MULTIPLE RANTS.

MULTIPLE RANTS

In the past few days, I have had to engage many species of humans particularly  on the subjects of the forthcoming elections and the boko haram insurgency. I do not want to tag what I do as daily rants it's just that when i start out to write one passage,  a dam of thoughts just break loose and most times I get swept away by the flood. 

I have had to engage old secondary school peers who specialise in selective comprehension reading to arrive at the summary of any article concerned.  I remember that a specific question during ordinary level WAEC examination was a summary which had alloted to it a whopping 30 marks;  at least that's what our teachers told us then.  It required the students to read through a comprehension and summarise in 3 sentences the contents of the passage.  I perhaps didn't know the importance of that task until now.  My friends will see an opsonized caption and scan through to find any group of words that suit the plot they intend to direct;  they cut it out of context and paste it on their timelines like they had just discovered that the earth is not geoid but hexagonal. 

Attempts to redirect these folks usually prove futile even when they are pointed to the source of their information.  These sadly is the current state of many Jonathan apologists;  I fear we may have a major rehabilitation crisis in our hands when this election process is all over. 

I have also had to engage military officers who in my opinion assume they possess untold wisdom regarding Nigeria more than the average civilian which I am.  One in particular questioned what I knew about morale because I observed that president Jonathan may have a guilty pleasure which is parading himself in military attire.  Another translated my criticism as being in opposition to the grounds gained in conquering the terrorist group,  the fellow even went on to conclude that I had never been in northeastern Nigeria before amongst other assumptions.  

I was accused of being overly emotional and partisan by making reference to the belated efforts in the northeast and the thousands who have already paid the ultimate price when the commander in chief was busy underestimating the scale of insurgency.  The officers from time to time mentioned that those of us not buying their view were scrutinising the visit of Jonathan to Baga wearing combat fatigues,  black boots and bouncing with a black walking stick through political lenses.  These same fellows on the other hand voiced out their approval for the deployment of troops for the elections. I asked them if the military actually had constitutional studies as part of their curriculum. 

Mr president has appeared in the full regalia of all the 3 arms of the military at one time or the other. He is the commander in chief of the armed forces of Nigeria sadly but I do not think appearing at Baga and environs 2 weeks after the initial date for the presidential election in combat and stick can be separated from politics.  My point which the officers found difficult to grasp was that I didn't care if the president had been wearing white singlet and pawpaw leaves to the northeast once every month for the past 12 months (which he rarely visited);  it was his duty to have been boosting the morale of the military since he took office. The barrel bellied superiors and the chronically sentimental ones in the military may have seen the entire exercise as morale boosting but like someone said; what will happen to the soldiers on death row who were not visited by their khaki wearing president when things were really hot and uncertain? 

I have referred these officers who think I don't have any regard for the military to what I wrote for my blog on the armed forces remembrance day which is titled "January 15" but I doubt if they'd click on the link.  I cautioned them to be mindful of not ascribing exclusive knowledge of the nation's security issues to themselves and to be truly patriotic. If our military officers were that sophisticated and cerebral;  they would not have repeatedly killed the ever elusive Shekau and his stunt doubles neither would a certain brigadier's life be made bitter by a "bloody" civilian minister of state.  Would it not be naive if I thought that the anticipated duties of soldiers during the elections would be strictly professional soldiering business? 

I read a piece by the music maestro "lagbaja" yesterday where he advised Nigerians to awaken to the seriousness of the electoral process.  Some are still losing sleep over the "striking" similarities between the two parties which has informed their perpetual camping on the political barbed wire fence. They really do think that such a stance is highly processed and valid.  I guess their fears and anxieties will never leave them. 

It is almost two days now without power supply not even a flash of the sacred resource.  As I drove this afternoon in search of a dealing fuel station,  I caught a glimpse of a woman filling her generator with fuel from a small jerry can and later I saw a man holding a little girl with one hand and he had about a 4 little keg of fuel in the other. The need for fuel is almost like the need for water, that's the harsh reality in Nigeria at the moment. I got fuel alright after going through what appeared to be a panic queue at the filling station. When one buys an equal amount or twice as much petrol into a black jerry can than into the vehicle's tank then the one should realise that there is a major problem in need of urgent change. 

I got home and settled down before activating the generator to catch most of the second half of the Manchester United - Sunderland match.  The game was lethargic until a brilliant move by Radamel Falcao earned United a deserved penalty kick.  That moment was ruined seconds  after when the referee who sees only Brown when out in the sun sent off the former Manchester United defender Wesley for an early shower.  The chaos that ensued thereafter was indeed very sad especially for the officials.  Sunderland and United players appealed the harsh decision and the guilty party even identified himself to the centre referee and at a time took off his armband in preparedness to depart the pitch in the stead of Wesley.  This is one of the reasons why I will continue to advocate for the common sense use of technology and challenges like it is done in tennis.  

What would it cost officials to check a quick video replay to know that shear butter and brown are not the same like oxlade and kieran are not twins? The only technology employed by the referees was their communication gadget which they used to speak in tongues to themselves and thereafter insisted on Wesley taking a walk but not before assuring him that the card would be rescinded; didn't you hear that part? John wasn't actually the last man when the offence was committed. 

I hope people now see reasons  why I stuck on in the defence of David Moyes during his short reign as United boss and why I was positive that Mourinho was never going to succeed Sir Alex. I suppose we have little choice now but to stick with Van Gaal.

I think i should start putting my papers together in order to relocate to America to start my boxing career. I may not have much time left to navigate the welter weight category but I reckon that in 2 or 3 years I should be ready to take on the "money man" Floyd Mayweather who would be over 40 by then but still viable to command the cash.  The much anticipated fight with the Pacman has finally been agreed and it's billed to command mega money in the region of $250 million with egbon Floyd taking 60%. Now I understand why that Bolton boy Amir Khan was calling out Floyd. If Amir can be so bold and confident of defeating Floyd what is stopping your mouth? what is stopping me? 

I don't even think I need 10% of the honeypot to prove I can challenge Floyd; 1% of the $250 million is enough reward as long as I defeat him which for me would be the greatest accomplishment. With Midday Awo as my trainer and sparring partner; who be Floyd?

Am I awake now? Slept off while watching a CNN report on the money man versus Pacman fight. :P