My father was given the title of a village head of Ende Village of Akun. Delovepent Area, Nassarawa Eggon of Nasarawa State Nigeria. For the past 6 years my father has been an assistant of the village head untill today the mantle of the village head was given to him. The former village head late Mai Agwa Alumbugu Danladi died 4 years ago and since his death my father has been the one doing the ups and downs works settling people's problems and arguments, standing for people's cases and doing a lot of such. He told us his children at home at first that he doesn't want to accept the responsibility because of the kind of stress it comes with it.
You know is not easy to be a leader in the village or community. You will hear a lot from different people about fighting and clashing of lands and properties, husband beating his wife and thieves breaking into someone shop stealing items or stealing people's farm produces or harvests. He said he doesn't have the strength and ability to be going to people's houses or sitting at home and people bringing such kind of different cases to him to settle or offer solutions to their problems. But then he thinks towards and decided to accept it.
The former village head that died 6 years ago was my grandfather cousin brother. I was told my grandfather was the chief village's head for more than 35 years before he died and at that time my father was still a young man and currently in the college for his education. At that time they wanted him to took over his late father's leadership but he declined and refused that he's not ready for any leadership yet, that's why they gave it to his father's cousin brother. Since then my father became the assistance to his father's cousin brother leadership.
Untill the dead of the cousin brother of his father late village head Alumbugu Danladi and for 4 years being an assistant assisting people in settling cases, fighting, and more of such. When the former village head died, his children couldn't ascend the leadership because my father being the assistant is automatically the one to ascend the leadership of becoming the village head.
According to my father that One of his biggest concerns or thought was the fact that being a village head you could see cases like blood brothers fighting over their late father's lands or properties, cases of young people stealing farm harvest, groundnut or farm produces during farming season.
My father said to be a village head is not easy, it has a lot of responsibilities to do. It seems being a leader in the village is difficult and harder than becoming a leader in town or city. He said that little things in the village that doesn't supposed to create or become a problem in the village it will be a problem. But then it looks like destiny or fate has dawn on him. His late father's leadership of being a village head has finally came to his head or turn.
On this day he brought all the necessary things or items that culture and traditions has approved for a successor to bring in the presence of all the elders and people as a sign of acceptances. He brought two litre of local beards , one big goat and some amount of money that I don't know.
Children were not allowed to come closer whenever such religion duty is taking place. I stay behind or at the back to witness the occasion or event. I saw how happy my father was when they were about to give him the mandate of becoming a village head. Later on, as I was snapping them from the distance I noticed my father was shading tears and people sitting down there were cheering him up by shouting and clapping hands.
My friends and I watched the event from the beginning to the end. It was indeed an experienced I had in my life, for the first time I have witnessed this kind of occasion. I believed my father is a strong man and a responsible father, a well respected person in the society and am sure he will lead the village people very well at his capacity.
Leadership is not easy especially for a sincere and truthful person. Because for sure some people will come to you as a leader and demands you to do things in favour of them. They will come to you to bribe you or threaten you if you won't grant them favour in their cases they will harm you. That's why so many leaders are not truthful and loyal these days , they collect money for their selfish gain and twist cases in favour of others and change the truth to lies.
But I know my father is a responsible and truthful person. To my belief, the village has gotten a good leader that has a good heart and will do anything possible in a good way for the betterment and growth of the community.