AUCHI PUBLIC FIELD A MELTING POT OF TRIBES AND SENTIMENTS

BY ALIU S. MOMODU

Auchi Public Field, formerly Aki-Oba meaning Oba Market is a place of historical significance. It was the place where the present Jattu market had its inception. Story has it that Jattu Market was relocated to its present place on agreement between the Otaru of Auchi Kingdom and the Ogieneni of Uzairue Clan because of the strong strong bond that existed between both potentates. That was almost a century ago. It is not my intention to go into history in this writeup, but to showcase how significant the Public Field was.

As a  young man who grew up at home, I had great interest in footballing and I had always joined other children of my age grade in pursuing with excitement, the small leather round the family compound where I was born and raised. As we grew, the love of the game grew and with it came the need to seek bigger and better places away from the family compound where to play.

As kids, every open place was a pitch and every round object was football. Every Primary School field in town "hosted" us in our football exploits. The desire to play; the interest; the talent; the excitement and joy I derived from football game plodded me on. In the 1980s, it became clear that a standard pitch was what I needed to play good, exciting football. The school fields around town were no longer big and good enough for soccer. So I thought.

The only place where one's skills could be displayed to satisfaction was the Public Field. The Public field hosted every evening, an array of football talented kids with fervent desire to play. The Public Field was a place where skills were displayed. The Public Field was a place where young minds struggled with zeal to outdo one another in showing the skills each one was made of. The Public Field was a place where relationships were built and nurtured. The Public field was a place where children of diverse backgrounds came together and interacted without sentiments. The Public field was a place where it was difficult to differentiate bewteen one kid or another on the bases of their family background or status,  tribes, ethnicity or religion.

At the Auchi Public Field, it was difficult to tell who among the soccer-playing children was from a poor or rich background. Interaction among kids was smooth. We all played and interacted like members of the same family.

At Auchi Public Field, great football stars and great boxers have performed and have risen. The Alex Jebba (s) of the Super Eagles, the George Etafias of the Super Eagles, the Ande(s) great boxers, the Muhammed Salufu(s) aka Unbeatable a former Julius Berger star, the Kareemu Shaibu(s) a one time Eaglets world star, the Liasu Braimoh(s) who once represented Nigeria at the Olympics, and many more have a lot to be thankful for in their rise to stardom, having had their childhood days linked with Auchi Public field.

I have really missed a number of those guys we grew up together at Auchi and with whom fate joined me at the Auchi Public Field. The Public field was a rendezvous of some sort every evening for normal football practice. Cyril Duru aka Baba Gragra, All-the-way, Ambrose the junior brother to Erico now in switzerland, Igna and Linus both junior brothers to Uba the chemist man, Abuchi aka Auchi, Amobi now mobitech, Ehimarhe, Krimo, Romanus Onovo the sprinting antelope, Eddy Iyafokhai, Dauda of blessed memory, Kareemu Shaibu (Goalkeeper), J-five of blessed memory the Junior brother to Hon Zakawanu Garuba, Friday Omomia aka Akovilla, Mallam Shaibu of blessed memory, Oku N Omokhudu, Shedrach Omokhudu, Sani the goalkeeper, L. F. Jimoh aka fearless of Auchi Polytechnic,  Mahmud Usman the big bro, Precious Adaba, Mohammed Suraj Umar, Musa Osi Abdulwahab aka Nanab, Yunus Yusuf a former Councillor, Alegbeleye of blessed memory, Bobby, Ali Suleiman who is now the king of North Ibie, Philip Shuaibu the present Deputy Governor of Edo State, etc were all great guys.

Religious discussions, political alignments, tribal sentiments, none of these ever acted as deterrent to the peaceful atmosphere and smooth flow of relationship among us. Auchi Public Field was indeed a place of peace and  harmonious existence, a place of mutual interaction without rancour emanating from one's background. It was in fact a melting pot of tribes and sentiments and ideas.