Articles

Randoms

To My Dad, For the Thanks I Fail to Say

Jilomes

Today, 18 June 2017 is recognised in several countries as “Father’s Day”. In a world where a substantial number of children now grow up with their mothers as single parents, the role of fathers has never been more critical. There are people with the natural ability to deliver semen and whose semen have found a way to fertilise a female’s egg, and there are others who have not just delivered semen but have helped to nurture the resulting new life. However, while demonising the former, society has failed to recognise the sacrifices of the latter group. Continue reading “To My Dad, For the Thanks I Fail to Say” →

Change, Politics

The UK’s General Election 2017: Lessons for Nigeria

Jilomes

Not a few persons are aware of the maxim that “the pen is mightier than the sword”. This quote has been used repeatedly in speeches, articles and books. What quite a few persons know is the existence of a related quote by America’s Abraham Lincoln.  Lincoln looked at the democratic process and concluded that “The ballot is stronger than the bullet.” Although in literal terms, it is incredulous that paper could be more potent than solid lead, developed democracies have realised that a trusted ballot system not only enables citizen participation but also enables structures for development.  Continue reading “The UK’s General Election 2017: Lessons for Nigeria” →

Change, Randoms

Nigeria and the Culture of Domestic Servitude

Jilomes

Lucius Seneca’s assertion that “All cruelty springs from weakness” may seem true and untrue at the same time. On one hand, we may be inclined to accept the quote if the “weakness” is physical or intellectual, and so leads to overcompensation. “Weakness” in terms of “weak morality” may also count. However, how would Seneca’s quote hold water if the oppressor is neither physically nor intellectually weak, and even moves with an air of moral superiority? This is the state in which a good number of Nigerians find themselves.  Continue reading “Nigeria and the Culture of Domestic Servitude” →

Politics

RE: Two Years of Real Democracy

Jilomes

On the 29th of May, as Nigerians celebrated “Democracy Day” and the midpoint of the Buhari-Osinbajo administration, I published an article using a selected metric to appraise their performance so far. As we have come to see in the last few years, Nigerians are generally passionate about the leaders they love or hate, and so my article attracted lots of offline reaction in some public chat groups and in personal chats I had with some persons. I have now chosen to do a public rejoinder to respond to some of the issues raised.  Continue reading “RE: Two Years of Real Democracy” →

Change, Politics

Two Years of Real Democracy

Jilomes

For today’s article marking Nigeria’s “Democracy Day”, a quote by Michelle Hodkin should provide a suitable explanatory introduction. The quote goes thus: “Thinking something does not make it true. Wanting something does not make it real.”  Extending this, Philip Dick concisely says that “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.” Combining these two quotes, I believe there is a strong enough foundation for this essay. Let us begin.

Continue reading “Two Years of Real Democracy” →

Travelling

Scottish Whisky and other Attractions

Jilomes

For some persons, the motivation to travel comes from Saint Augustine’s famous charge: “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page”. For some others, me included, travelling goes beyond trying to read more pages of the world. Some persons would say I’m related to Nigeria’s famous tripper, “Ajala”. Well, that may be possible, but before a thesis begins on such a link, here’s a gentle recap of my last travel adventure. Continue reading “Scottish Whisky and other Attractions” →

Inspiration

An Introspection on Team Synergy

Jilomes

The American poet, Mattie Stepanek, once wrote that “Unity is strength… when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved”.  A look at books and articles pondering on productivity management shows that “the difference between success and failure is a great team”. Many authors and speakers reiterate the importance of teamwork in driving productivity, yet many persons find themselves in teams where the total output is less than the summation of individual inputs. I was recently involved in a team project and feel I should discuss some of the attributes that made that team outstanding.

Continue reading “An Introspection on Team Synergy” →

Change

One Lesson Too Many

Jilomes

The adage, “experience is the best teacher”, wrongly assumes that experience is efficacious in delivering instruction. What that adage failed to consider is that “fools despise wisdom and instruction”. In other words, for a fool, even experience is not good enough to serve as a teacher. Trying to teach a fool, even using experience, is like explaining how a colour looks to a person who was born blind. Unfortunately, this is the kind of situation Nigeria finds itself. At the risk of seeming unpatriotic, I still say that Nigeria is like a fool for whom thirty lessons is insufficient. Continue reading “One Lesson Too Many” →

Politics

Unidentified Monetary Objects

Jilomes

The story of this world is one of several mysteries with varying degrees of mysteriousness. Whether one subscribes to the creation story or the big bang hypothesis, a prevalent cloud of mystery cannot be avoided. In fact, to be human is to accept the mysterious, to accept that for some things, the more you look, the more confused you become. Being human, we accept the complexity of some unfathomable mysteries. However, when some persons decide to present clean water as opaque charcoal, our collective intelligence is affronted. Here begins a look at Nigeria’s newest mystery, crafted in the opulence of Ikoyi. Continue reading “Unidentified Monetary Objects” →

Change, Politics

The Nigerian Dream

Jilomes

When I decided to write this article, I first checked out some views about national dreams. A quote attributed to Miguel Zenon struck me, as I saw it as a fitting introduction. He described “national identity” as “something that’s directly connected to our personal experiences and the decisions we make, the roads we decide to take at certain points in our life.” I see “national dream” and “national identity” as interchangeable phrases, and so, ignoring the screaming opposition, Miguel’s description provides a launchpad for this monologue. Continue reading “The Nigerian Dream” →