African Leaders

Picture from: members.telering.at/art4u/congo

I watched the last King of Scotland to the end, for the first time 2 days ago and I cried at the end.
I cried not because of what happened in the film but because of what is presently going in Africa,
you would think after the likes of Mobutu seseko and Idi amin, there would be no more but there is Mugabe now and Africa is silent.
What can we do? What should we do?

I really don't like the finger pointing about how the western countries support dictatorial regimes in Africa, but I am wondering as African why we allow it? Why we sit in silence after all the war, hardship, poverty, hunger, diseases and disasters we have gone and we are still going through.

I believe strongly that our leaders are reflection of who we are,yes we can shake our heads vigorously and say am not like that but I'll say wait till you are given a little power.
I worry about my continent and mostly about my country,Nigeria.

Yes, we are amazing people with great gifts, and I dare say we are the most creative Africans in the world, but look at us. In a few years down the line, what will we become?
I'll know some might say, try not to focus on our leaders(though I confess it is hard not to.) but what the people are doing, but if we don't have the right people making right choices for us, all our efforts may just not be worth it after a while.
Even with the simplest of things, corruption has eaten deep, parents look for ways to write common entrance exams for their primary school children/wards, the man driving against a one way traffic, to the state governor who had embezzled his state's funds and was allowed to travel out of the country during his trial.(Ok, I promise not to focus on the leaders) or the pastor who smiles sheepishly at the entrance of a politician into church.
Three of the most influential and important people,(Sunny Okosun,Yinka Craig and Gani Fawehimi) in Nigeria have cancer and we cannot boast of one hospital that can fully diagnose and treat them properly. They have to raise monies and fly abroad for treatment.

Do our leaders not see what we see? Do they not feel what we feel?
Why loot and build another man country and not put anything valuable in your home country?
Are they leaders or rulers?

I'll keep at my little quota and hope that one day, my little quota will connect with good little quotas across the nation and cause a ripple effect in Nigeria and hopefully Africa.
But right now all I can ask is which way Nigeria?

p.s. I am sorry if the piece seems disjointed, my emotions got in the way of writing.

Nigeria is green

Today is the 47th year of our independence,
I believe the coming years will get better for us,'
The future is green.

Enjoy TY bello's single.

How can we effect change?

Everyday, I hear almost every Nigerian complain about Nigeria. Oh! the economy is horrible,oh! the educational system is terrible, damn the traffic is horrendous, blah,blah,blah.

But what are we going to do change it?
Are we just going to wait for the government?

But do we need the government to tell us not to drive on one way roads?
Do we need the government to tell us, to stop writing exams for our 9&10 year olds,writing entrance exams?
Do we need the government to tell us form queues and stick with queues at bus stations,filing stations or wherever?

Do we need the government to tell us not to molest,muliate a child?
Do we need the government to tell us that mixing cassava, sugar & flour and selling it as baby food is wrong?
Has the government stolen our conscience?

What am I going to tell my children,10-15 years from now,when they ask me what did I do for my country?
I know Nigeria sucks, I know Nigeria has failed all of us,I know many times,some of has tried and tried but just keep hitting brick walls. But do we just lay down and die?
Do we watch our country crumble before us? Do we all keep absconding?

Do we make the heroes that stand up, speak and act, die like victims?
Do you want to continue to be referred to as less just because your passport is green?

How can we effect change?
It is by starting from our little spheres of life. Our families(Most importantly),our neighbourhood and place of work.
The society has lost its value because the family has lost its too.
Do we pay attention to our children? What do we tell them? What do we teach them?
Who are their friends? Do pay attention to their school work? I know every child need the basic necessities but does money equate affection?

What of the church? Where pastors burn their church members? read story HERE
What is preached in churches today?

Mr. Minister,oga patapata,Senator Olabiwonu,what are you doing?
Are you just embellzzing money and patching every thing? Do you know what goes around comes around?

Everyone's little effort is required, from the customer care officer who is rude to every customer, to you jumping queue because you are "sharp", to the driverwho hits a little child and just zooms off.
To you who is in faraway land making no plans to return or putting something back.
If the citizens of that country didnot fix theirs can you dwell there?

I know in every society there are bad eggs,are we all bad eggs?
I know our law and enforcements sucks, but how can we help ourselves?

In our own little way, how can we effect change for our country, Nigeria?

Naija Sha

Young Nigerian boy was hung in Singapore,read full story HERE. I am not saying what Tochi did was right or wrong,after all a Nollywood star was also caught here in Nigeria for the same offence and given a "fair" verdict of 1 million naira fine or 3 years imprisonment in jail. Get details HERE.

My main concern is what did the Nigerian government do about Tochi's case. My government started rallying for Tochi a few days to his death sentence. I just heard about the case four days to his death! The CLO tried,but our Government really did not do much,even after he was hung,no official statement was made. Hmm...
In Naija we are on our own o!

This is a country where there is no power supply for several days and finally your bulb blinks but the power surge damages all your appliances;but with that you are lucky because if per chance the electric spark causes fire, you are on your own o! No fire truck in Nigeria has water,if there is ,there is no fuel,if there is,there is no tyre.

In Naija a woman is raped and the question is not where is the culprit?
The question is what was she wearing? What was she doing? Maybe she asked for it!

In Naija when some thief snatches your phone,purse or even pen! you are accused of being too flashy or careless.

In Naija,I am harrassed by hoodlums in daylight as the Governor's convoy speeds past me,the hoodlums hail him but they continue to harass me. It is not the Governor's fault,he couldn't see me through his tinted glasses and moreover he has some serious state matter to attend to.

In Naija, when the drunk, hungry looking policeman questions me rudely, I am suppose to keep smiling so that he doesn't lose it.

In Naija, when the doctor mistakenly(seriously,he didn't mean it, it was due to negligence) transfuses HIV blood to a healthy baby,we are supposed to thank God the child didn't die(at least not yet)
Sue gini? When we never get money eat.

In Naija things are not that bad,life sure is hard,but only we of Naija, can save our land.

Hmm... Naija sha.