Look upon the lion and rejoice

At the end of last week, two law students of the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, were kidnapped (this news isn’t – to my knowledge-getting much traction because kidnapping has become ordinary fare in Naija); Enugu State allegedly pays its teachers between N2,000 and N5,000 monthly but in 2021, 10% of its school age children  […]

At the end of last week, two law students of the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, were kidnapped (this news isn’t – to my knowledge-getting much traction because kidnapping has become ordinary fare in Naija); Enugu State allegedly pays its teachers between N2,000 and N5,000 monthly but in 2021, 10% of its school age children  were reportedly out of school but Enugu has the biggest lion sculpture of the whole wide world.  

In that same 2021, while inaugurating Unity Park, which houses the sculpture, Governor Ugwuanyi stated that “It is widely believed that the giant roaring lion sculpture at the park currently interrogates existing world records on lion sculpture; we have applied to World Records Organisations to review this and allocate to us our rightful place in world history.” In case you were interested, the sculpture is 42 feet high, 72 feet long and 24 feet wide. And it has a fully air-conditioned interior that can seat up to 50 people.  Ngwa, Guinness Book of Records, hurry up and authenticate the governor’s claim, let the man get the flowers he clearly thinks he deserves.  Do the needful and allocate Enugu its place in world history for its humongous lion because this is exactly what the state needs. For the record: I don’t care about the record at all. Not in the least.  Unless this lion roars out food, money, common sense, anything useful, I’m not interested.  

Gov. Ugwuanyi also said at the inauguration that Unity Park was expected to boost tourism. Help me ask His Excellency, which tourist he thinks wants to visit a city (country sef) where they need police escorts to ensure minimum security? If students can’t even go to buy food without the real risk of being kidnapped, how can tourists be safe?  What else are you offering these tourists you want to attract apart from your vanity project, Sir? Do you think taking pictures in front of a 42 feet high lion is on any tourist’s bucket list? By the way, one apparently has to pay to be allowed to take pictures ooo.  

I love Enugu. I was born and raised in Enugu city. My childhood memories were made there. When I think of home, it’s Enugu that fills my senses, so I hurt when I see Enugu (State) fail so spectacularly. The city has no zoo – what used to be the zoo has become prime real estate populated by massive homes hidden behind high gates; the city’s recreational Polo Park where folks used to picnic or play football and where schools gathered for Children’s Day activities etc. was cleared and has become a shopping mall with a giant Ferris wheel (former Gov. Chime’s ‘tourism project’); roads are a terrible mess;  water is scarce as far as I know; I’m not sure what state the public library is in (last time I checked it was in a shambles); the government hospitals aren’t faring much better, but we have, arguably, the world’s biggest lion sculpture.  

Per the Cable newspaper, the sculpture was designed by Dr. Okey Ikenegbu, a former director of School of Art, Design and Print Technology at the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), assisted by 12 student-sculptors from the school. Ironically, in 2020, one of IMT’s student hostels collapsed. A more recent (2022) video of the school shared on YouTube revealed that the school’s buildings are in need of serious revamping. Someone commented that the school looked like a community high school rather than a reputable institute of higher education. For the record: I agree. However, Enugu schools might be run down, some schools might not even have chairs for pupils to sit on; their buildings might be unsafe and dilapidated; but we have, arguably, the world’s biggest lion sculpture. 

There are allegations of land grabbing against the governor (shebi his Commissioner of Lands resigned last year after a stab of conscience?); allegations of market traders not being allocated shops while those closely linked to government officials got allocations to resell; allegations of corruption  in high and low places; allegations of unpaid pensions; the state capital is dirty (have you been to Enugu recently?), but… but we have, arguably, the world’s biggest lion sculpture.  

The problem with visionless leaders is not limited to Enugu State of course (Na who do our leaders this thing bikonu? Tufiakwa!) However, when Enugu State residents look for water and find air; when the stench of the trash overrunning its capital threatens to suffocate its inhabitants; when its pensioners resort to begging; when its teachers have to find ways to survive and so on and so forth, Gov. Ugwuanyi wants them to look upon the lion and rejoice that they have, arguably, the world’s biggest lion sculpture.