Once upon a time in a community called Umuenyi. There exists a Great and astute Shepherd called Omeni. He majored in Sheep-rearing. He was known as the Great Shepherd of Umuenyi due to his outstanding and caring manner of rearing his flock of Sheep. Omeni was a goodman and he works hard. He tends his Sheep so affectionately that he devotes greater time studying and responding appropriately to their different modes of reaction at given times. So tenderly did he love his Sheep which made the people almost accuse him of being an “animal lover”. If anyone demands an explanation for this, the reason is so simple. Not that Omeni valued his Sheep more than human beings but he cultured a balanced virtue by which he operates so as to offend neither his Sheep nor any human being. For such a balanced virtue he cultured both towards his Sheep and human beings, the villagers fondly call him “Ochendu” (One who Guides Life). Loved by all for his tenderness towards others especially those in need, Omeni is a handsome man whose countenance beams with smiles. So innocent shines his face with body physique so commanding like that of the biblical Sampson. His body hairs rolls and shines like that of the Biblical David, the Man after God’s own heart. Possessing charming physical characteristics with honor so legendary, his eyebrows and eye pupils were so charming that every young girl within his age bracket easily develop affection for him. Children sings his praises whenever and wherever he goes with his flock of Sheep and young men and maiden desperately ask for his friendship at all cost. It reached to a point that Omeni’s simplicity and humility became the point of reference by which parents used when admonishing their children. Omeni’s sheep were so tamed that they know when their Lord and Master arrives home. Wherever he leads them they go! They understand whatever sign he commands. The Shepherd-Sheep relationship rearing between Omeni and his Sheep is a relationship of love. Unlike other Shepherds whose Sheep walk with them with rope tied on their necks, Omeni, the great Shepherd of Umuenyi rears his Sheep only with his staff, in knowledge of other positive and practical moral tactics that could be described as anything else except malice. Yet Omeni’s Sheep responds most fervently and promising than any other Sheep own by any other Shepherd around Umuenyi. Hence, Omeni’s Shepherd tactics ranks the best in Umuenyi community because of the high level of comportment exhibited by his Sheep.
When Omeni, the Great Shepherd of Umuenyi was asked to explain the secrets of his success, he said that the reason is not far-fetched. According to him, his insight about the tactics of Shepherding comes from the times he has observed dogs playing. He maintained that while playing, the dogs seemed like biting each other but a close look at that shows that they only accompany each other to enjoy the fun. They bite each other and fall to each other and most times surrender themselves or other parts of their body to each other in confidence that the other cannot hurt. In Igbo parlance, it is called “Uro Nkita na Ibe ya”; dog-play in English. He observed that the Philosophy he gained from that is: dogs enjoy such fun irrespective of age and might. For him, the mother dog and her children can indulge in dog-play without the mother picking offence on why the children gave her a bite or wants to play with her mother or the might claiming dominance of the show. Each whether might or weak fell at each other and can surrender any part of her body in confidence for the play. The might gains or loses nothing by engaging with the weak in such a play except for helping each other enjoy the fun. Omeni expressed that he enjoyed and learnt from the show that we need each other irrespective of our differences in other to enjoy the fun of the world. He stressed that human beings whether might or weak must both leave the stage of life one day. “Of what profit would it be for one who must definitely leave the stage of life to spend his or her life claiming to be mightier than the other?” he asked. “As a Shepherd”, he continued, “I think of how to increase my flock of Sheep instead of losing them for losing them tells a lot about my Shepherding tactics and that means a great loss for me”. “Thus, instead of losing my Sheep, I think more of how to increase my flock and to achieve this I imbibed the play-dog relationship, “Uro Nkita na Ibe ya”. This philosophy also helped me not to claim mightier than anybody rather to help people around me enjoy the fun of this world.
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