Liberty In Lie??

You are in a relationship, your partner is honest, loving and caring. You decide to lie to them, cheat on them with others that are as low as you, or maybe not, who knows. Every time they tell you they love you, you say it back, but you feel uncomfortable, because you probably don't mean it, and even if you do, you know they deserve better because you know a side of yourself that they don't. Even if you choose to never admit. When they ask questions, you lie, and toward yourself, you justify your lies, hoping to never get caught. And maybe you will never get caught, but you will be the architect to your own misery, eventually. 

You go to school, you don't pay attention in class, your parents have paid so much, they have sacrificed so much for you, but you don't take your work seriously. You are spending more time promoting clubs than going to the library, and every time you speak with your parents you tell them everything is good. You know this is a lie. Alas, you fail, now you have to repeat the year, but you cannot claim responsibility for your actions, and what do you do, blame it on someone else, an innocent somebody. To you, you may have dodged a bullet, but you must have missed Jolie's wanted, because that bullet is curving right back. 

Your job, contract says 9 to 5, Monday to Friday, you sign it, you get your salary every month, you have your task assigned, but what do you do, use the company's internet to go on twitter and ramble on, neglecting the task at hand. Your boss comes, you minimise the screen, pretend to work, and repeat the same process as often as you can. When home, you find a way to demonise your boss and paint yourself as the most hardworking person to grace earth. You cannot expect to maintain the status quo. Life will catch up to you. 

How depressing is life today, God is certainly not cruel, He gave us freewill, we must remember. We complain about the state of the earth, but we forget, we, humans make up the earth and it is a collection of our habits that result in the state we find ourselves. An honest person will certainly not suffer as a dishonest man would.

But we wont even know true suffering if we saw it, I guess that is what makes us so comfortable with being dishonest in our affairs with people and life. 

What Change?

Following my previous post,  I'd like to write this as a extention of sorts, to briefly talk about something i've always stressed, as far as change goes.

So, elections. That is the topic of discussion everyday. It is not going to stop anytime soon either, so the neutral, if you will, of us will have to deal with it I suppose. But that's not my topic of discussion, I have talked about it already. My topic for today is the citizens, and our readiness for change. 

You see, as much as we love to point fingers and absolve ourselves from any wrongdoing, we are very much part of the problem we so passionately denounce. I failed because the teacher hates me, no one told me I could not use it, I did it because everyone did the same. These are not words alone, these are the thought processes existing within a lot of us. This is even more dangerous because some of us are deeply entangled in denial, that the realities of our judgement, or lack off, become distant from us. 

There is no doubt that Nigeria is a corrupt country and there is no doubt that for years, resources have been mismanaged and power has been abused. There is certainly no doubt about the appalling state of the country today. And yes, the first and most important step for Nigeria to progress is to elect credible leaders that understand our suffering and are ready to represent us and our interests, and not their pockets and shady businesses abroad. 

However. As much as we love to suppress this fact, it will remain, till we tackle it head-on: That we are hypocrites. Don't call me a hypocrite you say, good on you because I am talking not to everyone but anyone, who has and till today continues to engage in behaviours or actions that contradict the principles he or she stands for as far as justice and integrity go.

We make it seem like our future can be written by two people alone, we make it look like we cannot make any positive change within ourselves, or throughout our community without two people endorsing us, we make it seem like everything will go away the moment one person wins. Like people will stop stealing internet data from MTN, or start following protocol and building gutters in front of their houses to avoid flooding, or stop trying to adjust contract materials to get as much profit, or start wearing seat belts, or getting a driver's license, or stop running shady businesses. 

If we can also strive to stop these things as we have strived to campaign for this year's election, then by all means, our enthusiasm for change is justified. But if by the time change comes, and we refuse to accept the realities of life in Nigeria, outside of the institutional problems we face everyday, then it is safe to say that we are not really ready for change. 

Not scolding anyone, more like I am trying to use this to have people reflect on the many things they have neglected, in the process of looking for change. Really,  a very competent and honest leader can change Nigeria for good, no doubt about that, but Nigeria, like any community requires everyone to take an active role in making that change happen. And what better way to make positive change, if not for the act of self-reflection and honesty with every endeavour of ours. 

There is a lot of potential in Nigeria, with many sectors begging to be tapped into and turned into something bigger and better. But it will take more than our President, it will take Nigerians to cut down on the narcissism and look at issues they can solve without a) complaining about it and b) outsourcing the solution to someone else. 

I agree that we have to start somewhere, and right now, our starting point is voting the right person, but all the activism I have seen should not end with the Presidential elections regardless of the winner. The same way you have all dedicated so much time and effort, supporting and endorsing your chosen candidate, you must actively participate in reforming the country, not only immediately, but also, long after all the hype has died down. 

Ideally, a democracy should have more people involved, and democracy everywhere can do with some improvements too. But this is all democracy has provided us with. So, we have to find a way to make it work for us. 

While people blame the government for incompetence and mismanagement, they often exhibit incompetence and mismanagement of their own, communities that refuse to build themselves, and expect the government to deal with every problem including the eradication of cockroaches that manifest as a result of lack of hygiene. People have to remember that the government is responsible for making things work at an institutional level, at a communal level, we are responsible for making things work as they should. 

In the end it is about what we are willing to do to change ourselves, and our communities that will carry the most weight in shaping what Nigeria will become moving forward. As I said, democracy should not be restricted to specific people, but at this point, we do not have much to work with. Still, as we all have someone we believe is capable of stabilising the country, let us also make sure we are as active when it is time to vote, as we are vocal today. And let us make sure this activeness will not die after elections are over. Amen. 

... about the Nigerian Election

The 2015 presidential election is about a month away. Almost every Nigerian has their eyes, ears and mouth set to February 2015 in what appears to be the most polarising elections Nigeria has witnessed in recent memory. 

Before I get into this article, a few things to make clear include the quest to be as objective as can be, and to emphasise that I refuse to take sides on this issue, and to remind the reader that I am no political analyst, merely a concerned Nigerian citizen that, like many others, hopes for the best for Nigeria and its people. 

I take it that most Nigerians are tired of the borderline depressing state of Nigeria and want to start seeing some positive changes happen and achieving this is no easy task. In the past four years, Nigeria's situation has gone from bad to worse, and if I could visualise the country in graph form, it would have hit a negative value by now. Security is terrible, embezzlement is at an all time high, straight up ridiculous. The way in which committees are set up and funds are mismanaged, almost as it will be should an adult give a toddler some papers and colour with the instruction to draw a cat. The result will be a colourful mess. Clearly, whoever is set to lead this country from this year and for the next four years, has serious work awaiting. That being said, it will also be dishonest to say no good has been achieved in the past four years, I am certain that there has been some achievements, even though I cannot think of one at the time of writing. 

My concern is not so much about the candidates, but the antics employed by either camp and their supporters. The bigotry, the name calling, the accusations on both sides is very childish and amateur. We are suffering, and we need results, not insults. Save that for something less important. At my age, I cannot recall the last time something positive happened in Nigeria for an extended period of time. People don't want to watch adults argue of silly things, people want jobs, security, people want to eat. This is made even more painful through the realisation that Nigeria has the potential to be a true giant, not just within Africa but the world at large. 

Nigerians have suffered, and the true and honest people of Nigeria have no space for hypocrisy and bigotry in their hearts, honest Nigerians want nothing but positive change for all, and they know of the things needed to achieve just that. In an ideal world, everything leading up to next month will involve peaceful debates about policies, investments, developement of strategies for dealing with current issues e.t.c. And not just across the two leading political parties and their candidates, but between the citizens of the nation. 

The most important thing, which people seem to forget (ACROSS BOTH CAMPS) is that this is supposedly a democracy and people have the right to vote for whoever they feel best represents a positive Nigeria, without causing a fight. The debates we ought to be having right now should not at all be about muslim/christian, ogogoro or gulder. The debates we should be having should be about real issues that we are actually suffering from, like what candidate has the best policy to curb insurgency, or provide more jobs across the Country. We should be debating about a way to fix what is broken, not further break everything by inciting childish political and religious sentiment between people. 

An honest person, more so an honest leader is not intimidated by opposition, he has clear-cut goals and is mature enough to accept defeat, without making a mess of things. In other words, Nigerians should not, at this point feel the need to remind us all, after every minute, through the use of poorly constructed and anaemic sentences, why their candidate is the best and everyone else's is rubbish. In fact, this should bring us all closer and not further separate us. Working together to share ideas will be much more productive than suggesting you or your party to be the best thing to happen to Nigeria since P-Square. 

Going to shift focus to twitter activists to make a point, I take it that if you are reading this article then you have most likely have gained a significant level of education, primary at least. Can you not use the experience you have gained as a Nigerian citizen, to initiate and discuss real issues without bringing trivial issues such as tribe or religion into the matter. Can you talk about measurable commitments your candidate has made, can you reference some of the past achievements of your candidate? If yes, then focus on that, and don't fall into bigotry and the plain hypocrisy of calling others out, you yourself drenched in faults. Can you rather focus on the real issues at hand. Issues which you most certainly know about. 

 

It is definitely a very significant improvement, the number of people engaged in this year's elections, the number of people fed up with life as is, the number of people ready to see positive change happen. It is rather unfortunate that many people, though rightfully angry, are channeling their anger in the wrong direction. I intentionally detach myself from politics of any kind because I do not like the complications and friction it creates, and I cannot tell you "this is who I want and who I believe" can change Nigerian for good, because at the heart of it all, only God knows. The only thing I know is who I THINK can change the Country for good, and this is based on merit and fact alone, not ethnicity and certainly not religion. 

After all the debates, the accusations, the protests, it is abundantly clear that Nigerians want change. There will be no need to stress that fact any longer. Every Nigerian, I suppose, is a free man, and he has the right to do as he pleases, keeping in mind that we all get what we deserve. Therefore, unless you have a positive, informative and objective suggestion to contribute in the hope of creating a better country (And you want to talk), the best thing you can do for Nigeria, really, is to close your mouth, let the forums rest, get a voter's card and choose your candidate. 

As we are now, God knows who is going to lead the country from this year, but we humans have to wait and see. In the end, all I can say is that I am tired of suffering, as you all are, and I only pray, that God blesses Nigeria with a President that is most certainly up to the task of fixing Nigeria for good.

Happy new year by the way, and here is to hoping 2015 will finally be the year Nigeria fulfils that long awaited promise of goodness. Amen. 

My Hinata

In times of peace, you praised me,

In troubling times, you provided comfort

You showed support, when everyone neglected me.

You stood by me, when everyone abandoned me.

You saw my flaws, and you saw through them,

Every time I fell, you held me up.

Of all the trouble I gave, you gave love in return,

Without words, you showed love a hundred times. 

You were honest in everything you did,

But you were caring, and you were gentle.

You had beautiful eyes, you had a beautiful voice,

You gave me strength, and you were patient.

For all the years I failed to see, you sat and you waited

And then finally I realised,

Everything I had always wanted, I found it in you.

It took me so long, but now I knew,

Every mistake I made, every bad turn I took,

Was only part of my journey to being better.

And as others attacked me, 

You saw something even I did not see in myself,

I guess you felt I was worth keeping,

Because you did, and close to your heart.

Placed safely, vouching to never grow apart,

When you first promised, I believed it was another one

One of the many lies people tell.

But here you are, with me, today.

I guess, after a long nap, I am finally awake,

And through everything, I am glad you had the patience to wait. 

I am sure that I love you, as much as you do too,

And I promise to take care of you, the way you took care of me.

You are my everything, but you are my one and only,

You are my everything, girl, you are my Hinata.