By Agbor E.
Ntufam Dan, was a very industrious person, he came from a long lineage of big time rice farmers. In fact, at a point, his grandfather had gathered more cowries than everyone in the clan had ever seen.
So it was no surprise that Ntufam Dan took to business early in life, cutting his teeth and sharpening his knives early in sister clans, far west from home.
His escapades were legendary, although many queried his disposition to underhand dealings. He quickly rose through the ranks, delivering blow after blow to business conspiracies.
Before long, he had conquered the mud business, the grains business and even considered buying up rights to a popular village wrestling competition.
However, this story would probably have never been written if Ntufam Dan never ventured into producing palm oil.
Overtime, the District, with its 18 clans produced large amounts of palm nuts. Unfortunately, most of the palm nuts were transported out, to the lands of the albinos, where, by sheer attention to details and dint of hard work, the albinos will press out palm oil, which they packaged and sold back to the natives at the District.
These trade, had gone on for years, uninterrupted. Local war heroes partitioned the spoils amongst themselves, with occasional crumbs thrown to their hangers-on.
All seemed to be going on just fine, until Ntufam Dan the maverick decided to rock the boat.
All the District had some palm. Oil press, they had not really kept the press equipments in good shape. As such, over the years, following wear and tear, the local palm presses had grown dysfunctional.
Although the district heads had debated the matter, proffered numerous solutions and even tried to rehabilitate the local presses, all efforts had come to naught.
At a point, even Ntufam Dan had attempted to intervene. However, that did not yield the desired results. In fact, he nearly lost a finger or two in the course of the action.
Count years later, Ntufam Dan, always on the lookout for a good fight, delved back into the business of palm oil presses.
He proudly built for himself a large palm oil presses, excited it will thrill the district. But no, some of the district head’s people would have none of it.
They expressed dissatisfaction with the press, they complained it wasn’t yet ready, they raised concerned about impurities found in the oil produced there. This got worse as the market day settled for distribution drew near.
Ntufam Dan would have none of this, and sadly, the trouble lingered. The acolytes of some of the district head, beat their chest confident Ntufam Dan’s press be pressured further. Although it was clear some of the district head’s people were not comfortable with the new palm oil press, it was not clear why.
Meetings after meetings were held, yet no meaningful outcome.
While all this was happening, the price of palm oil gradually rose up, the district head’s acolytes moved to resuscitate the old local press without results.
The people were growing weary, this was partly because palm oil was quite important in their lives.
They used it to cook local delicacies, lit up their houses, mix up traditional ingredients used as medicines and also to adorned their skins.
As the battle over Ntufam Dan’s press was playing out, frustrated youths in the different clans of the district, tired of the machinations from the district head’s palace, planned to throw a festival of speeches to express this. The district head’s people would have none of it. As the day of festivities drew near, a wise old man asked: “What of Ntufam Dan’s palm oil press, would it have cut down the price of palm oil, would it have reduced the cost of living? Ah, maybe even the youths may have called off the August festival?
But he asked again: Would we ever know?
● Agbor E., is the great grandson of Okim Ofu, the great, of Ikom and Mama Aki, the last female chief of the ‘group’ of villages. He works as a healer of some sort and writes from the dream time by the local streams of Bendeghe Ekiem, Etung LGA.
