By Grace Anderson
It is not everybody that must be helped and that is the truth. An attempt to help some people often results in the downfall of the helper. They can rubbish the helper to the extent that the helper becomes a subject of ridicule to friends and foes alike. Some are ingrates by nature; their genetic orientation and organisation such that they must be ungrateful to survive.
I can recall a young man I and a professional colleague tried to help in 2009.That was about my third year in the journalism practice. He deposited his money in a microfinance bank that was then located in my state. When he wanted to get his money, the bank started telling him stories. The money involved was N500,000 and as at then, it was big money. Somehow, the story got to us and we commenced investigation. We spent sleepless nights digging into the bank’s activities and the discoveries were quite alarming. We took a step further by contacting the bank’s customer care with the evidence at our disposal. We requested to hear from the bank in order to have a balanced report. Our mission was simple. We wanted to know why they decided to withhold the young man’s money. The customer care directed us to the Oga at the top. We went, and introduced ourselves to him and explained our mission. Immediately he realised that we were pressmen, he became sober.
“Gentlemen of the press, the management of this microfinance bank wishes to apologize for not releasing the young man’s money. Please, give the bank two days to credit the young man’s account and if it is not done, you can go to press with your story.” The Oga was humble as he implored us to be patient with the bank. We gave him the benefit of the doubt but the young man kept calling my phone. “Ma please, what did the man say? When is he likely going to pay? If you can help me get the money, I will do this and that for you. Bla bla bla,” he kept saying.
As promised, the bank credited the young man his money. Till today, the young man that we helped has not called to say thank you. Imagine wasting our time, energy and resources to help someone. We even risked our lives by daring to go there with our evidence. “What if the Oga at the top had commanded his security to lock us up for trespassing or not minding our business? What if we were brutalised in the process? We did this so that the young man could get back his right but did he acknowledge our efforts? No! This thing pained me. After all the stress! Not even a thank you! That was the day I realised that journalism is a thankless job. Only those that have passion for it make it to the top. So many have absconded from it for it is only those that are resilient that keep going. Others fall by the wayside and wither.
Back to the subject of this write-up. When the story of Lucky Udu and Hellen Mutimu surfaced online, I quickly related. Lucky Udu is a well known visual story teller on Facebook. He goes to places some far and near to interview people facing challenges and most times, uses his platform to get attention from well meaning individuals. Through his Lucky Udu studios, he has helped bring people back to fame, people who have long gone into oblivion. One of such people was Sky B who was once a famous musician but along the way, his career faded and he could no longer carter for the needs of his immediate family until Lucky Udu dragged him back to fame, to the extent that people started booking him once again to come and perform at their events. Countless people have benefitted from Lucky Udu.
Recently, Lucky dabbled into the Cubana Chief Priest versus Burma Boy’s face-off by interviewing Hellen Mutimu. Hellen is Cubana Chief Priest’s alleged baby mama. The interview got to Burma Boy and Burma Boy got interested. He promised to relocate the lady to Nigeria and also register her son in his football academy. He also promised to take care of the lady and her baby’s upkeep. We all know Burma Boy was doing this to spite Cubana Chief Priest for both of them were at loggerheads. Albeit Hellen was about to benefit greatly from the face off. Burma Boy mobilised his aid, Abu Salami to get in touch with the lady and then bring her to Nigeria as promised.
Instead of making arrangements to travel down to Nigeria to benefit from the promise Burma Boy made to her, Hellen stayed in Kenya and was insisting that the money should be transferred to her in Kenya. She claimed that Burma Boy had allotted N30,000,000 to her therefore, the money should be sent to her. According to her, she was only given $350. She did not end there; she even accused Abu Salami and Lucky Udu of soliciting for financial and intimate favours from her. Yet she did not give evidence of what she said to the public. She was even asking Nigerians to come to her aid. As what? Nigerians should come to the aid of a home breaker? For what? Can she swear that she wasn’t aware that Cubana Chief Priest was a married man before being intimate with him? Assuming she successfully scattered Cubana’s marriage and became his second wife, would she still ask Nigerians to come to her aid? No! By now, she would have been singing his praises just to gain validation like that other woman from Umuoji. Why is she bringing Nigerians into a personal matter? Why is she expecting them to send the money to her? Did Burma Boy promise to send N30,000,000 to her in Kenya? Hmmm! Human beings and their sense of entitlement. Na waah!
Helen has granted an interview to gistlover (a blog) the interview did not attract help from Burma Boy. Suddenly, Lucky Udu’s interview made it happen but she ended up trying to tarnish the image of the person that helped her. Till today, the baby’s picture is still circulating on the internet. Yet no DNA test. Facial resemblance is not enough to say that people are related. There must be some scientific evidence. Personally, I resemble a handful of people, yet I am not related to them. Hellen resembles Cubana Chief Priest and the baby resembles Hellen. That is not enough to say that the baby belongs to Cubana Chief Priest.
To this end, there should be no more delay. Let them do the needful and take their matter away from public view so that they won’t need to remind the public to mind their business in the nearest future. Lucky Udu should continue helping people but he should be more professional about it. He should also pray that he does not encounter ingrates often. The bunch of people can drain and some are even blackmailers. May our good not end up killing us.
*Anderson who writes from Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, can be reached via amazingrace36@gmail.com
