Pity-Party

In life you just need to trust God and stay expectant.

The Forgotten Landmark

PS - Almost dropped the link. Been a crazy day.



Nigeria at 50, Day 22 – Another Shot http://dollchic.blogspot.com



The Forgotten Landmark


According to Wikipedia, a landmark means a geographic feature used by explorers and other to find their way back or through an area. Other definitions put it as “an event marking a unique or historical change”; “a recognizable natural or man-made feature used for navigation”. Other definitions have “landmark” as the actual name of an object, which symbolizes the previous definitions. Could it be the owners of these objects: a skyscraper in Abu Dhabi, a mall in China and a condominium in Canada, had in mind a bigger statement or a reminder to the observer how grand their new project will be. I began to wonder what landmark, a guide to our past, or navigation for our future do we possess in Nigeria to help us move forward.

We, the citizens of Nigeria, are explorers searching for our past glory days to be more glorious in our future. Our country once a giant is now a dwarf, once a trigger now a dud. We have forgotten the most famous landmark linking our past to our future. It has been hiding in our national anthem all along and we have missed it. Arise O’ Compatriots Nigeria’s call obey. The call is to serve our Fatherland, and to serve we must be servants. We have, however, become a nation of many masters and mini-governments of our own. An average Nigerian today provides his own electric power, water supply, and security either directly or through a means we pay for. We serve ourselves from our political leaders who claim to serve us but got fat in the process, to the lay man on the road buying yet another gallon of petrol or diesel for his generator. We serve our selves not our Father’s land.

A master dictates, and the terrible ones rule with hard hands, but a servant serves putting the needs of the Father Land, first. Our landmark has not put us on a journey without direction. We must serve with Love, Strength and Faith it demands. With the spate of kidnappings so rampant, a bombing on a joyous day, and selfishly selling our rights to decide a better fate for quick riches, we do this not in love. Love is an out ward expression and not for personal gain. In love, and not a romantic one for that matter, you actually do care for the needs of others. We look out for the helpless and cater to our fellow man. The Good Book tells us that “faith is the expectations of things hoped for”, we then must expect that things get better, because then and only then do we become better ourselves. We must have faith that each one of us can change and in so doing, start to change ourselves. With strength, we put in all that we can and never tire until we see the changes we are working towards. A slogan I heard back in the 80s was “if you are a manager manage well, if you are a governor govern well.” The slogan has called us to do all that we can where we are with what we have. When you go to work, whatever your position be the best at it, be the best driver you can be, the best LASTMA agent you can be, the best police officer you can think of. Challenge yourself to do it better and differently matching towards perfection.

We are called to be all of these because without the effort of some before us we wouldn’t be here today. Who were the ones before us? Sadly most of us do not know or have forgotten. In other countries little children no more than 8 years old can tell you of those that have impacted their countries birth. The American history classes are filled with stories of bravery of their forefathers and what they accomplished. It gives them a sense of pride, which is what I believe we will gain if the labor of our heroes past is not done in vain: Herbert Macaulay, Obafemi Awolowo – it is reported that Nelson Mandela asked of him when the former was released from prison -, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Tafawa Balewa, Efunroye Tinubu, etc. They fought that this country may stand as did countless others who did not sit down but stood up to the powers that be of their time. Will they be happy if God gave them a glimpse of this country as it were today? We have to educate ourselves, if the current educational system wouldn’t do it, of what they did and why, perhaps we will see why we need to make a turnaround in this situation we are in. Their labor has been in vain, sadly.

It is not too late for us to make a turn around and do what is right. By our individual selves, we can start to make amends.

In the second stanza of the older national anthem, Nigeria We Hail Thee, it states “And this we count as gain / To hand our Children / A banner without stain.” Our parents did not hand us an unstained banner and they did not count Nigeria then as gain. We are not handing our children an unstained banner either. Tell me, have we not forgotten out Landmark?

If we go back to our forgotten landmark, each one of us in his own private place, this country is bound to rise again. The map has been written out for us, we have our own made GPS system that does not direct what greatness is, but how we become great just by arising o’ compatriots and obeying Nigeria’s call. It is all about our attitude towards this commitment of serving our Fathers’ Land.




Nigeria at 50, Day 24 – Freaksho http://redoje.blogspot.com

I started thinking...

Older women are given the same excuse to date younger men that older men give to date younger women. So sad.

On FB this morning, I saw Independence Bomb Blast; IBB for short, get it? I keep thinking it is weird, if MEND did plot the bombing, that they are doing it in Abuja. Is that some type of statement. Now, the SSS arrested Dokpesi IBB's (this time Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, you are too funny) campaign director. They said his name was on one of the phones belonging to a suspect. How dumb is this...? If IBB did do it, and I am not saying he did, will he send Dokpesi? Is he trying to trap GEJ or is GEJ trying to trap IBB? Is GEJ demonstrating his quiet strength or is he just clueless?

I am wondering who trained our SSS Nigeria's version of the FBI-cum-CIA? How do you get intelligence like so and not do something about it, now you are arresting random people to show some teeth. Too late dont they think. And we have a new Head of Intelligence, HOI. I read his profile: head of this, head of that, he worked here and there, did this and that, but nothing on his resume says he can handle this work he has been given. No concrete tangibles on this is what he accomplished, he arrested 28 terrorist all by himself, or uncovered a mystery, neither was a there something pointing to his future abilities other than well he worked in some intelligence outfit that to me did nothing still.

One of them days...

This was written yesterday, Sunday.

It was one of those days today. Should I go to church, should I not... wound up going. And what do you know, Wande Cole walked behind me for like 3 blocks from parking lot to church gate and it was all lost on me. I have heard his name, heard the music, but until yesterday didnt know what he looked like. So I caught sight of a friend on the church shuttle going towards church, we waved and made a note to wait for her when I got to church, yes I walk fast. I noticed other girls on the bus were cheesing. Some guys rushed up behind me and I took a cautionary look, you know assess the threat. See I started martial arts and needed to practice on some unlucky fella see if I am learning anything. I just saw 3 guys, looking like they need to get away or move closer, so I noted their position behind me.

Well on my way, another friend was a passenger in a car facing opposite my direction. I smile waved but something she did confused me. She must have seen Wande after me because she cheesed too, which got me confused thinking she wanted to exchange a few words. I didnt know Wande was behind me. But I noticed she was strugling not to move her attention and not to leave mine either so I keep walking. Another cautionary look behind me, making sure the now 2 guys dont get any ideas. Well we 3 walked into church gate and I saw him sort of relax. I dont know how the name Wande Cole got to my mind, but sounded like a whisper. Is my mind making things up or did I hear it. I try now to talk to him, as I am all relaxed but he was rushing. So I asked a stupid question: Why are the people smiling and happy to see you? I did tell you it was stupid. It got his attention and he just said "I dont know" with that innocent face of someone who was caught red handed in the cookie jar. So I asked his name or something else, which he denied again.

My friend's shuttle pulls up and I ask her 'did you see the person that was behind me?". Without missing a beat she just said "Yes, Wande Cole." Oh somebody shoot me. Dude is probably thinking to himself "who is that psycho?", but I brush it off. But had I known it was him, I have decided never to be star struck again. It never leads to forever friendship. Yeah but I rub shoulders with stars like that on the daily. Ask RMD, we were standing side by side a few days ago. Doubt he knew I was there... oh well.

But it got beter after that... So I hung with my friend outside church during the third service. It was so packed we late comers had t wait till the forth service. We chatted some outside, compared notes, we had not seen each other in a while, then she had to run. I walk around, used the restroom, blew my nose to pieces. For some reason I am leaving and decide to go blow my nose some more. Good thing I did bacuse a few seconds earlier than that I would have missed running into another friend. I am walking and bam ran into her after like 3 months, we chatted and she said something about basketball at some place by my house. I am sore right now but I will sleep good I know that. B-ball was gruesome. Then continued my walk and ran into another dude from high school. Will someone just hand me a million dollars already.

In my head this morning this post sounded better. But I have decided that to get into it, I will post even if it looses the steam from brain to paper. But the whole point is sometimes you gotta go with the flow. Let the force lead you. I am now connected with 3 people from my past and that Wande Cole story has been a good anecdote for lulling conversations. I mean imagine... you are talking with someone, conversation is dying and bam...

Guess who was walking behind me the other day...
Clueless look.
Yes Wande Cole. Didnt even know it was him, because I dont know what he looked like.
Are you serious?
Hell yeah. But he should have recognised me too, I am a star in my own little world..
Hahahaha, yes in your little world..
So what happened..

and well you get the point. People love stories, get good at telling one.