TEAR DOWN THESE WALLS? THE TFA STORY (1)

The Future Awards (TFA) 2012 have come and gone. Congratulations to all the nominees and the winners in all the various categories. The theme, as everyone knows, is used above in an attempt to capture what we were told is the essence of the awards. The way I understand it, the goal of the TFA since inception has been to celebrate young NIGERIAN achievers in the various sectors of living. Notice how I typed the Nigerian in uppercase? I did this because I believe that the awards were founded on a platform that was supposed to promote equity and fairness. My understanding of it is that the TFA was founded to celebrate Nigerians irrespective of their tribe, religion and social affiliations. Over the years, I have observed the TFA from afar and marveled at the extent to which it has become a platform through which outstanding young Nigerians have been recognized. I even hoped secretly that someday, a young entrepreneur like me would get the honor of winning such an award. However, in this year’s TFA (which happens to be the one, in about five years since I started following the event, that I actually have a personal relationship with some of the nominees), I have had reasons to doubt the sincerity of the very basis on which the TFA was founded. Personally, I have become disillusioned and disappointed in the organizers of the TFA for putting up the sloppy display of shamelessness and disorganization that they called the TFA in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. As much as many would consider the awards a success, many of the nominees will choose to agree otherwise as they were the ones that witnessed the show of disrespect.

In all of these, the saddening thing is that the theme chosen for this year’s TFA contrasted sharply with all the happening as I gathered from these shortlisted nominees. According to my sources, the 2012 TFA was shrouded in favoritism, lackadaisical attitude and acts of total disrespect for some of the nominees from other states apart from Lagos. Tales of abandonment, inhuman dealings and inconsideration for the plight of the respectable members of the Nigerian society who were totally sidelined by the organizers belittled what could have been a resounding success story for the TFA 2012. Many nominees who chose to share their plight with me told me of how they were abandoned in Lagos by the organizers despite that they were told to make themselves available in Lagos on Friday so a flight could be easily arranged for them to get to Port Harcourt in time for the event. Given that these people were nominated, and voted for, by Nigerians who appreciated their work and felt they deserved the award, the fact that they got unfair treatment by the organizers simply because they were relatively unknown sends a very strong message to Nigerians. Many Nigerians believed in them enough to nominate, and vote for, these people so they could be short-listed therefore these hardworking citizens should have been shown some modicum of respect by the organizers.

Even before all these, at the initial nomination stage, some of these relatively unknown nominees told me of their fears for the TFA. Many of them thought that the organizers already had anointed candidates whom they were tipping for the awards and that despite the nomination; these anointed candidates would still win in these categories. I tried to allay their fears by encouraging them to trust in the process because I believed that the people who are campaigning for a change in Nigeria’s status quo could not be involved in the same kind of behaviors they preach against. Needless to say, when the time came for flight arrangements to go wrong, most of the nominees who were affected were these relatively unknown ones while the so called anointed ones got to Port Harcourt on time for the event. Considering the “coincidence” above, many observers therefore opined that there was an underlying issue of credibility that the organizers of the TFA have not yet chosen to address. Many also feel that the event was taken to Rivers State in order that the PDP governor, who happened to be a friend of the organizers and who had offered to sponsor the event, could be portrayed in good light and that the relatively unknown nominees were intentionally left behind because the organizers couldn’t afford to have dissenting views. It also raises the question that, given that the organizers got travelling and hosting sponsorship for the TFA, why were these nominees left behind in Lagos because of, as the Executive Director told me when I asked on twitter, constraints of resources?.

My plan is to share their stories; for as many as are willing to let me share it, so that Nigerians can know how it all went down. I am going to share their stories one at a time so Nigerians can choose to decide for themselves who is on their side. I have many stories already but I have sent an email to the TFA organizers requesting answers to some of the questions that these nominees have. Many of them have chosen to be anonymous because they do not want to be perceived as bitter because they did not win. I am expecting that in about a week or so, the organizers will reply my email so I can share their side of the story as well. If they do not, I shall then proceed to share the stories of disregard, disrespect and contempt that the relatively unknown nominees have to tell as far as the 2012 TFA is concerned.

I rest my pen for a little while. Meanwhile, please join me in prayers that the organizers do the right thing.

N.B

Please, if you were a nominee and u have stories to tell about how you were treated; whether good or bad, please send it in an email to olumyking@gmail.com . Thanks a lot.

OIL STAND!!!!!!

It was sometime in 1995, that it first hit me that we, as Nigerians, had lost our educational values and expectedly, our future. I had observed it and tried to put it in perspectives, but the more I tried, the clearer it became: THAT WE LOST OR FUTURE FROM THE WORD SCHOOL. I encountered people who at the time were never do wells and had no plans to. Legitimately, that is. They had chosen the path and are going to hell with it.

If you allow me a few paragraphs( ok, truth be told, many paragraphs) you may see my point.

In the beginning, our people were basically farmers. Farmers in what ever way you defined it. We planted. We harvested. Sold the produce. Planted more. Harvested more. Sold more... Then came religion and along side it education. Like a wise writer once said the white men came with a bible in their hand and we had the land. The white men now told us to close our eyes for prayers. When the prayer was over and we had said AMEN!... we opened our eyes, they had the land and we had the bible. This parable goes beyond the exchange of bible and land. It's a matter of lost birthright. It's a matter of lost values and misplaced priorities.

Stay with me on this. I'm getting somewhere.

In those days before the bible for land exchange, the people of worth, were the hard working lot. The hunter, the farmer, palmwine tapper, the blacksmith, the herberlist, the towncrier, the warriors, the palace jester/the storyteller, the trader,... These and many more were the professionals at the time. They knew their jobs. Their jobs defined them. Some even became known and called by the work of their hands. They were dignified professionals in their chosen careers. In fact, people offered them their sons to train as understudy or apprentice if you may, just so that the professional knowledge can be passed on to their families as well.

Expectedly too, some families will gave their daughters' hand in marriage to such professionals because of the respect he commanded and his industry. This to the family giving the daughter is an investment in that family, tapping into the anointing if you may and extending their network of influence. After all, the children from the loins of the professionals will become professionals too.

These were the simple dynamics of economics, social structure, security, prosperity, integrity and human relations at the time. They were the basis upon which a lot of decisions were taken. People's worth were rated on the contributions you made on the community as a whole. The professional was considered a more important person to the community based on the dependence on the services he rendered. In fact, these were plus or minus enough reasons to go war.

Now, throw in religion and education in all that mix. Aha!

This man with a bible, comes into the picture and is now telling us 'blessed are the poor', 'prayer is the key' 'one man one wife' 'forgive' 'thou shall not...' there is no need to go into the different resistances and culture shock that followed. If anyone needs to be retold and reminded of what happened, I recommend the novel, THINGS FALL APART by Prof Chinua Achebe.

Education and religion, came hand in hand. They both started to win people over and before "not too long" able bodied men, who ordinarily would have been gainfully employed, were changing occupations. Some became teachers of Sunday School, Cathecist, Altar boys, interpreters, court clerks, messengers, etc. It was then sold to our society that hard work as it was known back then, was not the only way to earn respect or be a person of worth.

Somewhere in between all of that, was the irony of slave trade. Because if truly, that crap of hard work was not all important, why were all the able bodied men the ones that were harvested and taken into slavery? Why were the weaklings left behind and the strong taken to the land of no return?

In spite of the slave trade and it's catastrophic consequences, some people still managed to keep providing those professional services that provided the oil that kept the wheels of the community going.

Going through history, it became clear to me that, our occupational and educational values, as defined by the things we hold dear and sacrosanct to the growth and development of our society, were determined by the kind of aspirations and expectations that are found in that society. Meaning, what we get is based on the value we place on occupational and educational dynamics. When values are placed on wrong dynamics... You can not plant yam to harvest crude oil naaaa HABA! Trust me, we have not done well. So when I look around me and see what is happening, only one song comes to mind. No, actually two songs. The first is Sound Sultan's JAGBAJANTIS and the second one is JAGAJAGA by Eedris Abdulkarim.

Sound sultan, has over the years impressed me with his lyrics. And continues to do so. Jagbajantis stripped to the basics the problems of this country. Yet, did anyone take notice? No. It was just a song. Then JAGAJAGA came. Now, did anyone take notice? Of course yes. Why? They took notice because it was too in their face. It pointed fingers. Unlike the subtle but more important diagnosis of the matter in Jagbajantis.

One day sha... bushmeat go catch the hunter.

We have gradually become a society that celebrates mediocrity and treat excellence as show off or an unattainable goal. We have become a country where asking for the right thing to be done is considered ramblings of the opposition. Where praising or defending the wrong is loyalty and a prerequisite for prosperity. Where did we go wrong? How did we come to this point where someone who was not properly taught is teaching people? Who would have thought that hard working people will lose their integrity and that head lifting dignity that comes with being a professional... that contributes to the advancement of society will be trashed on the platform of selfish political patriotism?

Let me take you through the occupational degeneration or occupational trend, depending on your understanding. Stay with me... I would soon be done.

Once upon a time the respect for hard work, dignity of labour, prosperity and sustenance was the reason for people choosing to be farmers. And expectedly, the products of the farmers needed to be sold and that provided job opportunities for traders. Then came religion and education and some people saw the importance of acquiring this new education and the possibilities of being like the white men who brought them. However, after acquiring the education, some became missionaries while the rest became teachers in the schools established by white men to propagate the new religion. Back then, Teachers were the most important catalysts in the new society that was growing out of the mix of the new religion and education.

The products of these teachers were driven to acquire more knowledge. And some got it. Those who did became the hot cakes of employers. They not only got jobs before leaving schools, they got jobs, cars, houses, allowances and of course opportunities to be all they want to be. Those not so cerebrally endowed opted for the military or jobs that didn't require "certain set cerebral process of employment" beyond brawn.

The educated who joined civil service quickly rose to become the new crop of people that were treated with the respect reserved for the farmers who were the ish at the time. They became leaders of thought who joined forces for nationalist struggles. Others became writers, lawyers, journalists, business owners...

The new occupational respect and profile of the educated elite were so high that the teachers who made it possible, naturally, became demi gods. So when the struggle for independence started brewing, the leaders of thought were these same teachers who had shaped the lives of the elites.

Side by side, in the occupational curve, like the educated civil servants, were those who opted to work in private companies or joined the family business or just floated their own firms. These last group, that went on to own their own businesses would later be responsible for the greatest number of employment opportunities after the civil or public service. The people in private businesses were so successful that they started to lure away good hands from government employ.

The game changer was politics, which came with the struggle for independence. And with the independence came political Parties, campaigns, alignments of different people in parties to actualise their different political aspirations, elections and the eventual elections of those who became leaders. But we all know how corruption, tribalism, bribery and embezzlement.... Which would later be cited as the reasons for the military coups.

A profession like the military that shouldn't do anything but protect the country now took over the controls of government and determined the future of NIGERIA. At this point, it is proper to mention again, that a lot of those who joined the military back then were those who did not quite have basic qualifications to go ahead to acquire further education. Those who became the catalyst for change and entrusted our public purses were those who became military apologists. These were the select groups whose businesses were favoured. Some even got appointed into public office as ministers or chairmen of corporations etc...

Just to save time, let me run through the occupational value trends again. We had the basically agrarian professionals ( farmers, herdsmen, rubber tappers, fishermen and the likes), the missionaries (who set up schools, mosques and churches), teachers ( who had been taught by he missionaries and were now transferring the education), civil servants ( those trained by the teachers and are now employed), the oil workers ( thanks o the oil boom), the politicians ( elective offices had to be filled... Oh sorry, they had to serve, I keep forgetting that's why politicians offer themselves to be elected), the military ( you know who), businessmen, bankers, drug pushers and 419s ( if you did not know that this became a full time occupation for some you must be one of the beneficiaries if not one of them), politicians ( second time around), telecoms ( mtn, glo, econet, intercellular... They were the ish), banking ( you didn't think all those 419 monies and stolen public funds had to be banked? By who else?), do or die Party politics and now it's just man know man.

So if you want to know how we got to where we are standing today, then you need to begin to take a serious look at what we have placed on our priority list and ask why we stopped placing values on the things that mattered. We MUST MUST MUST go back to our classrooms to start re-engineering our educational system and placing values on education. Because everything in government is done now based on what we get from oil. (which by the way is running out or on its last leg with alternative source of power moving from oil) And if our future is standing on oil... It's a slippery future if you ask me.

Oil stand!!!!

Class dismiss!
(USED WITH PERMISSION FROM www.thebookofali.blogspot.com)

WHY I AM PART OF THE #20MILLIONYOUTHSFOR2015 MOVEMENT

Nigeria as we know it is a country on the brink of disaster – that is if the disaster isn’t happening right now as we speak – and there comes a time in the life of any country when the concerned citizens, regardless of their tribe, religion and cultural beliefs, must stand and say enough is enough! We have tried at different times to speak, deliberate and reason with the government. We have prayed but it seems like the prayers don’t even leave the room where they’re said. We have even tried taking to the streets in peaceful protest to say we want a change in the way that this country is run and what did we get? The government rolled out the guns and after many political maneuverings and dealings, before anyone could say occupy Nigeria, the protests were quelled.

So you ask yourself; what is the way forward? What do we have to do to make sure that government does what they are supposed to be doing? How do we become the change that we seek seeing as trying to persuade these guys to do anything is like trying to use an egg to crack a rock? Do we just resign to fate and sit and watch while Nigeria gets looted and robbed? Do we sit and do nothing while this mediocrity continues? How exactly do we go about making the change that we want? These questions and many more fill the heart and mouth of many a Nigerian.

But I am glad to announce to you, the youthful Nigerian dissatisfied with mediocrity and poverty, I am glad to present to you the latest road-map to taking this country back from the cabal that has looted it. I am glad to present to you the master plan as to how Nigeria can be removed from this quagmire and placed in her right standing in the comity of nations. This movement is tagged the #20MillionYouthsFor2015 movement. If u do not have a copy of the road-map, please download it here.

There have been concerns as to the viability and sustainability of such a large and complex movement as this. Some people even say that it won’t work. Personally, I had a chat with one of my bosses about the feasibility of this movement. He was of the opinion that given the political realities of Nigeria, this kind of movement cannot survive. He also said that our generation wasn’t ready for this kind of thing. In response to his submissions, I asked him to please tell me why he thinks our generation isn’t ready; he replied by saying that we simply will not care as long as ‘the get rich quick syndrome’ exists within our ranks. I asked him to tell me his thoughts as to how we came about that mindset; whose generation does he think we modeled ourselves after in terms of doing whatever it takes to get money and giving no thought to honor, hard work, diligence and other virtues; he answered by admitting that sadly, his generation had failed in showing us the right way to follow. I then asked him what the people in his generation did to right the wrong when they observed that things were going or had gone wrong; he had no answer. So I said to him that sir, with all due respect, your generation has failed us..

So I explained to him that I am part of the #20MillionYouthsFor2015 movement because I am tired of the way that government is run in Nigeria. I am tired of complaining and living a life devoid of even the most basic need of life like fresh air. I am tired of complaining and being an armchair critic. I am tired of people camouflaging as “activists” who are really just waiting for their chance to take from the loot. I am tired of an unworthy Nigeria. I am tired of it all. TIRED! So I decided, after going through the plans of the movement, to join. And I have one consolation. That is that even if this movement doesn’t work out as planned, I will not be ashamed to face my children and tell them that we tried. I shall show them pictures and videos showing the efforts that we made to ensure that they didn’t meet a dysfunctional Nigeria. I shall tell them stories about how we marched arm in arm, regardless of tribe, culture, religious affiliations and other barriers to try and force a change. I shall tell them stories of the victories that we won, the successes that we recorded and the failures that we encountered along the way.

I shall inspire my children by my own actions to stand up for their beliefs, their hope, aspirations, wishes, rights etc. I shall hold my head high and be proud that we tried. I shall be glad that we set a framework for the emancipation of Nigeria. I shall be proud of the fact that we didn’t resign to fate and think it couldn’t be done. I shall be proud that we dared to hope; that we dared to act; that we dared to challenge the evil forces in this country. History shall record it that a generation came and armed with mobile phones, computers and internet connections, we hit the streets and dared to inspire the common man to fight for his right through the ballot box. I shall be glad that we left the comforts of our homes and paid our dues for the development of Nigeria. And before you make up your mind and decide it’s not worth it, ask yourself; what exactly do I stand to lose? Will Nigeria be better if we sit and do nothing? Will anything change? That conversation I had with my boss isn’t one I would love to have with my children. I wouldn’t want to hang my head in shame when my children tell me to my face that I have failed them. I wouldn’t want my children to be fighting for me for the liberation of the Nigeria that I played a part in making worse by refusing to act.

So this is it people; this is how you make sure you’re part of the generation that dared to act. This is how you make sure your name is written in the history books. This is how you make sure you don’t end up like our parent’s generation. This is how you turn all your complaints and anger into productive action. Will you let this chance pass you by? Will you sit around and refuse to heed Nigeria’s call for help? Like my father says to me, “History will forgive the man that tried and failed but history will never forgive the man that folded his arms and did nothing”. A word they say, is enough for the wise.

MY QUESTIONS………. OF DREAMS, THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS…. AND RELIGION

I am writing this article in an attempt to let off some steam and put some of my thoughts into words. I happen to have a belief that your dreams become your thoughts and ultimately, your thoughts become your actions. I have however had reason to question this belief many times. A famous person that lived a long time ago once said some men are born great while some others have greatness thrust upon them. Being the questioner that I am, I have begun to ask questions. Questions like who or what determines who gets born great and who gets to have greatness thrust upon them? Is it really fair? Why would anyone want to do that? What justification(s) can there be for such a decision? Why will someone or something choose to have greatness thrust upon a particular person, have another person born great and have these two people live and function in the same society? What reasons are there for this segregation or marginalization (if u like) to exist? Too many unanswered questions.

Being a Christian, I have been taught in Sunday school since I started going to church as a little kid, that God is the arbiter of all things; that God is the creator of heaven and earth and he decides what happens to whom and when. This seems like a good way to explain the questions above but in reality, it doesn’t really answer them. I was listening to a philosopher’s opinion on this issue and he was saying that this kind of “God is all in all” statement shuts down your reasoning and effectively renders the part of your brain that asks questions useless! While the Christian part of me wanted to cut off the man’s head for uttering such a ridiculously blasphemous statement, the other part of me that reasons and asks questions immediately started to reason it out. What if it is indeed true that this whole thing is one big lie? What if it is just a big scheme by one mischievous fellow to send the whole world on a wild goose chase? What if there is someone somewhere laughing his heart out at all this religious craze that engulfing the world? I then started reasoning again; could it be possible that the two major religions in the world were introduced by the same person for his personal amusement? Is it possible that one day when we all die, we will then get to meet this person who will them let us know that all the rights that we so religiously performed; all the church we went to pray and all the offerings, tithes etc that we paid were all part of one huge joke?  Even worse, could it be that this whole idea was a bet between two friends? Could it be that these had a bet to determine who could send the world on the more ridiculous wild goose chase? Could it be that we are just pawns in this game of religious fanaticism?

When you then put into consideration a country like Nigeria for instance; People go to church just because their pastors tell them to come. People have no personal opinions on issues as they are content to believe whatever their pastors tell them. People cannot reason out decisions made by the pastors as they now see their pastors as greater than God himself. How does one explain the case of a very big “Man of God” who slapped a young girl in the full glare of everyone just because the girl claimed to be a “witch for Jesus”? How do you explain it when a church asks its low income earning members to contribute money to build a university and at the end of the day, even the guy that contributed to the building of that university cannot afford to send his child to the school because the he can’t afford the tuition and other fees? Yet he still contributes more towards the development of the school when asked. How do you explain a Bishop in an orthodox church that goes into the vestry to drink alcohol when he is supposed to be observing lent? How do you rationalize the fact that a pastor goes about with bodyguards and armed policemen all in the name of security? Who wants to kill him? Why? How do you explain a situation where a pastor lives like a drug lord at the expense of his congregation? How can a pastor spend his church’s money lavishly and with reckless abandon when there are people in his own congregation who cannot afford two meals a day? How does a pastor think to build or buy mansions and choice estate all over the world when there are members of his own church whose permanent abode is under the third mainland bridge? What does God have to say to all these? Surely he can’t be pleased? Something has to be wrong somewhere. How come the ordinary churchgoer does not stop to think about all these things? Has he been brainwashed beyond reason? Why would supposed “Men of God” do this? Instead of deciding with their head, people prefer to leave decisions to pastors and “Men of God”. Why would this God not intervene? Could it be because there is really no God; that just those two guys laughing their asses out is what there is?

Is it possible that our beliefs don’t follow norms and generally accepted morality rules? Who decides who gets to be a pastor? Is there a divine sign; like doves descending on the man in the presence of everyone and a voice declaring that they are really reverends ordained and sent by God himself. The Bible as we know it; could it be a lie? Is it possible that someone or a group of people just put this thing together to mislead people? We have heard many stories about how the bible came into being; could these stories be true? How do we determine what is true and what is not? These are all questions begging for answers in my head. After all has been said and done though, I have tried to challenge us to think through every decision we make in life. I also think its okay to dream and aspire after all, who’s to say u will live long or you won’t? If you think you will live long and you don’t, you have lost nothing but the disaster will be when you think you will not live long (and so u refuse to hope, dream and aspire) and you actually do. I also believe religion is a personal matter. Nobody should tell you what to think. If you feel like believing that there is God, you should. If you don’t feel like it, don’t. But I just sound this note of warning every time I think about these things, that note of warning is that in the final analysis, every man will be responsible for his decisions as well as his indecisions; first in this life, then in the life hereafter if there is one. But I will end with a quote I heard from friend of mine; I WOULD RATHER LIVE MY LIFE AS IF THERE IS A GOD AND DIE TO FIND OUT THERE ISN’T THAN LIVE MY LIFE AS IF THERE ISN’T AND DIE TO FIND OUT THERE IS.

HMMMMMMM!!!!

I thought i had abandoned this blog until something happened and i had to just come here and say it. I met the most amazing, intelligent, caring...etc girl in the world.. the best news about is that she was single when I met her! Can u believe that? and I met her in the most unbelievable place and under the most awkward circumstances. Funny thing is, I knew almost immediately that she would be a very big part of my life. To cut the long story short, I want to say how blessed I am to have met her. I care about you a lot and I want you to know, If you're reading this, that I care about you; A WHOLE LOT! Your opinions matter to me and the fact that you and I connect on so many different levels just makes it all so amazing. this past couple of weeks have been the best in my life and If I could turn back the hands of time, I would change the time we met and make it happen earlier than it really did. I hope it lasts for a very long time and I also want you to know that I am committed to making it so.

Here is a toast to YOU; the most outstanding girl I have ever seen. I CARE ABOUT YOU.. you know I do.