“He Sent Money to Build a House. They Used It to Flex and Now They Call Him Stingy.”

His name is Osaze.

First son.
First to leave the country.
The one that carried everyone’s dream on his back.

In 2019, when his Canadian visa came out,
Ovia community in Benin City celebrated like it was Christmas in August.

His mother, Mama Osaze, called him “our passport to better days.”
His uncle, Uncle Friday, danced in front of the house.
Even his younger sister, Ivie, gave up starting her hair business just so they could raise the rest of the money for his flight.

They sold a piece of ancestral land near Okada Road to help.
But they told him:

“Just make it first. We’ll rise together.”

And he believed them.

Canada Humbled Him

Osaze landed in Toronto with ₦120k in his Nigerian account
and 3 borrowed jackets for winter.
He worked in the cold. Stacked shelves. Washed toilets. Drove Uber.

He didn’t complain. He just kept sending money home month after month.

₦50k.
₦100k.
₦250k during emergencies.

Then came 2021.

Mama called:

“It’s time to start your house in Ovia. You can’t be renting in Canada and still have nothing back home.”

They picked a plot. They sent site videos. Sand. Blocks. Rods. Ivie would handle logistics. Uncle Friday would supervise.

He started sending real money.

₦3 million.
₦5.5 million.
₦9 million.

From 2021 to 2023, he sent over ₦15.2 million based on rising cement prices, land documentation, and “labour money.”

The Return

In December 2023, Osaze returned to Benin City his first time back in 4 years.

He landed quietly.
No noise.
No announcements.
He wanted to surprise the family.
But he was the one who got surprised.

There was no house.

No foundation.
No fence.
No land title in his name.

They said the land agent ran away.
They said “materials are expensive now.”
They said “things just scattered small but we’ll bounce back.”

Meanwhile, Ivie was now an “influencer”
with a ring light, dyed wigs, and Instagram captions like “Soft life only.”

Uncle Friday had upgraded from motorcycle to SUV.
Mama had hosted three church thanksgiving events.

When Osaze asked for receipts, they told him:

“Don’t come back from abroad and start acting like an accountant. We’re not thieves.”

And just like that he became the villain.

They said he was proud.
That “Canada has changed him.”
That he doesn’t trust his own blood anymore.

 But Here’s the Real Wahala:

Osaze didn’t become stingy.
He became tired.
Tired of funding a family that saw him as a bank, not a brother.
Tired of being guilt-tripped with “Don’t forget where you’re coming from.”
Tired of sacrificing his peace for people who only remember him when it’s time to share bills.

Now?
He sends money to himself.
To his future wife.
To therapy.
To rest.

Because this life?
Even Jesus stopped feeding people when they only followed Him for bread.