When he saw that things were NO LONGER AT EASE, he shot the ARROW OF GOD just to see if the TROUBLE WITH NIGERIA will abate. But THINGS FALL APART and for him, it was just too much to take. So, he went to meditate on the ANTHILLS OF THE SAVANNAH.

Emerging from solitude, he became A MAN OF THE PEOPLE and reminded them that MARRIAGE IS A PRIVATE AFFAIR. He saw humans walking on DEAD MEN’s PATH and told them the story of HOW THE LEOPARD GOT ITS CLAWS. They seemed to like the story but then, they remembered THE SACRIFICIAL EGG accompanied by good musical rendition from THE FLUTE and THE DRUM. When some thought it was MORNING YET ON CREATION DAY, he ignored them like he would GIRLS AT WAR and focused his gaze on CIVIL PEACE.

Still, some of the recluse around him spoke of CHIKE AND THE RIVER but he called out to Mark and said BEWARE, SOUL BROTHER as the HOPES AND IMPEDIMENTS of the REFUGEE MOTHER AND CHILD made him realize that there is a huge difference between HOME AND EXILE. Now, they started listening to him. But he had some problems understanding the EDUCATION OF A BRITISH PROTECTED CHILD on whose behalf he had made a plea saying DON’T LET HIM DIE. That alone brought their minds back as they looked at AN IMAGE OF AFRICA having realised that indeed THERE WAS A COUNTRY. Upon this discovery, they asked him for ANOTHER AFRICA. He listened to them and was working on delivering it, but when he saw VULTURES, he took a bow.

*Achilleus-Chud Uchegbu, whose photo appears with this tribute, is Publisher of the Abuja-based SUNSET newspaper.