Teethy striker bites again!

2010 as an Ajax striker, he bit Orman Bakal of PSV.
2012 as a Liverpool striker, he bit Branislav Ivanovic of Chelsea.
2014 as an Uruguayan striker, he bit Giorgio Chielini of Italy.

Above is a recount of Suarez's biting spree! Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz is a 27 year old Uruguayan native and Liverpool player, who has undoubtedly made a
name for himself as a 'vamp' striker. 

In my opinion, Suarez needs major anger management lessons.

And maybe sessions with a psychologist and/or psychiatrist!  

Haba, we can allow the shoving and booting. But biting! Ahn Ahn! Not once, not twice! It's beyond coincidence or mistakes now! It has become an habit! 

And His teeth are not his only weapon on the pitch! Fist, fingers, boots, fore head, name it. He has it all in his confines. His racial feud with Evra isn't news to football fans either.

I have heard and read that Suarez is a great asset to whatever team he finds himself. But what's talent in the absence of discipline? 

What's skill without character? 

 Answer: ask Suarez or his victims!

 He's going to apologise like he did previously, he's probably going to get match bans and made to pay an undisclosed fine ( that will probably be donated to red cross).

Maybe vampires are real, or maybe he got bit by a rabid dog and never got the right treatment, or just maybe he has been watching too much of vampire diaries, twilight zone and the Originals! 

My advise to his future opponents is this: before going within his perimeter, get you anti rabis shot, lest you also get infected and go on a biting spree! 

Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates. There's plenty of movement, but you never know if it's going to be forward, backwards, or sideways.

H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Your skill might open doors for you, but your character will keep the doors opened. 

The message of silence

Did you know that silence can be very infuriating? I didn't know the extent until yesterday when a cabman unleashed his fury on me.

The mud from the day's rain coupled with crazy rush of motorists had taken its toll on my mood as I boarded a cab to town after a long day's work. Work had not ended on a cheering note either as I had to break the news to an anxious mum that her 3 year old son was a 'sickler'. As expected, she broke down crying, recounting how her people had warned her not to marry outside her tribe, but she did. I couldn't adequately educate her in that state that having a HBSS child had nothing to do with inter-tribal marriage.

Anyway, as I left the Mpape township, I decided that I needed a calm and quiet ride home, so I was just going to chatter a cab all the way.

Unluckily for me, the cab man was a chatter box ( despite my announcement that I wasn't feeling fine) ; he had something to say all the way home. 

He commented about the injustice of having a 'big' car, and about 'agberos' being callous in Abuja.

Unfortunately for him, his passenger just wasn't up to the task of keeping up with his conversation. So I replied only when necessary ( and that was like once or twice).

As we approached my area, I notices that he had resorted to ' hmm and hmm mmm'. I didn't suspect that he was bottling up his fury. 

Just at the corner of my house, he exploded. He just couldn't take my silence anymore. Ahn Ahn! How dare me not join in his conversation? All I used were gestures. 

I was shocked and didn't understand his anger. I tried to get him to explain what he meant, but hour just handed me my change and zoomed off.

He succeeded in making me THINK that I was wrong for not joining in his chats. 

I wondered if it was a sin to want a little bit of quiet in this noisy world. 

 Albert Hubbard said " he who does not understand your silence will probably not understand your words. 

But in all this, I gleaned a lesson: the only answer you need sometimes is silence. You don't need to reply everyone. Even the bible says that : ' answer not a fool according to its folly, lest you be like him' Prov 26:4.

The next time you want to give an answer, be silent for a few seconds and ask yourself if silence would be a better answer.

Litmus test

The much awaited, intrigue-preceeding Ekiti elections have come and gone. Congratulations to the PDP and the people of Ekiti for making their choice. May the next 4 years bring the dividends of democracy to this acclaimed state of Yoruba scholars!  I want to say bigger congratulations to the INEC boss, Prof Atahiru Jega! Kudos to him for holding an election widely considered to be free and fair. No snatching of ballot boxes, no violence recorded, no cancellation of polls or allegations of rigging ( yet)! This is a big step ahead! Some have ascribed the peaceful conduct of this election to the heavy presence of security personnel; but I also believe that INEC took some extra steps. And this is a laudable action If the Ekiti election is to serve as a litmus test for the 2015 elections, then I must say that maybe I see a ray of hope. Fellow electorates, if INEC has stepped up it's game and is trying to ensure that we have a free and fair election in 2015, then we also must rise to the task ahead and get involved in ensuring a successful and peaceful election. We must not activate the "siddon look" mode; we should ask questions, probe candidates, demand for ideologies of parties, shun sentiments and make INFORMED decisions.  Once again, I say Kudos to Prof JEGA and his team!

Back to our vomit?

As the news began to trickle in yesterday from Ekiti, I began to wonder if while attempting to tame dogs, we picked one or two habits from the canines. It is said that a dog goes back to its vomit, but we seem to do that a lot too as a nation! If not, how can you explain the persistence of people who have proved to lack integrity in governance?

Why do we keep on recycling leaders ( rulers I mean)? Why is it that the same people that were in government when I was in primary school still stroll along ( or shall I say sit robust in) the corridors of power now that I am a corper?

Is it a lack of suitable and qualified young Nigerians? ( this is obviously not the case) or a lack of interest from the younger generation? 

Maybe it's the captivating effect that power has on people, such that they wish to go to their graves still holding on to some form of authority ( I laugh at their foolishness).

And when these people approach the populace I don't understand why we accept them and go ahead to support them.

 It has to be that plague of amnesia! Short term, medium term, long term, ultra short term! Name it! We are quick to forget the past! 

And this endemic amnesia plague brings along with it Myopia! Shwortsightedness. We can't see beyond now! The Nigerian populace get so carried away with instant gratification, that they mortgage the future. 

2015 is knocking, and we will yet again be served with a plate of our vomittus appearing  like a sumptuous meal. In fact, it will seem at that point that we do not have a choice. But I beg to differ! 

We have a choice. And we should and we will exercise that freedom to choose by asking questions, getting involved at the primaries of parties, looking at the records of candidates and making informed decision.

We will reason and forget the sentiments of religion, tribe, profession and what have you. 

We are not dogs! We refuse to go back to our vomit!  How much more we! The resolute and vibrant people of Nigeria! 

God bless Nigeria!

"Orders from above"

It is no longer news that Govs Oshiomole and Amaechi of Edo and Rivers state respectively were denied entrance into Ekiti state to join in the JKF's final campaign before the state's Gubernatorial election.

It is also stale gist that a few weeks ago, Amaechi's plane was grounded by the Federal government and thus he was denied access into or out of Kano state.
All these were said to have been 'orders from above'.

For those of you that do not know, the Edo state house of assembly is a house divided against itself presently ( and we all know what the bible says about such situation). 

The Governor of Adamawa state is facing impeachment threats ; the state's accounts have also been frozen by the Federal government . ( you can wonder why).

And all these happenings have one thing in common : all these governors are APC governors ( some new, some old).

And just to add, out of the blues, the Federal government has decided to drop all corruption allegations against the son of the former Military dictator Muhammed Abacha. Just like that o! 

( FYI, the Abachas are from Kano state where Sanusi Lamido Sanusi was recently declared the Emir! And y'all know the wahala that SLS gave GEJ now, abi?)

Anyways back to the koko:

It seems to me that anyone who appears to be pro-opposition to the present Federal government may have signed a contract to be witch- hunted and dog-hounded by the ogas at the top.

I stand a risk of appearing and may even be labelled as Anti-GEJ but what I am really is Anti-tyranny.

It appears that we have gone back to the mid 1990s era when any one that looked like anti government was dealt with. 

It's funny that in a democratic setting, an elected Governor can have his movement restricted by ' orders from above'; ( whatever happened to freedom of movement? I wonder).

If a Governor and other government officials can be 'dealt with' like this then what is the fate of the average Nigerian? 

Are we a democratic or autocratic nation?

If tyranny is the rule now, then why parade a false democracy?

GEJ once said that his ambition  is not worth the shedding of any Nigerian's blood. I hope he still remembers this; because the spate of events that have been happening in recent times is passing a message across: "2015 election is all that matters and it is a do or die affair!".

I am already thinking twice about going out to cast my vote on that day because of the insecurity challenges. A friend of mine is reconsidering her plans of relocating to Nigeria in the midst of all this chaos.

We are beginning to lose hope, and cower in fear.

The once angelic Good luck bearing GEJ now appears to be a desperate, insensitive ruler who wants to retain power at all cost.

Let's speak out Nigerians! Let's speak out against the subtle traits of tyranny that is sneaking into our democracy! Speak out! 

And this is what scares me about power! It corrupts absolutely. 

Epaphras

The story is told of a great minister of God who enjoyed God's grace and did miracles for God without so much stress. He enjoyed effortless grace. He didn't struggle like some ministers around him. And this went on for a long time. After a while he noticed a decline. Things were not as they used to be. So he went to God in prayers to find out where he had erred. ' No where' he was told. He had not done anything wrong. However, he had lost someone dear to his ministry. Someone he wasn't even aware of; An old woman who had dedicated her life to pray for the success of his ministry day and night.

His intercessor had passed on to glory, and thus, the gaps and lapses were becoming obvious. 

Colossians 4:12 tells us of Epaphras who ' is always wrestling in prayer for you... ... '

Every believer needs an Epaphras. Someone committed to you in the place of prayers. Someone who loves you enough to devote time to pray for you consistently. 

Thank God for the Holy Spirit who always intercedes on our behalf (Romans 8:26). He is the greatest Epaphras we could ever ask for.  

 However,  the bible also encourages us to pray for one another ( James 5:16, Eph 6:18, 1 These 5:25).

This should be done, not out of obligation or compulsion, but as a service of love ( Gal 5:13)

The bible teaches us that two are better than one, because they watch out for each other, help each other and hence get a better reward for their work. ( Eccles 4: 9-12, Matt 18:19). 

We all need someone to watch out for us. It could be our spouse, our parent, our sibling,a friend or a spiritual leader. 

Just as we need an Epaphras, we also need to be someone's Epaphras. 

Be someone's EPA today.

#bringbackourgirls#

Wow, 66 days after their abduction, the Chibok girls are still unaccounted for. I'll spare us all my bewilderment about how more than 200 girls were abducted in the first place. We have all voiced our surprises and asked the questions. In fact, the whole world has questioned the execution of this abduction in the wake of a state of emergency. In Borno State. Celebrities, world leaders, schools and groups have all joined what has become a very, very popular campaign My fear, however, is that like every issue that caused an outrage and uproar from the Nigerian masses, this too will be swept under the carpet (God forbid!). Considering the fact that these are actual lives we are talking about, and not the usual corruption allegations, defiance of the rule of law, removal of subsidy, senseless rantings of politicians or unending strike actions by several labour unions; these are future Mothers and wives, future leaders of Nigeria. Thank God for the likes of the former Minister Oby Ezekweseli who have taken it upon themselves to remind the amnesia - prone populace of Nigeria ( leaders and followers alike) that these girls are still missing and that we shouldn't keep our peace. But I still have my fears. I fear that this FIFA fever will diminish our tenacity, that it will blur our passion (I pray I am wrong). I am afraid that like always,our leaders will serve us another topic to rant about, and subsequently we will forget the plight of these girls. I shiver at the thought that someday in the future, we, as a nation, will begin to observe April 15 as a public holiday in remembrance of the would-be mothers who were suddenly and rudely separated from their families and forced into a fate that I refuse to imagine. A group of young girls whose country failed them. It has been 66 days of absence, uncertainties, fear, gloom and heaviness for these girls and their loved ones. Let's keep hope alive for their sakes.‪ #‎bringbackourgirls‬#