A People In A Hurry To Destroy Yesterday…

As a child born in Lagos, all you need to spark off nostalgia is a trip round the city. From the naming of Streets and major roads, you already find a lot to ask Google or older folks.

Lagos is built on the sweat of historic and heroic figures, who did a lot for the future. And everywhere around the State bears testimony about how a people should be grateful to the labours of heroes past. Before I read about “Ozumba Mbadiwe” I had travelled the road long enough that sometimes I sense his spirit hovering around the territory.

Anambra is not in short supply of human gods; People with exciting tales of decent and selfless living. Sadly, when you drive through Awka, what you find is ingratitude from a people in a hurry to destroy “yesterday”. James Eze just wrote about the “hustling spirit” and the downside of this excessive call for entrepreneurship.

What he didn’t remember to add is that there is a fledging market, where legacies are cremated and ferried away by illicit stream of cash. When you ask the dimwits why they sell Street and Road names to the highest Bidder they will tell you, “Igbo enweghị Eze”.

– Mazi Ejimofor Opara writes from Awka, Anambra State.