Saturday, April 11, 2009

ARE WE IN THE SAME BOAT?

Today in the world there is something that has been going on for a long time which if not stopped, could lead us all to armaggedon. It no false alarm but a genuine concern as a citizen of the world observing how man is, through his Me, I and Myself philosophy attempting to disrupt the order of things in the universe.
One fact noted is that the people of the so-called third world have a problem and that is a problem fuelled, controlled and managed either from the White House, Downing Street and other such corridors of power.
Africans are often accused of being an accursed people who cannot rule themselves: examples abound from the North to the South of the Continent. When the Middle East is added to it, it is mind-boggling. However, it is always the voice of Jacob but the hand of Esau.
When African rulers steal their peoples' money, more often than not, such money is kept in the West. Those in the West often accuse our leaders of fraud and other like vices but our people say the thief is not the one who actually stole but the one who act as the keeper of the stolen item. If that is the case those who depend on stolen wealth for the development of their economies do not have the right to accuse the fraudsters of defrauding their citizens when they know that the fund kept with them by our leaders are definitely stolen fund.
Secondly, most of these rulers visit the West and their children are studying in the West. Knowing that these people are in a position to make the educational advancement of their people better, why, if one may ask, do they encourage them to send their wards in their country to study?
Moreso, our health facilities are nothing to write home about while they (our rulers ) have access to state-of-the-art facilities abroad. Though one cannot blame those who own these hospitals for providing these facilities but life is all about what goes round comes round. You don't understand? Okay let's go.

When I was young, I observed that gates were meant to keep stray animals away but today, check all the high brow areas and see for yourself. You often wonder whether those behind the gates are in prison with the high walls, dogs and security paraphernalia behind which they live. Does it have to get that bad?
Secondly, the rate at which citizens of the first world get deprived of their hard-earned funds is a reflection of the failure of their leaders to help the third world countries fight corruption through making it difficult for markedly-corrupt leaders to get to positions of power instead of allowing their multinational corporations fund their election campaigns only for the filthy lucre they are likely to get after getting into positions of power.
Thirdly, the issue of terrorism needs to be addressed. These people are neither Christian nor Muslim terrorist: they are protesting against a system that they see as stifling to them which makes it impossible for them to realize their individual potentials.
All in all, there is the need to de-emphasize the philosophy of Me, I and Myself and focus more on providing others with happiness so that we ourselves in return might be made happy.
To them that have ears, Let them hear!

Before the Alarm

It is certain that the alarm will blow one day but it is pertinent to warn those in the corridors of power of the danger inherent in the future so that we shall not be caught unawares by the future.
Today, it is more difficult than ever for the common man to live- his children cannot go to a school where the future is assured since most of our public schools which produced him and gave him hope his future has virtually collapsed and most of the chop-I-chop private schools they attend cannot guarantee quality education.
Secondly when he or any of his dependants become ill as a result of the absence of quality food which is due to the fact that his take home pay cannot take him beyond the gate of his employer, the hospital that he depends on is one which even his rulers feel cannot be depended on since they have a better alternative overseas.
The cost of transportation has eaten so deep into his pocket that what little is left cannot buy him the least of comforts while he only is blessed with body aches after each "journey" to and fro his place of employment due to the deplorable state of our roads.
At night, there is yet no respite because PHCN, which is a leech depriving us of some of the little money made from oil only supplies darkness while waiting till the end of the month to collect money for services not rendered with the government budgetting billions for the purchase of generating sets and powering them in a country where we have decided to make PHCN a conduit pipe.
It is only in Naijaland that we do not obey the law of gravity. I am innocent, economically, geographically and mathematically but I had thought with the price of oil selling for around a third of its price in August, the pump price of petrol should have been reduced while we need to have answers to the question of what happened to the billions of dollars set aside for turning round our refineries which has turned them and turned them round making a 360 degree turning from where it started to where it started.
In view of the fact that some people are dying of hunger while some are dying of "tummytuck", there are certainly more questions than answers and it is just a matter of time before the alarm blows. To them that have ears, Let them hear!

Fashola: A Man after God's Heart

It is strange that people found it difficult to vote for Barr. Babatunde Raji Fashola during the 2007 Governorship election. That was borne out of the non-performance of his predecessor: Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu: the schools were brimming with students and instead of auditing and creating more schools or providing more infrastructure he was busy turning available lands close to existing schools to estates; miscreants overtook the state but he was reported to have said there was nothing he could do to relieve the masses; contract for roads were either not awarded or nobody could say what happened to the fund and so on and so forth.
In all candour, nobody could say he was not doing anything; infact he was using the state funds judiciously sending people on pilgrimages to the holy lands, paying traditional rulers and market leaders fantastic salaries and generally building houses for sale to the "masses".
However, though he came in through the effort of his predecessor, Barr Fashola has proved without doubt that he is a man of himself. He equally has moved mountains in his less than three years in office.
For instance, Oshodi traders have been moved away from the road where the constituted obstacles to free flow of traffic and a danger to themselves. Nobody could believe that one could go from Bolade to Mushin through Oshodi in five minutes but it's today a reality.
Secondly, Otta Road had been an untarred road before the coming of Tinubu and eight years later remained untarred but in less than two years of Fashola, it is a smoothly tarred road.
Above all, the man has shown that he is his own man and has the interest of the masses at heart. In view of this the man deserved to be praised with the hope that he will not rest on his laurel. Karry Go, Sir, EKO O NI BAJE O

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Champions' League of Surprises

Tuesday and Wednesday's matches threw a pack of surprises which even the most committed football faithful would think twice before committing to. Who would have thought Man Utd. would play a pulsating 2-2 draw with Porto of all clubs or that Chelsea would go to maul Liverpool at Anfield thereby making them walk alone or Barca whipping Bayern in the battle of B clubs?
That goes on to say this years league is as exciting as it is challenging and the better team in terms of consistency will emerge as the warrior kings in Rome.
To Liverpool vs Chelsea, Man U vs Porto and Arsenal vs Villareal, it is not over until the referee raises his hands to signal the end of hostilities and the spectators can only be spoilt for choice.
Let the drum continue rolling!