Who is Michael Obi from Girls at War, and Other Stories and what is their importance?

Michael Obi is a young teacher who becomes headmaster of his country school and resolves to modernize it. He has his wife tend the grounds and plant lovely new hedgerows. One day, he notices villagers trampling the hedges, which were planted atop an old path connecting the burial grounds with the religious shrine. Michael blocks the path with a fence. An elder of the village comes to him and explains that the path is necessary for souls' travel. Michael balks and sends the man away. The next day, a woman dies in childbirth, and the villagers raze the hedges to appease angry souls. Michael Obi receives a scathing performance review as a result.