Street fighters.

This is the result of the failure of Nigeria's educational system which affected every part of the country. A generation of young men learnt little or nothing of value along the way, they could only offer violence when democracy became an option in 1998.

The fellow who was buried in a clip widespread on social media (which is all over  is reported to be 49 years old which means he was 31 in 1999. The narrator of all that happened in the Oshodi area of Lagos,  a certain Talo (I don't quite understand the love  these people have for nicknames) said so many things which are anomalies but sound very normal to him.

It's normal for these ones to have meetings with politicians,  it's normal for them to get paid to do rallies,  it's definitely normal for them to kill and get killed. Bola Ahmed Tinubu has no doubt helped in feeding these cancer cells but he isn't the only guilty party.  Talo mentioned that he's always been in the APC camp but lamented that they lost the Oshodi area to PDP.   BAT couldn't have been the financier of the PDP yoots or could he?  He threw money at them attested to by Talo,  he even gave 15million naira to a group that wasn't going to campaign for him.  Perhaps giving them money was his own way of buying the peace and preventing bloodshed.

It apparently hasn't worked,  it has only bred supposedly wealthy touts and a host of admirers who are waiting for their day in the sun to takeover the criminal empire.

These strain of humans can be found all over Nigeria and in many parts of Africa.  They feel entitled and will not mind to kill for it.  They are the guys in Rivers who will get paid by the politicians there to disrupt elections,  they are the folks who will help separatist and supremacists in the Southeast intimidate the people especially those with opposing views.  They are the guys who differentiated to terrorists and militants across the country,  the offsprings of an unholy affair between the politicians and false religion.

Just examine the exotic nature  of the late Hamburger's palace,  just checkout the number of mourners who trooped there to see him buried even according to Islamic rites. He was practically a government on his street at least, Adedibu-esque,  Talo said so.  His children and boys are now orphaned, these boys will most likely be willing to have blood for blood since their benefactor is now no more.

One agonizing issue is that the fellow who did the killing,  someone who I understand was friendly with Hamburger will also get a similar number of mourners and a very Islamic burial if he is equally nailed.  The problem isn't religion in my opinion,  it's those who adulterate it for personal gain.  These guys must patronize 'jazz' for protection yet they will be found donating to religious houses perhaps to silence their conscience and pay for intercession.  It's the same process in the state recently declared as a 'Christian' state- Rivers by the governor Wike.  The same guy caught on tape spewing venom and threatening to kill INEC officials, pray tell, what is Christan about that?  He built a massive church and handed the keys to the state's chapter of the Christian association of Nigeria.  They gladly received the offering and blessed him.

This cancer is unfortunately what Nigeria has to deal with for now.  These mutated folks won't just vanish from the face of the earth,  even if they go ahead to act like it's done in Chicago,  it will take a while for them to finish imploding. 

I am not one who will take an idealist stance.  I have learnt that such doesn't work in our Nigeria.  The brand of politicians, religious leaders and yoots we have in Nigeria will not suddenly vanish and a new untainted breed cloned to replace them.  In the midst of the chaos are still a remnant we can hold on to to help steady our ship and steer us away from the rocks.  Those who at least got some amount of decent education should begin to reason like decent people without harnessing primitive sentiments of religion or ethnicity. How do we explain Nigerians having sympathy for the actions of Shekau and his metastatic violent campaign?  How do we explain supposedly educated folks who claim to be peace loving queuing behind a certain Nnamdi Kanu as the leader,  director or commander of an anticipated breakaway Biafran state despite his vile and extremely toxic rhetoric?  How do we explain wives and mothers endorsing the actions of these glorified touts in Lagos?

Many murders in Lagos and Nigeria are unresolved.  Talo gave us an insight into the symbiotic relationship between the police and crime agonist in Lagos. Many cops are sustained by the proceeds of crime,  this however is not a contraindication for state policing.  The best police forces in the world have had to deal with corruption and other vices. The commissioner of police in Lagos state Fatai Owoseni must be very familiar with these touts,  he needs to understand that these less than one percent do not and should not decide the fate and security of the millions of people in Lagos.  He should simply do his job.

The process of recovering our nation will be tedious. We should all advocate for the compulsory education of all our children,  we should seal the lips of those politicians who champion the christianization or islamization of any state in Nigeria.  They have nothing to offer.   Let us support those who still speak truth and reason,  let us desist from standing behind those who only preach hate and violence.  I cannot imagine Talo et al waking up tomorrow to champion the secession of the Southwest as Odua Republic and people backing them.

Talo claims he is prostrated before Hamburger's assailants.  He has pled that his life be spared because of his family,  should we join in begging the murderers to have mercy or should we beg the police or Tinubu to protect him? Where is Fayose when you need him?

2//6/2017

AGGRESSION EVERYWHERE 16-05-2017

15/5/2017a,5:45pm
There was 'go-slow' on the road between Ojota and Ketu. I wasn't interested in driving towards Ketu, all that was on my mind was driving across the BRT lane to get on the bridge to cross over to the other side towards GRA Ikeja.

I made it across the BRT lane but not without the regular insults and a slap on my trunk from a restless 'Danfo' conductor who felt I should have moved earlier as a LAGBUS approached. I must have muttered something about the conductor's head like asking if it was complete (prays for forgiveness🙏😇) as I drove with an articulated vehicle following right behind.

I looked up at my rear view mirror and noticed something I thought was bizarre going on. The truck appeared to jostle with a 'danfo' and in a matter of seconds, the conductor was on the road dramatizing as if prepared to engage in physical combat. What followed must have had other road users very stunned. I kept one eye on the road and the other on the mirror. Two young men jumped down from the truck to confront the conductor and one of them wielded a big machete. I think the conductor was scared stiff and people in buses and cars began to scream in an attempt to discourage the potential assailant from raising his weapon.

What I found more bizarre was that there were two armed policemen wearing body armour standing a few feet away from what was brewing but they appeared disinterested. I don't know what ensued because I was soon on my way up the bridge. 
....................................................................................

16/5/2017, 9:55am:

I noticed a mobile policeman approaching three people and a motorbike just outside of the Diamond bank branch situated at the entrance of Cole street at Ojuelegba. The cop paced angrily and ordered to bike rider to move away from the bank. The rider who had a lady behind him moved forward but I observed as I drove into Cole street that her hand was held tightly by the third human in the equation.

As the rider made to continue the trip, the third man pulled back aggressively on the lady's right hand causing her to cry out and forcing the rider to halt repeatedly. It seems this was a 'love-gone-wrong' situation and the rider was unfortunately caught up in the see-saw. Both of these two individuals appeared unnaturally light skinned prompting me to believe they probably shared lotion and perhaps other beauty products. No bystander appeared bothered at that moment possibly because all he did was hold tightly; he was yet to raise his hand to strike.

It didn't appear to me that the cop who chased them away from the bank was concerned that a young man and a young woman were involved in a heated exchange and a potentially dangerous situation.

.................................................................................

Aggressive behavior or violence should not be an option for handling any situation. I understand that there is so much happening in Nigeria at the moment to push us past the upper limit of our anger but it is instructive to do all that's within our power to inhale and exhale. A wrong move can lead to very catastrophic events that'll be difficult to defuse.

I got home yesterday evening and met my street closed for the second time in a few months. I think it was a naming ceremony and the celebrants opted to assemble tables and chairs for their guests which completely turned the street into two sinuses. At one end of the blockade was parked a rickety police truck with about three armed men who had joined in the feasting.

I'm certain there are laws against blocking streets for parties in Lagos but our people still manage to do what they like. They also get policemen for security and LASTMA officials to control traffic. I wonder the requests I would have gotten if I belonged to the police or the armed forces. I could have most likely been required to get people locked up or even beaten to stupor.

Many of our law enforcement officers are currently nonchalant about effectively doing their jobs. That's one evil we have to deal with until we overhaul the force. A good number will only respond to monetary stimulation so it you are not certain about the stability of any policeman around you or your neighborhood, please do not look for trouble or dodge any attempt by troublemakers to locate you.

Posted to Facebook on 16-5-2016

A LITTLE ON MARRIAGE

Marriage is one subject I have not written on and this isn't because I can't.

I must admit that there are too many 'fake' people both in real life and in ‘cyberspace,’ there are also many 'experts' on relationship and marriage matters with sufficient material already in circulation to last a lifetime.

One thing I wouldn't do is write simply for the sake of writing or present myself or my marriage as flawless or a standard for anyone to look up to. This isn't to say that one's marriage/relationship cannot serve to inspire other people; this however should be the decision of the observer.

There is no 'one size fits all' about marriage, love and other allied matters so be careful to learn as much as possible from several reliable sources and adapt as much as is realistically possible to augment yours.

Entering into love based relationships requires a lot of preparation, working on oneself to input values such as contentment, patience and sacrifice. It also entails getting rid of or immobilizing negative vices which end up straining relationships. This period of preparation depends on what is lacking and it really is a continuous process as adjustments still get to be made even when the relationship has commenced.

It is like a prospective examination one obtains past questions for. The contents of such questions don't get into one's brain by diffusion or osmosis. It's not by just glancing at the pages and assuming you have it all figured out without any practice. It doesn't work like that every day.

Marriage is always about tests and examinations. It's not really about one's background, it's largely about attitude. If you tolerate negative ideas, you'd most likely ruin even a union 'made in heaven.' It's a lot of work that even longevity in the game doesn't exempt one from.

I'm glad I'm married and this isn't because it's the right thing to say on Facebook or on social media. I'd prefer to talk about relationships with flesh and blood than post long essays on ideal relationships whilst hoping that people will read and glean one or two things.

We have our parents as sources to learn from irrespective of whether they were there or not, or whether our homes were broken or flawless. We have relatives, neighbors, in-laws and even celebrities to learn from (i.e. for those who like the glamour they see on television). There is no source that one can't pick up something valuable from. Marriage is experienced in real life.

************************************************

Today marks seven years that I hurled my entire family to Ilorin to sign my marriage certificate with my beautiful wife and it seems like the years have flown by so quickly. She's inspired me and made me a much better person. I am grateful for everything that's happened, no regrets whatsoever.

I hope and pray that all seeking this 'obstacle course' will find good people and those experiencing stormy seas at the moment will get to experience peace.

My genes have conspired to mask the effects of being married but I assure that even though I don't have the kilos to prove it, my mind is at peace and my heart beats appropriately. Try it!!!

I look forward to our 70th year anniversary Funmilayo 😁😁😁 if time permits. Thank you for enduring all my ‘wahala.’

I love you and thank you for all the good in your heart. My boys also deserve a mention too.


Posted on Facebook 1st May 2017 
https://www.facebook.com/vladamir.oleejidenko/posts/10155373579197033

BREAK AWAY FROM THIS UNIFORM MENTALITY.

I cannot help but feel that the many years of military rule have left permanent scars on the cerebral cortexes of many Nigerians.

It appears to me that many Nigerians believe that one's ability to wield 'Power-Authority' in the land depends a great deal on the acquisition of khaki uniforms and firearms.  No wonder we oppress one another with boasts and the reality of who we know.  One only needs to have a relative or friend in the Military, Police Force, State Security Service, Customs Service, Immigration Service, Prisons Service, Civil Defence Corp or even the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to deal severely with offenders both real and imagined ones.

We have been told that Colonel Ali needs to wear a uniform in order to carry out his duties as the Comptroller General (CG) of the Nigerian Customs Service (NSC). This really baffles me simply because I do not understand the correlation between appearing in a uniform and issuing directives to subordinates. Will a lower ranked officer in the Army refuse a valid instruction from a commanding officer who is about to have a swim across a pool?

I have asked people to tell me what the terminology 'Comptroller ' means.  I believe some Nigerians do not actually understand the significance of this and hence cannot see beyond military ranks which generally do not give us an insight of the job descriptions of those concerned.  An Army General for example could be a medic, a tank or artillery commander or an army lawyer or teacher. A comptroller on the other hand has a management duty to give account of financial dealings.

The Nigerian customs service is responsible for a vast proportion of Nigeria's income getting accurately remitted and its actions are supervised by the Ministry of Finance. This is not exactly the same for every nation as there may be modifications where necessary.  The United States of America for example created the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in 2003 from what had previously existed, the former Customs agency was moved from the Department of Treasury and merged with certain components of border control to form the current hybridized agency under the Department of Homeland Security.

The American equivalent of the NCS has a Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner as the two most senior officers in charge.  These two have no insignia and don't wear uniform.  One of the past Commissioners was a prosecutor and a high court judge at different times.  His past military service and experience dealing with drug related offences must have served him well when administering the CBP. Another past Commissioner retired as a colonel of the US Marine Corp and was a two time commissioner of police in New York. He was neither a career police nor custom officer; he is a politician who has been active in his nation's affairs for most of his adult life.

When such men and women are assessed, no one asks them what size of uniform they wore during their tenure but how much revenue the nation earned and how well they dealt with smuggling and protected the integrity of their country. 

Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is the British equivalent.  This organization after a reform done a few years ago is now structured and overlaid with a cascade of civilian authority made up of career civil servants before one is able to get to the most senior of those officers required to wear uniforms.  The current Chief executive is a permanent secretary who was prior to this a permanent secretary at the Ministry of Defence.  They have clerical, administrative and secretarial staffs of the HMRC who don’t wear uniform yet they don't have any confusion but get the job done.

The Nigerian Senate is one body part that clearly needs to be debrided or completely excised. A lot of their talk appears to me like products of intoxication.  The other day, a certain Dino Melaye was angry that the then acting President declined to sign some of the bills sent to the presidency. He exclaimed that it was the duty of the presidency to sign whatever was sent to them by the Senate.  Now they pick out laws on customs' dress code from one of the stars in Orion and order the Comptroller to dress up before appearing before them instead of addressing the weighty matter of customs duties on vehicles which somehow over the past few years evaded career customs officers in uniform. The NCS has stepped down the controversial order so in essence, the CG isn't obstructing or distracting anyone, it is the comedians in the heme chamber wanting to see Colonel Ali in his pajamas who are causing all the distraction.

The NCS ought to be made up of sound civil servants and those specially trained to bear arms and partake in law enforcement like the police do.  The uniform is not what transmits authority; it’s the President who appointed the CG who gives him his authority.  There are no beneficial transmittable spirits or wisdom of past comptrollers on the uniform and there is no clear cut directive on uniforms for non-career customs comptrollers as far as I know.  If there is such a document, it’s probably not in the public domain.

The Nigerian Senate take great delight in playing to the gallery and deflecting issues away from themselves.  Going on and on about not receiving the CG because he refused their command is like refusing to collect money from someone who gives it out with his or her left hand  because culture dictates otherwise. Should we not be more interested in asking Ali about how much more revenue we are making as a nation now and how many weapons his officers have intercepted?

There are those utilizing the media to extend this non-issue calling Colonel Ali arrogant and stubborn.  Some Nigerians only see this event and that of Magu's rejection as an opportunity to have a go at their political enemies; these individuals don't reason beyond the 'APC-PDP' dichotomy and such cannot be helped.  Some Nigerians want to keep importing vehicles and grain without paying their custom duties accurately; some even want outright waivers because they are religious mentors to those in government.  They simply don't mind the country going under as long as business goes on fine for them.

It's high time we broke away from thinking all authority over civilian matters lies in a uniform or in the barrel of a gun. If we are serious about doing things differently then let's start now. There's a new political party supposedly made up of young dynamic people and this party released a document on some of their newly elected national officials. I read through the list and observed that the state of origin of all those concerned were included.  This I believe was meant to convince potential members of the wide geographical spread of the party but that didn't impress me.  Reading through some of the comments on a Facebook post on this made the feeling even worse.  There were some commentators who applauded the new development but they soon drew the attention of the fellow who made the post that their states were not represented to which he responded that it would be looked into.

What is now the difference between the old and the new?  Are we also going to ask that every state should get a minister if we somehow manage to oust the old guard like Isa Hayatou was sent packing yesterday?

For those convinced the 8th Senate is on a righteous path, you must think that Saraki et al care so much about you, right?  

Go and clear your real brains at Seme border so you can start to really think.

On the Senate and the Comptroller.

I read through the Customs Services act and searched the Nigerian constitution but did not find any information about the vice chairman of the Customs board's requirement to wear uniform.

The man said he hasn't seen such law and one senator was pleading with him to comply because there is no law which empowers him not to wear uniform.

These gangsters have important issues to deliberate upon but Ben Bruce cannot use this period to point this common sense out to his hilarious mates in the Senate. 

The issue was about the Customs requiring vehicle owners to pay charges for their vehicles which somehow evaded these charges and the Customs services have since shelved this but our comical senators are busy rescheduling appearances for the Comptroller General (CG) like they were talking to a toddler.  They should try to get such children to have their baths or get into their pajamas first. 

The Customs services has the Minister of finance as the Chairman of the board and together with the CG and Deputy CGs,  their job is to ensure Nigeria makes money,  what does uniform have to do with ensuring this gets done? They will soon ask Ali to go on patrol at Seme border since he's now a custom officer. 

Shior!!!

THE NEED TO PROTEST.

Some folks want to protest against the government which is their right but they are angry that others are opposed to it and will not be joining in.

I have read through a few posts and comments on social media by supporters and prospective participants of the protest. There has been severe abuse directed at perceived and outspoken opponents of the protest and some have accused the government of intolerance and are sure that they will be an inevitable clampdown on the protesters.

But why are they angry? Some are angry because they imagine that all those not joining in the protest are paid by the government and were very vocal during the major protests which rocked President Jonathan's tenure. A quick assessment of some prominent backers of this coming protest reveals that a number of them were vocal and active against Jonathan and are still convinced to get unto the streets this time around. I really find it difficult to understand if indeed everyone not in support of the protest has been paid by the government or the APC.

Some people are angry that one of the faces of the protest Innocent Tuface Idibia has been abused or discredited by the government and its supporters. Is the government actually that bothered about Tuface to attack his personal life, literacy or his association with certain politicians? One university lecturer was reported to have hit Tuface below the belt on these issues; I'm not sure if he was paid by the government to post what he did. I have read posts on social media made by those angry that Tuface got goodies from a former governor on the occasion of his wedding. I'm not sure everyone talking about Tuface and Prado SUVs is doing so because they love president Buhari.

We have a very judgmental society and the fact that Tuface has had several affairs is enough reason for some Nigerians to mock anything he does. Many in this current administration no doubt have complicated family and sexual histories, it doesn't sound like attacking Tuface for his other room activities is a path they would have ventured on.

Another item people are angry at is the plan by another group to campaign on the same day in solidarity with the president. They say it's the presidency bankrolling them which is a possibility but when the organizers of the Tuface protest are accused of being sponsored by opposition party elements and cynics, it becomes a problem.

Femi Adesina gave his opinion about the protest and suggested that those organizing it were most likely still stuck in their direction loss, perpetual cynics or impatient supporters of the president. Many have expressed their displeasure and anger at these descriptions but I see those who have propagated falsehood about the president's demise and those who actively campaigned for his election in 2015 singing the same chorus regarding this protest.

The main argument is that Nigerians are suffering, dying and absolutely nothing has been done since May 29th 2015 so those not interested in protest marches at this time are evil and cowards. I don't think it's necessary to reel out what the current administration has achieved because it won't make sense to certain Nigerians. It is these same Nigerians who readily condemned the government when it made moves on certain Nigerians and the judiciary. When we ask them what they really want regarding Nigeria, they are incoherent and indecisive many times.

Tuface and anyone who is convinced to protest are free to do so. They are free to parley with any politician or governor owing salaries and pensions to protest the difficulties in the country. My only concern is that most of those very vocal from their keyboards and keypads will not turn up for these protests. Nigerians who turned out to shut the country down for a few days during the fuel subsidy protests didn't do so because they were paid or because free food, drinks, music and free T-shirts were provided. If the coming protests take such dimensions, then I'd be convinced that Nigerians are generally very dissatisfied. Like the many that didn't support that fuel subsidy protest utilized their freewill, those not keen on protesting now should be allowed to exercise theirs.

I hope the protests will get to the state governors who are not doing enough, towns and villages in Nigeria's northeast should also get covered by the protesters. I hope the protests go smoothly and those already downloading images of dead people from the internet to hijack the protests should keep at it.

Tuface, PMAN, Nollywood, NANS, IPOB, Fayose and Wike have every right to protest just like every Nigerian has the same right. When doctors and lectures protest and go on strike, Nigerians are generally nonchalant so it is not expected that all Nigerians currently getting pummeled by our harsh economic realities of ought to buy into the idea of protests against the government, perhaps not at this time.

The protests should go ahead but it should not be used as an excuse by some to cause havoc or invade Aso Rock. Whatever the lead protesters do, they should ensure that the Nigerian labour Congress or the Trade union Congress do not get front row seats not to talk of controlling the gears. And please, leave Tu-baba's family out of his politics. There are actually those who mock President Trump for his wife's past modeling career but are in strong defense of Tuface. Let's curtail our hypocrisy too.

 

2Face

GUARD YOURSELF

So there's this fellow who I've been acquainted with since 1993 but became friends with on Facebook sometime in 2011. I do my own thing which I think he knows nothing about and he's doing his own stuff with being a radio on-air-personality part of it.

Despite the length of time as friends on Facebook,  we had no posts in common until a few days ago. This meant that he had never engaged me and I had never seen anything he posted to interest me enough to comment. So he put up a post criticizing the president's choice of the United Kingdom for vacation instead of locations in Nigeria and his perceived silence on the Kaduna crisis. He also suggested that the president took every opportunity to travel abroad for medical checkup and asked who was paying for such.

I thought his submission was debatable so I asked him first of all if he spent all of his holidays in Nigeria?  He didn't take my simple question well and soon went on a rant about how I must have come to engage him and defend the president for the sake of seeking popularity and perhaps a political appointment.

I wondered why he was so intolerant to my question and so I asked him to come up with facts that the president had indeed shipped himself abroad at every given moment for medical issues.  He didn't answer me but mentioned that it took him 5 months of intense research to arrive at the few lines he had posted on Facebook which contained glowing tribute to the "medical strength " within Nigeria.

He thereafter attacked me that he knew I was an "I too know" and should not have thought that I would visit his wall and gotten away with saying whatever I liked.  In short, he posted "make you look face. " He suggested that I should block him if I was angry but I replied that I wasn't,  it's what I'm used to on Facebook especially from those who don't like their opinions questioned.

Soon his fans began to flood his page and he either joined or led them in talking about "that guy" who was seeking for government appointment.  I asked him why he felt right to refer to me as "that guy" and highlighted to him how inaccurate his comments were considering the fact that we had never engaged on Facebook prior to that day for him to arrive at his conclusions and tell one of his fans that I was a waste of time.

I noticed he began to delete my comments after I made reference to how inactive our cyber friendship had been and he did so three times after which he blocked me ending my quest for fame on his wall. 😂 😂 😂 I always take screenshots just in case.

Why did I go through all this preamble?  Why do I fail to mind my virtual business?

I have met and related with a few politicians in my short life and I think I have a fair idea of how to get a political appointment by pressing buttons and activating launch codes. My brief stint in Abuja in 2007/2008 brought me close to a few.  I almost accepted an invitation to follow a former commissioner of justice in Ekiti state to fàájì even though I was on call that evening.  I could easily have started off conversation with a few and even when a family member was in government,  I never requested for nor was I offered 5 Naira by him despite visiting his Maitama residence on a few occasions.

I met Governor Aregbesola at the Dubai international airport very briefly in November 2014. This was just before the APC primaries and I walked up to him and shook his hand.  I asked him what they were doing to ensure the right candidate emerged and he assured me that they were on track.  That moment gave me hope and hope was all I needed.

Let us not kid ourselves,  there was no other choice at that time who could have overrun the incumbent.  I definitely campaigned for the current president and I must state that I have absolutely no regret whatsoever. Could things be better?  Yes, is the presidency operating maximally? Definitely not. The current state of the party that held sway for 16 years is clear evidence that we were in a really bad place. Without the usual cash flow they were used to, many have decamped and 'Robeasts' from Ekiti and Rivers are now the face of the party parading themselves as 'Voltrons' with a certain 'Ben10' waiting on the flank to pounce.

Certain vested interests in the media, religious groups and some politicians aren't interested in progress. Some don't mind lying, generating fiction and setting fire to the nation while they dance thinking the fire wouldn't consume them and their families.

Many Nigerians find it difficult to keep up with reading and searching out truth so they will readily believe skewed stories and outright fabrications. It's normal to hear of herdsmen being accused of every crime in the country and IPOB youths getting killed by police during protests. I have seen in recent weeks images unrelated to Nigeria published as actual events in the country. Images of charred bodies from a tanker explosion from 2006 which claimed over 200 lives in Congo DR was circulated as carnage from Southern Kaduna just like other unrelated images were used to depict events in Agatu and Enugu. I also saw images of young men killed in Bamenda, Cameroon circulated as gunned down IPOB youths. These images perpetually remain in orbit without those sympathetic to them  raising any objections even when faced with the truth about the source of such images. The normal defense mechanism is to attempt to turn the tables around by accusing us of insensitivity and asking if we understood what it meant to lose anyone or people in the troubled areas. The irony of that logic is that these individuals usually do not have any such personal experiences. They must imagine that they are more human than all others.

Falsehood is a three course meal for many Nigerians as they allow fires to continue to rage. It doesn't matter if links to information capable of extinguishing these fires are provided, the arrogance and defiance of these Nigerians will probably prevent them from clicking to read. When they do click, they probably fail to comprehend or simply ignore the facts.

I don't need popularity or appointment,  I need the truth circulated as much as possible.

Many groups are lying and skewed narratives are given front page. Those whose responsibility it is to provide news and information should be advised that their default sentiments should be suspended when gathering and reporting news. They should resist the temptation to become arsonist and triggers of war.

I don't approve of foreign medical trips and I posted so in 2013. My former friend must have thought I wanted to say I approved it. The president to the best of my knowledge has gone out 3 times to see his doctor. February 2016, June 2016 for the ear problem and now January 2017. Is that really too much when one considers the leave factor? It may be to some no doubt. 

Opposition and criticism is very good but it becomes a joke in my opinion when one begins to criticize for example money given to states for primary school feeding. Like the biblical character Judas Iscariot, they will suggest that such monies could have been used for other more important purposes or that it will still get stolen by those ought to execute the project. In the Nigeria we have today, there is a real chance that some parents will plunder such funds instead of providing food for their children.

Nigeria is complex and those who really care should not add petrol to the fires we are still battling with. Read in between the lines, under it  and around if possible. Don't let opportunists and manipulators play with your minds any longer. Don't worship people and don't let people worship you. That's a major way to maintain your sanity.