The Nation Newspaper

Category: Lekan Otufodunrin

  • Social media as necessary ‘evil’

    Social media as necessary ‘evil’

    Last Friday, The Deeper Christian Life Ministry in a public announcement drew attention to the existence of a scammer/ impostor on Facebook and other social media platforms masquerading as, and impersonating Pastor F. Kumuyi, the General Superintendent of the ministry.

    The impostor reportedly plies his scam with the name ‘William Kumuyi’ and feeds unsuspecting members of the public with fake revelations and prophecies. In return, the scammer asks them to contact an orphanage on mobile phone number 09036165941.

    For the avoidance of doubt, the ministry said it does not operate orphanages or call for public donations via Facebook or any other social media and warned the public to avoid being scammed.

    The scammer in question is one of the many others on social media who are exploiting the use of the platforms to dupe people. Instead of using the platforms for what they are meant for: social and professional networking, information dissemination and gathering, the scammers have perfected the act of using fake identities of particularly prominent persons and organisations.

    The situation is so bad that one needs to be knowledgeable about the social media to ascertain a genuine or verified account on the platforms. Because of the large following and reputation of religious leaders like Pastor Kumuyi, the scammers have various accounts in their names through which they send friends requests on Facebook and follow people on Twitter.

    It is therefore easy for innocent persons, desperate for interaction of any kind with religious leaders and other prominent persons, to be duped when they can’t differentiate between the genuine and fake accounts.

    Many other organisations like the Custom Services have social media accounts with false information on sales of impounded cars which many people have fallen for. While researching a presentation on the use of social media by some government organisations, I found many social media accounts bearing names of organisations that knew nothing about the platforms they were supposed to own.

    If the scammer like in this case of Pastor Kumuyi has a phone number through which he is being contacted and bank account for payment for his ‘ministrations,’ the police, working with the telecommunication companies and banks, should be able to arrest the culprits to serve as a deterrent to others.

    New media literacy for all should be encouraged and more awareness created about the fraudulent activities of the scammers. People need to know how to confirm if a social media account is verified or is the right one. They need to know how to check the history of an account and not fall for fake ones created by fraudsters. When people suddenly get unusual requests from friends, they need to double check that it is not from impersonators who hack accounts.

    Staying away from the social media is not the solution to avoiding being impersonated as some think. The social media has become an unavoidable means of communication that every person or organisation should be active on to avoid being misrepresented.

    Those who have stayed away from social media have had accounts created for them and their images used to defraud other users. A top personality recently threatened to quit Facebook due to fraudsters who have fake accounts in his name.

    My simple advice to him was “if we don’t know the original, how do we know the fake?”

    The advantages of being on the social media far outweigh the risk of being on the platforms. Fraudsters will always want to have their way like in virtually every human endeavour, but everything possible should be done individually and collectively to stop them.

    A Yoruba proverb sums up my position on the importance of the social media. “If you close your eyes for a bad person to pass by, you may not know when a good person will”.

     

  • Stop the herdsmen now

    Stop the herdsmen now

    Herdsmen must think so highly of themselves as untouchables! If not, why should they behave as if the whole of the country is their grazing land and can therefore move into any community and exhibit what Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, last Thursday aptly described as “undisputed impunity”.

    Long before the recent cases of their serial massacres across the country that have led to an outcry for the federal government to take necessary measures to curtail them, the herdsmen have always overrun various farmlands with their cows, destroying crops and killing whoever dared to challenge them.

    Under the guise of reprisal for the killing of their cows, hundreds of persons have been killed as if the lives of their cows are more valuable than innocent victims of their attacks.

    The genocide in the Agatu community was the height of the reign of terror of the herdsmen and as usual, the police found it difficult to stop them. Even when the community raised an alarm about the number of persons killed, it was dismissed as an exaggeration.

    Not only did herdsman kill and destroy properties in the Agatu communities, they occupied some villages and prevented the indigenes from returning home.

    They have since repeated same dastardly acts in Taraba, Nassarawa, Kogi and now Enugu where over 50 persons were gruesomely killed.

    The first time I saw herdsmen in my village in Imagbon, Odogbolu Local Governemnt area of Ogun State, I was very worried and have been praying that my people back home don’t get the “herdsmen treatment” someday whenever they attempt to curtail the herdsmen’s usual excesses in disregard for their host communities.

    Worse still, their nefarious activities are not limited to rural areas. In Lagos, there have been cases where cows take over main roads, resulting sometimes in vehicles being damaged. On express roads, there have been accidents caused by cows that get in the path of speeding vehicles.

    The audacity usually exhibited by the herdsmen, who are now reported to carry sophisticated guns, instead of sticks, is such that have left Nigerians wondering if they are above the law and can’t be treated as criminals which they are.

    For too long, the excesses of the herdsmen have been tolerated and it is time they were stopped before they plunge the country into another major crisis. If communities are gracious enough to allow them to graze their cattle on their land, the herdsmen must know their bounds and not claim rights they don’t have.

    If only in the past, herdsmen have been arrested and punished for offences committed, then they would not have continued to carry on as if they are above the law.

    Deliberately, I didn’t call the herdsmen Fulanis as not all of them may be like the northern governors argued on Friday. Whoever they are and wherever they are from, they have to stop being outlaws.

    Professor Soyinka hit the nail on the head with his declaration last Thursday that the federal government’s failure to offer legal, logistical and moral response on the matter is responsible for the unrelenting violence being perpetrated by the herdsmen.

    Soyinka’s counsel should be taken seriously. What is required to halt, once and for all, the barbaric acts of the herdsmen is an articulate and firm policy on non-tolerance of violence acts by any group.

    The rampaging herdsmen must be instantly disarmed, arrested, placed on trial and have their cows confiscated. It may also be necessary to treat the herdsmen like terrorists if they refuse to cease fire.

     

  • Unilag’s avoidable closure

    Unilag’s avoidable closure

    Last Friday, the University of Lagos announced May 2 resumption date for students of the institution which was shut on April 8. The closure followed protest, mainly over lack of regular electricity and water on the campus.

    For an institution that has enjoyed smooth academic session for years, the circumstance that necessitated the students’ protest and eventual shut down, few weeks to examination, was unfortunate.

    Without a conducive environment, including regular electricity and water supply, students will definitely find it difficult to concentrate on their academic pursuits.

    As a former student of the university, I know what it means not having regular electricity to read in hostels and classrooms, and the lack of water supply for various chores. The students also claimed there was shortage of supply of sachet water on campus.

    Assuming that the situation was as bad as the student union leaders claimed, contrary to that of the university authorities, I can understand the frustration of the students and why they had no choice than to resort to the protest that led to the closure.

    However, based on the situation in the country, lack of regular electricity and water on the campus was obviously beyond the control of the university. Power supply nationwide has dipped, which is critical to proving regular electricity and water supply has drastically reduced. Lack of fuel has further complicated the situation in the country, with the operations of many institutions and organisations virtually grounding to a halt.

    If only the students knew the true state of power supply in the country and other deprivations Nigerians are copying with, they would have shown more understanding about the helplessness of the university in the present circumstance.

    In its response to the students’ protest, the university highlighted its various efforts to ensure minimum electricity and water supply,  which it said had been communicated to the student leaders.

    While the students still had the choice to protest if they thought the university was not doing enough, they should not have allowed their protest to degenerate into the a situation where the institution was shut,  to protect lives and properties.

    To confirm that the electricity and water problem on the campus cannot be resolved as quickly as the students want, the university in its re-opening notice is only promising to endeavour to provide electricity in halls of residence between 7.00pm and 7.00am daily, while boreholes in the hostels would continue to supply water until normal supply by the Lagos State Water Corporation resumes.

    As the students resume on May 2, it is necessary for both the union leaders and the university authorities to avoid circumstances that can lead to future closure. Students need to show more understanding of the limited resources available to provide services and facilities on campuses, while the authorities must always be willing to promptly respond to the grievances of the students.

     

    Waiting for Kachikwu’s fuel

    For the second time in two weeks, I have been forced to join the long queue for fuel at the official rate in an NNPC station in Lagos and end up not getting to buy after more than four hours.

    I should have known better not to waste my precious time and keep buying what I can afford at double the official price.

    The Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu, has promised again that the fuel crisis will be over next week. Like many other Nigerians, I have my doubts after previous failed promises, but I am waiting.

     

  • Earn what you’re really worth

    If you don’t agree that what the headline of this piece says is possible, you are not alone. Even the author of the book with this title, Brian Tracy, was shocked and angry when he first heard of the idea.

    He argued vigorously that it is not true. I can imagine some readers dismissing the concept as one of those wishful thinking of motivation speakers and authors.

    Just like what many Nigerians currently going through hard times will think, Tracy said he blamed his low income on “my parents, my education, my boss, my company, my industry, my competition, and the economy.

    “Then I looked around me, and realised that there were hundreds and even thousands of people who had the same problems and limitations I did but who were earning far more than I was and living much better lives,” Tracy, a high school dropout  who has since become a world renowned consultant, trainer and personal development specialist, wrote.

    At times like the kind we find ourselves in the country when promise of change is turning to despair; when the economy seems getting out of control of the government, everyone needs inspiration to make the best of the worrisome situation.

    In my desperation to earn more income to meet, not only my personal and family needs, but numerous requests for assistance which I cannot cope with, the title of this book recently caught my attention and I have been trying to find out what the author has to say about why I am not earning what I think I am really worth after almost thirty years of graduating from the university.

    One of the criticisms of foreign motivational books is that they are based on what obtains in the developed nations where “everything works.” What I have found out reading Earn What You’re Really Worth and many others is that the principles of success and prosperity are universal.

    While we may have many limiting factors in our country, I am convinced that there are basic things everyone has to do not to remain poor or earn more than their present income. No matter how hard one tries, chances are that you may not achieve your goal, but you won’t remain where you used to be if you try hard enough.

    Two quotes from Tracy’s book summarise how to maximise one’s income, no matter the circumstance in any market whether in an underdeveloped, developing and developed country.

    “If you want to succeed and achieve everything possible that is possible for you, you are going to have to work smarter and more diligently than before. To move to the top of your field, you are going to have to start a little earlier, work a little harder, and stay a little later.”

    “Successful people are not necessarily those who make the right decisions all the time. The world belongs to those who reach out and grab it with both hands. It belongs to those who do something rather than just wish and hope, and plan and pray, and intend to do something someday, when everything is just right.”

    When the governments at various levels fail us like they always do, the option open to anyone who wants to earn what he or she is really worth is to decide to do what Tracy says: “Take complete control of your career and your income so you can survive and thrive in any economy.”

    The executive and legislature can continue to argue about the 2016 budget and decide when to start to implement it, my decision is that their action and inaction will not decide how much I will earn this year. I will earn what I am really worth and even surpass it.

     

  • Who should head government agencies?

    Who should head government agencies?

    If government organisations are to be well managed, the right persons have to be appointed to head them. Instead of compensating just any member of the ruling party at any level by appointing them to head government agencies and be boards members, it necessary to ensure that only those who have the necessary experience and competence are chosen.

    I don’t have any problem with party members who worked hard to ensure the victory of any political office holders being compensated, but they should be assigned to where they have the capacity to deliver on campaign promises.

    I want to assume that this is probably the reason why the federal government is taking its time to replace heads of various agencies appointed by the Jonathan administration who have been relieved of their positions.

    Those recently sacked should be grateful that they were not given the boot the week the new government took over as it was the case in the past. It would have been unwise to retain most of them considering their partisan relationship with the last administration.

    So far, there are indications that those who have been appointed to head some agencies have what it takes to live up to expectations. What the appointees must realise is that much is expected of the new administration that has promised change and it cannot be business as usual in the way they go about their assignments.

    The revelations about how the agencies were run under the Jonathan administration are mind-boggling and everything necessary has to be done to redress the situation through efficient management and respect for corporate governance.

    While the government should not hesitate to replace any official found wanting, caution must be exercised in some instances where the present heads of parastatals yet to be removed, are capable of sustaining the progress made over the years.

    Some parastatals have suffered from indiscriminate changes of leadership; that care has to be taken not to repeat the mistakes of the past where the credentials of some appointed ‘outsiders’ are questionable.

    A veteran journalist, Olu Ayela, in a recent article expressed concern over the speculated lobby for the replacement of Engineer Saleh Dunoma as Managing Director of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

    Ayela’s concern is that the removal of Dunoma, who joined the organisation in 1980 and rose through the ranks before his appointment in March 2014, will truncate the smooth running of the agency since he took over.

    Normally, experts like Dunoma who have requisite in-house and wide experience in their industry should be allowed to head their organisations instead of disrupting the system by bringing outsiders who may not have the required expertise.

    One of the ways we can guarantee that staff of government agencies are committed to their jobs and demand excellent performance from them, is to ensure that they can aspire to the highest position in their organisations.

    For us to be taken seriously in international circles, heads of critical major agencies should not be changed too frequently based on political considerations.

    Except where they are found wanting in the discharge of their duties, security of tenure should be guaranteed for such chief executives to enable them face their assignments without any fear of being removed for no just cause.

    Those who should be appointed or retained to head government agencies, like in the private sector, should be round pegs in round holes.

  • Keep Lagos safe and peaceful

    Just last week, I wrote about how Lagos under the administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode can be said to be working very well.

    In less than a year of taking over from his predecessor, Mr Raji Fashola, whose accomplishments remain a reference point among his colleagues, Ambode has not only sustained the tempo of performance, but seems determined to surpass Fashola’s.

    The response I got to my last week’s write-up confirmed that many initially had doubts about Ambode’s ability to live up to expectations, but his performance so far gives a lot of hope that the state is set for yet another glorious era.

    Two incidents last week, the kidnapping of three students of the Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary School in Ikorodu and the ethnic clash that led to the closure of the Mile 12 Market in Ketu are very unfortunate and must be dealt with decisively.

    The kidnapping of the girls in a manner similar to that of the Chibok girls who are yet to be found, is very frightening and is capable of putting a doubt on the safety of school children in the state.

    Governor Ambode is known to accord safety a high priority judging by the huge amount recently committed to equipping the police command and other security agencies in the state.

    Everything possible must be done to ensure that the girls are rescued alive urgently as promised by the governor. There are reports of the kidnappers demanding for ransom and whatever negotiation is going on must be handled carefully.

    There is need to crack this case and get to the root of the matter before kidnappers of school children start having a field day in the state. While waiting for the girls to be rescued, school authorities must step up their security. Movement of school buses, pupils and students must be monitored.

    The Mile 12 incident should also be properly resolved to prevent a recurrence as the warring groups seem determined to continue to confront themselves in retaliation for their losses.

    The swift intervention of the Rapid Response Squad of the police command and the military saved the day in what could have been one of the bloodiest ethnic clashes in the state.

    The closure of the market and restriction of movements in the affected streets are in order and must be enforced until peace can be guaranteed in the community.

    Ordinarily, the clash said to have been triggered off by an attack on a motorcyclist should not have been enough to lead to the kind of bloody incident recorded last Monday but for the tension which must have been building up between the Yoruba and the Hausa community for whatever reasons.

    As Governor Ambode rightly noted, ethnic clashes, usually hijacked by miscreants, are not unusual in a multi-ethnic city like Lagos, but more than ever before, law and order should be enforced in every community.

    My worry when I heard of the Mile 12 incident was that it could spread to other parts of the state where Yorubas and Hausas are known to be managing to live in peace despite occasional disagreements. Thankfully it has not and I pray it doesn’t.

    Despite the state government efforts to regulate the operation of motorcyclists, the rate at which the crowd of obviously unlicensed Hausa riders, who can barely communicate with their passengers, is growing in New Oko Oba area, is worrisome.

    I won’t be surprised if what led to the clash in Ketu triggers off a similar confrontation in New Oko Oba based on the reckless driving one witnesses daily in the Abbatoir area. A stitch in time saves nine.

    To keep Lagos safe and peaceful is a task that must be done. Governor Ambode over to you.

  • Lagos keeps working

    Lagos keeps working

    One popular slogan of former Enugu State Governor Chimaroke Nnamani’s administration was, Enugu is working, to God be the glory. The slogan was meant to drum it into the ears of everyone, in the state and outside, who cares to listen that the government was living up to the expectations of the people.

    Long after his tenure, the citizens of the states are in a better position to say if the state really worked then or not.

    However, if there is a state the citizens and residents should count themselves lucky, going by the accomplishments of successive civilian governors since the return to civil rule, it should be Lagos.

    From the tenure of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to that of Raji Fashola and now Akinwunmi Ambode, so much has been accomplished in the state in terms of social and economic development.

    Unlike some states with huge federal allocations with not much to show for it over the years,  Lagos has continued to have governors who have clear visions about what is required to make it a model state for others to emulate.

    Notwithstanding that the state has been ruled by governors from the opposition party until now, the past governors have implemented programmes and policies that even the ruling party then could not but acknowledge as examplary.

    True to his slogan, Eko o ni baje, (Lagos will not get bad) Fashola built on Tinibu’s achievements and earned himself recognition as the governor to beat among his colleagues.

    President Muhammed Buhari obviously appointed Fashola as a ‘super minister’ because he wants him to replicate his Lagos magic at the federal level.

    When he initially took over from Fashola, there were concerns that Ambode may not be able to sustain his predecessor’s record, not to talk of surpassing them.

    Ambode has, however, since been doing his best to prove his critics wrong with many projects and new policy direction to his credit. By the way he his fulfilling his election promises, the new governor has, indeed, confirmed his campaign slogan, Eko sese bere ni, which means Lagos has just started.

    If Lagosians think Fashola was an outstanding governor, my understanding of Ambode’s slogan is that, we have not seen anything yet. I take it that he is prepared to take the state to greater heights.

    In the ‘outland’ part of the state I live and drive through daily, Abule Egba/Agege, the governor’s imprint is clearly visible with street lights and road construction completed in record time. A particular road that has remained uncompleted under his two predecessors was completed within weeks.

    Motorists along the Abule Egba junction of the Lagos/Abeokuta road can’t wait to have the overhead bridge which the governor has promised to build.

    I am aware of many other parts of the state which Ambode has spread out his ‘rapid development’ agenda to and hope that in the years ahead, he will do more.

    His huge support for the police to ensure safety is commendable and everything possible must be done to reduce the crime rate in the state.

    Transportation, both on land and waterways, remains a major challenge to crack but the steps already being taken should be improved on.

    The light rail system commenced by Fashola should be one of the priority projects of the Ambode administration to cater for the mass movement of people in the part of Lagos it is meant to serve.

    Many parts of the state are overdue for urban renewal and the governor must not hesitate to take necessary action in line with the mega city status of the state.

    Rural Lagos communities are crying for attention and they deserve to be provided basic amenities.

    Ambode has enough time on his hands to leave Lagos better than he met it. His performance so far suggests that he has what it takes to provide the kind of leadership Lagos deserves.

    He must disappoint those who still think the shoes of his predecessors are too big for him.

     

  • The Olajumokes among us

    Her middle name could well be Lucky. Former bread seller-turned ‘super’ model, Olajumoke Orisaguna, will forever be grateful for the day she hawked her way to fame and fortune by unknowingly appearing in a picture taken by celebrity photographer TY Bello during a photo-shoot.

    Following Olajumoke’s appearance on the cover of a Fashion magazine as a model, thanks to Bello, she has become a celebrity with all manners of offers coming her way along with the husband and children.

    I rejoice with Olajumoke and thank Bello for going out of her way to change the story of the bread hawker for good.  I also commend individuals and organisations that have come up to celebrate the lucky lady and reward her abundantly beyond what she can ever imagine she will ever have from being a mere bread seller.

    Before the euphoria of Olajumoke’s luck dies out, there is an important lesson from Bello’s act of kindness which must not be lost on everyone. This incident should be a challenge for many more people to make lasting impact on the lives of ordinary people around us.

    Bello is definitely not the first person to look out for a poor Nigerian like Olajumoke to support. Thanks to the social media, this case has gone viral, unlike many others done without any media mention.

    More than ever before, notwithstanding the economic situation in the country, we all should be determined to be the ‘angel’ for many faceless Nigerians who are not sure of the next meal or how to pay for some other essential needs.

    We live in a country where the economic conditions have made it impossible for many to live above poverty level. The likes of Olajumoke, mother of two children, who has to hawk bread to sustain her family, is a typical case of the standard of living of a majority of Nigerians.

    For Nigerians who are fortunate and don’t belong to the category of the Olajumokes, they don’t have to look far to find people in need of assistance.

    Downtrodden Nigerians are in our extended families, neigbourhoods, communities, workplaces, worship centres and many more.

    If we are to wait for the government to implement necessary policies to cater for poor Nigerians, we may have to wait forever. It is not in all cases that poor people don’t want to do something to earn some income, however little, but the basic social structures to keep them going are just not available.

    Part of the help we need to offer is to keep advocating for good governance that can ensure that more people are rescued from poverty which keeps growing by the day.

    Empowerment programmes either by government or organisations should really be empowering to ensure that people are taught marketable skills and provided tools.

    Those involved in helping Olajumoke to manage her new status should ensure that she and her husband get help to set up sustainable business or careers.

    Her case should not be like people who win lotteries and in later years found themselves back in poverty due to mismanagement of the money they made or opportunities they got.

  • My friend needs your ‘financial love’

    Today is Valentine Day, better known as Lovers’ Day. While many are consumed in the celebration of what the Greeks refer to as Eros love, which is ” a passionate and intense love that arouses romantic feelings, “I am opting to mark today’s celebration by drawing attention to the plight of a good friend of mine who is need of financial help to arrest his desperate health condition.

    Love is much more than the passionate feelings most take it for. It is also according to Wikipedia, the virtue representing human kindness, compassion and affection- “the unselfish and benevolent concern for the good of another.” Olamide Bakare, a recent Mass Communication graduate of the University of Lagos is in need of the love of Nigerians who want to fulfill that injunction to love our neighbors as ourselves.

    The 43 year-old has been diagnosed of Ankylosing spondylitis and Cervical spondylosis, an ailment which presently causes him severe pain in the neck (anterocollis), forward flexion of the head and neck, spine pain, hip flexor spasm, coupled with eye pain, which he says have become unbearable.

    Initially, he thought it was the stress and strains of his days in the university that triggered the pains, but upon consultation with an orthopaedist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, diagnoses revealed the pains are not unconnected with the deteriorating Ankylosing spondylitis and Cervical spondylosis, which he had been diagnosed of years back and which medical experts say could lead to total loss of mobility in the affected areas, if urgent surgical correction is not done. This necessitated an intensive search for medical help out of the shore of the country.

    Fortunately, Artemis Hospital in Delhi, India came into the picture and they have offered to take in Bakare for treatment. The treatment, including bilateral total hip replacement and cervical artificial disc replacement would be done at the hospital, one of the best and most recently built hospitals in India, equipped with the latest and most sophisticated technology at a total cost of N5.5million

    This cost covers flight ticket for both the patient and escort, fees for recuperation at a guesthouse, drugs and miscellaneous.

    Going by Bakare’s financial status, he is unable to afford this huge expenses, hence his call on well-meaning Nigerians for help.

    Bakare lost both parents in the course of his travail and also lost contact with his immediate siblings, who literally abandoned him to his fate. But he did not lose hope. Despite the disheartening situation, he mustered the courage to live and even went as far as taking up menial jobs like laundry to eke a living.

    It is also partly due to this ailment that Bakare only just graduated last June (2015) at 43, 19 years after secondary school in 1991. But his wait may be said to be worth its while, as he came out with a promising Second-Class Upper degree.

    In the last couple of years, which coincided with his final years in the university, Bakare has been an advocate of good governance for Nigerians, especially the less privileged and the vulnerable group in society, using his writing skill to give voice to the voiceless in the society through many newspaper publications.

    Please join me in lending a hand to my friend in dire need of help? Your contribution should be send to his account: Bakare Olamide Zenith Bank Account number: 2088803768. He can also be reached via his mobile phone numbers: 08165258647, 08170295881.

  • Advice for job seekers

    Advice for job seekers

    Getting a job after graduating from the University has never been easy based on my personal experience.

    Although, I have heard stories of undergraduates being recruited ahead of graduation and known lucky persons who got employed easily  due to one factor or the other, that was not my experience as far back as 1986 when I completed my national  youth service.

    I remember waiting for months before I got what I grudgingly accepted as my first job in a relatively unknown magazine I never imagine I could work for.

    In my desperation to get a job, I responded to a tiny advert of a publishing company in the defunct Daily Times seeking to employ writers and found out it was that of one Contractor Magazine.

    Although I was employed as a writer, I ended up serving as not just a writer but also as an advert executive, proof reader and the guy to send on errand for matters not in any way related with my editorial job.

    However while on duty for the magazine, I ran into a classmate who was already a company executive while we were in school who gave me a note to a Public Relations Manager to help me get a better job.

    I eventually met the PR Manager who had no job for me in his company but gave me a note to a deputy editor of the defunct Concord newspapers. Again there was no space to accommodate me in Concord though I was an intern in the newspaper house and had many publications, including front page stories to my credit.

    The editor gave me another note to the Editor of The Punch who I did not meet during the first week – I went to the office every day.

    The death of late elder statesman, Chief Obafemi Awolowo turned out to be an opportunity for me to get stories from his Apapa residence from from Ajegunle where I live to prove that I could write when I eventually met the editor.

    After writing a few more stories, I got employed as Ogun State Correspondent and was sent to Abeokuta in May 1987, almost a year after completing my youth service.

    My job seeking experience above is the story I usually tell job seekers who can’t understand why they find it difficult to a job early enough after their NYSC. Like I use to tell them, jobs have always been hard to get in the country.

    It is not a recent development though I agree it’s tougher now with the bad economic situation and large number of graduates compared with in 1987.

    While hoping that the situation will get better with policies that can ensure more employment opportunities, my counsel is that job seekers have to live with the harsh reality of the present times when too many people are chasing the few available jobs.

    Before some of them start thinking that they are jinxed or are victims of one spiritual attack or the other, the truth is that there are not enough jobs to go round thousands of graduates of the many government and private universities who need employment.

    I must have shocked some students of a Polytechnic when I told them that if their institution and many others don’t produce graduates for some years no one will miss them. However that is the sad truth of the situation we have on our hands as a country.

    So what options are open to the job seekers? They have to keep trying and not get tired easily or too soon. They need to know that getting the few jobs available will be very competitive and therefore have to be the best if they have no ‘godfather’.

    One difficult option they should keep in mind is that they may have to create new jobs themselves. They must be at their creative best at times like this and be ready to be their own boss to end their endless search for non existence job.

    Good luck.