Introduction
As Amauku Ihitte-Okwe restarts an authentic journey towards a
future underpinned by credible disposition to a holistic educational outlook,
the events of today stand in sharp relief as a watershed of stocktaking on how
far we have travelled, how we got into our situation before today and the
implication of today’s decisions on our collective future. This honest
stocktaking is the objective of this article.
A generation yesterday
It is proper to look at issues with a contextual insight to
ensure that comprehensive attention is given to primary explanatory variables
among many. The main issue is the inevitable fact that Amauku is situated
within the geopolitical umbrella called Nigeria with all its implications. More
interestingly, most of the current population cohort arrived the scene after
the devastating Nigeria-Biafra war whose ignored regressive effect continue to
loom large.
To state that Nigeria is a problematic is an understatement,
rather the current generation is a victim of Nigeria bearing the wounds of its
poisonous decimation and industrial-scale holistic displacement. However, both
its decimation and displacement is neither comprehensive nor total in so far as
human agency isn’t totally robbed of dignity and freedom.
While we admit that the above paragraph deserved to be
unpacked, a task beyond the scope of this piece, it equally signpost
undeniable impacts on the ground with particular regard to low-quality of
leadership, inauthentic decisions, unjust implementations and truncation of
people’s expectations. Above all, it is the elevation of uncritical approach to
existential struggle in general, a degradation of collective insights to
problems and growing abscess of poor leadership as normative. In addition,
knowledge and wisdom became untouchables effective from 1985.
Highlights of Errors
Four projects symbolise the malaise raised under the previous
heading. 1986 Amauku Water Project commissioned by Lt Commander Amadi Ikwechegh
fell victim to strategic blindness and post-commission inertia that manifested
in the non-reticulation of water through
Umuihim and Umuotukwe. The summary is that at the time of writing there are
least 30 private water boreholes in the community. Draw your own conclusion on
the costs.
Second, is the electricity project design and implementation.
This strategic project approached with the right intentions from inception
lacked the input of credible and knowledgeable experts in the field of electric
power and electrical engineering professionalism. This was ignored in spite of
the abundant and available specialists sons and daughters in the profession.
Third, is St Patrick Catholic mission expansion project. It was implemented in
rejection of evident needs/cost benefit analysis provided at no cost to the
community as a sound solution by one of our distinguished sons. A triple slap on
him, on knowledge and on intellectual industry.
Last but not the least is 2020 COVID-19 related support
provided by abroad Ihitte-Okwe family meetings. I deliberately avoid
identifying the project’s given name because it is insulting to our collective
memory, to ndiche and the collective gift of Ala. Apparently, the name is morbidly connected to regression of life towards its ending rather than its
refreshment. It was an intellectual error given that its principals with the best intentions ignored basic facts on the ground which a simple needs analysis would
have highlighted. A people blessed with fruitful resources don’t just ignore
tested solutions to imitate erroneous neighbours.
Lessons
Taken together, the above errors initiated and consummated by
our leaderships at local and central levels at various times have transformed
into attractive destinations for our pilgrimage. An honest pilgrimage for
humble observations and gentle examinations, mistakes identifications, gap
analyses, what-if scenario reviews and admission that wrongs were executed.
Only a deliberate and decent descent into errors allows one, groups and
community to reassemble their equipment for credible investments and truthful
implementations in the future. Unless leaderships in Amauku and Ihitte-Okwe in
general adopt a comprehensive approach that is truthful, intelligent,
reasonable and responsible; our future development will face serious obstacles.
Comprehensive Authentic Education for Amauku
Today December 26th & Amauku Day at the LA
School our community is united in a strategic deliberation to articulate the
way forward for our collective future underpinned by a comprehensive approach
to conscientization, learning, teaching, production and development. The most
beautiful cast of this development is its indigeneity and ground-upness. All
solutions must have the footprints of our experts home and abroad. In short
every expert son/daughter is by default a consultant to Amauku.
The trigger for this new dawn is Nigeria expressed through
state abandonment of schools, teachers and pupils. So the community has assumed
responsibility of employing/supporting teachers with relevant resources, investing
in the physical infrastructure and providing our pupils with the requirements
for conducive learning. Yes, Amauku is res Amauku, a republic. The
Latin root means the reality of the people.
Our effort is not ignorant of potential stumbling blocks
rather integrate them into agreed initiatives, scalable deliverables and
strategic visions upon which the holistic development of Amauku is based. Our
children must have a clear identity, clear conscience, learn as a human right
and grow into responsible persons looking forwards without loss of everything
received from ndiche. Our appreciation is huge on the drivers, stimulators and
facilitators of this latest eruption of goodwill.
It is not a coincidence that all these efforts are bearing
fruit at Christmas with deep theological implication on virtues manifesting
through resourceful communications, respectful coordination, insightful
collaborations and wise donations of selves for the greater good. Christian
doctrine teaches that God reconciled the world to Godself through Jesus, so authentic
knowing of Jesus by the Holy Spirit must follow the models of Mary, the
shepherds and the Magi. Rich interiority, self-knowledge and holistic unity of
person, of marriages, of families and of community. This time around, the
journey from today will not delink from the chain of consistency and
continuity.
Summary
There is an advantage in every disadvantage and error. Only that high cost in patience required to go through each case prevent most investors from appreciating forensic reviews. Amauku is turning the curve of self-knowledge and collective unity with tentative steps in full awareness that without this bitter pill, there is no collective future for us. Let it be clear that the Nigeria that we groan about and expect to transform is best perceived through the lens of Amauku. For our children and generations yet unborn, this is our handover file. Only an authentic and holistic restoration of our collective development can reassert our honour, dignity, integrity and excellence.
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