The Nnewiichi village of Nnewi town in Nnewi North Council Area of Anambra State may have seen a lot of mentally-deranged persons, but Ayola was just an exception.
One of the most popular mad men in Nnewi, Ayola was dubbed the chairman of Nnewi Union of Mad Men, Nnewichi branch, with his ‘office’ at Amuko junction.
Despite being unstable mentally, he manned his unit with the firmness required of an astute leader, and ensured that mad people operating in his zone followed the basic rules of madness in Nnewi.
They are- Ensure you go back to your house everyday. You should never eat directly from the bin. Finally, while on duty ensure you are a bit covered.
To Ayola, stark nakedness in the name of madness was completely out of it, so, madness in Nnewi had a pattern, and somehow, commanded respect.
According to a community leader and traditionalist from Nnewi, Nze Tobe Osigwe, whom our correspondent got information from, Ayola had recently become worried over the new influx of mad people from the neighboring Ihembosi, Ozubulu and Nnobi communities into Nnewi.
“Two weeks ago, while on his night patrol, he saw a mad woman sleeping in Orie Agbo market. Upon enquiry, he discovered the mad woman was from Nnobi.
“He asked if where she came from there was no method to madness? The woman was stark naked and was also incoherent.
“Ayola had to drag her down to the boundary between Nnewichi and Nnobi in the dead of the night and warned her to conduct her madness within her jurisdiction. He told her that madness in Nnewi had standards. Anaghi awi ala umu azi na Nnewi (madness in Nnewi is no child’s play).
“Ayola had been waiting for their monthly meeting, which held at Eke Ama Obi every last Eke Okwu of the month to come by. He wanted to report this new development of untrained mad people from neighboring towns encroaching into their territory to their leader Ntamu.
“Ntamu since his inauguration as Eze Ndi Ala had been soft. He reminisced on their past leader Ngozi. Ngozi was the best-dressed among the mad people in Nnewi. Whenever you saw Ngozi, you would desire to be mad.
“Ngozi made madness attractive. He was the one that created the rule book for madness in Nnewi. He always drilled it into their ears that anything worth doing was worth doing well. If destiny had decided for them to be mad, then they should carry out this role with utmost dignity.
“This was why it broke his heart that the sound system set up by Ngozi for being mad was what Ntamu was supervising into disrepute,” Osigwe said.
Commenting further, Osigwe, popularly known as Exeikolonmuo, noted that Ayola had faulted the law of rotation, instituted by Nzuko Ora Nnewi, which made Ntamu Eze Ndi Ala (King of mad men), wondering why out of all the mad people in Umudim, which it was their turn to provide a leader, it was Ntamu who could not afford to build a house despite being mad for more than thirty years, that was the best among the lots.
“Ayola had no problem with mad people from other towns coming to Nnewi to ply their trade. His worry was them coming into Nnewi with their own unpolished system instead of integrating themselves with the existing system of madness in Nnewi.
“He remembered his school teacher at Nkwo Central always said, when you are in Rome you behave like ‘Romance’. This was why he wondered why can’t these mad people from neighboring towns behave like ‘Romance?’ Why?”
But, the latest development about Ayola, according to Osigwe, is that he has decided to settle down, as age clearly was not on his side, coupled with the fact that he was an only child.
It was gathered also that his father gave him a name which was like a grim and stern warning, Amaechina (May my generation not end).
Osigwe revealed that Ayola had a love interest, an Ezeagu woman named Chinelo, who sold Ogili at Amuko Market.
It was gathered that Chinelo always kept something for Ayola every day.
“If it was not Akara Mama Ogoo, it would be Akụ Oyibo na Abacha. At times, she bought food for him from Nkem Kitchen.
“Ayola believed Chinelo did all these things out of the love she had for him. It could not have been be out of sheer pity.
“Since Ayola decided to say I do. It was a no-brainer that the fortunate choice of a would-be partner should be this woman, who had always been very kind to him. Good a thing, she was not married.
“Ayola went into the bush and got some Akanta leaves. It had been long he chewed Akanta leaves. It was in the early days of madness when he was still in denial of his noble calling that he chewed the leaves daily to keep the sparks of madness far away from him.
“But since he accepted that his madness was Onataluchi (god-given), he stopped any form of medication.
“However, since he had decided to attend Umunna meeting and inform them of his intention to settle down, he felt he needed his senses to be with him hundred percent. He needed to prove today of all days, na onye ara na uche ya no (a mad man is with his senses). Hence, the Akanta leaves.
“As Ayola brought out his clothes to be sunned, he remembered Ngozi. The most distinguished madman in Nnewi. The personality who made madness admirable. Ngozi was married with six children. He was the only mad fellow who achieved such feat. Ngozi was also a Vulcanizer on days his madness allowed him to face the vocation of his youth.
“If Ayola settles down, he will attain the status of Ngozi. At least, with this, he thought, other mad men in Nnewi will finally know that he was not on their level.
“Ayola’s Umunna was Ezeyim. To Ayola’s surprise, his announcement to settle down was met with applause. In fact, the richest man in his Umunna, an importer-exporter, pledged the sum of five million Naira in support of Ayola’s bold and timely decision.
“Many people made all sorts of pledges. Even Langer International, the foremost Isi Ewu (goat head) chef, pledged three coolers of Isi Ewu and twenty crates of beer.
“The question they all asked Ayola was, which day are they going to Ezeagu and has he informed the lady and her people that they are coming for her hand in marriage?
“It was at this juncture Ayola told his Umunna they all have to give him small time to get back to them. Ayola told them that his teacher in Nkwo Central used to say, a problem known, is a problem spoilt.
“The only man that seemed clearly unhappy all through the meeting was Chieloka, Ayola’s father’s brother. He is the one that by virtue of tradition, is expected to inherit whatever Ayola has, if he dies childless,” Osigwe concluded.
