Jesus, The Reason for the Season

Hello Readers, So sorry for the long silence. I've been busy helping to organize my Church's Christmas service which turned out to be a blast!

In honour of the Season, I've decided to share with you a collaborative piece I co-wrote as a script for the service.

Thank God it's Friday

Hey peeps,
Sorry for the long silence. I've been working on a number of things that kept me really busy this month. One of which was learning how to drive (I've always had a fear of driving myself) and second of all was releasing the e-version (epub) of my book - The Quilt - on okadabooks.com, an online website that helps publish Nigerian writers. For now it's only available to Android users who can download the app on their tablet or phones.

I've also had the privilege of reading some very interesting pieces and the pdf version of the novel Stardust (see cover art below). I'll share some of what I've read with you as time goes but for now, I want to talk about something else. As you all know, November in the USA is associated with Thanksgiving, (hence the title of this post) and every day of our lives we have reasons to be thankful. For example, I'm thankful today is Friday because my nuclear family and I, are going for a Couples Retreat organized by my church. I would have left the smallie at home but hubby refused so little Nathan will be crashing our 'alone time'. Apart from that, I've seen the program and trust me, we are going to have fun.

On my last post, I responded to a comment and got a request from a beautiful lady called Heather Von St. James. I couldn't help but associate with her story. She is a 7-year survivor of Pleural Mesothelioma Cancer [a rare form of cancer (malignancy) that most frequently arises from the cells lining the sacs of the chest (the pleura) or the abdomen (the peritoneum). Pleural mesothelioma is the most common form, often presenting with symptoms in the chest area]. So I've decided to join her 30 days of thanksgiving on blogsphere by sharing her story and giving thanks for something this month.

As for her former condition, MedicineNet.com says, "Mesothelioma typically results from exposure to asbestos. When mesothelioma affects the chest, the doctor may look inside the chest cavity with a special instrument called a thoracoscope. When mesothelioma affects the abdomen, the doctor may look inside the abdomen with a special tool called a peritoneoscope. Mesothelioma is diagnosed by a biopsy. Most people present with complaints of shortness of breath. They also can have complaints of chest pain. Surprisingly, this pain is often not pleuritic; that is, it does not get worse with deep breathing. This is surprising in that the pleura (outer surface of the lung) is often involved in this disease, and most other diseases involving the pleura are often associated with pleuritic pain (pain that worsens with deep breathing). Patients may also be asymptomatic, with the disease discovered by physical exam or an abnormal chest X-ray. As the disease progresses, shortness of breath increases and weight loss decreased appetite, and night sweats can develop. Local invasion by a tumour can result in changing of voice, loss of function of the diaphragm, and symptoms specific to the area and involvement of adjacent structures. There are three traditional kinds of treatment for patients with malignant mesothelioma. Often two or more of these are combined in the course of treatment: surgery (taking out cancer), radiation therapy (using high-dose X-rays or other high-energy rays to kill cancer cells), and chemotherapy (using drugs to fight cancer)."

Cancer no matter the name is a dangerous ailment and early detection still remains the best way to avoid endless hours of pain and sorrow. As for me, I'm grateful for life and good health. Until the next post, stay safe.

PUBLIC ENEMY NO. 1

In Nigeria, you can live a relatively peaceful life if you do not have a run in with any of the following people: Armed robbers, Fraudsters (e.g. ‘Yahoo boys’ and ‘One Chance’) and Law Enforcers. Why put law enforcers with criminals? That’s because nowadays, greedy illiterates have been given uniforms and the power to enforce societal principles which has in turn led to the victimization of innocent citizens.

Last year in August, I tweeted about the murder of Cynthia Osokogu, a 23yr old business woman who traveled to Lagos to meet up with a facebook acquaintance at a hotel for business and possible romantic affair. In other to solve the case and look effective, the police decided to arrest everyone related to the case in one way or the other except the hotel staffs. That was how an innocent intern pharmacist became accused of murder on 16 count charges after being tricked by the police to sell the drug used on the victim before she was raped and killed. With no law in place as to restrict the sale of certain medicinal substances that can be abused for other purposes, how can anyone know what manner in which the drug would be used or the true intention of the buyer?

That’s just one case of police victimization, despite all their TV ads and programs which say, ‘the police is your friend’. How can we trust them when they extort money from us whenever we call upon them to serve? No wonder there are so many unreported crimes in the nation. Later the police would expect the people not to take matters into their own hands and execute ‘jungle justice’ where the mob punishes caught offenders in public places. Let’s move on to some other form of victimization common to people living in Benin City, Edo state.

It is one thing to know you are on the wrong side of the law and quite another to be accused of being an offender of a law you know nothing about. This is usually what happens with traffic controllers and road safety officials. Sometimes they would stop a vehicle to check their papers and safety gear and finding nothing out of order, they’ll invent a permit or specification for a safety appliance like fire extinguisher or waste basket and compel car owners to pay sums of money which are never remitted to the state government. If you insist on your right, they’ll jump into your vehicle, causing unnecessary hold up on the road and demand you follow them to their office where the pay is larger. The only way to get out of it is to plead with them or conform to their wishes if begging doesn’t work or to be extremely knowledgeable of the law and your right and argue them out of reason backed up by knowing someone in a high position of authority to muscle you out of that situation.

Another scenario is their deliberate omission of sign posts in restricted areas or places where new communal law suggests certain activities shouldn’t be carried out there. They share themselves into two groups to ensure they divide and conquer. Some in plain clothes who look like thugs will approach you and pretend to inform you of the law and once you begin to act in compliance, they resist your attempts and start making trouble as though you attacked them. Their co-conspirators in uniform joins them and pretends to keep the peace while allowing the tow truck to hinge itself on your vehicle until you slip them an amount they deem worthy if not, it is off to their station to pay a higher bill. They’ll even go as far as suggesting a small amount they want you to pay and once you pay it, they still take you to their office and accuse you of bribing them. Thereby forcing you to pay a higher sum (with no receipt to prove that the money you paid will be paid into the Government’s account).

So how are these civil servants who operate during the day different from the armed robbers that attack at night? They have become more of a menace than a help to society, forcing individuals to create systems that avoid the use of their services. I have personally experienced these injustice meted out on the average Nigerian by those who are called to serve and protect. While we are trying to get our heads above water, some politicians in public offices are coming up with projects that their relatives or people who offer them bribe can manage in order to ensure they remain enriched with public funds. Our systems have become so flawed that youths fear there’ll be no remedy to salvage the nation from the clutches of corruption.

The level of oppression in the land by our fellow men is too much. Have a heart. If this was done to someone you love, would you stand for it? How can we revive the system such that educated men of integrity can hold offices in every sector of the economy? The solution lies in having a societal paradigm shift from self to selflessness; being willing to put our lives on the line for the greater good of all like Prof. Dora Akunyili did with NAFDAC and has left a legacy for other leaders after her to follow. We need a societal value change, where money isn’t the end result of hard work but who we become and the legacy we leave for others to follow. It starts with us as parents teaching our children the right values, then our churches or religious establishments teaching fundamental truths which have the power to liberate the mind of men and set them on a course of righteousness and love. Let’s stop waiting for activists and motivational speakers to ‘ginger’ us to make a change and let’s realize that the change starts with each and every one of us reading this piece.

Spread the word, get others to read this and be stirred in their hearts to act. It’s now or never. God bless Nigeria!

2013 3rd quarter Movie review

In my last review, I did mention a ton of movies I had watched but didn’t have the time to review and you can bet by now I’ve watched a whole lot more. So for this piece, I’ll be tackling two categories of movie reviews; the movies worthy of in-depth review and those not worthy of any more than a couple of lines. I’ll start with the latter.

Category 1

1. Justice League (Flashpoint Paradox) – Not a cartoon for children or teenagers at all. The level of violence is off the chain plus it was the story of a parallel universe. Quite enjoyable.

2. Evil Dead – A nice remake according to critics but for me, it was just boring. The horror was gross. Also try watching the end without sound, just whack; pitiful really.

3. Looper – As confusing as its title but amazing just a love story with a less than memorable ending.

4. Iron Man 3 – Awesome!!! Nice twist at the end, tight plot, great stunts, fantastic performance by the cast and it’s truly a cinema worthy movie.

5. Elysium – Yawn. A colossal waste of time. Interesting story, slow paced and too much action that left me dosing off in different parts of the movie till it ended.

6. R.I.P.D. – A poor remake of the idea behind Men In Black even though the producers would say the two films have nothing in common. In the words of my brother (nick name Emandes), the film went “from a tight anticipated movie to a dumb sad boring whack spoof-like movie.”

7. Incredible Burt Wonderstone – It started out as a dull movie when compared to other films on magic like Now You See Me or the Illusionist. But in the end, it had a nice moral ring to it as it showed the pitfalls of letting success get to your head. I won't recommend you go out of your way to watch it though. It's the kind of movie you watch when you are bored.

8. Red 1&2 – I don’t know what the critics at Rotten Tomatoes were talking about when RED 2 came out but I enjoyed it just as much as the RED 1. Compared to part 1, part 2’s storyline might not have been as exciting but the stunts and extra characters made up for it. I loved it all the same.

9. Pacific Rim – Interesting. It’s like merging Real Steel with Aliens Vs predators. I couldn’t take my eyes off Idris Elba, for the first time I was really impressed with his character. Slightly clichéd dialogue. It had its ‘Hollywood’ moments that reminded me of Deep Blue Sea yet I failed to connect emotionally with this movie. I wonder why.

10. Pain and Gain – A funny movie except that it was a true life event and that kinda took the fun out of the movie for me. Loved the choice of actors that played the lead characters and the director’s reason for shooting this movie. In the end, it was simply to show the repercussions of taking motivational teachings too far.

I’m so eager to give you category two with in-depth reviews but on the advice of my little sister, I’ll leave it at category 1 for now and maybe next month, I’ll share category two with you.

As the last Muslim break for the year comes around, do make an effort to relax and spend time with your loved ones.

HAPPY 53rd INDEPENDENCE NIGERIA!

Yesterday, tons of youths began changing their blackberry dps to show anticipated solidarity for the progress of our dear country. It was almost like Christmas watch-night celebrations in December. But come October 1st, our national Independence Day where we celebrate freedom from colonial rule, the guns all came out in form of BCs, PMs, blog posts, online notes etc. with the same question on everyone’s minds, WHAT ARE WE TRULY CELEBRATING? We are still dependent on China, Europe and America for foreign investments to boost our economy; we are still facing corrupt leaders and politicians and to top it all, we now have national security challenges like Boko Haram. Most of all, poverty has not been eradicated from the land and its effects are felt in all aspects of our society. Bear in mind that poverty is not necessarily the lack of money but also the fear of having that lack.

This issue of poverty brings me to an issue that I’ve been wanting to blog about since last year on civil service corruption. Maybe I’ll leave that for another day. Just look out for a subsequent blog post called Public enemy no. 1.

So exactly why are the youths excited about today, Nigeria’s Independence Day? One thing is for sure, we may not be where we need to be as a nation and as a people but we are certainly not where we used to be. We’ve survived military regimes, persecution for voicing our opinions, lack of involvement in governance, dissention from extremist groups both religious and political etc. Today we in a new phase embracing reforms, freedom of information and speech, active participation in the law making process that governs our society, technological advancement, entrepreneurial spirit and the future indeed looks bright because of what we are doing now.

According to a quote by Peter Drucker, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” Yesterday’s leaders of tomorrow are taking a stand and acting today so their children can have a better tomorrow. We know there are differences that divide us but we chose to look at the positives that unite us as a people. One thing is for sure, we all want a better country and a brighter future. We know it may seem bad right at the moment but we don’t want to be reminded of how bad it is. After all, every society has its demons why publicize ours on a day when the world will be watching? I’ll close this article in the words of a friend, CEO Brand Effectiveness and owner of eventiso.com , an event marketing platform, “today we celebrate the 53rd independence anniversary of our Nation Nigeria ... we chose to see things differently. This month do something about the result you desire - with unity of thought (focus) and faith make bold moves... Celebrate Nigeria @ 53 for unity and faith, peace and progress.”

My Birthday Dairies continued

so sorry i haven't been making more regular posts (apologies to my loyal followers and readers only), I've been so warped with work since August it's been heard to keep up. plus my birthday and wedding anniversary were this month as well and as is my custom, i get personal when i document my birthday dairy article/post. Initially i shared my birthday tale on my facebook page but due to lack of time, I've decided to share it here with you and work on a new post for November. so here it is: "Since 2009, I've had a string of rather unique birthday experiences which I compiled under my blog post 'My Birthday Dairy'. This year however seems to defy the trend. For the first time, I had no plans and very few expectations. At the end of the day, I had a filling brunch, watched an awesome movie, got a makeover, combined resources to give my church folks a treat after midweek service and had Chinese for dinner. in a romantic setting for two (Nathan was not part of our dinner plans) and had cake for dessert. Not to mention the love from family and friends. Rather than a weird combination of events that previously accompanied my birthdays, I had a simple sweet day. A celebration I would give an arm for. I call it my fun & love filled birthday. Lesson learned, Don't sweat the small stuff. Thanks to everyone who made my day." pictures coming up later. ciao.

LEADERSHIP 300: LEAD THE CHANGE

I firmly believe that leadership is not the exclusive right of people in positions of authority rather it is everyone’s responsibility. That is why when Benson Idahosa University (here in Benin City, Nigeria) began a Change Nigeria Seminar series on the 30th of August 2013, I didn’t think it strange that I should attend (with my baby of course; I don’t have a nanny yet).

The speaker for this event was the accomplished bestselling Author, Business Consultant and Motivational Speaker, Brian Tracy. He spoke so eloquently on a number of topics and trust your girl, I took notes like a secretary poised to transcribe all she heard into the creation of a book or into a publication. I’d like to share a few keynotes that made quite an impression on me (paraphrased of course).

“As you improve yourself, you improve the workings of society. The most valuable and rewarding work you can do is think. Thinking determines the quality of choices which in turn affects the results you produce. The most important part of attending seminars is the action you take i.e. what you do with what you’ve heard. When you take action towards your goal, you get feedback that allows you to self-correct; you get ideas (to make it better) and your confidence goes up. This is why some people are more creative about achieving their goals. When you take a step, it helps you see the next step and see ahead better. The 7 most important qualities for success include: Vision, Focus, Courage, Integrity, Responsibility, Communication and Network. Even if you have only one person looking up to you, you are a leader. As a leader, it is your responsibility to set and achieve your goals, to solve problems and make decisions. You have to lead by example, set the standard for everyone to emulate (e.g. be harder working than your subordinates, complete all your tasks, be punctual, etc) and perform effectively so as to get results. Results are everything and people who get results get respected.”

I didn’t get a chance, like a few people I know, to have a personal shot with Brian Tracy but I’m glad I was in the video coverage by NTA Benin, Silverbird Television and Iwo Media. The next seminar promises to be interesting as plans to get John C. Maxwell are well underway. I don’t intend to miss out on such an awesome seminar. I’ll leave you with a popular direct quote from Brian Tracy, “You are the architect of your own destiny; you are the master of your own fate; you are behind the steering wheel of your life. There are no limitations to what you can have, do or be. Except the limitation you place on yourself by your own thinking”.