In the first article, I said the Association of Nigerian Troublers has many “unusual” members in its fold. A certain reader did not like my expanded list, which included most Nigerians. This person engaged me in a debate about the “real troublers”, and made me pledge to write another article addressing his views. This is it! Continue reading “Troublers of Nigeria: A Different View”
Category: Change
Kudos and Knocks for the Military
Yesterday, January 15, was Nigeria’s Armed Forces Remembrance Day, a day set aside to remember the roles played by the armed forces in various aspects of the Nigerian polity. Whereas the commemoration ceremonies centred on praise, I think a blend of kudos with knocks is better—kudos for the good, and knocks to correct some wrong sectors in the military’s head. Continue reading “Kudos and Knocks for the Military”
In Pursuit of Safety
When we hear the word “safety”, what comes to mind are the things we ought to do to “stay out of trouble”. In the civilized world of engineering, safety is a very serious concept, so serious that it has produced a burgeoning set of rules, regulations and standards, inside a billion-dollar industry populated by safety experts. However, many persons and organisations in Nigeria are yet to imbibe safety consciousness into their psyche. Continue reading “In Pursuit of Safety”
Much Ado about Cars
Someone once said that leadership involves leaders making sacrifices for the greater good of the organization, just as many parents deny themselves of certain rights and privileges in order to make a better life for their families. That someone obviously had no inkling of Nigerian leadership. In Nigeria, sacrifices are the exclusive preserve of the followers. Continue reading “Much Ado about Cars”
Ministry of Death: Fake Drugs Division
With the crash in the value of societal morals, people are prepared to reach alarming extents in a bid to acquire wealth. If you think that there is any limit to the Ministry of Death’s terms of reference, forget it! The Fake Drugs Division proudly trumpets its achievements, and it is rapidly recruiting new staff members. Continue reading “Ministry of Death: Fake Drugs Division”
10 Hours to Failure
“Uncle, I use (sic) to sleep from 7 o’clock to 5 o’clock”. As the young student uttered this statement, I looked aghast at her. Good sleep is important for proper development and good health, but sleeping for ten hours tells a lot about one’s priorities. Continue reading “10 Hours to Failure”
My Father Doesn’t Care
One of my students in the final secondary school level spoke the words above. Although these words were spoken in a rural area in northern Nigeria, they are representative of the educational inclination of a considerable number of parents across Nigeria. Continue reading “My Father Doesn’t Care”
A Right Wrong
“Just because something is technically legal doesn’t mean that it’s
[spiritually]appropriate. If I went around doing whatever I thought I could get by with, I’d be a slave to my whims”
1 Corinthians 6:12 (MSG)
Today, my scratchy fingers are scribbling about an issue that is quite emotional for many members of two opposing camps. I’ve been warned that it doesn’t concern me—an issue that can stir a hornet’s nest against me. Let me contribute my own kobo—I can only die once. Continue reading “A Right Wrong”
Education meets Culture
Different cultures have diverse mindsets about education. Sometimes, these views are convergent; at other times, they are as divergent as parallel lines that can never meet no matter the reference direction. In Nigeria, the various approaches to education from the North to the South span diverse shades of the colour spectrum, from black at one extreme, to white at the other extreme. Continue reading “Education meets Culture”
Rampage: A String of Needless Killings
The small town of Roanoke, somewhere in the US state of Virginia has suddenly had its low-key image forcibly shattered. When its better-known neighbour, Blacksburg, home of Virginia Tech, was shoved into the spotlight by a lethal murder-suicide in 2007, Roanoke had no inkling that it would one day face the same reckless fury. On Wednesday, 26 August, a gunman gave TV viewers a gross spectacle—live killing on television. Sadly, public shootings have become synonymous with gun-toting Americans. Continue reading “Rampage: A String of Needless Killings”
Jilomes 