THE NIGERIA YOU WANT

Nigeria will never be a great nation and truly live up to its absolute potential, not because of corruption or any other vices that we as a country have come to be associated with, but because we, as the citizens and shapers of the destiny of this nation do not believe in it, and continually use our words to look down on, insult and take for granted the country, its resources and its authority.

The honest truth is that it is easy to love a child that is doing excellently and growing up properly and proportionately. It is easier to be proud of a parent who has his/her affairs together, has a good job where the family can be well catered for, and has enough influence and respect in the community. It is easier to be proud of a country that has a rich cultural history, a certain respectable balance between those that have and those that don't, a crime rate and levels of corruption that have no global reputation, and whose citizens, for the most part, cannot truthfully say that their government does not take care of them. Unfortunately for Nigerians, we don't seem to have reached that pinnacle of pride yet.

My country, richly blessed as it is, has had a lot of struggles. Each and every fellow citizen can regale you with tales of how inefficient the system is, or the seeming lack of order that permeates every facet of life, or the outright and blatant corruption that is rampant in every corridor of power. Honestly, we have struggled, and we have suffered. Even in a bid to count our blessings, they seem to be outweighed by the hardship and discomfort that we experience even in the provision of the basic amenities.

All this is true, and all this is fact, and at the risk of sounding like a lot of people before me, we, both individually and collectively will have to decide if we want to accept our country the way it is, or for us to decide that this is not the Nigeria that we want. Things are bad, and have been so for a long time, but that is no reason why we should give up on it. It is amazing the power that is in our words, because as is stated in the Bible, "You shall have what you say", meaning that if even half of this population continually speaks positively and proudly of this country, in spite of what we are made to endure, people will rise up from within to change things for the better, and people will rise from outside us to encourage us.

You think you deserve a better country? Based on what? You only deserve what you work towards. I emphasize work because it is one thing to wish the country well, but it is another thing to do your part in achievement of that goal. Wherever you find yourself be of such excellent conduct that it gives your country a good name.

Living in diaspora gives us a good idea of how we are seen as a country, and most of those impressions are given by us. Then, when these opinions are formed and uttered by non-citizens, the instinctive response is to be offended. I choose to speak positively, pray for and do my own part to realize the Nigeria that I want for me, for my family and for my fellow Nigerians. It is easier to complain about Nigeria. It is harder to work for it to realize its potential. Those that complain are thus, in this context, lazy people.

 I'm sure there are plenty articles that have been penned along these same lines, but it bears reminding that instead of accepting and condemning Nigeria, let us use that same right to speech to force us into action, and get the Nigeria that we want.

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A Letter To Suarez' Grandmother

First of all, this is not meant as an insult or affront to the lady in question but more of my disagreement with her statement and methodology.

It is no secret that the biggest news from the World Cup last week had nothing to do with football directly but the biting incident involving Uruguayan player Luis Suarez and Italian player Giorgio Chiellini. Since FIFA passed their judgment on the matter the reaction from all aspects has been mixed and in some cases surprising. The one that caught my attention the most was the reaction from Suarez' grandmum in a statement issued yesterday:

Suarez has been unfairly victimised in his "barbaric" expulsion from the World Cup for biting, his disconsolate grandmother said on Thursday. "Everyone knows what they've done to Luis. They wanted him out of the World Cup. Perfect, they did it. They chucked him out of there like a dog," a sobbing Lila Piriz Da Rosa told Reuters from Suarez's birthtown Salto in north-west Uruguay.

Piriz, who has 22 grand-children, said football authorities had been watching Suarez from the outset. "This was on purpose," she said of the sanctions given to the brilliant but volatile Suarez, who has been punished three times now for biting and once for racism. "They had their eyes on him to see what he does. It's barbaric what they've done to him," Piriz added. "I'm his granny and I love my boy loads,!" Piriz said. "Please don't ask me any more." - Eurosport

Far be it from me to come between the love for a grandmother and her grand son but this response is one of a number of reactions that is just absolutely ridiculous. This notion of Suarez being victimized is laughable at least. How is it possible to see a football professional bite three people on the field of play and yet he is the victim? How is there a witch hunt on someone that in spite of his past indiscretions, everyone has forgiven him and even celebrated him for triumphing in the face of his 'adversity'? If Balotelli is the king of off field discretions, then Suarez is the king of on field misbehavior. Biting tendencies aside we will also remember that he has had racist charges levelled against him as well as his famous handball at the last world cup that knocked Ghana out. And Suarez is a victim?

Forget the fact that if a different footballer who wasn't so prolific did the same thing repeatedly the whole world would have taken him to the Hague for crimes against humanity and barbarism. But because he is in fact a protected player he got off easy. It may not be so far fetched to accuse FIFA of favoritism and not victimization.

So his grandmum cried and shed tears so that the world would see a human side to her serial biter grand son but that bit of manipulation was totally unnecessary. After all she has 22 grandkids. Does biting run in the family? Why does she have to take to the spotlight to lament when she has 21 that have refused to bite people in their line of work?

No one did anything to Suarez. Whatever punishment was meted out to him was totally deserved, and in my opinion was insufficient. I won't even bother going into what other reactions were, like that proferred by the washed-out has-been that is Maradona, in whose opinion Suarez did nothing wrong, but enough of this victimization talk. That man needs a proper psychological evaluation and possible spiritual intervention because you have to ask yourself, what goes through a man's mind that would make him want to bite someone else? Please feel free to leave a comment below stating what would drive you to bite another person.

Then again what is the point of banning Suarez? He'll just come back to the Premier league in November and still be the highest goal scorer in the league and will be once again celebrated as the triumph of a reformed man over his adversity.

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FIRST THINGS FIRST

So I feel like writing again.

It's a few minutes to 7 p.m., and I'm in school with Timothy and Jenna. I'm experiencing somewhat of a block so I ask them randomly what they think are the pressing issues of our contemporary times, and even though they gave me varying answers, interestingly, they both arrived at the same broad conclusion: people have an issue with priorities. 

Except in very broad terms, there are no specific or ideal rules about what should be done at what time, and in what order. People generally have to decide for themselves what they think should be the right order of events for any range of activities. It is different for various people because everyone has a different set of circumstances governing their lifestyle choice and behavior.

That being said, it still holds that at each and every point or stage in a person's life, it is expected that there are some things, some groundwork that should have been laid in order to increase one's chances of succeeding in the corresponding phases of life. Most of these are shown or represented by responsibilities, either to society, family or even one's self. Responsibility, even though it is relatively unpopular is a great indication of maturity in an individual. That person is appealing who has learned to order their affairs in such a manner as to avoid chaos and confusion while ensuring maximum efficiency.

So even though there are no broad rules for what comes first or should be a priority, the hallmark of priorities, which is order cannot be overestimated. For the individual who wants to be very efficient and effective, attention to priorities is of great importance. It is very easy to take that last statement for granted especially as we wrongly assume that everyone wants order in their affairs, but it is one thing to think wishfully, and another thing entirely to determine to make it so. No matter how much one wants to believe in the sanity of all mankind, the fact remains that those that pay any serious attention to priorities are in the minority.

Also to be taken into consideration is the fact that priorities do change. They could change from time to time or from situation to situation. One must learn to identify the circumstances surrounding him/her and act accordingly so as to keep up with the times. It's all easier said than done, but all very worth doing in the end. One only has to ask how much is willing to be done in order to get to where you want to go to, and put first things first, doing as the Bible says, "Redeeming the time, because the days are uncertain."

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Heels At The Cross

Lovely shoes, aren't they... By their trademark red soles, yes, these are Christian Louboutins shoes, specifically Christian Louboutins Lady Super Platform Mary Jane shoes, and these are the sort of shoes that the young ladies wear every Sunday to the church where I worship.

I'm not quite sure how it started. All I can remember is that it wasn't always like this. Those were simpler days where the ladies in church were content to look decent, clean, with only a hint of style, maybe in an ear ring, bracelet or pendant, but right now, it is an all out fashion exhibition at Sunday services. And I kinda like it, to be honest. It has its good parts, and its downsides, unfortunately. Let's do the good parts first.

Previously, I have never been one to invest so much in how I look to go anywhere, quite frankly, and if not for some concerned female who pushes me, whether it be my mum, sister or dear friend, I could care less, but these ladies invest so much in how they look, and for the most part they pull it off, and we men are nicely assaulted with beautifully dressed ladies, most of which pull of simple and decent, but chic with minimum effort, or just a nice accessory here and there, and we even have some fashion icons who have made their appearances into a fashion science. Sundays at church are a beautiful affair because of these young ladies, especially since a good number of the guys at church are still obsessed with dressing like Lil' Wayne, Cabo Snoop and Kanye West, or some celebrity who has decided that his belt does a better job securing his butt than his waist. Very immature, but a topic for another day.

On the downside, unfortunately, the church has become an avenue to display what items of clothing you have in your wardrobe, and it all becomes about showing off what you have. The instant church becomes about ANYTHING or ANYONE except Christ, we have a problem. We've seen Louboutins, Jeffrey Campbells, Vince Camutos, etc., Sunday in, Sunday out. I've even had statements credited to the fact that since they cannot compete appearance wise with the other girls, because as we know, these shoes don't come cheap, and there is no responsibility tying them down to attending church mandatorily, they have chosen not to come to church anymore. And I must admit it is kind of intimidating to walk into church and see someone wearing shoes which cost the same as your total monthly allowance.

I asked myself why the girls go to such extents to present themselves so, and one reason I came up with is, in the workings of a girl's mind, presentation is a very big deal. How a girl looks is not a matter to EVER be trifled with. I have made some rash statements, and I acknowledge that they were very wrong, not because they were untrue, but because how a girl looks matters to her, and any negative statement or criticism is not unnoticed, and could even hurt. So at every point, a girl/lady wants to look her best. Also, for most of the ladies in my church, this being a school environment, they have no where else to really dress up to go to, except church services on Sundays. There are hardly any formal events to attend, so church is the only place that they can properly dress up to, and so, they make the most of it.

After all has been said and done, church is, and will always be about God, not who we are, what we look like or how we appear. We will never stop dressing well to church, but it will not be the reason why we come in the first place. I know for a fact that it is not just here that this is obtainable, as it is very common, especially for Nigerian women, to always dress fashionably to church, but as long as Christ is the focus, then we carry on looking good. Ladies, you are much more than what you wear, or look like or say. A woman's heart and mind is delicate, but also very intriguing, strong, and sometimes inspiring too. If you must invest in something, invest in you, making yourself the best you could possibly be, just as God created you to be: special, each and every one of you.

Please feel free to leave your comments below, so that I can also learn more on this topic, or if I have said anything wrongly, or out of context, feel free to mention too. Thanks for reading my piece.

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Sister's Graduation

Here I am in Wolverhampton in the UK here to witness my sister graduating as a lawyer. I am so happy I could be here for this trip, but first of all some background.

My summer holidays were nice, even though for the most part, I didn't go anywhere. I had to wait for the last week of the holds to travel to the UK. Of is quite a significant trip for me because I haven't been here since I was a baby. Literally. I never had any real interest in coming to this country, either, if I must be honest, but I wasn't about to let slip an opportunity to see my baby sister graduate, as well as visit this land which has become an annual pilgrimage ground for so many of the students from my institution.

I must say that having been here for about 4 days so far, I am impressed with this country. There is so much variety Herr, and the ethnic diversity is amazing, to say the least. I love the weather, even though it can be quite emotional. I stayed in the West Midlands, and I loved it.

My parents are also around, and that's so cool because I want able to go back home this summer, but I still get to see them, and it has felt like old times. For all sorts of reasons.

So, I'm writing this article during the graduation ceremony. My sister was just called up and issued her certificate. I'm so proud of the little rascal, and my parents wouldn't be anywhere else in the world right now. I now my sister is set up nicely for even greater things in her life, with more awards, professional and academic to follow.

This is the primary reason why I'm here. I came to celebrate my sister. In the same way I will celebrate my other siblings whenever they excel. I'm so proud of my family. Remember the surname. You will need to.

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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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Christmas...

Merry Christmas in arrears to y'all! I just wanted to put up some pics of what I and my family were up to this period... There is also proof here for Tahir that I do drink!

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The Fifth Sparrow

 

Currently I am reading a book by Max Lucado, Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear. I first came across the book in my friend, Funsho’s house some months ago, and ever since then, after reading just the first two pages, I was sure I was going to own a copy of the said book. While reading, I came across some scripture passages that gave me some exposition I hadn’t seen before, hence I thought I’d build on that and share with anyone who comes across this blog.

In Matthew 10:29, the Bible says that two sparrows are sold for a farthing, yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Heavenly Father’s knowledge and protection; it goes on in verse 31 to say that we should not fear because we are of more value than many sparrows. This passage is a reassurance of God’s watchful protection over us and His keen eye for the details in our lives.

There is a similar passage in Luke 12:6, similar but with an interesting twist/addition to it. It says that are not five sparrows sold for 2 farthings, and yet not one of them is forgotten by God? Simple math: 2 sparrows would cost 1 farthing, so 4 sparrows should cost 2 farthings, but then in this recent passage, 5, and not 4 sparrows cost 2 farthings, from which we can freely suggest that there is a bonus sparrow, one which has no cost, no real value, but is thrown in there for being such a magnanimous customer. (It kinda makes you wonder how many free sparrows you would get if you were buying 10 farthings worth – might not even be legal to do so). This Fifth Sparrow is the crux of the matter.

There are a lot of ‘fifth sparrow(s)’ in our contemporary world today, people who don’t think they are worth anything to anyone except those whom nature has enforced the responsibility on; who get easily lost in any crowd, those who think they have no showcase-able talent, those who believe that if they stay in their houses for three months, only their landlords will come to visit them, and even that is to collect the month’s rent; those whose parents never call them and the only time they talk to each other is when they are asking for money, and their parents non-comittally give it to them; those who believe life has not dealt them a fair hand or given them a fair chance, while bestowing multiple talents and opportunities on others.

The problem with this line of thinking is that, the Bible has said that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he: whoever thinks that he/she is nobody will be nobody. This means that the individual will not amount to much in life, he will always despise other people, and will live in a constant state of depression, useless to himself and his society. He always sees himself as less than average. He will constantly pass up opportunities to progress and grow, thinking that such are only meant  for those who have been ‘well-endowed’ with skill and potential. He will also doubt the fact that God loves him, or has any interest in him, or might even accuse God of creating him as a defective product. The individual may not exhibit all the described features, but that individual is definitely looking at a lower quality of life.

Now, on a personal note, after hearing how much those sparrows cost, I’m not sure I want to be referred to as such, but at least the first four had some value. Imagine being the fifth sparrow, the one with no value among those with so little value in themselves.

God said in Matt. 10 that even the hairs of your head are counted (v. 30). Who counts hair? No one does, but to know that God has, that adds a sense of worth. If God knows detail as minute as how many strands of hair I have on my head, if He cares and knows about things that I don’t even regard in the first place, then He definitely knows about what I am going through in my life, about my weaknesses, my short-comings, my strengths, my social life, my academics, my workplace, everything. He also goes on to say that nothing happens to any one of these birds without His knowledge, and then He says that I am worth more than many sparrows. If God pays so much attention to these little birds, and I am worth more, it means, without any doubt in my mind, that I am special.

If I realize that God values me so dearly, then I would claim everything He has said about me; He has made so many promises to me, and I believe every single one for myself. I have no reason to be depressed about anything because the joy of the Lord is my strength; I have no reason to dread an empty pocket because God gives me power to create wealth. I am not concerned about how people perceive me or observe me because I am created in God’s image.

Unwittingly, many people have been called, and have referred to themselves as a ‘Fifth Sparrow’; but even then, God loves you, and He cares for you to pin-point perfection, taking note of the things you don’t and constantly looking out for you. God sees you as worth something; you should too.

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CHASING THE NIGERIAN DREAM

The American Dream, sometimes in the phrase "Chasing the American Dream," is a national ethos of the United States in which freedom includes a promise of prosperity and success. Historian James Truslow Adams coined the phrase "American Dream" in his 1931 book Epic of America. Excerpts include 'The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement…' The ethos simply indicates the ability, through participation in the society and economy, for everyone to achieve prosperity. According to the dream, this includes the opportunity for one's children to grow up and receive a good education and career without artificial barriers. It is the opportunity to make individual choices without the prior restrictions that limit people according to their class, caste, religion, race, or ethnicity. This coinage was meant to promote the United States of America as a land to be regarded as a beacon of liberty and prosperity (Wikipedia).

On the heels of this, I was challenged, especially in light of the fact that Nigeria would, on the 1^st of October this year be commemorating 50 years of its existence, to explore what this phrase could possibly mean for the Nigerian, to compare it with the concept of the American dream and see what similarities and differences there are with the 'Nigerian Dream.'

If I were to address an average, random group of people concerning this subject, having enlightened them on the American Dream, they would almost, always be unanimous in their voicing of the fact that Nigeria has no such dream. Sometimes it feels like God gave a different instruction to the developed world and gave a separate set to the developing world, telling the developed nations to take dominion over the Earth, while telling the developing countries to do their best to stay alive, and He would give a handful of them a lucky break every now and then. The first group has continually developed their spirit of adventure while the latter has learned to finely hone its instinct for survival.

If I were to phrase what I have observed to be the Nigerian Dream, it would go thus:

'The Nigerian Dream is the dream of a land in which every man and woman would strive with all the means at their disposal to get a tertiary education in a professional course (medicine, law, engineering, accountancy), get a job in either Abuja or Lagos, either work in government for the job security, or work in the private sector with some deep contacts in government, know at least one politician, one high-ranking police officer, and one immigration/customs officer; be affiliated to some spiritual leaders that would assist with spiritual attacks on your person/family because they will come, marry someone from your geopolitical zone to avoid any pressure from immediate family members, have children including AT LEAST one boy to avoid insult from extended family, rent a respectable looking house with the aim to buy yours one day, buy a generator to generate your own light, drill your own borehole to provide yourself with continuous water, buy a car that can handle random pot-holes and speed bumps, send your children to private schools run by people from any nationality except Nigeria, and then afterwards send them to any country outside Africa to further their studies; a land where survival is the keyword, with prosperity, education and security all in place to ensure this fact.'

Reading this, I can't help but suppress a slight chill, because even though everyone would have their own take on what the Nigerian dream is, we can all agree this is not far from the truth at all. This explains why we do not create, and we suppress creativity, because as far as we appreciate, a creative mind has lost its primary instinct – survival; this is of course, unless the point of such creativity is to enhance survival by providing financial compensation. I really wish I could get my hands on the documents showing what the founding fathers of this country dreamed for it, because I am sure this wasn't it. Even though the American Dream has been criticized for being too idealist and setting a bar too high, they haven't deviated much from it today.

I belong to the minority of people that strongly believe that Nigeria can and will be better than what we can see now. Many people seeing the preparations being made for this silver jubilee celebration have said Nigeria is celebrating 50 years of leadership failure, waste of potential and resources, as well as endorsing deeply entrenched corruption. My Bible tells me that I will have whatever I say, so I say that Nigeria is blessed, that God's plans for this country will be achieved, that this country will reach its full potential, and make all of us proud to belong to it. It also tells me that we should pray for those in authority, so I commit my President and his cabinet into God's hands that He will lead, guide and direct in the best interests of the population of the country, and may their hearts be yielding to his prodding, that they may put aside all pride, greed and self-gratification to serve the purpose for which God has put them in place.

I believe in and love my country. God bless Nigeria. God bless Nigerians.

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Been A While

Hmmm... I haven't done any writing ever since I got back home for this summer break. I have some titles in my head, but no strength in my hands yet. Oh well, I'll get to it - eventually. I look forward to my next most likely write-up: The Nigerian Dream. See you guys soon!

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A SENSE OF DEFINITION

Humanism is a worldview and a moral philosophy that considers humans to be of primary importance. It is a perspective common to a wide range of ethical stances that attaches importance to human dignity, concerns, and capabilities, particularly rationality. I lifted that particular definition from Wikipedia. To break it down, a humanist is someone who believes that anyone can do whatever they want, however they want, provided the means and end would satisfy the individual involved, and lives by their own set of rules. This implies that institutions like the written rule of law, the Bible, and even other people’s feelings are secondary to the individual’s whims. Based on this, humanists define and defend themselves based on characteristics and features which more often than not are not justified, logical or considerate. This theory is not a necessarily domineering one, just one that sees an individual the way he or she is, accepts that what the person is cannot change, and will not change, so the rest of the world should either deal with them that way, or look in another direction.

It sounds interesting, and senseless too when you hear someone say, I am the way I am because I was born that way, and there is nothing I can do about it. Less appreciated is when they are referring to such characteristics like being lazy, careless, anger-prone, over-indulgent, or even homosexual. To further compound this problem, notable icons and celebrities whenever they are interviewed make such claims, and when such admissions are made, the listening public are enamoured by their openness and honesty, that it becomes a personality trait to emulate. While there is no argument against honesty, the problem with such an argument is that people stop trying to be better than they already are; they stop growing because they have gotten a definition for themselves based on where and what they are, and are open about it. The Bible says, As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.

When one stops growing, he starts dying. When you feel you have reached your peak, your final definition of yourself, nothing will ever give you a different sense of whom you are. The truth, as I see it is that while I have painted a very unappreciable picture of humanism, most people without actually acknowledging their subscription to this school of thought, are humanistic in nature. Why, because they share a common trait with humanists – they are lazy, they are non-achievers, they have no true sense of self-worth. A man would only develop to the extent to which he gives himself room to do so. So many of us, either because we resist change, or are too comfortable with where we have found ourselves have come to define ourselves with specific tags that have become our limits, because if we do change or grow, we would have to get new definitions, and new identities for each change we make.

I think the best stance we can take is that we are continuous works in progress. Interestingly enough, most people who exhibit such humanistic views are within the age ranges of 18 and 45 years of age, which should be the most progressive years of life. We keep growing, we keep setting higher standards, seeking greater challenges, striving to be better than we were before. There is so much we can do, so much we can be. Why stop now because it is convenient?

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Champion.

In 2001, it was no secret knowledge that Agbani Darego was crowned as the 50^th Miss World, an award for a young woman publicly acknowledged to have the perfect blend of beauty and brains. Little known fact was that when she won that award, she was a student of the University of Port Harcourt. A less known fact is that I was in that institution at that point in time. An even lesser known fact is that I was personally acknowledged by the reigning Miss World at that time, Miss Darego. After she had won the award, she promised to visit UNIPORT being her alma mater, so to speak, and the whole school, plus some people from town turned up to see her. We waited for over 5 hours. She didn’t show, neither was there any concrete word about her arrival or not. One of my friends, impatient with waiting asked me to walk him to the school gate from where he would get a vehicle to go home. It was a long walk from the Arena to the main gate, so after seeing him off, I started my walk back. I had walked more than halfway when I heard a lot of vehicles coming behind me. I looked back, and saw a convoy of vehicles, vehicles of class, definitely carrying someone important. I knew she had finally arrived. Then I saw her, standing out of the roof of one of the limousines, and she looked beautiful. I stopped walking to watch the convoy go by, and when the vehicle carrying her was driving by, she looked directly at me, smiled and waved. I was the only one along the entire road, so I was sure it was me she was referring to with that gesture. Now, stopping the convoy, coming down from the vehicle, planting a peck on my face, and taking a picture with me would have left me with a permanent blush, but the smile and wave were just perfect – it was, and is my only private moment with a world renowned celebrity.

Watching her as she reached the Arena and it filled to overflowing with people, I couldn’t help but wonder about success and achievement. The whole school and its complete hierarchy, and later that evening, the whole town along with its leadership would acknowledge her, not just because she had won the title, or because she had schooled in UNIPORT, or because she was a celebrity, but more because she was one of them, and she had brought them happiness and pride by being successful, and being globally acknowledged for it.

I would love to be in that position. I will be in that position. I am going to attain something profitable for myself and as many people as it would affect, and I am going to be publicly and globally recognized for it. When Agbani was in UNIPORT, no one acknowledged her. There are a lot of beautiful, model-types in the school, so except for the cursory observation, no one paid her any special attention. Even when she won Miss Nigeria to qualify for the bigger tournament, most people didn’t even know. But when she attained, the whole world took notice. That’s where I am referring to. That’s where I will be.

It will take hard work. It will take perseverance. It would take depending on God to direct me, and not lean on my own wisdom, but it can, and it will be done. This should be everyone’s desire, not necessarily for the public fanfare, but for the widespread impact. Everyone should be challenged to affect positively as many people as possible, and if you are publicly acknowledged in the process, to do so with grace. I was challenged by her that day, and I am constantly challenged by people not too far from me. I will work to prove myself. I will prove myself to be a champion.

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BEAUTIFUL BUDAPEST?

I just had a wonderful weekend at the Medikus Kupa  (Medical Cup) competition that took place in Budapest. It was fun, and rewarding for a number of reasons: firstly, my school were the best overall having claimed the gold medal in 2 out of 4 events, I travelled with Imoh and Tahir, both of which were awesome company, I stayed with two lovely young ladies who made me feel very at home with their cozy apartment and lovely meals; it was also a rest, a separation from the hustle and bustle that has characterized my town of Debrecen. Plus, a day before I left, I didn’t plan to go! Totally spur of the moment, but totally worth it.

Last year, when I attended the Medikus Kupa at Pecs, it was announced that the event would hold in Budapest this year, there were general groans all around, because everyone has been to Buda at one point, and it wasn’t something to look forward to, as we thought there was no way it would beat the Pecs trip in terms of excitement – it didn’t. But then, in all fairness, it wasn’t half bad at all. I have already mentioned the reasons why, so if you missed it, you might want to start reading from the beginning.

I am not a fan of big cities or crowds. I love less populated, self-sufficient cities, because more often than not, there is little noise, lower crime rates, and a comparative tranquil. That’s why I prefer Abuja to Lagos, and Debrecen to Budapest. Abuja is not exactly a small town, but when you compare it with Lagos… let’s leave it at that. In light of this admission, I had developed the same attitude towards Buda that I had developed towards Lagos – go in, shop, do what you have to do, and get out as quickly as possible. I had to travel alone, because I had failed to meet the registration deadline to travel with the rest of the school, a move that has profited me two years in a row; the journey was quiet and uneventful, just as I like it, I got in, met my host who was lovely, and I started looking around the town. Now Lagos and Budapest have in common that they are larger cities, highly populated, and crime rates higher than the rest of their respective countries combined (sue me, you Lagos people!), but there the similarities stop. Budapest is organized. Whoever planned that town took into cognizance the fact that it is a big town with a large population and put in a transportation system so efficient, you could plan weeks in advance, it has a variety of opportunities, as well as a variety of options, which I would admit is similar to a town like Lagos, but with beautiful organization. I found myself, for the first time in my life liking a big city.

Aside the fact that I had wonderful hosts, I could picture myself actually working and thriving in that town. Everyone goes about their own business, it is a rowdy town, but still very organized, and I was attracted to that. I no longer have any untoward reservations concerning Budapest – I still am not a fan of the typical cosmopolitan/metropolitan city, but as I travel back to my lovely Debrecen, I do so with an open mind, knowing that inasmuch as I would like to base in a small, self-sufficient town, I will leave my options open, and see how God will lead me. It was a lovely trip, I have no regrets, and I look forward to even more adventures of a similar and enlightening nature.

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