Deja Vu.-------Put it to good use. July 2007

Today the Supreme court of Nigeria did the right thing again just like the honorable men they are, the judges did not succumb to pressure or money and reverse their judgment. There was absolutely no merit to the appeal brought to them by Mr Andy Ubah. It was surprising that the some people actually lost sleep over the possibility of Andy Ubah winning this case. No amount of money and Otumokpo or whatever else people use to swing things their way could have worked in this case. Even if the judges received handsome sums of money and other expensive presents as was claimed by some, they were under no obligation to deliver the case to the generous and affluent Santa Claus wannabe. If I were in their shoes, I would take the presents as long as I did not solicit for them and still deliver the interpretation of the law without giving a thought to the generous gift.

The Supreme Court of Nigeria was voted "Man of the Year" for 2007 and today's deja vu confirms that these judges are real Men of Honor. The Judiciary has become the beacon of light which will lead Nigerians out of the dungeon of oppression and corruption where greedy military and ex-military renegades held them hostage for decades.

During these years every area of Nigeria's development became stagnant and actually became wiped out. Our Universities fell off the international radar. Our hospitals
became comatose and died while poverty and disease took a stranglehold on the average Nigerian while a few lived and continue to live like kings in the midst of the suffering and premature dying from disease and crime.

If Andy really wants to rise from this second fall, there are many ways he can brush
off the dust and rise and bring himself even higher that the position of governor which he wants so much. Ndi Igbo n'asi na Agadi nwanyi da nda ada n'bu, oguo ife O bu n'ukpa onu.
This second fall calls for reflection and reckoning. Political power is not the key to success in life. Many successful people do not even engage in politics and public life. They actually shy away from the limelight of political power. They put their names in the history books with their service to humanity. Their works of charity and compassionate giving leave indelible marks in the memories of their people. Some of these great men and women live their entire lives as "servants" improving the lots of the less privileged and providing services which otherwise would not be available to many.

Possibilities abound for Andy Ubah to pick up his ukpa and count the contents before proceeding to rise and shine for Ndi Igbo by using his enormous wealth to improve the lives of the masses in Anambra State and other parts of the Igboland .
There is a medical emergency in Anambra State as we speak. People are dying and dying very young and many people walking around are simply walking dead bodies waiting to fall anytime, anywhere. When people in their thirties and forties, very many people walking around with systolic blood pressure registering over 200 and the diastolic in the mid one hundreds, sometimes coupled with high blood sugar sometimes in the three and four hundreds and these people are totally oblivious of their situation and have big plans and projects they are pursuing. Some will assure you that the vital signs had actually improved from what they used to be.
Many factors contribute to this emergency situation. Ignorance,stressful living conditions, bad eating habits, hardship and useless pursuits are some of the factors involved in this tragedy.
Andy can champion a massive public health awareness campaign with his private jet distributing fliers to his people, teaching people how to take care of their health. He can give out free monitoring equipment for his people to check their blood pressure and blood sugar. He can improve the hospitals and equip them. He can help the health care providers stay on top of things by providing them with computers which will keep them connected to up -to- date information. Andy can rebuild the surgical theaters (operating rooms) which look like butcher joints.
Nutritious food, vitamins, milk and formula for babies and young children and quality pre and post natal care for pregnant women and nursing mothers will make him an overnight hero. Many baby boys will be named Nnamdi (Andy), making the name popular again.
There are so many ways Andy Ubah can "serve" his people and engrave his name in their hearts. No governor will be greater than Andy Ubah, the Philanthropist..

Let this Deja Vu be put to good use.

Chinwe Enemchukwu
Orlando, Florida

Friday, SEPTEMBER 12, 2008BETTY, CATCH AM.Air Raid Betty------Continued.


Betty did her job as Air Raid Marshall with class. She always felt great when the crisis was over. We took her vigilance and dedication for granted at the time but looking back now, I realize how Betty gave us ample time to hide and take cover before the jets came on their killing and maiming spree. How much that helped, I will never know, but from what I have learned from watching deputy sheriffs chase criminals by air in rural Lake County Florida where I live, those bomber and fighter jets had bird's eye views of the ground as they came down so low. They must have seen their targets scurrying around trying to hide.
We always were able to hide before the planes came within view. When the air raids were over, Betty was usually her happy self again.

Betty enjoyed other odd jobs around the house. She was very energetic and did everything with gusto.
She was a farm hand too.The goats, sheep, chickens, sometimes got in trouble with Betty. Then, there were the wild life who always turned up to help themselves to the crops and livestock, especially the fowls, in the backyard outside the compound. Hawks and other predatory birds were sometimes bold enough to swoop down to grab chicks inside the compound. Betty would dash out barking as the hen screamed at the hawk in protest.
Betty soon mastered how to keep everybody in line. Face offs with wild critters in the backyard were always brought to our attention by Betty's wild barking from the backyard.

Our home stead was on the outskirts of a dry virgin scrubland covered with saw grass (ata), which were so sharp they slashed whatever came in contact with the blade-like leaves. There wereChaleku/icheku tress which made delicious fruit snacks, andaraba/ahaba, which had stems which were were popular as support for yam crops. These were called alulu. In these bushes lived a wide variety of wild life. Patridges (Okwa), large rodents like (Nchi), and smaller (Ogini and Nkakwu) were abundant back there. So also were snakes, venomous and non-venomous. Betty loved to chase whatever showed up too close to the back gate. We always worried about Betty being bitten by a venomous snake back there. Years later, Betty died from a snake bite when she was much older and probably couldn't get out of the way fast enough as a snake lounged at her.

The domesticated animals learned two words of pigin English from their experience with Betty. "Catch-Am" which means Catch him, Catch her or Catch it was understood by humans and animals alike. When that command was yelled, things happened and happened quickly, too quickly to an unsuspecting observer who had never witnessed it before.
If some of the goats or sheep broke out and were attacking the crops, and they heard the command, they would stop in their tracks, do a double take,and bolt off back to their pens. If the gate was closed, they would break in from where they broke out in the first place. Even the chickens understoood the command. They would get excited and clack loudly and then run and fly at the same time to get away. To these animals, Catch-Am meant a black and white dog, chasing them, barking excitedly. Betty really enjoyed giving the chase and would sometimes leap in the air to bring down a rooster or hen as they tried to get briefly airborne to get away.

Betty would equally grab a goat or sheeep by the hind legs to bring them down following a furious chase. The animal would be panting and crying out with fear as Betty held them down.That was all Betty did though, she would hold the animal down, wagging her tail and breathless, until the animal was retrieved from her. She was usually very proud of the catch.

Sometimes when the command was yelled, Betty might be asleep in the house and would not have heard it. If Betty heard the command, she would shoot out of the house like a bullet and give chase, sometimes in the wrong direction, only to suddenly make a ground scratching halt, turn around to locate whatever she was supposed to chase and catch. She would then take off after it barking. The chase and catch game were routine entertainment.

Betty would stop an unknown visitor in their tracks with her barking and then run around in circles waiting for the command. No humans were ever chased although Betty would bare her teeth and raise the hair on her back and tail, if an unfriendly looking visitor showed up or if a family member seemed to be challenged by a person unknown to the dog. At times like that, Betty really had to be restrained or taken inside to calm down.

It was a different ball game with wild life which had their encounters in the back yard with Betty who would slip back there through the hole in the compound wall made for the chickens to come and go. Betty's adventures in the backyard were different. She knew she was not supposed to be back there. The only time she would really let anybody know she was back there was when she got in trouble or faced danger. Her furious barking would draw attention and we would call for her to come in. If she refused, that meant that she had encountered something she wanted us to see.
On some occasions, Betty was back there in a face off with a snake with head puffed and raised in a striking position. Betty would back off when called. Occasionally the snake would be killed. Once, a viper was killed that way, only to watch as small baby vipers ate through her and came wiggling out. It was so overwhelming and scarry that the snake had to be set on fire to kill all the venomous critter emerging from her. I was not present but learned that those present counted about fifty baby snakes when it was over. I also learned that vipers and some other species and also scorpions hatch their eggs inside the mother which then dies as the babies eat or bite their way out of her. I have not witnessed this myself.
A cobra was once spotted on a palm tree close to the compound in the backyard, following one of Betty's furious barking in the backyard. The snake had a bright red growth on its head, similar to a rooster's crest and it made a scarry noise. My father was not home and my mother sent for a neighbor, Ezeugonna who had a double barrel gun to come and shoot the snake. I don't remember if the snake was shot or if it got away. All I recall is being petrified with fear and staying away from the backyard for a while. We used to be back there collecting chaleku, Utu,
Uni, ( sweet wild berries and fruits), and even Elo/Ero (mushrooms).

To be continued.

Talking about scorpions, there were scorpions everywhere in those days and people occassionally got stung. Betty never got stung because she always smelled them and would start barking at the spot where the scorpion was waiting with stinger up.POSTED BY ONYE UWA OMA AT 1:24 PM [Photo]LABELS: BETTY, CATCH AM.
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