THEY TOLD US THE ANSWER

       Every Nigerian has been asked or has even asked himself this question ‘’ why is Nigeria where she is today?’’ some scholars have done theoretical works, some have presented papers while orators have spoken expending much wit yet they all failed woefully or so it seems. The question is why there is so much suffering and anguish amidst plenty or better still, why are we living near river Niger and bathing with spit?

      While I admit that I did not escape an ‘’f’’ in the Nigerian course, I must confess that I heaved a sigh of relief when on the 17^th of august 2011, two old men who had ruled us in the past for about twenty years between them decided to tell us the answer.

       We all thought corruption was the destructive worm that had held us to ransom. We had prayed about it, some even acted movies about it, while people like my humble self had debated on it times and again.

       Little did we know that the birthday celebration of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida would give rise to the long awaited answer. As expected, Babangida had held a feast to mark his 70^th birthday but what we didn’t expect was his speech. He decided to use the otherwise joyful occasion to take a jab at erstwhile president, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo on lack of power supply in spite of the vast riches available to the government arising from crude oil export. He went further to claim that he could have done so much if he was the one in power.

      Obasanjo on hearing that, decided to remind everyone that he was lost for words because in chapter 26 of proverbs, verse 4, we are told ‘’not to answer a fool lest you be like unto him’’. Then again, the next verse says ‘’answer a fool according to his folly lest he be wise in his own eyes’’. He then concluded that Babangida was a fool at 70.    

     Babangida  did not deny his new identity. He simply drew our attention to the fact that Obasanjo was a higher ranking officer in that identity hierarchy. He implied that Obasanjo was a greater fool. These are people who had ruled this nation for about twenty years between them. They are in a better position than anyone else to explain why we are where we find ourselves.

      Now can you imagine a man at fifty who was foolish for about twenty years? How do you expect him to excel in his endeavours when the hair begins to turn grey? That is the Nigerian story. We have been told the real reason why we are where we are and any other proposition is merely theoretically birthed.

  To be continued………. 

                   IF A GIRL SCORES AN OWN GOAL…………….

       She was very beautiful. She was also very promising. She had enormous potentials. Every guy wanted her but she wanted to concentrate on her career.  Suddenly, one guy came her way and a human error occurred.

        The young man was definitely not ready to be addressed as ‘’dad’’.  Now here is my point. Why should a promising girl who scores an own goal think that is the end for her? At that point she can neither concentrate in school nor at work.  This more often than not leads to a lose-lose situation. Why does our society make ladies think they need a man before they can stand? It is quite amazing considering that these ladies were once well grounded before the guys begin to show up.

        If a girl who knows where she is going incidentally  ''puts the ball at the back of her own net'', she should pick herself up and forge forward. Like my pastor says ‘’those who have a head, look ahead’’. Cos really, there is no need trying when the head is off. But thank goodness, in this case the head is not off.

        To him that is living there is hope remember????   

                                     

                                                     DADDY, ARE YOU SURE..............?

           I am in a class now and every student or so it seems is uninterested in the ongoing lecture. Not because it is boring; though it is but because the lecturer is not audible enough.

           At my right side are my buddies who are deeply engrossed discussing business and at my left, is a colleague who is nursing a female item he brought to class. Just in front of me is a boy holding a girl’s bracelet while she laughs and chats with another girl. My humble self is busy putting up this article.

            Now imagine that the scene depicted above is snapped and printed. Then present it in ten years time when we would have all become parents. Then, we would probably be scolding our kids that they should be more attentive in class forgetting that we were once guilty of the same charge.

             Everyone seated in class today is liable for the half a million Naira investment made by our respective parents. I am very sure that such huge sums could have been put to other profitable ventures but our parents did not want to see us sit at home.

            Some dads would be bragging to their friends that ‘’my daughter is in covenant university, am sure she is in the lecture room right now’’. But quite frankly, what is she doing in the lecture room?

            ‘’yes, there is network’’ came a joyful outburst from a beautiful lady adjacent my seat with a laptop on her desk. Now can you imagine? In a three unit course lecture? But sincerely, I am interested in checking what is happening on the web than strain my ear muscles.   

              After all said and done, I have come to the conclusion that certain classes are really wasted efforts and everyone will go through them at one point or the other but no one will admit same.

               If only daddy knew.  But one thing is sure. He will never find out. To this end, I pity all dads!!!!!

                                           WE ARE EXPECTING OUR 6TH CHILD
   I find it very difficult to comprehend when i see a pregnant lady who can barely feed herself carrying other kids with her while jumping off and on public transport.
   Now I must make it clear that children are the joy of every marriage but then again, timing is vital. if you are not financially buoyant, i suggest that the number of times the woman conceives should be checked. birth control methods are inexpensive yet some people make seem so.
    It is paradoxical that the wealthy people who can cater for many kids have few, while the poor who can cater for few, have many. If you can afford to take good care of them, go ahead. but please remember, you don't own this kids. you are only a caretaker to whom they are entrusted by God.
    I personally believe that no kid deserves to suffer on entering the world. while it is okay to project that money will come later, it s unwise to bank on this children to rescue you from poverty in the future. i was told that is the reason some couples have them aplenty.  most times, these kids either experience infant mortality due to so many factors or they get poor education which sometimes lead them to the streets in their quest for survival in our ever competitive world.
    My friend said after the third child, his parents agreed to remove his mum's fallopian tube surgically. while I am yet to confirm the risk nature involved in that expensive process, I am pretty sure there are far cheaper ways to say ''ENOUGH THIS PIKIN DONE DO''    

               ..........NOW YOUR WIFE IS ON LOAN
            
            It is quite unfortunate when a guy in a relationship gets told by his girl that she would be travelling or rather that she would be out of town during this period that the atmosphere is pregnant with love.
             If you are in a relationship and you don't have much money, this is the period when your girl may take leave of absence  which expires FEB. 14th midnight.  The guy who has the money to spend gets the girl on a temporary basis. while the sweet-tongue-broke fella can keep her afterwards.
             When a person is speaking from a firsthand experience, there is a lot of sincerity in such speeches. trust me, i know what am talking about. Since the 8th day of this month, the girl i like is yet to pick my call. but i have this gut feeling that things will return to normal on the 15th.
              I am convinced that it is no big deal if i lose something i own for about a week and get it back afterwards. What i learn is that I should be careful when choosing with whom to walk down the altar. Can you imagine that a girl with her eyes open, will choose to be with a guy who only ''loves'' her on a particular day in a whole year? That is being gullible if you ask me.
               Just like a friend who broke up with his girl this week said ''the most important thing happening on the 14th of this month is champions league''. I concur. what 'bout you?   

  ......... when death becomes an option 

      Why is it that in the western world, where things are supposedly better, that is where suicide is often heard of?

      My friend jokingly said that if a child in the western world survives suicide, he will be given everything he lacked that made him contemplate suicide. But here, when a child is caught, he will be thoroughly beaten for attempting same. 

     Things may be tough here but no one sends himself to the gallows. The visit to the hangman is never optional. It is a trip made on court injunction. But not in the western world. A negative stock market report is enough reason for a man to take his own life.

     Alcohol has been fingered as a reason for depression which is a major prelude to suicide in the western world but then again, it is consumed in great proportion here as much as it is consumed in the western world. Why does it not lead people in third world nations to depression? 

     Someone said every man is created with a vacuum. The quest to fill that vacuum leads the super rich into buying bigger yachts and other luxuries. Some go for finer rides depending on your wallet.  In this part of the world, some men go for another wife. I guess the whites go extreme length in filling that vacuum which only CHRIST can fill. Any other thing is a waste of resources, time and effort.

     

                     THE PARENT WHO CAME SECOND

       Every  tom, dick and harry must have heard his parent(s) say things like ‘’junior, when I was in school, I came first in this subject or the other’’ or you hear ‘’When I was your age, I never offended anyone’’. Ah, so we still have perfect people in this world? I reasoned in my subconscious. But every sane person knows that is not true.

        How come every parent tends to blow his or her own trumpet; even to the extent of lie telling? I am 20 and have never fathered a child so maybe I don’t know the requirements of child raising. I plead guilty. But I do know with all surety that example is the best teacher not exaggeration. How could every parent had come first or be of good behaviour? Then obviously they were all very good. What a Poor script!!!

    The million dollar question therefore is, if parents are as good as they claim, how come we still have cases of fraud in banks, corrupt policemen and government officials  who embezzle public fund like no man’s business? The culprits in the scenarios painted above are all parents who will still go home and ‘brag’ about how good they were as kids even though their adult life is not reflecting such claims.

    I know some people will let their mouth react before their mind, which will lead to abuses being rained on me. But not to worry, I have such people in my thoughts. Perhaps, your lie telling helps in bringing out the best in your kids, thumbs up! But if that is not the case in yours and you desire a change in your child’s behavior, I guess you should change your own behavior because kids learn best by what they see and not what you say. Some couples fight right before their kids yet, when they want to scold the same kids, they claim to be very well behaved in their childhood.  It does not work that way. In life, sometimes, the best way up is out.

 I am pretty sure I am not going to interpret that same script written by parenthood since time immemorial. I am an optimistic realist; I don’t fantasize. It is not necessary. I will try to bring my kids up in the way of the lord which does not include lie telling.

There seems to be a similarity between the cure of aids and the parent who came second. Both are still at large.

Obi-Dickson  Daniel