Rethinking Our National Garb...

What I am about to say will tick a few individuals off. Look at the picture above, do you see Umar? Inasmuch as we ought to protect our identity, tradition and the positive aspects of our culture. Does Umar's dress code fit snugly with the new global economy. I doubt that Nigerians are any more culturally conscious than the Japanese but we do not see Shinzo Abe rocking a Kosode. Do we?
I am not necessarily advocating for Mr. Yaradua putting on a suit, but I'd like to see him in something in the line of a trimmed down Kaftan, or in the case of Obasanjo 2.0 version of Buba and Sokoto. I'd like to see smarter outfits adopted as the National attire.
In the swift global economy image (packaging) is as important as the product which is offered.I find it hard to use technology and Babariga or Agbada in the same sentence. It projects an old school image which is no longer in tune with the socio-economic field in which we are hoping to become major players.
If tearing our politicians from their robes is just too painful to bare, can an able Nigerian designer provide us with a Babariga 2.0. Something like this will work just fine.

The Impatient Generation...

Take it slow, get into a blue chip firm, ride your way to the top, where you will enjoy stability and a relaxed retirement afterwards. This is great career advise right? Obviously the present crop of twenty somethings do not think so. I have been in a few career goals themed debates myself. It is also commonplace to hear the above-forties complain about the level of impatience displayed by the twenty-somethings. They often conclude such statements by giving you an earful of the merits of patience.

Is patience still a virtue when it comes to making career choices? Would you advise your little cousin to take up a job at AT&T rather than a similar job at Google, where he/she could ride the hype machine for a while and jump ship when the hype finally crests? This post at the Careerist, put my opinion on this issue in a concise manner. Young workers are impatient with good reason.

Surely there are a variety of social and cultural factors influencing impatience, but as far as I’m concerned, the big reason for all this impatience is one thing: family.

Tying the desires to be successful to family commitments. Ryan Healy suggests that patience is definitely not an optimum strategy that would resolve this problem set.

Luckily, I am 23 years old and most likely won’t have this family until at least my mid thirties. If you do the math this leaves me with about a decade to become a successful business person. Once the wife and kids come, the career must take a backseat. This is why I’m so impatient!

You should read the full article here.

As a Nigerian the zeal to make a difference is heightened. It would only be fair to say our folks had it better than we did, in terms of stability and Government support. Also the thirty something year old Nigerian has seen a great country gone bad. He has a vivid idea of the potential in a country like ours and he has enough energy and enthusiasm in him to attempt to bring forth change. Many more reasons can be attributed for the position taken by the restless generation, the you-can-do-it-doctrine, the opening up of the global economy, foreign media. I know I am sort of impatient and I have a plethora of reason for my impatience. Are you impatient? What are your reason? I'd be more interested in knowing what makes young Nigerians a hustling breed?

Blogging Anonymously? Really...

Can bloggers be truly anonymous? I do not think so, a few bloggers are steeled by the false veil of anonymity. Freely expressing opinions that would come full circle to bite them in the wrong spot. I feel a blog post should be written with the consciousness that the writer is public. The statement below caught my attention in a case reported by the Boston globe. Read full article here.

"Most of us investigate whatever prior writings our clients might have had, so they are not exposed to their inconsistencies in their testimony," said Meyer, who has begun warning clients against the practice. "But it's impossible to do if you don't know that your client is blogging under an assumed name."

For African bloggers, there may be unforeseen peril lurking, free speech is still a developing idea in the continent, African Governments aren't totally warmed to the idea that the citizenry have a right to speak. Do you see the Nigerian government going after a blogger, anytime soon? It happened in Egypt.
Side-bar (added 24 hours later)
Since the mainstream media in Nigeria appear to have an unwritten code to tread the safe route of caution. I think more focused blogs, with balanced op-eds have a great void to fill. However like with most blogs, the validity of claims made on blogs and the credibility of blogs will always be questionable.
In countries with more open and readily available information mechanisms, false claims are quickly tempered by the mainstream media or other bloggers. What happens in Nigeria where information isn't readily available and there has been a prolonged culture or secrecy? I believe citizen journalism is not about selling information but about using information to create value.
PSA: Visit AfricanLoft.com today.

The Nigerian Lighthouse...

Nigerian Lighthouse is an organization with a tall order. We are seeking to encourage and defend the principles of Nigeria's democracy by utilizing information, technology and the collaborative power of Nigerian citizens. Broad and evasive innit.
Solomonsydelle's initiative, the Nigerian Proclamation, was a pilot project for one of the three initiatives of Nigerian Lighthouse - the use of technology in defense of Nigeria's democracy. The other projects are offline and in development, and I'd talk about those later. We thank you guys for making this dream a reality. Our call is to speak up, our philosophy is to stay positive and work with all willing Nigerians in making Nigeria better.
We believe that given the appropriate tools, significant changes can be made to governance in Nigeria. We also believe that e-governance tools will help achieve the level of democracy and civic participation that many Nigerians seek. We are presently fine tuning our mix of offline and online tools, which will be adopted for the improvement of transparency in our Government. I intended to plug Nigerian Lighthouse and I hope I have succeeded in sparking your interest. Our online home will be Nigerian Lighthouse. We are working feverishly to make it user friendly. Internship programs will be available soon, so if you know any energetic college student in Nigeria, willing to hone his skills, please do send him my way.
By the way I signed every Nigerian blogger up for the Blogactivist project. I am just kidding. I know a few hearts just skipped a beat. Activism need not be confrontational. More coming soon.

Is The Engagement Ring Old Fashioned?

Interesting article about feminism and the engagement ring here in the slate magazine.

On the face of it, the engagement ring's origins as a financial commitment should make modern brides-to-be wary. After all, virginity is no longer a prerequisite for marriage, nor do the majority of women consider marriageability their prime asset.For those who aren't bothered by the finer points of gender equity, an engagement ring clearly makes a claim about the status of a woman's sexual currency. It's a big, shiny NO TRESPASSING sign, stating that the woman wearing it has been bought and paid for, while her beau is out there sign-free and all too easily trespassable, until the wedding.

Do Nigerian women agree with the statement above? If so much noise has been made about gender equity why isn't there a move to drop this practice? Why are some practices which are favorable to the female gender not part of the equality crusade? It makes perfect sense to me that, once women get equal wages, earn the right to propose, women should also be prepared to put a shiny engagement ring in Omodudu's fingers (no pun intended ragdoll). Last time I check the Dudumaster is very upscale the ring ought to be the size of a building brick. I dare to shout equality for women, shey? The slate article put it concisely...

There's a powerful case to be made that in an age of equitable marriage the engagement ring is an outmoded commodity—starting with the obvious fact that only the woman gets one. The diamond ring is the site of retrograde fantasies about gender roles. What makes it pernicious—as opposed to tackily fun—is its cost (these days you don't need just a diamond; you need a good diamond), its dubious origins, and the cynical blandishments of TV and print ads designed to suggest a ring's allure through the crassest of stereotypes.

If you are still not convinced, the article buttresses the point, by observing the action of single women. If a right-finger ring shows independence from the "waiting-for-a-guy-to-propose" syndrome, then the engagement ring indicates the reverse (diplomatic statement). How far are African women willing to take their fight for freedom from the male folks? Are you willing to buy us engagement rings?

And you've probably noticed that these days diamonds really are forever: Men are informed that their beautiful wife needs a "Twenty-Fifth Anniversary" ring (note this ad's reduction of a life to copulation and child-rearing), and single women are told not to wait around for guys but to go ahead and get themselves a "right-finger ring." Live to be 100 and a woman of a certain class might find her entire hand crusted over with diamonds. A diamond company, you see, is unrelenting. In their parlance, "the desire is there; we just want to breathe more life into it."

Is the engagement ring old fashioned? If it is, when will the edict take effect?

Dudu's Speedlinks 060807

No more helicopter rides uhn, OBJ finds himself stranded in traffic.
Now there is a blogsville idol. Wow, I'd support anything Nigerian, this may be your only claim to fame, so you go Simon Kolawole and Paula Adu.
I thoroughly enjoyed all the positive post from TED Global.
Kofi asked a great question about branding Africa, I am a bit cynical about Pan-Africanism, how I wish there were more contributors on his post.
Chimanda received the Orange prize, I am a bit lost on this one, a few bloggers mentioned this feat, it must be a really big deal. Am I the only one yet to read her book, I feel so unpatriotic.
Of course Yar'Adua repping at the G8 summit.
The cult of the Amateurs was launched this week.

Stereotypes May Reflect Smart Choices...

NY times did had a piece titled, Despite the Dumb Jokes, Stereotypes May Reflect Some Smart Choices . The main gist is that, blonds and athletes have an easier way out than the rest of the population, so that there is lesser incentive to invest in education. See excerpts below

Option A: The bottom line is that popular perceptions about the intelligence of blonds and athletes may stem more from the academic choices made by members of these groups and from choices that others make about them than from any innate differences in mental ability.
Option B: Or perhaps jealous brunettes and nonathletes with time on their hands simply sit around making up jokes about their rivals.

That started me off thinking about Nigerian stereotypes, especially the tribal ones. In Nigeria we have stereotypes about the different tribes. I will only address stereotypes that aren't really negative, you all know how we do with this tribe thing. My question is that when we say, Ibo's like money, is that fact (option A) or fiction (option B)? Or when we say the Hausa folks are reliable with money (aka Sabo money exchange), will that fall into option A or option B? How about when we say the Yoruba's love academics? I am trying so hard to hold myself back from talking about the various sexual stereotypes of the major Nigerian tribes.
Important policy and political decisions are made in Nigeria based on this stereotypes on a daily basis. So what are our stereotypes really worth, facts or fiction. keep 'em or trash 'em.

What If OBJ Appeared On The Dr Phil.

Since former president Obasanjo has asked Nigerians repeatedly to forgive him for his oversight as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and since Nigerians have remained unforgiving to this man. We are left with no choice than to recommend Baba Iyabo for a session with the renowned Dr. Phil. Here Mr. OBJ as he is popularly known in Nigerian will come to terms with the negativity that is frequently directed at him. Remember African leaders have feelings too, they want to be liked and in some cases loved.

Dr: Hello Mr Obasanjoor, you are welcome to this show, and we appreciate that you took some time off your busy schedule to talk to us via satellite. We hope to help get to the root of this constant feeling that is bugging you. At the end of this show we hope that you will be in a better place where you can smell the roses and see the bright side of life.
OBJ: First of all, My name is Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo, and second of all, I have no interest in smelling any rose, I spend my time on my teak plantations around the country.
Dr: There is no need to get aggressive here, we are trying to help you get rid of this demons. We also understand that those Teak plantations have generated a lot of controversy recently. Would you like to tell us a little about those.
OBJ: Which plantations? I do not have any plantations.
Dr. Okay never mind, I guess that was a mix up. Mr. Obasanjoor your country men accuse you off indirect embezzlement and that you use others as a front to carry out your private business. Some have gone as far as saying you run the country like your own business.
OBJ: All those accusations are false and they were concocted by my detractors, those that want to taint my bad name. They leave all the good work I have done and focus on one or two short comings. By the way I said my name is Chief Olusegun Aremu Obasanjoor.
Dr: I think you have a shade of passive aggression lurking inside of you just waiting to be let out, so that you can eventually reach that zone of zen which you need so badly.
OBJ: Ki lo n so ke?
Dr: Pardon me sir.
OBJ: I am telling you that I conducted my business fairly and as a good citizen of Nigeria.
Dr: Rumours abound that before you became president you had only N20,000 to your name, but now you are the richest farmer in Africa, how did you pull this one off.
OBJ: Are you accusing me of stealing? Call all the various members of the foreign press to come and prove any wrong doing to me. Where is that Koinange boy. I am not answering any more questions. Infact I am furious.
Dr: Phil: Hello, Hello, I guess we lost the satellite connection. Well as you can see African leaders are their own worst enemies, they try too hard to defend themselves. They are very suspicious of anybody trying to help. See your next time on the Dr Phil show.

Nigeria's PR Challenges...

In my last post titled Onshoring Their Personal Life, I played with the idea that Nigeria could get a a sizeable chunk of the global service market in outsourcing. The negative PR generated by homeland's rap sheet on financial crimes, featured prominently in the comment section. I would like to say one last thing before I move on, from this topic.

The barriers to trade in services caused by bad PR is only as good as the level of efficiency of the service industry. If we are efficient enough to drive the prices of our services low. It is only a matter of time before the world pay us some attention. It is hard to compete with cheap. Almost impossible. So as technology drives the transaction costs of this business ventures down. Let us pay some attention.

Mc Hammer's blog LOL.

Onshoring Their Personal Lives...

When David San Filippo decided to create a tribute video in honor of his sister's wedding, he could have gotten a recommendation from a friend or looked up video editors in the phone book. Instead, he did what big corporations have been doing for more than a decade: sent the work offshore.On the Internet, Mr. San Filippo located a graphic artist in Romania who agreed to do the whole thing for $59. The result was a splashy two-minute video with a space theme and "Star Wars" soundtrack. It won raves at the wedding. Via WSJ read the full article here.

Enough of all the shady 'make money online' schemes. Squash the illusion that Google ads will make you and instant millionaire. Get real and feel the wind on your face(My take on Natasha Bedingfield). The opportunities abound in the next phase of off-shoring. As I read the Wall Street Journal article on off-shoring personal tasks, it became apparent to me that very little stood in the way of Nigerians, in terms of ripping the full dividends of this trend. We speak English, we have able labor, we have a huge market, though the PR isn't the best now, that is easily surmountable. What are we waiting for? Please read this article.
Multinationals have sort cheap labor outside the shores of their Western hosts for a while now. No points for guessing that the trend fueled the growth experienced by India and China. The units in which jobs are outsourced is fast becoming smaller and in little or no time it will become practical for Dele to complete a wedding invitation, menu, and hologram design, wedding program, and a thank you note for Mr. Smith's forthcoming wedding. I'd dare to say $200 bucks for a few hours work is good money in Nigeria. Mr Smith is happy because he save $400 bucks. Dele's can hit the club because he just made good money. It is a win win situation. So why aren't we doing it now?
Because we aren't prepared, it is said that fortune favors a prepared mind. My brothers and sister now is the time to train yourself in basic applications. I'd rather sit at my computer and roll out a steady stream of graphic art, than wait for the government to do something.

An example;
The approach relies on the same model that drives corporate outsourcing: labor arbitrage, or benefiting from the wage differential between U.S. workers and those in developing countries. In the U.S., tutoring services charge $40 to $60 an hour for math help. Some skilled tutors in India are paid $2 to $3 an hour. In India, $20 is enough to buy a week's groceries for two people. via wsj

There is also room for entrepreneurs, the big thinker types, to seize the wage arbitrage opportunities that will subsequently present themselves. I have always opined that unlike in the western economies where premium is paid for identifying opportunities, in Africa the premium is paid for the mobilization of resources. Opportunities abound a dime a dozen. Labor is cheap, labor is suppressed therefore willing participants, information isn't easy to come by, so your trade secrets extra safe.
Many will read this and focus on the challenges such as PR, electricity and unavailability of high speed internet. I read this an see reasons for investors to justify the huge cost outlay that is associated with the provision of such infrastructures.
This is my take on the WSJ article about Offshoring your personal lives. Visit AltNigeria.com sometime next week for a straight-faced(technical) take on the same article. I am an apologist of the Flat World School, I think that is obvious by now..

Dudu's Speedlinks...

It is Friday, here are some links that tickled my fancy this week.
Time Magazine's photo essay on the inequality in Nigeria, was a stark reminder of the situation in Nigeria.
Scoop published a poetic letter by Asari-Dokubo supposedly written in detention.
BBC's piece on 40 years after the Biafra war, was quite balanced.
Naijablog's picture Iragbiji boys cracked me up.
Nigeria's new government was inaugurated, on the 29th.
The US government gave Nigeria some props for regulating copyright violators aka pirates.
BBC gave props to solomonsydelle's Nigerian Proclamation. One down for blogville.
The main militant group in Nigeria's Niger Delta says it is willing to stop its violent campaign only if the new government frees its jailed kinsmen.
Forbes magazine's story on MTV turning to Africa for growth. Forbes also tell us about the Saudi King who sees what we Africans are yet to see.
Amnesty International put John Lenon's music to good use. A few music heavyweights throwing it down for Dafur, please check it out if you consider this type of efforts as charitable.
Luminosity promises to help increase your brain power, I hope it works for you.
Have a great weekend.

Ngozi at TED...

Ngozi speaking at TED. This woman is in the know.

Side note, ijebuman exhibit A, on OBJ's performance.

Give Yar'Adua A Chance...

I can not get the thought of fleeing Governors out of my mind. I am having recurring visions of Dariye on horse back fleeing the dusty plains of Jos, at the crack of dawn. The National Anthem playing as Mr. Yaradua takes the oath of office in the plains below. This surely is a movie worth making, Nollywood!
Can I get away with spelling the new President's name this way, 'Yaradua' or I always have to include the hyphen this way, 'Yar'Adua'. I will miss the acronym OBJ. I think Nigerians should take some time out for debriefing, so that all the baggage from Obasanjo's tenure is not carried forward to the Yaradua's presidency. Yaradua ought to be given a fair chance, maybe more than a fair chance actually, because the business of running Nigeria is like a minefield. It is only a matter of time before a scandal is exposed. I know how scarred our hearts are, but there wouldn't be any progress if we wallow in self pity and the negativity often associated with a history of deceit.
As for me and my blog, I will make an attempt at being objective towards the policies of the new government. I bit this idea from a blog, pity I did not bookmark the blog.

THE NIGERIAN PROCLAMATION

IN RECENT HISTORY, NIGERIANS HAVE BEEN OVERWHELMINGLY BETRAYED BY THOSE CHARGED WITH ADDRESSING THEIR NEEDS. INSTEAD OF SERVING THE PEOPLE, PUBLIC SERVANTS HAVE SERVED THEMSELVES TO THE DETRIMENT OF THE MASSES. THE RESULT IS A NATION LACKING ADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE, ORGANIZATION AND SECURITY.

THE INEFFECTIVENESS OF NIGERIAN LEADERS INDICATES A LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE CONSTITUENTS. NIGERIANS ARE NO LONGER RELEVANT TO THE LEADERS, THUS, LEADERS DO NOT FEEL RESPONSIBLE TO THEM.

THE RECENT FAILURE TO CONDUCT A FREE AND FAIR ELECTORAL PROCESS WAS YET ANOTHER ILLUSTRATION THAT THE NEEDS OF THE MANY ARE SECONDARY TO THE WANTS OF THE IMPORTANT FEW.

FROM THIS DAY, ALL NIGERIANS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS GREAT & POWERFUL COUNTRY. CONSEQUENTLY, ALL NIGERIANS MUST COMMIT THEMSELVES TO THE FOLLOWING:

1. WE MUST DEMAND THAT ELECTED OFFICIALS BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS AND IN-ACTIONS.
2. WE MUST EXPECT DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES TO BE HONORED, RESPECTED AND MAINTAINED.
3. WE MUST BELIEVE THAT ALL NIGERIANS ARE EQUAL UNDER THE LAW AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS SUCH.
4. WE MUST APPLY OURSELVES TO IMPROVING THE LOT OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL NIGERIAN REGARDLESS OF GENDER, RELIGION, TRIBE OR SOCIAL STATUS.
5. WE MUST STRIVE TO MAINTAIN A UNITED REPUBLIC DESPITE OUR DIFFERENCES.

ONLY UPON ACHIEVING THESE PRINCIPLES CAN WE AS A PEOPLE FULLY LIVE UP TO OUR POTENTIAL AS A LAND OF GREATNESS. FOR OURS IS A COUNTRY RENOWNED FOR ITS ILLUSTRIOUS PEOPLE, AMPLE RESOURCES AND SHEER PHYSICAL BEAUTY.

Chain Blogging The Nigeria Inauguration...

Here is a one of a kind opportunity for bloggers in the Nigerian blogSpace to make a mark. It is the beginning what we hope will eventually become a voice of the Nigerian people. I implore all bloggers to support SOLOMONSYDELLE's initiative. Let us speak with one voice. Let us make demands. Please visit SOLOMONSYDELLE's blog for a more concise explanation of this initiative.
My version of this instruction is as follows, I am hoping this does not conflict with hers.

• On May 29Th make a post of the Proclamation with the designated title.

End of instructions. Please support this wonderful initiative, it is a great place to start.
Thanks, and have a wonderful weekend.

Still On Dafur...

Some Comments are just too good to be banished to the lonely comments section. Here is a comment by SOLOMONSYDELLE, I do not agree with the simplistic Arab killing Africans twist to the story but the comment stirs me up.
Darfur is nothing but genocide, even though the world refuses to address it as such. Arab Africans killing off Black Africans. Arab countries do not publicly intervene, African (Black) countries fear getting involved because of the money involved. War, or in this case, genocide, is big business for some. Those profiting from this war are bed buddies with African countries and so those of us that should really do something stand by watching.
You wrote recently about whether the world is tired about Darfur. I think they are. I think people feel hopeless and if you consider the various factors and factions, there might be some relevancy to that emotion. However, there are many who do what they can and manage to have a huge impact. Recently on NBC Nightly News there was a spotlight on an American lady who raised over $10,000 that was and is being used to pay for medical care for women and their children.
I hope that stories like hers will reawaken people to the possibility of helping those that are suffering. I also hope that writings by bloggers and others will keep the genocide in our minds so that we can someday get the balls to ignore those that benefit from the status quo and do the right thing - bring an end to the suffering and killings in Darfur.
Watch the video and panoramaby Travis Fox on the Washington post.

As a bonus here is Ijebuman's comment on the above par rating which I accorded Obasanjo's government.ijebuman said...

Since you're his number one fan, you're already biased, I'm biased as well since i'm definitely not a fan.

We all remember Abacha's regime quite well but why would anyone want to compare Obj and Abacha's regime. One was a corrupt undemocratic regime that trampled on the rights of Nigerians while the other was ....

Prior to last month's elections i would have said Obj did a 'slightly below average' job, but after that fiasco i think he failed (as in "F9" for those who still remember WAEC's GCE scoring ..lol), all he has done now is saddled us with a government that will spend most of it's time looking for ways to make itself 'legitimate'.
Through his selfishness and 'know it all' attitude he has destroyed our fourth attempt at democracy. Just like IBB is remembered for 1993's annulled election, history will remember Obj as the man who organised the worst elections in Nigeria's history.

On a lighter note i'm throwing you a challenge (if you're brave enough to accept lol) to tell us exactly what Obj did to 'move Nigeria forward' and i'll provide a rejoinder showing you how with the resources and goodwill at his disposal he could have done a much better job.

Mr Ijebuman, I will be back with my reply. I live for a good challenge like this.

The Nigerian BlogSpace: The Beautiful Blogs Are Not Yet Born...

Pardon me for biting off of Ayi Kwei Armah style, the idea was too irresistible. I'd like to play BloNgville police in this post. My opinion is that there is a lot of room for some advocacy blogs and even some more targeted personal blogs. Nigerian eMoms ought to stand up. Do you know there are is no single trade blog in blogsville? (If you know one let me Know)

That brings me to the main gist. Below are a few ideas of blog themes I'd like to see.

1. I'd like to see a Nigerian butcher blogging about the problems and the issues arising in the abbatoir's politics. I'd like to read complaints about the lorries that got stuck in traffic.

2. I'd like to see an Okada (motorbike) operator discussing issues relating to running an okada business in Lagos. I want these blogs complete with the vernacular and wrong spellings.

3. I'd like to see stay at home mums write about the rigors of daily life.

Some say I am a dreamer (biting the lyrics of a song), and you may have mentally crossed out the idea of an Okada rider at the cybercafe updating his blog. This scenario can be turned on its head, thereby making it feasible if there is a model that makes it worthwhile for him to do this. The ruling class have monopolized information for a long time on the African continent. Progress would be made less painful as more information gets democratized.

What would you like to see?

This post was inspired by Imnakoya's question.

The King (OBJ) And I...

OBJ's interview
OBJ: Ige may have been killed by a 'certain' drug barons.
Omodudu: Isn't the Nigerian press corp such a lazy bunch, there couldn't have been too many 'certain' drug baron, under investigation by the AG's office. Don't we deserve to know who this certain drug baron is.
OBJ: Bakassi did not belong to Nigeria, how can we have what is not ours?
Omodudu: I wonder o, so why did we waste all that money pursuing a dead lead sir?
OBJ: I don't know what they want, when asked about ASU strike.
Omodudu: Sir I think I know. In our neck of the woods its called, justice.
OBJ: I will not take public office again, but since I will still be attending public outings you will see me in pubic.
Omodudu: That is exactly what I thought too. I particularly like your word play, I hope you are not insulting our intelligence though.
OBJ: When asked about the transparency of the Nigerian elections, "The people that are fanning this ember of hatred are not in the country today, they fan the embers and ran away with their family"
Omodudu: Oga, if we dey cry we dey see road o.
I must say, I am OBJ's number one fan though, he moved Nigeria forward, anybody claiming otherwise either has a short memory or is too young to remember what Nigeria was like during Abacha's regime. Given the state of the country and the structure in place, OBJ did an above par job. We need a visionary leader to take over from OBJ...to be continued.

Where Do We Go To Die? Part Two...

Some more from my draft folder...

Charlie's Son, I know him too well. Young, energetic and full of life. He was full of hope for dear country. Call him naive, call him inexperienced, call him what you wish, the only thing he seemed to be sure of was that Nigeria would return to her rightful place of greatness very soon. You could call him a Metro-Africanist, after all he was part Charlie. His dreams were straight forward and simple. Stay focused, get a PhD in developmental economics and then turn things around from his vantage position. This was an African armed with a PLAN. Unlike Charlie who threw stones at the system from across the street, his plan was simple, conquer from within.

Fast-forward 5 years later, Chicago USA, first year in graduate school. After 6 months of waiting for data to arrive from various African bureaus, he kept getting empty promises. He finds himself writing his final paper on Business practices of American Companies.

Now he sits at his desking with the question on his mind, whatever happened to my 'save Nigeria dreams', whatever happened? Why did I sell out? The same answer is echoed once again. A smart person chooses his battles carefully, some causes are not worth dying for, your guess is as good as mine. I do not think Nigeria is worth dying for.

Obasanjo's End Game

What if Yaradua decides to turn on OBJ using the EFCC? Am I reading too much meaning into Mr Yaradua's recent statements, or could Mr Yaradua be a tough cookie himself?Mr OBJ turned on those that put him in power, will he be given a dose of his own medicine? I understand many are frustrated and have decided to take up a siddon-look posture towards Nigeria's politricking, but really, my people there is a possibility that the season finale of this soap opera may turn out to be more interesting than expected.
12 Step Program
Too bad, life has cut into my blogging time. My 12 step program to combat the over stimulation which is caused by the intake of too much information is underway.
My first 3 steps which I have implemented with varying success is as follows.

• Offline time starts at 9.30pm
• Reduce feeds by half, I have only 73 feeds now.
  
• Quit debating pointless policy issues with folks that obviously know much more than I do.
  

Have a rewarding work week guys.
Note: Do you guys read Benin Mwangi's blog, the dude is good yo! (My NY ghetto-ness raring its ugly head grr!)