Hellish Living In Nigeria?

I want to share an opinion today on my observation about an article I read today in The Nation newspaper columnist section by Gbenga Omotoso. It was titled 'A Hell of a Country'. http://thenationonlineng.net/new/gbenga-omotoso/hell-of-a-country/The article enumerated lot of present day challenges being faced by Nigerians. He surmised that all these problems make living in Nigeria look like living in hell. Is it the flood problem, kidnappings, armed robberies, lack of standard hospitals that make our leaders run abroad for treatments, corruption everywhere, and the father of all, Boko Haram insurgencies?

He opined that Nigerians are living as if in hell. The article made me laugh myself out because of the contribution the great columnist said he received as feedback from one of his respondents describing Nigerians as living like in hell in a most hilarious and jocular manner. I like to quote the response below:

“Three former leaders – from UK, US and Nigeria – went to hell. The first asked the devil to allow him make a call to London to inquire about the country’s welfare. He spent five minutes on the telephone. Satan billed him $5million. The ex-US leader also made a call and spent eight minutes. The bill: $8million.“Then, the ex-Nigerian leader called Abuja. He spent two hours. ‘How much be my bill?’ he asked Satan. ‘$1,’ he replied. Surprised, the former leader said: ‘But I stayed longer than them.’ Satan smiled, saying: ‘Calling hell from hell is not expensive; it’s a local call.’”

Are we really living in hell in Nigeria? If we take note of the levels of corruption, wanton killings, suicide bombings, unemployment, agitations among different ethnic nationalities, and various other myriads of challenges facing us as a nation, coupled with the poverty level in the country while the political class swim in unfathomable richness, one tends to agree that majority of Nigerians are living in hell.

However, I believe we have cause to be positive minded and hopeful. Moreover, I believe that the current travails are not peculiar to us alone and many countries that we envy today had journeyed along such path one time or the other in their past history. In addition, I think we are better off in democracy than the dark days of military incursions into our life.

Democratic practice will continue to flourish as we gradually relinquish the military mentality unleashed on the nation as a result of the long military rule. I think we are getting better as a nation. I am not living in hell. I live in Nigeria.  Today's  living may be alien to paradise type and close to hellish living, yet it is a clarion call on all of us to make a positive change on our nation. If we decide to chase off hellish living, we can do it.

This is my opinion. Readers comments and contributions are welcome.   

Our Local Tsunami, Angry Flood Ravaging Our Abode.

It is no more news that many states in Nigeria were recently ravaged with flood. Many families lost their homes and property. Thousands are now homeless and taking shelter in make-shift school buildings. From the hinterland of Delta, oil fields of Bayelsa, to the North-bound lands of Kogi, and Adamawa, nature's angry flood devastation know no bounds.  Anambra, Edo, Oyo, Rivers, including Lagos and Benue states had received their shares of the misfortunes of angry waters at different periods of our recent pasts. Lives have been lost and properties damaged. What shall we do? This is our own portion of local Tsunami. May the Lord of the Universe deliver us from the perils of angry flood. May the Lord of Nature control the torrential rain discharge on our environment, may our neighboring countries  Dam controllers understand what they are doing, may our leaders have the courage to do the right thing to control our environment, may our people have enough understanding to ensure drainage are not blocked with our waste products. May the good Lord comfort the families of those that lost loved ones and properties during various flood incidents in our nation.     

OUR LOCAL TSUNAMI-ANGRY FLOOD RAVAGING OUR ABODE.

What shall we call this harbinger of sorrow?
This raining season that rains without reason
This torrential rains that refused to stop on time
Until the banks of rivers around got overloads
Until the canals debris were pumped into the surface of our abodes.

Rushing waters, angry floods had taken over our home
Our rooftop was leveled with the surface of the water
And the result is the calamities untold of sorrows
This angry waters has taken over our lives
Now we live like the nomads away from home.

Angry flood is ravaging our homes
Now, no home to call our own
This local Tsunami is a drain on our hopes
This strange water is a curse on our expectations
Angry flood, please depart from our nation.

   

   

SUCCESFUL WORK AT HOME JOB

Many people are tired of their wages job today. It robs them of their peace of mind, freedom and many are far away from their family and loved ones due to the pressure of job to put money on the table for the family.

Many homes have become a living hell due to the stress of salary jobs. Yet only few percentage of wage earners really enjoy the good things of life.

Work at home business has become another alternative that many people around the world are looking up to as a viable alternative to stressful paid employment. Why wouldn't I embrace this alternative that actually delivered for me a new life of freedom and wealth?

I love my work at home job. Join me in my new world.  

Success Work At Home Job

I have been looking for a job
Not the kind of offer that I was robbed
Of my peace of heart and later been snubbed
By my employer of labour in his shop.

I have been looking for an offer
Not the type of the kind that I will suffer
While my employer of labour is dancing Samba
And his labour force are busy prospecting for buyers.

I am looking for a work at home
So that I can have a time of my own
My family who had missed me from home
My children who desired attention as they grow.

I have found a successful work at home job
I got a home based offer
I love the independent life this one put up
I savour the peace of mind in this offer.

Follow me to enjoy my work at home business
Though, I need to learn the rope in earnest
Yet the end -product is a success
The fruit of my labour leads to financial independence.



      

SOME WISE SAYINGS ABOUT FORGIVENESS

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1. If you take revenge, you will regret it; if you forgive, you will rejoice.
2. He who takes vengeance destroys his own house. Revenge begets remorse and remorse begets misery.
3. Those who want to be forgiven must learn to forgive.
4. If not for our ability to forget, we would never be free from grief.
5. From ANGER comes DELUSION; delusion fathers CONFUSION; confusion is followed by         DESTRUCTION of REASON. Finally the man perishes.

Let us learn how to forgive each other. It is the principle of life.

SCANDALOUS SCANDALS

How shall we tame the evils of corruptions on our nation? When we think we are getting closer to the vaccine that will kill corruption, another corruptible virus will materialize. The House Committee chairman on Petroleum Subsidy scam that I eulogized on one of the posts about five weeks earlier known for Mr Integrity and Transparency over past years is having his hands soiled on graft allegations. Time will tell where the pendulum of the case will swing along.

Is it real? Is it true? Is it deliberately requested? Is it politically motivated? Is it the norm or high wired politics of diversions from the main issue? Scandals here and there. Scandals multiplied by scandals equals to Scandalous Scandals.

Scandalous Scandals:

Our acts have started again
We are abusing the democratic license we gained
After decades of turbulence of forceful reigns
Scandalous scandals are the news of our days.

Scandals of shocking and outrageous outlook
Scandals of shameful, indecent and wicked offshoot
Scandals that is full of reprehensible stories
Scandalous scandals of appalling reports.

I wonder what we will tell our children of today
The magnitude of our harvests of scandals everyday
Will they be patient to let the time rearrange
Or will they be consumed with the fire of rage?

Scandalous scandals has eaten into our life
Our politics and economy in strife
Our teeming unemployed youths are yearning
For the end of this scandalous scandals.  
   





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IGP OF HOPE - MOHAMMED ABUBAKAR

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Our nation is greatly blessed by many people of good courage and exemplary characters. We have millions of people who can fix Nigeria in any capacity of activity. Ability to fish out such people by the leadership must be commended periodically. One of such is the current Acting  Inspector General of Police- IGP Mohammed Abubakar. His efforts to reposition the Nigeria Police Force is worthy of commendation within the few months of his ascendancy to the office of the IGP. Our roads are free from police toll gates called check points and this singular policy is worth thousands on the average Nigerian life. Man-hours usually wasted on our roads had become thing of the past. Kudos to the IGP, kudos to the powers that fished out this dynamic officer of the Nigeria Police Force.

IGP OF HOPE- MOHAMMED ABUBAKAR.

The name is Abubakar
The office is the IGP,
The job is policing Nigeria,
The first task is cleansing from base.

From his main constituency,
He took the reigns of power                                       
From his immediate environment,
He poised to cleanse the system.

Cleaning the police of corruption,
Cleansing the Force of bad eggs
Giving the Force a new rejuvenation,
Is the task of Abubakar the IGP.

Personal calamities did not deter him,
Lost of First Love did not affect his psyche,
The task of Greater Nigeria is of high importance
Abubakar the IGP, People are praising your efforts.

The job has just begun in earnest,
The task is just at the periphery,
The daunting task of securing Nigeria,
The elements are praying for your success.

Greater Nigeria is wobbly emerging, 
Despite efforts of demonic damagers
Greater nation will emerge yonder,
Yellow cards for the harbingers of sorrows.

IGP of Hope,
Nigeria of greater hope
May your hope never dwindle,
May our hope for greater Nigeria never die.




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TINUBU AT 60

He was a lone ranger
A lone star of great courage
An epitome of courage
And the defender of the common man's heritage.

Tinubu the lion man
Tinubu the fearless
Tinubu the courageous
Tinubu the icon.

Tinubu the Leader,
Tinubu the advocate
Tinubu the pillar
Tinubu the friend of the masses.

The Pearl among the kingmakers
Happy 60th Birthday
Wishing you more years
Of greater positive impact on your country.

CANKERWORMIC SYSTEM, CANCEROUS IMPACT.

We all love our country so dearly, however, we have an endemic canker worm that is eating deep into the fabric of the nation. The canker-worms are infective and the impact is cancerous. Corruption is a canker-worm that must be destroyed.

CANKERWORMIC SYSTEM, CANCEROUS IMPACT

Cankerwormic System of my great village,
Brought about a cancerous impact of high pillage
of my village's nature endowed gift of ages,
May my love for my village never be in vain.

Cankerwormic system of my great village
Brought about avalanche of great pains
to the habitats of our landed place of abode,
May my yearnings for greater goodness never be in vain.

Cankerwormic system of my great village
Brought about a canker worm of great magnitude
In the distribution of gifts of great nature,
May my aspirations for better home never be in vain.

Cankerwormic system of my great village,
has brought a cancerous impact on nature's gifts
Given by almighty for the villagers' benefits,
Cornered by the few corrupted cabals of rage.

Who will arrest these demons in human body?
Our village head should be up and coming
The demonic canker worms have been exposed,
May our village head had the courage to erupt.

HONOURABLE FAROUK LAWAN

Honourable Farouk Lawan is becoming an enigma, an icon of transparency and integrity in the Nigerian House of Representatives. He is an eloquent speaker, and one of the shining stars of tomorrow's Nigeria. His utterances and actions in the House in past years had always been focused on the side of the Nigerian masses. Honourable Farouk Lawan chaired the committee that looked into the fuel subsidy scam. A great job was done despite the intimidation and pressures mounted on the committee by the powers that be.

We are actually witnessing gradually the birth of a new Nigeria. The current flashes notwithstanding. I wrote on my earlier blog post a poem titled: Fraudo-Fuel Subsidy specifically on NNPC and PPPRA mega connections to the corrupt minded elements in the oil sector.

We should appreciate courage and integrity among our serving public office holders. The rest now lies in the hand of the executive to see what will be their reactions to the report. There is no more hiding place for the plunderers of our collective wealth.

In my own way of encouraging the likes of Honourable Farouk Lawan, and for our efforts on greater Naija project, let us amuse ourselves with this acronym for Farouk Lawan.

FAROUK LAWAN

F-  Far from me the agents of evil
A- Armed within my soul is the army of Love
R- Reigning in my heart for the greatness of Nigeria
O- Our collective hope is a greater Nigeria
U- Understand this and know I am stone-hearted
K- Know me for who I am, advocate of a new Nigeria.

L- Learn from the mistakes of the past and make Nigeria great
A- A stitch in time saves nine the adage says
W- War against embezzlers of our common wealth
A- Away with the cabals that pains my people
N- Nigeria is our country of hope and we will make it great.

Julius Ipoola's Poetry Blog: Aspiring To Go To School-JAMBite Realities

Julius Ipoola's Poetry Blog: Aspiring To Go To School-JAMBite Realities: I have a great and worthwhile aspiration To have a claim of higher education I wish I could just claim my ambition But I am always faced ...

ASPIRING TO GO TO SCHOOL 'JAMBITE' REALITIES.

It has become a serious dilemma in Nigeria for aspiring young school leavers to get admission into higher institutions in the country. The number of aspiring students is growing year by year and the space is tight and small.

To get admission into higher institutions, aspiring students must pass the JAMB (Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board) examination. Passing JAMB is not even the only criteria, the students will face another examination set by individual institutions known as Post UTME examinations. Aspiring students are expected to cross these two hurdles before having a gleam of hope of getting an admission to institution of higher learning in Nigeria nowadays.

It has been observed that passing these two examinations may not totally guarantee admission as there are so many candidates seeking admission. While wouldn't this be so, when in a particular year over 1.6million candidates were seeking admission for a space of half a million in Nigeria's institutions of higher learning? The private institutions available are equally very costly for the average family to send their children. It is indeed a dilemma for aspiring young school leavers in Nigeria today.      

 ASPIRING TO GO TO SCHOOL 'JAMBITE' REALITIES.

I have a great and worthwhile aspiration
To have a claim of higher education
I wish I could just claim my ambition
But I am always faced with frustration.

I must pass through the road of JAMB
And I have to read to pass with a lamp
Since power holding is holding up the light
Especially in the time of the night.

I hear after crossing the road of JAMB,
My school will set another trap
To scrutinize my aspiration again to school
Please I don't want to go the way of a fool.

Education will not make me a fool
Please I am aspiring to go to school
Kindly reduce this tensions on this road
So that my hope and aspirations will be realized.

With education, my road to wealth will be brighter
With learning my hope for achievement is higher
With understanding our aspirations for our nation is greater
But the road to school is getting tougher and tougher.

OUR LANDLORD HAS STARTED AGAIN

Our Landlord Has Started Again

Help us call our landlord to order
Help us plead with him with others
Our Landlord has started again,
Our home is deeply in pains.

We pleaded with him for a face lift
Of our abode that required an uplift
Our Landlord promised to assist
To make our home the better of his lists.

He gave we the tenants an advice
In fact, not only advice but condition
To fix our house from precipice
We must pay more for the rent as option.

Our Landlord has started again,
Help us plead with him to refrain
From crushing his tenants with pains
We have suffered enough without gains.

The rent increased was high
We pleaded with him to reduce
Though, we agreed to still pay more
Yet despite the increase he refused to fix the house again.

Our Landlord has started again,
Help us plead with him this once
If he refuses to fix this abode
It may crumble and no house for him to own.

ONE MONTH AGO

It was one month ago. In our great country Nigeria. The falcons defy the voice of the falconer. The centre was held by thin thread. The protest against the removal of fuel subsidy was national in outlook. Agents of evils also tried to mingle in the crisis. It was a tough time for the government and the governed just a month ago.

Thank God it is over. Government won some, labour won some, the people won the most. Our leaders woke up from their state of  perceived lackadaisical perspective to issues of common good, got energised to tackle the demon of corruption starting from the oil sector, and the zeal of the transformation boss was revealed. How far this will go, Nigerians continue to watch and observe.

One month ago, we had a problem at hand to solve. However, life is full of problems and challenges. Both for individuals and governments. That is the way the world is made. It will continue like that. However, the challenges of security in our country is great. We are faced with Boko Haram in the North, when we are just thanking God for the solution over Niger Delta militants. These Boko killings are too much for our democracy. Please God of heaven take care of our Nation.

SOUL OF NIGERIAN OIL IN THE HANDS OF MIDDLEMEN.

The subsidy hullabaloos
The subsequent catastrophes,
The subdued citizenry
The sub-optimized government actions
The alarm that produced SURE document
Was caused by the cabal in the oil industry.

Soul of Nigerian Oil.
Was hijacked by the ferocious cabal
With the clandestine manoeuvres
Of the game of crude and refined products
Supported by some external profiteers
The anguish of the people know no bounds.

The people had been pushed to the wall,
In their protest they raised their voices.
The transformational boss of this great land
Woke up from the partial slumber in the palace.
The middlemen are presently jittery,
The lion has finally decided to roar.

MY LAGOS OF HOPE AND SOLDIERS OF HELP

Those that coined the word....
Centre of Excellence on Lagos
Be praised for great vision;
'Eko o ni baje, o baje ti'.

The radiant Lagos of today
Is the Lagos of my hope everyday,
The promise of a city of beauty
The peacock in the midst of many cities.

Alas! My Lagos of Hope
Now flooded by the Soldiers of Abode.
Saying they are the Soldiers of Help
Please, do not spoil our Lagos of Hope.

We are suffering and smiling
We are dying and dancing
We protest against rulers insentisivity
To the  perceived gradual annihilation of the common man.

Tell me, where did we err the Powers that be?
When we protest in the scurching sun of Lagos City,
Dancing our miseries away,
Voicing our opposition to CABALISM of the land.

Where cometh these  angry-looking soldiers?
Soldiers of occupation on our soil of Hope,
Whose orders have they to occupy our streets?
The Big 'Baale' is the sender of Soldiers of Help.

My Lagos of Hope, Our Soldiers of Help;
Relax the squizings of your faces
The land belongs to you too
Here we dance away our sorrows at our Lagos of Hope.

Dear Excellency, kindly send back to their abodes
Soldiers of Help so we continue our hope
My Lagos of Hope and the Soldiers of Help,
All of us are the children of the same parent. 

AND THE HOUSE BECAME THE FRIEND OF THE MASSES

The Seventh Assembly
Of our legislative arm of government
Are made of brighter and better stars in content,
Than the witnessed predecessors of old.

This hybrids of the best in the land
The diffusion of different party members
The measured improvements of opposition members
Make the Seventh Assembly a pearl in my sight.

The legislative leadership of ours
Are siding with the people every hour
Look at this new dawn in our Chambers!
Our democracy is getting rooted day by day.

Friends of the Masses,
The Legislative chambers of the nation,
Another friendship with the common man
Is expected by pruning the cost of governance.

mypoeticworldforgreaternaija.blogspot.com

I DON'T ENVY YOUR OFFICE

''ILE OLA DUN''
But the rich also cry.
Uneasy lies the head
That wears the golden crown,
I don't envy your office.

Your office is magnificent
Your word is Law in the Land,
Your speech binds and loose
Your gesticulations can free or imprison,
Yet, I don't envy your office.

You are the number one citizen in the land
The most popular name mentioned every passing day,
You are the idol to millions of political worshipers,
Though, you occupy the highest office in the land,
I will never envy your office.

If I want to envy your office
Do I have the capabilities required?
Of managing a complex entity like Naija?
Where even the friends are hard to decipher from fiends,
Where foes role-model as close ally everyday?

If I want to envy your office,
How do I  chart a better cause for the people
In the multitudes of different opinions and propositions,
Or the continuous demand on my limited time-line,
That is fast eroding like an angry flood.

If I want to envy your office
Do I have the willing power to get sleep for my eyes
Amidst the confusions being caused by various elements
Both the ones from the perceived axis of evils
And the threats of reprisal songs of prayer warriors? 

I don't envy your office
Uneasy lies the head wearing the crown,
I will continue to amass the insulation required
To be able to withstand the headaches and heartaches
Woven into the office of yours since the day of Independence.

The Coming Back Of The Lion Hearted.

He has always been the recurring decimal
Always mentioned in the parlance of equity,
His performance at the Anti-Graft agency was optimal
Despite the perceived over-zealousness to bring sanity
To the corruption ridden nation of ours;
The man- Mallam Ribadu Nuhu.

He has always been the deciding factor
In ruler's plans of investigative accountability,
His past acts of sanitizing the economic sector
And efforts towards eradicating the base of fraudulent bands
That permeates and are decimating our fatherland-
The Lion-Hearted Nuhu Ribadu.

In the aftermath of the economic hullabaloos
Amidst the confusion of theory of subsidy
When the falconers and the falcons tangoed
And the centre was held with a thin thread
The people's demand for accountability in governance
Is bringing back the man of the Lion heart- Nuhu Ribadu

Welcome back to the corridors of power again,
Though, your assignment may look smallish
Compared to the previous office you held,
Rejoice for the opportunity of sanitizing
The most corruption laden sector of our economy.
The hope of the hopeless-indeed the terror of the guilty.

Learn from your past successes
And equally your past perceived mistakes
And make this assignment worthwhile;
Remember the New Nigeria is being formed
Gradually and stylishly we wobble on,
The challenge of accountability is a war to be won.

All hail the great coming back,
Of the Lion hearted anti-graft crusader!
Remember the corrupts will fight back
Know the worms to clear are deep rooted!
Challenge the challengers!
And give Nigerians the cause to SMILE.

'FRAUDO-FUEL SUBSIDY'

I enjoy myself when I express my thoughts as occasion demands. Few weeks ago, Nigeria was in the turmoil of fuel subsidy removal strike. It was a tensed period for the government authorities and the governed. Nigerian people demand accountability from their rulers. The inability of the rulers to tame corruption was the harbinger of mistrusts between the people and their government. Well, I felt like expressing my feelings and within few hours, some lines were written. Among them is this one titled: Fraudo-Fuel Subsidy. This is our world. Let us express ourselves. At least for the hope of a greater Nigeria. Your observations and comments are welcome.

FRAUDO-FUEL SUBSIDY.

We are the agency -government of the nation.
The people are the pawns in our hands,
We will milk the people of their heritage
We need to devise a fool-proof means.

Let us confuse and convince our Leaders,
The imperativeness of our clandestine acts
In wieldy language of petrol-dollar economics;
The need to subsidize the price of the golden waters.

Let us impute our five digit mark-ups
And hidden wealth of stupendous magnitude
Into the loopholes of government agendas;
After-all, we are the most-sensitive agency of government.

Government created us and for special purpose,
We too proposed to profitalize our environments,
Call us any name, we are always here and there;
Our OILY machinery tentacled even outside our borders.

Our pity is for every leader of our governments,
Many leaders in the past hardly understood us;
Nor do they comprehend the level of our tentacles,
Because we are inside the mind and heart of their governments.

We are like a chameleon, hard to ping
With a single colour of body apparel,
No matter the cleansing and periodic take-around,
We are always around and very cancerous.

'Oyinbos' salute our deftness and courage
Many of them will never forget our patronage,
Auditors had gotten their principles challenged
Trying to pry into intricacies of mode of our works.

Even, the amazon of the oil industry,
That was recruited to be our supervising boss
Continues to sniff here and there for our source,
Time will tell if she can deal with us.

Do you care to know our name?
Whether NNPC or PPPRA, we  are a mega corporation,
Of different names to our cause,
Though, fuel subsidy is our KEYWORD.

Poets and Their Poetry

A person who writes poems is known as a poet. Poem has been described as'' a piece of writing in which the words are chosen for their sound and the images they suggest, not just for their obvious meanings''. It is observed that the words are arranged in separate lines, usually with a repeated rhythm, and often the lines rhyme at the end.

My first respect for the world of poetry happened sometimes in 1982. I was having a chart with a cousin of mine whom I respect so much for his brilliance and intelligence. I have just gotten an admission to Teacher Training College and at the same time was preparing for my GCE 'O' Level Examination. He asked me of the subject ranges I will take during the exams, and I listed among them Literature in English. My cousin screamed! 'Literature? I fear Literature in English especially POETRY aspects of it'.

I was really taken aback for his reaction and fear for Literature In English. In fact, I was scared. This is because the person in my view was highly intelligent and did wonderfully well in his School Certificate Examination results with seven distinctions and two credits including FURTHER MATHEMATICS, Chemistry, Physics and Biology! I feel that if Literature in English should be hard and feared by my cousin, indeed the subject must be a stubborn and difficult one. Unknown to my tender mind that my cousin was just a good student of science related subjects not arts.

Upon resuming at the Teacher's College Ile-Ife in September 1982, I armed myself with the following three point agenda in order to arrest and conquer great Literature in English:

• I joined Literary and Debating Society
• I became active in Press Club
• Deliberately developing keen interest in Literature in English subject with deeper interest in Poetry.

I gave myself the task of writing poems and presenting it during various school activities. Before long, I found out that I became like 'an expert' among my mates in poetry renditions. No wonder I got a distinction and 'A3' in my TC II and GCE 'O' Level examinations in Literature in English respectively later.

Poets are like philosophers. They are aware of their present and are endowed in some ways to peep into the future. No wonder some writings of some past poets had became a gold of reality in today's world.

I love the world of poetry. I am equally fascinated by simple lines that are easy to read and understand especially for non- Literature friendlies like my cousin to enjoy.