turn a new leaf and learn to be compassionate.
HARVEST
Where Is Our Compassion.
I was in the newsroom last Wednesday tying up the loose ends for the Thursday Edition of Imo Trumpeta when my colleague, Trumpeta Weekend Editor, Mr.Victor Madumere jolted my nerves with breaking news. He unhappily announced to me that Master Chibuike Paul Okafor, a 6 year old tumour/ cancer patient has kicked the bucket. In other words, the little boy is dead as he gave up the fight to survive an excruciating battle with cancer and tumour.
My memory went back to Little Chibuike’s pitiable photograph that appeared on the front page of Weekend Trumpeta (Vol 2. No 51, October 26 Edition) where his father, a bus driver narrated the pathetic ordeal of his son. His story was a chilly one and could even move the devil to pity. In that exclusive interview, the father said little Chibuike’s ordeal was a tortuous one having undergone several treatments at various hospitals in the country.
According to the father, what was needed to save the innocent child was a meagre N3million naira! The N3million naira was never forthcoming! Despite several appeals to well meaning Imolites that N3million naira was all that was needed to ferry Chibuike to India for surgical operation to remove the tumour on his left eye, help never came his way. His precious life was allowed to go. He was left to die. The boy died in pain. He must have died wondering what a cruel world he came to- a place where attention and priority are given frivolities. A place the cries and wailings of the poor means nothing! What a world for Chibuike!
It is unfortunate that Chibuike had to die because our rich politicians, philanthropists, the church and the government especially, the Imo Foundation, claimed not to have N3 Million naira to save his life. Yet in Imo State where Chibuike hails from, we have many Churches with large congregations who call on God to shower His blessings on us, yet they pretend not to see the portion of the Bible that says we should give to the poor and needy if we want to receive from the lord. They fail to see the portion of the Bible that says we should be our brother’s keeper. And we should love our neighbours as ourselves.
We are in a State where the quality of cars ferried by our big men and women can save a million Chibuikes – a State where past and present public office holders live like kings, queens and emperors. We are in a State that boast of philanthropists who brandish their real or imaginary milk of human kindness only when elections are near. We are in a State where the cost of organising two owambes (birthday party) could have saved the live of Chibuike and others in pain and misery.
Master Chibuike comes from a State the Governor runs free education. In fact from a State that is perceived as one that runs a welfarist policy of governance. He comes from a State where a Foundation was set up with State funds to carter for the less privileged. Yet when he came asking for help from these institutions set up to carter for the needy, the response was not encouraging. The poor boy and his parents must have realized that the entire package called a Foundation lacked the wherewithal to save his life.
This is a State politicians, especially those in public office will prefer to loot, loot and loot. They will loot the treasury dry and stockpile their ill gotten wealth for elections. Such loot is stockpiled for the populace during elections. They are used as deceiving tools to deceive the people in exchange for our votes. It is not meant for the likes of Chibuike and those in dire need of it, it is kept for election rigging and for the thugs and Agberos that will carry ballot boxes on polls day.
The other aspect of the loot is meant for the pleasures of life – to cruise expensive cars and enjoy the filthy caresses of women of easy virtue in the enclosure of towers of immorality. There is no place for the needy, the motherless babies and those in penury in their hearts. Where is our compassion? Where?
The painful death of Master Chibuike has also kept me wondering what manner of distress response mechanism the State Government has in place. Before Governor Rochas Okorocha became Imo State Governor, he was mainly identified as one who is not averse to rendering humanitarian services. Now as Imo State Governor, one had expected immediate, sharp and effective response mechanism put in place by the Governor to take care of the plight of those in distress, especially those in pain and misery.
For instance, victims of Oguta/Ohaji/Egbema flood were said to have been ignored by the State Government when the disaster took place.
Some local tabloids in the State claimed that it took the visit of key PDP chieftains in the State to the flood victims to jolt the State Government up from its slumber. That it only deemed it appropriate to move in and console victims of the flood when it became embarrassing that weeks after the flood, a Government that regards the people as its integral component was yet to respond to the pains of its citizens. We were made to believe that the visits of former Governor Ikedi Ohakim and Viola Onwuliri, the junior Minister of foreign affairs to the flood ravaged areas jump started the State Government into action several weeks after the disaster took place.
The welfare of the flood victims was later submerged in a shameful scramble for the N400 Million naira the Federal Government doled out to victims of the flood disaster in the State. We saw shameful political karate stunts by our politicians who fought dirty over the monies for Oguta and Ohaji/Egbema flood victims. Some went extra mile to blackmail each other in a bid to take possession of monies meant for victims of flood in the State.
What a shame! Based on this score, one can say that the litany of politicians who went to Oguta and Ohaji Egbema Local Government to dash bags of rice, beans and soap to the flood victims did so just to plant political seeds in anticipation of a bountiful political harvest in the future. To them, giving to victims of the flood and celebrating such act in the media will translate to enough political capital in the future. It is more or less a public relations stunt.
If our politicians do have a heart of gold and claim to love victims of the flood more than themselves, why did they not extend such aid to a little boy ravaged by tumour/cancer? A boy the doctors said had one week to live- a boy whose condition attracted so much media attention and concern.
Perhaps, they refused giving such aid or help to a tumour/cancer patient as doing so will have no political gain or value. It will not yield votes in 2015; neither will it be beneficial to their various political ambitions and calculations. Because little Master Chibuike’s ordeal will not contribute to the success of their political ambition, he should not be catered for nor his condition given attention. To them, giving the parents of Master Chibuike the sum of N3 million naira for medical surgery is of no political gain. For a House of Assembly or House of Representative aspirant, N3 Million can help make some ‘noise’ between now and 2015! During elections, it can go a long way to bribe electoral officials to rig elections in their favour.
I have not singled out the political class in the State for scrutiny or tongue lashing here; but it is pertinent we tell ourselves the bitter truth. It is important we re examine the mindset of those who want to lead us. Do they have conscience? Can they offer succour to those who need it. Are they driven by the passion to serve or are they make belief comedians who smile at us when they need our votes and become conscious less when they succeed in their political endeavour?
We should also critically look at those dysfunctional institutional support mechanisms put in place by Government to carter for those in pain and misery. In a State monies are frittered away under so many guises, I wonder why an agency such as Imo Foundation cannot effectively to rescue so many Chibuikes that are in desperate need for aid to survive. It is disheartening that we allow human lives perish simply because of the ineffectiveness of institutions set up to look into their plight. A society that neglects the downtrodden and the helpless does not prosper.
We should turn a new leaf and learn to be compassionate.
