The Richest Man in Mbasaa
By Ebenezer Okorie Atulegwu
Every great story begins with a single journey, and The Richest Man in Mbasaa is no exception. This novel explores ambition, education, leadership, community, and the choices that shape lives across generations.
In this opening chapter, you’ll meet a community determined to invest in its future and a young man whose remarkable achievement marks the beginning of an extraordinary story.
This is an exclusive preview of Chapter One. We hope you enjoy reading it and are inspired to discover what unfolds in the chapters ahead.
CHAPTER 1
The Journey to United Kingdom
At the annual meeting of Mbasaa Improvement Union, one crucial issue was discussed for more than three hours. No indigene of Mbasaa had been to the white man’s country for higher education. Other communities in the state could boast of having many of their sons and daughters studying various courses in America and Europe, but Mbasaa had no single indigene overseas.
The Elders Forum of Mbasaa had written a passionate letter to the executives of the Improvement Union requesting that they do something urgent about sponsoring one of their children to study overseas. The elders were worried because sons and daughters of neighbouring communities who studied overseas had been recruited into state and federal government ministries, and they were contributing so much to the rapid development of their communities.
Finally, Mbasaa Improvement Union decided that every indigene should contribute to a scholarship fund for the overseas education project. In less than two months, all the people had paid their levies. A selection committee started screening the qualified candidates. It was at this stage that news filtered into the community. The first son of Chief Ibeoma Obindu had won a federal scholarship to study in the United Kingdom. He made the best result in the West African School Certificate Examination at Ibino Federal Secondary School with eight alphas. The grade-one distinction recorded by Ikechi Obindu was the best result ever obtained since the school was established.
The leaders of the Improvement Union and the Elders Forum were happy with the federal scholarship given to their own son. They decided that the money already collected should be used to sponsor another son of Mbasaa to the white man’s country. Chief Ibeoma Obindu quickly secured the visa requirements of his son, and the whole community organized a great send-off ceremony for Ikechi Obindu.
The next day, forty youths from Mbasaa hired a bus and escorted Ikechi Obindu to the International Airport, where he boarded a British Airways plane to the United Kingdom.
What Do You Think Happens Next?
This is only the beginning of The Richest Man in Mbasaa.
If you enjoyed this preview, stay tuned for more updates and information about where to get the complete book. We’d also love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.