MEETING WITH THE MINISTER

Hello dear readers of Inspiring World. I know many of you didn’t like the point I left off my last post. Radiant, one of my commenters wondered what happened when the meeting with the minister finally commenced. Well, let me tell you about it.

After the arrival of the minister, we were ushered into this board room with an oval table, a slightly choky space, with seats gracious enough to contain a few persons. Yours sincerely was observing at one corner with many others. We were all asked to introduce ourselves. Some names like mine were feather weight ( who sabi me sef except my Motivator people and of course my village people?) compared to names like Amb. John Fashanu, Asu Ekiye, Amb Rachel Bakam, Abiodun Oyediran (MD of Abeysteph), which were of course, heavyweight.

Mr David Ibrahim was the spokesperson of the Nigerian Rebirth Art Project. He sincerely apologized for the lateness in the commencement of the meeting. His speech, laced with compelling candour talked about the Nigerian situation and why the perception of Nigeria must change for good in the international community.

He handed over to Captain Balami, President of Cabinet X Africa, who I was meeting for the first time. Captain Balami looked dapper in a dark blue suit and spoke with an air only found around the entitled. Needless to say how much I’ve admired him through the stories I’ve heard about him and for him to be driving a noble project such as Cabinet X Africa, you can be sure of his quality.

Some of the heavy-weight young people spoke before the minister began his speech, I was taken aback by his incredible sense of humour.

These were some of his initial words,

“Where ever people see me, they’re quick to say that I am a youth because I look young. Look at me very well, I am fifty-one years old. What will a fifty one year old person be doing as the minister of youth in a normal society?”

When he said this, I heard the sound of a pin fall down and die. His words unsettled normal thinkers looking for something to preempt.

Then he continued,

“But in an abnormal society, I have every business being a youth....
With men aged over 80 sitting at the board of companies, it will be criminal to think that at 51, I am not a young man.'

According to him, “The greatest challenge of the Nigerian nation is to liberate itself from ethnicity and religious differences. What is the religion of hunger, of love or of poverty? It's more preferable to be materially poor and spiritually rich. The only thing that can live after you is a good name. Every other thing ends with may your soul rest in peace.”


By the time the event ended, I was thinking more about the positive energy generated in that room, how much young Nigerians were committed to building a greater nation than on any other thing. I was more than excited to be in that small space with people so full of greatness. We were given a book titled A New Nigeria Is Possible written by Chris Nwani. (Good book by the way)



During his speech, the minister promised to be available in Dubai for the event in February, 2016. 

Believe me, Nigeria has a great hope in the midst of her young people. 

Are you one of them?

African Time.

Three days ago, I attended an event where I met some young Nigerians drawn from various fields. Come and see faces bristling with brilliance, some accomplished, some in-between, others wearing faces that symbolize hope for the Giant of Africa. These are those selected by a panel for Nigerian Dream Personality Award, an award to be given at National Rebirth Art project in Dubai in February, 2016. When I arrived at the meeting, I met some of the organizers, decked in Nigeria Rebirth T-shirts.
Naija get beta hope.

This meeting was scheduled by 10 am and I came about 10:20am, afraid that traffic must have played a fast one on me. But alas, I really wasn't late as we stood up for like an hour, waiting for the Minister's Boardroom to open. While I waited, I met a new friend, Micheal, of Skydev Global resources and also Sonia, an interesting young woman who tutors school children .

While we were standing, the minister came in. I apparently didn't know he was the minister judging from his attire. I thought he looked like some smart security personnel assigned to the Ministry of youths, the type that are quick to roll their eyes and ask 'Oga, anything for your boys?' If you've never met him, you would hardly know he's the minister, particularly with his blaring red beret. Behind him, I could see about four or five mean faced Policemen with disciplined smile perched at the edge of their lips for the sake of courtesy. I was taken aback when I learned he was the minister. He passed I and my new friend and noticing that we did not quite recognize him, he asked us, 'Where is the minister nah, hasn't he arrived? ' Such an interesting personality he is.

 But my friend asked me an important question. "Why are we so sold out to African Time? I searched my mind for answers. I pondered on moments when African Time had affected me badly. When I arrived for programmes early, only to wait a long while before it starts. I remember when we organized an event in our organization, Motivators International, where we started way beyond schedule even though the event was very impactful in the end.
I don't know who to blame, nature or nurture, Africans or just Nigerians.

What exactly is African Time? Or better still Nigerian Time? What is it with us to think that 10 am is actually 11 am, 1pm is same as 2pm and 3pm sits comfortably at 4pm? Do these things happen in Europe, Asia or America?

Are you wondering what later happened when the minister came? Don't worry, tomorrow I will write about how the meeting with the Minister went.

I have since decided to take it personal with African Time. To start keeping to time strictly this 2016. Let's call this D-Motivator's Time. Hehehe. Do you have any thoughts to share on African time? Have you ever been affected or infected by African time?

REMEMBERING THE ARMED FORCES.

Every 15th January, Nigeria remembers a special set of people. Generally, the armed forces refers to the military force of a nation. Today, in remembrance of our fallen heroes, wreaths are laid, fallen soldiers are remembered and we  seize the moment to better appreciate what our armed forces do in maintaining out nation's integrity.

I think it is a special responsibility to be part of the armed forces, to be more concerned about your country's protection from external aggression and all forms of insurrection, to be awake when others are asleep, to be faced with immense dangers in times of confrontation.

Uncountable number of soldiers have died in times of war, fighting for the nation's course; they represent an embodiment of courage, resilience and doggedness. They are trained in such ways as to enforce law and other. This is why when a soldier slaps you, depending on his level of annoyance, you will be tempted to explain to your ancestors, because they are trained to inject a level of force to every civil disobedience.

Soldiers are indeed a special group of people, yes, the good ones who believe that they have been called to serve. But just like every other profession, sometimes having one Judas in every twelve, there are some military people who are easily driven to exalt their ego before law abiding civilians.

I think today is a special day we could learn from what it means to be a soldier. It means to fight to the very last, it means not to look back in the face of confrontation, it means to bring a winning strategy, to bring result to the table and not story. How mean can we be in the face of challenges?  How much do we pet what we should battle - habits, wrong association and anything that threatens who we were born to be?  What about the enemies that crumble our inner peace, worries that war against our soul?

As we remember our armed forces today, remember, you are armed to the teeth with every arsenal to be the best God has called you to be. Look within, you will find it.

May the souls of all our fallen soldiers rest in peace.

RETHINKING EXCELLENCE

Hello Friends! Let me first of all welcome you to my blog for the first time this 2016. I've been away from here for a while and I'm back now. The way new year resolutions have been flying around, I hope they have enough fuel to reach the end of the year. Anyway, we'll get to interact more here.

So recently, I've been thinking. What is it that really distinguishes people? What makes a person leave a legacy and another just passes through like the wind, covering distance in no particular direction?

There's a thought perched at the roof of my mind. I chew it for a while, break it into morsels of meditations and spread it out to dry. I am thinking of the price of excellence. That factor that defies race and prejudice, that fragrance everyone wants to taste and embrace. That word that when given the benefit of definition, is the quality of being outstanding or extremely good.

Oftentimes, people are quick to string excellence to academics alone but a life of excellence creates a hunger for the best in business, leadership, innovation, relationship and other aspects of life. It is what forms the foundation for one's ability to stretch.  

Because excellence doesn't dwell long in the city of Everybodies, where everyone spreads tent, it answers to people who are willing for an extra walk; who ask the right questions, connect with the right people, read the right books and set sail at the break of dawn while others wait for the stainless sea.

The first thing to consider in excellence is Vision. How far can you see? How willing are you to reach out for it? The difference between people who leave lasting legacies and those who don't is often what one sees that the other cannot see, what one feeds on that the other despises, what one feels is enough that the other thinks is just the beginning.

As the Sun rises today, let us ponder on the words of Martin Luther King Jr. "If a man is called a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michealangelo painted, or Beethovan composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the host of heaven will say, 'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.'

Meanwhile, #FirstThingsFirst, whatever your hand finds to do, give it your best shot.

Wishing you all the best as always.
D-Motivator.