The NYSC Scheme and the Violent North

Today is Easter, the day when Christians remember and mark the resurrection of  our Lord, Jesus Christ from the dead. All over the world, Christians are celebrating and they are all in joyous moods but these don't apply to Christians in Northern Nigeria because of the unrest that has been dominant in the region over the past two (2) weeks. My heart goes out to those whom have lost loved ones in riots most especially the parents of youth corps members  that have been killed. But wait a minute! What the hell is the NYSC (National Youth Service Corps) doing about the youth corps members in the danger zone??? Left to me the service scheme should be scrapped!

Mr President's Easter "gift"

 They say that once the purpose of something is not known, abuse is inevitable. So I googled "the purpose of NYSC". The first result that appeared was the official website of NYSC. I opened the site and the first line in the site contained the purpose of NYSC. It goes thus: "THE NYSC SCHEME WAS CREATED IN A BID TO RECONSTRUCT, RECONCILE AND REBUILD THE COUNTRY AFTER THE NIGERIAN CIVIL WAR". The purpose is clear and is in three (3) folds; reconstruction, reconciliation and rebuilding (although to me it's just in 2 folds because reconstruction and rebuilding are the same thing).

Some corps members marching.

The aim and objective of the service scheme is good but it's a pity that the environment and people are militating against its success. Just last week I saw an headline that said that 25 youth corps members were killed in Bauchi. Also, today, I read that 20 youth corps members have so far been killed in Kaduna. Those news reports don't sound like and doesn't give the impression that a word like "reconciliation"  exists in the dictionary. It is quite obvious that these corps members are easy prey and the NYSC has not done enough to protect them.

Thank God we have graduated!!! Let's hope we don't go North...

So should we continue sending our brothers and sisters to the "lion's den" just because we want to rebuild and reconcile with some people whom have no iota of civilization and rational reasoning? It is utter foolishness to put these bright minds, the future of Nigeria, these budding set of exceptional skills and expertise into harms way all in the name of reconciliation. It is unexplainable why the government would want to cause grief in the heart of parents whom thought their children would harness all what they were taught in the university to become successful and all of a sudden get killed because they were sent on a scheme that promotes "reconciliation".

After graduating, this is what happens to some of them...

 I believe the reconciliation process was instigated so that we remain "ONE NIGERIA". Anyone that has been following the developments (or should I say under development) in the North and still thinks there is something like "ONE NIGERIA" is either kidding or is paranoid. I admire the fact that the scheme is to promote reconciliation but we all know it is very unlikely that it happens. I believe we have been stretched beyond our elastic limit and we'll only be deceiving ourselves if we think we can come back to our normal or ideal state (or even imaginary state) of "ONE NIGERIA".

The people they are to reconcile with

The North is volatile and is not hospitable for any non-northerner. Gov. Rauf Aregbesola understood this fact and he made efforts to retrieve all indigenes of Osun State serving in the North (what a wise man!). The Director General of the NYSC should follow the governor's foot steps and  either withdraw the corps members  or he should take measures to beef up the security around the corps memebers or else the executioners would have a bumper harvest!

But Seriously…WE DON'T NEED THE NYSC SCHEME!

Why Did Buhari Cry?

It took me over 30 minutes to come up with a title for this post because there were many titles coming to m y head like "The Politics of Tears", "Weep no more, General", "From the Military with Tears" and a host of others. I decided to stick with the obvious question that is on the minds of many Nigerians after the public display of emotions by General Buhari, CPC Presidential candidate in the upcoming elections.



"Come on guys, vote for me. I'm pleading!!!"

I googled "why did buhari cry" and the results did not give me any reason. So I have decided to come up with twelve (12) reasons why he wept when he was rounding off his campaign.
1. It is pretty obvious that the General is the presidential candidate that has the strongest links with the military. Since many Nigerians don't want the military to be in power (Thanks to Abacha and IBB), Buhari now decided that the best way to show that he is democratic is to do what Maria Jones did when she was convicted - CRY!!!
2. The ruling party, PDP (People's Democratic Party) has done enough damage in our nation and its members have shown a great deal of indiscipline (Bode George, Ibori, Fayose etc) and still , forty-six (46) parties endorsed the presidential candidate of PDP. Come on!!! Is that not good enough reason for the inventor of WAI (War Against Indiscipline) to cry???
3. As we all know, CPC and ACN ( Action Congress of Nigeria) have been trying to merge so as to over throw PDP. A last ditch effort was made on Tuesday but it failed. The General couldn't just bear it again and he let it out…
4. General Buhari's running mate is Pastor Tunde Bakare (I respect him and I love his messges). Maybe the Pastor had just finished preaching the Good News to him and he was convicted of his sins. So he did what the jailer that imprisoned Apostle Paul did -WEEP!!!
5. Did you guys notice that others on the podium were also crying? I believe a malicious police man (they are always present in such gatherings) "mistakenly" released a tear gas. Have you not wondered why they call it TEAR gas???
6. Go check out the number of Senatorial seats CPC has.
7. Jesus wept, Awolowo wept, Abiola wept, who should be the next man on the queue???
8. Do you know the General didn't go to university? So as he was reading his manifesto, he was having difficulties with some words. What should a man do to save himself in such situations? Little wonder that his manifesto is the shortest among the four (4) fore-runners.
9. The General was remembering the Lagos metro-railway project he rejected when he was the head of state. Now it has come back to haunt him because Gov. Fashola has embarked on the project.
10. Don't you know that Chelsea lost on Tuesday and due to his tight campaign schedule, he just heard that Elizabeth Taylor died?
11. They say action speaks louder than words. When you are in front of the camera and you don't know what to say, CRY! Michael Jackson's daughter did it, Charles Taylor (as stone hearted as he is) also did it in the Hague. The General also employed the tactics.
12. There are a lot  of reasons, but I would leave the 12th reason to the readers.



Please stop crying, I've finished this piece.

But Seriously… THE GENERAL LOVES NIGERIA!!!

The Metamorphosis of Aunty Dora

It is common knowledge that Dora Akunyili contested for the senatorial seat of Anambra Central Senatorial Zone. She ran under the APGA (I don't know the full meaning but I know that the 'PGA' means Progressive Grand Alliance). What makes this senatorial zone very interesting is her opponent - Dr Chris Ngige (a former governor of the state). This post is not about the circus surrounding the elections in that senatorial zone (I need a whole different blog to comment about that because the zone is so dramatic that INEC itself is confused and doesn’t know who won and more importantly that is the senatorial zone I hail from).

"My eyes are fixed on that seat"

"I'll crush Dora in the elections"

She was once the sweet heart of the Nigerian public because of the efforts of NAFDAC (National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control) which she was heading. Her efforts as DG of NAFDAC brought her recognition from every one within the country and in the international community (even the armed robbers and assassins in her home town). She dealt with those dealing in fake drugs in the country and when she finished with the one's in Nigeria, she continued her ordeal in India shutting down industries there that import fake drugs (what a passionate woman!!!).

10 million naira logo

After a while, she was made the Minister of Information and she became a Professor. It was at this juncture that our cherished unpolluted dear egg changed to a voracious larva. Firstly, how did she become a Professor? How can someone who has not seen the 4-walls of a classroom and is not involved in academic activities become a Professor? Have Nigerian universities invented " Honourary Professorship"??? Also, as a minister, she decided to rebrand Nigeria. She collected billions of naira to rebrand Nigeria and we cannot see the effects of what she did except for a logo that is rumoured to have cost ten (10) million naira  (Ironically, thieves decided to 'rebrand'  her phones on the night that she launched the project).

After a while, (or after the 'rebranding' of some of the naira notes to her pocket) she decided to run for a senatorial seat in the house of assembly and she resigned from her post of Minister of (rebranding) Information. It was at this point that our voracious larva turned to a parasitic pupa. There has been a lot of reports about how she often campaigned and moved about with thugs. It reached a point after the elections that the INEC official in charge of the senatorial zone came out publicly and said that she offered him a duplex and ten (10) million naira if he danced to her tune (I watched him live on Channels television). I don't know how true that is. 

Dr Chris Ngige was declared the winner but the cloud has not yet settled in the area because the INEC official that was to head that zone has been changed three (3) times in the last five (5) days and they all said different things. The INEC chairman said this evening that they are confused and he'll start investigations. Let's just hope that our dear aunty does not change to a butterfly because she may would develop wings and fly above the law"(like the old man of Molete in Oyo State).

But Seriously… IT'S TIME TO CUT THE WINGS OF THE "BUTTERFLIES"!!!

Femininity of Social Netwroking

A Girl with her favourite tool

The TV series Gossip Girls portrays vividly and explicitly the validity and genuineness of the topic. The rate at which those girls upload pictures, gossips and whatever and the dexterity with which they handle those there QWERTY keypad phones is so amazing. I recently read an article about a girl in Australia that sends at lest 2000 messages every day and i asked, "did good give them special muscles on their fingers?". Social networking has come to stay but it prefers to reside in the apartment of the ladies.

What's the latest gossip???

If you still have doubts concerning the femininity of social networking, go to your tweeter time line and check the number percentage of girls there. Check those topics that trend worldwide and you would be amazed at the number of girls that contribute to the topic (even topics like "Transfer Deadline" that are masculine). Why is it that a lady would update "a" on facebook and you would see over 20 comments but a guy would update "My little sister just died" and you would see five (5) comments? They say there is gender equality, but it is not present in the social networking world.

Oh Lord! save me from my system

I believe the reason that social networking is quite feminine is that girls like expressing their feelings and thoughts in form of words (twitter has given them that platform and I believe the140 character limitation gives them the impetus to continue tweeting every second). It is also a general believe that girls like talking a lot (no offense meant). So when they see an opportunity that would make them keep on "talking" and the whole world "hears" them, they give it their best shot. 

Lets take this shot!!!

It would be advisable if ladies can put a check on the volume of their thoughts and feelings they want the world to know because they might be used against you in the future and Jesus said we would give account for every loose word (the fact that He used "word" doesn't mean that tweets are not included). The person that said "it is a ladies world" must have been referring to social networking.

But Seriously...LET'S NOT FULLY RELY ON THE VIRTUAL WORLD!

The Explosive Elections

When I hear of bomb blasts my mind strays to the middle east. But in recent times, my intuitive judgment has been wrong and it doesn't really have to go as far as the middle east, it just stays here, at home (Nigeria). Today, Nigerians would go to the polls to vote who would stay in the House of Assembly and just yesterday, 11 people were killed in INEC (the electoral committee) office in Suleja and the police also discovered 100 strands of dynamite in Kaduna.

Dynamites

The rate at which bombs and explosives are becoming a common weapon in Nigeria is disturbing. I thought that during elections, the thugs use guns and knives. I never knew they have graduated to the levels of explosives (but I knew they would get there). What does this signify? I believe it shows how "power hungry" our politicians are that they can go to any level to get into the office. It's not that surprising because a seat in the National House of Assembly means that you can never be poor. President Obama has to work for three (3) months to make the pay that an average lawmaker in Nigeria is making in a month. A senator in India has to work for 36 years to match the salary a Senator in Nigeria takes home in a year. And the people that they are serving have to work for over 435 years (if he is collecting minimum wage) to make what his senator his making in a year.

Welcome to Delta State

So tell me why should not they use explosives? I wouldn't be surprised if we see fighter jets during presidential elections (at least they deployed armor tanks  during Delta State's gubernatorial elections). With all these show of fire arms how would they expect people to leave the security of their house to come out and vote. And for people like us who registered in a desolate place, (I did my voter's registration in a station located on the University's farm where no car passes, no farm settlement, no sign of civilization only bush) we have to take police escort to vote because those thugs can come out of the bush and we don't know what they would use to attack (maybe nuclear weapons) and just trust God to preserve our lives while on the farm.
But Seriously...WE WANT PEACEFUL ELECTIONS!

Piece of Mind 1

From time to time, I would be posting articles on the issues that are presently on my mind and I'll be calling them "Piece of Mind" (borrowed the title from my brother).

There is no electric power in my neighbourhood presently (I'm living in Nigeria) and we are tired of the noise of the generator so we put it to rest (moreover the breeze is cool and we are enjoying it). The solemn nature of the house got me thinking about one of my close female friends.

I went to the nearest "phone booth" to give her a call (I could not use my phone because I knew it would take time and we had some issues to talk about). We spoke for around 20 minutes, I took a walk, came back home and started typing this piece.

I ask myself, what’s the use of trying to build relationships (whether friendships  or otherwise)? Why go through all the stress of being a good friend? Why is it that girls like the "bad" boys and somehow disappoint those whom put extra efforts to build themselves? Why don't girls like communicating their feelings at the onset instead of waiting till the dying moments to reveal how they full? Is it even necessary relating with people of the opposite sex? Those and other questions are on my mind.

I hope I'm not sounding like an "heart broken toddler whom doesn't have any grip on his emotions". Please, I'm not heart broken and I was not (and I'm not) in any dating relationship. It's just that I couldn't just understand some things and I had to press hard and question her for her to reveal some important things that I should have known since and it was quite disappointing.

Thank God for his Word that says "His divine power has given me all things I need for life and godliness….". I hang on to that word and I know that I have all that I need to be a good friend and when the time comes, a good partner (that should be a very long time). So I'll continue building on myself and make sure that disappointments don't become a trend between my friends and I.

But Seriously…KEEP ON BEING THE BEST FRIEND YOU CAN BE!

Sex and the Village

The popular American cable television and film series, Sex and the City focuses on four white American women whom are big-city professionals, just living the false "American Dream". Sex and the village not about four (4) women nor is it about a large city like New York (I think that's obvious from the name).

 What common characteristics do you think all these men whom are above 55 years of age share in common? Bill Clinton (former U.S President), Jacob Zuma (South Africa's President), Moshe Katsav (Former Israeli President) and Oba Adebukola Alli (Alowa of Ilowa). You might be imagining, what can a former a U.S President and a lowly traditional ruler in Osun State have in common? The answer is not that far fetched considering the fact that they have cartilage in between their legs - SEX SCANDALS.

"...how on earth did i get stuck with this man..."

Jacob Zuma ("we must fight AIDS")

Monica Lewinsky at the age of 22, became notorious for her role in performing the marital duties of the present U.S Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton. The case of Jacob Zuma is a little bit disturbing, despite the fact that he had five (5) complete wives, he went ahead to sleep with the daughter of his very good friend, Irvin Khoza (indeed the heart of man is desperately wicked). Moshe Katsav case is a special one, notwithstanding the fact that he is 65 years old, he was convicted of two (2) rapes (what a sacrilegious abomination in the Holy land). The Oba's case is quite different because he has not been convicted yet.

Moshe Katsav (warning Isreali's against infidelity)

It was reported that the police is investigating Oba Adebukola Alli, the Alowa of Ilowa following allegations of rape levelled against him by a 23-year old corps member. The corper who is teacher in a community school in Ilowa said that the Oba approached her to train some kids so as to make them computer literate. She accepted the offer and did as the Oba said The Oba was happy with her and decided to take her to his house to have a light refreshment. The rest is history. She claimed she was raped there.

That's her own part of the story. The Oba has not yet giving his part so I wouldn't pass any comments yet. But all I want to say is that sex scandals are immoral, ungodly and should not be tolerated a bit. And I believe tougher penalties should be imposed because it is tantamount to the defamation of the feminine gender. It's time for men to show that they are real men by treating ladies with some respect even the one's that don't deserve it. I'll be following developments as they unfold in Ilowa.

 But Seriously… LADIES SHOULD BE SEEN AS HUMAN BEINGS NOT SEX OBJECTS!