Change is coming!

Last week, my country, Nigeria, had her second day of election in the set of three consecutive elections that will be conducted in April 2011 to determine our next group of leaders. Hitherto, many youths and elites in Nigeria have shown little commitment towards their civic responsibilities in the area of electoral activities and as such, the past elections have been coordinated with the practice of rigging, thuggery and anarchy. Unfortunately, when politicians gain entry into government positions by hook and crook, they never perform well in office. This is evidenced by the obvious misrule and lack of accountability as demonstrated by many prime public servants or government office holders in the country which in turn sustains the status quo of development observable in our nation today.

However, things seem to be taking a new turn this election year as this year’s electoral proceedings have witnessed the participation of more youth, many elites and a large number of senior citizens. Again, the employment of corpers or recent graduates of tertiary institutions presently serving the country as INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) election officers at the polling booths has helped to fairly marginalise the influence of corrupt politicians on election materials. These educated INEC personnel give attention to protocols set by the commission and are less inclined to accepting the monetary offers of politicking swindlers who have in time past powered the illegal act of ballot rigging. Despite the persistent discomfort created by the scorching sun, several Nigerian citizens stood up to their civic responsibilities this time around and waited to vote in spite of harsh weather condition. Another remarkable feature of this year’s elections is that a considerable number of voters, including elderly men and women, still waited behind to monitor their votes and the eventual counting process. Indeed, change is emerging in Nigeria.

Call it the spread of revolution across Africa or the distant emergence of a new era in Nigeria, the fact still remains that change is about to happen in Africa and everybody seems to be concerned. The aged are disgruntled of the poor leadership quality noticed within our localities and want to see their children’s children live better lives. The youths, jaded of the tortoise progress, have joined efforts in a cause that will yield a new breed of innovative leaders. I and my aging parents are not left out of this saga. We are up to the task. On April 9 and 16 this year, our individual routines were exact. We got off our beds and had our breakfasts very early due to the urge to perform our civic duties. On both days, the electoral process began as early as 8 a.m. with the accreditation of all registered and duly documented voters. We got accredited and waited around our respective voting stations to hear our names called and receive our ballot papers. If you were not accredited, then you would be disenfranchising yourself by denying your thumb a place on a ballot sheet. That time came and gladly, with bright stars replacing the pupils of my eyes, I received my ballots and voted for my candidates.

These days, no one wants to be spoon-fed by corrupt leaders anymore. The citizenry do not want to live at the mercy of people who they did not elect. They want to know what each man vying for a leadership post has in mind to for them. They want to put leaders into office themselves, through their ballot decisions. They are tired of the mismanagement of resources that we so have in abundance. It is therefore time for the riggers to seek other jobs because the rigging stock market will soon crash. The time for change to commence has arrived. The people have ignited the change. And the future will be in the hands of everyone again; not in the hands of a greedy minority. The world is watching as Nigeria votes. The children are praying as their proactive parents arise to protect their future. The elders have reached for the lash of rebuke which they have so long forgotten to use, in striking the buttocks of unrepentant leaders. And for us the youths, the change has just began; we will defend our cause!

Finally, it is noteworthy to congratulate Professor Attahiru Jega for the performance of INEC in the elections so far. Compared to the ones we have had in recent times, since former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s tenure, this year’s electoral process has been much more transparent. And while it has not been without riots and acts of arson in Kaduna and a few other northern states, the results of the elections have shown clarity in the choice of the Nigerian majority. As such, it is advisable for any individual, political party or groups of individuals who have views that are otherwise those stated above to go and justify such deviations tranquilly in the court of law, because the Nigerian land is not a graveyard for unanticipated dead bodies and the Nigerians of the future do not perceive such crimes as pardonable consequences of human anger. If you break the law, the law will not be bent for you. Rather, it will break you.

Of Loot-rich Undertakers and Poverty-stricken Gravediggers (2)

Excerpt from the full article by James Lisandro Jnr.

Jingles of incumbent public officers flood many state TVs and every time you watch or hear local news, you only watch a campaign in disguise. But that happens everywhere so, we will only be surprised if it does not happen here where many politicians are fond of counting their eggs before they are hatched. Ours is the country where prime government officials elected by the people seek to be favoured by the votes they do not deserve. Yes, a lot of those aspiring to lead again were working for themselves while in office. They were earnestly serving the people’s resources and not the people themselves. It is unfortunate that the bitter truth is hardly assimilated by those for whom it is meant and exceedingly more unfortunate that several Nigerian politicians are only the democratically restricted versions of the continental Ghadafis, Mubaraks and Mugabes that Africa harbours. I came to that conclusion when I asked myself, “Why would men take innocent lives or perform diabolical rituals because of a 4 to 8 years position?” Certainly, someone somewhere knows something many of us don’t know.

Those who want to lead at all cost despite their ineffectiveness and inabilities to deliver progress are nothing less than imposers. It is not in a country like ours where urgent reformation is essential that incompetent hands should be employed. Many have said they do not lead us because they only rule us. I suspect this to be true. Leadership requires provision and implementation of problem-solving ideas and the will to good. The leaders must see themselves as public servants rather than national resource gold medallists. The act of ruling, on the other hand, requires the people to work and crawl under the ruler’s sovereign control. His responsibilities are to maintain order and allocate available resources. Also, he has the unopposed right to enjoy the fruits of everyone’s labour. He is not held accountable by anyone since no man has the power to question him. He runs a one-man show and retains the power to undo justice. The progress of the people depends on his ability to decipher economic principles and listen to his advisers. And the people will be further doomed if his advisers have no creative and realistic ideas to offer. Unfortunately, an observant mind has afforded me the truth; in this case, our diehard African leaders lack good will and service and that is why our economies struggle. So, I agree, they rule!

Yet, in the not-so-much time I have spent as a young Nigerian, I have learnt that the people’s view is not heard on TV but on the streets. Perhaps, there’s no better self-deceiver than the man who does nothing and goes ahead to fill the media houses with audio-visuals of empty heroism. Pity him, for he is a victim of bogus patriotism. The very mouths that utter high praises into the strained ears of corrupt politicians on the street bear the same lips that sing mocking choruses of their tyranny and hurl ballistic curses at them from behind closed doors. Perhaps, what they never think about is what forms the most impossible mental drills that those concerned about our national future struggle to unravel. While we invest our time, thinking and bothering our heads about how to ensure the continuous implementation of the realistic solutions proposed and initiated by our leaders, we are deprived of importance and relevance, as these promising developments languish in prolonged seasons of abandonment and are sometimes swallowed by eventual demise.

As an individual, I believe Nigerian citizens are not absolutely innocent either. The underdevelopment evidenced in many African countries is not basically a result of human capital. Rather, it is a direct consequence of persistent systemic corruption, leadership flippancy, and of course, a lack of selflessness on the part of citizens. If we say there are no aspirants worthy of our votes and that all those given party tickets acquired them based on manifold manipulations, we may have a point. We do not need perfect candidates but surely, we need imperfect human beings who have faultless hearts. We will spare our votes for people who are fatigued by the appalling misrule that has lingered thus far and recurrently severed our past hopes from the present reality. Perhaps, everyone in Nigeria have their names recorded in one black book or the other. And by this, I do not infer that everyone steals. No, we don’t all pilfer or misappropriate funds. Yet, we all have our guilt.

We don’t all allot undeserved salaries to ourselves because they call us lawmakers. And we are not all policemen, who by now should have obtained the licensing approval to set up a bank called, “The Twenty Naira National Bank.” But then, it is probably true that you have broken a traffic rule before. Maybe that day, it was not your fault that the traffic warden was busy eyeing commercial buses that were yet to pay their “non-governmental taxes”. But then, you still broke the rule of driving anyway. And if you have been a perfect driver all your life or do not own a driver’s license then, you are free from that guilt. However, you are probably not a perfect waste disposer. You have improperly dumped wastes in the environment at some time. Or, you once forsook your official duties for a social function during the company’s stipulated working hours. Well, at this point, I am short of citizen misconduct ideas because it is not my job to find guilt. But I am sure you would have done something illegal or been in a dilemma that demands the compulsory choice of an illegitimate action in the past, even if it was just once.

Please, see www.omojuwa.com for the complete version

Wriiten by James Lisandro Junior
www.facebook.com/lisandrojnr

The day rain lost its temper

Rainstorms followed raindrops
And the aftermath was perilous
The desperate raindrops are fallen
And pungent unwanted odour, risen

Splashes of heavy raindrops prevailed
Intense raindrops fell on glasses
Breaking by smiting, piece by piece
The rainbow couldn’t have its way

Thrilling thunder-sounds filled the air
Ears of men suffered the threats
Lightning ran across the skies
Like the light year had increased

Splatters of rain were yet heard
... ... ...

One and the Other

A swollen fist and a broken wrist
A bloody eye and a crumbled thigh
The deed is done and a fate is sealed
One vagabond is dying and the other gleams with satisfaction

A rich old man and a pretty young woman
A man who wants to see the structure concealed by fashion
A girl who wants to possess the luxury she cannot afford
One is without shame and the other is without moral scruples

A curious eye and a dubious mind
An impatient spirit and two duping hands
A desperate young man and a gang of thoughtless friends
One is without good counsel and the others are without a wise member

A jobless adult and a go-getter who never accepts failure
An old school mate and former course mate
Both bump into each other and share timely experiences
One story is full of pleasant lies and the other has nothing to hide

A corrupt leader and an irresponsible family member
A fraudulent manager and a deceptive director
An association of both yields an origin of community setback
One is without good ethics and the other is reaping the fruits of others’ labour

A good job and a busy life
A busy couple and a bunch of kids trained by the media
An adventurous boy and a curious girl
One has no dad to consult and the other has an exposed friend

Vagabonds do not drop from heaven neither do criminals grow from the soil
... ... ...

Of Loot-rich Undertakers and Poverty-stricken Gravediggers (1) sent in by Lisandro Jnr.

By Guest Writer: Lisandro Jnr.

Last year, we watched and waited as power switched hands. One president died and after some gratuitous delay, another was installed. We observed as a pre-stated doubtful government agenda mirrored the critique-predicted end it would have. We stared as statesmen became amateur comedians riding on party caravans and playing around the streets where we live. Safe for the watching of cooked news and the chanting of prayers, we could do nothing. And in heralding a new year, many dry politicking bones arose again. More of our forgotten politicians appeared at late hour, showing their deep-rooted interest in the merry-go-round of press interviews. As paper chase and underground blackmails made some lose their eagerness to contest in party primaries, the hidden past of the attack perpetrators still lie beyond the reach of local libelists. So, we see them in unbefitting attires, smiling inevitably at us on highway bill boards. And here’s where the IT trick helps the wicked ones. Even the devil looks good on billboards after a session of good photo shoot and picture editing. We live on streets that lack the amenities they should provide and suffer from the actual precision of their poor administration. Yet, they smile at us on billboards, taking us for granted. We are the innocent victims of their lack of conscience while they remain our facebook friends and billboard celebrities. We suffer because they do not see. But partly, they are blind because we hardly scream at the veils covering their eyes!

Over the last decade, since democracy took a stable turn in Nigeria, we have had a mixture of wonderful times and hellish seasons. We have benefited from debt cancellations, advanced telephony system, gradual resurrection of dead amenities, increment of salaries, participation in world sports, and slightly accountable leadership among a few others. Distinct from the military era, is the comfort we enjoy when querying our leaders on issues symptomatic of preconceived malpractice. But more recently, our egalitarianism has added a mix of kleptomaniacal leaders, unwarranted bomb blasting, high tolerance for abductors, etc to its peculiarities. Democracy or what the late Abraham Lincoln referred to as government of the people, by the people, for the people in our own land, has been viewed by developed countries as a practice that is slightly different from a formal circus party. The trusted righteous obtain power and become deaf loot-addicted monkeys while the poor sit around them like hungry baboons, waiting for a golden chance to have their go at the so-called national cake too. No one can be trusted in this system of ours, not even our fat and dicey lawmakers. The system seems cursed, running a cycle that makes leadership critics wonder if anything other than the death of chief corrupt leaders can influence a consistent change. The situation in Nigeria has persistently remained an unending case of kleptomaniac undertakers sustaining their famished gravedigger employees.

Notwithstanding, the school of thought we should follow is not a justification for eliminating other lives but that which supports the continuity of life while influencing the betterment of each individual. The politicians and those who, by virtue of accrued benefits, have become stakeholders in the politics of Nigeria are easily transformed into undertakers at election periods. These usually white-collared politicians are experienced and loot-rich, providing funds for their sycophantic gravediggers, who remain faithful instruments for implementing electoral malpractices. The gravediggers are usually illiterates, half-literates or unemployed graduates who for the want of quick wealth or lack of gainful employment, slave for the undertakers. Sometimes, they suddenly appear in political scenes to garner a fraction of the usually abundant financial resources flowing in the parties during campaigns and as such, may be forced to participate in electoral malpractices. Technically, the undertakers know they cannot implement their unfair agenda by themselves so, they employ the gravediggers and the gravediggers’ children, enticing them with temporal goodies and false philanthropy. They even know more; they know that for vagabonds, thugs and unemployed youths to remain, good jobs must be scarce, social amenities which enhance entrepreneurship must be faulty and pensions of retired citizens must be delayed. The best way an undertaker knows to make a living is to occupy a government office forcefully or by election, and embezzle public funds. That is why they are less concerned about solving problems that will consequently instil a sense of independence into their circumstantial sycophants. The day their sycophants acquire self-respect is the day they gain freedom and the moment bad politicians lack sycophants, they lose the power to rig elections, embezzle funds and influence others forcefully.

Yet, things have changed and are still changing. Last year, we merely prepared to change status (see The Two Thousand and Eleven Traffic). But this year, we moved on. Though some cowards chose to herald this year with bomb explosions rather than fireworks, we still had to move on. And, as the foremost political parties in Nigeria concluded their primaries, our country moved from the old street to change crescent. The decision time is approaching. A time when if we truly know our rights like we claim to do, justice will be our possession. I say this because ordinarily, at elections, people vote and get voted for- though we know that in Nigeria, certain illegal gymnastics make people who have minor votes win elections majorly. Let’s just hope that this year’s election will know a few differences. And here’s a personal testimony in that direction. Normally, I do not burden myself with party activities because I fan potential transformers rather than their political parties. But, in the bid to avoid dangerous surprises, I let the umbrella party take sleep away from my eyes during their consensus vigil. I closely followed the journalistic and commentary updates on twitter, fighting the temptation to sleep off. But the next day, when the broom party announced their results, I smelled a rat. Who else would the political sweepers elect to oppose GEJ if not the man who has been proclaimed innocent by his own enemies? Well, in politics, I learnt that your enemies are your friends- the ones with whom you are yet to find a common ground. So, there was no need for excess victory celebrations after the announcements.

But talking JEGA issues, INEC’s has not performed badly. Not at all! They are only making a mess of the mess we gave them. Though we’ve heard some very bad news about them, we know they have critics too and that only evidenced claims are worth charging. However, trust me, Prof Jega, people have not a few things against you. One, your comment about “your corpers” being ineffective shows that your recruitment process was precisely faulty. Secondly, your machines are quite slow and there were no efficient protection plans for NYSC members working for you in conflict regions and culture sensitive areas. Thirdly, we hear allegations of misdeeds and malpractices in remote centres. There are reported complaints of the successful but forced registration of underage citizens, at the expense of your workers’ safety. Threats and menace have been said to be part of their untold job descriptions. We hear also of speculations regarding unjust and preferential registration of some citizens in favour of certain aspirants; how that some political aspirants, in persons or via their representatives, bribe and pressure some of your workers to register only their own supporters. But we understand that these are hard times and your job is a tough one so, we will not ask for answers yet. Besides, none of the reporters have summoned adequate courage to make a public declaration of these allegations hence, we are simply stating these hypothetical facts for the sake of information.

Noteworthy is the behaviour of educated elders towards the INEC electoral registrations. Sincerely, I love it when senior citizens alight from their retirement automobiles and wait to register. I love it more when busy workers take a day off work to participate in the registration process. It shows that more Nigerians are personally taking responsibility for a better nation. We cannot complain and should be spanked if we do, when we withdraw from our civil obligations today and complain of bad governance tomorrow. The question that comes up is; who are those that actually elected or watched others vote in the many bad eggs of leadership spoiling the few good ones we have today? None voters are aliens when it comes to answering that question. Good leadership is partly a function of good citizenship. And, good citizenship speaks of committed, responsible and active citizens. Therefore, when I see old folks demonstrate this youth-ignored practice, I say to myself, that’s real commitment! That’s true patriotism! That’s the spirit of a better Naija! It tells me that though our senior citizens know that some of their mates are busy looting public funds and jeopardizing our national future, they must not sit back and have their own children’s children suffer for it. The least they can do is register to vote in April. That is a lesson we must learn from the elders, if we will not one day, become diligent gravediggers of selfish undertakers who are not better than us. That is a lesson for the youths. Let’s take responsibility and prove wrong what a political comic once said, “…the Nigerian youths are too inexperienced to lead.” In response to that quote, I recommend a response which takes the form of statistical joke here, Average Age Disparity between African rulers and Leaders of Developed Countries. Please click the link to laugh and think. At least, one good turn deserves another.

James Lisandro Jr. describes himself as a no-nonsense transformational writer who hails from the deep west of Nigeria. James is very tired of what he sees in Africa today and wants to see a better Nigeria someday- on a day not too far away from now.

http://omojuwa.com/?p=708&cpage=1#comment-809

When I Remember

When I remember those happy days
When little children would gather,
Outside the huts in the market square
Singing, dancing and playing
I begin to wonder how it all happened

The world got better and bitter
The people became more religious but ungodly
The youths gained aggression and violence
The elders are finding solutions at a tortoise’s pace
The harvest of the field has indeed, perished

When I remember those happy days
When the old had enough peace of mind
That they would sit by the roadside
Drinking fresh coconut water and making merry
I begin to wonder why it all happened

When I remember those happy days
When mothers would toss their babies into the calm air
While aunts will chase the older ones around the farmland
Having fun while fetching dry firewood
I begin to wish the hands of time were reversible

The palaces of our rulers are storerooms of gold
The laws of the land have become uneven
They are bent daily with the rich man’s tools of bribery
While the voices of the populace have become noises
They sound like choruses sang only by cursed horses

But when again, I remember those happy days
When young men would gather to wrestle
Under the slowly setting sun
Before many men lost control to megasybaritic living
I begin to hope that someway, somehow
We will experience again, what we once enjoyed


Written by: James Lisandro Junior

The Bizarre Reality of a 50 year-old Kid

Penned on the first of October, year two thousand and ten.



October 1 was our baby’s birthday
She was born in a black land and bred by white hands
On the wall of fame, we see the portrait of the past
In the books of history, we read of her pleasant exploits
But today, see the image of her present life
See here, the bizarre image of a grey-haired toddler
She is aging quietly, riding merely on the wings of her fading glory
Poorly managed resources, as revealed by her rusty attire, waste away
She is juxtaposed with dwarfism in technological development
And her economic growth is kwashiorkored by corruption
That is indeed our nightmare
The odd one we see in the daytime

I have heard a man state this in soliloquy:
Oil is good but we must not run mad because of it
Gas is a blessing but it must not suffocate us
Whatever happened to agriculture and cheap food?
Oh! Old baby, where is your white nanny?
She colonised you and exploited your resources
You fought for freedom and gained it gallantly
Alas! Your children were premature adults
They got freedom and knew not the way to the city
Others left the village for the city but lacked wisdom
So they arrived the city and transformed it into a pleasant village
Even the learned few forgot the ethics of good living
Those who did not forget quietly murdered and buried it
They wrecked great havoc and forgot about a good name
They toyed with hard work and played with the future
And like an east wind, corruption swept integrity out our land
Destruction raced into the future and laid a patient ambush
While the playing generation remained haunted by the ghost of mental slavery

What belongs to all was thought of as theirs only
What was called national they termed private
Many suffered and endured the pains
A little fraction of them protested like angry eagles
But many chickens kept quiet and folded their arms
Waiting patiently for their turn to wreck havoc
Savouring an imminent chance at the national cake
Die-hard looters gained their way into our land’s treasuries
Excellency became as difficult as what is seen in our football
Integrity escaped from our land when unrighteousness deepened
And service became more optional as selfishness prevailed

But she is our 50 year old nation
Please count her amongst the stars in the sky
She is growing her grey hairs already
Please call her the giant of Africa
But nay, do not throw her into the sky because she won’t soar
She is not yet the eagle she claims to be
Do not drop her from the heights unto her acrophobia
The blood of infancy still flows through her veins
Instead, make her a nest and sing to her
Sing to her the lullaby of an aged dwarf
Tell her tales of small islands that became great nations
Tease her with the outcome of her poor habits
Let her cry if she wants to
Let her mourn if she desires
Help her effect a change when she sees the need
Then teach her the values of a triumphant nation
She is just a toddler, don’t push her
But she has great potentials so don’t leave her
She lacks good upbringing, don’t force her
But feed her with portions from the seriousness vat
Help her become what other nations know she could be

This is the aging land wherein my first infant cry was heard
My grandfather policed in this land
My grandmother traded on these grounds
My father has been called an engineer in this land
And my sweet mother did bear the defence armour of this land
But all of that has faded away
They have gone with the winds
And are trapped in the vacuum of history
But in my dreams, I am haunted by such memories
Memories that say to me, do not forsake this land

I see a hungry man who is deprived of his wages
I know the meaning of anger by his office mannerism
And his desperate muscles tell of his secret corrupt desires
His speech is not without the mention of “national cake”
And when he farts, the odour of the expelled gas disturbs my peace
It attacks my nasal cavity with the hot wrath he stomachs
No doubt, he is hungry
Of course, he is angry
But the worse is this:
He is desperate and exceptionally desiring a position of authority
He even prays at the temple for a chance to occupy a pivotal public office
He wants to strengthen the long chain of corruption that is pulling back our nation
This desire he nurtures, even at the expense of his next door neighbour
I pray that he never sees that craving come true in his life
But again, his wages are not paid!
The government he works for is too busy to pay him
So he goes on strike
And the economy scale reflects it
Then the government remembers his importance
And lately releases what could have been given quietly

As a people of diverse culture
Our challenges are many
As a people of three tongues
Our doubts are not few
But the truth is found when we all look into a mirror
We see that our problems are surmountable and our potentials are great
We don’t need to be flogged before thinking rightly
We don’t have to struggle against unrighteousness repeatedly
We are not in want of a fine, fake and unrealistic agenda
All we want is what we need: real progress
We want servants who are ready to lead
Elites who will secure us the ethics of a sane society
Patriots who could work even for free
Loyals who will kill corruption instead of amassing cursed riches

Yet, righteousness does not imply an absolute absence of wrongness
But when the heart of the majority is right
We will acknowledge that we are righteous
When the heart of our leaders are right
The youths will be encouraged to be trained by them
And learn the truths that must be known
That when the baton is passed,
We will not forget again, the way to the city
We will not abandon the race of progress
We will not jeopardise the future of our unborn children
But our land will become the treasure it ought to be
And the name of our nation will attract much merit
Then our visa will have prestige in foreign lands

So let’s make a haven out of our land
Let’s make wealth out of our resources
And God will bless every citizen
He will bless you and I
And Again, God will make Nigeria!

If you care, Happy Jubilee! Give thanks in all things. But if you don’t, it’s alright- just keep on working towards a better Nigeria.

The Two Thousand and Eleven Traffic

James Lisadro Jnr's debut at www.omojuwa.com

The present season is preparing to transform, clearing the stage for a new year and anticipating the lunar change. As harmattan struggled to kill the ink that penned this piece, I recalled that in other places like the UK, Canada and USA, friends are paying somebody, something or some firm, to remain unfrozen. Owners of coffee cafés, tea shops and sizzling foods smile each night when a trial balance of the day’s business is drafted. It’s their season to enjoy escalating patronage. This is the time when, if they are as nice as the heater appliance companies, they offer fringe benefits to their apparently hardworking employees. But when such businesses experience a loss in a favourable season like this, the action movie effect happens. Meaning that people get fired! So there is no need for questions when you see all heat-energy-production-related firms suddenly become more innovative, offering you more than you’ve ever asked for. They are simply preparing for change. They are just maximising current opportunities and utilizing business instincts favoured by weather conditions.
Manufacturers of sweaters, suits, heaters, mugs and the likes do not usually experience idea shortage in this season. Instead, knowing which strategies to choose remains their major problem. They know that whether or not their salesmen increase their persuasion capacity, common sense will teach consumers that spaghetti wears and short body hugs are not winter and harmattan wears. They know that human sartorial needs will be mainly guided by requisite comfort rather than fashion names. They know that the current climatic conditions on the earth is offering a blank cheque to them (and their competitors) right now. But they also know something they cannot change- something that drives them to meet their set objectives this season. They are aware of the change of season that will follow the arrival of the New Year. So, they have to prepare for the oncoming tougher times, when nature’s prejudice will bring them lesser favour- a time when their consumers will go totally stylish again.
By next year, a lot of things will change globally. The world, for instance, will get greener. Maybe 2011’s Santa Claus will wear green robes tucked into green trousers, green belts, green socks and green boots. Guess what? He might just ride on a green Porsche Chariot, so start getting your kids prepared for the psychology! In accordance, I’d suggest that all Nigerian Father Christmas clowns that claim to come from (or were deported from) Rome be shopping for green white green materials. Next year is the big year for “anti-magarism” as more anti-cybercrime initiatives are already being incubated. It should be a year when Magas (duped persons) will not pay so much. So, if you have a Maga around you, tell them they are enjoying their last earnings! There’ll be a lot more seizures of yahoo merchants in 2011! All internet fraudsters will face more criticisms and punishments at a global level. It will be a war against negative creativity. We will fight it with everything we have.
Secondly, because my tea is growing cold, let me briefly say that next year, more heroes will be found in our country. To many, Mr. Lamido Sanusi is a hero. If not for exposing the underground crimes of some bank chiefs and saving many I-would-have-committed-suicide customers from irreparable financial crisis, then it would be because he dared a group of people who possess the power to dismiss him from his prime CBN job. Simply put, he advised the almighty mobocratic national assembly to reduce their salaries. Truth be told, these fortunate citizen-elected lawmakers are prompt to rebuke their critics. And just as we expected, they caballed and asked to have the Chief servant of our Central Bank before them for panel questioning. Personally, I respect their sacrificial lives and appreciate their willingness to make and amend our laws for the good of all. But I do not approve of how they compensate themselves. If you live sacrificial lives that attract overcompensation, as revealed in how much we hear you fixed as your remuneration, then your sacrifice has been hyper-sugarcoated. Now, tell us why every Nigerian should not want to vie for the positions you occupy, if such offices offer the legalised opportunity to become a rich government worker. But before I wander off the subject, let’s return to our hero list.
Prof Dora Akunyili, the iron lady, did well at a particular point in timeline. When she stepped aside from the league of Yar-Adua-is-in-perfect-health citizens, Nigeria raised an eyebrow. She verbally confirmed that as the then Minister for Information and Communication, knowledge of the president’s whereabouts had not reached her. Of course, we all suspected that Mr Musa Yar Adua was really leading us from the confines of a hospital bed but no singular government icon could articulate it. Many were afraid to say anything. And those that spoke either said something like, “Yes, I shook hands with him. He’s doing fine and recovering gradually.” Someone else, exaggerating his sorry level of acumen said, “I saw him wearing guinea brocade. He even fetched water with a bucket from a well.” Guess what? I nodded and said in agreement, “we are fools that can be spoon-fed with fables told by the fireside aren’t we? And you, you must be the leading fool too, for handshaking a sick man, wearing him a fabric and watching him fetch water from a Saudi Arabian well while in comma.” I didn’t say much anyway. But, I said more than those who didn’t say anything.

To read the rest of this article, please click the title of this article (above) or copy this link and paste it into your address bar:

http://omojuwa.com/?p=630
These ideas were written by: James Lisandro Jnr.

Face to face with Peril

A moment, it was just a smooth journey on a tiny road
Another, it was looming death disguised as two crazy truck drivers
As enormous shock ran up my spine at the speed of light,
The idea of prayer absconded at the speed of sound

How could I have escaped tribulation?
Other passengers had even worsened the atmosphere
Suddenly, the pants of the guy next to me was soaked in urine
Again, the girl behind me couldn’t press the stop button- her scream filled my head
And own teeth auto-clenched as my eyes prepared to see an inelastic collision

If you once faced an angry and hungry death
Then, you’d know what I really sensed
Imminent evil struggled in my heart with the want for mustard-seed faith
Who rescued me, the saving grace of God or the angels?

But in the split of a moment, it was all over
Either the driver found the breaks or the breaks stopped the tires
... ... ...

JUST DO IT

If it’s locked up in your heart, open it up
It it’s hooked up in your mind, let it down
If it’s enslaved in your head, let it loose
Don’t mistake a possibility for a ridiculous jargon
No idea is as useless as a rickety lifeless wagon

If it’s an intention, put it down
Never keep it in the dungeon of your brain
A brainchild is about to be born alive
Never cause a still-born by delaying the bringing forth
Nobody gets rewarded for something they wanted to bring forth

You won’t be rewarded for having good intentions
You won’t be awarded for thinking good ideas
It’s what you show as a product that attracts attention
No one would thank the tortoise for having a shell
No one would appreciate the snail for keeping a shell

Don’t let it die in you
... ... ...