The Rainmakers of Yenagoa

As a born scientist, I grew up with a natural skepticism of what people called supernatural phenomena.

Though my father was a pastor, when left to my own devices, I always looked for a scientific explanation to what Nigerians called 'jazz' or even 'divine intervention'.

My skepticism was punctured however, on a trip to Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, circa 2012.

A friend of mine was burying his father and I travelled there to support him at the traditional ceremony.

The first thing I noticed as we approached the venue was the scorching heat.

The sun was blazing unhindered.

Probably a good day for an outdoor event, I thought.

I noticed the elders paying off a group of drummers and I asked my friend what that was all about.

He explained that they were traditional rainmakers.

They reportedly had the power to make rain and hold it back as well.

It was the customary to 'settle' them before holding any major event or gathering.

I nodded but scoffed in my mind.

We went on with the proceedings and the funeral was concluded without a hitch.

The very minute we were done though, dark clouds began to gather, followed by a sudden downpour of heavy rain.

This was shocking to me as the skies were perfectly clear when we got here.

The 'rainmakers' were seen laughing at their corner.

They made the rain fall not necessarily to inconvenience us, but to demonstrate that they indeed held back the rain, in case anyone thought, "Well, rain wasn't going to fall anyway."

This was to ensure future patronage and to show the consequence of not 'playing ball'.

The villagers were impressed and cheered excitedly.

Not me though.

I refused to believe these men performed this feat through supernatural means.

I rejected the thought absolutely.

There had to be a scientific explanation, but whatever it was, eluded me.

I left the matter unexplained in my heart for many years, until I relocated to Dubai, UAE in 2020.

The United Arab Emirates is literally located in the desert and hardly sees any substantial rain.

In summer, temperatures rise to 50 degrees Celsius and higher.

However, I learned that the Government had a way of 'making rain' to cool things down whenever it got too hot.

Through its National Centre of Meteorology, the UAE Government would undertake a procedure called 'Cloud Seeding'.

You can Google this.

It involves flying custom-designed planes into the clouds and shooting salt flares in order to attract moisture.

The end result would be heavy rains in a matter of hours or minutes.

The Government would first make nationwide announcements of any upcoming cloud seeding operations just so that residents coordinate their movements better that day.

The first time I experienced this in Dubai, I remembered my previously unsolved mystery of the rainmakers of Yenagoa.

This was how they did it, or through some other similar means of manipulating the behaviour of clouds.

Knowledge. Knowledge. Knowledge.

I did more research into some other strongly held beliefs and myths in Nigeria (and Africa) and learned that most of it was actually hidden science that had been discovered and protected by a few in order to profit, or sell the masses on their idea of supernatural phenomena.

Like village rainmakers, there is so much that we believe that just isn't so.

The age we are entering will not be one that promotes equality.

Despite what the media and world politicians say to tickle the ears of the masses, the world has never been in favour of equality, and will never be.

As always, the earth will be divided up among the victors and the vanquished, with more glamorous titles of course, like producers vs consumers, elite vs masses, 1st World vs 3rd World, Media vs General Public.

The Rainmakers versus The Villagers

You are one or the other.

But I'm not asking you to resent the rainmakers.

Oh no. Learn from them.

They were curious enough to discover a trade secret, profit from it and protect it in their own limited way.

The villagers cheered and repeatedly paid them for the 'spiritual service'.

I'm asking you to be a rainmaker yourself by elevating your mind to an untethered curiosity.

Malcolm Forbes once wrote, "The purpose of education is to replace an empty mind with an open one."

Leave the villagers.

Become a rainmaker.

Then maybe you too will call down rain at will... and the villagers will make you their Chief Priest.