Abnormally Afraid Staffs

“ The work is good, the story line interesting”

“But I am sure he does plagiarize people's work”

“ Whose work did he plagiarize?”

“I don’t know he always reads from something before writing”

“ What’s plagiarism in your opinion?”

“ Reproducing people's work without their consent”

“ Yet you don’t know who’s work he is plagiarizing”

“ I always saw him reading from foolscap before writing”

“Pay attention well next time when you see him like you say or whoever is feeding you this information, tell the person to get the necessary information”

“ How are going to know the original owner if you don’t know the author, he writes using foolscap”

“ That is more reason you need to get more information for I have tried all his work with the knowledge in my head without result”

        Mrs. Victoria has been in charge of the writers association of his state for two years now, she has seen many works of promising authors she needed to fish out and rewards new and promising authors and since January this year, he has discovered that one Mr. Joseph Okolo is one of those new authors showing promising signs that were visible to notice but the complaint she had been receiving here and there from mainly her own staffs about Mr. Joseph and his works has not been clear, no one had been able come out with anything tangible.

Weeks after weeks, the author has been improving in his works, rumors has been improving too, yet none is saying how they gather their information or whose work he is plagiarizing. Even his story line has been varying a lot to warrant a the allegation.

“ I has meeting with the education commissioner to attend tomorrow, so I need comprehensive report on our performance here for I know his questions would focus on that aspects and our plans for future”

“ Which time would you need it?”

“ Around 8:30am tomorrow make sure it is ready”

She was reminiscing on her way to the printing press, on the issue of the new author, her staff is not being clear on what is generating all the noise about the author and how they come to know him personal out of the other thousands. At times, his work would be based on current issue yet according to the accusers, it’s still plagiarized. 

     She has compiled the best stories for the second quarter of the year to send o the commissioner for approval, yet, Joseph's work is missing once again. She scratched her hair, wondering If something else is not behind the problem. 

Anam State had in the past five years decided that encourage their indigenes to read and write more by coming out with the programs of rewarding the authors that can craft stories that can serve as motivator to the youths of the state especially those in secondary school and act as means of focusing their indigenes on the act of being creative. 

      Nothing motivates the youths and keep them focused on the positive side of life and education like dream of being famous and making little money too from their works. Five years on, the response has been wonderful. It had exceeded the expectations of the state governor, he himself an owner of two fiction works. He has responded well too on the enthusiasm of his citizens. 

The work he has been witnessing for three years now has superseded his expectations.

“ I am not sure I am better than most of these writers I have seen their works, these people are wonderful” he had remarked last year.

     Mrs. Victoria smiled to herself knowing that what she has this year is far better than works of past years. 

“ Is the work ready?”

“ Yes madam, but the size exceeded what we estimated so there are balance to take care of”

“I hope the work is clean”

“ Of course, nothing to worry on that aspect”

After examining the work, and satisfied with what he is holding, she asked the printer to forward his receipt to her office. 

Now the work is being sold to the public too, she has to be extra careful with what she is compiling and printing. Mr. Joseph’s work came to her mind once again, she signed loudly and decided there and there that the only way to check the Rumours flying here, there and everywhere is to publish Mr. Joseph’s work and observe the reactions of the people. There are provisions for feedback on their site, anyone with genuine complaint would get in touch very easily. 

       They would send feed backs on the publish work if anyone has anything meaningful to complain about. Only through this process would she know what is actually happening. 

Two hours away from Mrs. Victoria, Mr. Joseph was holding the first quarter of the ‘Energizer’ as the state short story magazine is known and wondering how the judges arrive at the decision on the winners. The works he is holding are all wonderful, but he believed that his work can stand along side most of the works he has seen many times now.

“I hope this rumors flying around my vicinity is not flying around there too. Some people can be joy killers to others in this world. he said, this world is full of psychos, when some set their eye on you, they would go all out to achieve their aim. I just hope that what I am witnessing has nothing to do with the rumors. A year is too long for people to cross check anything. It’s turning into insult too.”

How do others do their learning he queries himself, their research, organizing and writing. Maybe their works and learning comes from other planets. Maybe I have not gotten to the level of traveling to the other planets for research and other things needed to be where others are today in their writing business. I wonder why they don’t just ignore the work if they felt it's too bad or too good for them. where is this hullabaloo coming from?

More than two thousand works every week, and yet, it is only his work and name on scrutiny, I wonder if a mole is at work in that ministry. I write and send my work through the internet, so where is the rumour coming from if not from the staffs there. 

Either the work is good or those people is working for someone against him. Why should anyone start complaining of bad work?

“ well, myself and my work I knew, those people, I don’t know or cares to know. I am not a member of any occult society”

He closed the magazine and went to work.