Flash fiction: No yams in New York: Destinatin Nigeria

[Augustine Togonu-Bickersteth]

tit  all started with Chief Olusegun Obasnjo appearing in a video that went viral with him spotted  in a Texas cow boy Hat,.  I own Texas with Capital at Austin. Up Austin. Baba obasanjo in  short sleeve  top and as his paiir of shorts , he had what could be referred to as the English version of  Kembe, the grand papa of trousers or shorts but this in American  Khaki.

  we were not alert enough to see what kind of footwear he put on  but he might have been trying to dress like the youth he is out to encourage to embrace farming and agriculture.he has done it before with  his initiative, operation feed the nation, i was  incidentally part of that operation. Mission accomplish mission successful

baba obasanjo  the world's greatest living farmer is the classical case of melting swords into ploughshares'

           So the video of obasanjo went viral to be spotted by the heir to a 35 billion dollar fortune, michael chapman and  impressed at the viewing of the viral  video he said to himself , “here is a distinguished African  Standing next to his yams. I want to  stand on a yam farm too.  and i would put ii on instagram.” He goes onto the web looking for yam farms in new york, this new york known as the big apple but to his disappointment there are no yam farms in new york not even in tropical florida state. dThere and then after going onto the web and not finding ya farms in new york, there and then tmichael chapman  heir to billions of dollars decides he is  going to the ibogun farm, yam farm of baba obasanjo.

   Michael chapman told by the tours and travel operator that if he was really interested in  agriculture  like baba obasanjo, chairman africa food prize committee   his best bet is  Bayela based,  Sharon Idahosa  CEO and managing partner  of lets talk agriculture.    PR agency she is touch with all those that matter  as far as the whole  value chain of agriculture is concerned. chapman is informed that the big yams are in Benue and that Benue state can feed africa ,then he gets to know   of the new yam festival in enugu and informed is yam to Amala festival in Ibadan. An astronomy enthusiast he also expressed interest in a  ann impending and rare eclipse of the moon over imeko in ogun .state

        Arriving in Nigeria from the ikeja airport he is ferried by helicopter and lands at the  globacom  helipad in ijebu ode expressively to see Kabiyesi who is very welcoming of investors and what's more to see the worlds best preserved and best wellkept  Palace,iFrom  there it is to  the abode of Obafemi awolowo referred to as the best president  nigeria never had  also there  is to be seen    a Rubber plantation hungry for investment.After ikkenne ,he touches down at Abeokuta just in time for the Ake Arts and culture festivals  f./soon after, he is in Ibadan a culture capital and intellectual powr hoise for the Amala festival  the main festval of the year but he told there are other festivals in the calendar  like the Esan festival and izon festival of other ethni groups  He pays  a visit to the cutting edge international institute of tropical agriculture, also located  on the out skirts  of the worlds largest indigenous black city

            Not done he meets with the financial inclusion leaders and advocates in Nigeria as led by Olu Akanmu,easily a professor of practice, , president and Ceo of Opay one of nigeria's   Unicorns. they took the opportunity of meeting to discuss, the triple helix of university, government and industry also meets with Adewale Ajadi, polemicist, and consultant. Police trainer and leadership expert including amelia olalere leading a group of human resource managers and talent experts