IBO - Brian R. Lundin (100 books to read in a lifetime .txt) 📗

contained assorted fruits, salads, fish, caviar, and a Magnum of Dom Perion Champagne. Diki and the man embraced each other warmly.
“Malik and Eli, this is my cousin Bonko a member of my tribe,” Diki said.
Bonko was pouring everyone a glass of champagne when Ceda entered.
“Everything ok?” Ceda asked.
”Everything fine as usual Ceda,” Diki said.
“Time for a toast,” Diki announced.
Everyone raised their glasses and Diki continued,
“Good friends are like fine wines, the older they are the better friends they are.”
“Bonko why don't you show our guest the rest of the plane, there are some matters I must discuss with Diki,” Ceda said.


The bright sun nearly blinded Malik as he looked out the window. The sky was clear as they ascended to their flying altitude. It was a long but comfortable ride-there was a minor turbulence, a few pressure changes as they climbed higher but Ceda made sure everyone was comfortable. They had a two-hour layover in Paris, where another crew would fly the last leg of their journey. Finally, they arrived in Lagos airspace, sitting by the window Malik looked down as the jet started its descent. A paved road appeared and traffic was backed-up. The streets were crowded with people and cars and seemingly, every house had red tiled roofs.
A large body of water surrounded the city and he watched the small boys in knee-deep water staring up at them. Small boat loaded with bananas and other fruits was cruising the river leisurely. There were tall impressive looking buildings, a soccer field and from the air, the city looked like any big city in the United States, many people in a hurry. The plane followed the river and landed at a private airport. As they walked down the gangplank they were smacked in the face with the heat a sign over the terminal said the temperature was ninety-two degrees. Malik squinted and closed his eyes for a moment as he descended the steps with a firm hand on the guardrail. Malik was overwhelmed with the beauty of the country and the brilliance of the sun. Lush green trees and grass gently swaying in the hot breeze.
In the far distance were snowcapped mountains that seemed to rise to the heavens. The airport workers were all neatly attired in clean white uniforms and going about their duties, a shiny black Cadillac limousine had its doors opened.
“Welcome home, my brother,” another tall dark man said to Diki.
“It’s good to be home,” Diki said, hugging the man.
“Malik and Eli, meet William, my cousin,” Diki said.
Eli and Malik shook hands with William as he held the back door of the limousine. It was a short ride and before long they stopped at a large white mansion, surrounded by snow capped mountains on three sides. In the doorway seated in a wheel chair was a very tall, muscular looking man with keen features, maybe in his early sixties. He was wearing all white. White shirt, white pants, white shoes, socks, and a red and white Chicago Bulls cap, Malik noticed that he also had that look and air of nobility that Diki had. Diki was the first one out of the car.
“Papa, Papa,” Diki shouted as he ran towards the man.
The man hugging and kissing Diki said, “My son, you are looking very well.”
“As you are my father, I have missed you. Let me introduce you to my friends from the colonies, Eli and Malik, this is my father, Zuba Dikimbo Montovo.”
Zuba shaking Malik’s and Eli’s hand with both of his said, “Welcome my son's friends to our home and country.”
Mr. Montovo sat in a computerized wheel chair. It had a bank of electronic equipment on a swivel stand, a telephone, what looked like a paging system, a small computer screen and even a detachable video camera. He was dressed in a white shirt and white pants.
Zuba Montovo spoke very softly; his speech was deliberate and slow with precise diction. His English was perfect and somewhat sexual with the accent.
“Come, I know you all must be tired after your long trip, we’ll talk after you’ve had a chance to rest and refresh.”
Zuba motioned to one of the men who led Eli and Malik to their rooms, which were next to each other. Malik showered and laid down on a large round bed with floral sheets for a nap. When he awaken two hours later, he noticed a pair of white pants, white shirt, white sock and white tennis shoes neatly draped over a nightstand, there was also a tray with fruits and sweets, and a note, it read, "Malik when you awaken, join us in the study, Diki.”
After showering again and getting dress, Malik left his room to look for the study, as he was closing the door, one of the house servants appeared.
“Are you ready to join your friends in the study, sir?”
Malik surprised to see the servant, answered, “Yes sir.”
The servant led Malik through the house; the study was located on the side of the house facing the rear. It was a large room with highly polished parquet floor covered with large multi-colored throw rugs. One side was a floor to ceiling sliding door that overlooked a flower garden. Five brown chairs surrounded a mahogany table contained an array of colorful flowers and fruits. Next to the door on the other side of the study were bookcases that contained classical fiction novels and other books.
“Out here, Malik,” Mr. Montovo said.

Malik saw Diki, Eli, and Mr. Montovo seated in large leather high back chairs, sipping lemonade on the veranda. Zuba pouring Malik a glass of lemonade asked, “How are you feeling young man?”

”Better, I guess the flight tired me out,” Malik said.
“I would imagine, it is a long flight, dinner will be served at seven pm., but if you're hungry, I can order you something.”
“No sir, I’m fine,” Malik replied.
“Tomorrow, Diki will take you and Eli on a tour of the grounds. You are just in time for my history lesson on my country, and your adopted country,” Zuba said smiling.
“Nigeria or “Naija” as we Nigerian like to call her is the largest and populous states in Africa, we are situated on the West Coast of the continent and occupies nearly 400,000 square miles, an area roughly the size of California, Arizona and New Mexico combined. Naija or Nigeria is a combination of words, “Niger” the longest river in Africa and “Area”. We have a long and rich history and based on archaeological evidence human habitation of the area dates back to at least 9000 BC. The Benue-Cross River area is thought to be the original homeland of the Buntu people who migrated across most of central and southern Africa in waves between the first millennium BC and the second millennium AD. More than 2,000 years ago, the Nok people in central Nigeria were producing sculptures. Around AD 999 the Hausa, kingdoms and the Kanem-Bornu Empire prospered as trading posts between North and West Africa. The country contains a wide variety of land ranging from tropical rainforest to desert, only of which thirty one percent is cultivated.
We have a wide range of climatic conditions from the tropical rainforest of the South to the harsh desert plains of the north; the Niger River is the longest in Africa at 2,505 miles. Between December and March, the dry air mass is strong and dominates the whole country, bringing drought to northern Nigeria. Fifteen percent of the country is forested and is inhabited by monkeys that lives high up in the canopy, poisonous snakes and small antelopes and contrary to what you Westerners see in the movies, you would be lucky or unlucky to come across any dangerous creatures that once threatened explorers, the rest of the country is desert.
Benin bound us on the West, Niger, and Chad to the North and Cameroon to the Southeast. There are some two hundred and fifty ethnic groups in my country, but four groups account for sixty-five percent of the total population of over one hundred million people, the Fulani and the Hausa live mainly in the North; the Ibo predominates the Southeast and the Yoruba in the Southwest, with English as the common used and official language, but outside the cities it is little understood. Generally, each ethnic group has its own language, although neighboring people frequently speak mutually intelligible languages.
Islam is the dominant religion in the North and claims forty seven percent of all Nigerians. Christianity, claiming about one third of the population is the dominant religion in the South, the remaining percentage hold traditional religious beliefs. Lagos until recently was the capital city of Nigeria and is the country’s commercial, industrial and cultural hub. The population growth in recent years put an enormous strain on a city that was never ideally located in the first place, and its infrastructure began to crumble under the pressure, consequently in 1991, Abuja became the new capital.
It has the advantage of being away from any one ethnic area and offers the opportunity for the government to set aside ethnic differences and create a unified country.
The first Europeans to visit the Nigerian West Coast were the Portuguese as early as the 14th century. The Europeans did not invent slavery; it was widespread in Nigeria long before the European excursions into Africa and tribes took slaves both from rival tribes and from their own people. The Europeans bought their slaves from warring tribes and established a slave-trading center. The area was under the domination of the kingdom of Benin and by the 1500s; the slave trade was well established. It is estimated that six and a half millions slaves were transported from West Africa and twenty-three percent came from the Slave Coast of Western Nigeria, Benin and Togo. After the abolition of slavery, some Europeans began to settle in the area, and it became necessary to provide a government to protect them. In 1861, the English took over Nigeria and we became one of their protectorates.
Initially, a parliamentary system of government was used. A federation was composed of three regions, Northern, Western, and Eastern each represented in the federal government. Lagos became the capital in 1914 and the Baron Frederick Lugar was the Governor-General. He established the policy of indirect rule that is, governing through the pre-existing chieftain structure. Within a few decades, educated African elite began to emerge, one that would not be content to remain British subjects. Nigeria became an independent republic on October 1,1963 and established a British style constitution, but the strains caused by conflicting national and regional interest resulted in corruption charges which were followed by treason trials, general strikes and attempted coups, the constitution was abandoned and General Johnson T.U.Aguiyi-Ironsi, an Ibo, was declared the temporary head of state.
In the following years, coups and attempted coups characterized modern Nigeria and strife was not long in coming. The northern region, because of its large population, was able to dominate the entire country politically and frictions increased, especially between the Hausa in the North and the Ibo in the Southeast, which resulted in a military coup in 1966. In 1967, the Ibo under the