BEYOND NOLLYWOOD

SATURDAY BREAKFAST WITH TONY OKOROJI

I know a lot of very good scriptwriters in Nollywood. Believe me, no scriptwriter in Nollywood would have attempted to write the tragic drama that has played out in our country in the last fortnight not to talk of making a movie of what cannot even be a Telemundo spectacle.

The dizzying cross carpeting and re-cross carpeting; the impeachments and attempted impeachments, the court orders nobody obeys; the swearing in that never was; the flexing of muscles by little men who think they are God; the sudden transformation of the ruling party to a minority party without elections!  The quick conversion of friends to enemies and enemies to friends! And in the midst of this civil war, our President flies away!   

I can’t help it if I love my country. I know several Nigerians from all our tribes and religions, high quality people, who love their country too. We are pained by what is going on.

Despite my foray into the creative industry and intellectual property, my favorite subject as a young student was mathematics. I loved mathematics in all its forms: modern, traditional, additional, et al. Mathematics is about logic. If something does not add up, it makes no sense to me. Two plus two has to be four, not five, not three. When I have an equation I cannot solve, I cannot sleep. In fact, I get a big head headache.

In Nigeria, in the last fortnight, I have been visited by headache of the worst kind. What is happening in my home state of Imo, makes no sense. The fact that 8 members out of 30 of the Benue State Assembly believed that they could take over the State House of Assembly and successfully impeach the governor makes no sense. There is even this story of a plan to take over the National Assembly in the dark and impeach the Senate President! Where do this kind of people who have no shame, come from? For God’s sake, this is Nigeria with about two hundred million people and not a banana republic.

So, during the week, it was too much for me. I did not just have a headache, I fell ill and I was forced to call my doctor who ordered me to report in the hospital immediately

Dr Jatto ordered a battery of tests, then put me on drip and then asked his nurses to shoot my bum with all kinds of injections. He then said that I had to remain in the hospital for at least three days while he watched over me.

As calmly as I could, I told Dr Jatto, that there was no way I would spend three days in the hospital. I had given my word to be in Abuja the next morning and I intended to keep the promise. We got into an argument we have had several times before. Dr Jatto insisted that he would not break the chain of injections he was administering on me.  He is a reasonable man so we discussed and negotiated. Finally, we agreed that they pack all the injections and drugs I was taking. I put a call through to Abuja to arrange a nurse to continue with administering the injections and drugs. I left Dr. Jatto about 11.00 pm.

When I woke up Booboo, my daughter, about 5.00 am the next morning and said that I was headed for the airport, she went ballistic.  As politely as she could, she told me that I did not know what I was saying. How could I leave the hospital in the middle of the night and head for the airport in the wee hours of the morning?

Once again, I had to spend time with my daughter to explain to her how my mind works. I emphasized to Booboo that I believe that the Almighty has sent each of us to this world to do something. I told her that I am determined to fulfill my destiny. I said to Booboo that death can come to any of us anywhere at any time, even while one is sleeping at home on his bed… in any case, death would come at some point. I assured my daughter that I am not suicidal but that I had work to do and that I refuse to live a life of fear. Before she could say something new, I gave my girl a peck and went to the Airport to board Air Peace to Abuja.

I arrived Abuja ok. A nurse in Abuja has made sure that I have all my injections at the right time. I have attended most of the meetings I came to Abuja for. I would have been more sick if I had remained on a hospital bed in Lagos.

Last time I had this kind of argument with Dr Jatto, earlier in the year, I had planned to go to Abuja with my guy, one of the nicest persons I have met, the great Ras Kimono. We went. Yes, Kimono has moved on. So, shall we all. For every hour the Almighty gives to me, I want to do something that brings a smile to at least one of His children and make my guy, Kimono proud.

Several times in recent years, when I have been asked how I am able to do so much and escape all the treachery hatched against me, I have replied that I drive on a full tank of faith. The truth is that I do not believe that the Almighty will send you on an errand without ensuring that you get there. Every day, I beg God not to let me seek to do evil to anyone or be driven by hate. I ask Him to use me to do good to as many people as possible. I am totally convinced that if my labour is for the good of God’s children, no evil can harm me.

I still believe in Nigeria and believe that despite all the shenanigan, the Almighty who is the real Minister of Justice will intervene. Evil may appear to thrive for some time. Ultimately, the real Minister of Justice will step in. Does anyone recall Osama Bin Laidin and his Al Qaida terrorists who believed that they owned the world? Where are they? Just a year and six months ago, it appeared that ISIS would over run the entire Middle East. Pray, which territory does the caliphate control now? I verily believe that the madness of today will pass by. Nigeria will survive

See you next week