The Day NEPA Took the Truth

AI Generated

In Sadurna village, everyone knew when light would go off because it actually did and their have been used to the system of NEPA. The fan would slow down. TV would blink. And someone, somewhere, would shout, "Up NEPA!" even before darkness arrived.

That was the same evening Baba Haruna decided to speak the truth. He was the kind of man who only talked when it was necessary. He sold provisions by the roadside, matches, pure water, bread, and sugar. His small-scale business is being trusted by people because he never lies, unlike several others in Sadurna.

That evening the villagers gathered under the mango tree for a meeting. The chairman cleared his throat and announced another "development levy" to the people.

He said "We will explain later to you all".

Baba Haruna stood up slowly.

He said with a calm voice. We pay, but we never see and I think later has eaten too much in this village".

Everyone murmurs. People shifted. Truth is heavy in this village and in Nigeria at large it makes people uncomfortable. The moment the chairman opened his mouth to respond, NEPA took light. Darkness overwhelmed the mango tree.

Nobody spoke for a moment. Then Baba Haruna's voice came again, clearer in the darkness. He said, "You see? This is how our leaders work. When truth comes into place light disappears." Silence and some of the people laughed nervously. Some pretended as if they didn't hear. Some nodded.

The chairman then quickly ended the meeting. People going out make a louder noise with their footsteps. The next morning, something strange happened in the village. The levy imposed was cancelled. No explanation. No apology. Just a quiet announcement on handwritten paper.

Baba Haruna returned to his shop, measuring sugar for his customer with the same honest scale. When he was asked what he did, he smiled. He said, "I only spoke when the light went off". And in Sardis, people learned something important;

Sometimes, in our village and country at large, darkness is not the absence of light; it is the presence of truth. So, let's always stand for the truth.