MY REVERIE

It was a cosy Friday evening and I couldn’t wait for the closing bell to go off. The last one hour seemed to be longer than the preceding hours. It’s been a long week and I hadn’t looked forward to the weekend like this before. At this moment all I could think of was my bed. I’ve missed it so much as I had spent most nights of the week pulling an all-nighter at the office. There was so much caffeine in my system and I was beginning to be oblivious of things I had at my beck and call.

As soon as I got off work, I headed to a pub two streets away from my house as was my usual Friday tradition [#TGIF things]. I ordered for a bottle of red wine and a plate of catfish pepper soup [Point and Kill]. I loosened my tie, unbuckled my belt, washed my hands and began to dissect the fish in front of me. Indeed I was enjoying the fruits of my labour. I hurried through the collation as I couldn’t wait to get home and sleep the weekend off.

As I was making my way out of the pub, right in front of me was a light-skinned Blondie with the physique of an hour glass and gorgeously dressed in her well fitted black suit, a white shirt and a red pair of stilettoes. To complement this already resplendent look was her lips which were coated with glossy red lipstick.    She was just entering the pub and I was heading out as I was already tinted with blurred vision. As she passed me, I felt like approaching her but I was really drowsy and my bed was calling. I spent few seconds outside the door pondering on whether to go home and sleep as was my initial intent or respond to the stimulus pricking me to walk up to her as I might not get to see her again. Few seconds later, I headed back inside and there she was leaning over at the counter and this time I had a clear view of her rear which left me almost drooling. I hit the counter, sat on the stool beside hers and ordered for a glass of my favourite cocktail for starters.

I sat there staring at her and she was all smiles each time we made eye contact as if to suggest she was also into me. I had a lot going on in my mind as I was looking for the perfect pick up line to sway this posh damsel with, but I was totally blank and couldn’t remember one out of the several cheesy pick-up lines that had worked for me in times past, so I had to improvise and I came up with a rather crappy one. I said, ‘excuse me miss, you must be tired cuz you’ve been running through my mind.’ She giggled and turned towards me. How that sounded cool to her was improbable to me. I guess she was already tipsy and everything sounded cool to her or she was so into me that she could care less about whatever I had to say. ‘I’m Mikel, and you’re?’ Ecstatically she replied ‘I’m Tricia but you can call me Trish for short.’ ‘Oh wow! Such a lovely name you’ve got Trish, nice to meet you.’ ‘Thanks Mike, nice to meet you too.’ We raised our glasses and made a toast.

We left the counter and moved to a more comfy table for two where we ordered a pub grub and some more drinks as we continued with the typical getting to know each other convo. We got along so well that people in the pub would probably think we’ve known each other since like forever. At this point, the chemistry between us was getting stronger and I was already nursing some rather ambitious thoughts of things that should transcend the bonding at the pub. A brother could actually get laid tonight, I thought. There and then our heads began to converge and I felt like my dreams were becoming flesh. Just as my lips caressed hers, the office buzzer went off.  I opened my eyes and discovered that it was only just a dream as I was still seated in my cubicle. Indeed it was a different kettle of fish with Linda who is a complete disparity of ‘Trish’ standing in the cubicle opposite mine winking at me. I hissed, picked up my already packed bag and headed home with a long face.

ASUU STRIKE: THOUGHTS OF A CONCERNED STUDENT

As the industrial action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) enters week 12, there is still no sign of an end in sight as the Union had withdrawn from talks with the Federal Government (FG) for some weeks now. We’ve seen both sides blaming and criticizing the other for the lingering strike action.We’ve also seen and heard comments from various stakeholders concerning this issue. While some have aligned themselves with the FG, others are backing ASUU insisting that the FG should invest hugely in the funding of research and development of infrastructure of the universities so as to improve the standard of our university education and improve in the quality of graduates produced by our universities.

Since the strike began on the 1^st of July, academic activities in the nation’s public (both Federal and State Government owned) universities has been on a standstill. While the lecturers have been focusing on their private practices, the students have been idle with little or nothing to do. While some (including me) have tried to look for little jobs to do, others have resulted into several social vices, constituting nuisance to both their parents and the society. Indeed we’ve seen news about crimes committed by or against students who are supposed to be in school. Just this morning I woke up to the news of the arrest of two students of University of Jos by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) who were allegedly involved in a bank fraud of N2.05billion. This is just one among the several others I’ve heard this strike period.

When the strike started in July, we heard rumours that it was going to last for a hundred days. But the official report was that the strike was indefinite. This meant different things to different people. While some students were optimistic that the issues would be quickly resolved by the President Jonathan led administration and thestrike wouldn’t last long, others were pessimistic about the strike action referring to previous strikes carried out by the Union (ASUU).The day the strike started in my school, Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), some students who live in Enugu and its environs were seen packing their bags and leaving the hostel in droves. Students from other parts of the country remained in school for about two weeks or more hoping that the strike would be called off soon. To most of these students who have to travel several hours to get home, it was better to remain in school and hope the strike won’t linger. Indeed if you consider the cost and risk involved in travelling to and from school, you’ll decide to remain in school as it won’t be fun to travel home and the strike is called off the next day or week. This uncertainty made a few people remain in school for over a month. But virtually every student is home now as the strike is now 80 days old.I remember that when ASUU strike began, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) was also on strike. Though theirs was suspended a few weeks after, it lasted for 81 days.

Why ASUU Went on Strike

The Union has explained that its resolution to embark on its latest strike was informed by the Federal Government’s decision to renege on the agreement it reached with the Union led by Prof. UkachukwuAwuziein 2009. ‘The 2009 Agreement’ as it is fondly called included the review of the retirement age of lecturers from 65 to 70 years, increased funding of universities, ‘complete’ autonomy for universities, and an increase in the wages of university lecturers etc. The Union claimed that the FG has faltered in the implementation of some sections of the agreement which led to the current strike.

FG’s Failed Attempt to Resolve the Crisis

Since the strike began in July, the major issues on the front burner has been the unpaid arrears of the earned allowances of the lecturers and the failure by the FG to appropriate the  N1.2Trillion it agreed to invest in the universities over a time frame of 4 years. The FG setup 2 different committees to meet and address the issues raised by ASUU. The first committee was the ‘Needs Assessment Committee’ headed by the Benue State Governor, Dr Gabriel Suswan and the second was the committee that looked into the issue of earned allowance by the lecturers headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen.Ayim Pius Ayim.

Afterweeks of various meetingsand consultations, the FG released N30billion through the Sen. Ayim Pius Ayim led committee to service the issue of the earned allowances while it also released N100billion to the Governing Councils of the universities through the ‘Needs Assessment Committee’. Despite all these, the Union decided to withdraw from further talks with the FG.

ASUU Withdraws from Talks with FG

The ASUU President Dr NasirFagge in an interview session on Channels Television said that the Union decided to withdraw from further talks with the FG following the government’s insincerity in implementing ‘The 2009 Agreement’. Dr Fagge further said that the government was trying to renegotiate the terms of the agreement instead of implementing it. He also accused the FGof taking some money from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) purse to make up the N100billion it offered for the development of infrastructure in the universities. This, the ASUU President said was unacceptable to the Union.

Okonjo: FG has no money to meet ASSU’s demands

FG claims that there’s no money to meet ASUU’s ‘outrageous’ demands and I wonder how someone will go into an agreement with anotherconsciously and come back later to say he can’t meet up with the terms. This is really funny and laughable. I find this claim by the Honourable Minister of Finance ridiculous. Every Nigerian knows how extravagant our government has been yet it claims that there’s no money to meet ASUU’s demands. Just some days after this claim was made, we all saw the alleged ‘Celebration of the Nigerian Woman’ by the First Lady beamed live on National Television. This was clearly a political campaign for President Goodluck Jonathan as women from several parts of the country stormed the Eagle Square in colourful materials with the pictures of the President crested on them and chanting solidarity songs in support of Mr President. There was also a DJ at hand who played songs as the women partied for hours while their children were sitting idle at home as a result of the strike. As expected, the city of Abuja was brought to a standstill as all roads leading to the venue were cordoned off. As if that wasn’t wasteful enough, the President hosted members of his party to what they called ‘PDP Post Convention Dinner’ which was also broadcast live on National Television. This was clearly a wasteful event as I don’t see any need celebrating a convention that left the PDP ‘family’ in shambles. Of course that was another avenue for the ruling party to waste the Nations resources on something that has no benefit whatsoever on the larger populace.

Politics over Governance (Education)

Since the inception of democratic rule in Nigeria in 1999, the problem of Nigeria seems to have moved from the recovery ward to the intensive care unit. Everybody in Nigeria wants to get into power by any means necessary just to achieve their selfish interest. Everyone wants to get their slice of the ‘National Cake’ and not a shot at serving the people. In Nigeria it’s more politics and less governance. Right from 1999 to date, it’s been politics, politics and more politics. From the day of election to the next election, you see both the ruling and opposition parties engaging in serious politicking. All kinds of blackmails, war of words and even physical battles like is common in the House of Representatives and the State Houses of Assembly.

It is really appalling that the President Goodluck Jonathan led administration has also aligned itself with this trend despite its promise of ‘Fresh Air’ and all what not. The Presidents 2015 ambition has been the major bone of contention since the last election in 2011. Everything happening in the polity now points to 2015. This 2015 issue has really occupied the minds of our leaders that all their energy and resources are vested towards campaigning and mobilizing support for the 2015 election which is about 2 years away to the detriment of the populace. Since the issue of the PDP breakup started, we’ve seen how much attention it’s been getting. Both the President and former President have been actively involved in various consultations and meetings since the first night to quickly resolve the issue. As a matter of fact, the President has been losing sleep as some of their meetings take place at night. I wonder why the President hasn’t met with ASUU himself yet. I also wonder why a party issue involving a “microscopic few” is given much attention than the ASUU Strike that affects a “vast majority” of the populace. Indeed this goes a long way to show that the Federal Government cares less about Education in Nigeria. I also saw the sack of the former minister of Education Prof. RukkayatYakubu as a shock and a setback in resolving the ASUU issue. As if that was not enough, the President appointed Dr EzenwoNyesonWike as the substantive Minister of Education. Is it the same Wike who has made it clear that he has a 2015 governorship ambition and has been busy politicking and fighting Gov. RotimiAmaechithat the President feels will resolve the ASUU issue and transform the Education Sector? [I laugh in Spanish] Funny enough, the same day Wike was made Minister of Education, he went to Rivers state to campaign for Jonathan and receive a chieftaincy title. He sure has his priorities figured out already.

I strongly don’t believe the Federal Government is interested in improving the quality of education. After all it doesn’t generate any substantial revenue from the schools. The FG only pays attention to sectors of the economy where it gets large chunks of revenue like the oil sector. I really feel the reason why the government has allowed the education sector to suffer so much neglect is because the ruling class has all the money it needs to send its kids to any part of the world to study. How many of their kids are schooling here in Nigeria? Even the few that claim that their wards are schooling here in Nigeria are all in private schools. So they have little or no interest on what happens to the children of the masses. The same government will come outand boldly say that Nigerian graduates are not employable, that they are ‘half baked’. When you have a university with poor infrastructure and dilapidated equipment, what kind of graduates do you expect to produce? At the end of the day when their kids come back with degrees from around the world, they are most qualified for the top jobs so the power keeps going round in that cycle. For short, they want to hog power and make sure it doesn’t get to the masses. [Sad face]

Way to Go

Let’s pause a moment and try to think of any NUPENG or PENGASON strike that has been allowed to exceed one week… I can’t recall any. [Sad] I think it’s high time the leadership of ASUU sought the solidarity of both NUPENG and PENGASON so as to make the government feel the heat. I strongly believe that if ASUU is able to get the support of those other Unions, the FG will be left with no option than to respond swiftly to the Union’s plea. I really can’t wait for this strike to be over. I’ve enjoyed the luxury at home enough. I need to get back to school and work on assignments and projects. I’ve missed my friends and lecturers. FG please settle ASUU so we can go back to school.That’s where we should be now and not on the streets looking for what to do. Remember that “an idle mind is the devils workshop”. Don’t let us be used by evil doers to perpetrate their nefarious acts. 

"I WAN JAND OH!": THE QUEST FOR ‘GREENER PASTURES’

Over the decades, it has been a usual trend for young Nigerians to jet out of the country in search of the so called “Greener Pasture”. How many have really paused for a while to ask if the so called “greener pasture” is indeed greener than what Nigeria has to offer? Only a few percentage of these adventurous youths eventually get legitimate visas into the various countries in Europe, America, Asia and lately South Africa. The others who can’t get legitimate visas resort to various illegalities just to enter those countries where they probably think manner still falls from heaven and money can be picked on the streets. [Fallacy of the mind or as my friends will say “Self Wash”.]

I’m not against people going out in search of a better life. But I believe you can also lead a very successful life here in Nigeria. There are lots of really successful business men who made all their fortune here in Nigeria. Top on that list is the household name in Nigeria, Alhaji Aliko Dangote. This is a man who at a very young age of 21, got a loan of N500,000 which is approximately $3000 USD and started a business that has earned him an estimated fortune of $20.1 Billion USD  which is about N3.2 Trillion as at march 2013. This is just one example of Nigerians who have made it within the fore walls of this country.

Most of this our supposed “Janded” brothers and sisters actually go to these countries and get to discover firsthand that life there isn’t as rosy as they once thought. But the truth is you can’t survive in those countries if you don’t have a good job. Unlike Nigeria where you have family members that can take care of your essential needs like shelter, food and perhaps clothing pending when you can get a job that will give you financial independence, over there you have no family to provide you with this lifeline till you finally get your feet.

There’s so much bills and tax to pay in these countries and if you don’t have a good paying job, your chances of survival is very low. The funny thing about most of these our “I wan jand” brothers and sisters is that they don’t have a college degree. I was with a family friend on Sunday evening and we were talking and he told me he is strongly praying that his visa application to one of the European countries [can’t remember which exactly] works out as soon as possible. This fella does not have a college degree or its equivalent. He’s one of my Anambra brothers’ who rush into trade after high school, just because they can’t wait to be in control of money. He once had it good though but I wonder what happened and now the dude is back to ground zero. I strongly believe he would have done better with a college degree in business administration or something of the sort. When I told him that a mutual friend of ours just graduated from college, he was startled and couldn’t believe it because she just left high school some four years ago. He went like “Omo if to say I further my education, I for done be big man with wife and children oh!” He also went further to tell me that one of his high school classmates who now works in one of the multinational oil companies and resides in the garden city of Port Harcourt with his wife and two kids. I can only imagine the level my friend will probably be now if he pursued a college degree when he left high school about a decade ago. They feel they can easily survive with their high school certificates but the truth is far from that. They end up with menial jobs that can’t even get them a proper meal not to talk of a decent accommodation. Most of them work about two to three jobs to be able to survive. And I’m quite sure we are aware of what some of our young girls do in these European countries. It is no longer news that most of the girls that are trafficked to countries like Italy, end up being city escorts or “Ashewo” as it is generally called in our “9ja” lexicon.

Just like my Pastor said on Sunday and I concur that most of the people who “check out” of the country in search of “Greener Pastures” end up living frustrated lives full of debt. He also said that “some of them go as much as borrowing money to come and either marry a wife or bury their parents.” During Christmas holidays, you see some of them spending money that they have been able to save for the 5 to 10 years that they’ve spent in their “Obodo Oyibo” in 2 weeks. If you have no idea what they do or go through to have the few dollars and pounds they come home to profligately spend during festivities. One of my uncles, who opted to go to London in search of “Greener Pasture” in 1998 as a young man with just high school certificate despite all the calls for him to get a university degree, came back to Nigeria over a decade after with nothing tangible to show for the years spent there. He currently resides in the village [Owerri] with his wife and kids. Just like my other friend, I wonder where he would be now if he took hid to all the advice he was given to further his education here. But at least he would still be referred to as a “one time Londoner”, if that can be considered an accomplishment.

I’m not rebuffing the fact that some Nigerians are doing really well in the different countries they find themselves. As a matter of fact, there are Nigerians doing well in different sectors in America and Europe.  Worthy of note are Dr. Philip Emeagwali, the inventor of the world’s fastest computer. He has also been called the Bill Gates of Africa, Jelani Aliyu, who designed the Chevrolet Volt, a state of the art electric car, for General Motors, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the award winning writer, Hon. Olusegun Aganga, the current Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment who was the Managing Director in hedge funds at Goldman Sachs International in London, Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, the current Minister of Finance who was appointed Managing Director of World Bank in 2007.

If we take a close look at the people listed above, it’s quite obvious that they all possess a good educational background, some as high as the Ph.D. level. I strongly recommend that anyone looking to travel abroad in search of greener pastures should either have a college degree already or hopes to get one studying in their eventual country of refuge. As a matter of fact, I strongly admire people who go out there for either undergraduate or graduate studies, get all the knowledge and experience required and thereafter come back to work  and contribute their quota to the development of our beloved country Nigeria.

I don’t know why, but I feel that Nigeria as a developing nation should have more job opportunities for our teeming population of youths than all these already developed “Obodo Oyibo” countries our youths queue up in front of their embassies in Nigeria, day and night in a quest to be granted visas. Those countries are already developed and therefore there are fewer job openings as most of their institutions have been in existence for centuries with already existing infrastructure, this leaves our unskilled emigrants with a slim chance of landing their dream jobs. When we juxtapose between the job opportunities in the developed countries and the developing countries like ours, it’s quite obvious that the opportunities that abound here in Nigeria transcends what is tenable in the developed countries. I wonder which labourer would opt to travel to a different state and work in an old building undergoing renovation, when there’s a new “modern” building springing up just at his backyard. I doubt that any right thinking person who has that huge opportunity right at his backyard would opt to spend money travelling a long distance to work for a lesser pay.

Nigeria can be likened to a virgin construction site for a proposed mega structure. There is a whole lot of work to be done and the services of different professionals and artisans will be needed if we must reach the ranks of a developed country.    For Nigeria to actualize its goal of being among the top 20 largest economies in the world by the year 2020 [Vision 2020], a lot of work needs to be done in every facet of our social existence. There is need for huge financial and human capital investments in infrastructural development which will translate into the creation of innumerable number of jobs for both our skilled and unskilled labour force.

I strongly believe in the “Nigerian Dream” and I believe that there are a lot of things that our youths can do back here in Nigeria to live the life that they think is only tenable in the “American Dream”. So many opportunities abound here at home and it only takes being perceptive enough in identifying them and getting down to business to attain the widely desired success and also contribute in the development of our beloved country Nigeria, Africa and indeed the entire Universe.

I must extol the efforts of some of our enterprising youths who have been doing really good in their various career parts most especially the daring entrepreneurs who despite the numerous challenges like insecurity and inadequate power supply faced by businesses and industries in Nigeria have managed to create companies and brands that are championing Nigeria’s quest for a reasonable level of development.

God bless our “hustles” and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!

FRESH START

January 1^st 2013 feels like yesterday. Everyone was caught up in the whole New Year frenzy. There was so much delight and excitement on everyone’s face. We all sent well crafted New Year messages and BC’s. We all had great expectations for the New Year like, “this is my own year. I’m starting that business this year, I’m getting that dream job this year, I’m getting married this year, I’m moving into my own house this year, I’m buying a new car this year, I’m getting my admission this year.” The list goes on and on. Really great expectations.

While some people must have been able to accomplish some if not all of their expectations, some others might still be struggling to find their feet. It is normal for some people to begin to doubt the ability of their expectations to still come to fruition seeing that we are already in the last month of the first half of the year. But the truth is, one month is too big for God to grant you all your heart desires and we still have 7 months to go. Don’t lose hope friend, God has you in mind. 

Jeremiah 29:11 says, For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.                                          

Another usual tradition of the New Year for many is a time to make resolutions. So many people pen down a lot of things they would love to stop doing or like to start doing. While many stay true to the plan for only a few weeks, some others for two to three months only a few are able to actually inculcate the change they desire.

 Those that fail to keep to the plan, decide to wait till another new year to repeat the cycle over and over again. But the truth is that we don’t need to always wait for a new year to start all over again. No matter how absurd our situations or challenges may seem, we can start afresh at the very moment we think we need a change. It is never too late to start over. Don’t let anything weigh you down friend, stand up and make a fresh start!

Happy New Month Friend!

This is your month of accomplishment in every stratum of your endeavor.

MIA

I know I have been missing in action for a while now. Seriously I miss keeping you guys posted on issues. The thing is school work is choking me up. So much assignments and projects. As some of you already know, I'm studying Architecture and seriously, that aint beans. *wipes sweat off* 

While I was undercover, I was thinking of ways to improve the blog and I promise you guys that y'all gonne love it when we finally launch out fully. 

Thank y'all for coming to check on the blog once in a while. Keep succeeding. God bless y'all!

SUCCESS: A FUNCTION OF WHAT YOU KNOW

The holiday season is officially over and everyone is gradually heading back to their schools or workstations as the case may be. Indeed last year was a wonderful year for me. I recorded so many milestones in 2012 all to the glory of God. Thanking God for last year with full assurance that this year 2013 will even turnout much better than the former.  This is our year of “Double Portion.” Your own package will not elude you in Jesus name!

To begin this year, I’ll love to share with you an article I wrote some years ago, precisely 2009. This word still sounds fresh and what better way to start the New Year than to share with you this great piece on “Success”. As we read and diligently apply the outlined principles this year, “Success” will be our second name.

Please read, comment and share with all your friends and loved ones.  

 

INTRODUCTION

          Success can be defined as the satisfactory realization of a set objective or a given goal. We all have equal opportunities to succeed but yet not we all attain success.

In this article, we will be exploring some secrets of success that is rooted in God’s word. It’s my prayer that whoever reads this article and put it into action, will know no failure in life again! You shall succeed!

INFORMATION

          Success can only be attained by the level of what you know. In the Bible it is written that “My people suffer for lack of knowledge.” The greatest problem facing man today is ignorance and not the devil. The devil only takes advantage to the degree of our ignorance.

          According to Dr. David Oyedepo; “Leaders are readers and all committed readers are potential leaders. You are either building a library or a mortuary of glory. The value of your knowledge determines your class in destiny.”

REVELATION

          To reveal means to bring into the open what has been hitherto hidden. Revelation brings about a revolution [turnaround]. Revelation defines the limit of destiny. Through revelation God introduces his thoughts into the human mind. It takes us from the level of information to a higher level of understanding.

God is the source of revelation. The only way we can get revelation is to spend quality time with God, through prayers and studying the bible always. According to Dr. David Oyedepo; “The Bible is not just a spiritual book, it is a manual of life.”

ASSOCIATION

          It is important to consciously move towards people who have already become what we desire to be in life.  It makes success come quicker than it would have come if we had to do it on our own. There is need for us to have a mentor. In whatever line or career we are in, we need to have a mentor along that line, who we ask questions. The answers we get can change our lives forever

          Our relationships in life will either make or break us. We need to choose friends and associates that will assist us in fulfilling our vision, not those who will derail us from its pursuit. It is said that “He who walks with the wise will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.”

CONCLUSION

          Dr. Myles Munroe once said; “All you know is all you have learned, but all you know is not all there’s to learn.” The bible also says; “Let him that thinks that he knows know that he does not know as he ought to know.”

          If we take all this principles with all diligence, then we should be sure of soaring on high altitudes of success.

This year 2013 is your year. See you at the top.