The Lioness
The Queen of the Castle
Tuesday 18 December 2012
The Season of Christmas
We inhabit a world filled with an array of people from different walks of life; people from different tribes, cultures, religions and so on. A world which has obviously metamorphosed into something different from God’s master plan.
However, irrespective of the glaring differences in the socio-cultural and religious habits of humans, it is obvious that God whether called Allah, Tamuno, Chukwu, Olorun etc, is seen as the one and only true God, source of Love and owner of the Universe and must be recognized via peacefully cohabiting in a world neither one of us had a hand in its creation.
While we recognize the existence of many religions worldwide, there exist three (3) main religions in Nigeria:
1)Christianity
2) Islam
3)African Traditional Religion (ATR)
Speaking of ATR refers to the ethnic and religious traditions and practices specific to indigenous Nigerians; a religion of faith depicting a form of wholeness encompassing all aspects of life – spiritualism, politics, socio-culturalism - communicated via music, art and the sacred. African Traditional Religion slowly but not completely gave way in contemporary Nigeria to Christianity by marring many values and customs of indigenous Nigerians while Islam on the other hand had already been in existence in Northern Nigeria via her neighbours from North of the Sahara who were predominantly Muslims.
Christianity is primarily about Jesus Christ and God’s promise in John 3:16 to give mankind a second chance at redemptive love by offering Jesus for crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. Like the Muslim Eid al-Maulud an-Nabawi-Festival of the Birth of Prophet Muhammad, the Season of Christmas is about the commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ and its significance in Christendom-love, humility and gentility. It is a joyous occasion that calls for bringing about lasting change in our communities in order to reduce the level of moral decadence in our societies today.
There is therefore an urgent plea for religious tolerance, respect for the values and customs of one’s host community as well as letting bygones be bygones. It may be easier said than done because as humans we are subject to different moods and aspirations- joy and sadness, patience and anger, gaiety and melancholy and so we should not allow certain aspects of other cultures deter us from showing brotherly love to non-Christians for Jesus Christ was impartial and showed love to all and sundry.
Festive seasons like Christmas are best suited for renewal of faith despite existing societal ills that can shake one’s religious foundation. As Christmas day lurks around the corner, we need to remember the less privileged whom can barely or cannot even afford the necessities of life for as the world becomes a global village, a little spread of Tender Loving Care about the place can go a long way to healing wounds.
Merry Christmas and Happy 2013 in advance
Joyeux Noël et Bonne 2013 en avance
Feliz Navidad y Feliz 2013 por adelantado
Thursday 5 July 2012
CHANGE
Change as they say is the only constant thing in life and it begins with the first step. With regards to the various happenings within our immediate environs, it is pertinent to note that change is needed in virtually all facets of our existence whether personal or collective. If you pose the question, “What Is Change?” to Nigerians out there irrespective of their level of literacy, you will get similar answers which when summed up is that “Change makes today different from yesterday.”
Religiously speaking, we are in the era termed “The Last Days”, while logically, we are in the era of change; a period when even the laymen on the streets scream for something different; a period when the people are tired of constant purported stories, lies and innuendos; a period when the people demand to know the truth from their leaders. The people have just about had enough with all the “hogwash”. Isn’t it bad enough the ordeal most of us face during Voters’ Registration exercise, standing under the sun and rains during elections to vote for preferred candidate only to experience “the more you look, the less you see OR abracadabra” syndrome, that is, not only will your candidate nor the opposition fail to get reasonable chunks of votes from the massive turnouts, but low and behold, an unknown candidate, who never participated in election will emerge from the skies and be declared the winner by electoral personnel. Please can someone help by enlightening me on this issue?
I’m not a politician neither do I really like politics nor do I recall delving into political discussions before the Odili regime. I used to think the greatest kind of political showmanship could be found in advanced regions like the Americas, Europe and Australasia but my people, Naija politics is a whole different ball game. How I wish I knew more about Politics, perhaps I would have been able to write a book on “Naija Politics: The Game Plan”. I feel it would have been awesome because I’ve sat down countless times, trying to recall with my little knowledge of politics, the eras of IBB, Abacha, OBJ and now GEJ and end up asking myself, “Oh Lord, what the h**k (pardon my language) is wrong with us?” Understanding our political terrain is gruesome because if care isn’t taken, you and I can be in our homes and not know when we’ve (society- state or country) been sold out.
Change occurs but most of them are not what we hope for. We are in dire need of suitable change in order to progress further. In order for us to experience the kind of change we crave for, we need to search deep within ourselves, as individuals then collectively foremost as a family and subsequently as a community et al. As an individual, after going on soul-searching journeys, I realise there are bits and pieces of myself that definitely need tune-ups that will boost my self-esteem thereby enhancing interpersonal relationships.
For example, there are periods when we experience scarcity of goods like petroleum products and FMCGs (Fast Moving Consumer Goods). When these products become available, there is the tendency to be disorderly via pushing and shoving which can lead to visits to a hospital. On my part, I can force myself to wage a WAI (War Against Indiscipline) by waiting for my turn no matter the insults and cajoling that come my way. It may be easier said than done but as a popular Chinese goes, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.”
It is no longer news that a lot of people all over the world have distorted perceptions about Nigeria probably due to one scandal or the other and as a result, our leaders speak of rebranding our image. How can we speak of rebranding when we, government and the masses, refuse to listen to reason? How can we change people’s perceptions when we refuse to “separate the chaff from the wheat”? The sine qua non is, if both parties can put themselves in each other’s position, then there’s probably Hope in making progressive change.
There are many aspects of our lives that need a touch of ‘this much sought after change’. Nigeria is primarily composed of Christians and Muslims; the Hausa, Yoruba, Ibo and other religious and tribal sects and we need to respect and accept each other’s existence. By so doing we can take steps in the right direction.
If we can unite and present a common front despite our different religions, tribes and places of residence, then there is definitely hope for you and I; hope as in a Nigerian aspiring for government posts outside his catchment zone; hope as in a Nigerian high school graduate being chanced to enrol into any Nigerian university with reasonable JAMB and WAEC scores without having to worry about the disparity in “Quota” system or extremely high scores for particular courses of study; hope as in Nigerian government retirees being able to regularly receive pensions in person or paid into bank accounts as at when due as well as being able to participate in periodic audit updates AT Government Liaison Offices IN their States of Residence; hope as in Nigerians being able to rest well knowing their Leaders are carrying out their duties properly and not squandering tax payers money.
For the religious thinker, his hope for the better is in his Maker, God Almighty; for the modern thinker, he relies on prodding, shifting and rearranging to effect change. The bottom-line according to the inventor, Albert Einstein, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
Religiously speaking, we are in the era termed “The Last Days”, while logically, we are in the era of change; a period when even the laymen on the streets scream for something different; a period when the people are tired of constant purported stories, lies and innuendos; a period when the people demand to know the truth from their leaders. The people have just about had enough with all the “hogwash”. Isn’t it bad enough the ordeal most of us face during Voters’ Registration exercise, standing under the sun and rains during elections to vote for preferred candidate only to experience “the more you look, the less you see OR abracadabra” syndrome, that is, not only will your candidate nor the opposition fail to get reasonable chunks of votes from the massive turnouts, but low and behold, an unknown candidate, who never participated in election will emerge from the skies and be declared the winner by electoral personnel. Please can someone help by enlightening me on this issue?
I’m not a politician neither do I really like politics nor do I recall delving into political discussions before the Odili regime. I used to think the greatest kind of political showmanship could be found in advanced regions like the Americas, Europe and Australasia but my people, Naija politics is a whole different ball game. How I wish I knew more about Politics, perhaps I would have been able to write a book on “Naija Politics: The Game Plan”. I feel it would have been awesome because I’ve sat down countless times, trying to recall with my little knowledge of politics, the eras of IBB, Abacha, OBJ and now GEJ and end up asking myself, “Oh Lord, what the h**k (pardon my language) is wrong with us?” Understanding our political terrain is gruesome because if care isn’t taken, you and I can be in our homes and not know when we’ve (society- state or country) been sold out.
Change occurs but most of them are not what we hope for. We are in dire need of suitable change in order to progress further. In order for us to experience the kind of change we crave for, we need to search deep within ourselves, as individuals then collectively foremost as a family and subsequently as a community et al. As an individual, after going on soul-searching journeys, I realise there are bits and pieces of myself that definitely need tune-ups that will boost my self-esteem thereby enhancing interpersonal relationships.
For example, there are periods when we experience scarcity of goods like petroleum products and FMCGs (Fast Moving Consumer Goods). When these products become available, there is the tendency to be disorderly via pushing and shoving which can lead to visits to a hospital. On my part, I can force myself to wage a WAI (War Against Indiscipline) by waiting for my turn no matter the insults and cajoling that come my way. It may be easier said than done but as a popular Chinese goes, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.”
It is no longer news that a lot of people all over the world have distorted perceptions about Nigeria probably due to one scandal or the other and as a result, our leaders speak of rebranding our image. How can we speak of rebranding when we, government and the masses, refuse to listen to reason? How can we change people’s perceptions when we refuse to “separate the chaff from the wheat”? The sine qua non is, if both parties can put themselves in each other’s position, then there’s probably Hope in making progressive change.
There are many aspects of our lives that need a touch of ‘this much sought after change’. Nigeria is primarily composed of Christians and Muslims; the Hausa, Yoruba, Ibo and other religious and tribal sects and we need to respect and accept each other’s existence. By so doing we can take steps in the right direction.
If we can unite and present a common front despite our different religions, tribes and places of residence, then there is definitely hope for you and I; hope as in a Nigerian aspiring for government posts outside his catchment zone; hope as in a Nigerian high school graduate being chanced to enrol into any Nigerian university with reasonable JAMB and WAEC scores without having to worry about the disparity in “Quota” system or extremely high scores for particular courses of study; hope as in Nigerian government retirees being able to regularly receive pensions in person or paid into bank accounts as at when due as well as being able to participate in periodic audit updates AT Government Liaison Offices IN their States of Residence; hope as in Nigerians being able to rest well knowing their Leaders are carrying out their duties properly and not squandering tax payers money.
For the religious thinker, his hope for the better is in his Maker, God Almighty; for the modern thinker, he relies on prodding, shifting and rearranging to effect change. The bottom-line according to the inventor, Albert Einstein, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
Nigeria Oh Nigeria, Where are we heading to? 2
A lot has been written and uttered in the media about the DANA air crash in Lagos, Nigeria which occurred on Sunday June 3rd, 2012. Some may contain atoms of truth while most for now are considered rumours. What hurt us are the over 153 lives on board and ground it took to wake us up from our slumber.
In times like these, it is worth noting the virtual impossibility for most of us in remaining impartial when analysing issues associated with this type of incident. This is probably as a result of the difficulty involved in putting aside the issue of the dead as well as our prejudices for a minute in order to give everyone involved the benefit of doubt no matter how impossibly hard it appears.
As human beings and not just Nigerians, we don’t have to lose someone-loved one, friend or colleague-in any form of disaster before we can feel the trauma involved. Most of us might be able to recall things we learned from different settings-home, school, work and so on; things like the cause and effect of our thoughts, actions and words. An array of people (including I) have voiced our different feelings about the crash; words which in this early stage of the investigations ought to be restrained because anyone of us could have been involved-the deceased, pilot, maintenance and so on.
After having a chat with a friend and ex-colleague on Saturday, I couldn’t help ponder over our discussion. We know for a fact that death is inevitable even though we don’t know how we’d go. As I thought about the dead, I couldn’t help feel some form of animosity towards our government and not really with DANA and its allies. Back in the 1980s, Nigeria’s image was better: fairly strong currency, good supply of foodstuffs, petroleum products, better educational and health systems and so on. It makes one think whether we weren’t better off then than now. Anyway that’s for another day; back to the crux of the matter.
Being part of a religious community, we rely a lot on God to help manifest the somewhat impossible, while sometimes forgetting that one’s level of success depends on one’s ability to stop dwelling on the past and try adapting to change because it is inevitable. We can try and change people but we shouldn’t beat ourselves when this does not occur because NOBODY WILL CHANGE UNTIL THEY WANT TO. I’d like to reiterate that it isn’t because I didn’t lose someone in that crash nor know anyone of the deceased that makes me talk in this manner. It’s very disheartening about the dead because they and the families they left behind deserve more; they deserve answers to ‘hanging’ questions. We must be strong and careful not to allow our words control the outcome of things BECAUSE words-written or uttered-can make anew or do a whole lot of damage so we must tread cautiously and avoid insinuations etc.
Yes we have heard from people who’d previously boarded the ill-fated plane in the past that it had been problematic, we’ve also heard about North America’s refusal to allow the plane, we also know that the same plane was cleared for takeoff ; there are so many questions and What Ifs that come to think of it as rightfully pointed out, “What if after all this media hype it is ascertained that the cause of the crash did not have anything to do with DANA, its maintenance culture or personnel BUT probably with some object entering and damaging an engine while airborne, bad weather or aviation fuel etc” . Unfortunately the damage would have been done resulting in loss of business, jobs and therefore loss of revenue and income.
Human emotions cannot be ruled out but there’s the need to create a balance between religious and logical reasoning otherwise we’d continue beating about the bush and still end up with unanswered questions. Irrespective of the present situation, what has happened has happened; the dead need to be properly buried; their dependants catered for; displaced habitants of the crash site building re-housed etc. At the moment, we may have few agencies like the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) assisting with crisis management of this nature but the Nigerian government must give its citizens cause to trust them by being totally honest with us, trying their best possible to do a whole lot more like establishing or improving on whatsoever form of Emergency Response currently utilized which would also help in creating employment and probably touch on one or two other neglected areas of importance in the lives of her people.
I’d like to end by asking each one of you reading this post to please keep an open mind despite the anguish, renewal of air crash syndrome and to implore you to view this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ihs241zeg
It is a video presentation by our very own renowned novelist, Chimamanda Adichie on ‘The Danger of a Single Story’, which is all you need is to show a people as only one thing over and over again and that is what they become. Please watch it if you haven’t. Our Mouths and Pens are powerful weapons of creation and destruction especially in times of anguish and pain like these.
MAY THE SOULS OF ALL THOSE ONBOARD AND ON GROUND WHO DIED, REST IN THE BOSOM OF GOD ALMIGHTY, AMEN.
In times like these, it is worth noting the virtual impossibility for most of us in remaining impartial when analysing issues associated with this type of incident. This is probably as a result of the difficulty involved in putting aside the issue of the dead as well as our prejudices for a minute in order to give everyone involved the benefit of doubt no matter how impossibly hard it appears.
As human beings and not just Nigerians, we don’t have to lose someone-loved one, friend or colleague-in any form of disaster before we can feel the trauma involved. Most of us might be able to recall things we learned from different settings-home, school, work and so on; things like the cause and effect of our thoughts, actions and words. An array of people (including I) have voiced our different feelings about the crash; words which in this early stage of the investigations ought to be restrained because anyone of us could have been involved-the deceased, pilot, maintenance and so on.
After having a chat with a friend and ex-colleague on Saturday, I couldn’t help ponder over our discussion. We know for a fact that death is inevitable even though we don’t know how we’d go. As I thought about the dead, I couldn’t help feel some form of animosity towards our government and not really with DANA and its allies. Back in the 1980s, Nigeria’s image was better: fairly strong currency, good supply of foodstuffs, petroleum products, better educational and health systems and so on. It makes one think whether we weren’t better off then than now. Anyway that’s for another day; back to the crux of the matter.
Being part of a religious community, we rely a lot on God to help manifest the somewhat impossible, while sometimes forgetting that one’s level of success depends on one’s ability to stop dwelling on the past and try adapting to change because it is inevitable. We can try and change people but we shouldn’t beat ourselves when this does not occur because NOBODY WILL CHANGE UNTIL THEY WANT TO. I’d like to reiterate that it isn’t because I didn’t lose someone in that crash nor know anyone of the deceased that makes me talk in this manner. It’s very disheartening about the dead because they and the families they left behind deserve more; they deserve answers to ‘hanging’ questions. We must be strong and careful not to allow our words control the outcome of things BECAUSE words-written or uttered-can make anew or do a whole lot of damage so we must tread cautiously and avoid insinuations etc.
Yes we have heard from people who’d previously boarded the ill-fated plane in the past that it had been problematic, we’ve also heard about North America’s refusal to allow the plane, we also know that the same plane was cleared for takeoff ; there are so many questions and What Ifs that come to think of it as rightfully pointed out, “What if after all this media hype it is ascertained that the cause of the crash did not have anything to do with DANA, its maintenance culture or personnel BUT probably with some object entering and damaging an engine while airborne, bad weather or aviation fuel etc” . Unfortunately the damage would have been done resulting in loss of business, jobs and therefore loss of revenue and income.
Human emotions cannot be ruled out but there’s the need to create a balance between religious and logical reasoning otherwise we’d continue beating about the bush and still end up with unanswered questions. Irrespective of the present situation, what has happened has happened; the dead need to be properly buried; their dependants catered for; displaced habitants of the crash site building re-housed etc. At the moment, we may have few agencies like the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) assisting with crisis management of this nature but the Nigerian government must give its citizens cause to trust them by being totally honest with us, trying their best possible to do a whole lot more like establishing or improving on whatsoever form of Emergency Response currently utilized which would also help in creating employment and probably touch on one or two other neglected areas of importance in the lives of her people.
I’d like to end by asking each one of you reading this post to please keep an open mind despite the anguish, renewal of air crash syndrome and to implore you to view this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ihs241zeg
It is a video presentation by our very own renowned novelist, Chimamanda Adichie on ‘The Danger of a Single Story’, which is all you need is to show a people as only one thing over and over again and that is what they become. Please watch it if you haven’t. Our Mouths and Pens are powerful weapons of creation and destruction especially in times of anguish and pain like these.
MAY THE SOULS OF ALL THOSE ONBOARD AND ON GROUND WHO DIED, REST IN THE BOSOM OF GOD ALMIGHTY, AMEN.
Nigeria Oh Nigeria, Where are we heading to?
Our world is filled with both Good and Evil and it is left to us to utilise our God given wisdom to decipher between right and wrong and hopefully follow the path of righteousness.
The era we are in is filled with so much chaos, so much evil which overshadows the little good that still exist. All things being equal, when we wake up at dawn, we get down on our knees and thank Our Maker for preserving our lives and continue with our daily chores.
Personally whenever I spend some time with a relative in a house with a patio overlooking a river, I feel a sense of tranquillity, peace and awe with nature. I take a look around and see the bananas, plantains, mangrove and other vegetative plants growing on the river bank. I look at the river when the tide’s high and see the fishes swimming or causing ripples beneath or the birds diving down for the kill and when the tide’s low, I can see the crabs and periwinkles all about the riverbed. All these get me thinking about how Awesome Our Creator is.
Sometimes I let my mind wonder and think hard about the various happenings around the globe and recall predictions from notable personalities (clerics and the likes of the infamous Nostradamus) and can’t help but come back to Earth and think of our dear country, Nigeria and its apparent decline in virtually all areas of our existence as a country be it the economy, social welfare, health, education and the list just goes on and on.
My people, please help me understand where are we heading to? One minute we are having problems like strikes and administrative issues in health, oil, and education where the rate of student admission is alarmingly high and as such we churn out half baked graduates due lack of required attention in relation to student-teacher interaction; next minute might be security issues with Boko Haram, MEND or some other aggrieved Nigerian sect.
This period we seem to have renewed our air disaster syndrome with not just one but two crashes in Lagos and the Nigerian cargo plane in Ghana. I couldn’t help think of the lives that had been lost; of people who had become fatherless, motherless, widows, widowers and orphans or simply put innocent blood that had been shed. You may not comprehend the trauma of losing a loved one until it happens to you because it happened to me though not via air crash. I still have sleepless nights trying to make sense of it all.
Please can anyone explain or help others and I understand why a plane that was known to be faulty, undergoing maintenance and still had problems be ALLOWED to take to the skies? At least you and I heard a lady (probably affiliated to DANA Airlines) and a legislator (who had previously flown in the ill-fated airplane to Uyo around May 22nd 2012) attest to this claim despite the denial from DANA Airlines management. So please tell me Why? Why?? Why??? Must so much blood be spilled before it dawns on us that the country is heading downhill?
Education is nothing to write home about otherwise our legislators should enact a law compelling everyone including themselves to train their families and wards in Nigeria. We strive to go to school and graduate and end up in the unemployment market and pray for someone to notice our CVs despite their scanty nature (especially for the fresh graduates). How do employers expect to get good employees with 5 and above years of experience when they rarely give jobseekers opportunities to prove themselves? Academics help but it isn’t everything; we should thing of the individual’s vocational skills as well. Take a look at Bill Gates and Face Book’s Mark and our very own Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka.
The Health sector is another headache. Whenever there is a strike, services are skeletal and no doctors to treat people and as such the fatality are high. If one is lucky meetings are held, consensus reached BUT the crux of the matter is implementation which unfortunately Nigeria has a problem in carrying out.
There are so many other aspects of our lives that need help especially Divine Assistance, because we don’t want to listen to ourselves. As for corruption, May God help us because it is now deeply rooted in our psyche to the point that even though we have EFCC and other agencies, we Naijans know how to circumvent the law.
So my people where are we heading and is what we have today the legacy we’d keep for our children of tomorrow? We seriously need to rethink otherwise…
The era we are in is filled with so much chaos, so much evil which overshadows the little good that still exist. All things being equal, when we wake up at dawn, we get down on our knees and thank Our Maker for preserving our lives and continue with our daily chores.
Personally whenever I spend some time with a relative in a house with a patio overlooking a river, I feel a sense of tranquillity, peace and awe with nature. I take a look around and see the bananas, plantains, mangrove and other vegetative plants growing on the river bank. I look at the river when the tide’s high and see the fishes swimming or causing ripples beneath or the birds diving down for the kill and when the tide’s low, I can see the crabs and periwinkles all about the riverbed. All these get me thinking about how Awesome Our Creator is.
Sometimes I let my mind wonder and think hard about the various happenings around the globe and recall predictions from notable personalities (clerics and the likes of the infamous Nostradamus) and can’t help but come back to Earth and think of our dear country, Nigeria and its apparent decline in virtually all areas of our existence as a country be it the economy, social welfare, health, education and the list just goes on and on.
My people, please help me understand where are we heading to? One minute we are having problems like strikes and administrative issues in health, oil, and education where the rate of student admission is alarmingly high and as such we churn out half baked graduates due lack of required attention in relation to student-teacher interaction; next minute might be security issues with Boko Haram, MEND or some other aggrieved Nigerian sect.
This period we seem to have renewed our air disaster syndrome with not just one but two crashes in Lagos and the Nigerian cargo plane in Ghana. I couldn’t help think of the lives that had been lost; of people who had become fatherless, motherless, widows, widowers and orphans or simply put innocent blood that had been shed. You may not comprehend the trauma of losing a loved one until it happens to you because it happened to me though not via air crash. I still have sleepless nights trying to make sense of it all.
Please can anyone explain or help others and I understand why a plane that was known to be faulty, undergoing maintenance and still had problems be ALLOWED to take to the skies? At least you and I heard a lady (probably affiliated to DANA Airlines) and a legislator (who had previously flown in the ill-fated airplane to Uyo around May 22nd 2012) attest to this claim despite the denial from DANA Airlines management. So please tell me Why? Why?? Why??? Must so much blood be spilled before it dawns on us that the country is heading downhill?
Education is nothing to write home about otherwise our legislators should enact a law compelling everyone including themselves to train their families and wards in Nigeria. We strive to go to school and graduate and end up in the unemployment market and pray for someone to notice our CVs despite their scanty nature (especially for the fresh graduates). How do employers expect to get good employees with 5 and above years of experience when they rarely give jobseekers opportunities to prove themselves? Academics help but it isn’t everything; we should thing of the individual’s vocational skills as well. Take a look at Bill Gates and Face Book’s Mark and our very own Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka.
The Health sector is another headache. Whenever there is a strike, services are skeletal and no doctors to treat people and as such the fatality are high. If one is lucky meetings are held, consensus reached BUT the crux of the matter is implementation which unfortunately Nigeria has a problem in carrying out.
There are so many other aspects of our lives that need help especially Divine Assistance, because we don’t want to listen to ourselves. As for corruption, May God help us because it is now deeply rooted in our psyche to the point that even though we have EFCC and other agencies, we Naijans know how to circumvent the law.
So my people where are we heading and is what we have today the legacy we’d keep for our children of tomorrow? We seriously need to rethink otherwise…
Wednesday 18 April 2012
You Can Make It
Biblical passages: Genesis 1; Ecclesiastes 1:9-10; Psalm111:2; Proverbs 25:2; Revelation 3:8; 1 Corinthians 2:16; Matthew 18:18; Mark 16:17; Psalm 8:3-6, 23:1 and 27:1; Philippians 4:13 and so on.
Life is just a four lettered word but poignant with meaning. It’s all about making choices; some good and some bad. There comes a time in a person’s life when the need to take a step backwards and assess oneself arises.
Man was the last of God’s creation but nonetheless the most precious, created in the likeness of God and given dominion over all of creation. Created in the image of God, He blessed us with Anointed Minds capable of future discoveries since the Lord had already created (order and beauty from chaos and emptiness) everything we’d ever need to survive here on Earth and left the rest for creative and committed minds like yours’ and mine to seek and become outstanding people in the future.
We are in an era of continuous change worldwide; an era requiring wise Christians to utilize their renewed or regenerated minds as well as God-given talents to make a difference in their environment.
Succeeding against the odds requires developing a positive mindset which is a step in the right direction. One needs to bear in mind that, “You are what you think and say AND who you are determines what you do.” If you see yourself as a failure then woe unto you otherwise Think and Talk Success equals SUCCESS. Do not expect to sit down, do nothing and expect something; C’est ne pas possible (It is not possble).
To start with I feel it is pertinent to note an ancient saying,
“Look within, within is the Fountain of Good, and it will ever bubble up, if thou will ever dig.”
This means we as individuals need to do some form of sober reflection or self-assessment and in the process go through the following phases or processes:
1) Acknowledge ourselves as God’s children and heirs
2) Unlock our hidden creative potentials and channel them properly via affirming their existence (The Power of the Tongue) which leads to confidence et al.
3) Be focused, confident (avoid limitations), fearless; plan and project properly etc
We must avoid stagnation because Life is a process of transformation whereby every individual must choose the course of his life in order to stay motivated. It is advisable not to procrastinate when faced with challenges as these could make a difference in filling up the void in one’s life or not.
For all these to become achievable, it is imperative for our spirits to be renewed and be in sync with the Spirit of God in order to in order to receive direction and stir up our creative juices to affect our world positively. We will need to study His Word (The Holy Bible), declare it to our situation, be patient and watch God work wonders in our lives. Utilizing our creative abilities is the gateway to inventions for the resources of our minds are limitless and if positively used for Christ, self and humanity, the door of divine creativity and rewards will forever remain opened of which no devil can ever shut.
Personally, I use the poem below to encourage myself and hope for the best. I hope it inspires you as well:
A New Dawn
The Horizon looms out
With the promise of a new dawn,
A dawn filled with hunger and thirst;
For what you might ask,
For change,
Change for the present,
Change for the future.
Come to think of it,
We all talk about change,
Change in our everyday lives
Especially change in leadership;
But from where do we begin?
From within I tell you;
For there cannot be change
Without sober reflections.
For it is in time of such reflections
We purge ourselves from within
Thus giving birth to a new dawn;
One filled with Hope and Certainty
For the much sought – after change,
A change for the good of all mankind.
Tuesday 3 April 2012
NIGERIA OH NIGERIA, WHERE GOEST THOU?
We have been bestowed with God given talents that ought to be utilized not just for ourselves as individuals but for the good of all mankind. Personally, I love watching movies and reading romantic novels and gossip magazines a lot but not as much anymore because it took the demise of my beloved Father to bring me back to Ground Zero. I needed to assess my priorities, my perception of the world out there.
To serve our Fatherland
With love and strength and faith.
The labor of our heroes past
Shall never be in vain,
To serve with heart and might
One nation bound in freedom, peace and unity.
Guide our leaders right
Help our youth the truth to know
In love and honesty to grow
And living just and true
Great lofty height attain
To build a nation where peace
And justice shall reign.
Despite all the societal filth, Nigeria is still ours’ and if we do not want her as well as try and protect her sovereignty, no matter how little or how much we have to contribute, someone else out there wants NIGERIA. My people, I sincerely don’t think you or I would want to live like strangers in foreign lands and be called derogatory names, or would you? Change is constant worldwide and we must use wisdom in order to achieve outstanding feats. We can achieve greatness if we take a look at the big picture. The time’s now, this moment my people. We must ply rocky and steep roads to the top but God willing, we will get there.
A TRIBUTE TO NIGERIA @ 51
It is time we do some sober reflecting
As we start the second half of a century.
We cast blames at each other
But my people, it is time we are done with all the bickering.
Whether we call God Jehovah or Allah,
The fighting needs to stop;
Too much innocent blood is being shed,
The country appears to be in a state of CHAOS;
Today, it’s ASUU strike,
Tomorrow it may be another organizational problem,
Enough is enough.
Let’s stop complaining about the leadership;
We elect the leaders,
We are the leaders.
So let’s think back
And make necessary changes
Because time waits for no one.
Whenever I feel compelled to write a post on “Affaires de Coeur” (Affairs of the Heart), I usually prefer being a Lone Ranger. It forces me to do serious soul searching or sober reflection. I also thank our lucky stars for Tim B.Lee, the inventor of the worldwide web (1994) which I utilize a lot because it has made the world, a global village, as well as made me better equipped with knowledge; for as the saying goes, “Knowledge Is Power.” A man might be poor and too weak to fight but with whatever amount of knowledge he has amassed over time, if properly utilized, he is richer and stronger spirit than any rich and influential man.
We all know that the only constant thing in life is CHANGE and as we clamour for it, we need to bear in mind that in an environment that has condoned societal ills for so long, it would take sheer will power on our parts to effect some form of change. You and I know the saying, “Charity begins At Home” and for improvements to occur in the various facets of our lives, we need to start from ground zero, that is, ourselves. We must do some sober reflecting and change our mind-sets, perceptions from no longer “Business as usual” to demanding from our elected officials, information on what is going on. We each have a right to make such demands.
As Africans, we are in an era were Religion, Science and must I add, common sense clash before headway is made in our quest for change, for improvement. In the book of Genesis 1(as well as Proverbs 25:2 and Psalm 111:2), we are told that God created everything we would ever need to survive in this world in Six days and concealed them for keen and daring creative minds like yours’ and mine to explore, invent or discover and as a result Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 depicts that there is nothing new under the sun. Nothing happens by accident of which Dr. David Oyedepo agrees with by stating, “Every event is invented.” We need not feign ignorance and use our talents properly in order to turn our stagnation into motivation. We accept that there is a Divine Being responsible for our universe and as such we acknowledge Him, God Almighty in the second stanza of our National Anthem,
Arise, O compatriots,
Nigeria's call obeyTo serve our Fatherland
With love and strength and faith.
The labor of our heroes past
Shall never be in vain,
To serve with heart and might
One nation bound in freedom, peace and unity.
O God of creation
Direct our noble causeGuide our leaders right
Help our youth the truth to know
In love and honesty to grow
And living just and true
Great lofty height attain
To build a nation where peace
And justice shall reign.
My people, please for how much longer can we continue to let the image of Our Fatherland dwindle? How can we continue to sit and fold our arms and accept status quo? For how long must all these ills be allowed to continue my brethren? We must not allow past efforts of our fallen heroes go to waste. If you go back and read my initial post, I berated our government for not doing much to curb excesses but I had “to stop and smell the Roses.” I recalled a quote by Late U.S President, JFK- John Fitzgerald Kennedy, in his Ask Not What Your Country Can Do for You Inaugural Address on January 20th 1961,
“…And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.”
Of which our amiable Prince Tonye Princewill loves using,
“Ask not what your state can do for you but what you can do for her.”
Finally, I leave you all with this poem,
A TRIBUTE TO NIGERIA @ 51
Time waits for no one;
As our dear country Nigeria clocks 51,It is time we do some sober reflecting
As we start the second half of a century.
We cast blames at each other
But my people, it is time we are done with all the bickering.
Whether we call God Jehovah or Allah,
The fighting needs to stop;
Too much innocent blood is being shed,
The country appears to be in a state of CHAOS;
Today, it’s ASUU strike,
Tomorrow it may be another organizational problem,
Enough is enough.
Let’s stop complaining about the leadership;
We elect the leaders,
We are the leaders.
So let’s think back
And make necessary changes
Because time waits for no one.
Monday 2 April 2012
Education is Reading, Reading is Education
There is the need to re-instil the lost culture of reading not only in the children but adults as well. Barrister Edwin Baiyeibo (Host Cleric HOTR Enugu) reminded us about a Persian parable that goes like this:
1) If you see a man who does not know and does not know that he does not know, shun him, he is a fool.
2) If you see a man who does not know and knows that he does not know, teach him, he is a child.
3) If you see a man who knows and does not know that he knows, wake him, he is asleep.
4) If you see a man who knows and knows that he knows, follow him, he is wise..
We are in a generation that needs help to recall the forgotten art of disciplined scholarship and hard work in academics. Our minds need to be renewed with relevant information and remain so in order to keep abreast of happenings in society. Ignorance and other vices need to be nipped in the bud so as to bring back integrity into our educational system and improve on the quality of our graduates. That is why I laud the strides of His Excellency, Gov. R.C. Amaechi in promoting the reading culture via last year’s Garden City Literary Festival which I took part in and enjoyed immensely and another recent event which took place at Silverbird Cinemas with the support of our amiable Prince Tonye Princewill.
I must say that though we attach so much importance to formal education, it is imperative to note that there are a lot of notable folks worldwide who passed through informal education and have joined the league of Great Minds. All hands must be on deck because we cannot continue to turn out half-baked professionals and expect Wole Soyinka, Ben Carson, Late Gani Fawehimi and Jonnie Cochran and other great minds because the essence of life is about information received and mode of usage. Like Eric Butterworth said, “Nothing stops the man who desires to achieve. Every obstacle is simply a course to develop his achievement muscle. It's a strengthening of his powers of accomplishment.” Think wisely and return back to the books.
1) If you see a man who does not know and does not know that he does not know, shun him, he is a fool.
2) If you see a man who does not know and knows that he does not know, teach him, he is a child.
3) If you see a man who knows and does not know that he knows, wake him, he is asleep.
4) If you see a man who knows and knows that he knows, follow him, he is wise..
We are in a generation that needs help to recall the forgotten art of disciplined scholarship and hard work in academics. Our minds need to be renewed with relevant information and remain so in order to keep abreast of happenings in society. Ignorance and other vices need to be nipped in the bud so as to bring back integrity into our educational system and improve on the quality of our graduates. That is why I laud the strides of His Excellency, Gov. R.C. Amaechi in promoting the reading culture via last year’s Garden City Literary Festival which I took part in and enjoyed immensely and another recent event which took place at Silverbird Cinemas with the support of our amiable Prince Tonye Princewill.
I must say that though we attach so much importance to formal education, it is imperative to note that there are a lot of notable folks worldwide who passed through informal education and have joined the league of Great Minds. All hands must be on deck because we cannot continue to turn out half-baked professionals and expect Wole Soyinka, Ben Carson, Late Gani Fawehimi and Jonnie Cochran and other great minds because the essence of life is about information received and mode of usage. Like Eric Butterworth said, “Nothing stops the man who desires to achieve. Every obstacle is simply a course to develop his achievement muscle. It's a strengthening of his powers of accomplishment.” Think wisely and return back to the books.
Happy Belated Mother's Day
Here’s wishing you all in the house, Happy new week. I know it’s been about two weeks since Mother’s Day but I had to send this belated wishes to all you mums and mums to be. Though it takes a Man and Woman (as well as Divine Intervention) to procreate, it’s the woman who handles the home front most times while her man (and she too) goes out to work in order to provide for his growing family, thumbs up to our gentlemen. However, I want to dedicate a poem written by a well renowned female American Poet, Maya Angelou titled Phenomenal Woman.
Phenomenal Woman
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
Phenomenal Woman
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
Monday 19 March 2012
Environment: Protection and Preservation of it 2
Our country, Nigeria spans almost 1 million square kilometres of land mass with the Northern dry savannahs and watered Niger Delta region. We are blessed with natural resources and not only Crude Oil but too much reliance on it has blinded most to the potentials of other sources of wealth. Sources like Cocoa, Groundnut, Palm Oil and so on. The issue of environmental pollution worldwide should be of immense concern to everyone because we live in THIS world and ought to keep our places of domicile pollution-free.
An uncle once told me that an American friend of his’ told him that “Nigeria has what it takes to be great like America BUT we have serious management and or leadership issues.” Some of us may not realize the level of environmental degradation in Nigeria but our brothers and sisters in diaspora as well as foreigners lament the level of destruction and apparent lack of concern by some companies with regards to the welfare of the indigenes of the affected areas or host communities.
The rate of sustained pollution in the country is getting worse each day and it does not take rocket science to deduce that the effect of pollution affects our mortality and life expectancy rates. How do we expect to live longer considering the toxicity in the air, water and food via chemicals used in farming et al? This is a topic that affects us all and should be given high priority by our leaders for not just our sakes but our children and those unborn.
An uncle once told me that an American friend of his’ told him that “Nigeria has what it takes to be great like America BUT we have serious management and or leadership issues.” Some of us may not realize the level of environmental degradation in Nigeria but our brothers and sisters in diaspora as well as foreigners lament the level of destruction and apparent lack of concern by some companies with regards to the welfare of the indigenes of the affected areas or host communities.
The rate of sustained pollution in the country is getting worse each day and it does not take rocket science to deduce that the effect of pollution affects our mortality and life expectancy rates. How do we expect to live longer considering the toxicity in the air, water and food via chemicals used in farming et al? This is a topic that affects us all and should be given high priority by our leaders for not just our sakes but our children and those unborn.
Monday 27 February 2012
Saturday 25 February 2012
Matters of Immense Concern
I've used the past couple of days to do some sober reflecting on topics other than Politics which should be of immense importance to everyone-leaders and the public. Topics that touch on Security, Patriotism, Justice, the Environment and encouraging small and large scale businesses to create jobs thereby investing not only in its host communities but outside irrespective of tribe. This would definitely go a long way in enhancing their Corporate Social Responsibility portfolios.
In my next post, I'd like to begin with the deplorable state of the environment which is deteriorating at an alarming pace as a result increasing environmental changes like deforestation, desert encroachment, oil spills and its dire consequences leading to loss of farmland (as applicable in deforestation too), loss livelihood for the fishermen and improper balance in wildlife and sea creatures in their native habitats and ecosystems.
Honestly, this is a very broad topic which some may not find interesting nor want to participate in BUT it would be in our best interest to give it some thought and let's find lasting solutions or alternatives to some of our environmental issues-gas flaring in Bonny, oil spillages in Ogoniland of great magnitude and so on. So until we chat again next week, have a great weekend guys and cheers.
I leave you with a few notable quotes from VIPs worldwide with regards to our environment:
1) "Nature is not something to be fought, conquered and changed according to any human whims. To some extent, of course, it has to be used. But what man should seek in regard to nature is not a complete domination but a modus vivendi - that is, a manner of living together, a coming to terms with something that was here before our time and will be here after it. The important corollary of this doctrine, it seems to me, is that man is not the lord of creation, with an omnipotent will, but a part of creation, with limitations, who ought to observe a decent humility in the face of the inscrutable."
-American Conservative scholar Richard M. Weaver(1910 - 1963) in The Southern Essays, pages 220 and 221
2) "As we peer into society's future, we - you and I, and our government - must avoid the impulse to live only for today, plundering for, for our own ease and convenience, the precious resources of tomorrow. We cannot mortgage the material assets of our grandchildren without risking the loss also of their political and spiritual heritage."
- Ex-US President Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890 - 1969) in his Farewell Address to the Nation, January 17, 1961.
3) "We still think of air as free. But clean air is not free, and neither is clean water. The price tag on pollution control is high. Through our years of past carelessness we incurred a debt to nature, and now that debt is being called."
- 37th American President Richard Nixon(1913 - 1994) in Annual Message to Congress on the State of the Union, 1970
4) "If we've learned any lessons during the past few decades, perhaps the most important is that preservation of our environment is not a partisan challenge; it's common sense. Our physical health, our social happiness, and our economic well-being will be sustained only by all of us working in partnership as thoughtful, effective stewards of our natural resources."
- 40th US President Ronald Reagan (1911 - 2004) in Remarks on signing annual report of Council on Environmental Quality, July 11, 1984
5) "The environment is God's gift to everyone, and in our use of it we have a responsibility towards the poor, towards future generations, and towards humanity as a whole."
- Pope Benedict XVI (1927 - ) Encyclical Caritas in Veritate, June 29, 2009
and last BUT not the least,
6) "No generation has a free hold on this earth. All we have is a life tenancy--with a full repairing lease."
- Margaret Thatcher(1925 - ) in Speech to Conservative Party Conference, October 14, 1988
In my next post, I'd like to begin with the deplorable state of the environment which is deteriorating at an alarming pace as a result increasing environmental changes like deforestation, desert encroachment, oil spills and its dire consequences leading to loss of farmland (as applicable in deforestation too), loss livelihood for the fishermen and improper balance in wildlife and sea creatures in their native habitats and ecosystems.
Honestly, this is a very broad topic which some may not find interesting nor want to participate in BUT it would be in our best interest to give it some thought and let's find lasting solutions or alternatives to some of our environmental issues-gas flaring in Bonny, oil spillages in Ogoniland of great magnitude and so on. So until we chat again next week, have a great weekend guys and cheers.
I leave you with a few notable quotes from VIPs worldwide with regards to our environment:
1) "Nature is not something to be fought, conquered and changed according to any human whims. To some extent, of course, it has to be used. But what man should seek in regard to nature is not a complete domination but a modus vivendi - that is, a manner of living together, a coming to terms with something that was here before our time and will be here after it. The important corollary of this doctrine, it seems to me, is that man is not the lord of creation, with an omnipotent will, but a part of creation, with limitations, who ought to observe a decent humility in the face of the inscrutable."
-American Conservative scholar Richard M. Weaver(1910 - 1963) in The Southern Essays, pages 220 and 221
2) "As we peer into society's future, we - you and I, and our government - must avoid the impulse to live only for today, plundering for, for our own ease and convenience, the precious resources of tomorrow. We cannot mortgage the material assets of our grandchildren without risking the loss also of their political and spiritual heritage."
- Ex-US President Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890 - 1969) in his Farewell Address to the Nation, January 17, 1961.
3) "We still think of air as free. But clean air is not free, and neither is clean water. The price tag on pollution control is high. Through our years of past carelessness we incurred a debt to nature, and now that debt is being called."
- 37th American President Richard Nixon(1913 - 1994) in Annual Message to Congress on the State of the Union, 1970
4) "If we've learned any lessons during the past few decades, perhaps the most important is that preservation of our environment is not a partisan challenge; it's common sense. Our physical health, our social happiness, and our economic well-being will be sustained only by all of us working in partnership as thoughtful, effective stewards of our natural resources."
- 40th US President Ronald Reagan (1911 - 2004) in Remarks on signing annual report of Council on Environmental Quality, July 11, 1984
5) "The environment is God's gift to everyone, and in our use of it we have a responsibility towards the poor, towards future generations, and towards humanity as a whole."
- Pope Benedict XVI (1927 - ) Encyclical Caritas in Veritate, June 29, 2009
and last BUT not the least,
6) "No generation has a free hold on this earth. All we have is a life tenancy--with a full repairing lease."
- Margaret Thatcher(1925 - ) in Speech to Conservative Party Conference, October 14, 1988
Saturday 18 February 2012
Philanthropy and Prince Tonye Princewill
We are in an era where people are demanding for change in virtually all sectors of the economy. We are witnessing the rebirth of notable personalities from different parts of the country vying for the Mantle of Leadership in order to ensure that the change most of us crave for becomes a reality.
One thing I like about the English Language is that it has a large vocabulary which even its owners are yet to fully comprehend. For me, Philanthropy is all about, “doing good for the sake of humanity”; but if you take a back seat and pose this question, “What is Philanthropy about in Nigeria?”, I bet you are going to have different interpretations.
For the layman living out there in the streets and trying to survive via relentless, tireless, hard work, he may not be bothered about the topic but for those with some form of education, Philanthropy which ought to be executed for the good of humanity is viewed by many as “a means to an end” in the country. It is worth noting that some leaders or crème de la crème of society appear to be “nice and lovey dovey” when trying to garner support from the public for one project or the other after which the story changes. What do you think?
With regards to the man, Prince Tonye Princewill and his ever growing strings of philanthropic gestures, where do we place him? He isn’t just a Crown Prince of his people as well as an astute businessman; he is a leader in the making. I first heard of the name Prince Tonye Princewill when I noticed his gubernatorial posters all over the town back then in 2006/7 and have to admit during his initial attempt for the State’s Hot Seat, I often wondered, “Will THEY give this man a CHANCE?.” I later met him online when I joined FB in 2009 and in person recently. I’ve asked myself countless times how this man combines looking after his business affairs, his people, political interests, numerous charitable activities AND still make out time for family and self-interests- I guess he must be extremely good at multi-tasking.
There is no denying that his level of philanthropy is continually on the rise but people are going to interpret it differently. Whatsoever their feelings are, we are supposed to be living in a democratic society and airing our views is necessary for the much sought after change to occur. A key part of that change requires keeping people well informed which is what Prince TP has been doing via the social media and “open door policy”.
Now I’m throwing this question to you all, “Are we going to give this man a chance to steer us closer to the path of sincere change?” Whether we like the Prince’s mode of operation or not, “this digital icon” is going to be around for the long ride. So the floor’s open guys, please feel free to comment. Take care and Cheers y’all.
Our Pensioners Need The Respect 2
Hello. After my post yesterday, I went home to do more thinking. I abhorred Politics until I had to wake up from my slumber and smell the roses despite the stench around us. For me it grew interesting during the era of former governor Sir(Dr.) Peter Odili up to when the present governor, His Excellency Rt. Hon. Rotimi Chubuike Amaechi was to contest gubernatorial elections and all the ensuing ‘drama’.
I resigned from my job in 2005 because a loved one needed TLC while on medical treatment abroad. The Rivers State government denied our plea for financial assistance despite dad putting in almost 4 decades of medical service. Nevertheless, they say “God opens a door when one close” and our loved one survived. Dad may be gone but at least he isn’t around to see the continued filth in a system he disliked irrespective of the fact that he tried to contribute his quota to the service of humanity.
I brought this personal experience up because until recently I’d been jobless for almost 7years. I could have joined the Civil Service but the treatment of pensioners put me off. I can cage my anger from the outside world but never you insult my folks to my hearing otherwise, Tamuno belema \ Chukwu nna biko unu nye m ebele, I may not be physically endowed with strength BUT I’ve got a mouth and Hell Hath No Fury...
I may sound like a broken record, I may be accused of whining too much but my people if I may quote a beloved and renowned American Poet, Maya Angelou, “truth brings the past into the present and prepares us for the future. That’s what truth is.” My people the sooner we look into this the better. I agree that there are other pending issues but at the end of the day, we all will get to the Pensions Board or some Pension Scheme.
A proffered short term solution could be government providing photocopiers free of charge (to ease the already stressed pockets of the elderly) and utilize the assistance of Youth Corpers during the few days of either State or Federal Pensions payment or audit. These young men and women can be taught to operate the machines and assist our parents to find seats, sort and arrange their documents, read out instructions to them and fill out forms for them if permitted as well as other little things we take for granted. My people, little things count.
Long term solution would involve negotiations with government, pensioners, social and health workers and so on. My people it is said, “A word is enough for the wise.” Make we hear word oh!
Happy Weekend. Cheers.
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