MBGN 2011: WHAT WE WERE ALL THINKING

The Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria 2011 (MBGN 2011); to use someone’s words, a state of emergency should be declared. I normally would not discuss this, but I couldn’t resist stating the obvious. Before we go on, please watch the following video clip, after which we will discuss some highlights:

 

MBGB 2011

 

Now that we are done with that, I am going to point out a few points, highlights that we all should have seen, but with a bit more analysis. It bears noticing even from now that this was quite sad.

 

Nigeria is without a single doubt, one of the most ethnically diverse countries on Earth today, and we constantly strive for unity among the citizens of the country. Still, could someone please tell me why contestants representing 18 states are represented by a geopolitical zone with only 5 states? The South-Eastern zone has only 5 states, yet in addition to representing those states it has its indigenes representing core northern states like Adamawa, Bauchi, Kano, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Yobe, Taraba, Gombe, as well as some core Western states like Osun and Oyo, or why Westerners are representing Kaduna and Borno states? I am all for national character, but if we just wanted Nigerians to contest, why don’t we just go to cosmopolitan states like Abuja or Lagos and pick girls for the competition? Why bother going from state to state looking for representatives?

 

Let’s talk mission statements of these young women. One gets the impression that it’s either they were poorly schooled on what to say, or they are a bunch of politicians masquerading as potential beauty queens, or they don’t expect us to take the seriously in the first place, so they might as well say anything knowing that no one will take them seriously. These mission statements are a lot like election manifestos and more often than not, people give the actual content 30% of their attention, because they hardly believe them, anyway, but listening to these young women rant off cliches or unattainable goals, or set such low expectations, it has the same effect as listening to a song by Vic O: you can almost literally see your IQ packing its bags and leaving your apartment, swearing under its breath never to come back. One of the girls actually looked bored while she recited her own mission statement. Let us not go into their grammar so that I don’t take this personal.

 

Am I the only one that noticed that these girls were LITERALLY begging for votes? Must everything we do reflect how bad our economy is? I get the impression that if they were allowed to, they would even kneel down on the ground with their hands clasped together pleading that we send our votes to their code/number, depending on who you were listening to: when did V3, or V6, or V12 become a number, for heaven’s sake? With all the begging going on, these girls are nothing more than beautiful hustlers. It is kinda reflective of their true mission statements, and what they intend to achieve if they get to wear the crown and sash of success at the penultimate event.

 

There are other issues like why Brazilian hair seemed to be standard option for all contestants, or the ridiculous age discrepancies with 30-year olds suddenly claiming to be 18, or why a lot of the contestants seemed to base their success on the statement, ‘By God’s grace’, but instead, I want you all to read the following that was sent to me:

The validity of these statements are yet to be tested, read on:
I watched with dismay and sadness some of the auditions of MBGN 2011 yesterday. We have to declare a state of emergency in our educational sector. It is sad to note that most contestants or aspiring beauty queens were asked the capital of Kebbi State, and 5 out 7 did not know. One said, the capital of Kebbi State is KOGI, her friend said Douala. One was asked to name the largest city in west Africa, she confidently said NIGERIA. One said,her expectation is that she is beautiful, fair, and jovial...the other was asked what is her opinion on foreign aids to Nigeria and Africa. She said there are many testing clinics now in Nigeria, so foreign aids, will not kill Nigerians again...one was asked to mention and talk about one current female minister. She said Mrs Okonjo Iweala, is the current Prime Minister heading Finance matters. One was asked about the governor of CBN, she said they are yet to conduct election in that state, another was asked what currency was used in nigeria before naira,she answered kobo, another said abacha was Nigeria’s first president.

I also doubt the validity of every statement, but with that being said, how far is it from what could possibly be the truth?

 

Some girls in my school did an amazing parody of the previous video. Thank you for reading this article, and please leave your feedback in the Comments section. Thank you!

 

MBGN 2011 parody

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A SONG BECOMES A PRAYER

 

This evening I attended a Darlene Zschech/Hillsong concert. I am not famous for expressing my emotions, but the concert was AWESOME! I couldn’t do the white-people-concert-jump because my ankle is still recovering from an injury I had recently, but I really enjoyed it, and when I found a window, I tweeted my comments and pictures of the event. Darlene has SO MUCH ENERGY! For one thing, I couldn’t believe I was actually at a Hillsong concert, and seeing her was like a sensory overload, one that, true to nature, no one else would have seen except me. I’m big on sound, so hearing all those speakers do their thing was a personal ministration. If ever I become a very good instrumentalist, the goal would have been so that I would be good enough to play for Hillsong. Those guys…. It felt like each instrument was doing it’s own individual praise ministration. As someone next to me said, it felt like the guitar alone was singing the words of the song. Watching the backup singers do their thing, I am sure I haven’t seen such consistent passion anywhere else. I don’t think it’s even fair to call them backup singers; with voices like those, they could easily sell their own records, and have their own grand concerts. And there was Darlene… Right now, in my mental ranking system, she is my favourite all-time worship leader. Let it be also known that this ranking hierarchy was set up as this article was being written. She is no spring chicken, but she clearly had more energy than anyone else on that stage; except the drummer. That guy had enough energy to power a small bike. The crowd… well, it was kinda a mixed reaction. The standing crowd was very involved in the entire thing, while those in the gallery and upper floors looked like they came to watch a movie that was a hit 6 months ago. Plus, my African brethren really brought it. We know how to worship, no doubt.

 

A lot of popular songs were rendered at the concert, and it’s Hillsong, so they were almost all sing-along pieces. For some reason, it is so easy to follow a Hillsong number, with the projected text and all. The song which appealed to me the most, and which inspired this article was probably the shortest one as well: All I Need is You. This song was rendered somewhere in the middle, and as it was sung around me, it stopped being words with appropriate harmony, and it became more than that. There are very few such songs, but in that moment I was able to separate the music from the words, and while I was in that hall, surrounded by about 5,000 worshippers, I prayed my only prayer of the night: All I need is you, my Lord. It was all I wanted. I was alone in that auditorium, nothing else mattered, my dreams, my interactions, my challenges, nothing else mattered. When Darlene also did a rendition of How Great Is Our God, it was then that I endorsed my decision to come for this concert as the best thing I would have done with my time this evening. That song, All I Need Is You, was, and is still my prayer. That right there was my act of worship. I would never trade it in for anything else. And to think I was this close to deciding not to go for the concert….

After the concert, I went to meet up with people I knew, who were all over the place. There was a light in everyone’s eyes, like we had shared a unique experience, each person in his/her own unique way. One thing was common, though: we had encountered God in that hall. The concert is past, and I am officially a concert person now. I did pray one more prayer. While Darlene was exhorting, she said that God was rebuilding and restoring dreams. I claimed it for myself, and I claim it for everyone who is reading this article. There is NOTHING God cannot, and will not do for you. All you need do is separate yourself to Him, and ask. Let Him show you how important you are to Him.

 

If you follow me on Twitter or are a Facebook friend, you have probably seen what I am about to write a number of times, but I know for sure, after my experience tonight, that I will never praise any man the way I will praise my God.

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BACK TO SCHOOL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This article is not going to remind you of the importance of going to school, and all the pros/cons of making the decision to get a good decision; if your parents/guardians have not had the talk with you, I believe another medium will be made available to thrash out that matter. I am going to address this more from the angle of opportunity, and what lessons I have learned, some from my recent past, of how important it is to properly utilize them.

I believe that in addition to change being a constant thing in life, another constant in life, and even of more consequence as far as this line of thought is concerned is opportunity. I have been studying startups like Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Twitter and the like, and I have noticed that for the inception of all of these outfits, no committee was constituted, or bills passed by houses of assembly, or grand announcements/launching ceremonies conducted. They all started with an idea, meant to solve an immediate and localized need, and the wind that has fanned all these into the fire that has made them global multi-millionaire companies is opportunity. They seized their chance and ran with their vision, and now, their visionaries have become consultants in decisions concerning the direction of global social media, as well as leaving more than a bit of change for them to throw around. After reading these accounts I stopped asking God for money; instead I now ask God to give me my own idea that would be used to change the face of my generation, and the grace to take the opportunity when it comes. Money will follow afterwards, with the means to sustain it’s continuous flow into my coffers.

I have come to realize that education is indeed a privilege, and an opportunity. I have seen people that could not read or write, but were healthy and vibrant, probably because they never had the chance to, or they had the chance, and let it slip from them. I have seen people with the right mental capacity and aptitude to handle some jobs, but because of inadequate education, they are left in pools if regret and depression, hoping that such an opportunity would present itself. I have also observed people with what anyone would consider adequate education, but lose out because of a lack of comparative advantage. Some of the readers of this article are students of a sort, and have developed a lackadaisical attitude towards their studies. I know that this could kick you hard, and leave you with a lot of regret. Irrespective of what social opinion might state about the importance or otherwise of education, it is an opportunity that will not always be there. Take advantage of what you have and run with it. Avoid the regrets and frustration that will ensue if you don’t.

More than education, more in life, take advantage of the opportunities that come your way, even if you are in the midst of a crisis. It will amaze you at the number of opportunities that are interwoven in our problems/challenges, and more often than not, the magnitude of the opportunity dwarfs the problems that have presented themselves. A very special friend of mine summarized it in three words: Time, Chance and Choice. A time will come when a chance will come your way, and you will choose whether to utilize the opportunity or not. One opportunity might be all that it would require to take you from mediocrity and obscurity to influence and affluence. It would be a very risky stance to assume that another chance would come, and so decide to let this one go, that is unless there is an absolute conviction not to, else that opportunity should be taken full advantage of when it comes around. Look for these opportunities, create them if you have to, and make the most of them. Even when opportunity knocks, a man still has to get up off his seat and open the door. 

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Mountain-Moving Faith – Joel Osteen

I came across this message a while back, and I have listened to it for a bit, repeatedly too. It was sent to me by a very unlikely source, when I really needed something to hold on to. I finally found the full clip, so I thought you guys would be blessed by it too.

 

I hope you guys like my new banner. Designed it myself. Enjoy this message, and be challenged and uplifted the way I was.

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‘I Don’t Like Freda Igbre’

Before I go on into this article, may I mention that the reader will be able to identify more with this piece if you attend my school, but even if you don’t, I am sure you will still enjoy this piece.

Freda is a self-acclaimed connoisseur in the making. She is a medical student with a very mature flair for fashion with a keen interest in digital photography, as well as creating her own unique designs. She has her own blog, and you can see her and more of her escapes at fredatobore.tumblr.com. I asked her why she chose the title of a connoisseur (I must admit I finally learnt the proper spelling of this word from her blog), and she said she wants to be a fashion sensei of a sort, able to acquire all the pertinent knowledge, and be able to teach or at least guide people in the aspect of what she has learnt, and what she now knows. A picture of one of Freda’s designs is shown below, modeled by the lovely and graceful Sonia Osi, another medical student.
Now I must admit that when it comes to fashion, I am a non-starter; I learn by picking up a bit here and there, and I am nowhere near what Freda has accomplished so far, but I can’t help but admire the creativity and discipline that goes into what she does. There is something superiorly alluring about a woman with a sense of creativity and skill, even more appreciated when it is not her primary pre-occupation like Freda who is a medical student hoping to actually specialize in probably paediatrics or oncology. I have spoken to girls who cannot wait to get married, enter their husband’s house and allow the man to provide everything they want, with their own jobs serving to keep them busy and protect their social circle. I also know a number of girls who, like Freda have a skill on the side in which they have chosen to be skilled in, and make the most of their opportunity, girls like Kuukua Afful who is into beading, Koye Olugbenle who is into fashion photography, Tochi Ononiwu who is into interior decorating, D-i Akhigbe, Lola Fakeye and Sonia Osi who are very good writers and Eyza Icha who owns the Treazures Jewelry franchise. Any girl who wants to become more than a statistic will need to step out, step up, and be noticed; you won’t be noticed by doing what is normal or usual. Inasmuch as those leaning on the man to do everything are employing the traditional system, I dare say times have changed. I can say with hindsight that such skilled women will never lack money to spend, and with some proper financial education, can go on to build business empires in their chosen fields, even though it was meant to be something on the side.
I challenge all girls that are reading this to find something else you can do with your hands, and get to it. No one is going to be interested in you if all you can offer is good looks, a lovely voice, and a vast knowledge of soap operas. The Proverbs 31 woman has been described as someone that works willingly with her hands. This piece is purely focused on ladies. There is a quality and attention to detail that only women will bring to the table, and if you don’t harness it properly, you will be like a million other women, just a statistic. This is one of my favourite quotes, by yours truly: the (wo)man with the advantage always gets the job.
So why don’t I like Freda? Let’s just say I tried, but it is not working.

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FLIPPED!

 

Fav Photoshop Designs VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

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LOOKING FOR MY CROSS

First, some background.

So, what is the Cross about in the first place? What does it even mean? It would amaze you the number of people who have a very vague idea of what the Cross actually means outside the piece of wood on which the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified. I must point out here that we aren’t referring to just any cross, as in those days it was a not unfamiliar way to punish criminal offenders. The Cross we are referring to is the one on which the Lord Jesus was crucified, which was and still is a symbol of sacrifice, love and selflessness. It is always amazing when I remember that Christ was under no compulsion to come to Earth and die for man’s salvation, to show and provide a way back to God, but because of the love He has for man, He left His glory in heaven, a glory that we cannot even begin to fathom or comprehend, and came to Earth, not thinking of Himself or His welfare, to be the perfect sacrifice, one which needs to be done once and for all, the perfect propitiation for sin. The Cross also symbolizes suffering, shame and pain. The process of crucifixion was not a pretty one, and no part of it was done in the interest of human rights. With all the pain, He was also exposed to public ridicule and looks of disgust. And all this, for man who didn’t deserve it then, and who still rejects it today. But, was it worth it? God thinks so, and so does every Christian.

Speaking of every christian, this brings us to our topic of today. Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross was carried out, once and for all, with no need to repeat the process, so why do we have a cross to bear?

Matthew 10:38 says, Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. (NIV) The Amplified Version puts it this way: And he who does not take up his cross and follow me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conforming wholly to My example in living, and if need be, in dying also] is not worthy of Me. As Christians, every day we live for Christ, we carry our own cross, and for very much the same reason as Christ carried His own Cross – for the salvation of the soul of man. It means that everything that Christ experienced, we should be prepared to endure the same. We should be the embodiment of sacrifice, love and selflessness in everything we do. Our lives are our message, our lives are our testimony, our lives show hope to a world without hope. This means that we will not always have the popular opinion, but our word is the truth. The Bible also said in Matthew 16:24 that, Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. As we strive to be more like Christ, we should always carry our cross, and follow Him.

Unfortunately, because of the challenges and situations we find ourselves in life, we are accustomed to dropping our crosses to go and solve the problems we face. Times come when we face some times of trial or even times of plenty when we forget whose example we are supposed to be following, and we become so overwhelmed, that in retrospect, we can’t imagine how much we lost it. Following Christ and being like Him was never a call in to the easy life; it was an invitation into Life, and it is now our duty to show others the Light so that they also might live the Life that we have. In our contemporary times, it is easier than ever before to be so swamped that we forget what matters most, and what is at the center of God’s desire for man, which is that all should come to repentance, and none should perish. God has not called all Christians to be preachers or bible teachers, but we have all called to be witnesses, to be ambassadors, to preach salvation with our lives, which is the most efficient way. We have to go back, find our crosses, die daily and show the world Christ, and the Life He gives freely to all we receive. It might be okay to forget your cross on the odd occasion, but it would be an abuse of your being alive to ignore it, and refuse to represent the One who redeemed you from death to eternal life.

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A WASTE OF SUFFERING

 

Isn’t life the most unpredictable concept you ever came across? I wonder sometimes how it would be if everything was straightforward, no curve balls, no glitches in the works, no unforeseen circumstances… Would it be better then than it is now? Would we be happier? Would we achieve as much or even more than we do currently? Would there be less conflict among individuals, organizations and governments?

It is no secret that life will not always turn out as you have planned it. It is also no secret that every single person alive will have days they wished they never had, meaning that anyone crooning that life is particularly unfair to them is contained in a very small package.

Also it is no secret that times of misfortune will befall both those considered to be good or bad in nature, and not necessarily a consequence of bad behaviour on one’s part. Misfortune actually seems to be pronounced when it picks on an innocent person to show its character. But then, in reality, this popular items of knowledge hardly ever seem to produce a relief, and people go through various degrees of suffering just waiting for when it would all be over, and they can put the episode behind them. This is a lot like someone going to college, and just praying that graduation will come sooner than later.

Every person will chart his own course in life. Everyone’s life will have its high and low times. Why all humans will NEVER be the same is because of REACTION: how you respond to events in your life will define the structure of your life. Suffering, pain, misfortune; they are not billed as interesting moments in your life, but when you realize that there is so much you could gain from those periods, you will not look forward to them, but you would exploit every opportunity they present. An opportunity to develop a stronger mind, a lesson in patience and endurance, a chance to correct some wrongs in your life, a motivation to press forward to achieve what you want, a challenge to outgrow some events and people in your life; all these and many more would be harder to come by in terms of relative sanity and order. Someone once said that great men are never developed in moments of peace, but in times of war.

I have gone through A LOT in the past one year. Two things have kept me going: first, God’s Word. It has been like every single time I open my Bible I see something telling me to NEVER give up, and to always hold on, telling me my future will be bright, and even brighter than I can see. Second thing is, I have absolutely refused to see myself as a failure of any sort. Some things were not in my control, a few were, but I am still my biggest fan. God is going to give me my expected end; He wouldn’t lie about that. All I will do is put myself in the best possible position to be blessed maximally.

Do not waste your suffering. It would be a massive mistake. There are lessons that only suffering and adversity will teach you. You do not want to miss those lessons.

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