The Biblical Wisdom Of Solomon And A Tale Of Ogwuaga Abba Two Factional President-Generals Leadership Approach 

NJOKU MACDONALD OBINNA 

The defining moment of legendary of Solomon was his unsurpassed wisdom, graciously gifted to him by God. If there was ever a King Solomon, the Bible says that he was the wiset of all Kings (1 Kings 3:11-15).

Shortly after becoming King, Solomon in a dream, asked God for wisdom to lead a rather heterogeneous people; the Israelites, Ogwuaga Abba people in this context, for the sake of this exposition. Soon after his passionate supplications, God granted him wisdom. And the first litmus test of his wisdom was put to a trial: two women asked for judgement over the ownership of a small baby.

The wisdom of King Solomon in that heart-warming judgement is known to most Christians; in which the King ruled between two women both laying claims  to be the biological mother of a new born baby. King Solomon revealed their true feelings and relationship to the child by suggesting the baby be cut in two, each woman to receive half. With this divine wisdom and insightful leadership strategy, he was able to critically discern the strange mother as the woman who entirely approved of this proposal, while the actual mother begged that the sword might be sheathed and the child committed to the care of her rival. Some consider this approach to justice an archetypal example of an impartial judge displaying wisdom in making a ruling. 

However, in using the above biblical analogy as a good reference point to press home what played out a few weeks ago at a community meeting in  Ogwuaga Abba, Nwangele LGA, Imo State, where two illustrious sons and respected community leaders, Chief Frank Ojiako and Chief Bona Akwiwu, who are laying claims to the position of the President General of Ogwuaga Abba Town Union; as both leaders were asked to take a decision on how to repatriate  the body of a fallen Ogwuaga Abba son, late Mr. Kingsley Emeka Nnabuihe, who died in Spain with no close relation either in Germany or Italy that would help the community bring his corpse back home.

Dr. Frank Ojiako, a certified Google Scholar, respected community leader, too opinionated, too startchy, too controversial and all -knowing, just like the first harlot that King Solomon asked to make her claims over the ownership of the baby, was also asked to speak first. 

His audience, Ogwuaga Abba community leaders, with a waited breath of fresh air and high expectations befitting a Scholar of repute like Chief Francis Ojiako, Ph.D, paid rapt attention to his highly awaiting  contributions over the issue under discussion. 

Unfortunately, wisdom, the most important ingredient in leadership, eluded him at that material time having assumed the position of all-knowing in his Ogwuaga Abba Community. Ofcourse, God is the only Omipresence, Omipotent and Omiscience. Dr. Frank Ojiako, our source disclosed, did not only speak like an ordinary man, but also spoke with a military disposition like the late Gen. Sani Abacha,  Nigeria’s most dreaded and draconian Head of State, in the wake of contemporary political history.

Recall that two options were thrown up by the community leaders on how to bury their fallen son, who died in faraway Spain, since repatriating the dead body back home has become a challenge given the cost implications. 

1. Can his corpse be brought to his ancestral home; Abba Ama-Ano, for burial?

2. Can the body of the deceased be burnt (cremated) and buried abroad; foreign land? 

Ogwuaga Abba ‘James Bond’, Chief Frank Ojiako, allegedly said their son and brother should be burnt and buried abroad to save the community the huge cost implications therein.

While sharing a contrary opinion from his rival, Chief Bona Akwiwu, a factional President General of Ogwuaga Abba Town Union, in strong terms condemned the position taken by Dr. Frank Ojiako of burying the late Kingsley Emeka Nnabuihe abroad through cremation.

According to a viral story shared online,  Sunday evening, by an illustrious son of Ogwuaga Abba Autonomous community from the famous Ozigbu family in Dimagu Village, Chief Bona Akwiwu, a former Transition Committee Chairman in Nwangele LGA and Honourable Commissioner for Special Duties, Trade and Investments, was quoted to have said:

“Never! Ishi nwa Abba Ama-ano anahu ato na mba (meaning- the head  of an Abba son cannot be trapped in a foreign land). The body must be brought back home to Abba  as our custom and tradition demands.” 

With the above divine pronouncement, Chief Engr. Bona Akwiwu passionately appealed to the good people of Abba Ama-Ano, family members, friends and well wishers both in Nigeria and diaspora to kindly endeavour to repatriate the body of the deceased back home for burial in his fatherland.

Our source authoritatively gathered that immediately Chief Bona Akwiwu made that proposal for a collective and concerted effort for the corpse of late Kingsley Emeka Nnabuihe to be repatriated back home, donations of huge sums of money started rolling into the bank account of Ogwuaga Abba Town Union under the management of Chief Bona Akwiwu, a man of peace who has come to redefine town union leadership as a community leader and veteran politician.

Ironically and ‘maradonically’ too, the same Dr. Frank Ojiako, who allegedly  said that the body of his Ogwuaga Abba kinsman should be burnt and buried abroad made a ‘U-turn’, took his academic pen and paper to be recording names of donors in a decision he was completely opposed to through his inhumane and uncharitable comment. Indeed, “Laughter in the midst of tragedy can never be really funny”. 

Does a true shepherd strike his sheep? The answer is emphatic no! “He who is destined for power does not have to fight for it, a desperate leader makes a million  times mistake – Ugandan Proverbs”. 

To this end, it is therefore, left for Ndi Ogwuaga Abba to judge and choose which among the two respected leaders  that will best serve the interest of the community in terms of conflict resolution and peace keeping. Ogwuaga Abba is too a big and strategic Community to be in the news for the wrong reasons.

Ogwuaga Abba leaders, arise! 

Let love lead! 

Long live, Ogwuaga Abba!

Long live, Abba Ama-Ano!

–Njoku Macdonald Obinna,

Media Consultant|Peace Advocate|News Reporter|PR-Expert|Publisher, 4th Estate Reporters.