Living in Lagos Is Toxic!
Busy Lagos Market.Image: Financial Times I moved to Lagos in January, 2016, to take a certificate course in Film Directing at Royal Arts Academy. This was a big move for me because I had never lived anywhere but the Northern part of the country and I didn’t know if I was going to be able to acclimatize to the culture shock of the new town. Plus, I had heard so many things about Lagos that convinced me that Éko is not for me. Long story short, the stories are true! My first two weeks in Lagos were uneventful as I spent most of my time at my friend’s house. I would go days without seeing the sun and I was quite content with that life. When it was time to finally start school, I knew that my life was about to change. I was tossed into the typical Lagos drama and four months down the road, I think that living in Lagos is toxic! Here is why I have come to this conclusion; 1. LAGOS IS OVER POPULATED! I cannot count how many times I had panic attacks being surrounded by so many people! Like, where the hell were these people coming from?! The worse experience for me was when I went to Balogun Market and was almost swamped! While my chest was heaving in pains, my darling friend – Shade Opeyemi – told me that the market was basically empty at that time and that if I had gone there a little earlier, I wouldn’t have been able to move. Well, thank God yeah? Ain’t nobody got time for that! 2. TRAFFIC IS HELL! As a result of the overpopulation mentioned above, you can imagine the number of vehicles on the road at any given time. School was at Surulere and I lived at Mangoro. I had to go to Ikeja every morning to catch a bus to Ojuelegba. The traffic from Mangoro Junction to Ikeja can get pretty crazy; depending on when you leave the house. The traffic from Palm Groove to Ojuelegba was also another issue! On a good day, it would take me about an hour to get to school. On a bad day, which was about half the time, I would be on the road for 3 hours! The return home was not much different. Bus drivers would pass through Mushin and then Ikeja Along towards Iyana Ipaja. The traffic around Mushin can be hell and worse around Ikeja Along. As a result, I usually leave the house around 7am for my 9am class and would usually get home around 8pm if I leave school at exactly closing time; 4pm. This made me so tired when I finally got home that I was too tired to be productive! 3. TRANSPORT FARE IS JUST WICKED! Until I came to Lagos, I had never paid more than ₦100 bus fare for one trip within the town. Here, I pay ₦200 bus fare from Ikeja to Ojuelegba and ₦150 okada fare from Ojuelegba to Ajao road, Surulere. I pay ₦250 from Ojuelegba to Mangoro when returning home. When there is fuel, that is the standard price. Since the fuel crisis began, I have been paying ₦300 from Ikeja to Ojuelegba and trust me, it burns! The cheapest fare is ₦50 and it is for shortest distance possible. Before coming to Lagos, the highest I had paid for bus transport was ₦300 for a Kaduna to Samaru, Zaria trip and anybody who knows that trip knows that Samaru is quite some distance away. So imagine what it means to pay similar fees for a much shorter distance! 4. EVERYONE IS ONE WORD AWAY FROM A BLOWOUT! Bus drivers or conductors are always ready to fight. Agberos too! Passengers would fight each other or fight conductors at the slightest provocation. Conductors will fight agberos over how much money they should pay to the local government. The conductors will even fight passengers who don’t hop off the bus quickly. One night, I got to a bus and sat sideways. The driver started shouting, ‘If you know say you no wan go, drop for my bus.’ I tried to explain to him that I was not going all the way to Iyana Ipaja so I needed to sit closer to him to let him know where I would alight. He continued shouting until I came down from the bus. I stood by the door so it would fill up and I could take the last seat. Next thing I know, I was surrounded by agberos telling me to either move away or enter the bus. I was scared for my life so I just entered the bus to avoid stories that touch. I kept asking what it was I did wrong until someone in the bus told me not to take it to heart; that they were high. I will tell you more about this experience a little later in the post. 5. THE STREETS STINK! Now Lagosians, this is not an insult. Every town has its smell depending on how open it is, the number of people in it, the activities of its inhabitants and how many vehicles are there. Lagos is a variation of smells! And most times, not so pleasant. This could be a result of the class of each area, the open gutters or moving LAWMA trucks. Ajegunle had a smell that gagged me when I crossed the pond leading to Apapa. When I visited Snake Island (Itu-Agan), the entire water way stank! It didn’t come as a surprise to perceive the smell because I could see waste been flushed into the water and at the Apapa port where we took boats, people could be seen peeing and pooing in the water. Yeah….ewwww! The only places that didn’t have that sharp, nauseating smell were mostly on the Island, parts of Ikeja and Surulere.
Happy Birthday Mo!
I met this beautifully awesome woman – MODUPE FAKOREDE aka MO – a little over 3 months ago. She came off as one major ajebutter with her British accent but when she became naija, she was naija! Lol. She is a superb script and screen writer and we hit it off from day one at @_royalartsacademy! She, TUNDE RAPHAEL EGBAYELO (@uvisualsng) and I have struck a partnership that will last for life! Y’all should watch out! I am so proud of her! I am equally proud to call her my friend and partner! Happy birthday dearie. May you live way above your expectations and be blessed greater than you can imagine. We have great #Movies to do and trust me, your name will be etched in stone! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MODUPE FAKOREDE! YOU ROCK GIRL! #HappyBirthday #LongLife #GreatStrides #UnforgetableLegacy
Happy Birthday Sadiya!
My Sadiya! My baby! My first child! (hey Sadiya, na play! No vex ko! LMHO!). I remember when she was born. I remember when she was brought home. I remember how excited I was when my mum finally let me carry her. She was our little sister and we all silently pledged to love and protect her. There were times we didn’t quite gel. I used to be so hard on her, forgetting that she was just a baby. And there were times we played like the age difference between us was just one year….or one day. Have I told you that she is the sweetest, most giving person in the world? As little as she was, she taught me to forgive because she just couldn’t keep malice. She and Enigbe have been my greatest source of motivation in this life. I may be their big sister but when I want do anything, I run it by them first. They are my sisters and I am uber proud of them! I have cried on Sadiya’s shoulders, been comforted by her, been inspired by her and been motivated by the strides she is taking. As young as she is, she is doing some youth advocacy work, some leadership training and peer-education and motivation. She started her blog recently called MUSINGSFROM HALI’s HEART to reach out to her own generation. Sadiya loves GOD and stands on principles I wished I followed when I was her age. She studies the Bible by herself and is not one who can be deceived by watered down messages. She dedicates time to pray and commune with her FATHER when most of her mates are busy clubbing, hanging out and being in relationships. Heck, when I was her age, I wasn’t even half as serious as she is with the things of GOD! Did I forget to mention that she now has more books than I do? She goes to the bookshop herself to buy book with her own money! Ha! I am proud of my sister! She told me recently that she wants to start a business and if she pays the business half as much dedication as she does other things, be sure to know that it will be a success! And now, my DEEN BOO is grown up! She is all woman now! She is a year older today and I cannot be more excited! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SADIYA! I pray that as you get older, that GOD gives you greater wisdom than what you have had and what you have now. I wish you a more open mind that soaks up the word of our KING. I ask the LORD to keep you going strong as you follow through on HIS purpose for you. I desire that your light gets brighter and brighter and brighter until you shine as our MASTER does. May doors open up for you that you never expected. May GOD bless you indeed, may HE increase your territory, may HIS unwavering love always brighten your countenance and may you NEVER see a reason to turn from HIM! I AM PROUD TO HAVE YOU AS MY SISTER DEEN BOO! HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOVE! PS: Do not mess with me! If your friends buy you any cake, you better keep mine for me oh! No time! Love you to eternity girl! And tell DORCAS that I will beat her if she does not get you a big cake!
I Have a Problem With ‘Church Folks’ 2
Church members worshiping.Image: Startup AFRICA In the first post, I talk about church leaders whose actions are questionable at best and downright manipulative at worst. Catch up in I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH ‘CHURCH FOLKS’. In this one, I continue by listing the types of church members I have a problem with. Equally guilty are church members, followers, congregation or brethren; depending on how you want to see them. As with the church leaders, I also have a list. 1. THE EVERY-THING-MY-PASTOR-SAYS-IS-TRUE CHURCH MEMBER: I know pastors are supposed to be truthful and speak revelation and rhema but many times, pastors are not right. Sometimes, it may be as a result of an interpretation based on personality or present circumstance. It is our duty to then allow the Holy Spirit to help us test everything we hear and thus, believe in. But no! Some church members do not agree with this! Whatevertheir blessed pastor/priest/prophet says is true, fact and the undoubted word of god! This is because many church members do not read the Bible themselves. If they did, they would easily see the flaws in some of the messages being delivered from podiums today. Reading the Bible alone is no guarantee that one would get good interpretations; that is where the Holy Spirit comes in. In place of the Holy Spirit, many people put their trust in their pastors. In many instances, it is not even the physical pastor; it may be a devotional, a gospel podcast or a message DVD. That is why a person would buy a sweat drenched handkerchief for blessings, or believe that an ‘anointing oil’ will keep demons away, or a ‘mantle’ will bring good luck, or that when your pastor tells you to take off your pants so he can rub your arse, you do so. That is why a pastor would slap a person allegedly possessed by demons and his church members would say ‘God told him to do so’. That is why a pastor would say a couple of bull crap and his members will believe that his sex scandal was not real. That is why a pastor will match make people who are not compatible and they will stay in a horrible marriage because ‘God said so’. Do some of these people even ask if God was consulted in any of these matters? If God even spoke at all?! But then again, why would they ask when they cannot, of their own accord, detect the voice of God in the storm, the raging winds, the tornado or the calm? In most of these cases, the pastor becomes a god to them; they just wouldn’t admit it. Enough time spent here. Time to move on to the next group. 2. THE IT-IS-MY-JOB-TO-PROTECT-MY-PASTOR-FROM-ANY-AND-EVERY-CRITIQUE CHURCH MEMBER: I will like to tackle this group by saying that there is nothing wrong in defending your pastor. There is one catch though. So I will rephrase that statement. There is nothing wrong in defending your pastor, as long as you do not become mean! Recently, a pastor of one of the top churches in Abuja came under heavy criticism for receiving a gift of a luxurious 2015 Porsche. Many Nigerians were furious and trust me, I will be the first to say it wasn’t their business and some of the reasons for the angst were just petty. What I couldn’t stand was the number of his followers who made it a point of duty to be mean, deliberately insulting and super eager to put down anyone who so much as said anything about their darling pastor. I know a couple of his church members and the vitriol they spewed on my timeline was enough to make me ask if these were believers or a bunch of e-thugs! I was shocked at the language, at the pure venom and the bitterness that so called ‘Christians’ were pouring out. I was ashamed! Did these people think of what others would think of their ‘god’ after all the drama was done? In another instance, another pastor came under criticism for divorcing his wife who accused him of abuse. Church members were quick to relegate the wife to a place of disfavor while extolling their king to higher heights. The fierce way they defended their leader was enough to make me wonder. And with all the pedophilia drama rocking the Catholic Church, one would think that many priests would be held in less esteem but no! The word of the priest is law! And I have been to some Catholic churches and the way they welcome the priest to deliver mass is nothing short of worship. What is surprising though is that this defense strategy is only applied when church leaders are the ones been critiqued. When the insult is directed at Jesus Christ Himself or the faith which they profess, these people are usually mute. Now I am not advocating for a fight whenever the name of Jesus is dragged through the mud but if you listen to Christian apologetics like Ken Ham, Ravi Zacharias and even pastors like the Lindseys, you will see how to stand up for the faith you profess without being belittling, crude and deliberately mean. But then again, we aren’t talking about Jesus here; we are talking about dear darling church leaders. 3. THE MY-CHURCH-IS-BETTER-THAN-YOURS CHURCH MEMBER: Aren’t you just tired of the condescending ways people talk about other church doctrines? The Catholic Church turn up their noses at everyone that is not Catholic. So do the Methodists, Adventists, Presbyterians, Protestants and Pentecostals. Even among each of these groups are divisions as wide as the Pacific Ocean. People who attend Oyedepo’s church think they are right and people who attend Chris’s church think they are better. Even in the Catholic Church, the charismatics disagree with lots of the catholic doctrine. And every day, it is one fight or the other. I think many Christians forget the simple statement that
I Have a Problem With ‘Church Folks’
Black American Pastors at a Conference.Image: Jason Barnes. First off, let me state that I believe in the story of Jesus Christ, and that his existence, birth, life, death, resurrection and reign is the model of faith that I subscribe to. That been said, I must also clarify that I abhor religion. In essence, while I believe in faith (and the need for it), I am not a fan of the structures that define religion. Hence, I am not a follower of any religion in the world. I believe GOD has called us to have a relationship with Him that surpasses the trappings of religion. As par this mindset, I have a problem with ‘church folks’. But since I am only concerned about Africans, it is better to say ‘I have a problem with African church folks’. To set a premise, let me define what a ‘church folk’ is. “A church folk is a person who is only outwardly devoted to the teachings of the church but who is the direct opposite of the Christ he/she claims to follow.” Now that we have the definition out of the way, let me explain my reason(s). The hardest thing here is to get broad categories but I will try. Here are some examples of African church folks. 1. THE NARCISSISTIC CHURCH LEADER: I will start with the pastor/prophet/minister/priest who have god-complexes. Their word is law! They may not feel they are equal to GOD but they sure act like it. They have no nuances of humility or pretenses of obeisance. They ‘demand’ of GOD and ‘command’ GOD to do their bidding. They shout at GOD as they would their servants. In similar fashion, they demand that their followers obey them to infinity. These church folk literally determine how their followers live their lives; whom they marry, what sort of jobs they do, and how often they must attend church meetings. These church folk are so narcissistic that they cannot stand their followers listening to other pastors/prophets/ministers/priests. I have heard of such church folks who tell their congregation that ‘you cannot serve two masters. You cannot drink the spirit of other people and expect to be effectively functional here.’ This is where we hear of church leaders who beat up, abuse or put down church members who do not kowtow to their every direction and command. It is also where you hear of a church leader who says things like, ‘As I got to that house, the devil couldn’t stand me. He had to flee. He knew that pastor/prophet/minister/father (insert name) had arrived. Somebody shout hallelujah.’ We have many of these church folk in many African churches but they are not the worst of the pack. Let us look at another type. 2. THE ‘WE MUST BUILD/EXPAND OUR CHURCH’ LEADER: Many church leaders care more about their precious buildings and expansion than they do about the lives of their church members. It is always contribution for this building project or that expansion vision. Some go as far as telling their congregation that God ordered them to build beautiful edifices for HIM. They blackmail their church members into making huge donations because whatever you sow, ‘you will reap bountifully’. Money that could be used to feed the poor amongst the congregation, clothe people, send members to school or cover the costs of rent is spent building ‘houses of God’. Since when does God live in a house? Since when does Heneed one? As a result, we have beautiful churches with empty people. I know of a man who gives thousands of naira weekly to his church for the building expansion but who wouldn’t give N1000 to a poor person. If there is any donation for the church building, he is usually the first to give but if a donation comes for say, widows’ welfare, orphanages, school sponsorship and what not, he wouldn’t even bat an eyelid. 3. THE MONEY HUNGRY CHURCH LEADER: Everyone loves money; that is a fact. Everyone wants to be rich. So I am not bashing this group for wanting money. I am pissed at the way they go at it. My bestie told me of a pastor in Lagos who had a really large congregation and no, it is not any of the big churches. She said she was invited for service there and when she arrived, she saw that the pastor was dancing. Dancing is not the issue here. The pastor would dance to a group of people and would say, ‘Spray me! Spray me! Spray me and get your blessings!’. And people would take out wads of cash and begin to spray. Yes, I was as shocked as you probably are now. What was more shocking however was the number of ‘big men’ my friend said she saw at the church. She mentioned how Range Rovers, G-Wagons and other such luxury cars lined the street of his church. The statement ‘Money doesn’t buy you wisdom’ became sensible to me. I was at a church program sometime last year. The guest speaker was a charlatan like many I had seen before. He brought some handkerchiefs with him, wiped his sweaty face and saliva spewing mouth and asked the church members to each take one. The price range started at ₦10,000. I do not exaggerate when I say that people ran to the altar to get one! When close to 50 people had done that, he went to ₦5000 and like that until it was ₦500. When it seemed like people were only trickling in, he screamed that he saw a vision of 20 unmarried women getting their husbands and 20 young people getting their admission letters into the university. The words weren’t fully out of his mouth when many people ran out. I am sure that more than 50 girls ran out for the chance to get their own husband. I was miffed at the level of ignorance that was put on
Scam: Samsung (Nigeria) Advert
So yesterday, I had a shoot to do and was on my way to Itu-agan Island in Lagos. I was surfing the web because traffic was really crazy; as if I really need an excuse to surf the net; internet junkie that I am. I got a DM notification. Usually, I wouldn’t have bothered to check…but I did. It was from a lady called Sanra Williams @SanraWilliamSng. I checked her profile and though she didn’t have many followers, I wanted to believe she was legit. This is what went down in the DM. Then the Angela person sent me a BBM request and I accepted. On her profile is Nollywood actress Angela Okorie’s picture. I decided to discuss with the person. Below is what we discussed. We were talking until I saw this; The firewall in my head went up. Huh? ₦12 million?! Na! That was some scammer ish! I wanted to log off but my homie Mo asked me to keep talking. She told me to see how far the person would go. This is what happened afterwards; I decided I was sick with the ish and sent these to the person; And here is what the person responded with…. I laughed at ‘lil girl’ and decided I have to share this. This entire thing came at a time when I was really down; financially. The thought of making 12 million would have been tempting if it was not preposterous. Many celebrities can’t even make that and this person thought that my eyes were so big that I wouldn’t see past the scam. Now, I know that we want to believe that good things can happen to us all and maybe a sliver of hope may come our way that is nothing short of a miracle but we should never be willing to compromise for said miracles. I believe that many Africans wait so much on miracles that they forget to work hard and become better. I believe in working for what I need and want and I cannot say this enough! We all have our mumu buttons but money isn’t mine. Maybe a sit down with Oprah, Beyonce, Tyra, Toolz, and Chimamanda Adiechie (all at once) would have tempted me to part with my money but not a chance to make bigger money. In essence, be careful out there. These scammers ain’t playing! SAMSUNG NIGERIA and ANGELA OKORIE, you need to send out a disclaimer before these people run you to the ground.
Happy Birthday Abdul!
The day he said we met is not the day I remember; it is not the day that registered in my head. The day I remember is when I walked into the office and stopped in my tracks. Seated at the far left corner was the handsome, dapper and suave looking man. He had this aloof aura about him that made me want to get to know him more. THAT was the day we became friends. His name? ABDULLAHI AHMED aka Mr. Chelsea aka Talba aka Mr. sexy voice. Since that day, Abdul has been one of my best buds, my confidante, my inspiration, my friend, my brother, my prod, my anchor, my optimist and my realist (it might sound different but with Abdul, those two words are one and the same). Abdul is one of the best radio/television presenter I know! He is GOOD at everything he does! Whether it is the news, programs, sports, entertainment or doing voice overs, he brings a flair to presentation that should be emulated! I remember when I used to be jealous of him. I wanted to be as good as he was with half the work he does; and boy does he work! He would take up presentation materials and tell me to read them (as if he is my father) and though I may pout, I always read them. I remember all the days and nights where we would read and read and read and practice and practice and practice. Sometimes, he would seize my phone so I can concentrate on reading practice. I used to get mad then but today, I am appreciative of what he had done! I have become a better presenter because my friend prodded me, told me I could, practiced with me and quite frankly, chided me. THAT IS WHAT FRIENDSHIP IS ABOUT! Though I have been away from him these past few months, he has not once stopped inspiring me to be better, to reach for better, to see the bigger picture and to keep hope alive. I absolutely love this man and I am uber proud of the man you are today, the man I know you are striving to be and in time, the man you will be remembered for. On this day then, I wish you – ABDULLAHI AHMED TALBA – a wonderfully splendid birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR FRIEND! I pray that GOD bestows you with wisdom, with knowledge, with understanding, with grace, with power and so much more. I pray GOD blesses you indeed, clothes you with his favor and paves the way for you to succeed beyond your greatest imaginations. And because you invest in people’s lives, I pray GOD sends people who will invest in your life manifold blessings and opportunities so that you fill in the shoes you were meant to fill. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEARIE! PS: If I was in Yola, you know you will have to take me out for all this things I have written bah? That our fish and chips joint! LOL. Miss you much!
The Drama Around the Female Sex Organs
Woman covering her pubic region.Image: Allure. I went to a Christian secondary school and we had ‘born-again’ teachers who couldn’t talk about sex because they felt it was sin. It was hard for them to even teach reproduction without blushing to an unhealthy hue of red. When I was in JSS 3, I was selected for a seminar on sex education because I could talk about almost anything; even things people shied away from. The seminar was supposed to help our teachers combat their awkwardness by using the peer-education system. After the seminar, I became a peer educator and the girl to talk to about sex! Trust me, I had classmates coming to me ask all kinds of questions about sex that I was more than willing to answer. Truth is, I am comfortable talking about sex…well, except with my parents because: 1. They are my parents and that is absolutely awkward and; 2. I am happy leaving them with the assumption that I know NOTHING about sex. Anyway, today, I want to look at the drama around the female sex organ or better put, what we call, in broad terms, the vagina. Now, if you are not comfortable talking about sex, this is the time to log off because it is going to get progressively less comfortable. If you are okay, welcome to this gist. I think many people feel I am a conspiracy theorist. I can see gender discrimination in almost any issue and knowing that I am almost always right, I am glad to be a conspiracy theorist. This might just be the proof you are looking for. A while back, I saw a Vlog by Toke Makinwa where she talked about the ‘smell’ of the vagina. She urged her followers to use feminine hygiene products to get a good smell. She seemed to like the smell of cranberry juice because she kept saying women should smell like that. She even went as far as sniffing her friend, Osas Ighodaro, for what her ‘smell’ smelled like. I was embarrassed for Osas who looked equally embarrassed. Turns out Toke was just voicing what many people already thought. Many people believe that a woman’s natural vaginal ‘smell’ is horrible. By many people, I mean many men and a few women. Some people even think that ‘smell’ is so bad that men shouldn’t go down on women; or better put, shouldn’t perform cunnilingus on women. Now, I am not saying that some women don’t get vaginal odor but in most cases, the natural ‘smell’ is not bad or horrible as many people think. When a woman has an odor down there, it usually is a product of poor hygiene, normal sweating, tight panties or an infection in and around the vagina. Sometimes also, during a woman’s menstrual cycle, her sense of smell is heightened, making her more able to perceive her vaginal ‘smell’. This perception has led to many companies producing feminine hygiene products and deodorants for women. And advert companies have made it their goal to tell women that if they don’t smell like cranberry juice, men would be repulsed by them. Again, as it is with most advertisements, the aim is for a woman to catch her man and never about the woman herself. So the woman is expected to use these products to make the man happy and not to please herself. And because many women are all about getting (and keeping) their men, they have bought into the vaginal deodorant products and lie. My friend was among the women who bought a product. She used it and smelled like lemons (or something like that). Next thing I know, she was walking funny. I asked her what was up. She said her vagina was on fire, having exploded in sores. She stopped using the product and took some antibiotics. The swelling went down, the sores disappeared and she was back to normal. She decided to try the product again. Girl called me and told me to never use any vaginal cleanser/deodorant in my life. She experienced fresh sores, pains and swelling. After that, she totally blackballed any of those products. Trust me to laugh at her a bit. I know that many people will chuck it up to allergies or irritation but it wasn’t. She did all the pretests before she used it on her vagina. Thing is, the vagina isn’t built for all that chemical influx. The vagina/vulva is self-cleaning and has just the right amount of bacteria to ensure that everything works well down there. A simple cleaning with warm water is enough because the pH of water is neutral and as such, will not cause problems to the normal fauna of the vagina/vulva. So the issue of ‘smelling like cranberry juice’ should not come up at all. Men also have their unique ‘natural smell’ around their penises and I don’t see them scrambling to use these products to ensure that women are happy with the way they smell. There are many men who would shame a woman for her natural ‘smell’ when they themselves have an odor down there. I still can’t understand why they feel this is okay. Still on the fellatio/cunnilingus drama, I also remember a guy I was discussing with. He swore to never go down on a woman. I asked why. He blurted that it is disgusting. Yes, he used that word! He said women peed from their vagina and the proximity of the anus was a turn off. He said he tried to go down on a woman but kept imagining her pooping. I asked if he liked a woman to go down on him. He said it was a REQUIREMENT! Again, he used that word! He said he never fully enjoyed sex if a woman didn’t go down on him. I smiled and I asked him one question. Where do men pee from? That ended the argument. Recently, he
Review: Dan-Mutum Gwarzala’s ‘God Is an Entrepreneur’
My friend, Dan-Mutum Gwarzala Jamilu contacted me about his book and I was wowed by the title; GOD IS AN ENTREPRENEUR. When he sent me a copy, I was riveted by the book. It is concise, clear and factual. It is an easy read that gives practical knowledge on how we Africans can get our act together and improve our economy and continent. It is a small book, so it means you wouldn’t get bored reading it. While it may read like many leadership and motivational books out there, it is different because it uses models from more advanced structures to proffer solutions to the African problem. Who better to solve our problems than our collective strength as a people? Below is a little information about the writer. Dan-mutum Gwarzala Jamilu is from Adamawa state and is Lunguda by tribe. He is a graduate of Ahmad Bello University Zaria, with a BSc in Zoology. He also had a PDG in Conflict, Peace and Strategic Studiesfrom Kaduna State University. He is a Kingdom Diplomat who is passionate about youth development. He describes himself as ‘….a peace advocate in my own way’. He is the founder of Royal Grill in Kaduna state and he loves reading, football, exercising site seeing and traveling. Here are excerpts from the book. ON AFRICA’S IRESPONSIBILITY For far too long we have been sitting around shifting responsibility and blaming our problems on the leadership vacuum in the continent of Africa and refusing to rise to the challenges and demands of our continent to be change agents, initiators, innovators, inventors and freedom fighters (to free ourselves and others from self-imposed limitations). ON HAVING NO EXCUSE Prayers alone do not change a people, Nation or situation. It involves people – people willing to act, willing to take responsibility and lead themselves and their people to the garden paradise of Life. These are the ones who change nations or situations. ON NATION BUILDING For any nation and people to build and develop itself, it won’t take the government, but the entrepreneurs in that nation – the people in the nation – to rise up and take responsibility for their nations, having a sense of nationhood, not sense of self and building the institutions and physical structures (businesses) that will lead to and bring about the development of their nations. ON AWAKENING THE SLEEPING GIANT Your mind is the sleeping giant and it is expedient that you awaken it – you exercise it daily and develop the creative spark within by developing a systematic thinking process and ability. ON AFRICA’S ASSETS Until you are ready to place value on yourself, no one will do it for you, it is your responsibility to add value to you and your life which in turn adds value to the society you live in. In my view, this is a very good book to read. So click on the link and get to downloading. GOD IS AN ENTREPRENEUR by Dan-Mutum Gwarzala Jamilu
Solitude
Solitude Laugh, and the world laughs with you; Weep, and you weep alone. For the sad old earth must borrow its mirth, But has trouble enough of its own. Sing, and the hills will answer; Sigh, it is lost on the air. The echoes bound to a joyful sound, But shrink from voicing care. Rejoice, and men will seek you; Grieve, and they turn and go. They want full measure of all your pleasure, But they do not need your woe. Be glad, and your friends are many; Be sad, and you lose them all. There are none to decline your nectared wine, But alone you must drink life’s gall. Feast, and your halls are crowded; Fast, and the world goes by. Succeed and give, and it helps you live, But no man can help you die. There is room in the halls of pleasure For a long and lordly train, But one by one we must all file on Through the narrow aisles of pain. – Kenneth Jaro
