An amazing Story of a patriot to the core!

This is the story of a young boy whose parents were murdered during the 2002 riots in Kaduna. He was aged 11 yrs at the time. His father, was a Pastor and his mother, supported his father in the ministry. One day he went out to play football on the street as usual but returned home to see that all his parents ever laboured for had been razed down and his parents murdered in cold blood. Apart from the shock, he was notified that he was to be the next target, so his friends smuggled him to a hiding place in order to calm the situation.

Somewhere in there, he found the solution: to emigrate and seek for asylum in England. A family from South London accepted the responsibility to take care of him. At age 11, he arrived in England, in a place completely unknown to him, away from his home, in a place that he knew absolutely no one.

While in London, he began deploying his football skills. Though his parents were murdered, his passion for football was never killed. He attended Stanley Technical High School (now known as the Harris Academy) in South Norwood during which he was scouted playing football in the local Tandridge League where scouts from Crystal Palace FC approached him.

From that point, his career progressed in leaps and bounds. This young man played for England's under 16, 17, 19 and 21 teams between 2005 and 2010 scoring 11 goals for England during this period. He later moved to Wigan Athletic and now plays for Chelsea FC.

This is the young man known as VICTOR MOSES! His story is indeed a touching one, I share his pains really. I also admire his courage. He had a choice never to step into Nigeria again but he chose otherwise.

When the call to serve his fatherland came, Moses dumped England and embraced Nigeria... That is PATRIOTISM!

Today, we see a Victor Moses bringing joy to every Nigerian including those who may have inspired his parent's death... That is LOVE!

On Sunday, Moses would stand to sing the National Anthem and pledge allegiance to a country that couldn't defend his parents... That is COURAGE!

Same day, Moses would deliver the "Africa Cup of Nations" trophy to Nigeria not minding the trauma and pain this Nation caused him but rather choosing to put the past behind him......That is FORGIVENESS!

Moses rose through pain, bitterness and despair and in its place embraced the limelight of hope, courage and determination . He never gave up on himself &his fatherland.  He persevered, He held on& He Triumphed!!!... That is DETERMINATION!

Moses was twice denied his international debut for Nigeria. A friendly against Guatemala in February 2011 was cancelled, and attempts to play for the country the following month were thwarted as FIFA did not receive his application to switch nationalities in time. His debut finally came in November. All that while, he retained his resolve to fly the green and white colour,  that is PURPOSE!

If someone like Victor Moses, despite his painful past, never gave up on Nigeria, then why should you and I? Let us unite and make this country great again...... We are ONE NIGERIA!!!

Spread if you are inspired.........Cos I AM!

Jungle Justice (Man's inhumanity to man)

The case of four UNIPORT students who for stealing phones and laptops were beaten to stupor before being burnt alive is not only shocking but leaves a bitter taste in one's mouth.

The students namely Ugonna, Lloyd, Tekena and Chidiaka were badly beaten before being burnt alive by indigenes of Aluu community in Rivers State for allegedly stealing phones and laptops in an off campus hostel.

Let us not also forget that these young men were absolutely unarmed, so it is really amazing that instead of calling the police to get them arrested, these people put tyres over their heads and burnt them alive. As if that was not enough, they took pictures, filmed it and made such a gory sight viral via the social media. Did they for once think about the fact that these guys are someone else's brothers, sons, cousins and relatives?

As it is, we are gradually losing our humanity in this country. Can't imagine the barbaric nature that will make a human being mete out this kind of treatment to another. What moral justification would warrant such jungle justice? That I am bewildered about this issue will be an understatement. I must reiterate that this is totally insane and unacceptable

To be candid; it is a crime to steal but the punishment for such acts must be proportionate to the crime committed. Those that should be burnt are not these boys accused of stealing; instead let the communities rise up and burn those who misappropriate funds meant to provide good roads, portable water, health care facilities and schools so as to buy houses abroad, flashy cars and other things they don't need just to impress who they don't know. They can do all that if they really are bent on 'burnt offerings'

The most annoying part is that when they see politicians who have stolen much more, they bow down and even hail them just for the few coins they hope to get from them.

Its saddening that people don’t have that sense of responsibility toward their own fellow people neither will they respect the laws of the land but will complain that their government is not responsible.

I expect the Police to immediately sweep that primitive community and bring the culprits to justice for attempting such jungle justice.

Is there anyone of those perpetrators who can boldly say he/she is clean?  Among those that killed these young men, can anyone boast of being a saint?

Such a pity that a sledge hammer was used in killing an ant......Callous I must say!

Public office holder’s children confined to schools in Nigeria?

News making round has it that a bill seeking to stop children of public office holders from schooling abroad has passed its second reading at the upper house. But as usual it has generated controversies: While some are looking forward to this as a welcome development, others are of the opinion that it is an infringement on the children's fundamental human right.

Has anyone thought about the long term effect, that the mad rush for foreign exchange will reduce as school fees transaction will be done in naira? That the money they will be spending here will be in our currency and as such afford it some decent value.

You need to see the reckless lives they live abroad and how they flaunt their parents ill gotten wealth like there is no tomorrow. Of course all eyes will be on them here and just maybe that will check their excesses knowing they are not far away from prying eyes.

For those who think it is an infringement on their fundamental human rights, their parent can as well resign if indeed their children must school abroad. I for one believe the average public official can never afford to send their children abroad if indeed they live within their means and depend only on their salaries. How much is the total salary of a permanent secretary including allowances that he or she can afford to send two children to schools where on the average it costs them about $80,000 a year just for school fees and living expenses, not to talk about cost of flight, maintaining a car(if they have) and other expenses. I leave you to do the calculation.

Last year alone, an estimate of 20Billion naira was said to have been spent on school fees of Nigerians schooling abroad.....Ask United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, Ukraine, Russia, South Africa etc. Even the present presidential scholarship is being awarded for Nigerians to school abroad; surely we have accepted the failure of our educational system!

Truth be told, most of them cut corners and encourage sharp practises so they can make their illegal money but since the search light beams more on the politicians, they hide in the dark to inflict more damage to the system and make ill gotten wealth; This is why they can dare send their children to school abroad in the first place.

If I will look at the positive side of this bill {if it ever see the light of the day that is} then it should be a welcome development. Since we are naturally selfish and we care only about my family and I; No one will beg any public office holder to implement and enforce laws guiding their ministries departments and agencies. Knowing that their children will be a benefactor of working policies and if otherwise, the same family members will be at the receiving end, their selfish nature which ordinarily would be a detriment won’t matter anymore.

My opinion: Let their children be confined to public facilities since their parents are public office holders. Enough of wasting our resources to improve the economy of developed countries.

The plague called “Unknown Gunmen”

For once, Marilyn Ogar should on behalf of the Nigerian Intelligence Department tender an unreserved apology to Nigerians as the security system have failed us and keeps failing us. The reason for this failure is not farfetched at all; When Men and women who ordinarily should be passionate about protecting citizens have become consumed with the zeal to make money, then you should expect a boomerang as what portrays today with different degree of crimes being perpetrated and the culprits getting away with their heinous crimes.

What is really unfortunate is that those at the receiving end of this compromise are not the children of the culprits but I must say that it is only a matter of time before the stones they are throwing break their own glass houses.

Once again, news staring us in the eye is that no fewer than fort eight{48} young Nigerians were brutally sent to untimely graves when unknown gunmen attacked their various campuses in Mubi, Adamawa  State after mid-night. These students are from The Federal Polytechnnic, Adamawa State University and the School of Health Technology all in Mubi town.

Though attack might not be unconnected with the activities of the terrorist group operating in the Northern part of Nigeria, who have never for once hidden their hatred for Western Education but the fact that the attackers were said to have been calling out the names of their victim before shooting them point blank leaves more to be imagined. Aside from the callousness of these hearts, my curiosity is aroused as to how these attackers could have known the names of victims they were meant to shoot if indeed they belonged to the terrorist group mentioned above.

This and many more incidences keep exposing how vulnerable citizens of this country have become courtesy of the loopholes in our security system. I wonder how many years it will take us to put effective measures meant to checkmate criminal activities in place. Why do we keep mortgaging the lives of patriotic citizens for monetary gains? For how long are we going to keep ourselves in a web we have craftily woven for ourselves?

I for one do not have to be an intelligence expert to know how a serious minded security system should be coordinated for effectiveness. What short code toll free lines are dedicated to emergency calls? How many times do citizens get oriented about what to do in case of security challenges? What is the time frame between the time a distress call is made and the time help comes? How many States of the Federation can boast of using their security funds to ensure their intelligence department is second to none?

They all make it seem like it is some rocket science when in the actual sense a working system, men of integrity, well trained and dedicated personnel are what we need to ensure the safety and security of citizens. Then to add insult to the injury, they will come out to tell us that they are on top of the situation....Joke of the year I call it!

Indeed if they are on top of these endless “Unknown gunmen” issues, the said gunmen wouldn’t have killed up to half a dozen before succour arrives. Trust as usual, no one will resign and heads will not roll: All because we have gotten so used to lives being worthless to us. For the records, this particular government have issued the highest number of condolence in the history Nigeria......Very sad reality!

Detained and deported pilgrims.......Big deal?

It is no longer news that over 750 female pilgrims to the yearly Hajj were initially detained in Jeddah and Madinah by the Saudi authorities as they were adjudged to be without male companion. What is news however is the fact that despite the Nigerian Government inviting the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Khalid Abdrabuh and issuing a 24hour ultimatum, about 908 pilgrims who were refused entry into the holy land were deported back to Nigeria as soon as the 24hour ultimatum elapsed.

The Vice President Namadi Sambo who expressed the country’s displeasure over the treatment being meted out to Nigerian pilgrims performing this year’s pilgrimage in the holy land said reports available to him suggested that only Nigerian pilgrims were being subjected to such dehumanising treatment.

My response to such statement by Mr Vice President is how dare complain of being dehumanised by another country when we are worse off in treating our own citizens. How many billions has he and Mr President embezzled at the expense of the common man whom they have subjected to abject poverty? What fair treatment have they meted out to their very own citizens which should warrant a better expectation from another country? Can your own citizens afford to eke a decent life using the #18,000 minimum wage yardstick? Can your citizens beat their chest proudly about justice, fairness and equity in the judicial system right in their own land? Does the common man have access to portable water, good road network, electricity and security just to mention a few? You treat your own like a piece of rag and expect some other country to treat them like prince and princesses? Absolutely IMPOSSIBLE!!!

He fascinated me by saying no reasonable and responsible government would sit and fold its arms while its citizens are manhandled and I find this amusing. We have forgotten that the world was watching each time police bullets killed innocent citizens and no one is ever prosecuted; that they are privy to the way our own government policies are killing and no one  seem to care, the way public officials steal from and oppress the same people they had sworn on oath to defend. We have forgotten that each time the less privilege is deprived of justice, the world was watching. Not to even talk about the official endorsement of corruption by retaining indicted public officials with some of them getting conferred with the National honours.

You know it is really bad to be a Nigerian in Nigeria as even expatriate gets a better treatment on our own soil than we the citizens. You can then imagine how worse off it will be for Nigerians in the Diaspora.

A country where citizens get cheated every now and then by the government not to talk about how badly employers treat employees and the same government expects us to be accorded a warm reception in a foreign land? We must be jokers!

The country who has seen that the life of an average citizen in this country is worth nothing will definitely take undue advantage of the same citizen whenever the need arises.

It is indeed laughable that a 24hour ultimatum was issued to the Saudi government. If only Mr President and Vice alike knew any better or had better advisers, they should be issuing 24hour ultimatum to corruption, injustice, poor budget implementation, exploitation of citizens, extra judicial killings, police brutality, election rigging, violation of fundamental human rights just to mention a few. When these and many more have been dealt with, then they can expect citizens of this great country to be treated with utmost dignity and respect.

Back to the days of endless queues? Part 2

I would have thought that by now the issue of fuel scarcity would have been long forgotten but how wrong was I? Rather than it getting better, what we keep experiencing is longer queues at gas stations with little or no attention given to this matter of urgency by the authorities in charge. I would have thought that such an issue like fuel will be treated with utmost concern but rather it is being handled with kid gloves. Now that it has been left to linger on, I won’t be surprised if the President soon comes up with a shocker......I leave that to your imagination though.

What baffled me and keeps baffling me is the fact that the filling stations seem bent on making life harder for citizens as if it is not bad enough that the fuel scarcity itself makes it hard. Most of them will rather sell from a pump thereby ensuring the queues are longer and more time is wasted all in a bid to fuel your car. This is sheer man’s inhumanity to man if you ask me. Thought it was bad enough that the government is oppressing us, why have we then taken a step further by oppressing ourselves. So sad!

My first and memorable experience today gave me an insight as to how bad things had deteriorated and I must confess, it left a bitter pill in my mouth. I decided to go queue at the Oando filling station close to Alapere, Ketu, Lagos at 6.20am and of course joined the queue as the last person. Of course as time went by, lots of people joined and I made an attempt to walk into the filling station and speak to an attendant at least be sure they were eventually going to sell fuel. I did and got the required info but instinct told me not to leave yet, so I decided to watch events unfold.

The first sign of things to come was a young man who tried entering illegally but was initially barred from entering; He later bribed the guys who prevented him and the same people ended up opening the illegal gate for him. This young man bought fuel and was really feeling fly with himself to the extent that he screeched as he made an exit from the gas station. I only shook my head at his ignorance.

From that moment onwards, it became freedom for all who were ready to bribe. The attendants made it their duty to successfully create an illegal queue for those who were ready to bribe their way and even made sure more cars drove into the gas station through the illegal entrance. I just kept asking myself if the money they are making today will be enough to build them a house....Short-sightedness I called it.

When it got to a point where it became obvious that those on the proper queue might end up wasting the whole day as this ‘business’ was booming for them, I walked up to one of the senior attendants and offered a solution to the issue all at my expense {since they initially claimed no one was allowed to enter illegally} Trust the young man, he refused my solution and at that point I was convinced they meant no good as against their initial claim.

Moments after, when I discovered that their own ‘business’ will ensure I stayed there all day and no one was speaking out, I walked there and gave them a piece of my mind including my fellow Nigerians who played to the gallery. At that point, everyone caught the ‘spark’ and we all had a common voice. When the senior attendant saw that I had ignited a fire that might spoil their business, he asked for where my car was parked and that I should bring it forward so I can buy fuel and leave {apparently for their selfish interest} but I stood my ground stating that I wasn’t going to buy fuel before it was my turn. I reminded them that Sunday was just around the corner and they all would go to church once again to pray for Nigeria when in actual sense our attitude doesn’t portray that of those who really want this country to get better.

When it was finally my turn, they also tried to extort me with a funny ‘policy’ of each car could not buy more than #1500 worth of fuel except you were ready to part with some cash. Of course, that wasn’t going to hold water and I didn’t mince words in letting them know I was not going to be a party to such. Gladly I had the exact amount of money needed to pay for my fuel, paid them and drove off but not with my mind pondering on this very true fact: We are indeed the architect of our problem..............