If you're told that "There's nowhere in the world you won't see an Igbo man." Please don't doubt....yesterday while on duty, I saw two Igbo guys. Not a joke. I mean I saw two Igbo guys plying their trade in Somalia happily.
These Igbo guys saw us while we were busy inspecting one of the venues to be used for the forthcoming Somalia indirect parliamentarian and presidential election. They walked up to us, greeted us with pigin English "Officers, unah good morning oo, how unah dey enjoy Somalia?"
We were all shocked. Whaaaaat! Igbo man in Mogadishu, Somalia; the third most deadliest and dangerous country to live in the world. I was in awe with shock.
How do these guys do it.?
Truly an Igbo man is naturally a survival. He's a cat with nine lives. He can survive anywhere in the world so long there's business, commerce and people there. If humans live inside Indian ocean or any other ocean in the world, believe me, an Igbo man will be there plying his trade.
I asked these men what they're doing in Somalia, both of them said they're both Somali football national coaches. One is the national coach and the other the assistance coach.
How long have you been in Somalia I asked the coach. "I've been here for over four years while my assistance is now doing his second year here"
Woooow!
"How are you coping with the language barrier, religion barrier, bombing, assassinations, sporadic shooting, food, weather, etc?" I asked with a grin
"Officer, he no easy for this place ooo. Na that religion thing be the koko for here self. With God by our side, we dey cope and manage with them sha. Some of my boys dey hear good English, so na dem dey assist us for interpretation, but I don dey hear dem language and Swahili language small small sha. As for food, I don dey cope small small, but unah people dey try for us too. The former Nigeria Police troops I made friends with dey always bring some Nigeria food from their camp give us whenever them patrol reach here. And the place wey I dey live no far from here, the place dey very secure... I dey live close to the Police training academy"
Of a truth, the police training academy otherwise known as General Khaye Police Academy is the most safest and secure place in Mogadishu. Safer than military base. All through the over 25 years of civil war in Somalia, it was ONLY general Khaya Police academy that was not overran by Al-Shabab terrorist. The buildings are all intact but with very minimal bullets and bombs signs. General khaye, stood his ground, fought with his life and made sure Al-Shababs didn't come close to the academy. The academy was remained after him upon his death. In Somalia, Police wear military ranks and use military guns up to armoured tanks. The Police is even more dreaded than the military.
"Since your arrival here, have you gone home" a colleague asked.
"Yes, I've gone home twice. But I often spend time in neighbouring countries like Uganda, Ethiopia, and Kenya though." He said with a smile.
"Hope they're paying you guys well" another of my colleague asked
"My brother na money carry us come here oo, if dem no pay us why we go dey here. Well, the money no big shall but at all at all na him bad. "
"Like how much" I persisted.
He smiled "Well, dem dey pay me $400 monthly and my assistance dey collect $300 monthly plus free accommodation".
"Since your arrival here, I've you seen any of your brothers in this Somalia?" I pinched further.
"Officer, my people full this country oo, if unah reach Bakaya motor spare parts market, my people full there."
"How do they cope with Somalis?"
"Well, if u no break dem laws, you obey everything here, you don't have problem. The terrorists here no dey after individuals, dem dey after the government except you're unlucky to be around their target, that's when individual fall as casualty"
Now, these are two Nigerian men plus several other Nigerians putting their lives on the line without any protection in the third most deadliest country in the world just to survive and you're in Nigeria with your family and friends, eating whatever you wish and free to visit anyplace you want at will yet, you're still complaining. My brother, wake up and stop complaining.
I really respect my Igbo brothers.
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