Another New Year: A New Set of Resolution

I have never been a fan of resolutions, I have always thought of it as a make shift self righteous indignation that comes about once a year. There have not been an end of year in the past 24 years I have not had a resolution, and there has not been an end of year in the past 24 years I could remember what the resolution for that year was. So for 2011 I have decided to adopt a new approach, instead of resolutions I will have a motto. I think a motto has the advantage of being relatively more shorter and also easily remembered. Moreover a motto has the advantage of being directional, meaning it points the direction for the period at hand. In my decision to adopt a motto also I must admit a selfish intention lying under it. Secretly I want to avoid the religious ho ha and attempts at self righteousness that accompanies a resolution. For 2011 my motto is simple and straight to the point "Get rich or die trying". I am naturally borrowing from 50 cent. But who cares let him sue me for copyright infringement and see whether I have a dime to give.

Why we are poor

There is a saying that every country gets the kind of leaders they deserve. Looking at this statement recently I had an insight. In Rivers State there are youth leaders in virtually every community. These youth leaders have ruthlessness in common wether educated or not. Being a youth leader does not just mean responsibility, it also means the ability to make those hard decisions that are often lawless. Being a youth leader means you should be able to circumvent the law at any time. Obeying the law is not an option, your ability to break it is. When you move to the larger circle and look at our school unions where corruption remains the order of the day, you wonder what hope portends for Nigeria in future. Taking a look at the cliché that says, “The youths are the future leaders”. The issue gets even more worrisome when you realize that the best out of these horrible youths are the ones that make it to the national political level. These automatically raises the question wether democracy is indeed the best political platform for us here in Nigeria. Because if a country gets the leader it deserves I sure as hell don’t deserve these horrible people as leaders. But then even further questions are raised. Why for instance don’t morally upright, decent caring people with efficiency as the guiding principle to there life not aspire to political post. The answer lies in the principles we uphold. We as a people covet those super bold leaders, those that are able to stand up and criticize those that presently hold power, even though they offer little as solution, but nevertheless we admire them as they touch our imaginations. Making us dream of confrontations with those in power while we boldly tell them of what we think of them. But the truth is those qualities we admire also have there negative aspect. We wonder how a man can brazenly steal billions while living those he is to serve poor and impoverish. The answer is boldness. The fact is there was never a time that individual cared about the people around him, it was always boldness that motivated him never a need for service. Nigeria as a Nation today is nothing but a utopia; those in power see a different country from what the lay man out there sees. They can’t understand why people complain after all the country is getting better. They apportion billions of the people’s money to themselves but will fight tooth and nail to prevent you getting an N18, 000 minimum wages. You wonder why, but the truth is the answer is easy. Just like in the olden days there exist a master serf relationship between the rich and the poor. Or else how do you explain an organization wage bill that constitute less than 5% of net profit not even gross profit. At times I wonder why Nigeria is like these, why the crave for materialism has totally taken control over us at the expense of our humanity, but then, maybe I am just a sensitive guy that needs to get less sensitive.

Authority Robbing: The new 419 in the Nigerian unemployment market

A few months ago when Ohakim the governor of Imo state launched a landmark project aimed at recruiting ten thousand unemployed (10,000) graduate of Imo state origin I heaved a sign of relief that finally someone was trying to deal with the real problems facing the Nigerian economy. Even though the project involved the buying of scratch cards I reckoned the good that would come out of it was bound to be greater than the evil. Alas! I spoke too soon, because after everything according to reports, Ohakim employed less than ten (10) individuals, while raking in millions from the funds generated from the venture. Only time will tell whether he was a wise man or a fool who sacrificed his political future on the alter of stupidity. But in the true Nigerian spirit once you can show success in anything everybody immediately jump in to share in the bounty. A wise governor of Imo state origin already showed the way now it is the turn of the federal government. The National food and Drug law enforcement (NAFDAC) led the way. In a recent advert for available post in there organization (NAFDAC) you are directed to go to there website to fill out there online form. On getting there you are asked for a code which can only be obtained from a bank at the cost of N1500. Now the funny thing is they have less than six (6) vacancies to fill and they expect the army of Nigerian unemployed to each pay N1500 to them for the opportunity of submitting a CV. My question is whether they are on a fund generating venture or do they actually have a job. If you do the maths a minimum of Ten (10) thousand people will apply that is N1.5 million NAFDAC does not deserve coming to them. A story of the rich stealing from the poor, the painful part is that very soon the private sector would emulate them and then only God can indeed help the unemployed.

Falling in love all over again

I love you! I love you! Meaningless words these days. I remember when as a great lover of romance novels they were the words I most treasured; I remember treasuring the words so much that I decided it was only that super special person I would tell first. Alas! It was not to be. Thinking back now I can’t remember whom I first told “I love you”. That is to show the extent of degradation the word has undergone in my vocabulary. Do I still believe in love? Probably not, presently I subscribe to the believe that a relationship might not be perfect but it can be good enough. So what happened to those whirlwind theories of love? I honestly don’t know. All I know is that as time passed they became less and less important. These of course is not saying I have never falling in love, quite the opposite, I have falling in love so many times I can’t remember them again. The problem is that I often realized I was in love only after the relationship must have ended. Grouse um? Being a very proud guy I always march forward forsaken all behind with a positive mentality, believing that I would realize if I was in love next time. Unfortunately the story is repeated over and over again. I often console myself with the words that there is one special person for everybody. But the truth be told, even I don’t believe that. I don’t believe all those religious jargons about us being made in pairs. The fact to me is that you work on a relationship until it either becomes perfect or goes bust. The key to success is always when the parties involve are willing to sacrifice there high standard so the relationship can move forward. Love to me has nothing to do with one person being domineering while the other party sheepishly follows every command. Unfortunately that seems to be the Nigerian way, with the girls preferring the ALPHA male, the super domineering guy who hides his low self worth behind a false bravado. There love for multiple competition (A guy with more than one girlfriend) belies there self esteem. Though, this is not a judgment on the Nigerian female folk. But the truth be told Nigerian girls love competition. They will only show seriousness when they know the guy is not only cheating on them, but show little regard for there person. I guess these must be as a result of some freudanian parental lack. Anyway, to cut a long story short I have come to realize than my inability to fall in love or get infatuated quoting some of my friends, has indeed denied me of some of the true beauty of life. I want to fall in love; to have nothing to do with my mental faculty except to think of the one I love. To day dream and be blind to the inadequacies of my partner. Oh! How I miss love.

WHEN GOD FORGETS YOU

Karl Marx once wrote that religion is the opium of the masses. The fact is that time has not made that statement irrelevant, infact its importance can not be over emphasized. I remember growing up as a child and being told continuously “God is good”. But somehow through an act of omission or forgetfulness I was not told he was not a fair God. Is our God a fair God? I don’t think so, herein lies the problem. There is nothing as bad as the knowledge that God has forgotten you, it kills your spirit and you finally know the true meaning of the word hopelessness. You feel your life force slowly drain from you while you sit and watch. Positive thinkers come up to you and give you words of encouragement that does not solve your problem. They tell you rubbish that others have been through worse and survived. But the truth is you are the only one walking in your shoes hence the only one feeling the pain. I remember last year when Nne was dying of leukemia and the different charlatans all proposing to represent God milking the family of all available cash in the name of prayers. When they all realized she was indeed on her death bed they all disappeared because they did not want to associate there churches with failure.
Nothing kills the human spirit like failure most especially when you know there is nothing left to do. I remember the first time God forgot about me, it was in the year 2000/ 2001. Things got so bad for me, it was unbelievable. I just could not put any feet right, eventually it became an open quarrel between God and I; I stopped going to church, stopped praying and thought about going agnostic. But the problem with that is I really do believe in the existence of God. All my life I felt his presence, his goodness, his love. So my problem was not whether he existed or not , it was that I was abandoned . Eventually I and God settled our problem in a dramatic way. The story goes thus: I was dragged to church by force (these was after almost a year of absence) there was less than 20 people attending service that day, pews that could contain at least two thousand sat empty , I sat in a column that was completely empty except for me. NEPA as usual had a part to play in the plot as they took there light. It was about 7pm the service was rounding to a close so they did not bother putting on the generating set. I was sitting alone in that darkness thinking about my life and before I knew it tears stated flowing; before that day I had not cried for over 15 years. I wept my soul out in the service that day, I went home emotionally dry. The irony was that things changed for me that very day. All of a sudden God’s favour was upon me. I don’t know why things changed for the better, is it because I wept? Definitely not! Because I prayed? I don’t think so. All I did that day was complain. They say God works in mysterious ways and that his ways are not ours . So maybe I don’t understand how he does his things but one thing I do know is that when he forgets you it hurts like hell.

Finding Srenght in weakness

There is nothing that defeats an individual like failure. Failure does not just defeat you; it erodes your confidence so much that even things you formerly could easily conquer now take on the shape of momentous activities. Winning is an attitude, it is a believe system where as an individual you realize” I can conquer all”. It is a mental state where you know I can put in more than my best. It is about finding strength in uncommon places; knowing there is a God out there who wants the best for you. It is knowing that no matter how hard things get, the lord still remains my strength. There are times I face situations that are outside my control, at times like this frustration becomes my companion, and I wonder if only, if only there was something I can do, then there will be hope. But even in situations like this I have come to realize that our God cares. It does not necessarily mean the problem will be miraculously solved; no! But at times one can draw strength from the challenge knowing that God is indeed present. I can remember numerous examples where I have given up on things simply because they were outside my scope of handling, but in instances like these I have come to see the greatness of God; the God that never abandons you no matter the problem. So my philosophy for handling problems is simple “do your best and let God”. What this philosophy really emphasizes is that you can go so far but God the finisher will be the completer. My philosophy emphasizes that God is the all doer. He and he alone control this planet. The philosophy points out that God expects you to only do what you can in every situation you find yourself. He as the author and finisher will be the one to accomplish the task.

HOW THE POLICE TREAT THERE OWN

Nigerians are used to the brutality of the police towards civilians. Infact it is a thing of surprise if the Police in the country pass up the opportunity to brutalize and break every available human rights of an individual whenever the opportunity present itself. But under the law of self preservation, animals of the same kind tend to stick together. It is the best way to ensure the survival of there specie. Hence the Nigerian police no matter how inhuman they treat civilians are at lest expected to cover each other up. Accounts from eye witnesses of crimes committed by police officers tend to collaborate these. You can therefore imagine my surprise to discover that the inhumanity of the Nigerian Police is not just limited to civilians but also extend to there treatment of there fellow officers. A friend of mine married to a police officer, recently lost her husband to men of the underworld in debatable circumstances. The story goes thus, around 1am on the said day two weeks back. There commanding officer ordered them to go on patrol in Elekahia a suburb of Port Harcourt, he himself obliged to follow them on the said patrol. About Ten minutes to the crime happening he alighted from the car ordering the three remaining officers to go back to the station. Less than 10 minutes later they were accosted by a lady screaming for help that she was being chased, on stopping to assist her one of the police officers got out of the vehicle, while the other made way for her to sit in there Hilus pick-up Truck. Immediately a car drew level to them and opened fire killing the driver and the lady immediately, while my friend’s husband who was the second officer in the car was seriously injured. Now the story takes an unexpected twist. The police man outside was neither injured nor shot at; one would expect that after such an incident he would rush to the aid of his colleagues. But he did neither, infact he strolled home and did not bother to report the crime until he reported for duty the next day. My friend’s husband still had the presence of mind to use his phone to call his fellow officers at the station. On arrival from the police station his fellow officers, took him ;there colleague that was shot four times, that they could clearly see was bleeding profusely not to the hospital as any sane man would have done. No! They took him instead to the police station and sat down and watch him bleed for two hours until he gave up the ghost. I asked the wife whether the police had in there employment a Doctor that was based in the station, she said no. I got confused, only an idiot takes a bleeding man with four gun shot wounds, who happens to be your colleague to the office instead of the hospital when you can clearly see he is staring death in the face. The matter gets even funnier. The next day found the wife at the police station being subjected to an indefinite barrage of boast by the commanding officer. Who instead of commiserating with the new widow took the opportunity to boast of the efficacy of his JUJU which according to him had never disappointed him. As I write the DPO of the station is yet to send any delegation nor has him or any officer in the station taken time of to visit the widow of the man; These over 2 weeks since the man’s death.

Yar'dua, Jonathan the New Movie

Nigeria has always been a funny country, I will say probably the most entertaining country politically around. If you decide to separate yourself emotionally from the happenings in Nigeria for the past four months, you might be surprise that a Nollywood block buster story is in the making. I mean what is the probability of any of our movie writers thinking up such an explosive, intriguing and attention grabbing story. Every thing is complete in the story, we have the heroin/ lead actor of the movie in the person of Yar’adua. Turai, the beautiful and politically ambitious co- lead actor. Not forgetting the forever lucky Jonathan who is always at the right place at the right time and does not expect his luck to fail him now. Off course there are the bad guys in Aondaka and co who are bent on in fringing on not just the constitution but on common sense. We also have the supporting actors in the form of boot lickers who can’t seem to decide where there bread is most buttered. When Yar’adua was away it was tantamount to sacrilege to hand over the Government to Jonathan, but they could not move fast enough to show there loyalty once Jonathan was sworn in as Acting President. And of course no movie is complete without its extra’s, those that have no say in the movie but are never the less seen but not heard. The Honorable Nigerian public won this challenging and somehow mediocre role. The story is still under production, while we the reviewers wait with bated breathe for the next action. We only pray that in the course of these display of selfish ambition by all parties in the drama, Nigeria does not end up becoming the heroin that that is tragically eliminated.

Article submitted in my church for valentine day programme

If you were asked by someone what you want most in life, you are most likely to mention money, peace, good health and so on. It is highly unlikely that you would mention love; instead of love you might say a good husband or wife. The reason for these is the general believe in Nigeria that love can be purchased. How true that is really depends which side of the coin you are arguing from. But the truth is that love is probably the most abused term around. Anything can be defined as love these days, the only requirement seem to be the presence of a male and a female. What is love? Going through the Oxford advanced learners dictionary Love is defined as “A strong feeling of deep affection for……… The definition highlights a very important issue that shows the perception of what love is by the modern day man. Love is seen as nothing but feelings, that is why it is so easy for many people to walk away from there marriages. After all anybody can get there feelings hurt, and if love is all about feelings why should I stay there while you trample on my feelings. But did Jesus see love as feelings? He said you should love your neighbor as you love yourself. So it is quite obvious Jesus saw love as the totality of man. He made no exception; nothing must be kept aside. Jesus did not see any conditionality attached to love, you either love or you don’t. Recently I and a friend argued about the modern day wedding rite where “For better for worse” has been replaced with” for better for best”. He saw it as a proclamation of future good tidings I saw it as a declaration of fear. The fear of the cost of love has lead many girls into marriages solely for financial reason at the cost of happiness. The fear of the cost of love has lead many girls into prostitution believing God could not take care of there need. The fear of the cost of love has lead many guys into all sort of social vices just to satisfy a girl’s need. As St Paul wrote in Corinthians “True love is patient; love is kind; it is not envious or boastful. In the verse eight he pointed out that love never ends. So if you have true love you have no fear because you know that your father in heaven is always watching over you.