On September 2, 2016,while enjoying a favourite TV programme, in my sitting room, in Kirikiri Town, Lagos, a very prominent member of Ihiteowerri Community, where I am proud to hail from, called me up and said: “I would like to inform you that some organization has promised to build an ‘Environmental Jerusalem’ in our town….” He did not provide details. He would have willingly done so, but it did not appear there were some at his disposal. Considering his status in the community, I did not raise too many questions that could elicit the wrong answers and embarrass him. I simply wished the town and her people well, courtesy of the impending project, with a proviso that our representatives in the meetings, must ensure our community is not short-changed, in any way.
A little information on Ihiteowerri. Ihiteowerri, the land of the Dijis, the Ojigwe Arujis” and the historic and ancient homeland of the whole of the fourteen (I4) towns of Old Orsu, in the Old Orlu Division, is an ancient border community located in the Northern side of Orlu LGA in Imo State of Nigeria. It is bordered by Obibi Ochasi in the South, Asaah Ubirielem in the South West, Obodoukwu, Obinugwu and Amanator-Ihiteowerri communities in the East, Ihitenansa in the West, Nansa in the North West and Akwa-Ihedi in Nnewi South LGA of Anambra State, in the North.’ Till date, those with a good sense of history still address the Igwe of Ihiteowerri also as the Clan Head of Orsu Alanmiri!
Aside from guiding readers to easily locate Ihiteowerri on the world map, this brief on the town, also reveals that anything untoward that affects the town will not only spread fast to Orsualanmiri, but would have a ripple effect on contiguous communities both in Imo and Anambra States.
An Environmental Jerusalem; what could that be? What are the likely possibilities in this kind of scenario? The first thought that raced through my mind is ‘a chain of hotels was about to berth in the town,’ whose activities, I reckoned, would devalue the positive moral and spiritual collateral that the town enjoyed and still enjoys. What else could be in place if hotels are not in the picture? Police station? No. A horticultural institute? Not really. An institute for biotechnology studies that would churn out tonnes of genetically modified foods, which though very controversial are madly needed to fill the massive food gap in the country? More like it? Coming from a town that was for decades, the food basket of the East nay Nigeria, I was thirstily hoping somebody could intervene and help us regain that lost status, imposed by the unfortunate civil war, but equally concerned that no ‘intruder’ in the guise of a government, non-governmental organization, investor, or development partner… , should harm the serenity of the Ihiteowerri environment, in any way, whatever they are coming up with. Conservation of the environment was on my mind, especially, that no development effort, knowingly or unknowingly, disrupted the rich fauna and flora that Ihiteowerri is blessed with.
Some months later, when I travelled to my country home, another kinsman was to exacerbate my fears and concerns along this line, when I paid him a condolence visit, following the death of his younger brother. He could not wait to ask me: ‘What is it I hear they want to build for us? I hope they are not coming to us with the usual ‘Greek gift’? Were you part of the team that discussed with those coming with this project?” When he sensed I was not quick in responding to his poser, he added: “Please, advise them to do the right thing so that they do not destroy our land….” I assured him I would try and told him that being part of the discussion, to me, was not more important than ensuring that one’s input counted in the process that would either lead to an improvement or left the town undestroyed or both.
In my return course, I saw signposts, mounted at strategic points around the area earmarked for hosting the new ‘Jerusalem’. A large expanse of land, running into hundreds of hectares, that had largely been put to subsistence farming use, deploying the sweat and tears of the illustrious people, considering the peculiarity of the topography of the town and absence of infrastructure and technology to simplify the process. Nobody actually told me what the Environmental Ethics And Safety Corps (ESCORP) project was about, how it would positively impact the town and its people and inhabitants and how long it would take it to birth. A section of the youth, meanwhile, was more preoccupied celebrating the project on social media, than raising questions on what the project was about and how it would leave the town better than before. You would not blame them as the town is literarily bereft of any government presence, the more reason for their positive sentiment, even if the project is just a promissory note.
Some landmarks and natural endowments in the town, close to the project site, readily came to my mind: My uncle, late Chief Bernard Ojimba’s house, that symbolizes both the bravery of the builder and the indomitability of the structure itself, that had withstood the vicissitudes of weather. Bernard Ojimba, if you would know, was among the revered wrestling quartet, that brought invaluable wrestling laurels and uncommon reknown to the town, led by my late father, Chief Jacob Ezeibekwe, that included Fidelis Ohia and Patrick Obijiaku, all of blessed memory. If I have my way, nobody should touch that house, because, it is an enduring reminder to a people of how not to treat its heroes, alive or dead. It should rather be one of the tourist attractions of the town and would be a good reference point and material for researchers to appreciate the other dimensions of this great wrestler of his time. It should also be a source of revenue for the town and an extended means of livelihood for the surviving members of the family of this great man. There is the southern end of River Ezize (which, in local parlance, is known as Ezize Oil Mill) because of its nearness to the Oil Mill, built in the 60’s by the government of the Eastern Region, which, though obsoleted by the civil war knocks, was and is still the only semblance of any government’s presence in the town. We used to defy the sacrifices of fettish folks, to go to swim and fish in the river from Ezize Iro to Ezize Oil Mill, around which Umuchukwu Village is situated. Although we rarely coursed through the stretches of the river now, because of the devastating impact of gulley erosion and urbanization, that has taken many a youth out of the town, in search of pastures green, I do not wish to see or even contemplate anything unsavoury happening to the river, because our rivers affect our lives.
Ihiteowerri has many hills, one of which is Hill Orjiako (or Ugwu Orjiako, in local parlance). Under normal circumstances, that hill, among others, is supposed to be a training ground for stamina, for long distance athletes, and other sportsmen and sportswomen, where there is a conscious effort to develop sports and use it as a potent tool for recreation and economic growth and development. The best we can get, if a developer like ESCORP, comes around, is to have the road tarred and remove transportation headaches of the developer, which is fine. But after that, what next? The mental template I have about the best use of the road is not to tar it but preserve its unique naturalness for sports and recreation purposes. Our roads, as dilapidated as they are, are interlinked and could be developed singularly and or collectively to serve the good of all parties, in multiple ways. How are the East Africans who rule the world in long distance races made? Perhaps, understudying these climes would not only reinforce the argument we put forward here but help in developing a blueprint for managing our heritage for pleasure and for both job and wealth creation. How about the homes and people in the vicinity of the new ‘Jerusalem’ site; would these all be impacted negatively or positively by the new project?