Call a Spade a Spade

It amuses me to no end when people try to sugar coat something or try to be ‘politically correct’. I sincerely believe the world would be a better place if we all learned to say the truth in a deferential manner.

Recently, I saw a friend I haven’t seen in a long time and of course she had changed drastically, she was now fat. Yes, I said the f word. Not large/big boned, not PHAT (pretty, hot and tempting) but purely and simply fat. She got upset and said I had no right to call her fat. I proceeded to explain to her that being fat wasn’t necessarily a bad thing and calling fat another name didnt’t take away the fact that she was fat.

I find it highly ridiculous when people try to use politically correct terms…please call a spade a spade and NOT a digging tool. I think it stems from the fact that naturally, human beings like to deceive themselves about their current situation. I honestly think people should be fat and proud if they want to be. If you are not proud of it, then do something sensible and reasonable about it.

For example, I am short and proud and take no offense when I am called short. Seriously? I should be angry because you call me short? Am I not short? You would find it ridiculous if I told you ‘I am not short, I am just vertically challenged’. I can see you rolling on the floor and gasping for breath, it is ridiculous.

I am not promoting unhealthy eating and the like, I am fully aware that some people’s weight is hereditary; some have slow metabolism rates, etcetera. Nevertheless, my point is be comfortable in your own skin and do not let other people determine the way you feel about yourself. (I have been constantly called a short, thin bully and frankly, I believe my scorners are entitled to their opinions however flawed…although, if you call me that to my face, you would run into my fist 5 times).

My Birthday wishlist

It is that time of the year again, only this time it is different: I am going to be a year older. My birthday is on the 23^rd of December (the fourth Thursday in December) and please find below my wish list in alphabetic order:

1.      1 terabyte hard disk

2.      500 gig external hard drive

3.      A 2011 diary

4.      A masculine wristwatch (NOT leather strap please)

5.      Any book written by Tom Peters

6.      Anything from Victoria’s Secret

7.      Chic by Carolina Herera (for men)

8.      Dvd or Blue Ray of ‘The phantom of the opera’

9.      Euphoria Men by Calvin Klein

10.   Formal dresses (black, grey and brown) (size 6)

11.   Full payment of my LLM tuition (I start my masters in June)

12.   Hair Accessories

13.   Handbags

14.   Hard copy of the Lord of the Rings (books 1-4)

15.   Iphone

16.   Jewellery

17.   Monopoly

18.   Netbook (Sony preferably)/ an Ipad

19.   New pair of glasses (-2.00) or a box of contacts

20.   Nike Gear

21.   Nikon D7000

22.   Scrabble

23.   Shoes/ sandals/ slippers (size 38)

Thank you in advance.

A matter of National Importance

This is a very important issue that we have treated with great levity, a situation so critical it calls for immediate action. I really cannot fully express the urgency of this situation. Oh well, I would go straight to the point. It is the issue of our First Lady’s verbal communication ability.

Words cannot describe the way I felt the first time I heard her speak. I thought there was something wrong with my ears. The first thing that came to my mind was the fact that this woman had been a deputy governor’s wife, a governor’s wife, a vice-president’s wife and now the president’s wife…surely she had all the time in the world to perfect her communication skills.

Recently, I attended a dinner she hosted at the State House and boy, was I dumb founded. She had very intelligent things to say but I didn’t get over the fact that she couldn’t express herself coherently. What struck me the most was the fact that she had a speech in front of her! Now, my critiques would be quick to say ‘after all English is not our mother tongue’…that argument is a silly one in my opinion. English is the Lingua Franca of Nigeria and every Secondary School Graduate is expected to speak the Language in a manner that would be understood by a listener. You can argue that standards have fallen but the First Lady is supposed to be a role model to some and she ought to take steps to address her image (Dora Akunyili can give her tips about image rebranding)

Another critique said maybe it was her accent that made it difficult for me to decipher what she was saying. Again, I debunk that theory. I can mention names of highly placed Nigerians who have their local accents but speak good English. Effective communication can be made regardless of the speaker’s accent.

One of my friends even suggested that she should speak in her local dialect and have an interpreter communicate her words effectively to us. She could use the ruse that she is promoting indigenous languages in Nigeria and none of us would bat an eyelid. 

Most of all, I am not amused that no one in her inner circle had the courtesy to suggest that she engages the services of a linguist, speech therapist, language instructor or whatever. It is pure wickedness to let this issue run its course. I mean, her husband could have subtly insinuated that she did something about it.

Do not misunderstand me, my intention is not to insult anyone but to state the obvious as it seems a lot of people are fearful to do so. I am merely suggesting we do something about this fast. The mother of all horrors would be if she is to have a debate with Michelle Obama…

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a holiday celebrated in the United States and Canada as a way of expressing gratitude for life, family and more. Thanksgiving was made an official national holiday on the 3^rd of October 1863 by the United States president Abraham Lincoln. 

If you want to read about the history of thanksgiving, I suggest you go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving as it highlights the history of thanksgiving both in Canada and the USA. 

The essence of thanksgiving is the fact that we are alive despite the many things we have gone through. We should be thankful for family despite the fact that they make us want to hit our heads on the wall sometimes. If it seems like you can’t find anything to be thankful about, consider the air you breathe. Start from the seemingly little things like the fact you awaken every morning, the fact that you can read this post, the fact you have access to the internet…anything seemingly mundane.

Have you lost a loved one? Be thankful for the fact that he/she is in a better place and if you do not believe in the afterlife, be thankful for the strength you have every day to bear the loss. Has your business crumbled over the last couple of years? Be thankful for the ingenuity and courage you had to create a business and indeed start one that failed. You would learn from your mistakes and create a bigger and better business.

I absolutely hate what I call comparative thanksgiving e.g. thank God for the food I have to eat because many poor children have nothing. That is absolute crap. Why compare yourself with others when you can be fully satisfied independent of other people’s status? Yes, some have more or less than we have but that gives us no reason to base our thankfulness on that.

I am thankful for so many things and they include (in no preferential order)

1.      I am alive and have the will to go on living.

2.      I have a job I absolutely enjoy.

3.      I have access to the internet (where I meet a lot of interesting people and can post write-ups on my blog).

4.      I have a loving family.

5.      I have crazy friends who would do anything for me and vice versa.

6.      I have the zeal and yearning to achieve my goals.

7.      I have time.

8.      I have good health (well, seemingly so since I haven’t gone for a check-up in a while and I haven’t died yet)

9.      My country hasn’t gone into another Civil war despite the various issues we have.

I could go on and on but won’t bore you with my long list of things I am thankful for. Please feel free to comment and let me know the things you are thankful for…trust me, you would go on and on.

Book Review: Living Life in the Zone

Living life in the zone is a 40 day daily devotional for men written by Kyle Rote Jr. and Dr. Joe Pettigrew. 

The authors call it a 40 day spiritual game plan for men (I guess this is because it is written in a sports format that appeals to most men).

I took my time studying this book as the authors intended and found it to be a very reflective and inspirational daily devotional.

The authors acknowledge the fact that forty days is considered by God as a spiritually significant period of time in which he accomplishes his purposes. The authors further prove their point by giving us eleven instances where God used 40 days to change to change lives and situations.

The book covers a wide range of topics and is divided into 6 sections that cover every facet of a man’s life. Each week there is a different theme that makes you stop and ponder about your relationship with God, your wife, children, friends, co-workers and your future plans.

It sports oriented as it seeks to relate to the active/sporty side of men. As a woman, I was not bored with the book, I actually found it fascinating and I can imagine how much more interested the men would be.

This is a book I would recommend as a gift for a male figure dear to any woman. It boosts the morale and serves as a Spiritual guide. Although biblical passages were sparsely referred to, the authors tried as much as possible to make you dig deeper by giving daily assignments.

Check  http://www.amazon.com/Living-Life-Zone-Spiritual-Gameplan/dp/0849946522 to buy the book.

Photography (2)

Hello everybody, welcome to by first photography exhibition. Okay, not really an exhibition but a post of a few of my pictures. I love photography ( I am an amateur) and my Nikon goes wherever I go. The pictures I am bold enough to post today are pictures I took in June 2010. It was a TG1stFriday event at Silverbird Abuja. I wonder why they stopped hosting the event. Oh well.

What I really love most about the few pictures here is the way I captured the fountain in different lights. Please enjoy and feel free to criticize.

This picture was taken with a focal length of 105.0mm, and an ISO of 800. I love the green background and the fact that the people were oblivious to my camera.

Focal Length: 105.0mm; ISO:800

This time, the two beautiful ladies saw my camera and struck a pose.

 Who knew the fountain could be this beautiful at night.

  Focal Length: 34.0mm; ISO: 800

Focal Length: 25.0mm; ISO: 720

This is my friend and partner in crime (my photography buddy) Dr. Olamide Craig.

F.L: 50.0mm; ISO: 800

 

To me, this is the most beautiful picture I captured that night. Let me hear your views.

F.L: 52.0mm; ISO: 800

 Finally, a close up of the table arrangement. This was actually such a random picture that came out quite nice.

 

I should thank 'whats my name' who commented on my blog last week and encouraged me to post some of my amateurish pictures.

Writing

I find it difficult to write sometimes and most of it is largely due to lack of self discipline. I could blame it on a number of factors: lack of constant electricity, busy schedule at work, the fact that I am always on the move...but they are all bloody excuses. After all, Shakespeare, C.S. Lewis and the best of them had no computers to write on and they wrote perfectly.

Truth be told, I enjoy reading immensely and I know that I write well but I have to get rid of the laziness I succumb to. I have subscribed to a number of websites that encourage you to write, give you tutorials and the rest. To be honest, the Word Queen (Keidi Keating) has helped me a lot. I found out about it one idle day on twitter and I have been blessed with the tips and weekly advise (almost daily advice actually). Please visit http://thewordqueen.com/

Another person who encourages me to write is Gordon McCleary. He is the author/writer of 'A Yankee's Southern Exposure' (here is the link to his blog http://yankeeexposure.blogspot.com). He has an intricate way of infusing humour in his writings. His blog is actually educating as it tells you the experience of a native Northern American's experience in the South. It has actually given me ideas as to topics I should write on.

Another person who inspires me is Erere Jennifer Abayowa who is a prolific writer and has the blog http://www.lightherlamp.com/. Oh my...I cannot describe how inspiring and enlightening her blog is ( I use it as a devotion sometimes). 

There are so many writers that inspire me, I would not mention the classic writers, I am focusing on the bloggers right now because I can read their blogs on my phone and smile, be inspired, pause to ponder and use their articles as a platform for my articles.

Over the next couple of days, I would analyze/summarize the writings of my favorite bloggers and I what I enjoy about their blogs (so help me God )

Photography

My love for photography started when I finally accepted the fact that I could not draw to save my life. Yes, I am proud to say I was one of those people who fooled themselves in Secondary School that they possessed artistic prowess.

After years of what I would call mock pottery and 'abstract' art, I put aside the clay, paint, paper and brushes and told myself it was not necessary for me to tap into my artistic side any further.

Technology then blessed me with the art of digital photography (hugs to the group of people who worked tirelessly to develop such a wonderful thing). My first camera was actually a nameless camera (no, I would not admit I have forgotten the name of the manufacturer). I would buy countless rolls of film and take countless pictures.

My second camera was a Kodak digital camera and I absolutely loved it! My love didn't last for long as I got a Sony DSLR A 200 and it became my constant companion. I took so many pictures with that Camera.

Now I use a Nikon D 90 and I absolutely love this new baby.

I cannot tell you which camera is the best in the world but what i know is this: do not give your self an excuse for not doing what you always wanted to. I always wanted to capture images and I let my little mind think I could do that only with paper/canvas and paint. Once I realized that technology can help me with my lack of natural ability to draw, I embraced it warmly.

The conundrum that plagues the world (1)

We are all hypocrites. I know that statement has earned me a few self-righteous retorts but it is true. I lay on my bed pondering on a lot of things. Why am I hesitant about inviting my non-Christian friends and Christian friends for a small soiree? Here are my reasons:

1. My non-Christian friends would want to drink anything other than sugary and fizzy drinks; my Christian friends would wonder why I have lager, alcohol or the like.

2. My non-Christian friends would want to play ‘fun games’ while my Christian friends would be satisfied with sharing testimonies.

3. My non-Christian friends are oblivious to the term ‘indecent exposure’ while my Christian friends perpetually point out what’s decent and what’s not.

4. My non-Christian friends are ready to watch anything and everything while my Christian friends would have to read reviews about a movie before they watch.

5. My non-Christian friends are generous with sharing their escapades with the opposite sex while my Christian friends either have no escapades or they ‘code’ such escapades.

I can go on and on about this but life is not meant to be lived this way…or is it? Having different groups of friends? (Trust me; I have different groups of friends for different aspects and facets of my life). It all boils down to the fact that in reality, we are all hypocrites. I finally have matured to a point where I do not care if people disapprove of a friend because of ‘what she wears’, ‘how she speaks’ etc. after all, you also grind some other people’s gears.

Why is it difficult/almost impossible to accept people the way they are? We all want to change something about people so they can fit out idea about how a perfect person should be. We really should learn to accept people the way they are and stop forcing our beliefs down their throat. My previous statement is just an example of how we try to force our beliefs down people’s throats as some people are of the opinion that their beliefs should be forced down other people’s throats. This is the conundrum that plagues the world.

There are different ways of doing the same thing. Do not delude yourself otherwise. The most important thing to note is the fact that you need to find out which of the different ways works best for you….and stick with it or change it as often as you want to (whatever catches your fancy).

Don’t get me wrong; this is not an article on Christians and non-Christians, its one about our different set of beliefs and how we try to impose them on others. It’s about finding that delicate balance between adhering to your own set of beliefs and respecting the beliefs of others. I wish I could say I have fully mastered the art of achieving the perfect balance but I think I know how to describe the balance that we should strive to achieve.

Over the next few weeks, I would write about various double standards that exist and plague our world.

Availability

When do you draw the line between being available and your availability being taken for granted? I have always had that problem. I am the kind of person that can do anything for someone I care about, someone I call a friend. It never ceases to amaze me how I always 'give the benefit of the doubt' to people I know are just taking advantage of me.

The truth is we all take advantage of each other but in varying degrees. I know that I love being needed and this is perhaps the reason I always want to be there for a friend when he/she calls.

The fact is when you are always there for someone, you would always be taken for granted no matter what. Live your life without necessarily trying to bend over backwards pleasing people. Its hard to do this but of what use is it pleasing your friends at your expense, without them appreciating? The resentment that builds isn't worth it.

Learning to say no is indeed the first step. It is impossible to always be there for someone...and when you find your self in such position, then you know you are killing yourself slowly. There is nothing wrong in saying 'I would like to help you but I am sorry I cannot' or 'I am indisposed at the moment' or something of that nature.

I still have not achieved that delicate balance but I know that I am not interested in being anybody's foot-mat. If it is not convenient for me, I would say so and I do not care how you beg and plead.

Remember the law of diminishing returns.

My Dream Wedding

I have never been one to think about who my future partner would be or what my wedding day would be like. Recent events have made me give thought to such things…with everybody asking when I am getting married and all (bear in mind that I am not even in a relationship).

My dream wedding would be a breakfast wedding with 50 guests in attendance. I would wear a white, knee length dress with red trimmings, red shoes and a classy hat (no veil please, thank you very much). My groom would have the choice of what colour of suit he wants to wear (well, I won’t let him wear white).

The venue would be a classy Coffee Lounge/Bar  (I called it a breakfast wedding) and we would have tea, coffee, juice, smoothies, croissants, donuts, spring rolls, samosa, cakes, etc. (nothing too fancy). I am not sure I want a big wedding cake…but it would definitely be a chocolate cake…would give more thought to this.

I would not have bride’s maids and hopefully would convince husband to do away with the grooms men. There would be only two photographers and no video recording (I might change my mind on that). There would be no high table, chairman of the day, mummy/daddy of the day…or any of those mundane titles (forgive me but I am entitled to my opinions).

There would certainly be no dancing…if husband wants to dance, he is on his own as I have no inclination to dance neither do I have the requisite talent. Besides, the coffee lounge would not be large enough to accommodate such.

My new husband and I would leave the venue 12:00 p.m. for our honey moon (wherever he wants) and the guests can party on if they want.

Really, I do not want anything elaborate for my wedding and I know that would be difficult considering that my family members alone are more than 50 and I am a Nigerian…maybe I would organize the wedding in Australia.

Random Thoughts

I have too many things going on in this head of mine. I have come to that point where everyone inevitably gets to: the decision making period. For sure, I want my career to be a very exciting one, full of adventure, traveling and all that. I know that the legal field is for me and really can’t imagine switching careers anytime soon.

I started my Legal Consulting Firm earlier this year and it has been a wonderful experience so far. It’s a miracle because I never believed you could start something with almost nothing. I started with Ten thousand Naira and word of mouth. Drew up my plans and decided to start out.

I got my clients almost immediately (never underestimate the power of word of mouth). I bullied some people to register companies and I drew up agreements for others. In no time, my boss at work (no, I have not quit my 9-5 job) started procuring my services.

Although I am not yet where I want to be, I have a 5 year plan and I am sure I would accomplish more than I have set out to.

Stop dreaming and planning about what you want to do…start out. Do not regard you lack of funds. Be creative, find out what you can do without money. I would preach this because I did it and I am still doing it.

Although I don’t have an office space, I am going to employ someone soon and I know when I take that step, the office space would materialize. I still want to go back to school and all that, but it is going to be one step at a time.

State of Disarray

I have deprived my followers and readers the pleasure of reading my blog...I have been in a perpetual state of confusion and lack of management for the past few months. I do not know what I was thinking but I have always known that writing down my plans for the month is the first step in getting anything done. I have not written a single plan for the past 4 months!!! That sucks!

I am not making excuses...I just have to write this down...I really have fallen short of the standards I have set for myself and have no one but me to blame.

I am now starting all over again...life has been exciting for me; made new friends, strengthened old friendships...I would not take things for granted anymore...I promise.

This is one of the few times I really hope you understand my abstract words...like a friend of mine said; my words are such lazy horses...they fail to convey the full weight of my thoughts.

Have a great week!

Abortion

I have had arguments on abortion more times than I can remember. It all started when I offered philosophy 101 and we ‘philosophized’ about all sorts of things (who can remember the question “what happens when an irresistible object comes in contact with an immovable object?”... I pondered for hours). In my final year at the university, I offered Jurisprudence (which is the philosophy of law) and we were once again forced to talk about the morality or immorality of suicide, abortion, euthanasia...can’t remember them all. I wrote on abortion and I was almost crucified. I have to reiterate the fact that I am born again, tongue talking, Holy Spirit filled... you get the picture.

Abortion is a tricky topic. It has made some lose political offices, made others have a fatwa declared on them but the truth is that it happens and instead of being all so religious about it lets talk about it. I personally would not abort a child no matter the circumstances but then, why would I want to force my personal beliefs and morals down other people’s throats? I believe in legalizing abortion but with checks and balances. It is not as if the woman just swallows a pill and gets pregnant and I always argue that if bills are to be passed into laws making abortion illegal, maybe there should be a sex law also stating that before people have sex they should sign a document, supported by an affidavit, sworn on oath that they have agreed to engage in consensual sex and with birth control and in the event of the woman getting pregnant (if both adults are not married to each other), they would be liable to a fine of N 5,000,000 or five years imprisonment or both. Why do people see the absurdity in my proposed sex law and not the anti-abortion law?

I believe a law should be passed making abortion legal but also there should be a requirement that abortion counseling clinics should be created in every hospital where pregnant ladies who simply do not want the baby or whatever reason they have can consider giving the child up for adoption and sex education be taught in schools teaching students about abstinence or “safe sex” (which is a topic for another day).

Believe me, the effect would be that there would be a decline in abortion related deaths, people would become more responsible ( the view of a lay man like me)...but then again I ponder, how is it that we all are in one accord that stealing is bad but we are divided as to if abortion is? Was there a time when there was an argument on the morality of stealing? How was it resolved? Is it due to the fact that it was clearly stipulated in the bible “thou shall not steal” that we all concluded stealing was wrong?

I wonder.

Medical Report: Private document?

PREAMBLE:

Section 14 (2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides the following:

a. Sovereignty belongs to the people of Nigeria from whom the government through this constitution derives all its powers and authority;

b. The security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of the government; and

c. The participation by their government shall be ensured in accordance with the provisions of this constitution.

Section 17 (2) (c) provides that governmental actions shall be humane.

BODY:

I am sure you are wondering where I am going with my preamble.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice of Nigeria, Michael Aondoakaa (SAN) told us, the Nigerian People, that we are not entitled access to the president’s medical report as it is a private document.

I am going to divorce sentiments from reality and tackle his misstatement head-on.

The above sections I have quoted show that even if there are no express provisions for the president to disclose his ‘private’ issues, he is bound to ensure that he is accountable to the people at all times as we possess sovereignty.

I wonder why section 140 of the same constitution provides for the declaration of the assets and liabilities of the president and there is nothing I can find on declaration of health status. (Remember the president is to show that he is of sound mind so I wonder how that would be shown without a medical report).

In my mind, if the government is to make sure that its actions toward the people who hold sovereign power are humane, I wonder if it is humane to say we are not entitled to his medical records of the president because they are ‘private documents’.

The president is a PUBLIC FIGURE!!! What has privacy got to do with being a public figure? He sacrificed his privacy on the altar of service to the nation. Now, I am taking it persona. Please forgive me.

I move on objectively.

The president is the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, Head of State and Chief executive of the Federation. What an exalted position! He is accountable to the people because we voted him into power: he is our employee, we are the boss! See, the position does not seem so exalted after all because without us, he is not and without him, we are at best in chaos. It is supposed to be a symbiotic relationship.

For the A.G to tell us that we are not entitled to the medical records of our employee, the President and so-called servant leader, is at best mischievous. That would be akin to setting a dangerous precedent. He is indirectly stating that civil servants are not bound to disclose health issues or tender medical results because they are private documents; employers would not be able to study the medical reports of their employees...I can go on and on.

In my next article, I would adequately state what constitute public documents and what are classified as private documents.

CONCLUSION:

Until then the A.G has to view these issues in their right perspectives and take actions that are humane...or simply keep quiet.

My take on some issues in Nigeria.

People who read my blogs would wonder why I have not posted anything in a while. With all that is happening in Nigeria, I’ve had only scathing and rude remarks to make so I have waited this while to simmer down a bit.

Let me start from the top.

We woke up one morning to find that our president was not in the country. No announcement, no warning; he had gone to Saudi Arabia for medical check-up. We thought it was one of his usual “medical checkups” so we let it go. Then it became 10 days, 20 days and now 49 days! It is all our fault things deteriorated to this level in the sense that on previous occasions when he went for his medical check-up, we did not demand that a medical report certifying him to be fit and proper should be issued. Even in some secondary schools, you are denied the privilege of attending or being a boarder if you are found to have ailments like asthma, ulcer, diabetes and the like.

Alas, I deviate.

We did not take his absence seriously until the “crotch bomber” incident took place on the 25th of December. I did not realize on time that the man in question was a Nigerian and by the time I did, I marvelled...but that is another story. All that rings in my head after the incidence is Dora Akunliyi saying that Abdul-M “sneaked” in Nigeria, his own country oh. The little respect I had for her evaporated. How can a Nigerian citizen, no matter who he is or what he has done SNEAK into his own country? Did she even think through her statement before she made it? Does she know the meaning of the word SNEAK? I understand she was under some sort of pressure when she set up the press conference after the incidence but did she have to speak in that manner? I wonder.

The Vice-President just “fell my hand” (as we would say in Pidgin English). The least he would have done would have been to address us as a nation, the best he would have done would have been to contact Joe Biden or have a meeting with the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria. In my view, it would have been better to err than to do nothing and further rub pepper in our wounds.
Then it hit us in the face: we were black listed...and rightly so.
Before I get crucified for my statements, hear me out. Put yourselves in the shoes of the USA. In 2009, Nigeria had the Boko Haram Crises, Jos crises, Niger Delta Crises; bombing of the Atlas Cove jetty, corruption issues, bank reforms...need I go on? And to crown it all, a Nigerian citizen was caught red handed (or should I say down to his pants?) trying to commit suicide and murder in the American jurisdiction (we all know the details, except of course you live under a rug). To make matters worse, the president was MIA, AWOL etc and no official diplomatic measures were taken within 48 hours!!!

Do you not think they are entitled to protect their nation from unwarranted attacks? Everybody is entitled to their opinions no matter how flawed.
We need to stop lying to ourselves; all the Americans saw was a nation without direction ripe for terrorist invasion or at least had tendencies to be a fertile ground for breeding terrorism. So we were placed on a watch list like any right thinking sovereign country concerned about its safety would do. I firmly believe the crotch bomb scare was not the cause; it was just the last straw which broke the camel’s back.

If Yar’Adua has any regard for this country, why did he not pick up the phone and call Obama? If he was well enough to sign a bill, surely he was well enough to have spoken to the nation. Has the president not heard of Skype? or Google Wave? I could send him an invitation you know. Video calls on Skype are free and he could install it on his laptop and speak to us from his bed. After all, I remember Fidel Castro speaking to the Cubans in his pyjamas. He said, and I quote, “it would be a betrayal to my conscience to accept a responsibility requiring more mobility and dedication than I am physically able to offer”. Gosh, I cannot believe I am comparing Yar’Adua to FIDEL CASTRO! When did this happen?

The A.G is not even helping matters at all. What does he think he is saying? The president can rule from anywhere? I won’t repeat the other insane and obnoxious words he has uttered these past few months for fear of sounding like him.
Ojo Maduekwe is someone I would speak of in passing...he has failed miserably like the rest of them...running his mouth when he should sit and ponder.
The church seems nonexistent at the moment. This issue is not so important to warrant a speech from them? Or a lawsuit like some sensible thinking Nigerians have started? No. They are concerned with building bigger churches, being Arch-Bishops, presidents of Christian associations and the like...any other thing than issues that concern the sanity of our land.

The rest of those making noise about how we should pray endlessly for the speedy recovery of a president who has insulted our intelligence and spat in our faces should keep quiet already. I hope he recovers soon, but that does not mean I would not critique his shoddy arrangements. Seriously, those in government saying rubbish should keep quiet and not let us think less of them daily. Have they not heard the adage that says: ‘it is better to keep quiet and be thought a fool than to speak and erase all doubt’? (Hmmm, maybe that is what Goodluck Jonathan is doing).

But who am I angry the most at? The Nigerian people. I’m angry at our annoying silence as a people, our laziness being depicted in not standing up for ourselves (they spit in our faces and we say thank you); at our ‘siddon look’ attitude; at thinking that as long as we eat and are not killed, we are ok; at not holding our leaders responsible for their actions and inactions; at condoning the corruption in our society; at waiting on each other to change Nigeria; at allowing miscreants, fools and thieves to rule us, govern our states and rob us blind while we applaud them for constructing roads that would not last two weeks (okay, I am exaggerating), providing bore hole water that does not flow, ‘keke napap’ (tricycle) that is an insult to our sensibilities...I can go on. We applaud them for doing what they are mandated by the constitution to do.

The truth is that nothing, and I mean NOTHING, would change if we do not stand up together as a people, let our voices be heard and get rid of the cancer that is eating deep into our nation.

Forgive me if this article is not coherent; the issues plaguing our land are not coherent thus, I find my thoughts darting from one area to another.

New Year!!!

I would start with the typical Happy New Year greeting. Today has been a restful and somewhat lazy Saturday. Although I am looking forward to work on Monday, nevertheless, I would enjoy the weekend to the fullest.

The new year brings opens doors for new possibilities, opportunities and more. Make the best of it. Explore the mind blowing ideas you have and write them all down. Read a lot...this is the key to enlightenment. Make no excuses, take responsibility and above all, be diligent in whatever you do.

I'm so excited about this year and I run the risk of boring you with my exciting ideas...I would not fall prey to that temptation :).

On a more serious note, no lazing around at work, seek to be the best wherever you are and learn lessons.

Happy New Year!