So…after another hiatus, I’m back…what can I say…let’s say I’ve turned a new leaf this year. Back to blogging in earnest and what other way to start than talk about the Fuel price hike in Nigeria and the ensuing brouhaha?

Let’s take a look at a chart that shows how much we are now paying for petrol relative to a selection of all other OPEC nations plus a few that aren’t members…I’ll let you digest it first….

I’m in love with a woman who is not my wife.

Ok. What does that have to do with my vote and how is my infidelity your concern right? Just stay with me on this one…

It all started a little over a year ago; I can’t quite explain how it happened but I do know that I find her irresistible. That smile…those eyes; twin pools of fluid compassion betraying an innocence that makes one self conscious around her…but I digress…
I’m quite taken with her you see, this lady. In love actually, to the point where I cannot but think about her all the time. Some puritans may say this is adulterous given that she is not my wife, but bear with me and withhold judgment till my tale is told.

Reflecting on it I ask myself, what’s not to love really? I mean, Every single time she sees me; which is virtually every day except when I have to leave town for business, every single time she sees me, she lays out that warm blanket of a smile and envelopes me with her ever ready, ever wider bear hug. In that instant; with her slender, small hands around my neck and her head on my shoulders, we conspire to rob Aeon and time stops As the world around us recedes into the horizon, we freeze frame that little piece of eternity which we manage to steal from Chronos and all that matters is that she is mine and I am hers.

Like I said earlier, this has gone on for some time now; right under my wife’s nose by the way, and in the process I have become acutely aware that I am responsible for this charming young lady’s wellbeing, she is not demanding like the infamous Blackberry babes, but she depends on me for everything she needs. If I don’t meet her needs then no one else can…not without asking for the unthinkable in return. It is clear to me that I must not only cater to her needs today, I must also plan for her tomorrow.

Maybe I should mention at this point that this lady who has so captured my heart is, well…a minor; she is under the age of 18 –remember you promised not to judge me yet- and is somewhat unable to make certain determinations for herself so I do not need a crystal ball to know that the future is bleak if I do not make adequate arrangements to ensure that she lacks nothing of her basic needs, if I do not take steps to ensure that the society she finds herself in respects her humanity and provides opportunity for her to maximise her existence and optimize her potential.

But I am only one man and my resources are quite finite…I am a ‘common man’ and much as I wish I could steal the moon and hand it to her; I can’t.

I wish I could tell her that bad things do not happen to good people so that being the most innocent of people I know, she would have nothing to fear; but that would be a lie.

I wish I could promise her that I will always be there, but I know I won’t, so I need her to be prepared for the days when she will have to walk alone.

I worry about her education…I worry about her safety and security…I worry about her health…I worry about her ability to find and keep a good job, or start a business of her own without having to give up her dignity…the worrying is driving me crazy!

Now and then, when she hugs me, I flinch from the anxiety and stabbing pangs of pain as icy fingers of fear clutch at my heart…she notices and wants to know what is wrong but I say it’s nothing…

I suspect that I’m rambling…pardon me, I’m almost done.

These things have bothered me for days now, especially since the politicking and electioneering began and the elections drew nearer. Everybody has gone on and on about my vote and what it’s worth.
Some people are willing to pay money for it…others are poised to steal it with Guns, Machetes and even Witchcraft I hear…yet another crop of people invest so much intellectual capital in trying to talk me into handing it over to them in trust.

With all this going on I suddenly had an epiphany; since this vote seems to be my most valuable asset and negotiating tool at the moment…why don’t I sell it to the one person who I know needs it so badly that not to have it would spell doom? The one person who would pay me in currency that gold bullion can not replace?

Eureka!!!

So, this morning I woke my darling girlfriend up, and sold my vote to her in exchange for a hug and a kiss. Then I went out and helped her put it where she needs it to be.

Her name is Imani; she is my daughter and today I sold my vote to her.

I’m in love with a woman who is not my wife.

Ok. What does that have to do with my vote and how is my infidelity your concern right? Just stay with me on this one…

It all started a little over a year ago; I can’t quite explain how it happened but I do know that I find her irresistible. That smile…those eyes; twin pools of fluid compassion betraying an innocence that makes one self conscious around her…but I digress…

I’m quite taken with her you see, this lady. In love actually, to the point where I cannot but think about her all the time. Some puritans may say this is adulterous given that she is not my wife, but bear with me and withhold judgment till my tale is told.

Reflecting on it I ask myself, what’s not to love really? I mean, Every single time she sees me; which is virtually every day except when I have to leave town for business, every single time she sees me, she lays out that warm blanket of a smile and envelopes me with her ever ready, ever wider bear hug. In that instant; with her slender, small hands around my neck and her head on my shoulders, we conspire to rob Aeon and time stops As the world around us recedes into the horizon, we freeze frame that little piece of eternity which we manage to steal from Chronos and all that matters is that she is mine and I am hers.

Like I said earlier, this has gone on for some time now; right under my wife’s nose by the way, and in the process I have become acutely aware that I am responsible for this charming young lady’s wellbeing, she is not demanding like the infamous Blackberry babes, but she depends on me for everything she needs. If I don’t meet her needs then no one else can…not without asking for the unthinkable in return. It is clear to me that I must not only cater to her needs today, I must also plan for her tomorrow.

Maybe I should mention at this point that this lady who has so captured my heart is, well…a minor; she is under the age of 18 –remember you promised not to judge me yet-  and is somewhat unable to make certain determinations for herself so I do not need a crystal ball to know  that the future is bleak if I do not make adequate arrangements to ensure that  she lacks nothing of her basic needs, if I do not take steps to ensure that the society she finds herself in respects her humanity and provides opportunity for her to maximise her existence and optimize her potential.

But I am only one man and my resources are quite finite…I am a ‘common man’ and much as I wish I could steal the moon and hand it to her; I can’t.

I wish I could tell her that bad things do not happen to good people so that being the most innocent of people I know, she would have nothing to fear; but that would be a lie.

I wish I could promise her that I will always be there, but I know I won’t, so I need her to be prepared for the days when she will have to walk alone.

I worry about her education…I worry about her safety and security…I worry about her health…I worry about her ability to find and keep a good job, or start a business of her own without having to give up her dignity…the worrying is driving me crazy!

Now and then, when she hugs me, I flinch from the anxiety and stabbing  pangs of pain as icy fingers of fear clutch at my heart…she notices and wants to know what is wrong but I say it’s nothing…

I suspect that I’m rambling…pardon me, I’m almost done.

These things have bothered me for days now, especially since the politicking and electioneering began and the elections drew nearer. Everybody has gone on and on about my vote and what it’s worth.

Some  people are willing to pay money for it…others are poised to steal it with Guns, Machetes and even Witchcraft I hear…yet another crop of people invest so much intellectual capital in trying to talk me into handing it over to them in trust. 

With all this going on I suddenly had an epiphany; since this vote seems to be my most valuable asset and negotiating tool at the moment…why don’t I sell it to the one person who I know needs it so badly that not to have it would spell doom? The one person who would pay me in currency that gold bullion can not replace?

Eureka!!!

So, this morning I woke my darling girlfriend up, and sold my vote to her in exchange for a hug and a kiss. Then I went out and helped her put it where she needs it to be.

Her name is Imani; she is my daughter and today I sold my vote to her.

I recently read an article on a web forum which was debating the issue of corruption in Nigeria.

 

It sparked off a debate in which one side held that Nigerians as a people …identifiable by tribe and geography,are naturally fraudulent, while the other did not agree; I took the middle road.

 

 I think we are all standing too close to the mirror, so we see our eyeballs but don’t see our faces.

The average Nigerian is human and to the extent that the average human is prone to selfishness and subversion in the interest of self preservation, I would say Yes. the average Nigerian is fraudulent.

 

 

But allow me to qualify that statement. It is not an admission to being an inferior or baser specie of homo sapiens; it is in fact an affirmation of the fact that nigerians are human and will behave as the average human is NATURALLY prone to do, given certain conditions.

Fraud is not the exclusive preserve of my countrymen, but a natural disposition of humanity, so let he who says it in an accusatory tone beware of hypocrisy.

Having said that, let us recall that we are talking about the AVERAGE nigerian. Beyond that, there are not a few of our kind, who have by force of self discipline , committed themselves to a DAILY struggle to do the right thing inspite of the natural proclivity to choose the easy way out.

Crime is crime, fraud is fraud, irrespective of who commits it. Nevertheless, I am yet to hear of fraud that is exclusive to the Nigerian, and has not been committed in history by someone of other nationality.This argument  applies regardless of wether the issue is the nature of fraud..or its prevalence.

You are what you think my people!, nothing more and nothing less. The challenge here is not really whether we are fraudulent or not, but what are we doing to improve our individual and collective disposition as a nation,inspite of the economic & political circumstances we find ourselves facing. Why?, its just a phase, It will pass!

I am PROUD to have been born Nigerian, I am determined to reclaim and  make the most of the heritage passed to me by virtue of my place of birth.

 I am resolved that nothing, human or circumstantial , will prevent me from being all that this Nigerian blood I have in my veins has equipped me to be. And I will do it the right way, want to know how?

 

Watch me as the pages unfold… its almost Dawn!

 

 

 

 

It’s been a while….but I’m back….

Stay tuned as we head into the elections…

…and brace yourselves…it’s going to be bumpy…

Such arrogance …

You believe you know us so well as to define the limits of our collective and individual ability, do you?…I suppose this is borne of the fact that you are confident that the deliberate and systematic denial of opportunity which you and your generation have so faithfully served us on a golden platter ‘a la carte’, for the past 50 years has worked as designed, not so?

You believe that we are a dysfunctional generation don’t you? Unable to compete with our peers across the globe on a plethora of levels…unable to contribute to the national equation…unable, even, to determine the pathway of our individual destinies; I suppose you believe you are right about all of that… there is one little, insignificant thing you have neglected to factor in this infinite, albeit unproductive wisdom of yours…

we have learnt to accept the finite disappointment, of which of you and your kind are a repulsive embodiment…but we have infinite hope in not only God, but in ourselves as well…in our ability to overcome the obstacles you and your ilk have placed in our way…we have implicit faith in our ability to take back what you have stolen…because you have been unable to take away that which counts the most..our ability to dream…and have those dreams come true!!!

Such insolence…

It is a good thing that you have drawn the lines in the sand so early in the day…it tells a lot about your ability to think strategically …or the lack thereof…or maybe it is that age old false confidence which has led to the fall of many a self proclaimed warlord, strategist…or whatever you imagine yourself to be…you gap toothed clown!

Once again you have bolstered our conviction that age is not always wise…your senile vituperations betray the fact that you don’t only have a gap in your mandibles, but in you cranial medulla as well…
We have news for you though… We are unbreakable!…

Such ignorance!…

Are you in doubt?…go ask those of us who have made, and are making our mark in the world around us…building empires out of nothing…at home and abroad…go and ask those of us who are bringing home international awards…in Literature..in Science…in ICT …in Music…in Film & Theater… ,honestly, I don’t believe how barren of imagination and cognitive ability you and your generation are!?…have you noticed the immigration demographics of countries like the US and UK lately? Have you noticed how much of it is composed of young Nigerian migrants?…do you know why? …do you know anything about the UK’s HSMP and the Canadian immigrant VISA program?…they are desperate for the very group of people you and yor kind believe are ‘worthless’!!!

Enough said…You think you know what we can do?…YOU DON’T HAVE A CLUE!

…but we will solve that problem come 2011, YOU WILL LOSE…and you will know WE DID IT TO YOU!

This woman is simply inspiring!…I almost wish she was my relative or something; I can’t stop trying to imagine what she could accomplish for this country if given a chance. talk about role models!

…My beloved country is 47 years old; and to think that I almost did not say a thing about it?!Well…i did think about it though…and I decided to present a full body version of an earlier posting; something more pertinent to our circumstances at the moment…

For Nigeria’s Sake

We are all a product of the beliefs that we hold to be true.

I do not believe in coincidences; neither do I believe that our lives and destinies are shaped by a series of random, uncoordinated events. I hold strongly that nothing just happens…that the string of events that constitute the timeline of life and existence are all divinely orchestrated.

I have believed for a long time that our country, Nigeria, is the cornerstone of God’s ultimate agenda for the black race. From the foundation of this great country which many people have ignorantly described as the product of colonial political engineering, God’s plans and intentions have implicitly influenced the happenings around us. His unmistakable signature is woven into the fabric of our nationhood; this is visible to the discerning eye.

I believe that there is a reason why the second stanza of our national anthem is in fact, a prayer. I believe that these lines were divinely inspired. A pointer to the spiritual antecedents of this country. These words transcend creed so that their true meaning will not be lost in the religious prejudice that so often rears its head amongst us

O God of Creation, direct our noble cause,

Guide our leaders right.

Help our youth, the truth to know.

In love and honesty to grow.

And living just and true, Great lofty heights attain,

to build a nation where peace and justice shall reign.

And what is this noble cause, some may ask? The answer lies in the last line.

Let me quickly add here that the quest for peace and justice is the springboard from which human society has evolved. A famous scholar wrote that in the ‘state of nature’ the life of man is ‘brutish and short’. The reason why we as humans have chosen over the eons to dwell communally is that there might be peace for all, with everyone getting his fair share from society; we call it Justice.

This is the cause for which our founding fathers lived, fought and died.

This is our ‘noble cause’.

This is the cause that the post independence leaders of our people have abandoned, that the entire generation of post-independence youth has forgotten, that Nigerian children born after the golden years have no inkling of!

I vividly recall my joyful and carefree primary to junior secondary school years. Every morning I joined an army of thousands of young, naïve and happy scholars like myself reciting the words of this anthem all over the country, gathered at our respective schools’ assembly grounds, oblivious to the travails that lay ahead. Not knowing it at the time, but praying for our very future!

I can still feel the thrill. The excitement of marching in time to the cadence of the school band as the drums boomed…left, right, left, right…we marched into the future…innocent, full of dreams, eyes sparkling with hope.

But inevitably, youth ages… and mine has

The innocence is gone! Slain by the treachery of our fathers. The dreams are dying; ambushed by the conspiracy of our leaders.

A barrage of questions echo through my mind; I doubt if anyone my age or thereabouts will find them strange or unfamiliar…what happened to the prayers we said? Did we get it wrong or was God not listening? Where is the guidance we requested for our leaders? Was it delivered to the wrong address…or is God on vacation?

Why are we the way we are? Why must we leave home and country in search of our future? What is it that makes life in this country so difficult…can’t we get anything to work? Things are supposed to get better with time; why has our case been the opposite?

What is wrong with our leaders…do they even care about us? Have they forgotten that God is watching?

Ah…light comes!…perhaps they have not listened…Perhaps the Sirens of Greek mythology have bewitched them and they are blinded by their own lusts…leading us all into temptation and destruction…but wait! I must not speak so against my elders, I must bridle my tongue before I sin with my mouth.

…but I believe that God heard our prayers!

I will speak instead to my peers, my brothers, my sisters and my friends. I will speak to people of like mind. I will direct my words to those whose innocence may have been slain, whose dreams may have been waylaid…but you still have a spark in your eye!

…hope may be frail, my friends, but it is hard to kill!

I believe that God has helped us to know the truth!

I believe that we have the power to live just and true!

I believe that we can attain great and lofty heights!

I believe, my friends, that the young men and women of this country can build a Nation, and not just any nation, we shall build a Nigerian nation. One which shall be known for the twin ideals of Peace and Justice; our very own twin towers if you like. Towers which no terrorist plot, be they indigenous or mercenary, can sabotage.

I believe that our individual and collective destinies can not be divorced from the fortunes of this country. This is what keeps my hope alive; I have implicit faith in the future of Nigeria as a country. This future rests in me and people like me.

We have the power to make our homeland what we want it to be.

Arise, O compatriots..

…Nigeria’s call, let us obey!

Wow…it has been awhile since I was here….thanks to my recent trip to the city under the rock….Abeokuta……

What an experience…wish I could have written about it on arealtime basis…but anyway…my hands  & head were full of other stuff….

I will elaborate as the days go by; there was a bit of a paradox about the trip…..

I recall the saying…give me a rock to stand on, and I would change the world…well…I went in for a what was essentially a Change management program…and it was in a city called Abéokuta…meaning, under the rock!

…and I saw quite a number of interesting people under that rock…..

…my memoirs will unfold….gradually….

I remember you…

From the Days before days were made, from the Time before time became, when I was with Him in whose likeness I am,

I remember you…

 

From before the foundation of Terra Firma, when the celestial was yet to conceive the Terrestrial,

I remember you…

 

From when I stood at the shores of eternity, gazing at the waves of destiny as they crashed upon the rocks of time,

I remember you…

 

From when their was neither You nor I ,but the united essence called  ‘man’…when I was you and You were me and We were us,

I remember you.