The night was very quiet, and for some the silence was intense. Others seem not to care, in fact oblivious, absorbed with thoughts of where their next meal would come from. But there were still some well aware of the night, confident and calm that with daybreak the news would be expected and positive. However, on this particular night, quite a few village men and women, and their elders were gathered at the town square. The leaders sat silently on low benches on the right side of the gathering in front of log fires, for the gathering held on an unusually cold wet night.
The most senior of the leaders, Elder Aloowira, stood up, cleared his throat, and began, “My people of wazobia.” The people responded with a loud “We dey!”
The elder, though aged and looking a bit frail, stood straight, with dignified mein. He continued, “You may have heard of the troubles of our new king, King Ubunit, and his squabbles with some princes regarding his right to the throne.”
Again, the crowd responded with a loud “Yes! Our ears don full.”
Elder Aloowira was quiet for a while. He glanced down at the other elders sitting around him and motioned to one of them, a woman, who sat to his right to stand. He then pointed in the direction of the crowd and said almost inaudibly, “You can take it from here,” and then he sat down.
Elder Ujimuwnugo is a gifted orator and frequently chosen to speak on auspicious occasions like today. She bellowed “People of wazobia.” Again the gathering yelled back, “We dey kampe.”
In a clear unemotional but crisp voice, she began speaking, “We your elders want to bring you into confidence on a matter we are about to decide and seek the opinion of you the people of wazobia”. She wiped her hand over her brow and continued. “Many years ago, our new king, King Ubunit claimed he went to school in a distant land. After years of study, he came home and has been active in his princely duties.” “Following the abdication of our last king, King Irahub, Prince Ubunit announced to the old king and the people his interest in taking over the throne.” The crowd murmured in agreement that this was a true account. “However, other princes also showed interest including Prince Ukita and prince Ibo, and a few commoners like one Udomom.”
Elder Ujimuwnugo paused, poured out water from a bottle into a cup, and took a sip. She continued in a sterner voice.
“Though you all, the people of Wazobia, and the oracle of our land decided on Prince Ubunit as our next King, there is a problem.” Now the gathering was excited and getting loud. “Quiet!” Screamed the Senior leader Aloowira from his sitting position, and the crowd fell silent.
Elder Ujimuwnugo who had sat briefly while the exchange occurred, stood back up and was about to continue talking, but elder Aloowira waved her back to her seat. So, she continued from a sitting position.
“After you all choose prince Ubunit as your new king, princes Ukita and Ibo said Ubunit had lied about going to school in the faraway land. They claim they have evidence that he got to the throne using a false identity.” There was an excited but brief murmuring among the people. Someone spotted the village jester Udomom and commented that he even his family did not vote for him as he received only his self-vote. The was a howling from the people around the man, many bent over with laughter.
Elder Ujimuwnugo ignored the noise and continued “They said that the certificate which prince Ubunit presented to you the people was fake.”
This issue indeed was not new to the people, and they have followed with keen interest the palace intrigues and exploits of aggrieved princes. Prince Ukita had even travelled to the faraway land in search of the smoking gun in regards of prince Ubunit’s schooling. Unfortunate for the prince, the old school had emphatically disagreed with suggestions that prince Ubunit did not school there and affirmed that he indeed attended the school and was even a star student.
This much of the story was related to the gathering by Elder Ujimuwnugo. The people all this and even more.
“So, emissaries sent to the school to invalidate the authenticity of his Prince Ubunit’s schooling has come short.” chanted a group from the middle of the crowd.
Again, elder Ujimuwnugo cleared her throat. “Now princes Ukita and Ibo have brought before us an allegation that though King Ubunit went to the school, he somehow forged his certificate after completing school as he was in too much of a hurry and impatient, to wait and get the real one.” Again, loud laughter rang through the gathering.
Having told the people about the case, elder Ujimuwnugo fell silent and turned to her boss elder Aloowira.
The night was far gone but no one in the gathering was feeling sleepy. Elder Aloowira now posed a question to the people. “If you were in our shoes, what would you do with Ukita’s and Ibo’s allegation? Would you consider it with seriousness or throw it out for utter silliness?”
“Or would you rather reprimand prince Ubunit and or punish him for lying and deceit?”
When the people heard these questions from Elder Aloowira, they were amused and said to themselves, “Our elders, have sought our opinion. But this is not a difficult issue to decide at all. We believe they will do justice to the case and do what is right and proper.” One man, appointed by the people to respond on their behalf stood up and walked to the center of the gathering. He said in a clear and loud voice, “Dear elders, we the people trust you. Whatever you decide is well with us and shall be binding to all in the village. Thank you.”
With this, the meeting concluded, and the crowd dispersed, leaving the elders to retire and make their decision which will be conveyed to all on the next market day.