Tag: Responsibility

Change, Politics

A Nation in Need of Redemption

Jilomes

In November 2018, over 100 Nigerian soldiers were gruesomely slaughtered at a town called Metele by a contingent of Boko Haram terrorists. That sad event influenced an article in which I argued that losing that many soldiers in one sitting should mark a turning point in existing attempts to exterminate the murderous gang. But Metele was brushed aside and almost four years later, Nigeria continues to face existential threats to its continued existence and a loss of faith by citizens that the people who should know, know what they should know.

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Change, Inspiration

The Privilege Vs Responsibility Divide

Jilomes

“Privilege is when you think something is not a problem because it’s not a problem to you personally”

David Gaider

The headline quote for this article is one that I think requires some deep introspection. But even if you were to undertake the shallowest form of reflection, it is easy to see at least one area of privilege regardless of how badly you think you lost the proverbial birth lottery. For me, my mind is burdened as I try to draw a line between privilege and responsibility. Permit me to selflessly unload my burden on you.

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Politics

The Blindside Called State Budgets

Jilomes

“No man is wise at all times, or is without his blind side”

Desiderius Erasmus

The quote by Desiderius sets the stage for an article that has been on my mind for quite a while. The first time I came across the word “blindside”, it was used in the context of a sports game where players may focus so much on a certain opposing team’s key player and in trying to prevent that person from scoring, they inadvertently leave their flanks unattended for another opposition player to exploit, sometimes, resulting in catastrophic loses. Looking at the political system, we can see this analogy play out so well in the way Nigerians focus all their energy on the Federal Government.

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Politics

​Rivers State: The Enemy Within

Jilomes

Caitlin Moran once wrote: “…the world will come at you with knives anyway. You don’t need to beat them to it”. Whereas it would seem counterintuitive that a people would choose to harm themselves, each day people in Rivers State make the foolish choice of harming themselves and the state they call their own. Rivers people keep complaining about marginalization by the federal government and the Hausa-Fulani hegemony. While some of the complaints are valid, a closer look would reveal that the real enemy lies within, not outside. 

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Randoms

The Bad Bad West

Jilomes

“How una dey na? Una hear about the katakata for Zaria?”
“O boy! I hear am oh. Heard that the Army went up against a Shia group”
“What are you guys talking about?
“See this bros oh! U no hear say some people get mind attack Chief of Army Staff. Now Army wan use them act Odi and Zaki-Biam. Wetin dey vex me na say some people say na the West cause this wahala, say them dey back the Shiites to fight Islam.” Continue reading “The Bad Bad West” →

Change, Politics

Authority without Responsibility

Jilomes

As an engineering undergraduate student, one of the requisite courses at my institution was a course on management. Industrial Law & Management introduced students to the ethos of management, our very own undergraduate “MBA” course. That little glimpse left a lasting impression on some of us.

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