My Brother is Richer Than Banjiba
A man set out from the farming community of Edoji village in the Eastern part of Nigeria in search of the "golden fleece".
As was the Ibo custom, he is expected to periodically visit home and assist less privileged members of his community.
Several years went by and no one heard from this young man. After much inquiry, his kinsmen agreed to send a delegation to go bring him back home before he is totally lost.
When they discovered that he is in Kuturengi in the far northern part of Nigeria and the only way to get to this destination in the 1970s was by rail, they wisely decided to send the wisest, pragmatic young star in the community on this mission---Thus Emeka was to go bring back Ikemefuna.
Emeka boarded a train in Enugu on this six day journey. By the next day, they have made ground and have crossed Benue (middle-belt) and were heading north.
Emeka started noticing large expanse of open land that sometimes stretch for days. He no longer could hold his curiosity, and he asked his cabin mate in ibo language, "nwoke, onye we ana ni nea?" (Translation: Sir, who owns all this stretch of land?). The man answered in Hausa language, "Banjiba" (Translation: I do not understand you).
Emeka slept and woke, slept and woke and saw the stretch of land continueing into infinity. He again nodged the man beside him and again asked him "isi no onye wen ana ni nea?" (Translation: who again do you say owns all this land?). The man responded "Banjiba!!". Emeka got carried away in his thoughts until he fell into a long sleep.
After waking up, all Emeka saw was open land on all sides and as far as his eye will take him. He look at the passenger beside him and said, "Iyafu asiqa no Banjiba wen ana ni nea" (Translation: I reckon you will tell me that all this land also belongs to Banjiba). The Hausa passenger grinned at Emeka and nodded his head and said "Banjiba".
Emeka stopped at the next train stop and decided to turn back and go and report his findings to his Edoji Community since he considers his mission accomplished.
At the Community meeting, Emeka reported that Ikemefuna was so successful that he has inconceivable amount of wealth, which has not given him the time for leissure or vacation. He rationalized (to himself) that if a nobody like Mr. Banjiba can have such wealth, his hardworking Ikemefuna is bound to do better.
People in the village are still waiting for Ikemefuna's return to find out why he chose not to be involved in his community development despite his wealth. He has a serious issue to resolve whenever he shows his face.
Submitted By: Butch
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