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Feb. 27, 2007 When on the first day of February this year my elder brother in Lagos called me on the phone to inform me that our aged mother's health had deteriorated and that she was consequently hospitalised I took it as an emergency which must be attended to with some maternal urgency. I had told my brother from my end in the Ivorian capital city that in spite of the present and clear danger posed by the terrorism of both Nigerian politicians and armed robbers I would be home within 48 intervening hours. My dear mother had been in and out of the General Hospital in Ihiala Anambra State in recent times because of the burden of old age and eye problem occasioned by too much shedding of tears because in a polygamous family of three wives and twelve surviving children my mother happened to be the last wife of my late father, the youngest among the other late two. My mother who is easily moved to tears had had to mourn and bury her two daughters in a space of four years from each tragic occurence of death. That I could read and write today is because my late elder sister, a beauty to behold, took it upon herself as a point of duty to see me through in higher school as the last offspring of the entire family despite excruciating financial constraints. I'm eternally grateful to sister Stella (may her soul continue resting in peace) for beqeauting me a lasting legacy of sound education obtained without compromise in Benin City former Bendel State capital. As I arrived Lagos on a Sunday (the first of February) I met my brother, his beautiful wife and wonderful kids in sound health to the glory of God. As I expressed my fears over the Nigerian situation -- daring robbery, political mischief, economic decline, bad network of roads, notorious darkness of NEPA (PHCN) and lack of clean pipe-borne water he re-assured me that with God things may be made whole again without disagreeing with my point of view. My brother, Azuka, a true christian much like me is an incurrable optimist much unlike me. Despite mounting odds to the contrary he still believes in the 'Nigerian dream' claiming as it were that Nigeria would someday bounce back and claim the greatness that awaits her for so long a time. As we exchanged brotherly banters Sunday afternoon over some good food and drink (akin to a welcome party) with his family and other extended family brothers and sisters and other friends in and around Lagos I felt at home in my country where failure of leadership and confusing bloated national breakthroughs have always been met with political amateurism and mediocrity by those who imposed themselves on national and local positions of authority with or without our collective consent. In the modern 'jungle' that is 'Eko', Lagos still maintains its organized chaos and daily struggles by competing sea of heads. Lagos is a microcosm of Nigeria, a twisted society where individualism and absence of orderliness is better imagined than experienced. The next day after spending the night in my brother's house in Okota Carnal Estate and experiencing how Power Holding Company of Nigeria (NEPA) continued to be a stumbling block to national renewal my brother and I drove to the south-east to see mother. The Lagos-Ore express way is in fairly good shape but from Ore to Benin City is hell on wheels. That stretch of a highway is in a serious state of delapidation. With deep holes, gullies and uneven cracked surfaces at every meter coupled with the extortion of law enforcement agents at every kilometer the road is simply put a disaster. In the village after hours of voyage in a jeep from Lagos mother Akuehute wept as she beheld me embracing and embracing me and exclaiming aloud: "welcome home Sunny my son!". Mother was shedding tears of joy having last seen me in December 2004. I told her amidst emotions to weep no more comforting her that her health must be taken good care of as that was the major reason why I came. I quoted the Bible where it's written that "the dry bones shall rise again..." to back my position. The solution to my mother's eye complications became our major pre-occupation and where best to operate on the eyes was what my brother and I were debating. While my brother cited Kano as the best I insisted that while late Gen. Abacha's homeland was a good choice since a lot of people had gone there for their eye problems and came back with good testimonies the norhern city is far from the east for my liking and given mom's old age it could be difficult for her to walk after embarking on the journey and arriving at our destination up north. I reasoned that the city of Port Harcourt could be a better option because of it's proximity to Ihiala and my brother instantly bought my idea. So we both arrived at the decision that I should proceed to PH the next day to make some enquiries over the best specialist hospital in town where to carry out the operation. In the garden city of Port Harcourt the Rivers State capital I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw; my buddy, senior advocate Nnamdi is resident there. The oil city of PH is an organized beautiful city with fairly decent beautiful amiable people. The landscape has embraced modern developmental trends and quite unlike Lagos PH is a decent clean city with good road networks, working infrastructures but PHCN is still an embarrassment like anywhere else. I saw and met dazzling babes cruising about in their glittering four-wheel machines. I think there's a semblance in the city of gender balance in terms of the spread of the ubiquitous petro-dollars. My lawyer friend took me round the city at night in a jolly ride and I must report that night life in PH unlike Lagos is alive and bubbling with different stars of hotel evenly spread across the city. With night clubs, restaurants, bars and guest houses scattered across the city PH is a dream place for a holiday maker. Wherever one went one encountered right, left and center smart damsels ever ready to enjoy life to the fullest with you! In the hotel I lodged "Beverly Hills Hotels" in the GRA area of the city service there (especially the pool side) was worthy of commendation as young girls provided unassaillable service to different clients of diverse nationalities. Although I should also report the road nuissance the commercial motorcycle operators constitute to the city's road users their services are indeed indespensable. Though the 'Okada' riders are off the road by 7pm the local transport industry provides job opportunities for a good number of Nigerians. I was asking Nnamdi about the much-vaunted Gov. Peter Odili's independent power plants built with stupendous tax payers' money and his pessimistic response was that nothing was working in the meantime. Though Governor Odili could be given an average passmark in terms of delivery of governmental service to the people much needed to be done in terms of garbage management and electricity supply. On Sunday the church we attended (Sureworld Outreach on Ikwerre Road) is pastored by an elegant stallion whose mastery of her calling amazed me to no end. She was simply wonderful in her headship of the faithfuls ably assisted by her husband. To Pastor Eunice Enujuba and her inimitable choir members I doff my hat for you all! May the true God who you and your flock worship with all your hearts increase your wisdom. The sights and sounds of Port Harcourt are therefore a memorable one which I cannot forget in a hurry; PH left me with a lasting impression and showcased it's tourism potentials. As I left PH for the land of my birth on Monday afternoon I confessed to my lawyer friend that I had fallen in love with the city promising to return in a matter of days. Though I left Nnamdi's house in a state of melancholy as he had lost his younger sister that fateful morning and was heading to Elele to arrange for the funeral I succeeded in locating a specialist eye center where my mother would be taken to for the operation. Eventually she was operated upon successfully and her sights were restored at full capacity. She danced and praised the Lord for the wondrous exploits of professional doctors especially the Indian doctor who effected the operation on her eyes. My next port of call as my visit to Nigeria progressed in peace was Benin City. I would throw more light on my mixed experiences in this old city in a subsequent detailed article. But suffice to say that I met the capital city of Edo State after almost a decade of completion of an academic sojourn in a dusty static mood. An old friend Eghosa took me out to an 'Akatarian' hot spot called "Time Out Paradise" located on Airport Road. There I had a good time with some other fun-seekers. With life music band playing and entertaining the vociferous crowd comedians in tow including some white men (imported as it were from Europe especially Italy) visiting the unofficial capital of modern prostitution in Nigeria I could not help but be enveloped by nostalgia. In a moment of bliss I had thought I was in Milan or Florence in Italy! More details in due course please. In all I was happy to be home but happier to be back to base where the system works much better. I thank God for the security and for everything else that went well. It was a home-coming with a difference in all intents and purposes. My 21-day stay in Nigeria could therefore be likened to a visit to the animal kingdom -- where might is right and money king! ------------ About the author: Sunny Chris Okenwa is a new U-K contributor based in Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire. Email: soco_abj_2006_rci@hotmail.fr Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com. 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