We Are Waiting For You!

Through all these ‘difficult’ times when the world thinks you’re up

But deep down you know you’re crashing down in different dimensions

You believe the world would not get your non-conformist ideas

Afraid they may not relate and just brush them off in one sweep

So you turn off the lights and just express only grief and hurt

You carry your pain and sadness in the same sack with your inspiration

Somehow they all make you lock yourself in your own dark world

Is there comfort in the darkness or is it the fear of your own light?

Are you afraid of people turning down your creative sprout of unconventional ideas?

We know your ingenious creativity comes with strings attached to your heart

And we also appreciate your courage and desire to live on the edge 

The drive to be fully alive in every moment spent with breath

While you fight your inner demons behind the scenes

We sit patiently, waiting for you to put up a beautiful show

Can't you see that you are fighting a battle with yourself while the world waits for you?

Last Night's Rain

The bridge collapsed at night

Under the weight of a million hearts and rain

The rains poured and rattled the roofs

Inside, bonds of love were stretched

A million locks of love drowned tonight

The rust and seaweed unlock the bonds

And what was once forever is now a part of history

Honour and Sacrifice

Alors d'autres puissent vivre

(So others may live)

The brave fall in our stead

A medal and a star

Uniform, boots and a dog tag

Pallbearers and a flag across the casket

21 shots fired to shatter the brittle silence

A few birds flutter away, followed by heavy eyes

Tears, black figures and a heap of earth

More earth and a life of service is nothing more than memory

The nation gains a hero, the family loses a father

We can only say our prayers, but the void lasts forever

Away With The Wind

The Tree that sheltered us

Is withered and gone

It has lost all its leaves

To the seasons and winds

But the roots remain in our hearts

And only our memories keep them alive

More Than Digits

Name, tribe, race and nationality are few ways we describe people. Sometimes we include height, complexion, size, gender and age to get a clear picture of what we mean. All that would not get serious attention today. One of the most effective ways to introduce someone and get people's attention is to include the phrase 'very rich' (feel free to add other adjectives before 'rich'!). Now this gets more attention than saying the person is a good person or even a nice person. People say it is nice to be important, but it is more important to be nice. Today, it is even more important to be RICH. Without wasting more time complaining, lets get to the real issue. 

We live in world where everything is measured. Numbers have become the universal reference scale for measuring everything including the value of man. Position in class, CGPA, Number of goals in one season, 100 meters in 9.58 seconds and so many others. These references have thrown people straight into the Guinness Book of Records. The most interesting measures of value with digits are the account balance and value of assets. In today's world, Mother Theresa would not have been celebrated. Really, how much did she have? Why would we even remember Ghandi? Lets look at it this way. Ken Saro-wiwa and all the others who fought for the rights of the Niger-delta people may be forgotten while people celebrate Late Alamieyeseigha and James Ibori as the champions of the region. We respect the numbers, but not just any number. We respect the amount of money they have irrespective of the source of the wealth. Shame!!! 

Lets look at what drives us today. How have we degenerated so much that in spite of the technological advancement that should create a more closely knit world, we are slowly falling apart? We define relationship with numbers...number of Facebook friends and Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter followers. With all these electronic friends, we are still lonely and bored people.  We have to resort to different means of sustaining the numbers. From gradual strip shows to childish and senseless show of the little we think we have, people are lost in the race to constantly generate and maintain the number of likes, followers and all. And yes, these numbers may generate income, which I support. I'm definitely not against this! I'm only pointing out how the numbers have defined our lives. But what value can you add without numbers? Everyone keeps track of the little things they do to help others. Do we really need to? Isn't that meant to be part of our lives? I can understand companies keeping track of money spent on charity for accountability but why take pictures and throw it up in the media (I hear someone whisper..."he doesn't know anything about PR"). Well, that is my point exactly. Corporate lies, individual goodwill-flamboyance and ego feeding 'humanitarian service' has to be measured to help us compete as usual, and the only means of doing this is by using the digits to define our efforts and ourselves in general. Man made the numbers that have made him. In fact if it doesn't count, then literally, it is not important. It may be the best time to be alive, but really we can take time out to share the best of our lives with others without looking back to count everything. I want to focus on the quality of my life, not  quantities in my life! Don't just be alive, live!

(Remember experiences cannot be captured with numbers. Love, pain, happiness, and excitement can never be measured! Get the best of every moment. This is the life. Live it!)

MIND.the. . G . . A . . P

Time changes yesterday. Our ability to redefine solutions to problems we face ensures that society is on a constant journey of evolution that blurs the line between possible and impossible. The changes in society have taken place in various areas of life as each generation steps in the shoes of their predecessors. The world is changing because we ask questions, and with better information we create more solutions. This process requires a free-spirit and open mind to challenge the status quo and a desire to understand what is important in a rapidly evolving society. By solving today’s problems, we are creating tomorrow’s society. We need to restructure yesterday’s ideas and conceptions as some of them do not provide the necessary solutions for today’s problems. These ideas that shaped society have restricted the growth of disparate and creative people today. One of such mental blocks is society’s paradigm of a ‘successful person’ which is entwined with a great degree or certificate (Pls note, this is Nigeria in 2015). Marginal success in school is usually described as a lack of desire and will for success.

Yesterday, the school was the birth place of great ideas. Today it is the guillotine where most dreams are beheaded. We place so much value on a student’s ability to fall in line with a redundant and stunted curriculum that we limit many people’s curiosity and desire to see beyond the boundaries of a lecture note. We have created a system that makes us believe that a certificate on paper is the benchmark for success in life. It is a widely misconstrued belief that has shattered dreams and created more problems than solutions. Many people have come out with those certificates and have realized there are two other monsters in society; employable skills and experience, while employers have realized a lack of passionate employees! Now the certificate just occupies a few lines on the CV for all its worth. Many parents denigrate young people who have shown the passion and will for success in non-academic fields if they don’t perform at a certain level academically as expressed by a degree or certificate. The older generation’s obsession with certificates, degrees and office jobs reflects their society. This obsession has left many people chasing the ideals of yesterday’s society and has deprived us of some of the geniuses of the new world. A certificate on paper should not override an individual’s proven ability to excel in other fields of endeavour outside their academic area. A certificate is important, but it does not decide how high anyone will rise in life. It is a signal and screen for the corporate world and a source of pride for parents more than it is for owners of the certificate.

This is just one face of the many-faced generational gap which is aggravated by technology and the avalanche of information available today. Gone are the days…Yes! Gone are the ‘good old days’. We should warm up to the present and stay relevant. We may keep saying ‘the good old days’ but we can’t deny that there are things today that are way better than they were in the past and opinions which have changed for better too. So while people in the new generation are jumping on the blitzing train of technology and change, most of the older ones stubbornly refuse to change their beliefs and are left in the cave of obsolescence. We should not allow opinions that were relevant yesterday to restrict today’s youth from creating tomorrow’s reality. We will not ignore the role of school in educating people, but we should also be careful that school does not kill their dreams. It is the older generation that raise the new generation, but at a stage we begin to diverge because society is changing and the new generation change with society. This is why we hold different opinions about certain things. The real gap is in the mind because although we are in the same location, we live in different societies. The mind is the gap. So parents and guardians please respect the positive aspects of change.

Posters of Chaos!

There are always detractors and fakes, especially in the church! I'm not talking about the people who come to church and are not perfect or those who are trying to live 'right' but have not achieved it yet. The fact is that the church is not for perfect people. It is for mending and moulding those who are broken and imperfect. My major concern here is for those who start up organisations in the name of the church. The church is the most rewarding business at the moment.

I'm in Nigeria and there are very many desperate and poor people who are looking for a form of respite. This large number has created a large market for schemers who have use the church as an easy avenue to defraud these desperate and 'unsuspecting' victims. Really, can I separate these people from these crimes totally? I'm not so sure because no matter how incredulous these scammers make their posters, some people are so desperate that they are willing to put their faith and fate in the hands of these unscrupulous church leaders. It behoves on people to protect themselves from these 'short-cut'-method leaders who hide behind bible verses to steal money from people. How ridiculous can church posters get before people realise that some of these people are unserious? It is amazing how they put up these posters that destroy the image of the church in general! As a business, it must be playing to the gallery because they are getting more followers daily! It passes as an amazing strategy targeted at the right audience; poor, desperate and gullible! Shamefully, these organisations are still spreading and while it is annoying that people are bent on defrauding others through these means, we cannot take a way the humorous part of these. I have shared a few but for more please click here.

Special Talent is Not So Special

Albert Einstein is almost synonymous with the word 'genius'! Usain Bolt, Lionel Messi, Lebron James are just a few of the people we call special and have placed a huge weight of this glory on a phenomenon we call 'talent'! We will never be able to isolate these people from this mystical and partial share of divine ability. Or maybe we are a little too fast to find other reasons that excuse our inability to perform at the same level. What better reason than a phenomenon we cannot clearly define, measure or achieve? We have emphasized this so much that we believe it and have accepted that this extraordinary ability is a product of divine blessings or supernatural endowment. As usual, I like to hold a slightly different view with good reason.

Well, talent is what you make of it and that is it! If you believe that lack of talent is the reason for your inefficiency or your below-par performance at any activity, then that is what it will be for you. I see only two groups of people; Those who are dedicated and those who are not! Success is not a one step journey. It starts from the mind. There is the belief, followed by the relentless work that is fueled by passion. It is not easy to get to genius level and sometimes it is discouraging because it seems really easy for others. The bottom-line is that practice births perfection! It is the same principle we use to sharpen our tools and to polish stone or wood. Constant use removes rough edges. In the same vein, constant practice reduces errors and problems till near-perfection is achieved. This stage is what many people refer to as genius or super-talented level. So what exactly is talent? How does it differentiate one person from another? I believe we are all unique, but not in the sense that one person can achieve what others cannot achieve. There is a price to pay for everything, including the famous 'talent'! And as Malcolm Gladwell put it, 10, 000 hours of practice will turn your novice into an expert, proficient at about anything! Cristiano Ronaldo (pardon my Football inclination) is the epitome of excellence achieved through grit, sweat and persistent practice! 

Let's bring this back home. What exactly do you want to achieve? Many people do not put in enough effort at improving and as you would guess, there will be little result. I believe half the effort, with today's information splurge, will create a super 'talented' you! Put this practice in line with your passion it will be easier to attain genius status. Talent is the result of relentless and passionate practice not a predestined supernatural ability. Nike and Guinness commercials have tried to say this in different ways...you are made of more. True greatness lies within! We tend to ignore the hard work and practice hours of the geniuses! I believe if we put equal effort into our passions we will also become geniuses. 

Tribes, Stereotypes and Discrimination

Ethnic intolerance is becoming a serious problem in Nigeria. People hide under the guise of ethnicity to attack others verbally and otherwise. There is the endless stigmatization and stereotype attached to certain tribes which has led to discrimination, mistreatment and disrespect for many people. This trend has led many parents to go as far as rejecting their children's choice of spouse because of tribe. It is shameful that in this age people still use such tribal generalization to judge people's ability even at work! This lazy, discriminatory and hypocritical stance does not support the progress we are all struggling to achieve. 

During the last gubernatorial elections, there was a lot of uproar caused by the video of one of the traditional leaders saying discriminatory things about members of another tribe. Initially, I didn't think people would support his claim but to my surprise many people used this opportunity to vent their dislike for other tribes. This issue seems to bubbling right under our skins, waiting to erupt, and if this happens we can be sure to have another civil war if matters are not handled properly. Nigerians discriminating against themselves because of tribal differences.

My main confusion in this entire problem lies in the attitude of Nigerian youths to issues in the media concerning tribe. The double standard used to judge matters of tribe is a problem. When the movie for Chimamanda Adichie's novel was premiered, there was similar uproar because a character in the movie had stated that he is Igbo first, before Nigerian! Many Nigerians got to social media challenging this statement and creating memes and funny videos stating that their first allegiance lies with Nigeria before tribe. Beautiful patriotism on the surface but when matters of employment, appointments and other benefits set in, they associate with their tribesmen first, before identifying that we are all Nigerians! In fact, nepotism and tribalism are the first sins of every Nigerian leader! Recently, Nigerians were at it again, hounding the President for his recent appointments. These people are all Nigerians!!! Why are these same people shouting and complaining again? If we are Nigerians first, we should be satisfied with the fact that all these people appointed are Nigerians, irrespective of tribe.

This level of tribal affinity which we place above objective reason is one of the major problems we face in this country. We should not ignore the political instability this discrimination can cause. We are stoking the fires that lick the our raffia roofs! The trouble we are poking at can consume all what we have worked for as a nation! These little differences that we choose to highlight are nothing compared to the things we have in common. We are trying to build a great nation, and pulling ourselves down is surely not the way to do it. We should be careful what we say. It might be an innocent tribal smirk comment or maybe a full blown list of all the derogatory 'characteristics' and flaws of other tribes, outlined in ways to humiliate them. You might just be the one to drop the straw that will break the camel's back! A word is enough for the wise!

Think and Create A Solution (Don't Just Copy and Paste!)

It is very funny how we try to copy things that work elsewhere and just implement them here without asking how it will fit into our own society and environment. Most of them turn out to work even though they may not be as efficient as the original versions. Others turn out to be extremely hilarious and shameful. There have been a number of ventures in this regard at different levels. Some of our young tech engineers create apps that take after those already in existence. They give them all sort of funny names like the 'Facebook of Africa', 'Instagram of Africa'. It seems everything abroad now has its 'African version'. We have even heard of Silicon Valley introduced in Africa as Silicon Savannah! Of all these funny copy-and-paste schemes, the ones done at the national level are the funniest!!

In 2007 Nigeria decided to pay a whooping $340 million (40 billion Naira at the time) for a communications satellite. Other countries had it and in line with our attitude, we had to show we can also afford it! Trust the Chinese, they got Nigeria a Satellite and by May 2007, NigComSat-1 was launched. 18 months later, the newspapers were all sharing an interesting headline. Nigeria's satellite was missing in space! In an unsuccessful bid to quell such embarrassing stories, the Minister of State for Science and Technology jumped in with a funnier message! Nigeria's satellite had lost power and had to be "parked, just like a car would be parked". He said "If it wasn't parked and it lost all its power there would be no energy to even move it and it would be like a loose cannon and would be rolling about and hit other satellites in the orbit"! Can it get more hilarious than this?

The main reason for revisiting this story is to question the motive for doing things in this country. Do we just do things because other nations are doing those things? Why not invest that money into providing healthcare and basic infrastructure to improve the lives of people? What was the motive behind that super expensive venture? Our leaders want to show signs of a level of development that belies the suffering and poverty in the country. All this just to match what other leaders are doing. True, there is a lot of money in this country but we also have a lot of impoverished people that we struggle to hide from the cameras! We just ignorantly copy what others are doing and try to force the same to work here. For the record, the satellite that was brought in was adjudged to be inappropriate for this region considering the frequency it operates on and the weather conditions it can withstand yet we decided to carry on with its launch.

At the individual level, the need to show off with things we can't afford has pushed many people to borrow, and in some cases steal, clothes, shoes and other accessories to take pictures strictly for Instagram and Facebook. We have a lot of information and pressure from peers, media and the internet, but that is not an excuse for mixing up our priorities. That should not move us to copy and paste everything. Instead it should make us creative. It should provide us with information and ideas to create solutions tailored for our unique problems. If someone has provided a solution and you think you can improve it, that is fine. If there is something people outside Africa enjoy and access to such a service is limited to such locations, I would appreciate an African creating a version for us that should match or surpass the available standard. I have no problem with that. My problem lies with the sub-standard and low quality versions of already existing solutions which we christen 'African'! Stop making people believe that the African version of things must be sub-standard. If you must copy, don't just paste. Copy, edit, improve and paste to serve us better. We are not the dumping ground for sub-standard things. Give us some respect! Think and create better solutions! Don't just copy and paste!

Western Utopia Mindset

"All things 'white' are beautiful, all creatures great and small..." (Pardon this rephrased version). I can hear this chorus within. In my subconscious it strums a chord that is in tune with the vibrations from young African minds today. The effect of this cuts across nationalities, gender and age differences. In spite of our national and tribal differences, our diverse cultures, traditions, and religions, we still have one belief that strings its way through the entire continent. There is one idea that unites all (And I'm not talking about football). It is the idea that what we see across the ocean is always better! I mean, all things that are 'White' are beautiful!!

We cannot even feign ignorance of this widespread misconception. It stares us in the face everyday! We exhibit this in our dressing, the way we speak, the way we treat people of colour as opposed to others, and even our choice of brands in the market. Have you ever wondered why so many people decide to walk across the Sahara, risk their lives trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea, just to get to Europe? Most of them have no idea of what they want to do when they get there! Some take up menial jobs that pay very little. They can never tell you how difficult it is to make a living over there. This doesn't mean some people aren't making it there, they are! But why would anyone go through all that just to meet with further uncertainty? Some of these people hide behind beautiful Instagram and Facebook pictures that portray a false reflection of their lives. Why not invest that time and effort into doing something useful in your country? 

Over here, many of us wear clothes that make us uncomfortable considering our climate and weather conditions. It may look really nice on the outside but nobody can imagine how we feel inside. Yes, there is the idea of being fashionable, but fashion should NEVER come before common sense. Boys on the street wearing head warmers, hooded shirts and thick sweatshirts has become common place in tropical sun-blazing Africa! Some go as far as using scarfs around their necks and wearing gloves, trying to be the prototypes of the images they see on television. (I can understand if its really cold or you're concealing a scar). The girls have taken skin-whitening as a hobby! Sometimes you may not even recognize your friends! What is it with bleaching your skin and forming ignorance-exuding groups called 'team light-skinned'? The idea of shamelessly eroding your beautiful, glowing skin colour is a sign of low self-esteem and a misunderstanding of the importance of your pigment! Aside being a sign of intellectual retardation, there are health problems attached to this unacceptable trend! Some of our musicians and entertainers don't even help matters. They end up endorsing certain Western fashion and lifestyle trends that wipe out our culture and fuel the economy of already developed countries. The second part is the most devastating part of this problem. This is one of the monsters that help expand the gap between our economy and foreign economies.

As much as I would like to blame people for not buying our products and all, I must admit that most of our local products lack the quality that deserves patronage. Our producers like the short-cut mentality. When you decide to support the local market, you get all types of schemes and scams ranging from the most substandard materials given at outrageous prices, to materials that can barely last the ride home so you can come back to purchase more. It might be difficult to break this cycle but it is possible. I have seen a situation where quality was promised, delivered and patronized significantly by our people. The government should not be blamed for everything! We have a role to play and we have to play that role honestly. What do you do when you have to serve people in one way or the other? Do you go about it with a careless attitude? You don't need anyone monitoring you to do the right thing!  Let the change start with the way we see ourselves and our reason for doing things right. The cog in the wheel of African development is this attitudinal change and until we truly desire to be better, all the efforts of our leaders will not measure up to the demands of our society. This problem here has little to do with our leaders and politicians. It has to do with you and I. Change starts with the man in the mirror. Be the change you want to see!!

Constructive Criticism

Criticism is an expression of disapproval of someone or something on the basis of perceived faults or mistakes. It could be constructive or clearly destructive. This could be aimed at pointing out one's errors to help the person improve and get better results. On the other hand, it could be used to demoralize someone and discourage them from heading down a certain course. It can also be used for analysis, to determine the quality of something such as an artwork, music etc. How then do we determine what type of criticism is being offered? Who decides what type of criticism is offered? Is it the critic or the person criticized? The aim of constructive criticism is to motivate and encourage the person to do better, by pointing out areas that need to be worked on. If this aim is not achieved, then criticism is not constructive. Considering this, it is obviously the person criticized that can tell if criticism is constructive, the fact that you intend to motivate someone by criticizing does not already make it constructive. You might turn out to demoralize the person and hence defeat the purpose of criticizing the person. Does this mean that we cannot criticize constructively? NO! Having a goal as a critic is not enough to successfully motivate or improve anyone by criticism, you need a plan. Likewise, to criticize constructively, one must have a plan or consider certain things to enable him achieve that goal. The way you criticize a person goes a long way to determine the level of success that will be achieved.

The manner of criticism involves considering different little aspects like the personal pride or ego of the person. We all have different levels of self pride which can affect the way we react to criticism. One must try not to embarrass the person being criticized or to make the person look stupid. Try to make the person realize that others have made similar mistakes. This is not the time to start a roll call of all the mistakes the person has made.

Secondly, place and time also play a major role in your attempt to help by criticizing constructively. People do not appreciate open rebuke especially when it involves sensitive issues. A private discussion is usually more effective than open rebuke. Open rebuke usually leads to rebellion. You will also need to give the person some time (if possible) to think about whatever you have said and to muster courage to make the necessary changes. Another important thing to take note of is the fact that whatever you are told in trust should remain confidential. If you go around talking about the person’s mistakes, you could end up reversing the effect of your criticism.

All this has to do with the critic, but the person being criticized should also open up and humbly consider whatever he or she has been told and make the necessary corrections. Don’t start on with a defensive mindset. You might end up blocking out the message that could turn you around or even shoot you to the top.

With all this in mind, you will achieve a lot more results from criticism, but do not become a fault finding machine. You might end up finding people’s faults so perfectly that you won’t be able to see any of yours. No one knows it all, if I’m wrong correct me and criticize me constructively please.

Christianity; The Seed of Oppression or Liberation?

I was reading a post about religion in Africa and how Africans in diaspora never seem to understand the reason behind the average African's devotion to one religion or the other. Why are we so attached to a tool which was used to oppress us and enslave our ancestors? Some people (mostly Africans in diaspora) believe that Christianity was a tool used by the slave masters to peacefully infiltrate African societies. This gave them a foothold here and ushered in the slave trade era. They argue that Christianity was a guise used to control African communities and aid slave trade. Well, this fact is evident in many coastal African States such as Ghana, where one of the first churches was literally built over the slave dungeon in the famous Elmina Castle. These same traders and missionaries brought Christianity and Western education with them as they arrived our shores. In Nigeria, the oldest schools are missionary schools. They are Baptist Academy (1855), CMS Grammar school (1859) among others. It is interesting to note that these people who portray Christianity in this light often downplay the position of Western education as a similar tool for slave trade. It is easy to see how Western education has structured African societies, even though we will never know if our system of education would have brought more development. It is therefore shocking that they would encourage the Africans to embrace Western education but would kick against Christianity. 

I believe that tools like education and religion cannot be stripped of their benefits solely because some people abused these tools. Seriously, religion has had its problems in society, but so has education, information, the internet, mechanization etc. This does not distort the credibility of the tool but bothers on the specific use (or abuse) by certain individuals. If I decide to use the my blog to propagate racist messages, I am the problem, not the internet. If people decided to use Christianity as a tool of oppression, it does not mean that Christianity is wrong, but it means people used it wrongly. Going back to the origin of Christianity, it is NOT a European or American religion (Ignore the false images of a white Jesus.). It was adopted and used wrongly. Why should we blame the tool for the crimes of its user? Just as the person using the weapon is the killer, not the weapon, Christianity is not wrong, even though it has been used wrongly. Why would we claim that the tool is problem in this case? If we must be fair and decide to blame the tool, then we should be fair enough to apportion equal blame on all the tools used by these people.  These include education and technology. We would end up fighting against Western education too!!

Another key issue is that of the background or nature of African societies. I will narrow this down to Nigeria, as I want to talk about a society I understand better. As a kid growing up in Nigeria, you are exposed to the reality of a spiritual realm which most African Americans do not understand. The things they hear as myths, legends and stories are most of the time our reality! For instance, the average African American doesn't understand the African concept of blood money, ritual killing, Juju and other unhealthy practices! They do not understand the evident manifestations of a spiritual realm because our society is different from theirs. Growing up with these in your environment makes you understand the need to hold on to some sort of liberating truth. You may say it is fear-motivated worship, but it isn't without due cause. There is also grave poverty which cannot be expressed properly in writing. Christianity promises a better life (and prosperity especially in Nigeria!) and that is what appeals to most of these people. I believe that there are more churches in the impoverished areas of America than in highbrow areas too. 

These misconceptions between Africans and African Americans runs through a number of topical issues. It is expressed in the way most Africans believe that racism ended years ago!! But African Americans are experiencing new and uncommon manifestations of racism in their society. Thanks to the Internet, we are now aware of the grave injustice in society that accounts for the agitation, passion and aggression that African Americans exhibit. This information gap is slowly closing up but still makes us to form different opinions about ourselves and has created more segregation between people who are more connected than they show. 

On the other hand, it is true that we have taken Christianity to a whole new level. Every street corner has a barber shop, a small kiosk for household items and a church (In Southern Nigeria). These churches have become monster corporate institutions that are exempted from tax but yet raise more money than some commercial banks! People have used the church to control and enslave others. They have used it to propel political ambitions and to amass mind-boggling wealth. No doubt, Christianity has been abused, but is that reason enough to claim that it is something wrong? NO! Christianity in the real sense is NOT a religion. It is a relationship between an individual and a supreme being like any other religion. The unique point being that the way to this Being is through His Son, Jesus Christ. That in itself is not wrong!

It is time for us to look beyond the peripheral issues that divide us and concentrate on the problems that face us together. We will never move forward if we keep picking out our differences. What do we hope to achieve by showing our differences? The world has already taken us apart and made us different in that regard. Why do we keep looking for other ways to ignore the potential behind our collective ambition? We cannot undo the past and change the effect of religion by fighting our beliefs. We need to use this opportunity to build a world that will be better for posterity! We are our only source of redemption! It will not come from anywhere else but within!

R e L i G i o N

Religion

Religion remains man’s most mysterious conviction
A solace for our lack of understanding

A resort when we can’t explain the simplest things around us

A blanket to cover the mysteries that outsmart man

One man leads a band of groping men in the dark

To a promise of some sort of satisfaction

Elusive to those who don’t belong

Spiced up with rites, rituals and songs

Venerating faithful followers

And mystifying their activities with religious paraphernalia

Outlining a list of courage threatening and fear enshrining retributions for disobedient subjects

Inflated positions, false ambitions, competitive and flamboyant lifestyles 

Leadership in its most authoritative form and world domination on the mind of every follower

People fighting for the same goal with different reasons and through different means

Yet in all its abundance, its incredible signs and wonders, Unity still eludes it

One arm rising against the other, as brothers take arms against each other in the same name

Trickling into every part of life, influencing national decisions and even into entertainment

Binding people together and gaining more respect than the law as it remains man’s most powerful motivator…ahead of money!

All in the name of one God

Memorization Machines

Source: channelstv.com

Going over newspaper headlines year after year, the results from WASSCE and other standardized tests have been declining. We are tempted to believe that students of these days are not smart. It is easy for people to pass judgement and say that these students are not serious and are distracted by social media and television. Really, the number of students who have lost interest in school is rising, but I don't think we should blame these students entirely. Students seem to perform worse as the years go by but these children are undoubtedly smarter on the streets and in our homes. They are sharp and intelligent, but the results of standardized exams show a different trend. What could be the problem behind this decline in academic performance that is at odds with the rise and rise of smart kids in our homes?

The problem, I believe, is that schools have refused to take full advantage of the information age. Yes, lecturers upload materials online and we have e-libraries and all the other things that we do with the internet. True, these things have helped to improve the system but there are other problems I feel we have to face. The test system and the nature of our classes! These are still aligned to favour the system where information was not readily available. In those days, school was almost the only place one could get professional information, so it was ok for people to try to store as much information as they could in their heads and in notebooks. Rote memorization was employed to ensure students could pass exams. This was also in response to the nature of exams. Many years later, our school system still uses the same principle to test students in a world where so much information is available to the student. One cannot possibly apply rote memorization to capture all the course material available. Rather a good understanding of basic principles should be explained to students with keen interest. They should be allowed to access fringe information during tests such as formulas and all. The test should be aimed at ensuring that students can apply such knowledge, not aimed at testing how much they can memorize. This is because no real life job demands solutions solely from memory. With this there will be more functional graduates in the real world who can make better decisions with the wealth of information available to them.

The school system refuses to acknowledge this fact and still encourages standardized tests that require students to memorize information rather than understand for better analysis and synthesis (I mean, people write JAMB without scientific calculators!!!). This explains the reason why many people graduate and yet are not useful to society. Because after all those exams have passed, all that information is forgotten and we reset to start downloading for a new exam. This is largely the case, but not entirely. It is the reason why Universities produce ignorant graduates with great degrees. Why would you expect a student to memorize all the formulas in your course work when he understands the basic principles and why, when and how to apply the formulas? Why should he memorize them when he can get those formulas online almost as fast as he can retrieve them from memory, but with better precision? The system has to change to reflect the change in the world so that we can produce graduates who are relevant to this age. We still produce graduates who have memorized and regurgitated information all their lives like they are meant to work on the assembly floor in factories! Then we sit back and ask why they can't think and create solutions in society. They are only products of an old system and hence majority of them need a lot of pre-work orientation and training to become useful to their respective employers. The gap between the skills needed and the skills available can be cut down by changing the school system and providing an environment where education can take place, not just schooling! We need to create a new breed of thinkers. People who can figure things out and schools are in the position to provide society with these people. Unfortunately, our schools are churning out compliant, conformist and uneducated graduates who are an added cost to employers and society at large. If we must create a better society, we must create better citizens. If we want a different result, we must use a different method! The bottom line is change! 

Always Optimistic

The picture of a little baby sleeping quietly got me thinking this morning. It is amazing how beautiful the human mind is. At this stage it is still malleable and innocent. The baby has no problems to bother about. She is isolated from life's turbulence by the love of her parents and their endless support. She is a bundle of joy and pure beauty, cuddled up in warm fleecy clothes.

But something else struck me. What will we introduce to this beautiful mind as she grows up? What perceptions and ideas about life will she discover as she explores the world before her eyes? What will society tell her about herself? Will she be given a different understanding of beauty, success, love, ability and life in general? I could not help thinking about how school would try to chisel her to fit into specific moulds that society has created. Then religion will place a stamp on what is right and wrong, which is usually at odds with what is openly practiced in society. Friends, family and passive influences from the media will try to form the cornerstone of her beliefs amidst an avalanche of ideas from other sources.

In our society, it is easy to get carried away by the unabashed rush for money and material things. The struggle to present yourself as rich, in a country with so many poor people, is real. The endless competition and the struggle to live way beyond their means is a trend today. This society worships the rich and ignores the source of wealth. The younger generation will do anything for Facebook and Instagram likes. Some of them put up false images of themselves to deceive the world (Not everyone though, some.) A society that is foolishly drinking from the cup of lies served by the West, gobbling down everything they serve! The young men have taken to weed and the young women have lost self esteem. Men are no more saying they want to marry their fellow men, but have now decided they want to become women. And we cannot pretend like its far away because in the near future, our kids will see these things as normal.  Are these the influences she will be exposed to? 

These are the thoughts that kept running through my mind before I snapped back into reality. Right before my eyes was the picture of a baby with a future so uncertain. Are we going to be the proponents of these misleading norms? What role are YOU playing to ensure that we all don't become a part of the rot? Do you even sincerely believe that things can be better, or you think its just a few overtly optimistic people, dreaming because they don't have anything else to do? That is the mindset that has crippled us and has left us in this mess. We are always ready with reasons why things will not work instead of asking how they will work. I believe things will work one day if we don't give up before the race begins. Lets do what we can to ensure we leave a better society for these innocent ones to thrive. There are limitless possibilities for them. If you refuse to believe in a better tomorrow, do not infect them with pessimism. Start something positive today. Don't sit back and wait for the world to change. YOU are the world, you NEED to change!

Leaders Enjoying the Sound of Our Silence

African leaders have helped to build this continent. Whatever we have now is the result of good, bad and sometimes non-existent leadership in most African states. The level of under development is alarming in some regions. We complain about how the West put up images of sick and hungry looking kids when they talk about Africa, but we would do nothing to change the story. Rather, we want better pictures in the media (Shameful!!!). We want them to show the affluent part of our society. Instead of trying to change it so they have nothing embarrassing to show. Why do we concern ourselves so much about that image if we are not ready to change the real situation? And even at that, we wait for them to tell our story for us. They come here, study us, tell whatever story they like and then we start complaining about the story. Until the lion learns to write, the hunter will always be glorified! It all boils down to our mentality. The way we see ourselves. Talking about mentality, I will talk about the African leaders and a little about you and I. How we sit back and allow the rot from the top spread around until we are totally engulfed in the mess.

What exactly are the leaders doing? Why do they go out there begging for money when they know nobody can break away from the shackles of these monster financial institutions? It is difficult to believe that some of our leaders are educated! It is bad enough to be indebted, but it is even worse when the money received is not used judiciously. We are tired of such incompetent leadership. We have witnessed the backlash of such impudent corruption in one way or the other. The rich may think they are free from it, but who said it is ok to be able to afford uninterrupted power and yet not have it? These same leaders come out and tell stories of how they want to champion the cause of justice and equity with bravado! How long will people watch this and be quiet? African leaders are mismanaging resources in alarming ways!! There is so much poverty, insecurity and poor governance in this part of the world. While Africans are complaining about this, the leaders are devising clever ways of stealing public funds and staging strongly polarized partisan debates across media channels…Radio, Television and Social Media. (Should I take a break?...no!!)

The same channel they use to propagate these lies can be used to push them to do right…Social Media. One interesting thing about social media is that it gives the masses a voice. It provides an opportunity to stir people for positive change. #Bring Back Our Girls, #Black Lives Matter, #Charlie Hebdo and many other hashtag-revolutions have moved people around the world to focus on sensitive issues. This powerful tool is available and as usual, when purpose is not known, abuse is inevitable. People deserve to question government to ensure that our rights are provided and respected but we have people asking questions that unearth a shuddering level of ignorance and bias on social media. Your vote is your power, but it shouldn’t be the only thing you have because you can use it only once in four years and even at that, you can’t say anything! You can only thumbprint and leave. If we have a tool as powerful as social media, we need to use it objectively. Questions and issues should be properly directed to our leaders and not used to start shameful cross party debates…(Save the energy for football arguments). These are troubling economic times for most countries and we need to wake up from our slumber and save ourselves. I mean over the past 5 years, the Ghanaian Cedi has depreciated against the dollar by over 200%. Oil price falls have affected the Oil Producing countries and there are wars and conflicts ravaging other nations. If we remain silent, we will not change anything. I mean, it will only get worse faster than we think. One voice is not enough, so it is time to play your part to create the Africa you want. Nobody brings development on a platter of gold. People fight and work hard for it. If we must see change, we must be willing to keep our leaders on their toes. What is the use of an educated electorate if they remain quiet when things are going wrong? Don’t abuse the tool you have today. Your silence is good music to the looters and criminals. Change will only come when we speak up. Remember, only Africans can save Africa!!

Rebirth!

It took me 28 posts, a few discussions with friends and a moment of reflection to get my bearing right. I started writing because I feel the need to say what people may know but refuse to say. I decided to write because I want to paint a clear picture of the mess in our society. I am tired of hiding behind the jolly good part of life and making stories about that when we have platforms and resources that can be used to impact lives on a larger scale. There are a number of things to talk about so I will take them one after the other.

(A huge thank you to the friends I have that help keep me on track.) 

An African Solution

I'm not going to start this post by saying all the inspiring things that we all expect to hear when we talk about an African renaissance. We can start with all the quotes and sayings that people have left us with in their moments of inspiration and we won't end up with a solution. All the proposed answers to the problems of under-development, hunger, wars etc have been laid down by great African philosophers and economists. Some of the greatest minds have macerated this subject with wisdom and experience beyond my present level. What exactly is the reason behind the slow, and in some cases non-existent, response to the proposed solutions? Africans, we are the biggest problem that we face!

The idea of positive change starts with the people. If the people are not ready for it, then the leaders cannot do anything. In a situation where nobody is ready to play his or her role, the work will never get done.

Let me start from the youth in society. The images of what is cool revolves around things that relegate African culture and society to extinction. These are things that empower foreign economies ahead of whatever we have to offer. It is not necessarily an issue of quality, but an issue of a lack of patriotism, distrust in the system and a very 'western' materialistic and competitive attitude. The world dictates what is cool and what is beautiful to you and you strive so hard to achieve this conception of 'coolness' and beauty. 

The young adults, the politicians and most of the leaders in industry are more self-centred than we have seen in many decades. People struggle to get rich, to intimidate and compete with others in terms of wealth and power. The average African wants to get power and wealth for these same selfish reasons that have slowed us down for so long. 

Don't get me wrong. I also want to be rich and powerful, but I feel that what we do with our wealth and power should be different. It should serve as a tool for development and service rather than a yardstick to measure how poor others are in relation to you. Somewhere deep down, there is still the ability to do good and help others. Black is the endpoint of all colours. All light has been absorbed into us. We should decide what type of light we give out. 

If we all decide to pay a little more attention to our local content, give them reasons to add quality and value to our local products and slow down with the entire physical and material pursuit, then we can start the revolution. I believe that proper change can only start in the mind. Read, explore, listen and train the mind to believe in quality and possibilities open to you as an African! If education should serve any purpose, it should make us realize how much we belittle ourselves. I'm not a prophet, neither am I the most optimistic person here, but I believe that only Africans can save Africa.

Think You! Be Different!

"I would rather be the first rate version of myself than the second rate version of someone else". A very good friend of mine wrote that down in her notebook many years ago. I read it and like every other message, it stretched my mind. Once you find truth like that, you can never 'not-see' it. That truth has defined my life today. 

We are all unique and so we are all meant to be different. In fact, today we celebrate people who refuse to fit in (and I support that drive). Most people have lost themselves in the process of fitting in and being quasi-clones of what they see in the media. I wouldn't want to be just like you for the sake of fitting in or acceptance. The world will lose my spice if I try to taste like you. Discover yourself, chase your passion and live everyday being true to these! I believe you will find peace, joy and contentment (I didn't add love to that list!). 

Are They Always Haters?

Today, I finally decided to listen to D'banj and Idris Elba (There's someone else on it too). In my opinion that song is not half as good as I expected. Now don't get me wrong, its not the quality of the video or audio production I mean. The content, the flow and arrangement of the song was just there (nothing special). But as usual most Nigerians confuse being objective with being a hater so the comments poured in praising the song and talking about how wonderful it is while others spent time vilifying those who aired their opposing views. We have heard and seen better from D'banj. He set a really high standard for himself in the industry and going by that standard, this work is just average. In fact its a little below average if you consider the amount of time and money pumped into it. Confidential is just another song. Great work from the producer as usual. That beat deserves a lot more work to make it a real hit. 

I believe that one of the reasons people put their work out there is to get sincere feedback so they know how to improve. If we hide behind the veil of fear and stigma we may never get better songs from them. People are not always haters. Sometimes it is just true that some songs are not as good as we expect. Anyways, Nigerians have the funniest comments on posts like that and its interesting to read the war of words that follow the posts. In all this, maybe we lose the objective point of posting comments but at least we gain something hilarious!  

Ndani Sessions Presents - Vector "Popular"

This here is what we mean by music! It's got content, style, near perfect delivery and a beautiful rhythm. Vector is it!!

Our Beats Are The Real Hits

As much as I love to promote Nigerian music, I need to ensure I don't lower the standard to accept more local content. Nigerian musicians need to put more quality into the music. Our producers are truly the ones making the music because most of our songs cannot thrive without the electrifying and energetic beats. I can't tell how many songs have moved me to dance even without hearing the lyrics. Recently I searched for good covers and acoustic versions of Nigerian songs and its not the easiest thing to find. What exactly are we singing about? We should get passed the era of just releasing songs to get people to turn around and identify with it to an era where we can talk to people with our music. (Don't have what to say? No problem...I can help )

In spite of this quality and content drain, a few of our musicians still give us songs we can listen to and not just dance. At the moment we play Nigerian songs more than music from other places. If patriotism was only about music, Nigerians would arguably be the most patriotic people in the world. It is time for artistes to repay such faith by improving the content of the music they put out there. Any language would do, don't bring us empty songs with great beats. We will dance any way, but if your music doesn't touch lives I think you've missed the point. 

After all said and done, Ndani Sessions give us the real deal...real artistes and pure talent.

Ndani Sessions - Simi

Iyanya - Rendezvous (Craig David cover) in the 1Xtra Live Lounge (Lagos,...

Emeli Sande - Where I Sleep (Live on 89.3 The Current)

Jessie J - We Found Love (Radio 1 Live Lounge, 2012)

By now you should know I LOVE music!

Imagine Dragons "Stand By Me" Ben E. King Cover Live @ SiriusXM // Hits 1

IMO this ranks among the best covers ever!

S.N.L.C. Bug!

How many times do we find ourselves looking at pictures of friends and colleagues and thinking about how different our lives are? We try to figure out why some people have so much fun, so much more money and we sit there thinking "this guy or this girl is doing way better than I am". We spend time thinking about how much they make and how much time they have to spend their money. Facebook Instagram and Snapchat have not even helped matters, giving them a platform to shove their relative success in your face! Envy, jealousy and impatience start to take over our thoughts and we either accept our fate or look for a way to push ourselves out with false images to compete with what we see. Uploading pictures and chasing likes to the level where people do almost anything to draw more attention to their pictures and profiles. 

Well, I know this because I've been through the phase. While some people realise early enough that not all that glitters is gold, some don't! As I have learnt, we all run different races. While some are running the sprint of life, others are running the marathon. What matters is the fact that we end with a gold medal. Run your race! Don't let the fact that others have received their medals stop you from completing your race. Appreciate what life has to offer. Celebrate with friends and family! Do not compete or feel unfulfilled. Stop comparing yourself with others. You are special and unique, a limited edition. Live simply, Dream Big, Give Love and Laugh a lot more! Don't get caught up in the Social. Network. Life. Comparing. Bug! (S.N.L.C Bug).

What Do You Choose?

Sometimes we believe that things just happen to us. We believe it is fate and we have no control over the course of our lives. Contrary to that, I believe I am the architect of my destiny. Why would we believe that God just selects some people to be great and some to be poor? I think it is a small corner for those who are either too lazy to work hard enough to change their lives or it is a comfort zone for those who are scared of launching out! It can also be a reassuring spot for the man who is afraid of 'failing'. If you let the fear of failing prevent you from trying you can NEVER get anything done. You have the power of free choice and another day to redirect your life, make good use of it!

Jessie J - 'Stay With Me' (Capital Live Session)

Ok, I don't know why, but this just keeps me going...its music the way I love it!!!

No Seed, No Flowers!

Every day, I think of all the interesting ways that other peoples' lives affect me and try to draw some kind of motivation to push myself forward. All of us look for testimonies of greatness to be inspired. We forget that all the stories and events would never move us if we don't connect our desires to the inspiring part of these every day events. (We are all tired of motivational speakers, yet the Nike Commercials still make us believe).

Today, I am my own inspiration and same goes for you. I will connect with the fact that I keep writing even when people don't read. I keep trying to be better because I think good isn't enough. Every new day is an opportunity to improve on the previous one. If you don't believe you can be more, you will not attempt it. Inspiration without ability is futile. You are the seed, inspiration just waters the seed and makes it blossom into a beautiful flower.

Live A Little More

Have you experienced a day when everything is slow and drab? (Its usually on Mondays). You get a rude awakening from your weekend with an early morning shower and the usual traffic drama. It all happened to me and I was sitting in front of my desk reading through a study material but I couldn't assimilate anything. Then I decided to go online for something interesting to awaken my senses. I tried my usual Crazeclown videos (you should check them out) on Instagram and I laughed and somehow sank back into that gloomy little mental corner. A few random clicks here and there and then I stumbled on this funny article (You should check it out). It was about Nigerian proverbs. Styled in our own pidgin and often twisted in metaphors or ideas that relate perfectly with the Nigerian experience. I read them and I kept smiling for quite some time. Well, that article changed the course of the day for me and by the time I was ready to leave the office I realised I had spent about two extra hours working happily. I sent a message to the author of the page and he replied on twitter saying I had made his day. If only he could see how his work had changed my day. In fact, its the second day and i'm still thinking about it and smiling. You don't need to be the most famous person in the world to inspire others. Do what you love with passion and your light will shine for someone out there. So my inspiration for today is the Unserious Serious Boy (USB). He is Mayo Bayo of Talking Drum. It is a typical Nigerian site with exciting local articles (not news about Kim, Kanye and others). Be the best you can be, follow your passion and live a little more. You may just inspire someone out there. 

The New Nigerian!

"...the labour of our heroes past shall never be in vain". Lifted straight from the National Anthem of the world's largest black nation! Heroes of this great nation have come and gone. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello, Murtala Mohammed, Clement Isong, Tafewa Balewa, Alvan Ikoku (All from naira notes). They spent their lives trying to create a great nation. One that will be the pride of Africa, the shining light in a 'dark' continent. They have played their part and another generation have stepped in. A generation of Military rulers mixed with a few good and many cynical democratic and civil leaders. Some of them came to rule, some came to loot, some came to lead and other just got there without an ambition or dedicated purpose. The result is what we have as a country today. A beautiful illustration of epic inequality and social, academic, financial and religious segregation. We are slowly drifting away from the dream of our 'heroes past' (Let's hope Buhari can stem the tide). Do we need to hit rock bottom so we can shamelessly say "there's only one way to go"? NO!!! We need to get to work to preserve the country for posterity.

What I see around today can be frustrating but I choose to concentrate on that tiny ray of light at the end of the tunnel. The ray of light I see is the light of the New Nigerian!! These are the people who are not oblivious to the problems in our country but still believe in it. They fully understand where we are and what problems we face but they also know what we can become! Not only do they know, but they are pushing forward to achieve this and impact the lives of people. They are trying to get others to see the light and follow it. That is the beauty of an enlightened mind (I don't mean someone who has just gone to school). Knowledge illuminates and gives understanding and the New Nigerian understands the part she has to play in building the nation. We cannot build this country from the top to the bottom (People keep saying the leaders are the problem). Even if we decide to take drastic measures to cut off all the bad leaders, if those at the grassroots are also bad, then it will be a case of 'garbage out, garbage in'. 

The New Nigerian targets a generation of nation builders who will lead us in the future. If we find a system that works today or maybe tomorrow, we are sure that any form of development will be sustained by a credible crop of leaders who can build on today's achievements. We want a generation of Nigerians who are poised to change the state of the nation for good. A foundation for the beautiful future we envisage. That is the dream! A beautiful mind is the seed of a beautiful tomorrow! If we can see the future our potential deserves, we will all work to achieve it. The New Nigerian sees the dream and is burning with passion to actualise it. We will ensure that the labour of our heroes past will NOT be in vain! Join the campaign today! #Illuminate your world!