Being the only wealthy person in a large family is not a good thing — Anayo Nwosu

By Anayo M. Nwosu 

I was a guest of a very rich man resident in Lagos but hails from a neighbouring town. 

My host was to be given a chieftancy title. 

He invited me as his banker and a financial adviser to a lavish after investiture party in his town in the East. 

My host is now to be addressed as Okwuluoka meaning "he who stands tallest".

The beauty of the decoration of the venue and the expensive wines and food I was served fouled the level of poverty I saw around my host's house.

I was dismayed to see dotted around my guest's mansion, numerous huts which roofs and environment were laced with screaming poverty.

I was dead sure that the inhabitants of those surrounding squalor were his neighbours or relations who I could see being prevented by hefty security men from gaining access into the party venue.

The party was for qualified outsiders.

Were Chief Okwuluoka not my customer, I would have left very early to free my conscience of his lack of generosity or decency.

The story of Lazorus and the Rich man occupied my mind.

I had to leave the party as early as I could but not so obviously early to upset my host who held me in high extreme.

I promised to visit him at home in Lagos in the turn of the New Year.

Should I tell the new chief about a revolution happening in my own village in Nnewi?

Just not long ago in Okpuno Otolo Nnewi village, there was one Chief Anunuebe Okosisi who enjoyed  his status as the only rich man in his large family of artisans, subsistent farmers, petty traders and low level civil servants.

He enjoyed being called upon to pay school fees, repair leaking roofs or even sponsor funeral costs of his kinsmen.

Okosisi had a policy of not paying school fees beyond secondary education which he deemed sufficient for anybody to be useful.

As a one-eyed man in the land of the blind, he was given a chieftancy title of Oji Okosisi meaning a "Great Iroko Tree". Beside him is no other tall trees.

He was happy with his status as he wallowed in vain glory.

Okosisi had earlier read the star of Enyinna, his nephew and suspected that the boy would not be like other relatives.

The boy would neither hang around him with a plate in hand and catalog of woes like others. He would greet him respectfully and left.

Enyinna had never asked Okosisi for anything.

"Could this boy be thinking that I'm rich by money rituals as he would never ask me for money?" Chief Okosisi kept thinking.

Enyinna was indeed different from the lot.

He loated poverty and demeaning begging. He was determined to become independent and successful no matter how long it would take him to achieve his ambition.

While in primary and secondary schools, he engaged in hawking and menial jobs to augument whatever his widow mother could offer to see himself through school.

Enyinna's maternal aunt and her grown daughter made his university education easier even when he still engaged in sundary economic activities in school and during vacations to complete his education.

What a prayer answered as Enyinna landed a dream job in an oil company as an international staff immediately after his National Youth Service? He rose to become a big man in the oil industry.

Enyinna was convinced that his clan would be greato if many of its youths attained higher education and embraced  entrepreneurship.

During a plan vacation, he summoned all the children in the primary and secondary schools in his clan and set their imagination on fire. He narrated to them his life story and encouraged them to dream dreams.

Enyinna instituted many awards for the Best in Common Entrance, Junior WAEC, Distinctions in School Cert. Examinations. He also promised automatic scholarships for core courses like Law, Medicine and Engineering. That was in addition to full scholarship for a doctorate degree.

Enyinna intimated his expatriate friends about his charity mission to liberate his people and they were not only happy to assist but to also facilitated his foundation's access to international donors who were surprised at the number of Europeans who were ready to write recommendations or give guarantees on behalf of Enyinna's foundation.

Within 15 years Enyinna, had set a movement in his community in that many privileged individuals started competing on which community development or human development projects to undertake.

Not to be rendered irrelevant, Chief Okosisi convened a village-wide meeting and announced 5 full overseas scholarships for best graduating students from his village in any Nigerian up to PhD level.

Around the village are evidence of progress measured by many new houses of various sizes everywhere.

Young men in the community now take more meaningful titles like Ochendo, Ochili Ozuo, Akuzuonu etc. which connote charity.

So many flavours of generosity are being added as one man called Mr Ekwulugo has kept for few years now, his promise to God to give every woman married to Okpuno Otolo, a bag of rice during festivities.

No member of my community lacks food or meat during festivities as the rich in our midst now know that it is their duty to provide cow meat, rice, salt and tomatoes for the poor.

It takes one person to start a movement that changes a community for good.

If you are privileged, please do something to change your world.

The young men from my village are aggressively changing our own.

Don't ask me why Nnewi people are progressing; you now know why-we are more generous than we are shrewd in business.

No race can develop or be great with a lone star or a wealthy man.