IMALA DIARY, JUNE 9 THROUGH JUNE 23, 2021
5 Things you should know about the Imala Project!
1. RICE SMUGGLERS ON OUR RIVER!
We first found out about the smuggling of rice via our river soon after our arrival in Imala when we were looking to buy rice in the local market.
“Where can we buy rice?” we asked. No one would tell us! One man actually turned his back and walked away, which in this country is considered very rude!
We gradually learned that because of the fertility of the land, big rice farms are everywhere, but the amount of money farmers have to pay to the customs officers along the road from here to the capital is exorbitant. And so they smuggle their bags of rice in long canoes, (like Big Blue,) along the river to Abeokuta, avoiding the payment of tax.
Three things have happened lately that directly affected us in all this smuggling!
First, the other day I asked Okon, our cook where Officer Jacob and Sani were. He said they’d just driven by in the pickup with a ‘load’ in the back.
“Oh, they bought cement?” I asked.
“No, I think they were bags of rice,” Okon answered!
“WHAT?” Oh, no. Immediately I realized that someone must have asked them to sneak rice past the custom officers, since those officers never stop our vehicles. But if it were discovered that we, SFA, were helping the smugglers in any way, we and our project would be in serious trouble. I called Jacob and asked him to meet us on the road to the site. With Lawal and Saidu, I drove down the road; very soon the pickup appeared and pulled over. No bags of rice to be seen. I’d thought about how to broach this subject and decided just to go straight to the point.
“Jacob, can you and Sani explain why you are carrying bags of rice in our pickup?”
Jacob’s face just froze. He was stunned. And the truth came out.
Yes, they’d been asked, (and paid,) to carry some bags of rice through the nearest customs roadblock, but it was only four bags…..
After a serious dressing-down, Jacob and Sani realized the risk to our project and promised not to do it again!
Secondly, we were nearly mowed down along the narrow, one lane, dirt road to our site, by an SUV followed closely by a big, white van. The SUV was literally flying – traveling at at least 60 mph, nearly crashing into us. We barely had time to swerve into the bushes, out of the way. These were rice smugglers - obviously having offloaded the rice onto canoes – and getting out of the area as quickly as possible.
I was at the riverside shortly after this happened and saw the two, heavily loaded canoes on their way to the capital.
We immediately hired some men and cleared the sides of the narrow road in areas where the bends obstructed visibility, to avoid a fatal crash in the future!
When we brought the matter up to the local chief, the Baale, he told us he wasn’t going to talk about it! Obviously, he’s being paid by the rice smugglers to let them use the road through his land, down to the river to their canoes!
The third thing happened yesterday, when two strangers on a motorbike rode into our compound. We do have a big gate blocking the entrance to our compound and the river and are building a security house but don’t have someone posted there yet. Both Jacob and Saidu were somewhere….I was the only one, apparently, who saw these men come in, park their bike and walk straight into the school we’re building!
I walked up to them, greeted them. One was an Indian man, the other a Nigerian. The Indian pointed to himself and said, “Indian.” That was it! I smiled and said, “You are welcome. Can I help you?” Again, he pointed to himself. “Indian.” Okay….so, he can’t speak English!
One of our builders came up and began talking with the Indian in Yoruba. They had worked together before, the worker told me, on the Indian’s big rice farm behind Anigbado, the village where we’d been living while the staff quarters were being built.
“Okay…so what does the man want?” I asked.
“Oh, just to greet me,” the worker said.
The Indian and his friend climbed on the motorbike and drove off, but in less than fifteen minutes were back again. By then I’d found Saidu, briefed him, and together we went back to the Indian. He was talking with three of our builders now!
“What does he want?” I asked the builder who speaks good English.
“Oh, he just wanted to come and greet us and also the woman who used to cook for him. She lives in the fishing village just over there on the river.”
The wheels in my brain were turning, turning, and suddenly I knew exactly what was going on.
We had blocked this rice farmer’s access to the river, blocked his way to get his rice down to the river! He was talking to our workers, maybe figuring he could bribe them into letting him use the road while we weren’t around! Maybe also looking for a different way to smuggle out his rice! Grrrrr! Just made me so mad!
No way is he going to jeopardize everything we’re doing here by smuggling his rice through our land!
These are desperate people and desperate people will do anything when lots of money is involved. It could be dangerous. But God is there; God is by our side, and I trust that He will keep us safe.
Then this. On Monday night at around 8 pm we heard the sound of car and truck engines down by the river, and so crept down to investigate. There, on the other side of the river, hundreds of sacks of rice were being loaded from the trucks into canoes which pulled up to the shore, took their load then set off in the direction of the city. This activity continued throughout the night ‘till daybreak. The following night, they continued their work. Thousands of sacks of rice must have gone down the river these last two nights.
We had blocked the smugglers’ access to the river, so they had driven all the way around the south end of the river and were continuing their nefarious activities on the other side, directly opposite our school!
God is taking good care of us. Instead of causing us trouble, bribing our workers or even attacking us, the smugglers just found another way in which to continue their work. And we have no intention of trying to stop them. In this life, we must choose our battles, and fighting rice smugglers is not one of them. God gave us our work – to help these Fulani with schools, health care and grazing. We will focus on doing our work well, to the glory of God, and leave the rice smugglers to Him!
Driving back from Abeokuta yesterday we talked about the smuggling situation and made a plan to visit the district police station and the local army headquarters to ask if there could be regular patrolling of the 13km, one-lane, dirt road we drive almost daily from the main road to Peace Village. Suddenly, around the bend of said dirt road came two army vehicles filled with the soldiers – the very soldiers we’d been talking about! The trucks stopped, we stopped and got out to greet them. The soldier in charge was very friendly, telling us that they intended to patrol our road regularly and promised to keep the area peaceful and secure! What an answer to prayer!
2. ROTATIONAL GRAZING DEMONSTRATION AT PEACE VILLAGE!
We have started putting up bamboo fencing for the five paddocks on this compound which we’ll use for training and demonstration of rotational grazing. With the help of our new Fulani friends, we’re cutting sticks and bamboo, using all local materials to show the Fulani what they themselves can do on their own land. Alhaji Bature will graze just a small herd here, rotationally, while we prepare the larger area of 1,000 acres for the big herds of cows.
An extension worker is coming on Saturday from WAMCO, Friesland Campina, the largest milk production company in the world. I’m familiar with the WAMCO people as we worked together on the Bobi Reserve. I invited this man to come and talk about how we can join hands, planting grass, building a milk collection center and planning for a large cattle market here in Imala, all for the benefit of the local herdsmen.
3. SCHOOL PROGRESS REPORT:
The security post and gate are completely built, Yahaya is roofing the school while his partner is doing the same on the school clinic. Masons have a huge job now, plastering this large school with all the classrooms, verandahs and pillars, after which they’ll need to install the multiple windows and doors.
Work has begun on Arcadia, Peace Village Guest House; men are digging the foundation today. I don’t expect this building will be ready for occupancy until sometime in August, as all of our workers are going to be taking a three-week vacation, and I’ll be in and out of Imala for the next few months as well.
Our first two teachers, Mr and Mrs Ojo, are coming to Peace Village in just a few days with their two little sons. They will move into the teachers’ quarters and begin working with the local Fulani and Yoruba in preparation for starting school. I’m transferring Ojo from our school in Port Harcourt, New Town Primary, at his own request! He is a Yoruba man, loves the Lord, mission work and the Fulani people! His wife is a certified teacher as well! We’re very blessed to have them as our first teachers at the Good Shepherd School!
4. MY SCHEDULE FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS:
For your information, here is how I’ll be spending my time for the next few months:
July 1-16, I’ll be working in Peace Village. Officer Jacob, Sani and Okon go on leave.
July 17 – August 2, I’ll be in Abuja. Lawal, Officer Saidu and Haruna with all our other workers take their three weeks off.
August 3 – August 12, I’ll be with Rev. Nelson Reed of Action International, as he conducts pastoral training and visits our work in Imala.
August 13 – September 8, I’ll be in the Seattle area for the premier showings of the documentary, Kidnapped Redemption.
September 9 – October 10, I’ll be working in Peace Village, registering children, starting classes, training herdsmen in rotational grazing.
October 11 – 23, I’ll be with Bishop Matt Whitehead as he conducts four annual conferences in Nasarawa, Enugu and Akwa Ibom States.
October 27 – January 8, I’ll be in the Seattle area again, to spend time with my family.
5. PRESIDENTIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!
President Buhari has announced the sanctioning of new grazing reserves in states throughout Nigeria!
Friends, we would greatly appreciate your financial support in the opening of a new grazing reserve, schools and clinic in Rivers State! Alhaji Mogodi Musa, my best friend and colleague in Nigeria, the Fulani leader with whom I’ve opened thirteen schools for Fulani children, has asked me to assist him in opening a new work in the state where he is living, Rivers State. This is the same state where we have the SFA school, New Town Primary School. With President Buhari’s recent announcement, we expect to be called in other directions as well, and certainly need your help.
If you want to join us in this peace-making effort, please send your check to the following address or contact him for other ways to donate. His email is Don@Standleycpa.com.
THANK YOU! Phyllis Sortor
Schools for Africa
c/o Donald Standley
22205 93rd Pl W
Edmonds WA 98020
