That Curve

He who laughs last laughs best...
White lie!

Who told you so? I mean...just think of it, noone is even there to appreciate his laughter and you tell me he laughs best.

Well maybe not exactly. But the main essence of my writing this was inspired by an event that occurred yesterday (2 weeks ago actually) which I thought was worth sharing.

I had this little encounter with a certain man as I walked past on one of those busy weekdays. I noticed he was handicapped but I was seriously in a hurry. I must add that the sun was seriously hot,  so I wasn't too pleased as it were. But no sooner had I passed, I decided to go back and then handed him some money.

There and then in the space of 5 seconds, a lot transpired. As I handed him the money, I noticed one of his eyes wasn't like the other(more like it was whitish) and I felt so much compassion for him. So he smiled in a tender manner and said "God bless you", paying little attention to the gift and maintaining eye-contact. Then I smiled back and said "Amen: as I tried to help balance the money into his hands. There was more meaning to that, it was more than the smile, beyond the gift. You know the joy a new father has when he peeps into the crib of his new-born with his blushy smile and suddenly the baby grabs his finger and smiles at the latest daddy in town.

That was the smile he had on his face and that changed the rest of that day. I had every reason to smile cuz I felt good with myself. I didn't give a million dollars but I made a soul happy and I was happy in return.

Really with the way things are going, we all have good reasons not to be happy or smile at/with anybody. Is it the selfish government, messed-up economy, unsure future, unproductive relationships, social crisis?...name it.

I could as well go on with the list but that would only be a deviation from what I want to achieve with this lil message.
What if your reading this was just to make you see a new reason to smile?...We'll get to know soon...read on with me.

"I have all I need for joy"- These were the words of renowned inspirational speaker, John Foppe.(google it). It would interest you to know that John was handicapped from birth-no hands...and he could make such a comment.

What is this dude even saying? you might say...If only he knew what I go through frequently?
Well at least you have the sanity to even identify what you're going through as a challenge.I think you should be thankful.

Many people this days find it hard to smile...as in its a serious issue. But lets get down to the real deal, I know what it means to go through challenging times and I must say the fact that you're still standing today is a thing of joy for me. That you're reading this is a blessing on its own, a privilege I must add.

So get out of that sorry, weak, I-need-pity state of yours and explore what it means to smile. Learn to smile and appreciate your mistakes. Laugh at yourself...builds a sort of intrapersonal appreciation of your being.
You are responsible for your happiness, so don't rely on someone to make you happy.

You be the one to smile at them and make them happy and watch the returns of your investment. Pray for those who've wronged you...there's a positive psychological effect of doing that. Nature abhors vacuum...you're either filled with peace or troubled. Its your choice.

Check this out:
If you want happiness for an hour - take a nap
If you want happiness for a day - go fishing
If you want happiness for a month - get married
If you want happiness for a year - inherit a fortune
If you want happiness for a lifetime - help others

                     -CHINESE PROVERB

            

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Take it back! by Ken Ibe

It's been a while since I read some real hard talk and analysis like this and I urge you to read carefully as I bring you this passion-filled wake-up call by a wonderful writer.

Always @ moi frequency...Enjoy!

The youths of today have no option but to become transformation minded or else we stand on the brink of extinction as a nation. It’s a pity that the older generations have run this nation, ruled it and ruined it yet they’ve refused to hand over the affairs of this nation to the next generation. They sit there like it’s their birth right. They’ve titled the youths, “the leaders of tomorrow” hence keeping us in a state of perpetual waiting for a tomorrow that will never come.

Fifty years ago, youths were called by this title, twenty years ago the same thing, a decade later they were still known by the same title and today the youths are still the leaders of tomorrow. My questions are which tomorrow are they even talking about? When this tomorrow will ever come and if it will ever come will the youths be ready to take over and by that I mean if we will have the capacity to change the state of things.

My fellow youths, my message to you this Lord’s Day is that wherever you find yourself;
Be the change you want to see
Be the transformation you want
Trigger the revolution you want to see
Lead a life that will affect posterity positively.
Be that leader you want to see

Start from where you are and what is under your control. I know the nation is not under your control but your family is under your control, your business is under your control, yourself is under your control, your staff is under your control, your department is under your control, your team is under your control, your class is under your control, your hospital is under your control, your school is under your control and your office is definitely under your control.

Activate that change you want to see in the nation in what you control.

If you are an entrepreneur; be a leading entrepreneur.
If you are a manager; be a leading manager.
If you are an engineer; be a leading engineer.
If you are a secretary; be a leading secretary.
If you are a law enforcement officer; be a leading law enforcement officer.
If you are a preacher; be a leading preacher.
If you are an artist; be a leading artist.
If you are an actor/actress; be a leading actor/actress.
If you are a driver; be a leading driver.
If you are a barber; be leading barber.
If you are a doctor, producer, tailor writer or CEO; be a leading leader in your field.

Do it until people know you and call you by what you do.
You need to preach till folks know you and call you the preacher.
Write until they know you and call you the writer.
Manage until they know you and call you the manager.
Fly until they know you and call you the pilot.

Do you work until you become the best in what you do? Work towards becoming a reference in your field. If all youths or at least most youths become leading youths in their sectors; then there is truly hope for our nation.
Pursue a career and not a job. Don’t just jump from one job to another just because of a better pay check rather also seek an environment where you can progress and grow, climbing the ladder of your field with an intention of getting to the top.
When your field is mentioned anywhere in the world let your name come to mind. Become the most sought after person in your field.
The most sought after networking engineer.
The most sought after pilot.
The most sought after soldier.
The most sought after police man.
The most sought after trader.

If all youths in Nigeria can become the best in their fields of endeavour thereby making themselves indispensable, very relevant and the most sought after in their respective fields; imagine what the future holds for our great nation.

We have to strategically take back our nation because the enemies have tagged us leaders of tomorrow – a false hope of a tomorrow that will never come; indirectly pointing to how irrelevant we are and by implication have relegated us to the background.
If rescuing our nation from this strong hold is paramount then we have only one option; we must build our capacity to a level where we cannot be displaced.

We must work to take back our nation!

I know it’s in ruin; yes, the society is a wreck; the economy is fast deteriorating, the banking sector is a disaster, the roads are in shambles but we have to take back our nation.
The nation might be disjointed, dislocated and discombobulated but we have to take it back!

We cannot afford to be spectators and onlookers anymore; we must do what it takes. The spectator profession and that of the onlookers and the bystanders are unpaid employments we must resign from and never return. Haven’t you realized that it cost more to be a spectator? In a football stadium you pay to be a spectator and at the end of the day the participants take the trophy and are rewarded with your money. Participation in nation building and social restructuring are professions we must take up by default if we must take our nation back.

Also, we must not contribute to the ruin and decay in the nation, we must not join them because the destiny of this nation lies in our hands and we cannot afford to toy with the lives of men. If we decide to join them we mortgage the lives of our children and quite frankly there will be no nation that our children can call theirs.

Youths, we are very significant at this moment in time because we alone can determine the future of this nation- do we want a standing nation in the next 50 years or no nation at all? We must hand over an organized nation to the generation after ours. We must relief our children from the duty of having to rebuild a dead nation. Where our generation is that of builders, theirs must be that of manager administrators. They must inherit an organized, structured and systemized nation to manage.
We must wake up to our responsibility as builders because God always sends the deliverer a people need per time. Literally, the deliverance of today is not that of leaving Egypt for Canaan or crossing the red sea which God sent Moses to do. It is not that of prophecy which He ordained Jeremiah for; the deliverance of today is that of nation building; somewhat like Nehemiah’s mission to Jerusalem.
The deliverance you’ve been praying for is in you! You are the deliverer! We must take back our nation. We must be involved in national development and societal transformation.

It is your passion for a nation that will determine your position in that nation.

Nehemiah’s passion for Jerusalem led to the king giving him letters to the governors for his safe passage and for all he’ll require for his building project. The king also gave him a royal escort. Nehemiah was granted diplomatic immunity. Psalm 122:6 says, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper that love thee”. Ladies and gentlemen, your prosperity and security in any nation is tied to your love for that nation.

Practical steps we must start taking.
• We must strive for excellence because excellence sells. The world always moves towards the direction of excellence. The world will always go for excellence.

• Be value driven. Don’t just be a consumer but seek to contribute and add value wherever you are.

• Always improve yourself. Build your capacity. Seek to always advance. Forbid stagnation and hate mediocrity. Only people that build capacity will be relevant in the New Nigeria.

Today, I’m not asking you to challenge your governor or local government chairman but to challenge yourself. We must use a change of approach to end the reproach. We must challenge ourselves to become the best in what we do and where we are because it is people that make up a nation and better people can only make a better nation. We must take the lead in our fields and make ourselves too relevant to be ignored. Become a leading leader.

Joseph was too good in dream interpretation that he was appointed prime minister.
Daniel was too good in administration that four different kings required him to remain in office.
David the Shepherd boy over sheep became the shepherd king over Israel.
Don’t wait for tomorrow; be a Leader today.
Let’s take our nation back! 

   

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The Urzua mindset

There's this Yoruba proverb that goes "Eefin niwa".
2 words but a great message packaged in it.

A raw translation to English goes thus - Character is like fumes.
Place fumes in a pot, it always finds its way out. Our character as it is, can only be concealed for a little while. It takes only a matter of time for it to surface.

You know that feeling when you meet someone with a great character, you just feel that rich smile they beam, there's warmness in every word and mannerism and you just love to be around such a person.

One issue that has caught international attention is that of the 33 trapped miners in Chile.
I heard of the rescue operations that commenced some hours ago in which 5 out of the 33 have been rescued.
One stunning fact was that they had been there for 17days at first before discovery, feeding on sips of water, bits of biscuit and tuna fish that they had.

33 men just for emphasis sake... underground for 10 weeks!

Now what exactly is the whole point of this? I mean you're probably not from Chile and you've heard the news too, so what's all the fuss about I hear you ask...Read on...

Now for your info, the food with them was supposed to last just 48 hours but...(I had to dedicate a paragraph for the next point..yes)

Now the food was only meant to last 33 of them for about 48hours, but with the exceptional leadership of 'one man', Luis Urzua (also trapped) who brought up the idea of managing their food supplies by taking 2 spoons of Tuna and half glass of milk - every 48 hours! which helped them endure another 17 days without outside contact. He is decided to be the last man to be rescued out of the mine.

He'll be the last out because the others need him...Chile needs him...he's got the strongest character!

I mean I can just imagine one of them freaking out with tears in his eyes and saying he can't make it again and Urzua goes, "Yes you can, they will find us, they will, just hang in there...Here, have a sip of my water".

He's trapped in the mine but his mind is free from being controlled by external forces of discouragement that surround him.

Now check out this excerpt from my source:

"Urzua's neighbors told the AP he probably insisted on being the last one up.
"He's a very good guy — he keeps everybody's spirits up and is so responsible — he's going to see this through to the end," said neighbor Angelica Vicencio, who has led a nightly vigil outside the Urzua home in Copiapo."

I don't even think I should write on Character cuz its far broader than that. I mean, after I read the analysis of the rescue operations it was far from believing how they managed to keep them calm or even rescue them. They faced risk of rocks falling to destroy the rescue capsule and close up rescue paths and a hundred of other contingencies.

Now that is a great mindset I must say, one that stays calm in face of adversity and puts up a resilient attitude against failure, optimistic and also infects people with his/her confidence.
Nelson Mandela was in prison for 27 years but still came out to lead a whole nation. He was in prison but his mind wasn't imprisoned.

You have imprisoned this your great mind for too long!
You will never understand what I mean if you're still 'trapped in the box'... dirty old traditions!

Our mind is a great tool, guard it with diligence. If this is still not making sense, then there's a big challenge here.

What I'm I trying to say?
Your true character only comes out in times of adversity...or how do you test the strength of a knife if it has never cut anything?
Events like that of the Chilean miners will happen and then the true 'you' will come out. Will you be the Urzua?
Bad stories spread faster than good ones I must add.

So what's the way forward I say? Talking to myself too:
Build a strong character and interact with people of great attitude(Iron sharpeneth Iron you know).
Watch your reaction to situations, people and what do you laugh at?
Question your integrity by watching how you react to money.
Don't be sentimental about making decisions that are beneficial to your well-being all in the name of 'what people will think'.
Don't be scared to start all over and rebuild. At least now you know, so work on it.

1st of the rescued miners hugging Chilean President

"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
-Michael Jordan

Let them say...they always say and they will never stop. You just do what you do best.

Its all a process in developing the Urzua kind of mindset and watch how a whole nation will celebrate you just because you decided to not conform to 'the usual'.

Last man out: Luis Urzua waving his hand as the rescue ends!

Read more on the Chilean miners and don't forget to pray for them as the rescue continues.
***************************************
UPDATE: All 33 men have been rescued. God is definitely good! On the Left is the national hero, Luis Urzua having demonstrated true leadership in the depths of no hope, waving his hand as the whole world celebrates a true Leader.
 Boy o boy...such drama...lots of lessons.

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The Ant told me this

I've been reading this Bible verse for long but of recent it kept cropping up in different circumstances, speaking of |Prov. 6:6 -  Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!|.
So since I couldn't go to the ant literally as I always thought it meant, I decided to read something about ants which later metamorphorsed into a reasearch on this interesting and inspiring specie of insects and principles of life they reflect. (Research Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ant).
Enjoy as you read...@ moi frequency...*wink*

> The Social man
You know one interesting thing is I only used the Wikipedia page to research on this and every line of information was inspiring and as you read you can just relate the lessons I learnt from the ant to our everyday life. I won't spell out some of the lessons I learnt but will leave you to extract the juice (its always sweeter that way).
How much more if I went into deeper depths of research, a book could come out of this.
One dominant fact about the ant is that out of all animals...on earth if I might say...it the the most eusocial.

Ants have strived on this unique characteristic as  they perform various functions such as the worker who is responsible for defending the colony, sourcing for food and storing it. Also the queen ant who just produces eggs and the male ant that also produces clones after which it dies (i.e. it only eats, mates and dies).
Now the lesson to be learnt here is the importance of Role-playing as regards to us humans. We are not made to do everything but made for a specific purpose and carrying it out wholeheartedly.
A man is supposed to be a man and a woman likewise. In business same applies, misunderstanding of your role leads to frustration and unfulfillment.


> Poor Eyesight but Great Vision
Most ants have very poor to mediocre eyesight with few completely blind, so they use chemical substances called pheromones to communicate leaving trails for other ants to follow.

Your 5 physical senses are not enough for your success in business, relationships and life as a whole even though they are essential.

The one who relies on beauty as a 'dominant' characteristic for choosing a life partner could be making a big mistake. Beauty fades away, Mutual respect and selflessness - never.
The one who treats business clients based on appearance will soon discard the thousand-naira looking client with a multi-billion naira idea.

The Bulldog ant (one of the biggest of ant species) I learnt out of all ants is the least-developed socially. Why? I decided to plunge into this too.
Quick fact I'll give you is that it hunts alone by relying on  its large eyes to hunt for food instead of its chemical senses. hmm...Its left for you to pick your own lesson as it applies.

> Insight + Service
Based on the lesson above, ant pheromones have strong smell leaving trail for others to feed. So lesson to learn here is insight. The ant in front obviously has seen what is ahead so the ant behind follows based on pheromones (insight) left behind.

Sounds to me like acquiring knowledge. Knowledge is like pheromones left behind for you the new-comer to explore and give you insight into your own ideas. Your business idea might not be the first just like Coca-cola isn't the only drink. But Excellence sells anyday.
Ants leave food trails behind for others to follow to locate the food source
This is a lesson of service: Any idea or innovation that doesn't have a positive impact or based on the principle of service to your environment is void.


> Built to last
Average life 'expectancy' of an ant is 30 - 40 days - note that it means thats what is expected due to their size and nature of challenges they face but do you know Ant queens live up to 30yrs.
How come?

Quick facts: Ants adapt to any kind of environment (tropic or temperate) and work all-through the year.
In temperate places like the Antarctica, they provide their food ahead of the winter so when winter finally comes...

they rest?

NO! They slow down food production based on weather contraints.
This culture ensures that all-through the year, food is available. So why won't it live that long.


> Role Models
Even ants have got mentors
Check out this excerpt from the source I read:
"A knowledgeable forager of Temnothorax albipennis leads a naive nest-mate to newly discovered food by the process of tandem running. The follower obtains knowledge through its leading tutor. Both leader and follower are acutely sensitive to the progress of their partner with the leader slowing down when the follower lags, and speeding up when the follower gets too close."

hmm...this next quote by Isaac Newton in a letter to Robert Hooke also buttresses the importance of having a role-model:

"What Descartes  did was a good step. You have added much several ways, and especially in taking the colours of thin plates into philosophical consideration. If I have seen a little further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants."

> Size a'int no excuse for the Ant
An average ant is 2mm in size but it attimes travels 200m meters in search for food!!!
How far are you willing to pursue your dreams? I ask myself the same

Move out of your comfort zone!
They face a great risk of desiccation in the course of their long journey but due to their sense of adaptation and scent trails it leaves behind, it avoids this by finding shorter alternative routes.

This sparked off a thought in me:
You know those times when we have this crazy idea or dream, or we map out a plan and strategy to achieve something...The initial urge, drive and motivation...very high!...and all of a sudden...pshew...engines quench out (desiccation) and we abandon it.

(Desiccation - make uninteresting: to remove vitality from something
Microsoft® Encarta® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.)

NEVER!
Ants don't do this.

So I say to you and to myself: If this minute creature could achieve so much feat, then how much more you?

You can choose to go to school, get a degree, marry and die without an impact
or you could still let your works and impact speak and bless lives long after you've passed away.

These are lessons from the ant...(You can read more here)

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Freedom vs Decision

What are the best decisions and what are the worst decisions?
By the end of this post, you'd judge by yourself.
Always @ moi frequency...*wink*

Imagine how liberating it is for you to wake up in the morning in your seaside mansion, have a cup of light green tea as you read the newspaper from the view of your exquisite balcony facing the gentle sea. No stress, no hassle. You make your own decisions without any concensus. Its Utopia for you definitely.

This is probably a vague description of how free many people want to be. Seriously, nobody likes to be pushed around and due to this we develop this sense of independence which is expected to give the freedom to make choices and decisions without any opposition. But how do we handle this freedom? Read on.

A 17-year old girl on the eve of her birthday told her dad, "Dad, tomorrow I'll be 18, I'll now be free" and he replied her gently saying, "Honey, freedom does not come with age, it's a thing of the mind".
She replied, "So does that mean I can stay till 10pm tonight at the party?". "Not in your dreams, you're still 17 today", He sharply responded.

There are many misconceptions about freedom. The society has so abused the real meaning of freedom, making many actually free in the real sense to do whatever they wish but trapped in the bondage of true definition of freedom. It the reason children and parents have conflicts over choices, its the reason government imposes policies not putting in mind how favourable it is to its citizens.

True freedom comes from inside-out. It is first a state of mind before it manifests in the decisions we make on the outside.
It is your ability to make right decisions based on strong principles that determines how free you are.
You have the right to say what you want, but true freedom comes from saying the right thing.
You have the right to wear whatever you want(to a certain extent) but true freedom is wearing not what you like but what is right.
You have the right to sleep a whole day and free to do so, but true freedom comes from restraining one's self from excess sleep and planning the day well.

As I earlier said, it is based on principles. You have the freedom to keep eating every one hour, but you have no access to choose the consequences that comes with doing that. Freedom without limits is actually bondage in disguise.

Many are trapped in the bondage of a routine life, old ways of doing things, same old thinking pattern, nothing new.
When you feel you are free to live the way you want, it might actually be that you're not experiencing true freedom.
The story of creation talks about how God gave Adam the freedom to eat of any fruit in the Garden of Eden except that of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

So in life, their are forbidden trees that pose as beautiful temporary perks but will always rob you of your freedom cuz in actual fact you're bound by them.

Take away cigarette from a smoke addict and see how uncomfortable you'll make him... Why? Because he has exercised his freedom to smoke which is in actual fact a bondage.

It takes maturity to manage freedom, this doesn't come by age...but actually by your mind.
True freedom is essential for success in business, relationships and life generally cuz it empowers you to have the sense of choosing from a limitless bank of decisions and the inner piece and fulfillment that accompanies making the right decision.

So use your freedom wisely, your life is yours definitely...Yours to nurture or to destroy...Make your decisions wisely.

As a wiseman said: "Freedom is the opportunity to make decisions"...
 I paraphrase: "True freedom is the opportunity to make the right decisions"
    

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Elections 2011...What's your pick?

One of the main things that's been drawing so much attention of late is the Nigerian 2011 elections. Its like this is the most publizised in terms of the level of awareness and usual drama that follows.

Listening to Moyo Oyatogun's program, Daily Guide on Star FM, I heard a woman make a funny statement and she said: "I am 35 years old and I've never voted in my life but for the fact that IBB is contesting I will vote against him". Nigerians are finally standing up to fight for what they believe in. Let's just hope its fair and credible.

Another interesting one I read is the declaration by the 49th most influential personality in the world, General Overseer of RCCG who promised to fight back if anyone got tempted to rig the upcoming elections. In His words, “If anyone tampers with our votes in 2011, we will fight.”

I really never considered this voting of a thing too...never really had an interest in politics (voting involves politics trust me) but with the recent happenings I just felt I should do this brief analysis on a few major aspirants. I urge you to read through carefully on their milestones and as a famous politician, Patrick Obahiagbon would sound like, I urge you my readers not be soaked in the aqua of religious bigotry, desist from intellectual jejune acts resulting from the aqua of political chauvinism and let your mind be as elastic and free as the Tabula Raza. In other words, do not judge the book by its cover.

Short Review on top aspirants for presidency, then its left to you to take your pick.

Before you read through you would recall one of Nigeria's best leaders in the sense of what he did and the legacy he left, speaking of Obafemi Awolowo.
Awolowo is remembered for building the first stadium, Liberty Statium, Ibadan in West Africa, first television station WNTV in Africa, running the best civil service in Africa at the time (in the Western Region), He would also be credited with coining the name "Naira" for Nigeria's currency (formerly known as the Nigerian Pound) as the Federal Commissioner of Finance under the Military Government of General Yakubu Gowon. Today, he is remembered by many Nigerians and non-Nigerians as the best Nigerian president that never ruled.

Now a brief review of the top 2 contenders >>

Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
A humane administrator, amazingly simple minded and loved by his people, friends and colleagues, nobody ever expected he will venture into the dicey and precarious nature of Nigerian politics. Nevertheless, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan saw the need to boost the socio-economic with political interest of the common man as well as bridge the lacuna of rural-urban dichotomy of his people through the provisions of social infrastructure.

Hence, he took to politics in the Fourth Republic and pitched tent with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He was picked as the running mate to the Party’s flag bearer Chief D.S.P. Alamieyeseigha. The duo emerged victorious at the polls in the 1999 gubernatorial election, and so, Dr. Goodluck E. Jonathan became the first Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State.
We all know what happened and he later became the Governor of Bayelsa State.
 In 2006, he was selected to run as the vice-presidential candidate on the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential ticket in the 2007 presidential elections.
He was Vice-President of Nigeria from May 2007 until February 9, 2010 when the Senate through a resolution, invoked the doctrine of necessity to empower him to serve as Acting President, with all the accompanying powers, due to President Yar'Adua's prolonged absence from Nigeria. President Yar'Adua died on May 5, 2010 and Goodluck Jonathan was sworn in as President Yar'Adua's replacement on May 6, 2010, becoming Nigeria's fourteenth Head of State, as mandated by the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

In the few month's he's done a lot of cleaning up of a lot of important names in public offices such as the recent sacking of Police Chiefs. He's also demonstrated a passionate leadership quality of carrying people along with open transparency as exhibited in his constant communication with NIgerians through Facebook where he declared his intent to run for presidency.

Latest Statement: “In presenting myself for service, I make no pretense that I have a magic wand that will solve all of Nigeria’s problems or that I am the most intelligent Nigerian”

So after all said and done I feel you should do some more research and make sure who you're voting for makes sense and this is just my own little awareness.

Ibrahim Babangida

IBB

General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) ruled Nigeria from August 27, 1985 to August 27, 1993 as a military Head of State. He introduced the concept of military president into the Nigerian political lexicon and till date remains the country's only military leader addressed by that title. He maintained a firm grip on power and tried to abrogate the unpopular policies he inherited in office.

Babangida's regime was popular for its liberal economic policies. He tried to introduce the culture of debate into the polity, with the open deliberations that preceded his launching of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF)-supported Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP).

The killing by a letter bomb of Dele Giwa, a magazine editor critical of Babangida's administration, at his Lagos home in 1986 was largely attributed to Babangida and remains a controversial incident to this day. In 1999, President Olusegun Obasanjo established the Human Rights Violation Investigation Commission headed by Justice Chukwudifu Oputa to investigate human rights abuses  during Nigeria's decades of military rule. However, Babangida repeatedly defied summons to appear before the panel to answer allegations of humans rights abuses and questioned both the legality of the commission and its power to summon him. His right not to testify was upheld in 2001 by Nigeria's court of appeal which ruled that the panel did not have the power to summon former rulers of the country.

On the political front, the phenomenon called IBB proved to be far more deft and superior than any other military ruler before or after at accommodating public opinion and turning into a tool to further his political agenda. Some called his style shrewd, others cunning earning him the nickname "Maradona" (from the legendary football master dribbler Diego Maradona) but better judgment knew he is simply genius.
Babangida's policies were coherent, well thought out and always applauded.

He assembled some of the brightest individuals from the military and the civilian class who set the stage for many good policies such as privatization and deregulation with recourse to the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Latest Statement: “For me, politics is not and has never been a do or die affair. If I lose, I lose and if I win, I win: such is life and life continues,” - Babangida 

 A few other aspirants are Nuhu Ribadu(AC), Muhammadu Buhari(CPC)Congress for Progressive Change, Pastor Chris Okotie of the Fresh Democratic Party and Pat Utomi of the Social Democratic Mega Party (SDMP).

So the Big Question is WHO ARE U VOTING FOR? Who is worth voting for and why do you think he should be voted for????

Aren't we set for some drama! Please cast your votes wisely!

God bless Nigeria! Good People Great Nation! (Comments below)

     

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Rewrite the Scripts.

Remember as a child the very first time you broke an expensive plate. The scolding you got, the words that were uttered that made you feel irresponsible and careless. Well, you only cried as a child and soon forgot. That day was forgotten also, everything returned to normal, the plate was replaced but a script was written.

Ancient and Medieval Philosophers have regarded the mind of a new-born as a Tabula-raza (Clean Slate) and as time went on and as events folded, things were written on that clean slate and gradually following the Law of Process forms the individual’s character.

Those moments when she failed in a subject and knew the pain of what it meant to fail and saw the joy in the face of her successful mates thereby causing more internal pain, she got home and her dad looked her in the face and told her he still loved her, a script was written.

The times he listened to his dad talk to mum calmly while apologizing for something dad had done wrong, a script was written.

The times his teacher told him to shut up in front of the whole class for a silly contribution he gave and the whole classed laughed while he sat back in shame, a script was also written.

The times she got encouraged in church by her pastor at the Teen’s conference that she was fearfully and wonderfully made, a script was written.

Slowly these events meant nothing then, but now they mean something. You now act out the scripts given to you by family, society, peer groups, religious systems, and so on. You are just an actor whose been conditioned to give certain uncontrolled responses to events in your environment.

You are not in total control of your life. The script controls your subconscious and you act out the lines in the conscious.

20 years from now the individual who witnessed his dad’s constant respect for his mum now has the avenue to act out his scripts. He now has a wife. The scripts portray women as a gender to be respected and cared for. He treats his wife the same, It’s no big deal to him because he’s learnt his lines for years…It’s all in the scripts.

The individual whose opinion was damned in class publicly 15 years ago is now in a Board meeting, the directors are seated, he’s the youngest there, he has a crazy business idea, he wants to talk, he’s about to but something keeps holding him…What if they shut him up? What if they laugh at the silly idea? What if…? Indecision isn’t his challenge; it’s just the scripts, hard-wired into his subconscious.

Some years later, the lady who failed and got encouraged by her dad now has a shot at the same board meeting. As usual they are seated, intimidating looks, board-room silence, she has an idea, she’s a woman but it matters the least. She has experienced what it meant to fail and rise-up again. She knows they will laugh at first and then they’ll see the truth.

The scripts manifest again but this time to her advantage.

Now the issue is not living with the fate of having good or bad scripts, or a blend of the two.

The issue is the power that lies within everyone to rewrite the scripts. Throughout life, experience and events have shaped our character at home, in school, in church and everywhere you can think of and now determine our actions.

But like every movie script, it can be rewritten, edited or even updated to suit the desires of one’s life. You can choose to remain the way you are by complaining about the government’s bad policy, parents’ neglect or poor education system.

Or you can choose to rewrite your scripts, unlearn old habits, build on your person and watch your life improve before your very eyes.

Will you rewrite?

Adolf Hitler chose to live with the scripts.

Albert Einstein rewrote his scripts.

What are you going to do with your script? …THE BIG QUESTION!

           

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Connaissance

That strange word up there is the French word for 'Knowledge' (pronounced Ko-nay-sunce) 




Everywhere you go you see that the length to which you control some circumstances is just based on your Knowledge level. And the knowledgeable ones just know how to flaunt there prowess that you don't want to be left out. "Knowledge is the new world currency" is not just a slogan but indeed a reality.




Kinda reminds me of this humorous illustration of a fisherman and an accountant going on a fishing trip.
Mid-way into their journey, they get into a conversation and the accountant asks,"Do you know Book-keeping?" and the fisherman replies, "No", then he shakes his head and tells him, "How useless your whole life must have been".


Silent as they go on, the now pompous accountant asks again, "Do you know basic principles of Taxation?". The puzzled fisherman shakes his head innocently again as he answers in the negative with a sorry look on his face. "How useless your whole life must have been", the accountant echoes again.


Shortly after, they encounter a crazy storm and their boat capsizes. Too bad, No life-jacket! The fisherman swimming to the turned-over boat looks a little ahead and sees the accountant slowly drowning and beating the water furiously.
The fisherman then swims gallantly, piercing through the waves, with every muscle displacing a proportionate mass of water, head moving in rhythmic Michael Phelp's style, locomotive legs in a frog-like pattern as they moved towards the half-drowned man in suit.
Holding the accountant's head above the water and supporting him afloat, the fisherman smiles, mouth about to move as if to tell him something, and he asks, "Do you know how to swim"?...."No!" came the answer.
Shaking his head, the fisherman looks at him and with a mischievous look he replies, "How useless your whole life would have been!"


Funny as it sounds, thats the case today. Trust me on this - Knowledge is Power...Anyday, Anytime, Anyhow! Use it to your advantage. Its right there in front of you. Yes! In front of you. Just one click away! Vast information database on ANYTHING! I mean if you want to be a cook - it has info, want to be an engineer - theres lots of info on how you can be one and materials too.

Its also there in print - hmm..that's hard for a lot. The average black man hates reading. There's this cliche that says if you want to hide information from a black man...Put it in a book!
Ignorance is celebrated these days, educational system even encourages a great deal of it.
So much Brain Drain all because someone is waiting for a system to be put in place that will create a conducive environment for creative type of learning. In your Dreams! The responsibility is yours!


I end with this 'jaara' on that former quote that says, "Knowledge is the new world currency...

...that improves in value with time investment" - Me (Aug 2010)

                

 COMING SOON: Monthly Reviews...Know the Articles with the highest hits, most viewed pages, poems that bagged the most attention and views and lots more to come...@ moi frequency *wink*

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Before you break a leg… By Laju Arenyeka

You’re passing through the verandah of a classroom, and you recognize a uniform. When you look closely enough, the face comes to you. It’s the cleaning staff that took out your trash yesterday now solving a major physics problem on the board.

from the author's view...

Stunned, you look at the rest of the class. Sitting in the audience are renowned professors that you know well, taking notes like their lives depend on it. Just then, you hear your phone ring. But suddenly you realize that it isn’t your phone ringing. It’s your shoe. When you pick it up, it’s your two year old son asking you to check the stock market report so that he can decide what stocks to buy or sell. He reminds you to pick his father up from the Montessori. You try to pinch yourself to wake up from the night mare but it’s your skin that pinches your fingers and not the other way round.

The scenario above just represents many people and things playing the wrong roles.
I don’t think Shakespeare knew how close he came to the truth when he said: “The whole world’s a stage and men and women merely actors”. Or perhaps he did. But the thing is everyone plays different roles every day. The same person who gets teary eyed when she sees her son take his first steps is the devil that wears ‘Prada’ in the office. It’s so weird that sometimes if you didn’t know yourself well enough, you would think you were pretending. The important thing is to understanding the roles that we are to play in the lives of the different people we interact with every day.

Many of the problems this world faces are simply as a result of “role misunderstanding”. Hitler thought of himself as God and of the Jews as dogs. Gay and lesbian issues exist because some women think of themselves as men and some men think they are women. Seriously, why are people considered mad? It’s because they think of themselves in roles that aren’t theirs. Pretty extreme huh? Don’t worry. I’ll bet you’ll find something that pertains you soon enough.

Simply nod your head if you agree.

Have you ever mistaken a friend for a future spouse? Or a future spouse for a sister? Ever thought of someone who was supposed to be a brother as a boy friend? Ever mistaken a mentor for a protégée? How did that turn out? Let me guess: heart breaks and broken relationships? Even when the relationships are mended, people are most times too hurt to play the original roles that they should have. Tell me about it. Or rather let me tell you. 

If you let the right people play the wrong roles in your life, things will definitely go wrong and everyone involved would be affected. When you play the wrong role, the script, the action, the cues - everything goes wrong. Like square pegs in round holes, life gets so complicated when we mismatch our roles. Playing the wrong character in the script spoils our relationships for good. Most of the time, even after we get our lines right, we may never have the chance to repeat the scenes on stage.
It is necessary to ask ourselves why this is so.

One of the reasons may be that we seek to replace the characters that seem to be missing in our lives. For a child growing up without a father, the closest available person may be the perfect candidate. If that person fails to live up to expectation, he spoils the picture of a father for that child. Maybe the “father candidate” would have been perfect for another role. For a woman looking for a husband, the next unattached man is Mr. Right. When things don’t work out, she’s frustrated, the guy is frustrated and the original Mr. Right doesn’t stand a chance. A widow with an only son may treat him a lot like the husband she lost. This doesn’t mean that every problem you have in your relationship with others is because the people are all wrong for you. That may be the case, but it isn’t always so. After understanding roles, you still need to take responsibility and work on your relationships with people.
I’m not saying that the next person that walks through the door cannot be your husband. I’m just asking you to exercise a lot of patience, take your time and find out. When someone new comes into your life, in all your excitement, pray about it.

Be sensitive enough to figure out the role both of you have to play in each other’s lives no matter how little or how big. Even if you don’t understand the person’s role all at once, don’t be aloof, cold and distant. As you make up your mind to define every relationship in love, treat everyone with respect, as you want to be treated. So that whether they turn out to be driver, director or darling, you’ll have no regrets. Review your existing relationships. Are you being a brother or sister to your siblings or merely just a housemate?

Just remember that the stage of the world would be less tragic if we took time to read the script and play our roles right.

                

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Target Locked!

So this is what they say about commitment. Staying true to your purpose on earth.

I discovered that successful people were not people who necessarily had found their passion but had also stayed committed to it.

I let my imagination entertain me one time and I could see a trained archer (guy that's an expert in the use of a bow and arrow)  doing what he does best - shooting arrows at a target. He hardly misses his target, he's trained for it all his entire life.

On this day, he's at it again, but this time something's at stake because every shot he fires has to hit that target.

He views the horizon, breathes in deep and lets out the tension. The fogs present as usual but as always he knows how to hit his target. Thats all he lives for so I mean it wouldn't hurt to spend his whole life on firing at this target.

On a certain day, he reaches for his back pouch...WHAT? no arrows to shoot again. that's strange because he really never anticipated that to happen. A thought then flashes through his mind, he could just remove from the arrows he'd been firing for years.

He walks the distance and he sees a tree just before he reaches his target board and right there some arrows are stuck to it...just like his. He ignores them and moves ahead to find his own target-board with his arrows. Right there, he saw an empty target board and then the reality hit him.

All these years he had been firing accurately but at the wrong target!

A wiseman once said, if you don't know where you're going, everywhere would look like it. and another said:

"Our greatest fear should not be fear of failure but of succeeding at something that doesn't really matter"

You can't use the map of Ghana to locate somewhere in Nigeria, you'll only get to the wrong place faster. 

Many people fall into this category, you've got ambitions, goals and projections into how you want your future to be...that's Very good and I support it too. But are you firing your arrows into the right target?

Ask yourself and you'd be amazed the depth of things that'll reveal themselves to you. Do you find fulfillment and peace in whatever vocation you're into? Do you realize you might actually earn a lot from a job but never be happy doing it? Are you planning to venture into the labour market? Or are you working to discover more of the archer in you whose target will hit the bullseye?

These and many more I also ask myself as the lil archer develops in me learning how not just to fire but to hit the right target. The God up there is always ready to put his arms around you, hold your hands steady and help you point it at the target. All you need to do is let go of the arrow and let it pierce through every air of doubt and fear with clarity of purpose.

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I love you Buddy! by Adeleke Adedolapo (Lowla Dee)

This is a very inspiring piece i came across one day by a very inspiring writer, Adeleke Adedolapo (a.k.a.Lowla Dee) and I decided to share it with y'all. I hope it changes something in you. Enjoy!

We were there in his room. I could feel his presence...the smell..I couldnt take this, Just as I turned to walk away, I saw in between his Bible a letter...a very long letter. It was the last one.
Dear Buddy,
You are my hero Dad. I love you so much that I do not know how it would be like livin with any other man but you. You've always been my bestfriend and dad, I wish you could stay with me forever. Sometimes I still feel the guilt that I took mom away from you. I wish she didnt have to die bringing me to the world. Daddy cant I stay with you forever?!
I remember the early years, age three I guess, when I didnt understand that the deaf could not hear...I remember those days I didnt understand that you couldnt hear me dad...and I'm sorry, I'm sorry I caused you so much pain.
I remember how you would cry when I'm crying because you didnt just know why I was crying. You couldnt tell if it was food? water? biscuit? play?! You didnt have a clue and I'm sorry dad...
I remember at age five, the very day Nanny Felicia told me the deaf people couldnt hear and that you are deaf thats why you seemed so strange.

 I remember how hard I cried and hated myself for hating you, and then when you came back home from work that night, I also remembered how loud I screamed "Daddy!" from the depth of my heart, with all of my being and I jumped on you shaking with tears. I forgot you couldn't even hear how passionate I just called you my father. All you could see was how hard I had cried. You quickly put down your briefcase, shaking too, saying underneath your breath (I could hear you) " Buddy I cant hear you, please dont do this to me..who did this to you...God let me just hear her this once..." You began to cry

I didnt know how to tell you nothing was wrong with me but that I just love you more now that I understood, to thank you for laughing at my jokes you couldn't hear...for always telling me each night before I slept "I love you buddy" eventhough you never could hear me say it back.
Just then, I ran from the comfort of your laps and you followed me. I headed for my school bag and brought out a paper and the crayon you just bought me. I remember how my hands shook as I drew slowly "I LOVE YOU BUDDY" and showed it to you. I can never forget the way you looked at me, you gently took it from my hands and showed it to me too and it's been twenty years dad since we both discovered we could write to each other and I am never tired! I also remember how we both wept in each others arms that night...I was only five.
I still have them...all the little endless notes we wrote to each other- Dad, I want to sleep- Dad I want some pasta- Dad I have a headache- I'll be back soon buddy, Nanny Felicia will be here with you. I still have them!

Its hurts to leave you dad...but you wont let me stay with you! I wish mom were here! I remember how elated you were when I wrote you a note in the parlour that night, a note that read "He has asked me to marry him" I remember the satisfactory nod you gave me! How I trust you dad!
Though I am afraid to leave you but you have taught me how to love...to love unconditionally and now that I am leaving to start my own home, I promise to love unconditionally. I have learnt that if I could love you deaf, then I can love the blind, the crippled, the leprosed, the orphan, the destitute, the short tempered, I can love anyone dad. I have truly learnt.
You are my hero dad. I will come back to see you after the Honeymoon, just hang in there for me. I miss you , you'll never know how much and I want you to know that I'm in safe arms like yours. I just wish one day you can hear me say "I Love you Buddy" 
I'll be back...
Your only "Buddy"
My hands shook and I vibrated with tears as I folded the letter back into the bible. My buddy was gone before I came back. He had lived for me for 70 years. 
My husband took me into his arms and said to me " I promise never to love you less than he did. I'll take over from where he stopped. Just call me buddy" He cupped my face
I smiled amidst my tears and nodded, "I trust you buddy"
and then I knew another unconditional, endless love chapter had begun.
THE END


Love is unconditional..how great is it to still love one who cant love you back, to love without expecting anything in return. To love...Despite* Lets learn to love people without stating the conditions! Remember we were yet sinners and Christ loves us " Despite..."
with love ,
Lowla

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Good People Great Nation...?

I love Nigeria and no matter where I might go in this world, nothing would still substitute my love for the country.

This write-up is meant for you and I to think through some issues I’ll be revealing shortly. But before you read I’d Like to do a sort of traffic check cuz I write as one who speaks to an audience. And my audience today is one I’d like to be choosy about.

First if you are have doubts about Nigeria then you need not go through the stress of reading this.

I’ve got my facts laid out and some sources to back it up and mosdef open to your honest criticism. What I’ll be sharing is based on in-depth research and sources of any info I give will be referenced for your voluntary perusal.

In 2009, the overseas-driven ‘Rebranding Nigeria’ project was initiated for a supposed home-based impact and speculations arose as to whether it would have an impact on Nigeria’s Vision 2020. Good People Great Nation. I totally bought the idea; at least the change had to start somehow. But from my own view has not gotten any far.

We are one of the largest oil-producing nations and Nigeria still imports from other countries. Hillary Clinton in her visit to Nigeria described it as embarrassing and due to some self-seeking-as-long-as-I’m-comfortable-you-can-go-to-blazes top government officials.

July 2008, Nigeria agreed to supply Ghana 30 million cubic metres of gas for power generation.

We supply electricity to Ghana that boasts of 24hrs of uninterrupted power supply yet we can’t boast of 10 hours of interrupted supply.

I complain of the degrading economy and you are not innocent of that either, yet we are the cause of it. HOW? You ask. The average Nigerian is a natural consumer, we do not produce. We buy virtually everything from clothes to food to even crude oil that we produce here! This is not right! This is one of the major reasons why the Naira will keep depreciating and Mr Inflation will maintain his obese form.

American Outsourcing: I’m not going to compare us to America and that’s not even the aim but I want to break this down for you to know.

America is a country that outsources a large percentage of jobs to countries where they get cheap labour: China India, etc. India for your info produces, China produces.

America gets cheap labour from China (reduced expenditure on labour), China gets money (liquid asset) in return. Both parties smile home happy.

Now come down to Nigeria, Nigeria doesn’t produce so we buy what we want from America et al even as far as imported toothpicks (helping their economy) and we get our consumables in return{nothing goes back to our economy), Naira keeps dropping in value and Inflation rises. Now why for goodness sake do we keep blaming the leaders.

Some problems we face are just too basic to be called problems! I’ll give you a scenario.

About 6 years back, coming home one day from school I had crossed this busy express road and on the other side people were gathered. So I moved close to check out what had happened. Lying on the floor right there was a woman, not just a woman but a pregnant one and it was an accident. She was there helpless and the car that hit her had disappeared. So I thought to myself, what it costs to build an overhead bridge. A senator’s allowances alone could cover the expenses.

Enough has been said, I could go on forever and nothing would still change but I have a message:

We call ourselves the youths and leaders of tomorrow so lets start acting like we really are.

As many as still believe in that change, I urge you to never give up on Nigeria, pursue what you believe in because EXCELLENCE SELLS!

“We are what we repeatedly do so excellence then is not an act, but a habit” – Aristotle

No one (not even me) will go for your product if its not up to standard. So if you play football - play good, if you cook – cook your best, if you write – write to inspire, if you want to go into politics – go with a will to serve, and if you’re not sure of what you want to do yet – be the best at whatever comes your way. Let’s use what we have to make our own country Nigeria what its supposed to be!

So this is what I think and it has been shared from my perspective…WHAT IS UR OWN IDEA? Give your feedbacks below. I rest my case…

          

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