The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Past

  • Quotes from the past

    The hope of transformation and change still floats high!

    Today, dear reader, we are treating you to an excellent dish of quotable quotes from essays past and essays gone from this column on the Nigerian brand of politics. Hopefully, yesterday’s elections have come and gone, and while we await the results, we will all school our hearts and minds and stomachs to accept the outcomes. While we wait, let us enjoy this potpourri of assorted smile-bringers:

    ‘No right-minded parent living in the twenty-first century would send his child into the forest to learn life’s lessons now. I think, rather, that many parents would prefer to go and stay in the forest themselves if they are sure their children will not be there! But here was Nigeria, while still tottering on her feet and not even used to wearing shoes, being granted independence and told she could now live alone. More or less, she was told to go into the wild forest of democracy, unschooled, untutored, and survive. Naturally, she has had to learn her democratic lessons on the job. This is why she has the fragments of so many republics strewn around her.’ (From ‘How many republics does Nigeria need to get it?’ 2011).

    ‘The wonder of politics is the fact that all the gladiators believe it is only a game, yet few can truly say ‘I concede defeat.’ To a man (and woman!), eyes bulging out, sinews taut, mouths widened, all contestants in these elections are hauling disgraceful tirades, unbefitting epithets, unmentionable names and claiming pyrrhic victories that will certainly destroy them in the end. Clearly, anyone who wins will exude nothing but the putrid stench of the cesspool fight. So, we have a divided polity. We have contestants roiling in murky cesspools of other-loathing and an electorate dreaming of change.’ (From ‘Did my vote really count?’ 2011).

    ‘Once upon a time, a politician was said to have been given the very onerous task of ensuring that he sacrificed a pigeon daily into a pot under his bed, to ensure the sustenance of the political victory he pilfered. Three things came out from that story. One, the herbalist was more powerful than the people or the constitution; two, the politician had little time to do the work he was ‘elected’ to do because he was too busy sacrificing pigeons; and three, the pigeon population became greatly depleted. And so, the Nigerian political arena is filled with politicians crisscrossing the terrains looking for good herbalists or hit men, not votes.’ (From ‘Where is the sport in the game of politics?’ 2011).

    ‘Then my mind went to the recent events in the country, particularly the recent crash of a sitting governor’s ‘private plane’ and it did some somersaults, my mind that is, not the plane. How on earth is a governor able to afford a ‘private plane’? Is his state able to afford a modern, 21st century transportation or electricity system or housing or water or hospital or living standard or any standard for its citizens? What roils the mind is that you can’t just decide to go and greet your friend with those things. Where will you pack it, your friend’s bicycle shed? And then rumour has it that there are many other governors on the waiting list for these winged things, waiting to buy them that is, and may be fly them and crash them. What is just wrong with us in this country that robs us of all thoughtfulness? I hear one of them powerful government people bought one of those planes, and, not having too many places to go with it, had to leave the thing hanging around all day many days in its hangar. Now, I have to struggle for fuel with their stupid planes.’ (From ‘Of private planes, police copters, air ambulances and fire engines’ 2012).

    ‘Better still, we could ask our artists to draw us a picture of democracy to include the following, if I may. First, I expect democracy to have a heart of gold – kind and caring – with which it would touch the lives of all those who believe in it. Then, it should be strong enough to be able to endure all the attacks and attempts of its enemies to weaken its structures, particularly politicians who like to call white black and black white. Then, it should look attractive. It shouldn’t look too much like a woman, beguiling and deceptive; nor too much like a man, deceptive and destructive. It should just look … right. Once, a man was arrested for being drunk. He explained that a woman had asked him to build for her a new hen house from the materials of the old one. He should, however, not tear down the old one until he had finished the new one. So, he went out and got drunk. I believe the artist will get the picture.’ (From ‘Wherefore art thou called democracy?’ 2012).

    ‘We need to demonstrate that we understand democracy now or quit trying. Clearly, in the hands of this present breed of politicians, it is patently endangered. In itself, doubtless, it is one of the noblest pursuits of man. Democracy allows government to be unobtrusive and minimally involved in man’s daily life as it quietly directs national activities for altruistic goals aimed at mankind’s benefit. Democracy is worth pursuing because it allows man to reach that basic and minimum level of life required for the pursuit of happiness. If only … if only … (sigh!) … if only we did not have all these politicians standing in the way of our pursuit of democratic happiness. Now, what do we do? Just what do we do?’ (From ‘Demonstrate democracy or quit trying’ 2012).

    ‘Clearly, it is time to call out the democracy umpire. No democracy can thrive in a colony of ants that refuses to know and respect the positions, authorities and limits of its members. They will all soon go array and awry. Let the umpire tell us: have we got it (democracy) or have we lost it (our good sense)? I think we have not got it, and I think we have completely lost it. For one thing, the government needs to realise that the people, the electors, want to be respected. For another, we the people want life to be a little more possible so that the president will stop enjoying his score card alone. Let us the people enjoy it too.’ (From ‘Democracy Day blues’ 2013).

    ‘This is why it is possible for the president of this country to forget the people’s will in the matter of who wins or does not win a governorship or senatorial seat election. I hear reps and senators from that party are also demanding that the largesse of automatic second term be extended to them. That means no election on earth can replace them. Hurray!  Frankly, I think we should by-pass these assemblymen and vote in the godfathers. They are more knowing. And while we are on the matter, I would like to also obtain the president’s permission to go for a second term as the chief controller of my dog. He is somewhat heady and I am not too popular with him right now mainly because I have not been too kind to him. If he were asked to choose his controller through an election …’ (From ‘Nigerian leaders: A commitment to sharing…’ 2014).

    Postscript today:

    In all honesty, I would like to report that the results of those essays have led to the transformation of the country, but I can’t. The evidence on ground belies that fact. PHCN still releases and withholds electricity at will, politicians are still crazy; the roads I ply are still impassable, literally; food is still astronomically expensive even for me (I now eat beef sparingly, honest! Plus my doctor has pitilessly struck it off my diet), etc. Yep, the hope of transformation and change still floats high!

  • Memories from the past

    For Cecilia, the past few months have been chaotic indeed. The lady in her mid thirties has had to work on so many projects and family engagements that could not be shelved. Personally, her philosophy in life is that what must be done must be done well. So, she put all her resources and energy into the activities and made sure everything was in order.

    By the time she was sure that everything was okay, Cecilia realised that the stress had taken a toll on her health. She decided that it was better to take a break for two weeks. Naturally, travelling came to her mind and she made arrangements to go out of town for a while.

    It was fun and Cecilia met new friends. Fortunately or unfortunately, two days before the end of this memorable holiday, Cecilia slipped and got a dislocation in the right arm. What a pity! The pain was simply unbearable and the trauma made her forget the sweet memories she had just experienced. She then had to ask for an extension of her leave to sort out this silly arm that now became the centre of attention.

    Her boss granted the leave extension and advised her to take things calmly. The first few days and weeks were very traumatic for her. The arm ached so badly and she wondered why it chose to happen at this point. As a matter of fact, the strain reminded her about the bitter memories from her last relationship. “Emeka was an ungrateful idiot. When I met him, he had no job, no house and was nothing except his degree. At that point, he looked very humble and appeared to be righteous.” She strongly believed in impacting people’s lives and she began to help him open doors that had been closed for so long. “I had some savings in the cooperative society of the organisation that I was working for and I was allowed to borrow twice as much. I gave the money to Emeka to start a business and he was very happy at that point.”

    Was that a smart thing to do? Well, we can’t really blame her because love is about giving and sharing. “He used the money to start a business and things went right. I also introduced him to a number of friends and acquaintances and he got a number of contracts in the process.”

    Two years down the lane, Emeka’s fortune changed, and for his sweetheart, this was the best time to show gratitude. She was wrong! Just before she realised that she had made a mistake, he began to tell her that she was not fit to be his better half. “Suddenly, he began to complain about my dress sense and a number of other things. I told him that I would change and he agreed to give me another chance.”

    Was this lover boy truly going to give our friend a second chance? “About six months after, I got a letter from Emeka, saying that he had travelled to the United States and that he had married someone else.” Poor Cecilia, she was devastated and her heart sank. She promised never to fall in love again. Thinking about this grand betrayal now made her health deteriorate. Interestingly, the doctor on duty took a keen interest in her. It turned out that he was another victim of love and somehow they got closer and closer. He turned out to be the man she had been waiting for all this while.

    The big question here, is how do you find your bearing when you are at an emotional crossroads? First, it is important not to play the blame game. Assigning blame will cause the other person to either get defensive or feel worthless. Neither of those feelings promotes peace in a relationship. When blame enters into the conversation, then one person becomes the victim and the other becomes the reason why bad things are happening. Does that sound like a platform for a loving and peaceful relationship? You are in this relationship together and assigning blame just creates a separation in your partnership.  Resist the temptation to assign blame, band together, and work through the situation like partners.

    One other thing that you need to do is to remember why you fell in love with them in the first place. When we are upset with our partner, it is easy to focus on what we think they did wrong, or even what we think is wrong with them. How productive is that mindset? What we focus on expands and becomes more noticeable. Wouldn’t it be better to remind yourself what you love about this person and why you fell in love with them in the first place? If you want a happy and peaceful relationship, apply the life skills of positive thinking and positive focus.

    If you find yourself feeling moody and argumentative, focus on the blessings in your life. Focus on the deep value that your partner has added to your life. By shifting your focus, you shift your state away from the negative and toward the positive.

  • Buhari: past or present

    Speaking of an albatross from the past and its perpetually negative potential, Gen Muhammadu Buhari, former military head of state, three-time unsuccessful presidential hopeful and presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), must be wondering what it would take for the people to accept him as an evolved leader, which is not to suggest that he has stopped evolving.  It would appear that the evidence of his evolution might not be enough, which could be a complicating factor.

    In an interview he granted CNN, which was significant especially on account of the medium’s global stature and influence, the difficulty of convincingly communicating Buhari’s  personal progression was discernible. CNN International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour asked Buhari: “The headlines around the world are that the Nigerian presidential election is a contest between a failed president and former dictator, and you are the former dictator. Some people say that you expelled 700,000 migrants years back, thinking that it would create jobs; that you banned political meetings and free speech; that you detained thousands of people; set up secret tribunals; executed people for crimes that were not capital offences. Have you changed or are these what the Nigerian people should look forward to if you win the election?”

    Buhari’s answer was disarmingly frank and philosophically potent. He said: “All those things you mentioned with a degree of accuracy were what actually happened, but they were under a military administration. When the military under my leadership came on board, we suspended those aspects of the constitution that we felt would make it difficult for us to operate under the circumstance we found ourselves.” Then he delivered what could prove to be a defining consideration in the presidential election: “But, I think I would be judged harshly as an individual by what happened during that military administration, or to extend what happened under a military administration to a democratic system.”

    Interestingly, this argument highlighting the necessary antagonism between dictatorship and democracy is not new and has come to represent something of a stock response to critics of Buhari’s past in power. Without doubt, it is a rational and logical defence of dynamism. However, it remains to be seen whether sense would subvert sensation, or more specifically, whether common sense would shred common sensation.

    Indeed, it is paradoxical that Buhari’s image as a change agent or game-changing player ahead of the poll is rooted in a positively unchanged aspect of his personality.  Also fascinating is the effect of this changelessly appealing dimension of his character. It is enlightening that Buhari’s rich reputation for integrity has remained fundamentally undamaged since his military leadership from December 1983 to August 1985.

    This is not only the crux of the matter but also the cross of the man. Those who fear the probable anti-corruption implications of a Buhari presidency may not be exactly paranoid, given his antecedents as a former military ruler whose short-term regime sought to cleanse the rot through unusually severe methods. However, perhaps the overriding argument in favour of Buhari, which should recommend him for power at this point in time, is his unassailable antiseptic personality. The truth is that those who have professionalised corruption deserve every possible fear; and a leader known to have zero tolerance for corruption like Buhari may well be the best positioned to reverse the rubbish.

    If former president Olusegun Obasanjo is to be believed, and there are certainly reasons to believe him, the mountainous magnitude of official corruption in the country and the fearfulness of the culpable may be strong factors  hardening the apparent desperation of President Goodluck Jonathan to cling to power despite his unmistakable unpopularity.

    It is illuminating that in reaction to the controversial rescheduling of the country’s general elections by six weeks, Obasanjo said: “I believe the President’s fear is not leaving office per se, because he and I have had occasions to talk about this both seriously and jovially. I believe the President would want an opportunity to disengage peacefully and have a nice, decent and glorious exit. I believe the President’s fear is, particularly, motivated by those who see Gen Buhari as his likely successor.”

    So, why is Buhari, perceived as a bugbear?  Obasanjo again: “I believe those people have been telling him that Buhari is a hard man, he would fight corruption and you may end up in jail if not in the grave. I believe people must have told him all sorts of things and he is not the only one, there are other people who may be afraid of Buhari.”

    It is important to note that this alleged fear of Buhari transcends despotism or democracy, meaning that the apprehension is not actually about Buhari the unreformed military dictator or Buhari the democratic convert, but really about the essential Buhari. In other words, Buhari is a threat as a quintessential anti-corruption figure, whether he is in uniform or out of uniform.

    To reformulate the description of the country’s expected presidential election as “a contest between a failed president and former dictator,” it may be more profound to describe the poll as a battle between a champion of corruption and a crusader against corruption. When the choices are presented and seen from this angle, it might be easier for Buhari to surmount the blame from the past.  Perhaps it is in the interest of the collective memory to suspend remembrance. This is a time for the people to earnestly reimagine the country’s leadership, not dwelling upon Buhari’s past in power but focusing on his present and unchanging opposition to corruption, which is a blight on the land.

    Amanpour asked Buhari: “On corruption, there are complaints by many people in your country over massive corruption. Can you face up against that? Are you committed to rooting out corruption? Buhari replied: “We have to because there are serious citizens who said that “unless Nigeria kills corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria.”  The question must be asked: Who wants Nigeria to die of corruption?

  • Buhari: It’s harsh to judge me by the past

    Buhari: It’s harsh to judge me by the past

    Former Head of State and presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) General Muhammadu Buhari fielded questions from the CNN International Correspondent, Christiane Amanpour, on his vision, insecurity in the Northeast, polls shift and other issues. Excerpts:

    What is your reaction to the delay in the elections by six weeks, and President Goodluck Jonathan’s promise that the military will make inroad in the area of security of the Northeast in six weeks?

    My reaction is that of disappointment because the presentation made by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was that they were ready to conduct the election on the dates they fixed a year ago, and for them to be forced virtually by the military, which said that they cannot guarantee the safety of INEC staff, which made the commission to concede to the demand of additional six weeks. But, since six weeks is within the time stipulated by the constitution, we had to advise our supporters to remain calm, resolute and obey the law.

    You are a former military General, and you ruled the country briefly. Why is it that the Nigerian military today cannot take on Boko Haram and has failed to combat that terrorist organisation?

    The issue was made much clear when the National Assembly attempted to conduct a hearing after soldiers granted interviews to foreign media about being sent to the fronts without proper weapons. The National Assembly attempted to conduct a hearing by  inviting all the Service Chiefs to come and explain why weapons were not procured and sent to the soldiers under competent leadership. But, the hearing was scuttled. This shows misapplication or misappropriation of resources provided by the government. It also explains why the Nigerian military has been unable to defeat Boko Haram.

    You recently got a huge endorsement from a former ally of President Jonathan; former President Olusegun Obasanjo. How do you react to that and what will that do to your campaign?

    It will certainly bring more supporters to us and more confidence again to us and those who were sitting on the fence before now because General Obasanjo is highly respected and as far as the Nigerian nation is concern, there is no serious issue that can be discussed without people seeking for his opinion and listening to it.

    The headlines around the world are that the Nigerian presidential election is a contest between a failed president and former dictator, and you are the former dictator. Some people say that you expelled 700,000 migrants years back, thinking that it would create jobs; that you banned political meetings and free speech; that you detained thousands of people; set up secret tribunals; executed people for crimes that were not capital offences. Have you changed or are these what the Nigerian people should look forward to if you win the election?

    All those things you mentioned with a degree of accuracy were what actually happened, but they were under a military administration. When the military under my leadership came on board, we suspended those aspects of the constitution that we felt would make it difficult for us to operate under the circumstance we found ourselves. But, I think I would be judged harshly as an individual by what happened during that military administration, or to extend what happened under a military administration to a democratic system.

    Now that you say that you are a democrat, what do you think you can do to combat Boko Haram and the galloping corruption in your country?

    We know how Boko Haram started. Certainly, the Nigerian military has built a reputation for effectiveness, but it is a great embarrassment to the country that the military has not been able to secure Nigeria’s territory, losing 14 out of 774 local governments. I believe that it will not be difficult for an APC government to deal with Boko Haram because we know that the Nigerian military is competent. What we will do is to make sure the funds voted for equipment and training are properly utilized.

    On corruption, there are complains by many people in your country over massive corruption. Can you face up against that? Are you committed to rooting out corruption?

    We have to because there are serious citizens of our country who said that “unless Nigeria kills corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria.” And this was best illustrated by the hearings conducted by the National Assembly on the pension fund, power sector and petroleum industry, on which the country depends on for about 90 per cent of its external revenue. The National Assembly conducted the hearings here in Abuja and the six geo-political zones of the country. They sent their recommendation to the executive,  but it has been there collecting dust in the last 18 months.

  • ‘Why past leaders are not supporting Jonathan

    ‘Why past leaders are not supporting Jonathan

    Former Kogi State Acting Governor Clarence Olafemi is a member of the Presidential Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC). In this interview with JAMES AZANIA, he speaks about the chances of the party in the North Central state. 

    The APC presidential campaign rally in Kogi was a huge success. How did you achieve that?

    We have no sitting governor. So, we had to carry our cross by ourselves. The whole thing is gone, but we thank God that it was a huge success. I have never witnessed the kind of crowd that I saw in Obajana alone. What I saw in Obajana was about three times what I saw in the stadium. It is unbelievable, even those ones alone vote in Kogi and they are all of voters’ age; forget about the problem of distribution of permanent voters’ card (PVC) cards, I have no doubt that the result of election, come February 14, will be too fantastic in Kogi.

    Initially, they were saying Kogi will be only 20 per cent but I told them they should aim at 80 per cent. I have been able to prove my worth, having overseen the conduct of a governorship election in 2008, that we won massively, I have proved that I am a manager of election process, by making sure that I delivered over 80 per cent of the total vote cast to my party, PDP then. There is no assignment you give me you judge me by my result. The next thing you can use in judging me was the decamping. The decamping to APC has never been so successful.

    The records are there. The leadership of the APC were so happy. In Kogi, we can get this crowd? There was no sort of insinuation that was not made; they said we rented crowd. Even if we borrowed, we borrowed from PDP and PDP cooperated? Is that not interesting? Even if to say we rented it means that the people we rented they have agreed to be hired. But the truth of the matter was that it was a fantastic success, the decamping was also centred around me, with the likes of Baba (John) Oda who was the leader of the group. He is a leader but the engine room is somewhere, and this one now has proved beyond reasonable doubt that Clarence Olafemi is capable of managing any political activity or structure. My concern is that let Clarence Olafemi not work and some sycophants will go and take the credit somewhere. The only leader ahead of me is Prince Abubakar Audu and he was not around, he came two days to the day. I have to give the credit vintage information because you don’t value what you have until you don’t have it again. I predicted to one of my closest political friends, Barrister Haruna, that there is going to be a Tsunami two weeks to the election and it is happening now. It has not even gotten to two weeks; people are going to start moving because we are tired of the government that is inactive. Why is Ekwueme not supporting Jonathan? It’s in the papers. Why is Obasanjo not supporting Jonathan?

    It’s in the papers. Why is Shagari not supporting Jonathan? Why is Babangida saying vote wisely; not supporting Jonathan? Why is Abubakar not? All these are past leaders that are still living by the special grace of God. They know that the country is not the country they wish and whatever is responsible for what is happening today is very unfortunate, its condemnable, that Chad will now be spearheading security safety of Nigeria. Chad! A state in Nigeria is richer than that country called Chad. We have crashed and collapsed the country called Nigeria; economically, politically, militarily, every sphere of this country has collapsed and people are paying lip service.

    What were your achievements when you were Acting Governor of Kogi State?

    When Clarence got into power as Acting Governor of Kogi State, he left a legacy; he established a college of education, staff and student today over 3,000 are feeding from it. Let everyone who steps into the corridor of power be able to say this is what I have done. We voted in the state house of assembly for state fund to be deducted at source to increase electricity supply in this country. Today, where are we? The money was deducted, the electricity has not come. I was Speaker of the House. I know what I am talking, Today, I spend an average of N8, 000 per day buying fuel and I have three generators in my house, yet I can still go without light. Eight times 30 will give you 240 Today, NEPA is charging me N8, 000. I am saying, NEPA please, charge me N30, 000, charge me N40, 000, but give me regular light, it is better than the diesel I am buying. I went to UK, I spent 31 days for holiday they never took my light and my computer was working on my computer Wi-Fi. Nigeria, Obasanjo gave us a platform for IT but we cannot develop it, we are retrogressing. You go to petrol station in UK that will be manned by nobody but by yourself, you plug your card, you put the nuzzle in your car, as soon as it sells the amount you want to you it cuts off and you go, whether it is 12 midnight, whether it is 11pm, you buy your fuel and you go your house. Our people go there they see them, why are they not able to allow that thing to happen in Nigeria?

    My ticket is what make me to enter the airport. I put it on something, once it picks the ticket it opens the gate for me I pass. These are IT and technology base that could revolutionize Nigeria.

    How do you respond to allegations by Chief Femi Fani-Kayode that the APC presidential candidate is batting serious health challenges?

    Let me just tell you, my problem with Fani-Kayode is that he is the most inconsistent Yoruba politician that we have in Nigeria. He’s the ‘jeun jeun’ kind of politician, he moves by the current. I will not be surprised if tomorrow the good people of Nigeria decide Buhari should be the president and he won that election, he will criticise Goodluck Jonathan as the worst president Nigeria has ever had. So, for you people that are taking Fani-Kayode serious, I don’t take Fani-Kayode serious. I don’t see him as a politician of substance. He knows how to make noise. What has Fani-Kayode been able to electorally change in this country? Nothing. Since 2003 that I have come home to come and play politics are you not able to tell the story of Clarence Olafemi politically? Are you not able to say how he has impacted on the life of the average Kogite? I have a list here, which my lawyer was talking about, of how I have been able to transform the live of Kogites. Fani is an opportunist. Full stop. Is he a medical doctor? Which hospital diagnosed Buhari of cancer? And who told him that the law of nature cannot even make him to be sick tomorrow? Anybody, no matter who the person is, can fall sick. The man who owns the body has said that he only has cold, and in this changing of weather, catarrh and all these things, it is natural in African, in a tropical country. Even my little kid, Princess Tinu Olafemi, she has cold now. Are you going to say she has cancer? Can you be more Catholic than the pope? Anybody who is reckoning with Fani is wasting his time. He is an unnecessary distractions at these age of our election. He cannot gain any vote for Jonathan.

    There was a time the Kogi Elders Forum wrote a letter to the President that if something is not done to right, there will be repercussions. Your decamping with others, is this part of the repercussions you talked of?

    You have mentioned Chief John Oda, you mentioned others, the three of us were part of the six that signed the letter and in fact, they even took us to court that we are not elders from this state and the court ruled that we are elders. You know we did not come back to tell you the end of that judgment? We won. How will you say Clarence Olafemi, who is 64, who has been governor of this state, who has been Speaker of this state, is not a stakeholder of Kogi State? And, how do you define elders? Baba Oda is about 70.

    I saw long time ago that the PDP was going to crash. When you see an umbrella that the cyclone is blowing and you say you are looking for cover, I will not stay under the umbrella that is torn. We saw this thing coming and more will come. PDP has collapsed due to mismanagement.

    The impression is that you are nursing gubernatorial ambition. Is this true?

    Is it a crime for somebody of my age, who has acted as governor of the state to want to contest? Even if I say I will not, you will say I should and do so. Let me tell you, I am going to contest. Look at what is happening in Kogi, where nothing is working and you say that you are happy.  Kwara gets about N200 million per month less than Kogi in terms of allocation but go to Ilorin and see what they have done. The other state you should be thinking about is Nasarawa, go to Nasarawa, go to Niger, go to Plateau; don’t go and talk of Rivers, don’t go and talk of Akwa Ibom; they will say they have oil advantage. My brother, what we have here is a desert, and if some of us do not stand up, our children, children yet unborn will ask us, ‘they said your father was very prominent’, prominent doing what? Looking for what he will come into his pocket. I remain the only Acting Governor that returned over N3.7 billion back to government purse. If I’m looking for how to make millions, I would have made two out of it to my private pocket and leave 1.7 and they would still have praised me. Or, I could have attempt to transform to become the governor.

  • Lessons from my past

    I have been to Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja on two occasions. My second visit was the occasion of my Call to Bar Ceremony and I had to put up with an in-law of mine, who is married with two lovely children. I had a tough time keeping Ezinne, the three-year old child away from my room. She would run in and insist on ransacking and inspecting every belonging of mine. During one of such occasions, she stumbled on my wig and gown, and as soon as I informed her what they were for, she declared emphatically that she wanted to be a lawyer. Ebube, her elder sister, laughed and informed me that only some days ago, Ezinne had made a lot of noise about wanting to become a pilot. I had a good laugh at that revelation. But it was not only humour that was sparked up in me, as that incident took my thought down the windy path of memory.

    I did not always want to be a lawyer. In fact, there came a time when I was totally clueless and confused as little Ezinne. Being the best Biology student in secondary school, my parents concluded that I would be a surgeon and frowned when I eventually went to the Art class. My decision stemmed from my flair for the Art subjects and more importantly, it was, for me, a chance of becoming an economist like my favourite sister, Ify.

    At that time, I believed that if I followed my sister’s steps, I would then end up like the likes of Okonjo Iweala of the World Bank, Charles Soludo and Ndidi Okereke of the stock exchange. And so my sister became my greatest model and mentor.  Then, it was not so much about what I really wanted to be in future, but who I wanted to imitate and eventually become. I was blinded by my desire to become like other folks that I never looked deep down. Time went by and I found myself in the Economics department. I later got wiser, discovered a brand new path which I should follow if I desired career fulfilment – the legal profession.

    Switching was not an easy task as I had to re-sit the JAMB exam and aptitude test, while also dedicating adequate study time to my courses. I sought counsel from few persons before I finally decided and of all the pieces of advice I got, the one offered by a certain Chioma, a final year student particularly stands out. She berated me for not considering my friends in the Economics department. Being the assistant course representative at that time, she reminded me that I owed my friends and fellow students great duty to remain with them in the career journey we had already begun. According to her, my decision to switch courses was most incongruous with my obligation to the class. I was to stand by my friends, she maintained, and any contrary decision will be tantamount to disloyalty and  gross unfaithfulness to friendship.

    There was a certain doctor who also stands prominent in my mind. I had a small medical challenge in school – one that I cannot remember now – and I visited the school clinic. When he inquired my discipline, I told him of my intention to switch discipline, he immediately started warning me. He considered my decision thoughtless and warned me to re-think. According to him, going into the legal profession would usher me into poverty. He made reference to several relatives of his who were lawyers with a long history of impecuniosity. “You may end up as a charge-and-bail lawyer, so you better stay in Economics,” he sternly cautioned.

    I really considered Economics an amazing course which presents its graduate with wide prospects of employment. My decision was driven by a far deeper conviction, a nagging yearning, whose end I could not fathom. I was satisfied in the knowledge that I would derive eternal glee in the very act of following the path that I was rightly convinced was meant for me. I neither followed Chioma’s advice, nor that of the doctor, and so far, especially on the day I was called to the Nigerian Bar looking back in time, I have found endless contentment in the path I treaded.

    Experience, they say, is the best of teachers.  So, from my career mistake, I learned a lot of lessons.  I am now convinced that everyone must follow his or her own dream, and strive to tread that unique way that is most suited for their destiny. I have also learned that role models and mentors are there to inspire us to be the best we can be. They are not persons to be followed sheepishly or blindly. For we all are made with our own unique abilities and destinies.

    Again, I have learned that in life, there will always be dream killers. Focus and determination is the only solution to overcoming them. And for me, they were personified in Chioma, and the medical doctor. Chioma was wrong. I concede that there is nothing compared to faithful friendship. But any sort of friendship which becomes a barricade between a person and their dream, is at best, useless. It’s almost seven years now, the wind of life has blown me and those erstwhile course mates of mine to different directions, and naturally, I have lost touch with most of them. The doctor was also grossly wrong.  Fear is the seed of failure and there is nothing as bitter than pessimism and an abject lack of hope. His words were channelled to ignite fear in me, which if conceded to, will only distance me from my ambitions. Any man who prepares for poverty, will certainly find him at his doorpost. I did not set my eyes on poverty. Having only been called to the Nigerian Bar and currently in the NYSC orientation camp, I currently have three letters of employment from very reputable law firms in Victoria Island and Ikoyi, Lagos State.  Surely, the doctor was very wrong.

    Finally and most importantly, the past incident has enhanced my appreciation of the concept of time. It remains true, the old saying that no time is ever too late. Upon the discovery of a mistaken path already taken, one must be quick enough to make the necessary amends, or forever, live in regret, and wishful thinking.

     

    Uche is a Corps member, NYSC LAGOS

  • Sharks to scale past Enyimba—Adedeji

    Sharks defender Yinka Adedeji has told AfricanFootball.com that the Port Harcourt club hope to go past cup holders Enyimba on Wednesday to reach the last four of the Nigeria Federation Cup.

    Sharks defeated giant killers Dynamite FC 2-0 in the round of 16, while Enyimba saw off Nembe City 2-1 to set up an explosive quarterfinal clash between the two Premier League sides.

    “Our aim is to win the cup. We are now in the quarterfinal. We are going to approach the game against Enyimba same way we did our other games,” the former Flying Eagles star said.

    “Our target is to win the game and that was our aim for previous games.”

     

  • Living in the past

    Living in the past

    HELLO lovely peeps, hope you all had a great week? I am always very happy to be in touch with you and so glad I’m able to make a positive change in many lives as revealed in the text messages/emails I now receive on a daily basis from many of you. A rather troubled sister who finds it difficult to forget the past and face her beautiful future sent me a text a few weeks back and so I am discussing a topic which I believe would help not only the girls but everyone of every age-group as it’s a situation which has grounded a lot of people. Happy reading!

    I lost my virginity 10 years ago and I am 20 years old now. I am in love with a guy who has proposed to marry me and I’ve been lying to him that I lost my virginity because I was raped. I was never raped. What happened was that my mother left us and ran away when I was 6 years old and I had to go and stay with my grandma. She brought in a distant relative to stay with us. I was too young to know that the lady was a prostitute. She was always taking me to men who would “play with me”. One day, a man “used me” and I saw blood coming out of my vagina. I didn’t know what it meant till I got to form 2 in secondary school when I learnt more about virginity. I cried so badly as it hurt me deeply. However, I gave my life to God at 16 and He’s shown me great love. But right now, I am still grievously hurt by my childhood experience. To worsen things, my guy insists on knowing how many men I’ve slept with as he’s a Pastor and wants to be sure he’s not getting married to someone who has been passed around. I find it very hard to tell him all what happened as I love him very much and don’t want to lose him.

     

    Dear sis,

    You didn’t tell a lie. Penile penetration of a child aged 12 years and under is automatically rape whether the child believes they consented or not. No matter what you said, what you signed, how you responded, how your body reacted a child of 12 years and under cannot give consent to sexual interactions with anyone. We all have different attitudes to issues of life. You may not want to let him know what you went through in your childhood. In the first place, true love doesn’t care about the past. However, if a spouse-to-be insists on knowing some certain information about the woman he’s spending the rest of his life with, it is very foolish to lie about it. It’s better to speak the truth than for him to find out in future when you are married. If it’s a grave issue, it could land you into serious trouble and God may not appear on time because you turned your back against Him by lying in the first instance. If you speak the truth and the man refuses to go on with the relationship/marriage, then expect a super man  many times better than him as a compensation from God as long as you’ve re-traced your steps. However, you must forget the past.

    The past already happened; perpetually living there does you no good. Learn as many lessons from that occurrence then let it go. You will never be able to change it, however, you need to live in the now. Most often we feel a lot of anger towards someone for something they did to us or for their failure to do something for us. Or one of or both our parents treated us badly as a child. Whatever the reason, we are unforgiving and that precisely is the reason that a past event can engross our mind to the exclusion of other thoughts. That is unhealthy mentally unless we learn to forgive and free ourselves. If your mind is clogged with bitterness and you keep feeling guilty and sorrowful, how can you be happy and enjoy the goodies life has for you?

    My darling, at 20, I think you are too young to be choked with man-trouble. I am very sure you have not even discovered yourself and yet to be done with your studies. Be happy and wallow in the wonderful opportunities you can have from God since you are His friend. Concentrate on your destiny and the best men will run after you if this one decides to leave you. Let this experience set you up to be a better, stronger, smarter person now. Now here’s a bear hug to you and other sisters who are haunted by their past and labeled all sorts…hmmm. I hope I was able to squeeze out the pall in your heart? Wipe your tears…smile. Now clap for yourselves because you are starting on a clean virtuous slate. Hip, hip, hip…hurray!

    According to Mike Norton, “Master yourself, and become king of the world around you. Let no odds, chastisement, exile, doubt, fear, or any mental virii prevent you from accomplishing your dreams. Never be a victim of life; be it’s conqueror.”

  • The Past Beckons

    The National Museum in Esie, Kwara State is the oldest in Nigeria. It is also reputed to have the highest collection of soapstone images in Africa. Soapstones are soft rocks which were used for many generations in different parts of the world for carving and making of household utensils.

    The museum was established in 1945 by the colonial government to house about 1,500 soapstone images brought to the limelight in 1933 by one Inspector for the Oro area under the Church Missionary Society, Mr. H.G. Ramshaw.

    At the museum, tourists have the opportunity to see some figurines that date back to the 12th and 13th centuries. The access to the museum for members of the public has been difficult due to the location of the museum and bad roads.

    But those who are able to brace these odds are rewarded with having the opportunity to see these rare artifacts.

    Getting to Esie, one gets a vehicle from Osogbo, the Osun State capital, or from Ofa which is even closer to the town.

    Although the Esie museum is rich in artifacts, it is suffering neglect. This has reduced to the minimal the number  of tourists to the place.

    Professor Bolanle Awe spoke on that: “Even though many people may not realize the importance of what we have there, others do, and I would readily cite the example of Gen. Yakubu Gowon when he came there in the 70s. He was so excited by what he saw that he gave the instruction that the road to the museum should be tarred so that people would have easy access to the place.

    “After that, the military did try in its own way to do something about the museum. Thereafter, there had also been other people who had shown recognition like the late Prof. Ade Obayemi. He was a historian and Director-General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM). He was very enthusiastic about refurbishing the museum, but unfortunately he could not actualize what he wanted to do before he died.”

    The people  decided to come up with  a festival as a way offering visitors to the town the opportunity to experience the culture of the people.

    Awe spoke on this: “When we decided to start the Esie Monuments Festival, Dr. Eluyemi, who was the Director-General of the NCMM, then showed so much enthusiasm. One of the events we always had was the seminar to discuss the significance on an intellectual basis, of the museum, what did it connote for the culture of the people. And it was such an interesting thing.

    “The fact is that as far back as the period before 1775, people were able to carve those images out of stones. They must have had knowledge of a lot of things-knowledge of carving, knowledge of hewing stones and knowledge of all sorts. They must have had quite a high level of technology to be able to do that.

    “These were some of the things that we also wanted to highlight and Eluyemi was very keen on that. He actually came the very first time to deliver a paper and promised us a lot of support, but unfortunately he died suddenly as well.

    “During one of the editions of the Esie Monuments Festival that we had, the minister in charge of culture sent his representative. The Director-General of the NCMM also came. So, they all showed interest in the Esie Monuments Festival and we feel that the way forward is for us to sustain that interest.

    “That is why we have the Esie Monuments Festival Committee to focus attention on the museum to make the international community know about it.

    “We are already working on the idea of having a website where we would further focus attention on the Esie National Museum, look at some of the items there, talk about the history , talk about even the community there and how that community came to produce something that is so interesting.

    “The Esie festival  is still on course. The only problem is that the organizing committee is having some little challenges which it is battling to surmount.

    “The committee set up and saddled with the responsibility is still working on modalities to have a befitting festival this year, precisely next month. It is not the problem of the members of the committee alone, but they have to move in terms of mobilizing the community to support them to understand what they are doing.

    “Also for the people living outside the community and in the Diaspora to show interest in the festival will definitely take some time. There is also the factor of money. The members of the committee have been dipping their hands into their pockets to finance the activities of the committee. It does not mean that the interest has waned or that the interest is no longer there. They are just trying to take their time to see that they come out with something worthwhile.

    “Let me also inform you that the committee was established by concerned culture patriots of Esie origin with the primary purposes of ensuring the preservation, protection and projection of all Esie cultural heritages for the economic benefit of the people, Kwara State and the country. One of the platforms by which we seek to carry out this task is this annual Esie Monuments Festival which is premised on the first ever National Museum in the country.”

    She also spoke about the Esie monuments: “This is where we have the first museum set up by the government. It was established because of what the white men saw there, more so that it really fascinated them. Unfortunately, we don’t have information as to how the stone images got there. Well, there are all sorts of theories about how they got there, but I don’t think I will be competent to speak about it because my colleagues who have been working on that are the ones one can regard as the authorities on the Esie soapstone images.

    “Some have said that the people came from Ife, others said they came from Oyo North, some have said there are other figures like these in some neighbouring towns which seem to suggest that perhaps there was a community there which was highly developed technologically. But how they came to assemble there is still a mystery that people have not been able to solve.

    “Of course, the local people have their own suggestions on how they came about, how an oba went out when he was not supposed to go out and for punishment his people were turned into stone images. That is a way of explaining it. This mystery accounts for why we decided to be holding the yearly festival. Second, we have lots of tourism potential and it has been generating some revenue for quite a while. So, the tourism potential has been there for a long time and I think what we need to do now is to beef it up to actually encourage people to come.

    “This is an area where the media can be of great help to us by letting people know what we are doing and inviting them to come. The community is already putting in place the infrastructure for tourism. You will note that there is now a hotel where people can stay and where they can have something to eat.

    “Some years ago, some of us women wanted to have chalets, a small canteen and small shops, but we didn’t quite make it. Then, there was somebody else who had a play ground for children there. So, the potential is there. It is just a question of getting support in the right places and we are happy that the Elesie himself sees it as his own and has been giving tremendous support.”

  • Flying Eagles fly past Egypt 3-1

    Flying Eagles fly past Egypt 3-1

    Christian Pyabara fired a brace as the Flying Eagles came from behind to beat Egypt U20s 3-1 in a warm-up game in Cairo on Wednesday.

    The match at the Degla Stadium outside Cairo was staged to prepare both teams for next month’s African Youth championship in Algeria.

    The hosts took the lead against the run of play in the 50th minute through a header by Ibrahim El-Sayed El-hadad off a corner.

    But the Nigeria U20s fought back thereafter and deservedly drew level in the 61st minute when Sharks forward Pyabara finally smashed home a rebound after his first attempt came off the post.

    Skipper Abduljaleel Ajagun then extended the Flying Eagles lead in the 77th minute. He jabbed home from inside the box after yet another flowing team buildup from the right.

    Pyabara then made it 3-1 in the 81st minute when he headed home a delightful cross from the left by Kingsley Madu.

    Ajagun could have widened the margin eight minutes from time but somehow he missed in front of a begging net.

    In the first half, the Flying Eagles were by far the better team and created the better chances but could not put any away.

    A fifth minute header by Ikechukwu Okorie off a Pyabara corner missed narrowly and on 15 minutes, Ajagun’s shot appeared to have crossed the goal line when it came off the underside the crossbar but it was not given.

    In the 35th minute, the lively Pyabara set up Ajagun, but his final effort missed by a whisker.

    Egypt’s best opening in the first half was after seven minutes, when goalkeeper Emmanuel Daniel made a meal of a clearance and Ahmad El-Sayid Ya’afat broke through only for Chizoba Amaefule to clear off the goal line.

    The Junior Pharaohs’ other big openings were in the 49th minutes when goalkeeper Daniel scrambled to save a near post header by the dangerous Ya’afat and then in the 75th minute when Faris Afifi from Dutch club Utrecht failed to make hay.

    The two teams will again square up on Friday night at the same venue.

    The Flying Eagles will then depart for Tunis on Saturday morning to continue the build-up for the defence of their AYC crown.

    The 2013 AYC in Algeria will kick off on March 16.

    Flying Eagles line-up vs Egypt

    Emmanuel Daniel – Kingsley Madu, Shehu Abdullahi, Ikechukwu Okorie, Chizoba Amaefule – Moses Orkuma, Agboyi Ovboka, Abduljaleel Ajagun (Seun Taro 83) – Christian Pyabara, Alhaji Gero (Bright Osagie 55), Chidi Osuchukwu (Azubuike Ikechukwu 90)