A Letter to Nigerian Parents

Hello people, I got the below article from a friend of mine and it totally made sense to me. I bow for the author! I just had to share it with y'all. It is a letter addressed to Nigerian parents. As long as you are Nigerian, whether you don naturalise to American, British, Canadian, Chinese werava, a parent, or hope to be a parent one day then this is for you to read. I am sure other nationalities can pick a thing or two from it as well.

Oh it is a bit of a long read but worth it. Enjoy and let me know your thoughts.


Ta!

Happy Easter x

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Friends, Let me add the benefit of my time as a student and then resident in the UK - and I live in Lagos now. The first thing that I discovered about UK-born, white, English undergraduates was that all of them did holiday or weekend job to support themselves - including the children of millionaires amongst them. It is the norm over there - regardless how wealthy their parents are. And I soon discovered that virtually all other foreign students did the same - the exception being those of us status-conscious Nigerians.

I also watched Richard Branson (owner of Virgin Airline) speaking on the Biography Channel and, to my amazement, he said that his young children travel in the economy class -even when the parents (he and his wife) are in upper class. Richard Branson is a billionaire in Pound Sterling. A quick survey would show you that only children from Nigeria fly business or upper class to commence their studies in the UK. No other foreign students do this.

There is no aircraft attached to the office of the prime minister in the UK - he travels on BA. And the same goes for the Royals. The Queen does not have an aircraft for her exclusive use. These practices simply become the culture which the next generation carries forward. Have you seen the car that Kate Middleton(the lady soon to marry Prince William) drives? VW Golf or something close to it. But there's one core difference them and us(generally speaking). They (even the billionaires among them) work for their money,we steal ours!

If we want our children to bring about the desired change we have been praying for on behalf of our dear country, then please, please let's begin now and teach them to work hard so they can stand alone and most importantly be content, and not having to "steal", which seem to be the norm these days.

"30 is the new 18", which seem to be the new age for testing out the world in Nigeria now. That seems to be an unspoken but widely accepted mindset among the last 2 generations of parents in Nigeria. At age 18 years, a typical young adult in the UK leaves the clutches of his/her parents for the University, chances are, that's the last time those parents will ever play "landlord" to their son or daughter except of course the occasional home visits during the academic year.

At 21 years and above or below, the now fully grown and independent minded adult graduates from University, searches for employment, gets a job and shares a flat with other young people on a journey into becoming fully fledged adults.

I can hear the echo of parents saying, well, that is because the UK economy is thriving, safe, well structured and jobs are everywhere? I beg to differ and I ask that you kindly hear me out. I am UK trained Recruitment Consultant and I have been practicing for the past 10 years in Nigeria. I have a broad range of experience from recruiting graduates to executive director level of large corporations. In addition, I talk from the point of view of someone with relatively privileged upbringing. Driven to school every day, had my clothes washed for me, was barred from taking any part-time job during my A-levels so that I could concentrate on studying for my exams?! BUT, I got the opportunity to live apart from my parents from age 18 and the only time I came back home to stay was for 3 months before I got married!

Am I saying that every parent should wash their hands off their children at age 18? No, not at all, of course, I enjoyed the savings that I made from living on and off at my parent's house in London – indeed that is the primary reason for my being able to buy myself a 3 bedroom flat in London at age 25 with absolutely no direct financial help from my parents!

For me, pocket money stopped at age 22, not that it was ever enough for my lifestyle to compete with Paris Hilton's or Victoria Beckham's. Meanwhile today, we have Nigerian children who have never worked for 5 minutes in their lives insisting on flying "only" first or business class, carrying the latest Louis Vuitton ensemble, Victoria 's Secret underwear and wearing Jimmy Choo's, fully paid for by their "loving" parents.

I often get calls from anxious parents, my son graduated 2 years ago and is still looking for a job, can you please assist! Oh really! So where exactly is this "child" is my usual question. Why are you the one making this call dad/mum? I am yet to get a satisfactory answer, but between you and me, chances are that big boy is cruising around Lagos with a babe dressed to the nines, in his dad's spanking new SUV with enough "pocket money" to put your salary to shame. It is not at all strange to have a 28 year old who has NEVER worked for a day in his or her life in Nigeria but "earns" a six figure "salary" from parents for doing absolutely nothing.
I see them in my office once in a while, 26 years old with absolutely no skills to sell, apart from a shiny CV, written by his dad's secretary in the office. Of course, he has a driver at his beck and call and he is driven to the job interview. We have a fairly decent conversation and we get to the inevitable question - so, what salary are you looking to earn? Answer comes straight out - N250,000.00. I ask if that is per month or per annum. Of course it is per month. Oh, why do you think you should be earning that much on your first job? Well, because my current pocket money is N200,000.00 and I feel that an employer should be able to pay me more than my parents. I try very hard to compose myself, over parenting is in my opinion the greatest evil handicapping the Nigerian youth.
It is at the root of our national malaise.

We have a youth population of tens of millions of who are being "breastfed and diapered" well into their 30s. Even though the examples I have given above are from parents of considerable affluence, similar patterns can be observed from Abeokuta to Adamawa! Wake up mum! Wake up dad! You are practically loving your children to death! No wonder corruption continues to thrive. We have a society of young people who have been brought up to expect something for nothing, as if it were a birth right.

I want to encourage you to send your young men and women (anyone over 20 can hardly be called a child!) out into the world, maybe even consider reducing or stopping the pocket money to encourage them to think, explore and strive. Let them know that it is possible for them to succeed without your "help".

Take a moment to think back to your own time as a young man/woman, what if someone had kept spoon feeding you, would you be where you are today? No tree grows well under another tree, children that are not exposed to challenges, don't cook well. That is why you see adults complaining, "my parents didn't buy clothes for me this christmas", ask him/her how old-30+. Because of the challenges we faced in our youth, we are where and what we today, this syndrome- my children will not suffer what I suffered is destroying our tomorrow. Deliberately reduce their allowance or mum-don't cook on Saturday till late afternoon or evening-do as occasion deserve.

I learnt the children of a former Nigerian head of state with all the stolen (billions) monies in their custody, still go about with security escort as wrecks. They are on drugs, several times because of the drug, they collapse in public places. The escort will quickly pack them and off they go, what a life. No one wants to marry them. Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.- Henry Ford. Hard work does not kill, everything in Nigeria is going down, including family settings. It is time to cook our children, preparing them for tomorrow. We are approaching the season in Nigeria where only the RUGGED, will survive. How will your ward fare?

If the present generation of Nigerian pilots retire, will you fly a plane flown by a young Nigerian pilot, If trained in Nigeria? People now have first class, who cannot spell GRADUATE or read an article without bomb blast! Which Way Nigeria!, Which Way Nigerians!! Is this how we will ALL sit and watch this country SINK?

The day started like any typical day

Lord I give u praise, thanks and adoration. I thank you for who you are. I thank u that despite all the plans of the enemy, your mighty hand has prevailed. As the mountain surrounds Jerusalem so have you surrounded your people. You are my shelter, my rock and my shield. Words cannot express my gratitude.

My people, apologies for going MIA. Thanks so much to those who asked after me. I really appreciate it. I have no excuses. No excuses at all. I am back by God’s special grace. The devil is a liar. I am sure you are wondering what I am going on about. I will fill you in shortly.

I was going to blog about my encounter with a grumpy obnoxious man with his ugly dog but something of more importance happen this Saturday.

Saturday was like any other typical day. Baale and I were thinking of going to watch a movie in the afternoon but ended up not going. I was loafing on the couch around 12 noon when my phone rang. It was a family friend; his parents are neighbours with my parents back home. After the usual pleasantries, he asked me when last I heard from home. Immediately an alarm went off in my head. First thing that came to my mind was my grandmother- she is still in the hospital recovering and I thought oh no it has happened! Anyway I answered and said I spoke with my mum earlier in the week. He was like ok, he had some news but he wanted me to calm down. I was like ok, what happened, already panicking at this stage. He said he was just on the phone, with another neighbour when my cousin called that neighbour to say armed robbers came to our house that morning and attacked my dad and that he was in the hospital. To be honest I didn’t quite get what he was saying. All I heard afterwards was that it wasn’t serious and he is fine, my mum didn’t know (she had gone for a burial that morning in another town) and they didn’t want to tell her yet. At this point, I wanted to end the call so I could call my sister. I didn’t know what he meant by attack and I didn’t want to ask him.

I call my elder sister to find out what was happening. Baale kept saying take it easy, it is well and I was like ok but I don’t even know what is going on. My sis and her hubby were at the hospital and that’s when she told me what happened. My dad was shot on the knee! Shu! Shot ke, how? Why? When? She didn’t have the full gist as she wasn’t there when it happened. Funny enough, she had just dropped off her baby girl at my parents, when my cousin called like 10 mins later to say Popc had been shot.

My peeps, it was like a dream to me, I still couldn’t believe it. In broad day light!!! My sis was also like he is fine but don’t call momc yet as we don’t want to get her panicked. In my head am like these people don’t know momc sha, I have never seen that woman panic before in my life. She is like the calmest person I know alive. But then again, her husband has never been shot so…..

Anyway I felt like catching the next plane to Nigeria. I was worried but at the same time I just kept praying that all is well. I called my lil sis in the states, actually I woke her up. I couldn’t talk so Baale told her the news. It was funny because she was sounding sleepy one second and then next minute we got her full attention. We agreed to pray for Popc and I also passed the message not to call my mum.

My dad was to have surgery that afternoon and I got to speak with him before he went in. I can’t remember the last time I heard him sound so low. I could barely hear what he was saying. I can’t even begin to imagine what was going through his head at that point. My mum got back from the burial later on and my sis said when she told her she was really calm about it. No surprises there.


Thankfully the surgery went well, no major bones were damaged and I believe he will be able to walk again. He sounded much better after the surgery and I was relieved. You can imagine getting hourly updates far away. I really wished I could be there.

Later on my cousin who was there when it all happened gave me the gist. I’ll still like to hear my dad’s version when he gets better. Every Saturday, the gardener comes to the house to trim the flowers and whatever it is that gardeners do. They had left the main gate opened as I think they were throwing dirt out or something. We never leave the gate opened especially at night. The thieves, two of them saw the opened gate, easy target, and walked in. They asked the gardener to lead them in, I think they also saw my popc’s driver outside and ordered him in as well.

My dad was having his breakfast, with my niece on his lap. He was getting ready to go out. Next thing, the rogues entered and shouted “gather your children, gather your children”. Popc called my two cousins, who were the only other people at home. My cousins, the gardener, and driver were asked to lie down flat and thief 1 told my dad to lead him to the bedroom upstairs while thief 2 waited downstairs. Thief 1 collected some money, one of his cell phones and some new clothes (I still don’t get the clothes part). The guy then asked for the keys to my popc’s car and I guess popc must have said it was downstairs so they came downstairs. Ok this was where I lost my cousin a bit, so I’ll just say it as I think it happened. She said when my dad got downstairs, he walked hurriedly outside, saying “where is the driver, I want the keys to the car”. Apparently thief 2 who was downstairs with my cousins thought my dad wanted to run away or so, followed him outside. Thief 1 also followed and at this point my cousins with my niece fled to their room and locked themselves in. A couple of seconds later they heard a gun shot. Later on they came outside and saw popc on the floor, shot, with blood gushing out from his leg. Fortunately the thieves fled the scene and were not able to take his car because students from the neighbouring school came around when they heard gun shot. They do have the keys to the car as we speak.

My dad is still in the hospital and we are not sure when he will be discharged. I am thankful that no one else was hurt, and that he wasn’t shot in the chest or head. I am thankfully that I am able to share this testimony of God’s protection over my dad and that I have not come to share a different version of the story. I really cannot imagine it. God’s promise to us is that we shall live to declare his glory and he brought that promise to pass in my father’s life. It’s crazy how we think our day will go a certain normal way not knowing the devil is always planning how to kill us. If not for God on our side.

Yesterday night when I spoke to my dad, he said, “May the lord forgive them”. For a man who had nearly lost his leg, I am amazed he was talking about forgiveness. That was the last thing on my mind, but I guess as Christians we have no choice but to forgive. However I pray they get caught and are brought to justice.



*For those that do not know, Popc= Dad, Momc= Mum

'It's not where you live, it's HOW you live'

I was really challenged/inspired by this woman's story(1) so I thought to share. I had read about her children (quadruplets) in the metro paper but reading the story from this woman's perspective is totally mind blowing. I am so enthused by women like this. Let me know what you guys think.

Meanwhile a big shout out to ShawnDaVinci
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Watching television pictures last week of jubilant teenagers celebrating their A-level results, I was filled with an amazing sense of accomplishment.
In my home that joyous feeling has been felt fourfold. For my 18-year-old children – quadruplets Tolu, Tayo, Tobi and Tosin, who were conceived naturally – all achieved A and B grades at the St Francis Xavier sixth-form college in Clapham, South-West London.
They have secured places at Manchester University, Goldsmiths, Queen Mary University of London and Cambridge.
I am, understandably, bursting with pride. Because, although I’ve not had to cope with too many social disadvantages over the years, the fact remains that I am a 52-year-old single mother. And I have brought up seven children – four of them boys – on my own in Lewisham, one of London’s most deprived boroughs.

Proud: Single mother Julie Oke believes it's how you live, not where you live

I have bucked the statistics that say my children, who grew up without a father present in their daily lives, should be academic failures.
All of them have done exceptionally well. The eldest boy is 29 and a doctor in Nigeria, my 27-year-old daughter is a nurse and I have a son, 25, who is a lawyer.
However, it is the success of the quads that has got everyone asking how I’ve pulled off this apparent miracle. Well, it is not rocket science. Simply put, it has always been my philosophy that it’s not where you live, but how you live – and that children learn by example.
I’ve always known education and hard work were the ways to improve my life, and I have instilled the same principles in my children.
My goal has always been that they would break down barriers and excel academically. But I also wanted them to do so in schools with a strong moral code, to complement my work at home. So I have always sent them to religious establishments.
I chose St Francis, despite it being a long way from our home, because it has a great reputation for academic achievement. Its exam results are consistently well above average and the majority of its students progress to higher education, including Oxford and Cambridge.
When I visited, the facilities stood out above the rest. I was especially struck by the principal’s mission statement, which says ‘to be successful in today’s world you must develop skills and abilities at a higher level than was ever necessary in the past’. That is what I’ve always told my children: to stretch themselves beyond what is expected.
I am constantly being told children in black communities are failing because 59 per cent of them are raised by lone parents. But, although I accept children are largely better off when they grow up with both parents, just having a man in the house does not mean they will go on to become pillars of society.

Four times the success: 18-year-old quadruplets Tobi, Tayo, Tolu and Tosin celebrate their A-level results

It really does depend on how you bring up your child. How they see you live your life and the values you instil in them from an early age. Too many single parents, of all colours and creeds, are content to collect state benefits and let their children run wild.
I have been a single mum since the quads were born. I was 34 and on my own but I was determined I would open up as many opportunities for them as possible.
They have seen how hard I work. I have never relied on Government handouts. They have learned by example that commitment and dedication will get you a long way.
Yet my background is not a wealthy or privileged one. My father was an illiterate Nigerian farmer and my mother was one of his seven wives. She ran a shop in a small town in the state of Osun. There were 24 children in all – five my mum’s.

I can remember my parents telling us that becoming educated would mean we did not have to work as physically hard as they did. However, they could not afford to send us all to higher education.
I went to an Anglican grammar school and ended up doing teacher training in Nigeria, before getting my first degree in social work education from the University of Paris in 1984.
After moving to London, I lived in a single room and did various odd jobs before I could get my footing. I was a social worker in Lambeth when, to the shock of everyone including myself, the quads were born.
I took a year’s maternity leave, put them into nursery and went straight back to work.
I continued studying child care because I wanted to open a nursery. I now manage a business that cares for 20 youngsters up to the age of five and have a staff of four.

I’m not saying it hasn’t been hard. At times, money has been incredibly tight. The children wore each other’s clothes and never got the designer gear or fashionable items their peers had. Yet they never complained. They saw how hard I worked and they knew it was all for them.
I’ve taught them to be respectful of other people, especially their elders. Once, one of the girls got into an argument with a teacher over her grades. I explained shouting was not the best way to get her point across and it was disrespectful. Another time I discovered that my sons wanted to settle a row with a local boy by fighting. I explained that violence could escalate and that it rarely solved a problem.
Obviously, there has been peer pressure put on them over the years. They see other kids running wild, doing what they want. But they know that is not how we live in this family.
I’ve never had to worry about them getting involved in gangs or drugs or any other bad behaviour for that matter. It is just out of the question because they have been brought up as good Christians.
People think being a single parent means your children have to fail. I live by my own code and my own notions. I tell my children they are individuals, that they do not have to be like everyone else.
What has held a lot of black families back is that they have accepted the stereotype. They do not realise they can achieve anything they want, that the sky is the limit, that class or colour should not classify who they are.
People have said I shouldn’t blow my own trumpet. But I know I’ve done everything possible to give my children a good start in life. It has taken commitment, time and care but it has been so rewarding for me to see them growing and achieving. And I confess, I’m privately amazed by how well they have done.
My message to other single parents is that they should not let the system determine their lives.
I say, always push yourself. Pray, work hard, respect yourself and your children.
I don’t think I’m unique or alone and only wish the good work of other lone parents with children doing well could be heard as loudly as those crying about the effects of guns and violence.

(1)Story taken from here.

Meanwhile a big shout out to ShawnDaVinci a new blogger. Please visit his blog and welcome him warmly. Thanks peeps :D

Back in the days!!!!!!

Hello people, sorry I have not updated in like forever. You know naa, I still dey honeymoon..lol. Anyway a friend sent me the piece below and I just had to share with y'all. Coincidentally just yesterday, Rinsola and I were reminiscing about TV programmes we used to watch as kids. I remember most of the TV programmes below- Sesame street, SuperTed and DangerMouse were my favorite to watch. I guess the ones I don't know were the ones that aired when I was having my siesta lol. Gosh it was so much fun being a child- no worries, no responsibilities, just play and more play, mummy and daddy worried about clothes, books, food etc. Sometimes I wish I could be go back to being a child. Anyway enjoy the following piece. Oh by the way, only Nigerians born before 1984, lived in Nigeria and watched NTA will be able to relate with this piece.
ENJOY!!!
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Don't know how many of you lived in my time but you belong to my day if:

You had to wait till 4 o'clock to get any meaningful thing on NTA
You would eagerly sit in front of the T.V at 3:30pm watching all the multicolored lines while you waited for NTA come up.

The National Anthem was the first thing on TV

You watch Thunder sub and Terrahawks on Mondays. Pigeon Street and Bertha came after. Samanja was for 7:30 and you hated Newsweek on Monday nights

You watch Fragle rock , Sesame Street and animal games on Tuesdays. Reach out was at 5:30. Your elder ones disturbed your flow at 6:30pm on Tuesdays to watch koko close (Oluwalambe lord, Kasali open the gate), then you all watched new masquerade at 8:30pm.

You enjoyed Voltron and hated commander mark on Wednesdays. Renta-ghost came up at 6pm then Kidi vision 101 at 6:30. Cock crow at dawn was up at 7:30 then Bassey and company (Mr. B is a millionaire) at 8:30.

G-force , Scooby doo and Super-Ted were the deal on Thursdays; Wazombia didn't make sense then Village head master at 8:30pm.

Friday had the variety of Birdman , Galaxy trio , Ovid video , inspector gadget , danger mouse e.t.c.
Friday nights……….. can't figure it anymore (some one else can fill in the gap)

Saturday mornings were boring after 10am. 7-10am had WWF then morning ride came up for 10am (very boring). The rest of the day had several annoying sport programs; but Things fall apart came up at 8pm.

Network news was very boring.

The only good thing on Sundays was behind the clouds.


Hoped u enjoyed d reminiscing...and for the veterans amongst us, kindly fill in the missing programs.


NB: If you were born later than 1984, you might not be able to recall any of these graceful memories.

Ban Spraying of Money ke?!

This is going to be a rant post so please bear with me!

I have been hearing rumors about this. Please tell me it is not true o. Naija don make law o. What is this I am reading about banning spraying of money in social gatherings? Read here. How can? Is any Nigerian wedding complete without spraying of money. Some people say it is barbaric but what exactly is the issue here?? To me spraying of money is fun (thoughts of all that money just falling on you while dancing, kai!) except for the part where some random funny looking women (I dont think men are cut out for such stealing) use style to steal out of the money. That's why you need a vigilant bridal party!

I am not sure but do people still spray money at weddings in Nigeria? The last 2 naija weddings I attended were my best friend's and my sister´s (late 2006, early 2007 respectively) and "enough" money was sprayed at both weddings. I know because, I was the one busy packing the money on the ground, as per chief bride's maid concerned (yes o, on both occassions) and I didn't see anyone getting arrested, well I certainly wasn't arrested or fined. By the way, I didn't even get 1 Naira out of all that money (yes again, both weddings), after all my bending, kneeling, scraping my fingers in the sand...God dey sha!

Ehn hen, back to my gist. I beg una, law or no law, bill or no bill, pls spray money on my wedding day o (whenever that is)- daddies, mummies, uncles, aunties, brothers, sisters, everybody- dollars, pounds, naira will be accepted and appreciated. No Cedis please (my ghanian peeps, no offence meant). And if by any chance you are scared of getting arrested, hmm...just put the money in an envelope. We go accept em! Thanks!



N.B- It's not that I like money too much o...I just like the idea of money been sprayed at my wedding! LOL

Naija on Strike!

Since yesterday the Nigerian Labour Congress has been on strike, but of cuz, we being efikos in my office, we still dey come to work. The only good thing I can see so far is that the Lagos roads are free of traffic!! Imagine having that on a typical day in Lagos. Can't!

I checked round blogville yesterday and am surprised not many people are blogging about this situation. Tayo, was expecting an update on your blog! Thankfully Funmi Iyanda blogged about it. I reckon bloggers in Nigeria are on strike as well!

So far, the goverment and NLC have reached an impasse on their negotiations. I wonder how long this will go on for. I think a lot of workers are happy (apart from me and my colleagues of course) that they have time to rest at home while our leaders decide on what they what to do.

I really don't have an opinion on this matter, but I must say that it is sad that we are having such issues for a country that produces oil. God help us!

Anyway let me finish up my work so I can gerrout of here on time. Have a nice weekend in advance.

N.B- Tayo, just checked your blog now and I can see you have put up a nice piece on the current Naija situation. Ehn hen, I was wondering pe ki lo se Tayo...cuz i knew you would cover the story ni sha! Nice one ;)

The Nigerian Proclamation Project (better late than never)

Ok I know this is coming late considering Nigerians (well Nigerians that caught the vision) were suppose to put this on their blog on May 29. But I only heard the 411 recently, omodudu says he sent me the email but I really can't remember seeing it (thanks though).

I am proud to be a Nigerian anytime any day. I think we are the smartest set of people on earth. :) My prayer is that God will make Nigeria great. All y'all should watch out and see, Nigeria will become the next America very soon!!!

The Nigerian Proclamation was started by SOLOMONSYDELLE , a few days before the presidential handover (29th May).

Please read below:

IN RECENT HISTORY, NIGERIANS HAVE BEEN OVERWHELMINGLY BETRAYED BY THOSE CHARGED WITH ADDRESSING THEIR NEEDS. INSTEAD OF SERVING THE PEOPLE, PUBLIC SERVANTS HAVE SERVED THEMSELVES TO THE DETRIMENT OF THE MASSES. THE RESULT IS A NATION LACKING ADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE, ORGANIZATION AND SECURITY.

THE INEFFECTIVENESS OF NIGERIAN LEADERS INDICATES A LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE CONSTITUENTS. NIGERIANS ARE NO LONGER RELEVANT TO THE LEADERS, THUS, LEADERS DO NOT FEEL RESPONSIBLE TO THEM.

THE RECENT FAILURE TO CONDUCT A FREE AND FAIR ELECTORAL PROCESS WAS YET ANOTHER ILLUSTRATION THAT THE NEEDS OF THE MANY ARE SECONDARY TO THE WANTS OF THE IMPORTANT FEW.

FROM THIS DAY, ALL NIGERIANS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS GREAT & POWERFUL COUNTRY. CONSEQUENTLY, ALL NIGERIANS MUST COMMIT THEMSELVES TO THE FOLLOWING:

1. WE MUST DEMAND THAT ELECTED OFFICIALS BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS AND IN-ACTIONS.


2. WE MUST EXPECT DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES TO BE HONORED, RESPECTED AND MAINTAINED.


3. WE MUST BELIEVE THAT ALL NIGERIANS ARE EQUAL UNDER THE LAW AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS SUCH.


4. WE MUST APPLY OURSELVES TO IMPROVING THE LOT OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL NIGERIAN REGARDLESS OF GENDER, RELIGION, TRIBE OR SOCIAL STATUS.


5. WE MUST STRIVE TO MAINTAIN A UNITED REPUBLIC DESPITE OUR DIFFERENCES.

ONLY UPON ACHIEVING THESE PRINCIPLES CAN WE AS A PEOPLE FULLY LIVE UP TO OUR POTENTIAL AS A LAND OF GREATNESS. FOR OURS IS A COUNTRY RENOWNED FOR ITS ILLUSTRIOUS PEOPLE, AMPLE RESOURCES AND SHEER PHYSICAL BEAUTY.

Naija go better o!

My Voting Experience

On Saturday, 14th April 2007, Nigerians went out for the Gubernatorial elections. 12th and 13th April were declared as public holidays for those who had to go to their home towns, villages or wherever to vote and yah for other rumored reasons Uncle Sege had. Whatever reason the holiday was welcomed by many including me!

Elections started around 10 a.m but I was ready to go a-voting by 12 noon. I went to the voting poll centre (oh nothing grand, more like under a tree as you can see in the photos!) with my aunt and a friend and the queue was so long! It was as if everyone decided they would come out to vote by 12. We were actually at the tail end of the queue. After standing on the same spot on the queue for 5 mins I began to wonder if voting was really worth my time. Lol...I really wasn't willing to stand on that motionless queue forever. My aunt and friend concurred with me so we decided to go back home not before reserving our space on the queue. We asked/begged/pleaded with some guy we knew on the queue to save our spaces. (I am not sure why but I felt I would be sinning if I didn't vote hehehe).

About 3p.m the guy called my mobile phone! Thank God for those little things! He said to me that he was approaching the front of the queue...Correct!..so I tell my aunt & friend and we hurry on to the tree, oops, I mean voting poll centre. Veritably, the guy was at the front of the line. At this point we find our level on the queue though it was still moving slowly and I guess this was because some people were either creating their own line or joining the front of the queue from behind (typical of Nigerians). A woman in front of us was really provoked about this and went to cause some good wahala (trouble) in front of the queue. She screamed at all the INEC officers and the guilty people.Other people joined her in the "raking" saying they had been standing on the queue for 2 hours and they would not allow anyone to just stroll in and think they can vote. Personally i think they all deserved been shouted at. Thank God for that woman and the others who intervened, we for stand on that queue for ever. Anyway an hour or so later, I fulfilled my civil duties and left the place with my aunt and friend. For the presidential elections I hope to be there early so I can vote on time. I guess despite the little uproar, my experience was peaceful and I guess to some boring...lol. I hear there were fights in some other places in Lagos and in some other towns, not like I expected any less.

Oh yes, I voted for Jimi Agbaje("Do you want same of the same Or Jimi Agbaje")...Really he looks the part and I think would have acted the part and I don't think he is same of the same. Alas Fashola won. You can check the results of the Gubernatorial elections in Tayo's blog. Well am not into politics so wont talk much about the candidates but am glad it was not Koro that won (i don't like that guy one bit- definitely same of the same). Am hoping and believing Fashola performs his gubernatorial duties well.

But really were the election results really fair and free like they claim? I wonder what will happen next week as per presidential elections and results.

Break Of Dawn :: Tayo Odukoya

Break Of Dawn :: Tayo Odukoya

Thought to share a friend's experience on registering to vote. Pele Tayo. I pray God rewards all our efforts or is it our intentions? :)

Ciao!

To all Nigerians in Nigeria

This is a clarion call to all Nigerians, actually to all 18 year olds and above that read my blog to please register to vote.

Ok I know the INEC registration process isn't actually the best in town but that is not an excuse for not registering. If we want to make a change in this country, if we want to get rid of all these old pot bellied men from ruling our country we have to take charge. If we don't, we can't take Nigeria back, Nigeria belongs to the youth, Nigeria belongs to us. I hear a lot of Nigerians say they are passionate about Nigeria, well this is a chance to truly show this by registering to vote and actually voting. By 2011, I strongly believe the youth will finally take over from all these babas with archaic mindsets. (I dont mean to be rude in anyway but it is the truth)

Thankfully, the government have been magnanimous enough to give Federal Govt workers (that does not inculde me, sadly) a day off on Monday the 29th January 2007, to go register. I think that's the last date actually so please get going!!!

As for those of you abroad..I guess this doesn't apply to you. E ku igbadun (I think that means keep enjoying;))

Ok got to rush off now- so overlook all my grammatical errors

Have a nice weekend!

N.B- Oh yes, I have registered already, that is why I am bold enough to ask you to go vote...lol

Someone's flying experience Post air crash

Still on flying and crashing (yah am still stupefied), someone sent this to me and I thot to share with y'all. Men, I don't blame this girl- prolly would have done worse:)) May God continue to protect us.

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I had cause to travel to Abuja a few days ago. I was accosted at the airport by a television crew who wanted to know how I felt traveling by air so soon after the ADC plane crash of October 29. "What can we do? Life must continue", I declared, matter of factly. And indeed life must go on, although I noticed that there were not too many passengers at the usually busy local wing of the Murtala Muhammad airport in Lagos.

But the drama that I experienced on the return leg of my trip was so memorable I cannot the resist the temptation to report it. I arrived at the Abuja airport very early on Friday morning, to beat the rush and see if I could get a seat on either an Aero Contractors flight or Virgin Nigeria. For now, these are the only two airlines which Nigerians prefer to patronise. But at the Aero contractor ticket counter, I was told that all the airline's early morning flights to Lagos had been fully booked. I ended up buying a Chachangi ticket. The plane was already boarding so I rushed off to the tarmac. Sitting next to me in the aircraft was a young lady who pestered me endlessly with her anxiety. First, she lamented not being able to get an Aero ticket. Then, she declared that her mother would nearly faint were she to be told that she travelled with another airline.

"Do you think this plane will get to Lagos safely?", she asked me.

"I don't see any reason why it shouldn't", I tried to reassure her.

"Ah", she sighed. "And I didn't tell anybody I was travelling o. I want my mum to see me in Lagos and be surprised."

I kept mute. I had nothing to say to this. Meanwhile, the door of the aircraft was being shut, preparatory to departure.

"They are locking the door", she told me. "Someone cannot go down again. Ah, what have I done to myself? I think I should have gone back home and travel later."

"Don't worry. We are in it already. Everything will be fine"

"But see" she said, sweeping the aircraft with her left hand. "There are not too many people on this flight. It's like other people are afraid too. This is an early morning flight on Friday, ordinarily it should be full of passengers. I just hope I have not made a mistake."

"Don't worry, take it easy. Everything will be fine."

"Anytime I can't get either Aero or Virgin, I will just go back home."

The plane was now moving onto the runway, and just as it lifted itself off the ground, it shook at the wings a bit.

"The plane is shaking. It is shaking", the lady said, her voice quivering.

"That is normal when an aircraft is taking off, It will soon stabilise once it gains altitude," I told her.

"See, other people are praying."

She placed her head on the seat in front of her and mumbled some words to the Almighty. I looked out of the window, and behold, just below us, on a burnt out patch of ground, almost at the end of the runway field, to the right of the aircraft was the tail of the ADC plane that crashed on October 29. I could see it very clearly. I drew the young lady's attention to it. She looked out too noting that the crash was really close to the airport, and judging from the position of the aircraft in which we were traveling, we were able to confirm that in fact the crashed ADC plane had not even gained altitude before it plunged into the earth below and exploded. If such an accident had occurred in a city like Lagos where houses surround the perimeter fence of the airport, the tragedy would have been worse. More people would have died. The plane was now airborne. The young lady was still fretting.

"Don't give yourself hypertension", I advised her.

"At least we have survived the take-off, it remains landing. I understand that these planes only crash when they are taking off or when they are landing," she observed.

"Well, well". I restrained myself from giving her examples of air crashes in which the aircraft developed a fault while airborne. She kept talking.

"And the planes tend to crash either on Saturdays or Sundays. Thank God today is Friday," she noted. I could see that the lady was trying so hard to reassure herself that she was safe. Just then, the cabin attendant said certain things and mentioned the name of the pilot. This proved to be a useful piece of information for her.

"The pilot is a white man", she said, sounding as if she had just resolved a puzzle. I couldn't immediately figure out what she was driving at.

"That is a white man's name" she added.

I had wanted to tell her that the pilot could well be a Nigerian bearing one of those foreign sounding names, and that she should not judge a man's colour by the sound of his name alone. But I left her alone with her illusions. She won't give up.

"At least a white pilot will be reasonable," she told me.

"How?", I asked

"He will not take the kind of risk that our people will take."

"May be." By now, this lady was beginning to get on my nerves with her panic. So, I pretended as if I was feeling sleepy. I actually rested my head on the seat in front of me. But she would not leave me alone.

"You want to sleep?"

"Yes"

"How can you sleep in this kind of situation? Me, I can't sleep o. I am going to stay awake and monitor everything that this plane does till we get down safely in Lagos."

I mumbled something about not getting enough sleep the previous day, because I don't always feel comfortable sleeping in a strange bed in a hotel. She was not interested in my sleeping habits.

"Do you think the weather is good today?", she inquired. Not being a meteorologist, I was not in a position to offer her an expert opinion on the weather, other than to describe what she herself could see. It was bright outside, and the sun was already out.

"I think the weather is good today, the pilot shouldn't have any problems", she answered her question herself. I nodded. And if it would be of any comfort to her, I drew her attention to the news that the President had redeployed Professor Babalola Borishade from the Aviation Ministry to Culture and Tourism, a sign at least that the Federal Government is just as concerned about the state of the aviation industry as the rest of us.

"Who is now the new Minister of Aviation?", she asked. I told her. She shook her head.

"But that Professor Borishade, does he have any shame at all?," she inquired. How on earth she expected me to offer a definite opinion on this, I didn't know.

"The man should know that by redeploying him, the President is making a statement of disapproval about his headship of the Aviation Ministry and particularly his management of the ADC crash. What is he going to do at the Culture Ministry? He should have resigned; in fact the President should have sacked him."

"The man says he likes his redeployment. He is not thinking of resignation. He is happy"

"Why won't he be happy? If the President had redeployed him as a Personal Assistant in the Presidency, he would also have taken it. People like him have an explanation for everything. No shame at all."

Finally, the lady kept quiet. But as soon as the cabin hostess announced that the aircraft would commence its descent into the Lagos airport, my tormentor started fretting again. But we made it. The landing was smooth, and I saw her praying again, and singing. I took a close look at her for the first time. A pretty girl. Used to being pampered, obviously. Nice physical assets; delicate and tempting features. We disembarked. It took some time before we could collect our luggage, and now it was my turn to fret. "I don't like being kept waiting", I said. "Why is it taking these people so long to bring our luggage?" Someone spoke beside me. It wasn't the lady now, but a man who had been with us on the same flight.

"Any time they like, they can bring the luggage. You should be thanking God that we had a smooth flight and arrived safely", the fellow said.

I had nothing to say to him. I didn't want another cry baby on my hands, lamenting about the woes of Nigeria's aviation industry and how it has turned air travellers into victims of paranoia.

Naija and plane crashes

Nawa for all these plane crashes in Naija. It's so scary- flying is not safe, travelling by road is even worse cuz there are no good roads! Forget rail and sea, doesnt exist in Naija! Wat is Naija turning into? It has taken me over a week now to write about it in my blog because I am still in shock. Only last year I was travelling every two weeks from Lagos to Abuja (work related) and I didn't think twice about jumping on a plane. Now I have to do like 5 days prayer and fasting to know if it pleases the Lord to travel by air.

I dunno much about the aviation industry but even a little child can tell that we have serious issues in Naija, not only with the aviation industry but with every other industry in the country and it all starts with our leaders. We need invigorating leaders in the country, all these old and archaic people should do and clear the way for younger men and women with new ideas. If the leaders we have now were the leaders around when my grandparents were still alive, when will my parents generation become leaders, when will people in my generation become leaders (confused yet??). Maybe never at this rate.

God help us o cuz you are the only one that can. Personally I don tire for this country.