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Author: Okah Ewah Edede
Posted to the web: 12/20/2007 10:23:57 AM

I CAME, I SAW, AND I CONQUERED

My sojourn through the labyrinthine and wicket of our prison system has taught me imperative lessons about the values of our country. I believe I am quite qualified, heuristically, to speak authoritatively about our style of policing, our prisons and correctional facilities, the fundamentals of our society, and the boomeranging effect and influences of our environment on the collective psych of our beleaguered people.As a ripple effect of the recent mayhem and anarchy in the Niger Delta, Port Harcourt city to be precise, I was an unwilling guest of the Port Harcourt prisons for three harrowing months, awaiting trial, on charges alien to me. Well, the Mephistophelean police did a great job and arrested me in a grand commando-like operation. After the absurd histrionic of apprehending a genuine menace to society, public enemy numero uno, the rampaging police investigated and discovered I had no connections with the elegant charges against me. But this was a conflicting problem for them: it could damage their sacrosanct image as ecclesiastical crime busters. They had to appear to be efficient in their duties; and it would have been criminal for them to release me – this would signify an acceptance of abducting me on blinder charges, and so the police held me hostage for three weeks before deciding on what to do. They couldn’t kill me as intended (a lot of innocent persons died during those crazy days of Celestine Omeha’s onslaught), but…? Aha! I once belonged to the Vikings cult group while in the university, and had written articles proclaiming this fact. I also was affiliated to an esoteric organization AMORC. I was a Rosicrucian, and these were enough ground for the savant detectives to hound me off into jail on charges of cultism, unlawful possession of fire-arms, and perpetuating cultism! I never knew where they got the guns from; they brought it four days later after my arrest. Not in my apartment though they ransacked the whole lot.The fact that I had participated and done a lot of NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) works and campaigns against youth restiveness, cultism and militancy with bodies like the American Embassy, C.I.Y.D (Center for International Youth Development) in the Niger Delta was not a good enough reason for the police to set me free. Even the fact that I have participated in several clandestine security purges against these so-called societal out-laws did not impress the police. They were bent on doing me in, and so off to prisons was I marched to go and await trial for three opaque and nightmarish months. I was arrested on 24th August, 2007.My prison experience was an eye-opener. I met and spoke with Chief Vincent Duru aka Otokoto. I dined with those on death-row. I also encountered Jesus Christ and fell helplessly in love with him. Though I was flummoxed about my mission in jail, to be honest, I learnt a lot. My incarceration also gave birth to the vision of forming a prison rehab NGO, Helping Hands Foundation.I got to learn that in countries where the government and the political environment are honest, generally you will find its citizens honest, law abiding and helpful. But the converse is the case for corrupt countries. In a totally decayed country like ours, an honest person has a hard time. A positive society helps a marginal performer’s output to go up, while a negative environment pulls a brilliant performer’s output down. Culture in any place always goes from the top down, never from the bottom up.We need to step back and take stock of what kind of environment we have created for ourselves and for those around us. It is tough to expect positive behaviour in a negative environment. In a society where lawlessness is glorified, honest citizens become cheats and crooks. Our society has honoured and edified lawlessness as the law. This scenario pushes honest persons into dungeons and prisons; our prisons and jails are breeding cum hibernating haven for criminality and recidivism – this pushes Ali Babas’ into the society. But I thank God that in my case, I went to prison, I saw, and I conquered.Finally, I beg to use this forum to say merci to Miss Rosemary Oluchi Onyejekwe for standing by me when the walls were crumbling and falling. Many a friend and relatives deserted me, but she stood firm. I can never be able to repay you Mary. I love you profoundly. You have shown that love and friendship is the masterpiece of nature. Merry xmas. Please readers, if you can, indulge me a little and call this amazon on 08038539125. Tell her I love her.By Okah Ewah Edede 08050882456 07033092258 mr.okahewahedede@yahoo.com