GOVERNOR IFEANYI OKOWA AND THE 15MILLION NAIRA GIFT

Silas: Efenation! Chai! This boy is blessed. This boy is…

Vendor: Oga, no dey open my paper like that unless you wan buy am. (snatches the paper from him)

Paul: What! Fifteen million naira!

Silas: He who God has blessed no man can curse. Kai! I wish I was him. God bless this Governor and…

Paul: Was the fifteen million for a service he rendered to the state or a contract. Mr vendor, please let me…

Vendor: You wan buy the paper?

Paul: I just want to read this story.

Vendor: Me I just want to enter helicopter, build one storey building for my village and visit Queen Eliza.

Silas: (laughs) Tap into efenation’s blessing. The way…

Paul: Touché Mr vendor.

Vendor: why I go touch you?

Paul: I didn’t…Ok, do you have any idea why the fifteen million naira was given?

Vendor: Na dash e dash am.

Paul: Dash?

Vendor: Gift.

Paul: Wow! This can’t be true. It must be a rumour.

Vendor: Rumour ke? You no see am for paper?

Paul: it must be someone trying to tarnish the Governor’s image.

Vendor: sebi dem talk say there is truth in every rumour.

 Silas: Yes oooo! No be rumour.  This governor na correct man. He is a man of the people. He is a…

Paul: corrupt politician if it is true.  How can he give out fifteen million naira? A whole fifteen million naira to someone that didn’t do anything for the state? He’s not an athlete, a first class student, a scienti…

Silas: Why e dey pain you? Is it your money? Is it your money? You be bad belle o. So you dey vex say God dey bless him pikin. For your information, Efe be from Delta state and our Governor dey bless him on our…

Paul: I don’t have any problem with the Efe person.

Vendor: Bros, E no sound like that o. You just talk say He’s not an athlete and…

Silas: No mind am. Bad belle.

Paul: You two are ridiculous!

Vendor: Bia, no insult me . If you no dey buy paper come dey go.

Paul:  I’m sorry. Mr Vendor, please don’t be offended.

Silas: No mind am na recession dey frustrate am. See oyibo im dey throw everywhere.

Paul: (laughs) Let me explain. This fifteen million naira, is it the Governor’s personal money?

Vendor: Shuo! Lekwanumo , I be the Governor wife?

Silas: Wait, make I call am for phone ask am. See me see Jamb question.

Paul: This is the problem with this country. How person no go dey ask…

Vendor: Bros, you sabi pidgin you come dey form since?

Silas: Na wa o!

Paul: Ok, guys make we speak English my pidgin no strong enough. We as a people we need to ask questions when our leaders do certain things.

Vendor: True.

Paul: There is no how you will tell me that this Governor worked hard like you and me, made millions , became Governor, someone goes for a reality show wins, comes to visit him and he happily takes out fifteen million naira from money he has toiled for and gives it away as a gift.

Silas: This bros get point o. Osho free na im dey sweet pass.

Paul: Exactly! Free money is easy to spend and give away.

Vendor: so who has the fifteen million?

Paul: Delta State!

Silas: I told it that Efe is Delta state na. So Governor Okowa congratulate him for everybody.

Paul: You’re saying Governor Okowa on behalf of the people of Delta state, took money out of the Delta state account and used it to congratulate him.

Silas: you dey confuse me.

Vendor: you are both saying the same thing.

Paul: so, is it Ok to take tax payers money and give it away as a gift?

Silas: You be lawyer?

Vendor: What is the money for?

Paul: Tax payers’ money is used for the running of the state itself.

Silas: It is our money. He gave it to our son.

Paul: Did he ask you and every other Deltan if he could take fifteen million naira and what’s that word again..Dash..and dash it out.

Silas: who I be?

Paul: A tax payer. It is your money. If he had asked you if he can give fifteen million naira from your money out would you have said yes?

Silas: I dey mad!

Vendor: in this recession. If you give me ten thousand naira I will pray for you everyday till I die.

Silas: the fifteen million naira too much. Efe na correct guy o but im don win mulla already. I never smell ordinary fifty thousand naira at once since them born me.

Paul: Does this Governor pay salary?

Vendor: For where? He’s owing left right and centre.

Paul: and he’s giving away fifteen million? This man should be arrested.

Vendor: Who go arrest him? Na EFCC abi na police? They have read this news na.

Paul: And that’s the problem with the country. The people don’t ask questions. Wrong is now right and normal to them like a woman in an abusive relationship singing her abuser’s praises. A governor without fear of repercussion or being called to order, sees the money of the state as his personal bank account. He owes his thousands of civil servants who have families to take care of, doesn’t invest in the ministries in the state, the education sector is crappy, hospitals are deathbeds, roads are graves then he goes into the state’s account takes out fifteen million naira which to him is chicken change and gives it to someone as a gift. He even poses happily and takes a picture with it. Then the bodies that are meant to speak up keep quiet and do nothing about it. This county is just a…

Vendor: Nna leave that tin. Na today? He is a governor. They can’t touch him.

Paul: Mr vendor, he can be touched. Yes, he may have immunity now but he can be impeached and prosecuted. People can speak up even with his immunity. Fifteen million naira meant for the masses.

Vendor: No be dis same country. Make we bet am notin go happen.

Silas: Oga lawyer you get point o. My sister na teacher. Government don dey owe her tey tey.

Paul: How much is her salary?

Silas: Twenty thousand.

Paul: Use that twenty thousand to divide fifteen million then you can see the number of teachers that could have been paid with that money.

Silas: ha! I no fit o. My brain go burst.

Vendor: Leave dat tin.  Na naija we dey. Anything goes.

Paul: Something needs to be done to change that. In developed countries, All the Governor can give you is a medal or some award, or keys to the state or declare a particular day your day and not give you state money. They can’t even access it. They know they’ll be investigated and be in big trouble.  This Governor Okowa needs to be impeached and prosecuted for misappropriation of state funds. How can he be using state money to do personal poverty alleviation scheme and Father Christmas? He’s a hooligan! He’s a ninco….

Vendor: Nwokem,  lower your voice o.

Silas: no mind am im no know say wind get ear.

Paul: it’s just us here.

Vendor: This is not busy road but you don’t know who is who and who will hear. Before you know it, SSS will come and carry you from your house.

Paul: (laughs) come on. Nigeria is a democratic state. There is freedom of speech. It is my right and…

Silas: Oga Lawyer abeg no put me for trouble o. Oga vendor, e go be. All these wan we dey talk no go give me money take chop. Governor Okowa no sabi me, Efe, no sabi me. I never chop since yesterday afternoon.  Na only ten naira dey my pocket. Today na Sunday, I go…

Vendor: Come, you must pay for this paper. You know say you no get money you come dey open am sotey you don reach page forty.

Silas: I no read am o. I just dey look.

Vendor: Bia nowkem pay my money before you see my other side.

Silas: I no sabi read.

Paul:  Could have fooled me. It was your screaming Efenation that made me look at the headline.

Silas: No be him pishure dey there?

Paul: how did you then know the governor gave him money?

Silas: na guess.

Vendor: lekwanu onye oshia o. Give me my money.

Silas: Oya na come check my body. Any money you see collect am.

Vendor:  If I beat …

Paul:  Mr vendor, leave him. Here’s the money for the paper.

Vendor: na God save you.

Silas: Oga lawyer thank you o. Oga vendor, give me small from the money make I take go church. I go pray for you.

Paul: I thought you were hungry?

Vendor: no mind am.

Silas: If I give Pastor, God go give me money I go use take chop every day.

Vendor: You dey here dey scream for person wey your Governor carry money you go use take chop dash. no go chop see as you be like broom pikin.

Silas: U nko? Orobo!

Paul: I can buy you breakfast.

Silas: Oga lawyer you too much o. God go bless you.  Oga vendor you see am. I tap into efenation blessing. Oga lawyer wan give me money the way Governor give my guy.

Vendor: (laughs) Na fifteen million im wan give you? Abeg make I sell my paper. Customer which one you want?

Paul: Let’s go. There’s a mamaput around here.

Silas: no be money you wan give me?

Paul: I’m no governor. You’re hungry, let’s feed you not your pastor.

Silas: But…

Paul: Oga vendor, good day.

Vendor: Bye Bye o.

Silas: Oga vendor dis na sign say me too make I go reality show, I go win am and Governor Okowa go dash me people money. My own go be thirty million. Oga lawyer! Oga lawyer wait na, I dey come.

Vendor: Be like say im don smoke Igbo. Well sha na Naija we dey, anything fit happen. Buy your paper here!