Erelu Okin: What manner of installation party was that? By Israel Ojoko
There are many instances to point to, to confirm that Nigeria is not just a lawless state, but most Nigerians who themselves complain all the time about the state of things, are careless about their own safety and well-being.
Nigerians bring too many unnecessary problems upon themselves, and that of Erelu Okin, Pearl Chidinma Ogbolu, is one that is too grave to overlook.
She hosted a party at the Havilah Event Centre in Victoria Island to celebrate her installation as the Erelu Okin of Orile Kemta.
An occasion that was supposed to be a blissful connection between a western monarch — Oba Tokunbo Okikiola Tejuosho — and his visitors-turned-family from the east turned out to be an embarrassment and a thing to be remembered for the wrong reason.
For a man who has shown how accommodating a leader should be by honouring not only a citizen of another tribe, but a young woman, Oba Tejuosho deserved better than the outcome he got from the newly crowned young lady.
A white Range Rover vehicle was loaded with petrol in big jerrycans and brought into the Havilah Event Centre venue of the installation party or reception.
Right inside the event centre, her aides brought many empty smaller jerrycans of 10 litres with a sticker of the celebrant and started sharing fuel from the big container in the boot of the Range Rover into the 10-litre kegs.
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As if that was not bad enough, they then proceed to move all the 10 litres of jerrycans inside the hall and right on stage where a guest fuji artist Malaika was performing. People were laughing and the musician was even heard asking for his own share of the fuel.
Really? Instead of taking to your heels, you were asking ‘where is my own fuel’? Other guests were comfortably seated, laughing and apparently expecting to be served their own share of the petrol souvenir. What is wrong with us in this country? Don’t we value our own lives anymore? Has the current fuel scarcity and increase in price affected us so bad that we don’t even recognise danger when we see one? Why have we lost empathy for others? Why do many people think safety is an option and not a necessity?
We are yet to get over one Chidinma Ojukwu who confessed to stabbing the CEO of Super TV, Usifo Ataga, and yet another Chidinma is putting the lives of over 100 people in danger all because she was being installed as the Erelu Okin.
As someone who values their life and that of others around them, on sighting the jerrycans of fuel inside the event hall, the next thing to do is ask the ushers to take them outside or leave immediately. What happens if someone lights a cigarette or smoke around the fuel location? That whole place will go up in flames and many innocent people will die or be severely injured.
But the guests did not leave, they were laughing and dancing, eating and drinking carelessly with a gun powder right in front of them and ready to explode.
Living in Nigeria is a risk on its own and no one should worsen the situation for us. Next time Chidinma or any other person wants to do a party and share fuel, the petrol should be delivered to the homes of the guests and not brought inside the hall. Bringing such dangerous content to the midst of a crowd clearly violates safety rules of all standards.
I have concerns about the new Erelu Okin. If she could go to that length on the day of her installation, then we should expect more to unfold in that direction in the coming weeks, months and years. Will this be a case of handing a razor blade to a toddler? Only time will tell.
I acknowledge her apology and commend the Lagos state government for sealing up the event centre, but Chidinma must know that ‘sorry’ does not bring back life. Nigerians also need to value their own lives and do better for themselves. The government will not be held responsible for everything at any time.
Israel is a Nigerian journalist and can be reached via israelojoko14@gmail.com
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