Hmmm. I wonder how I should begin; should I say the ‘State of the Nation’ or the ‘State of the State’ continues to leave a bad taste in the mouths of some of us and probably that’s why our big brother politician, philanthropist, businessman and friend, Prince Tonye Princewill’s slogan, “Politics should not be left to the politicians”, serves as a reminder to some of us that though we have leaders to guide us and the affairs of the State, we also have roles to play individually and collectively for the realization of certain goals for the State and so on. Bearing in mind the race to 2015, it appears one of our problems stems from lack of proper dissemination of information hence distorted views about current happenings within and outside the state.
The ongoing drama is d**n (pardon my French) too much and cunningly wields people away from the crux of the matter to other somewhat mundane issues. Like our neighbouring states and regions, we also have our ups and downs and instead of focusing on pressing issues relating to electricity, road maintenance and so on, we are made to watch live Nollywood political drama, “Naija: The Race to the Top 2015, Part 1…” featuring a large cast: HE RCA, Hon. Min of State for Education N.W, Obio/Akpor LGA, Rivers State House of Assembly, NGF, PDP with special guest appearance by His Excellency, El Presidente GEJ.
Leadership cum management isn’t easy and is a hard job to take on or a tough nut to crack. ‘Leading the Pack’ and getting people from different backgrounds to yield to your orders is a different ball game requiring a certain kind of finesse and diplomacy not usually gotten from the classroom but via interacting with the people. It is only proper that our leaders keep us close to heart when committing us into certain situations. There must be an improvement on keeping the citizenry well-informed. Thank God for social media like this one(FB); if not for a PPA friend and fellow blogger, I’d not have known about the Obio/Akpor ‘bombing’ incident as well as understood the reason for police presence at almost every junction within my axis around the time of the hubbub.
The bottom-line is that information in these times is essential to the survival of the goals and aspirations of the populace. When we lack regular feedback, it gives room to our imagination running wild. I for one am not pro ‘this person’ neither pro ‘that person’ but all I want and wish for is that as long as we are able and willing to work for our daily bread, let no Jupiter take us for unsolicited rides by cutting our paycheques without due notice by telling us before hand and reasons for such pay cuts otherwise one day na one day, the ogas for the top go come see say naija man don tire to swallow eba and soup and wan chop macaroni and cheese. Abeg if person no je brake, those riots wey dey happen for England, Turkey, Greece and other countries go appear for we country by means of abracadabra.
My people if you get long leg make you helep us tell our leaders oh! Imie gbam, Eshe gon, Nagode, Da’alu so.
The Lioness
The Queen of the Castle
Friday 28 June 2013
Monday 13 May 2013
OH NIGERIA MY MOTHERLAND, WHAT IS WRONG WITH THY ROAD MAP?
Sunday is usually a day of rest for a huge number of us irrespective of our religious affiliations; but it is also a day adults prepare for the new week ahead while the children get ready for another school week. Whatsoever today means to either one of us, I’m sure we can always make out a little time for ourselves on individual basis.
As I have my own “Me” time by putting down my thoughts first on paper , I cannot help but reminisce about the countless FB posts I've put up in the past calling on the urgent need for change in virtually all areas of our lives.
Change is something that occurs daily in our lives; it isn't tangible but is visible and experienced; today you are employed, tomorrow you are redundant- situational change; one minute you are awake, the next you are asleep- positional change. Whatever form you experience, whether good or bad, whether liked or not, it is an aspect of our lives we cannot do away with; it is here to stay and woe betides anyone who thinks he or she can become a success story without passing through a form of refinement which is change itself.
We are natives of the most populous country in Black Africa; we inhabit a country filled with Milk and Honey but lack brotherly love, morals, good leadership, religious and ethnic tolerance amongst many others; in their stead, we exhibit so many negative traits. Without borrowing much from my last post,
1)How can a country like ours’, blessed with so much human and natural resources, located in different regions, be in the position it’s in today?
2)How can we have the likes of our fallen heroes and comrades: ‘The Maestro’ Fela Anikulakpo Kuti, ‘our own Mandela’ Gani Fawehimi, Ken Saro- Wiwa of The Ogoni Fame and other notable figures like Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, Femi Falana, Sir Emeka Anyaoku amongst many and yet we seemed to have lost our footing along the way?
3)What in the Good Lord’s name is wrong with the different forms of leadership we’ve adopted?
Instead of electing credible leaders, the right and freedom to do such have been taken away from us, and we end up with selected leaders. Oh Lord, please where have we gone wrong?
1)Don’t these people listen to the voices of reason?
2)Don’t they care about the yearnings and aspirations of the people they lead especially the man on the street without a voice to speak for him?
If our leaders lack consideration for the masses, then no one should be surprised about the State of the Nation today and all the chaos therein. It’s in times like these that I cannot help but remember certain parts of history: Our fallen heroes like The Biafran Warlord, Ikemba Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu and the reasons for the war he supported; I also recall the fight for the emancipation of the Niger Delta by MEND, Boko Haram and until recently the killing of over 80 police officers in Nasarawa and Borno by the Omatse cult and so on. Why all these commotions?
A Black American friend of an uncle once told him that Nigeria has what it takes to be as great as the United States of America BUT it has serious management/leadership issues to sort out.
I wonder the following:
1)How can or why should we complain of so much Insecurity when people are hungry, unemployed, lack affordable and decent housing or have neither, cannot pay bills or send their children and wards to school?
2)How can we complain of all the above when parents spend their lives’ savings to train their children to whatever level that they can afford to, only to see them graduate and roam the streets in a never-ending pursuit of non-existing or meagre jobs just to keep body and soul?
3)How can our leaders complain about insecurity and expect sympathy from you or I, when citizens (rebels et al) take up arms to fight for selfless or selfish reasons when we all have eyes to see the way public coffers are pilfered for personal or family enrichment; how our leaders neglect duties and wash and air their dirty linen for all and sundry to see; how funds meant for projects for communal enhancement are diverted and justice perverted? Haba! Onye bu Mugu?
Henry Ford said, “If money is your hope for independence, you will never have it. The only real security that a man can have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience and ability.”
We seem to forget that we are tenants in this world and one day, we all would bid it farewell. There is enough wealth to go round a large portion of Nigerians but instead greed and moral negligence set in thus people are neglected especially when not from the dominant tribe of a region.
(Pidgin & Normal English and Igbo): Enyi m biko unu (please my friend), with all these negativity being shown, how chaos no go waka enter we country? In fact chaos is too mild a word, how won’t there be MADNESS everywhere? Na only for this country wey traffic warden go say, “STOP”, Naija man go move; na only for we country wey amputee or mad man(onye ara)go raise hand for us to je brake and quick quick we march am before spit go land us for face. Sometimes e good say make we siddon for back seat take survey we area well well make we no follow land for one psychiatric ward one day.
One Engr. William Olabode Adebisi of Coldcare Nigeria Limited back in 2006 said,
“My father used to say, “The day a mad man says, “I will not be mad again,” that day he will be well.”
Pardon my language but corruption in this country is a huge pain in the b**t and causes a sane man to become insane (sickness), destitution (hunger inclusive) as well as students and parents resorting to exam malpractices so as to gain admission etc. These students who become tomorrow’s leaders; how story no go get k-leg? These corruptive behaviours was said to have emanated at the end of the Civil war in the late 1960s often causing violence of different proportions. We don’t need another war when many still alive are yet to recover from then past civil war.
Like Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” All we need are selfless leaders, past and present, to own up and admit we have serious issues to contend with and initiate pertinent reforms from top to bottom, North to South, West to East. Perhaps when this is done, then discipline and moral uprightness can be upheld and Nigeria can be set on the road to victory.
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
Here’s to a happy and productive week my friends.
As I have my own “Me” time by putting down my thoughts first on paper , I cannot help but reminisce about the countless FB posts I've put up in the past calling on the urgent need for change in virtually all areas of our lives.
Change is something that occurs daily in our lives; it isn't tangible but is visible and experienced; today you are employed, tomorrow you are redundant- situational change; one minute you are awake, the next you are asleep- positional change. Whatever form you experience, whether good or bad, whether liked or not, it is an aspect of our lives we cannot do away with; it is here to stay and woe betides anyone who thinks he or she can become a success story without passing through a form of refinement which is change itself.
We are natives of the most populous country in Black Africa; we inhabit a country filled with Milk and Honey but lack brotherly love, morals, good leadership, religious and ethnic tolerance amongst many others; in their stead, we exhibit so many negative traits. Without borrowing much from my last post,
1)How can a country like ours’, blessed with so much human and natural resources, located in different regions, be in the position it’s in today?
2)How can we have the likes of our fallen heroes and comrades: ‘The Maestro’ Fela Anikulakpo Kuti, ‘our own Mandela’ Gani Fawehimi, Ken Saro- Wiwa of The Ogoni Fame and other notable figures like Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, Femi Falana, Sir Emeka Anyaoku amongst many and yet we seemed to have lost our footing along the way?
3)What in the Good Lord’s name is wrong with the different forms of leadership we’ve adopted?
Instead of electing credible leaders, the right and freedom to do such have been taken away from us, and we end up with selected leaders. Oh Lord, please where have we gone wrong?
1)Don’t these people listen to the voices of reason?
2)Don’t they care about the yearnings and aspirations of the people they lead especially the man on the street without a voice to speak for him?
If our leaders lack consideration for the masses, then no one should be surprised about the State of the Nation today and all the chaos therein. It’s in times like these that I cannot help but remember certain parts of history: Our fallen heroes like The Biafran Warlord, Ikemba Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu and the reasons for the war he supported; I also recall the fight for the emancipation of the Niger Delta by MEND, Boko Haram and until recently the killing of over 80 police officers in Nasarawa and Borno by the Omatse cult and so on. Why all these commotions?
A Black American friend of an uncle once told him that Nigeria has what it takes to be as great as the United States of America BUT it has serious management/leadership issues to sort out.
I wonder the following:
1)How can or why should we complain of so much Insecurity when people are hungry, unemployed, lack affordable and decent housing or have neither, cannot pay bills or send their children and wards to school?
2)How can we complain of all the above when parents spend their lives’ savings to train their children to whatever level that they can afford to, only to see them graduate and roam the streets in a never-ending pursuit of non-existing or meagre jobs just to keep body and soul?
3)How can our leaders complain about insecurity and expect sympathy from you or I, when citizens (rebels et al) take up arms to fight for selfless or selfish reasons when we all have eyes to see the way public coffers are pilfered for personal or family enrichment; how our leaders neglect duties and wash and air their dirty linen for all and sundry to see; how funds meant for projects for communal enhancement are diverted and justice perverted? Haba! Onye bu Mugu?
Henry Ford said, “If money is your hope for independence, you will never have it. The only real security that a man can have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience and ability.”
We seem to forget that we are tenants in this world and one day, we all would bid it farewell. There is enough wealth to go round a large portion of Nigerians but instead greed and moral negligence set in thus people are neglected especially when not from the dominant tribe of a region.
(Pidgin & Normal English and Igbo): Enyi m biko unu (please my friend), with all these negativity being shown, how chaos no go waka enter we country? In fact chaos is too mild a word, how won’t there be MADNESS everywhere? Na only for this country wey traffic warden go say, “STOP”, Naija man go move; na only for we country wey amputee or mad man(onye ara)go raise hand for us to je brake and quick quick we march am before spit go land us for face. Sometimes e good say make we siddon for back seat take survey we area well well make we no follow land for one psychiatric ward one day.
One Engr. William Olabode Adebisi of Coldcare Nigeria Limited back in 2006 said,
“My father used to say, “The day a mad man says, “I will not be mad again,” that day he will be well.”
Pardon my language but corruption in this country is a huge pain in the b**t and causes a sane man to become insane (sickness), destitution (hunger inclusive) as well as students and parents resorting to exam malpractices so as to gain admission etc. These students who become tomorrow’s leaders; how story no go get k-leg? These corruptive behaviours was said to have emanated at the end of the Civil war in the late 1960s often causing violence of different proportions. We don’t need another war when many still alive are yet to recover from then past civil war.
Like Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” All we need are selfless leaders, past and present, to own up and admit we have serious issues to contend with and initiate pertinent reforms from top to bottom, North to South, West to East. Perhaps when this is done, then discipline and moral uprightness can be upheld and Nigeria can be set on the road to victory.
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
Here’s to a happy and productive week my friends.
Tuesday 29 January 2013
Healthier 2013
HEALTHIER LIVING Y2013
January 2013 ends in a few days and recently I couldn’t help reminisce about the different FB posts and happenings of 2012 and then it dawned on me that while we spent lots of time on political, economic, religious as well as socio-cultural issues, we left little room for health matters.
If we cast our minds back to the good old days, to our kith and kin in the rural areas, we might recall how we, city dwellers looked at them as lacking ambition due to their rudimentary lifestyles; lifestyles that helped prolong their lives unlike those of the over-stressed city people.
Although I do not have the statistics to buttress my point, it is no secret that the mortality rate of humans has not only fallen but also that there’s a noticeable gap in the rates between rural and city folks. Organizations and NGOs like the World Health Organization (WHO) dealing with health are trying their best possible to create adequate awareness on the dangers of unhealthy living.
In the United States of America, First Lady Michelle Obama is leading a cause trying to tackle Child Obesity which is on the increase in her country. Without embarking on a long lecture, most of us know that the foods we ingest are converted into sugars for energy while unused energy is stored as fatty cells; these over a period of time leads to obesity, a serious health risk which can cause Hypertension, Diabetes, Cancer, Pulmonary embolism, Kidney failure and other complications.
Those of you who know me would understand where I’m coming from when I say I’m seriously thinking about myself as I put down my thoughts on paper. It (this health talk) shouldn’t be all about Talk the Talk but Walking the Walk just like the late American artiste sang, “You telling me this, telling me that...Practice what You Preach.”
While the on goings in your environment are important, health matters should take centre stage. A complete lifestyle change should be one’s priority when faced with life-threatening health issues. In order to succeed, you’ll need to change your mind-set from a I CANNOT to a CAN-DO attitude. Try the following:
1) Never say I can’t take charge of my health but say I can do it. Utter it as a daily mantra until it sticks to you like a leech.
2) With reference to the science of Physics recognizing 2 kinds of inertia; the first law: “Standing objects tend to remain stationary and the second law: “Moving objects tend to stay in motion.” In other words, whether we want to know our health status, lose weight, cure a simple or complex ailment, AVOID PROCARSTINATION.
Get off your b**t (pardon my language) and take charge of your life. The journey of 1000 miles begins with the first step. Try the following techniques in order to achieve something measurable:-
I) Get a piece of paper and take time to identify health-related issues you’ve been putting off.
II) Pick out one to do and enjoy the satisfaction of starting it.
III) Never mind difficulties encountered. Designate some time each day to devote to your health cause and try sticking to it. Worrying about perfection can slow you down so avoid dwelling on it. Your efforts are what count because periodic changes can be made.
IV) If the reason you are procrastinating involves other people (like visits to medical personnel), then go and chat with them than turn molehills into mountains.
V) Don’t be scared of the consequences of your action. A temporary setback won’t kill rather your ability to bounce back is what matters.
You need to picture how you’d feel once a task is completed; a sense of relief that would boost your confidence and energy. Always remember: TNT that is, TODAY NOT TOMORROW and as celebrity Trainer Kathy Kaehler says, “You have one body. There are no replacements, no new models.”
So Avoid short-term solutions and remember you and your body are in for the long run. Here’s to a healthier living this year. Best of luck in all your health endeavours.
January 2013 ends in a few days and recently I couldn’t help reminisce about the different FB posts and happenings of 2012 and then it dawned on me that while we spent lots of time on political, economic, religious as well as socio-cultural issues, we left little room for health matters.
If we cast our minds back to the good old days, to our kith and kin in the rural areas, we might recall how we, city dwellers looked at them as lacking ambition due to their rudimentary lifestyles; lifestyles that helped prolong their lives unlike those of the over-stressed city people.
Although I do not have the statistics to buttress my point, it is no secret that the mortality rate of humans has not only fallen but also that there’s a noticeable gap in the rates between rural and city folks. Organizations and NGOs like the World Health Organization (WHO) dealing with health are trying their best possible to create adequate awareness on the dangers of unhealthy living.
In the United States of America, First Lady Michelle Obama is leading a cause trying to tackle Child Obesity which is on the increase in her country. Without embarking on a long lecture, most of us know that the foods we ingest are converted into sugars for energy while unused energy is stored as fatty cells; these over a period of time leads to obesity, a serious health risk which can cause Hypertension, Diabetes, Cancer, Pulmonary embolism, Kidney failure and other complications.
Those of you who know me would understand where I’m coming from when I say I’m seriously thinking about myself as I put down my thoughts on paper. It (this health talk) shouldn’t be all about Talk the Talk but Walking the Walk just like the late American artiste sang, “You telling me this, telling me that...Practice what You Preach.”
While the on goings in your environment are important, health matters should take centre stage. A complete lifestyle change should be one’s priority when faced with life-threatening health issues. In order to succeed, you’ll need to change your mind-set from a I CANNOT to a CAN-DO attitude. Try the following:
1) Never say I can’t take charge of my health but say I can do it. Utter it as a daily mantra until it sticks to you like a leech.
2) With reference to the science of Physics recognizing 2 kinds of inertia; the first law: “Standing objects tend to remain stationary and the second law: “Moving objects tend to stay in motion.” In other words, whether we want to know our health status, lose weight, cure a simple or complex ailment, AVOID PROCARSTINATION.
Get off your b**t (pardon my language) and take charge of your life. The journey of 1000 miles begins with the first step. Try the following techniques in order to achieve something measurable:-
I) Get a piece of paper and take time to identify health-related issues you’ve been putting off.
II) Pick out one to do and enjoy the satisfaction of starting it.
III) Never mind difficulties encountered. Designate some time each day to devote to your health cause and try sticking to it. Worrying about perfection can slow you down so avoid dwelling on it. Your efforts are what count because periodic changes can be made.
IV) If the reason you are procrastinating involves other people (like visits to medical personnel), then go and chat with them than turn molehills into mountains.
V) Don’t be scared of the consequences of your action. A temporary setback won’t kill rather your ability to bounce back is what matters.
You need to picture how you’d feel once a task is completed; a sense of relief that would boost your confidence and energy. Always remember: TNT that is, TODAY NOT TOMORROW and as celebrity Trainer Kathy Kaehler says, “You have one body. There are no replacements, no new models.”
So Avoid short-term solutions and remember you and your body are in for the long run. Here’s to a healthier living this year. Best of luck in all your health endeavours.
Saturday 19 January 2013
DeltaWomen: Education: A Lifeline for All.
DeltaWomen: Education: A Lifeline for All.: All around you and I are noticeable changes taking place daily irrespective of whether it’s in our favour or not. What is your perception...
Thursday 10 January 2013
The Heart of Man
The heart of Man is small
But its essence is best understood by Our Creator;
It may be small
But its importance is vital to man’s survival.
Man was created for a purpose
But at this point in time,
Seems yet to discover that purpose,
How much more understand it?
We live in a ‘Cat and Mouse’ world
In an era filled with so much selfishness,
An era seemingly void of Integrity,
An era filled with loathing of fellow mankind
And less of brotherly love.
Oh the heart of man though small
Is mighty indeed.
We live in a world
Where daily atrocities occur unabated,
We live in a world
Filled with so much resources that would ensure enough provision
For a huge number of the population but…
Oh Our Gracious Father
Where have we gone wrong?
You put Man in charge of your creation
With the creative ability to make significant impact
But Oh how far off has man gone away
From your notion of an ideal world?
With the current trend of occurrences
Time waits for no one;
But as at this moment
One thing I am sure of is that
Regardless of the fast pace of time,
Change can still occur.
No one prays to become a destitute
Neither does one ask for problems
But it is high time we all re-assess ourselves;
It doesn’t take much for man to donate a dime to worthy causes,
It doesn’t take much for man to donate his time and effort to those in need by showing some Tender Loving Care.
In the words of Prince Tonye Princewill,
“You are blessed so that you can bless others.”
And,
“Have a forgiving spirit because we all make mistakes. That’s why pencils have erasers.”
What we all need to bear in mind
Is that hard times could befall anyone of us.
And so for change to occur in the words of Vince Lombardi and George Bernard Shaw respectively,
“People who work together will win, whether it is against complex football defences, or the problems of modern society.”
and
“If history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must Man be of learning from experience?”
But its essence is best understood by Our Creator;
It may be small
But its importance is vital to man’s survival.
Man was created for a purpose
But at this point in time,
Seems yet to discover that purpose,
How much more understand it?
We live in a ‘Cat and Mouse’ world
In an era filled with so much selfishness,
An era seemingly void of Integrity,
An era filled with loathing of fellow mankind
And less of brotherly love.
Oh the heart of man though small
Is mighty indeed.
We live in a world
Where daily atrocities occur unabated,
We live in a world
Filled with so much resources that would ensure enough provision
For a huge number of the population but…
Oh Our Gracious Father
Where have we gone wrong?
You put Man in charge of your creation
With the creative ability to make significant impact
But Oh how far off has man gone away
From your notion of an ideal world?
With the current trend of occurrences
Time waits for no one;
But as at this moment
One thing I am sure of is that
Regardless of the fast pace of time,
Change can still occur.
No one prays to become a destitute
Neither does one ask for problems
But it is high time we all re-assess ourselves;
It doesn’t take much for man to donate a dime to worthy causes,
It doesn’t take much for man to donate his time and effort to those in need by showing some Tender Loving Care.
In the words of Prince Tonye Princewill,
“You are blessed so that you can bless others.”
And,
“Have a forgiving spirit because we all make mistakes. That’s why pencils have erasers.”
What we all need to bear in mind
Is that hard times could befall anyone of us.
And so for change to occur in the words of Vince Lombardi and George Bernard Shaw respectively,
“People who work together will win, whether it is against complex football defences, or the problems of modern society.”
and
“If history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must Man be of learning from experience?”
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