NIGERIA; HOW FAR SO FAR?

A day like this reminds me what it means to be a Nigerian.  It reminds me what a land of opportunities we have. It reminds me of the sacrifice that has been put in to make us a great nation; the war fought, the lives lost and the challenges we continue to face. Nation building is not a small task. I am also reminded today of many leaders who have betrayed their given mandate and impoverished Nigerians by stash our commonwealth into private accounts.

These days, I have learnt not to expect too much from the government to avoid being disappointed but however it may be, the senseless killings of innocent students in Yobe state, continuous  ethnic crises in Nassarawa state,  the lingering ASUU strike, a power sector in need of help, the list is endless. Yet, we must continue to have faith in our great nation for it is the only nation we can call our own. To love, cherish and respect our fellow countrymen and forge a common front against terrorism is the way forward. We are making progress, we are moving forward. Truly, we can disagree without being disagreeable. We are not as divided as our politics suggest neither are we as fearless as not to confront our greatest challenges as the current violence in the North-East suggests.

A RACE AGAINST TIME.

Lucky roughened his face as the harsh cold kissed him hard at the forehead. It has been a rough night. He dragged his feet but managed to walk across the boulevard that led to his place. It had never occurred to him that his last hangover would hand him over to the school of hard knocks.

Lucky has just awakened from a slumber beside a gutter. Life is unfair, Lucky concluded. He spat. He twitched his nose and gave a long sneeze. Bouts of fresh undefiled air caressed his nostrils. He had been abandoned by his friends after a long drinking spree.

As he staggered home, he could barely remember why and how he got there. He had been gulping few bottles and was slightly tipsy when his friend, Charles, threw a challenge at him, “You cannot finish 12 bottles of beer.

“Of course I can! Lucky shouted. “I know you can’t” replied Charles “What do you mean? Don’t you know that though all beer may be equal in volume, all men are not? Barman, bring me eight more.” Lucky ordered. “What! Shouted Charles… “My five thousand naira for a bet, Charles added as the other friends watched.

It was the sixth bottle that broke the Camel’s back.

THE NIGERIA I SEE.

Whenever I hear the lyrics of the Nigerian national anthem, my blood boils, it boils with patriotism and love for the only nation we can proudly call our own. When I reflect again, the weight and the burden borne by these heroes past give me a resolve to fight for the protection of the entity called Nigeria; to uphold the unity in our diversity and to harness the abundance of human and material resources which Mother Nature has bestowed upon us.

Nigeria is one of the best countries to live in. We are not plagued by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions but our own internal eruptions often threaten to drag us to our knees.  Many Nigerians, especially the youth say that Nigeria does not support dreams and that it is one of those countries where dreams die a natural death. Really, I don’t share in this view; not because Nigeria has met all my dreams but because I dare to think that I must be the solution in every problem I encounter. This indeed is the mindset for the materialization of this Nigeria that I see.

The great writer, Chinua Achebe in his book the trouble with Nigeria said that the problem of Nigeria is failure of leadership. Though this is true, it is far from being the only thing. Followership has equally failed as it has become hard for Nigerians to trust their leaders even if the leaders happen to be well-intentioned. Hence it is imperative that we embrace a strong attitudinal change to bring our nation on course again.

EXCUSE ME, WHO IS SPEAKING?

There is always a voice behind every voice. Which one do you hear? Sometimes, when people speak to you, try to listen. I’m not asking you to be unnecessarily judgemental about people but I want you to pay attention to the view I’m going to share.

Often, when the enemy wants to bring bad suggestions to you, he goes through the least sources you can’t imagine. When the devil wanted to bring Eve down, he came through the serpent, an unlikely source. When the enemy wanted to finish Samson, he came through Delilah, the least source- she was his Lover! To Abraham, it was through his wife, Sarah that the voice spoke through and he slept with Hagar and the outcome was Ishmael and today that outcome is still being battled.  When the enemy wanted to get Jesus, he came speaking through Peter, and Jesus, being who he is, rebuked Peter knowing that it was not really Peter but it was about the one speaking through him.

Asking for God’s direction is one of the ways to decipher the voice in every voice.

Ten Things You Probably didn't know about Mandela

                          1. Mandela’s tribal nickname is “Rolihlahla,” meaning “Troublemaker.”

Other accounts translate Rolihlalhla to mean “to pull a branch from a tree,” which, of course, is something only a troublemaker would do. It was his teacher, Miss Mdingane, who gave him the English name “Nelson,” much to the relief of journalists everywhere when he became famous.

2. Mandela was expelled from university after less than a year.

After finishing boarding school, Mandela headed to Fort Hare Missionary College. Less than 12 months later, he was expelled from college for helping to organize a strike against the white colonial rule of the institution. One might call this foreshadowing.

3. The United Nations decreed his birthday as Mandela Day.

In 2009, the U.N. declared Mandela’s birthday, July 18, as Mandela Day to mark his contribution to world freedom. The holiday calls on individuals to donate 67 minutes to doing something for others, reflecting the 67 years that Mandela had been a part of the anti-apartheid movement.

TEN KEYS TO A BETTER YOU!

KEY#1- BELIEVE

You must believe in yourself. Many of us harbor false beliefs. Sometimes we do not realize this. These false beliefs may have been with us our entire life.

We need to rid ourselves of this excess baggage. Many times, these false beliefs only serve to reinforce negative thoughts. This in turn prevents us from doing all the good we might otherwise do. The next time you “talk to yourself", stop and listen to what you said. Is it really true?

 KEY#2- VALUE

You must value everyone and everything that you have. Unfortunately, some of us do not appreciate what we have until it is taken away from us. It is then that we realize our loss and what we had. But then it is too late. Each day we should focus on what we have and give thanks. Remember that by focusing only on what we want and never valuing what we have, we become unhappy.

 KEY#3- SECURE

ARE WE LOSING THIS WAR?

Those who know me very well are aware that I am an ardent optimist any time, any day. I see hope in the midst of hopelessness; and why won’t I when I’ve made myself a self-styled Motivator? Nevertheless, I do not lose faith at all in my calling but when the Motivator needs some motivation, “You know say water don pass garri.” But never mind, “my own water never pass garri.” But now, I’m worried on the state of our nation. I first saw this headline in an article sponsored by Transparency International, “Nigeria is gradually losing the war against corruption.” It got me thinking; yes, it did. Most people in public offices and a good number of Nigerians have eroded the true spirit of nationalism.

Why are we losing this war against corruption?