Quite often when a tenant pays his or her rent regularly in the country does not justify the tenant in the good book of the landlord.He paid rents regularly on behalf of siblings in this self contain apartment.Then often times the landlord would come every December and they had arrangement that was later changed to bank transfer to his account at uyo at akwa ibom or Abuja where he had another property and possibly three properties detected.Previously a little escort of the tenant Blackpower to access bank branch in ikotun was enough to withdraw money and pay him cash and it lasted perhaps more than five years or thereafter to resort to bank transfer and later in the last two or several years before his demise the tenant made transfers through ATM machine and POS itself not well developed device as at the time.
However most memorable experience was the friendly attempt to betroth landlord daughter.He had a rapport with the landlord and they seemed discuss Nigerian politics,soccer and hardly personal and a bit of socially exclusive matter.Anyway had a jovial relationship with the landlord.Why?Because he paid his rent regularly and at least every February and in most cases every January and had commemorated him several times.
"Black power you pay me regularly and am impressed about that .The other tenant in the middle one pastor something hasn't paid me .Why am I even telling you sef.So keep it up."
"My landlord the landlord the only landlord in the whole world"
"Black power you re funny"
And they zoomed into politics and discuss extensively and was fond of zik of Africa.Aparently often times at December times,he was fond of drinking before conversation.
"See my tenant before we start our discussion go and buy two minerals from mama akin ."dipped hands in his rear pocket and handed over little quid to Blackpower to buy cold drinks.Then banged out and banged in with the drinks with the next door neighbors and immediately commenced the conversation.He started to suspect Blackpower the moment he belittled Zik was somehow indignant as an indigene of south south part of Nigeria a move undertaken by black power which was deemed as a rude gesture to the integrity of the region that was carved out of eastern and western region in those days say 1967 or thereabouts especially Midwestern region.
"You seem to be found of zik and I don't know why?"
"Habba, don't you get it Zik of Africa is the only hero in Nigeria."
"Where did you get your history from?"
"I should be telling you.I m educated person .I went to unilag and I moved with high and mighty and am a banker and I made my home in Lagos.I should be telling you."
"Like seriously, what!And so what does that have to indicate with the issues on ground,that zik is the only hero in Nigeria?"
"Listen to me..."black power interrupted as dropped his bottle of coca-cola and cleared his throat a bit.
"See my landlord make I no offend you or let me offend for the first time.i will not aggregate your comment for once as honest remarks."
"Do you know what Zik did for Nigeria?"
"What did he do?"
"You don't know what he did!"
"What did he do that others or other founding fathers didn't do?"
"He gave Nigeria independence single handedly of course ".
"Landlord you re a pathological liar.
We discussed it the other times you re so fond of zik.Jise people.If I may ask which independence?"
"He was the main force"
"No single person gave independence to Nigeria.Is he greater than awolowos,akintolas,enahoros,okotie ebohs, Herbert Macaulays etcetera in the fight for independence?"
"All those ones are subordinates ?"
"Subordinates how?In the London constitutional conference of 1954 who was the most dominating force? Was it not awolowo who singlehandedly provided the philosophy for the nation's independence?What is not his argument on federalism that provided the building block of independence that another yoruba man funded?"
" Which Yoruba funded the independence?"
"It was funded by the first millionaire in black Africa Papa D'a Rocha.You mean you don't know papa da Rocha?He died in 1959 and could not witnessed the independence day celebration and Soyinka wrote the independence play dance of the forest.Awolowo made the independence possible and akintola motion failed where enahoros motion succeeded.
The only contribution was he was the first ceremonial president in Nigeria at independence.He started at senate president from being the last governor general of Nigeria at least you know that.Senator Nwafor Orizu took over the senate presidency after him."
"He was a journalist probably the first journalist and had the biggest brands of papers and biggest printing press in the country in Lagos in those days."
"You re wrong but the biggest printing press and highest brands of newspapers such as the west African pilot and observer etc you maybe right.But he was not the first journalist.Infact the Yoruba people that introduced all skills and education into black Africa mentored him in journalism after he graduated from American university.He was an editor at African morning post in Ghana a paper owned by a Yoruba man O.A.Fashanu."
"Where do you get your information from"
"I think you know my work?"
"You said you were a journalist?Just show me one of your publication "as they stood up and stand Infront of his bungalow that was later willed to her daughter optimistic she would marry Blackpower a prospect that later failed.Then suddenly the beligerent tenant zoomed into his adjoining apartment and brought out his publication just one of his vanguard newspaper publications in an interview of a thespian professor Sola fosudo a Don at the Lagos state university "with his name pasted beneath story.
"Oh alright is on your business card too.I saw it .Thump up too.keep it up".Then he stopped the argument.
At other time when he returned back to Lagos for the usual collection times they bickered over unpaid rents a remainder of ten thousand.
"Where is my remaining ten k."
"Landlord I don't have money now"
"Okay bring 5k I write off the remainder "
"See I use to borrow money to pay your rent sometimes something you don't know.If I collect cash from tenants in Ogbomosho,I use it to pay you or borrow It to pay you quickly and that was why I was able to pay you quickly never failed for once every January"
"Okay at least thumb up for that too."
"Landlord I wanted to tell you something o"quickly immersed in a flash back and he called him back as he bade to leave.
"What is it? tell me"
"As you can see we never marry me and my siblings we need wives."
"Get on the streets and go find wife.What is my concern with that?"
"Oh no landlord listen give me your daughter for marriage at least make she born for me"He was shocked
"You my darling daughter Maggie?"
"Yes"
"Let me think about it"as he departed and a year after he came back for the usual collection period and was surprised the story was all out.The daughter in question had visited several times from Abuja staying in the front apartment like his father and we got a good rapport.Then he confronted him and said
"What did you tell my father?"
"What did I tell your father ?"
"Do you want to deny?"
"Oh I could recall that incident now.The last time he came I said he should give you to me for marriage.
And at other time in one of our discussions he said can you handle her a well educated woman?She has second degree at least you know that."
"Pretty well.i can handle her."
"He embarrassed me in Abuja and said three men in my house in Lagos they never marry and one of them he will marry you.Go to Lagos go find husband."Maggie remarked .
"I said I like you"then they joked it off and for some time was fond of me and the man ceased coming to Lagos untill his death.During the latter part of his life they send him money either through POS or ATM machine.In the last year of his life black power failed to pay quickly in January and when he paid he had a remainder which was delayed.
"Black power where is my remainder of 20k ?"
"I don't have money now "
"So when are you going to pay ?"
" I don't know yet o"
"You re becoming stubborn now.I will tell my daughter to take action on you."
"Landlord this is Lagos not akwa ibom tenant who can defend himself well in court even has right more than landlord "then he barked off the call and not long after when the payment was made he died shortly and the daughter became landlady.Then she turned out to be repressive landlady against Blackpower for not pestering her with love gifts, romantic gestures consummate much earlier toastings and she increased rents and pestered him with outrageous NEPA bills unlike the method applied by late father.
To add salt to injustry the following year black power delayed rent payment full six months and was still adamant to pay and she threatened fire and brimstones.She also added pressure to the rent increase filed case with the lawyer and rent increased to one hundred and fifty thousand naira.The day she forcefully gained entrance into their apartment an attitude which was against the law he accused the siblings of damaging the property.
"Blackpower let me see the property"
"Don't you ever enter into the apartment behind my back okay" he gave her stern warnings after the first malicious entry and finding him stubborn perpetrated the acts in his absence seduced his brother to submission a too flexible white power
"Let me enter the apartment to repair the property"
White power unaware of the warnings permited her to enter under duress.Then he came back home and white power complained.
"See landlady badged into the house to repair something.She accused us of spoiling her father's property and did some repair on the parlor wall."
"And you allowed her to enter after I warned and also you never to allow anybody gain illegal entry into the apartment.Dont you get it? Forced entry is a criminal offense a misdemeanor a treasonable felony"
" I don't know but she forced me under duress."
"And you allowed her?"Then black power either on promenade to new stand or visit to clients for interview sessions or media houses searching for gigs white power felt irritated and damaged the repairs she made and at another loose times by white power was able to badge in and took snapshots for evidence at the police station and so police came one morning.
"Who is black power"police corporal from igando police station
"You re invited to the station for causing damage to the property.'
Then he called his lawyer and the phone rang ",sir I was arrested by the police.""oh don't struggle with them o just go to the police station and write your statement.I ll be there shortly."They entered into Keke napep and was taken to the police station in a jiffy as jealous onlookers and connivers and scorners mocked at a distant.
"Come and see they have arrested him.
Shame on him.he want marry landlady.He s now owing rent too.Stupid idiot.He toasted my daughter too."iya Rita mocked.
Then he followed the police and subservient wishes.
As they enter into the station with landlady at the back who later joined them,Blackpower sat down awaiting trial another police woman and also a prophetess called him.
"Young man come over here."as he moved closer and sat Infront of him closer to the Landlady who took the seat nearby passionate for everybit.This was after he had written a full page higher education narrative on the whole messy subject.
"Young man what is your problem?"
"I was accused of badly vandalized the landlady's property and not for owing rent six months into the year."white power standing outside the same day unawared he might have been arrested for the property damage offence and when the damaged subject was invoked and suspect unveiled as white power the police woman says
"Bring him the offender lock him up"
"No officer I will take his place and cover my brother"
"No problem then enter sell on his behalf "
then black power was locked up in sell for a day and from the rent landlady just collected from Blackpower subject to intervention of pastor alab of African mission he was bailed the following day with 20k.The caretaker pastor was there and negotiated for his release.
While behind bars the mockery of his entry was particularly humbling based on the written statement against that he was owing landlady a huge sum of money.It became history when the clergy man intervened although Blackpower had suspected he was too light with the Landlady or might have been behind the incarceration subject allegedly that it had instigated the threat that landlord would increase rent perhaps to force them out and in one of their altercations the landlady was annoyed.
"How many years in my apartment now?"
"Close to ten years"
"A full decade?oh my god and you achieve nothing"and the next moment they were gone.The clergy was relieved to offer service for his release as being his Ogbomosho indigenes.
"You offer a good service for this young man"officer applauded
"Any little effort in the service of humanity I can offer for my nation I will gladly do it".
He had waited for an hour until several hours of extant trials and interrogations and hearings were concluded.Then he moved closer and sat close to the landlady.Then black power defended himself.
"Officer I was wrongly cheated in this relationship and the unfair treatment meted out to me by the landlord .She made forceful entry twice a criminal offense and the police came to my abode without any warrant of arrest.See the guys behind bars most of them thirty three there were innocent folks in there "
"See young man I saw a vision about you.If they say you have two or three houses in Lagos by now I will not be mistaken."her prophetic eyesight zoomed to high heavens and he pour more eulogy on his stars to the indignant remarks of jealousy landlady that implicated him.Then officer blessing as she was fondly called
"I see stars in your life and glory on your head.You re suppose to have many houses in Lagos now I repeat."she remarked once again.
"Why are you talking about him.Am the landlady here talk about me not him "
"Keep quiet please otherwise I'll locked you up like him.Your mumu don do."
"Then black power threw the bombshell.
"See officer I toasted her and that was the original of my woe."
"You never can tell whether you would marry her at last"
"God forbid !Olohun ma je"Blackpower third sibling elder Sunday.
Sunny quickly went out after he was arrested and locked behind bars to buy 🍊 orange soft drink to the repugnant remarks of black power indignant about his attitude for the purchase as if he expected him to die or waste behind bars but he seemingly nevertheless understood the situation of justice in the country which was often been denied before being granted.
The stinky smell and rancid odour in the prison of twenty by twenty foot room with overcrowded inmates was particularly humbling to feel pity for the Nigerian situation.The police officer that was assigned to the prison took the register of inmates and reeled out names every morning and sometimes acquaintances and relations of the inmates brought food and resort to favouritism do occur and when an inmate is surrounded by loved ones and regular visits bribing the officer or DPO in charge such inmate could be released too quickly or fortunate with the moment of release.
A tragic incident happened one day behind bars a heavily frustrated woman in a counter blast grimaced his little boy.
"Pls help beat him is my boy too lazy he doesn't want to work"she sounded harshly and shouted over the counter as the officer pounded his head with police stick,as he struggled and resisted entry into the cell.Eventually compelled into the cell beaten mercilessly and he fell into coma.He woke up the next day.
More worrisome in a stinkpot a stinking situation of a woman in menstruation and so cumbersome with unkempt smell rent apart the air,putrid irresistible as the toilet stench.Two robbers of okada were caught and escaped and the other that struggled with the Police was brought in dead in the night with stolen okada.Black power had relayed the story to his sibling afterwards.
"You that is so stubborn and I knew you would struggle with the police you should they arrest you and lock you up for the house damage incidence."
"Uhmmmmm.thank you brother.Am sorry."
"I knew it anything could happen and I decided to cover you.Still you don't remember what mummy said,'your brother loved you '.You need to see how the police beat the indolent and insolent boy to a coma .oh my gosh .They beat him mercilessly and he was in coma lying down almost dead at evening time and he could not wake up till the next morning."
"You save me brother."
"Anybody playing strong head don't go to station and you do that o.They will beat the person to a coma with police sticks."
"Apeja" meaning fisherman"you saved me brother "
Not unaware of the damage caused at the property had chastised sibling for that petty action.
"I damaged that repair bro"
"You mean you damaged what?two wrongs do not make a right and he who goes to equity must go with clean hands?"
"She forced herself on us ."
"No matter what what you did was wrong."
"Don't you know I was arrested on your behalf and locked up instead for your offence.I can't go to court again.When the police interrogated who did the damage to the repairs and I said it was my brother and the interrogating Poli ce woman said bring the guy he should be arrested and I said no he s my brother and I will cover him and they locked me up on your behalf.Dont you get it!"
"Am sorry i didn't know."this was the conversation they had after police released Blackpower from detention a day behind bar returned to his senses covered his brother from being locked up.
With return from prison his uncle had heard the incidence of unpaid rent and was ashamed of his lineage and the family good name being dragged into the mud and called black power due to his sister's briefings from Abuja and the pressure piled on them to leave the landlady apartment.
"Leave that apartment with immediate effect"eldest brother from London called
"I Ve sent money to your account leave that place the landlady is an evil woman.She s a devil's workshop arrant devil a devil's incarnate and if he could arrest you with so much bitterness he could do anything to kill you."
" Uhmmmmm"
"Leave the premise okay."
"Then the sister sensitized uncle jony a university lecturer who later passed on due to another incident was related to health issues.What unfortunate incident to an uncle who was shortly after his death awarded professorship at the university of ife.Then uncle says
"Black power why didn't you pay your rent.I was told you did not pay rent ten years rent.You disgrace my sister.What is your wrong with you?"
"It was a lie just a smearing campaign.Before I was arrested I had paid my rent and I paid rent every year."
"Are you saying educated woman don't know what she was saying?"
"Did my sister says that?Mind you educated what?"
"She has masters and you didn't have varsity education."
"You know why all this trouble uncle?"
"What?"
"I roasted I toasted her"
"Shut up.You didn't have university education and she might even be the angel at last."
"Which angel? She's an evil lady.Educated illiterate".
"You mean somebody that has second degree doesn't know a thing.You re too arrogant."
"Ask her anything about economics she doesn't know.We debate on Philip curves,we talk on econometrics,linear programming,stage theories,Marxian theory of surplus,who says demand create it's own supply and vice versa, neoclassicals and classicals . monetary management,great economists and their theories at least mention the prominent ones she doesn't know.What else can you know in your life if in these basics in economics and economic history you don't know. I find out later that she was buying lecturers like her ilks"he blasted her
"That is not my point.You have to be serious.My sister and her husband didn't end up well and I don't want you to repeat the mistake and I pray for you you shall live a glorious lifetime with happy endings.They left tons of properties at home and you should go back home and look after them.You shall end well .okay."
"Amen"
Shortly after they moved into the bushy area his uncle jony died and a year or two thereafter the last but senior uncle crown also passed one.He was fond of his tautology.
"You re only eating in Lagos."This means Im Yoruba parlance "onje nikan Le nje leko"and his upbeat and moral concern to revive family silver was his major concern until his demise.
"When re you going to revive fruito?"indirectly grumbled this axiom till his death.Black power had wonderful family like almost every Nigerian house hold proud of their genealogies regardless of their internal wranglings.
The ordeal of tenant challenges gripping the simply average Nigerians was a full account of public sympathy and public empathy for any citizen in the country.Shortly after a decade in the yemisi okelola street,they moved into the unity street often crossed in into the enclosure from African mission street a short cut to unity street.The dilapidated and abandoned property after the demise of the owner took several years of desertion and desolation where thorny bush ravaged the environment of the shabby building with leaky roofs and grotesque voices of the crickets and nocturnal horror sounding creatures in the thicky bush.Then afterwards of the erstwhile threat and departure from the compounds of former landlady who took over the property after his own father died,they moved into the abandoned areas.The first immediate surrounding not far from the thorny bush was cleared by black power in the lonely period when his siblings were away at work places.
The thorny bush in the most egregious inclemency stood impenitently like a rock of Gibraltar as it were when the black power family moved into the bushy enclave enclosed with thorns and thistles .
None a machismo daring enough to wield the purgatory intense badly needed by the environment to make it clean.Therefore it became a thorn in the flesh and sometimes at night the childish elements cavort around and shriek at the evening times making love in the enclosed bush with such shrieks and epicurean moan to suggest the intricate happenstance of the unholy hours.Sometimes marauders took infraction to raid the bushy terrain with shouts of thieves rampaging the mini forest.
"Ole! Ole!! Ole !!!"a bullied passerby raved in the broad daylight combing the vicinage in search and chase of suspected thieves plowing the areas.
"Landlord is coming if you don't cut the bush. if you cut off those mess we ll have peace."another passer cajoled
"This is Lagos a civilised metropolis.Goddamn it"a local gin seller boasted
"I saw snakes and reptiles yesterday.Dont you get it"caretaker pastor noted
"Black power go and cut am angry with you"
The rage had enforced him to cut the bush in record but half completed.Although they had cut it off completely when they first moved in and kayode kola sibling had cleared the thicky bush two years ago and it grew rapidly with the rain fall to current position.Then one day the caretaker had summoned courage to brief the landlord of the unholy activities and the insensitivity of his tenants and he came one day banging the door and only black power was around with siblings scampered off to work.
"Who is in the house"
"Who is around,your landlord is around come out"
"I tell you they re not critically responsible to the situation around.i will take the house from thm and give it to church."landlady raged
"Oh madam from frying pan to fire.To give it to them is that easy you mean for the church people but to get it back is the problem."
"They won't leave"the civil servant from the council retorted"
"Why re you my tenant ? Won't you come out?"as black power eased hurriedly in the toilet came out with dread and escorted them to raging scene and furiously rage in their goofs of pointificates.
"What re you doing in this place that you can't cut this thicky bush?"
"So lazy so useless.You can't clean your environment."Landlord stood adjoining the landlady who now sat on the cemetery where they buried the late landlord shouted on top of his voice.They cited the instances of old widow around or near the building.
"You re so lazy you can't even clear the bush and see the old widow her surrounding was cleared ,safe and sound.Haba."
Your mumu don do okay.If I come back next time and I don't see you clear this thicky bush I will get you expelled from the house.okay.Is that's clear"landlady stood up from the grave yard.
"Am all ear sir.We will clear it."
"Why don't you clear it before?"
"We did but it grew up so quickly."
"Am warning you for the upteempth time I must not see it next time if I come around.Is that clear.Cant you speak?"
"Yes sir"Then they cooled down and moved around the uncovered well.
"Absolutely you re not responsible when you move in here you saw the well water opened and you can't even close it haba!"
"Am exhausted landlady.See go find an improvised cover to lid it if you cannot afford to pay welder.Did you hear me?"
"Yes sir"black power retorted in dread.Then as they heaped traduce on black power they heaped eulogy on the caretaker of the property and his altruism for managing the property while away.The alaka family moved from the property after the demise of their late family and some traveled overseas and they buried the decease in the same property.
"We re lucky the pastor is managing the property for us.Thank you pastor"as the landlady turned back to greet him once again warmly."
"No mention "
"I once chased away a tenant here.A lazy woman who would not clean the bush."
The pathetic civil servant a stone throw away from their discussion overseeing sanitation services at the council who was beckoned to intervene in the matter alongside the caretaker began to interrogate the matter facing black power.
"Hello young man as tenant here you re suppose to cater for the sanitation of the around.Wait a minute what is your avocation?"council man said
"Oh am a journalist by profession"
"Jesus a respectable journalist for that matter.Venerable men of the fourth estate.And they re yabbing you like this?"
"We use to cut and it often times quickly grows up."
"Anyway try okay.I will live you now because of your profession and council will not be notified of the sanitation offence.Take care."
"Much thanks sir"as the threatening entourage with the enthralled sanitation officer winced away in the enclosed passage into the next street of African mission from unity street heaping praises on the caretaker and incidentally also the pastor of the African mission a ministry with two or three acres of land in the street adjoining taiwo street and the yemisi okelola street in which the black power and two siblings once lived for a decade prior to exit into the alaka house.
Alaka prior to his demise according to story from the hag or harridan or the next door neighbor to black power siblings a virago at one point in her low senses belched the anecdotes.Alaka hailed from Oyo state same with black power and siblings built the now leaky bungalow of four bedrooms and settled down in the place and lived there until his demise as evidence by the graveyard.The well water in the region was a beehive of free citizens in the area fetching free water for daily survival.
They drove into the African mission street with mordern jeep Wrangler and the sanitation officer was caught in the excitement when the clergy man interrogated the landlord the son of the Landlady wore a designer T.shirt and poshy jeans.
"So where re you now?"pastor inquired
"I just came back from the states."switched to a video call with her sister in the state unleashed the camera on himself and black power standing nearby "
See the old men living in your house."laughing mockingly and it latter dawned on black power the critique sense of the intimidating mockery looking down ignominiously like a criminal.The ordeal of landlord tenant was certainly not juicy one a trouble some spots in the country and require egalitarian approach from regulatory authority to redress the ugly situation.
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