Ajuwaya’s Prayer Point

{Last update December 2011}

with UBAH RACHAEL

Bayo’s major prayer point throughout his stay in Okada camp was to be posted to Benin City. To him, nothing good can come out of any rural community. So, as people prayed to be posted to a good and fruitful places, his own prayer was to be in Benin City, no matter where. He participated in everything possible in camp, as a means of clearing his road to Benin City.

One night, Chuka, his bunk-mate thought he was in a dream when he started hearing “God please Benin City”, being repeated again and again. He forced his heavy eyes open, flashed his torch light down his bunk and behold Bayo on his two kneels, singing “God please Benin City”. Chukka silently asked God to work his posting to a nice and accommodative place, irrespective of the locality.

Bayo kept his vigil throughout his stay in camp, with one major prayer point, “To serve in Benin City”. As the orientation exercise was approaching to an end, Bayo was obviously loosing weight, he prayed more and ate less, thought more and smiled less. On the last Sunday in camp, Bayo was the first to arrive at the Nigeria Christian Corpers Fellowship (NCCF) and last to leave. Even during the praise and worship section, Bayo has seriously praying.

Chuka had promised himself, never to confront him on the issue, but the last night in camp broke that promise. Bayo prayed all through the night, and kept turning from one side of the bunk to another. When Chuka could not contend with the noisy bunk any longer, he stood up, called Bayo to sit for a talk.

“Has it ever occurred to you that you might be asking for the wrong thing?” he asked Bayo. What if God’s plan for you is to serve in a nice remote village?” he added. “God forbid”, was Bayo’s reply. “How can ‘nice’ qualify a remote village?” he asked. Chuka looked up to the ceiling, and with his two hands stretched out, said, “God, let your will be done in my life”.

The next day, after the passing out parade, Chuka was standing by the vehicle that the rural community he has been posted to sent to convey the new corpers, when he saw Bayo jumping up and down in front the camp clinic.

Chuka proceed to figure the magnitude of the goodnews that has turn his bunk mate to a high jumper. On seeing Chuka, Bayo jumped on him, shouting {“God has done it!” chukka looked at him and asked, Is it his wish or your wish? And when Bayo could not find an answer to the question, with a full smile on the face, thanked god for sending him to a rural community.

As Chuka was leaving the camp in the executive vehicle provided by his host community, he saw Bayo by the camp gate, waiting to board a vehicle to Benin City. Again, Chuka thanked God for sending him to a community that cared enough for him, to send a vehicle to carry him.

Three days later, Chuka was surprised for not hearing from Bayo since they left camp, and decided to call him. On picking the call, Chuka enthusiastically asked, “Hey my guy, how is Benin City?” the voice with which Bayo responded, caused Chuka to drop from the height of his enthusiasm. When he enquired from Bayo what has subjected his voice to such leave of uncheerfulness, Bay simply put, “Life is not easy here in Benin City, thanks to NCCF family house.

He told Chuka how he was accepted in his place of Primary Assignment (PPA), without an accommodation, and a promise of five thousand naira monthly pay.

He further added that he spent his first two nights in a hotel room, and had to move to NCCF family house, when his pocket started being unfriendly to him. After urging him to take things easy, Chuka told Bayo that he was warmly welcomed by the community whose school, he was posted to. And that he spent his first night in the house of the school principal, and on the next day, was taken to his apartment; a very large and well equipped room.

According to Chuka, “when I was taken to my kitchen, all the food stack made sure they sign their presence”. He concluded by saying that the villagers worship him like king.

Bayo’s first working month was really hard on him as he was struggling to leave NCCF family house to a place closer to his PPA. He spends not less than two hundred and fifty naira on transportation daily, that is, if he trek from the bus stop to his PPA.

On the day of his first clearance, he asked his CDS president how much the local government pay, and was shocked to hear that his city local government doesn’t pay any allowance. Bayo had to confirm this from at least five different people before leaving the zonal office that day. The thought of this, followed him back to the NCCF family house.

On getting home, he called Chuka to know if the case is same very where, and was numb to hear that the rural local government pay each corper five thousand naira monthly. Chuka lamented on the distance between them, adding that he has more than enough food stock which he never bought with his money, and a room quite too big for just one person.

Bayo wished he could revise the hands of the clock, but on a second thought, he remembered that he got what he prayed for.