ARE YOU OKAY?

"The worst part of being okay is that okay is far from happy"...Anna Todd - ( 1989 - ). American author and screenwriter.

What A Time of Our Lives

For most people, this is a terrible time filled with diseases, poverty and wars. However, on the flip side, this is an interesting time for some because the way the world has turned out has unearthed countless problems, creating an opportunity for bold innovators with initiatives and power of will to provide solutions, and then profit off it. Call it optimism or embracing reality, the bottom line is do we choose to give up, merely survive or actually thrive?

"The first step towards enlightenment is to lighten up on yourself"...Bashar- (1965 - ). Syrian President

All Over The Place

No matter how smart, rich or organized you are, the past two years of covid 19 spiralling the world out of control must have definitely got to you one way or another, directly or indirectly.You must have heard the news, felt emotions of family and friends, and of course been affected by surging prices and even scarce commodities. While some people have been fortunate to get their acts together and not think this is the end of the world (it was for some), a lot of people have been confused, hopeless and even helpless, with their thoughts scattered incoherently all over the place, not knowing what to do, and desperately in need of direction.

"It's  okay to not be perfect and not to have everything figured out"...Hayley Williams - (1988 -). American singer, song writer and business woman

It's Okay

With respect to the lives that were lost during the Covid 19 break out, other diseases,  wars, accidents, suicides, homicides, and even to those that are barely alive and struggling only to just hang in there, I want to say its okay, especially when you are alive, because it means there is still hope for things to get better.

I know some people say that there is no point wishing things can improve in the midst of hopelessness because it hits harder when things don't actually get better. I'd say what do you really have to lose being positive? Let us make optimism a trend, not just because of our mental health, but in order for us to enjoy the moment while we can.

Thank you.

Akin Abimbola

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SOURCES: Amazon, BCC, Brainy Quote, CNN, Google, Goodreads

This article is an original piece written by the author. It was reasonably researched and contains considerable opinion in the unique style of the author. The names in the publication are coincidental, except for news and quotes, which are typically referenced.

THE POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS!

"Whether they stem from business or personal relations, our relationships are what support us, connect us and allow us to progress in all aspects of our lives:... Michelle Tills Lederman Author, communications and networking expert and Leadership speaker.

 HELLO!

The common word 'hello' which became popular and widely accepted around 1800, and is considered a variant of similar words like hola from middle French, holla, hallo and even hollo, which were typically used to gain attention, and has unsurprisingly evolved over time. 

Hello is such a potent word and can neither be overemphasized nor underrated. We humans are social in nature and desperately need each other for virtually everything from communication to the conscious effort of endeavour to elevate ourselves from a low point to a higher one for advancement of humanity. In the light of this, the word 'hello' can mean a lot of things ranging from 'how are you' to hope you're doing fine' to 'I love you'.

 

"Viewed sensitively and with love, the world blossoms with beauty"...Sir Kristian Goldmund Aumann Austrian Film maker, Screen writer, Director and Actor.

A BEAUTIFUL WORLD.

is beautiful right? Of course, but unfortunately, not everyone sees the beauty that life has to offer, because they have been through a lot of hardship and betrayal that they have become hopeless. However, seeing the beauty in life takes a lot of courage and initiative, Seeing and showing the beauty of life requires us to choose to be beautiful, because we cannot give what we don't have, and because we see things just the way we are.

"In examining disease, we gain wisdom about anatomy and physiology and biology. In examining the person with disease, we gain wisdom about life"...Oliver W. Sacks (1933 - 2015) British born Neurologist, Naturalist and Historian of science.

CONFLICTS AND DISEASES.

of conflicts and the spread of diseases are inevitable, but how they are handled and managed if you may, are the very crucial things. In as much as humanity has done a great job in maintaining sanity by keeping people peaceful and healthy, there is obviously so much more to be done. We will do well to root for ourselves, because with the evident progress we have made so far, we can tell that we really are unto something, and together we can achieve greatness.

"One's nativity is not of his own choosing, but whatever it may be, it is entitled to respect; and all nations have honorable place in the world's family"...Paul Percy Harris (1868 - 1947) Founder of Rotary International.

HUMANITY TO THE RESCUE!

What would the world be without non-profit organizations such as Rotary International, Red Cross, Salvation Army and the likes that have been a visible force and beacon of hope for many societies  for over a century? They have effectively combated varying crisis and diseases, ranging from ending polio to helping families stay together through grants, scholarships and sorting out other emergency reliefs. 

It is quite remarkable that several groups of noble men and women can come together despite the various troubles and pressures that exist, just to make a difference in the lives of ordinary people. 

Rotary International in particular, proudly has impressive objects, pillars and core values of service that gives it so much integrity and respect enough to be trusted to look out for people in areas of leadership, managing and eradicating diseases, and fostering goodwill and better friendship. Relationship really is powerful.

Thank you.

Akin Abimbola.

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SOURCES: American Athletes Quotes, Brainy Quote, Goodreads, Google, Love Poems, Paul P. Harris Quotes, Rotary International.

This article is an original piece written by the author. It was reasonably researched and contains considerable opinion in the unique style of the author. The names in the publication are coincidental, except for news and quotes, which are typically referenced.

IS LIFE HARD?

"Life is hard enough. Life is always going to be hard, so you need to push for what you want"...Dizzee Rascal (1984 - ) British Song writer and music producer.

 It is what it is...

Successful people did not just stumble upon greatness and fortune overnight, they are simply the people who embraced reality, lived deliberately, giving life what it takes in order to triumph by working harder than everyone else. In as much as the word 'hard work' may sound like a cliche of sort, we as human beings have perhaps evolved through the times to trick our brain which of course lacks a sense of humour, to not just working hard, but also working smart.

Abiding by the principles that govern the earth may be as simple as not swimming against the tide, obeying gravity, and acknowledging the power of leverage and compounding interest. Learning from history, especially from the mistakes of people is definitely a huge slice of wisdom, making diverse experiences of various people and organizations allow us to see strategies that can help amplify our hard work, causing us to achieve lots more and make it all worth the effort.

"...only the test of fire makes fine steel..."Abraham Lincoln (1809 1865) 16th President of the United States.

Worth the effort

Nothing worthwhile ever came easy. I bet you like doctors right? You also will like great brand cars, airplanes, designer apparels, inventions and discoveries of researches that have made the world a better place by solving problems and making our lives easier. All of the above came to the fore as a result of a great deal of hard work. They may have cost massive amounts of resources, but they proved to be worth it in the end. 

Another way to look at it is, say you are an athlete, and you are training for an upcoming competitive race. You and your coach will most probably push yourselves above and beyond to be ready both physically and mentally, because you want to win your competition. After participating in the competition, either win or lose, the hard work you put into the training shows and it gives you an exhilarating experience.

"Luck is great, but most of life is hard work"..Lain Duncan Smith (1954 - ) British politician.

No Excuses

If you were ill and you decide to visit the hospital, and the only doctor available to treat you is a well known unrepentant alcoholic that abuses women and children, and also has many questionable character issues, would you feel comfortable if he attended to you? Or if you took your faulty car for a check up at the auto workshop, and the mechanic is grossly incompetent, would you let him fix your car if you had a choice?

My point here is that there is a lot of hard work that has gone into building the best brands. The most competent companies in various industries shine so brightly and generate so much in revenue because they worked very hard to be the best at what they do. They do serious research, source the best materials, get the best talents to craft the best designs and produce the best quality. There are no short cuts, and there is no excuse not getting it right, every determined hard worker or smart worker as it is implied these days is etching towards perfection.

"No matter what job or industry you're in, life is hard, but we are all going through a difficult time and the best thing we can do is pick each other up and move on together"...Eric Nam (1988 - ) American singer and song writer.

We are all we have...

You must have noticed that only one tree cannot make a forest, a proportional saying which underscores the fact that we humans are social animals by nature, and we are created to be there for each other. We should never under-estimate the power of family and friends. It is perhaps the most powerful force of unity. 

The leverage that a family with the combined power of will can do has such a great and insurmountable momentum. Like a pride of lion, they communicate effectively on which prey to bring down in the midst of many, and they work really hard in unison to hunt down the marked target. I think this should be our motto, and interestingly, many people have discovered this strategy and have adopted it as a model, which testifies to the many successes that hard working team members have achieved. 

Is life hard? I'd say a definite yes, it was designed that way to bring the best out of us with the help of our survival instincts, to help us discover hidden treasures and make the world a better place.

Thank you.

Akin Abimbola

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SOURCES: Brainy Quote, Goodreads, Google

This article is an original piece written by the author. It was reasonably researched, contains considerable amounts of opinion, and is composed in the unique style of the author. The names in the published stories are usually coincidental, except for news and quotes, which are typically referenced.

ARE NIGERIANS COMPLACENT...OR WORSE?

 

Treat a man as he is, and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he could be, and he will become what he should be"...Ralph Waldo Emerson. (1803-1882) American essayist, lecturer, philosopher and poet who led the transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century.

True Pictures Don't Lie

It is probably generic for our parents to teach us not to tell lies while we were kids and growing up, but in some conflicting ways, our natural ingenuity if you may, lets us discover that they don't actually practice what they preach. In fairness to them, we do get a much clearer picture when we grow much older and find ourselves in relatively compromising situations, which is of course similar to their's, requiring knowledge, wisdom and experience, we then perhaps unwittingly discover that we are political animals that rely on diplomacy to at the least live in the illusion of sanity.

Photography is a multi billion dollar industry, why? One thing is certain, we are visual by nature, and by implication our curiosity only has a semblance of satisfaction when we can repeatedly see objects, nature and even ourselves to the point where we can in the least understand them. 

It goes a notch further when we can see ourselves as beautiful. This singular aspect is perhaps what gives photographers a hard time, remember the code word here 'beautiful'...In as much as pictures don't lie, we still want to appear beautiful, and this why another set of multi-billion dollar industries associated with photography are the beauty products, photoshop technology, plastic surgery and image consultancy.

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing"...Edmund Burke. (1729-1794) Irish statesman and philosopher. 

Soro Soke (Speak Out Loud))

Yes! there is definitely a price to pay when you tell someone that he or she looks dirty and ridiculous, or isn't presentable or beautiful, just like having the courage to speak out in the face of tyranny, which is usually a state where societal ills are being literally covered with cosmetics, but on the upside, there is also a prize for those that use their voices to fight for a better way of life, protests as we know have been one of the most powerful tools that has changed the directions of administrations for the better. 

There are bad guys everywhere, both in the real world and even in movies, and they come in different forms with various motives only to satisfy their selfish and clandestine purposes. In the real world however, the quest for material gains for self over others or at the detriment of the needy brings out the evil in them, thus diminishing the tendencies of making the world a better place. surprisingly, lurking in every corner are certain good people that have enormous gifts and powers, strong enough to cause a positive change to stop the bad guys from letting the people perish, but astonishingly, they just keep quiet.

In Nigeria for instance, it is very obvious even to the blind that the country is currently in a state of emergency. There are no good roads, there is massive unemployment, there is poor medical care, there isn't adequate power supply, the education is abysmal, corruption thrives, human rights are being abused, security of lives and properties isn't guaranteed, and still the government and prominent Nigerians act as if all is well, while poverty and hunger ravages the land to the extent that Nigeria is being considered the poverty capital of the world, despite the fact that she is rich in plenty resources. Ironically, many rich and powerful Nigerians seem unperturbed, perhaps because they have all the privilege they need, or maybe they know not the extent of their influence. They don't seem to realize how greatly their voice can help amplify the protests of the surprisingly bold youths.

"Courage, kindness, friendship, character. These are the qualities that define us as human beings, and propel us, on occasion, to greatness"...R.J Palacio (Wonder) (1963-) American author and graphic designer.

Having Honour

It is not only amazing how some groups of people constantly try to conceal truths in the glare of blinding 'apparence', but the effrontery to assume that a people can be suppressed especially in such an unintelligent way, worse still, literally calling citizens fools to their faces.

Human evolution has come a really long way as curiosity, necessity and  countless discoveries have helped catapult technology to a whole new level. It is no accident that we find ourselves in the jet age where information moves with the speed of light, where you can hold a multi-member meeting with every participant at various locations around the world, and where you can watch live streams in space, not to talk of 3 D printing, robotics, driverless cars and drones with pin point accuracy. 

These achievements are all results of the strength of faith, belief and the power of will of remarkable humans, people of great courage, and most importantly, true men of honour, deserving accolades and immortalization. Now, can you dare imagine how far talented people will go if they were all led by visionaries,  you also may conceive the extent their progress would be if they were motivated by charismatic leaders that celebrate excellence and not mediocrity. Also, it is not only dishonorable to be quiet in the face of injustice, it makes the onlookers complicit.

"If you're reading this...congratulations, you're alive. If that's not something to smile about, then I don't know what is"...Chad Sugg (Monsters under your Head) (1986 - ) American singer and song writer.

We Must Be Hopeful

Hope is an audacious act of courage as opposed to fear of both the known and the unknown, which is bred by lack of faith. It has been scientifically proven that being hopeful brightens our day and livens our spirits, giving us a reason to look forward to better days.

It is the power of hope that encourages us to wake up each morning to show up at work by all means necessary in order to make a difference and also make the world a bit better each day. It is hope that lets us choose love as our line of defense against hate, religious intolerance, tribal conflicts and makes us choose to constructively criticize rather than expressly condemn. It is hope that things can and will get better that causes youths to protest peacefully on the streets to create massive awareness for a much needed change.

We really must be hopeful, and creative in our approach. It has become imperative that the government must be led by the ideas and proactive actions of the populace. The talents, treasures and time of the citizens need to be systematically harnessed to create prosperity, unity and justice, this way our hope rather than perish, will energize and lift us up.

Thank you.

Akin Abimbola

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SOURCES: Brainy Quote, Google, Goodreads, Holy Bible, Unsplash, Wikipedia

This article is an original piece by the author. It was reasonably researched, contains considerable opinion and is composed in the unique style of the author. The names in the published stories are usually coincidental, except for news and quotes, which are typically referenced.

IS(N'T) NIGERIA FAILING???

 

"Failure is not failure unless we fail to learn  from it"...Craig D Lounsbrough An American licensed professional counsellor, and ordained by the Evangelical Church Alliance.

Knowledge, Wisdom and Understanding (K,W&U)!

Isn't it amazing to know that development and technological advancement has leaped forward a hundred fold in the past decade compared to the last century. It's definitely a good thing King Solomon summoned the courage to make the perfect request from God, otherwise where would we be without the KW&U?

New discoveries have been made, new inventions have been created and quite a number have been patented, many commendable people have helped us have genuinely brand new perspectives on various issues about our lives and our environment. Summarily, we have accumulated so much knowledge, wisdom and understanding about life through the experiences, which by the way includes failures and mistakes of courageous people that have challenged the status quo, only to realize it only gets better.

A school of thought describes this period of our lives as the wisdom age, a gargantuan metamorphosis from the stone age, especially in developed nations. However, what on earth qualifies a nation to operate in a wisdom age, talk more of being developed?

I guess it is simple even in a troubled and seemingly complicated world. Developed nations have graduated through the stone age, agrarian age, Industrial age and the Information age, only to arrive at a semblance of the top of the food chain, the wisdom age, a territory belonging to the great eagle, which hovers over the earth, carefully navigating both calm and rough terrains, as if to supervise activities going on down below.

Developed nations operate in the wisdom age because they are truthful to themselves as they align with the principles that govern the earth. They embrace top notch education and research, they inspire their citizens to be creative by providing enabling environment for them to thrive, and they reward excellence and integrity. All these actions are an aftermath of painful failures in the past, which has served as experience from lessons learned. The bottom line here is that developed nations have taken the initiative to practically let their citizens know that they are powerful, important and that governance is about them.

"Action expresses priorities"...Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) Indian Lawyer, Politician, social activist and writer who became the leader of the Nationalist movement against the British rule of India.

What have we done?

Back in Nigeria, the ongoing activities and the way the country is being run has enlightened Nigerians and the entire world baffled enough to ask 'What is really going wr(on)g? 

Without prejudice, I make bold to say (or reiterate) that corruption rages the land like wig fire, illiteracy complements it, poverty amplifies it, not to talk of the heightened presence of obvious insecurity, kidnapping, terrorism, poor healthcare, unemployment, bad roads, I wish the list of grim milestones wasn't longer, but it definitely works my nerve to keep mentioning the ills of the society, moreover, I don't want to diminish my apparent dedication to constructive criticism.

To add salt to the already festering injury, the government has failed to be realistic with current happenings and adapt to the change of the times. I don't know for a fact whether it is the wrong people that are in government, or if they just lack the political will to build strong and sustainable institutions and infrastructure, but one conspicuous fail is that there priorities when it comes to policies and administration is systematically flawed.

The representatives of government have proven that they are not financially intelligent by the ways they spend money, their lack of creative and smart money making strategies, their lack of accountability, shady procurements of overpriced luxuries without sustainable value in the glare of poor and deprived citizens, corruption, and their flagrant disregard of the citizens with the ways they borrow monies from international financial institutions at ridiculous terms, a debt liability for future administrations and generation.

"Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth"...Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) American Naturalist, essayist, Philosopher and poet.

Power and purpose of Truth

The current bewilderment that has added flesh to a sustained negative stereotype raises questions such as 'Are Nigerian elites deliberately depriving the citizens of skills and education in order to weaponize poverty'? or 'Are they simply blind to see that they stink with arrogance and mediocrity'? or 'Are they wicked as a result of pure evil'? I am sure it is pretty hard to say, but one thing is for sure, a majority of them do not tell the truth.

"What's done is done, what's gone is gone. One of life's lessons is always moving on. It's okay to look back to see how far you've come, but keep moving forward"...Roy T Bennet. A thought leader, that shares positive thoughts and creative insights.

We Move

No matter what happens, in as much as nature isn't in a hurry, life keeps moving forward. One of the most beautiful things that life teaches us is that things get better, especially when we choose to live deliberately and look out for the good in people and situations as their beauty is revealed.

The belief that things will get better has driven many a men to find solutions to problems, and challenge the greatest obstacles in order to add colour to humanity and quality to life. The hope that things will get better has kept many people alive, keeping the faith that there is indeed light at the end of any dark tunnel, and true to the quests, they were right.

The greatest achievements such as end to slavery, women's right to be visible, to vote and be active, dark skinned people's right to vote in America, end to police brutality and not to make little, were initiated by courageous people inconvenienced themselves by risking their lives to protest peacefully in order to get the government's attention for a clamour for the much needed change in the most civil and constitutional way. 

even when some bad elements of government that vowed to serve the people resist the protesters both psychologically and lethally, the truth bares its face, and yet the movement stands strong with a momentum second to none. This is because, when we look back at how far we have come, and with all the progress we have made, we realize that it is too late to turn back, only cowards do that.

"And now these three remain: Faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love"...1 Corinthians. 13:13

Love thy Neighbours...

I cannot, even in light years fully explain what love is, I doubt if anyone has ever even scratched it's surface. Yet many have tried in their own unique way analyzed it, perhaps it is too sacred to analyze, or maybe we are just unworthy to understand it talk less explain it.

All I know is that love is a beautiful thing, feeling, expression or whatever fills the gap in the context you choose to lay it. Love heals, melts hearts, forgives and really does conquers all. Love lets you look out for not just your family, but also neighbours and even strangers.

It may interest you to know that Rotary International, Red Cross, Salvation Army and many more foundations like Bill and Melinda foundation give billions of Dollars worth of gifts and services to poor and less privileged people that they don't know around the world, solving many problems, touching and saving lives, boosting economies and raising hopes of hopeless people ravaged by hunger and war.

If such organizations can do such amazing things, how much more responsible should the government be? The government collects taxes, exports resources, require citizens to pay for services, yet refuses to be held accountable for their shortcomings that has resulted in so much poverty that the citizens are hungry and angry. 

If only the government embraces wisdom enough to realize that love is required to lead the nation. If they choose to love the citizens, they will ensure that office holders hold office by excellence, so that competent people can build the National Institutions. 

Isn't embarrassing enough to know that a massively oil rich nation such as Nigeria is the poverty capital of the world and hugely infested with terrorism, making it relatively unsafe to live freely, yet the leaders have the effrontery to try to attract foreign investors.

Is Nigeria failing? The truth is this type of question will not be necessary if we get to work right now, and be true to ourselves in what we really have to do.

Thank you.

Akin Abimbola

Support us:

Subscribe to comment on, and share our content.

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SOURCES: Brainy Quote, Google, Goodreads, Holy Bible, The Light in the heart, Walden, Wikipedia

This article is an original piece by the author. It was reasonably researched, contains considerable opinion and is composed in the unique style of the author. The names in the published stories are usually coincidental, except for news and quotes, which are typically referenced.

BEYOND #EndSARS

No force on earth can stop an idea whose time has come" ...Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885) French Poet, Novelist and Dramatist.

An Awakening!

For the very first time perhaps in modern history, and with an action long overdue for longer than we realize, Nigerian youths united in an unprecedented physical protest against Police brutality tagging the movement #ENDSARS, SARS being an acronym for Special Anti Robbery Squad, a Police unit tasked with preventing armed robberies. Unfortunately, the unit turned rogue and became notorious for extorting and wrongly profiling innocent and young Nigerians.

It may interest you to know that factors such as illiteracy, superstition, misguided religion, poverty, oppression and unchecked corruption especially within the political circles have systematically suppressed and silenced the citizens, and subduing them from speaking their truth and obtain their rights in the midst of conspicuous injustice.

Fast forward till this current moment, there has been a gigantic leap in areas of knowledge and technology, thus enlightening and inspiring new ideas and opportunities, and actually giving power to the people just as it should be.                                                                                      The youths have now not only realized that anything is achievable, they have also discovered the world has indeed become a global village and they can replicate and even surpass fantastic feats performed by their contemporaries in other parts of the world. 

Their passion for entrepreneurship in entertainment and invention of various products borne of bold ideas using modern technology made the youth enterprising enough to stand out in wealthy appearance, a strange outlook for the SARS and Police alike due to their apparent maltreatment by the government in terms of commiserate emoluments, proper housing and healthcare, causing the vibrant youths to be easy targets for extortion.

"Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world would do this, it would change the earth"...William Faulkner (1897 - 1962) American writer and Nobel Prize Laureate from Oxford Mississippi.

The Issues

Truth be told, no country or economy is perfect, but developed nations are those that embrace reality, are proactively enterprising and people oriented, because the lives of the people matter, and the power actually belongs to them.

Unfortunately however, Nigeria and even Africa by extension is known for depriving the citizens of humanity, which comprises human rights and basic amenities such as power, health care, education, employment, security and a decent living standard. 

Rather the elected officials oppress the people with dictatorial styled leadership, take unnecessary loans and squander them recklessly on white elephant projects without creating value, baring their financial illiteracy, and shamelessly live in denial as the economy crumbles before everyone's very eyes.

Salt was ultimately added to injury when the government systematically instigated the Police against the struggling citizens by depriving them of an acceptable standard of living, giving rise to crime and also prompting the security personnel to clamp down on innocent people being vulnerable targets, extorting them and lethally violating their fundamental human rights underneath the shadows of a judicial system broken by corruption and mediocrity.

"The world steps aside for the man who knows where he is going"...James Allen (1864 - 1912) British Philosophical Writer.

The Movement!

One of the commendable take aways from the #ENDSARS protest is the fact that virtually everyone of reason and repute aligned with the fact that the protest was valid, and that the youths indeed were bold to have taken a much required initiative to stand up for their right to live peacefully, and also ask for better treatment for the Police that dehumanizes them.

The peaceful protest surprisingly evolved into a massive movement of victims of police brutality, with young people uniting across tribal and religious lines to create a resounding awareness to the government. At first, the government concurred and seemed to show interest in resolving the issue at hand by disbanding SARS, but it was found that the government failed to realize that #ENDSARS had become code for a yearning to end of bad governance, SARS was a monster that the government had created.

The peaceful protest was however brought to an abrupt end when some people in military uniform arrived Lekki toll gate, Lagos and opened fire on the protesters, injuring some people, and there has also been allegations of some youths dying from gun shot wounds.

"If we throw blankets over our children's dreams, we darken their world and extinguish their desire to live"...Suzy Kassem (1975 - ) American Writer, Poet, Philosopher and multi-faceted Artist of Egyptian Origin.

 

The Future

There are many negative stereotypes that hamper Nigeria's progress. First is poverty, both of the stomach and then of the mind. Poverty has been weaponized against the Nigerian citizens, giving an outlook of a defeated people seeking hand outs from the privileged elites who would rather not have it any other way. Poverty has pitted people against each other, creating an unhealthy competition, when in fact there should be cooperation among the people in order to create a sustainable living.

The #ENDSARS protest is said to be just the beginning and a discovery of sort, that truly, the power of the people is greater than the people in power, and that the sheer power of will can make real changes for a better future.

It has now become desperately imperative that Nigeria raises young and vibrant leaders with vision and values that will shape Nigeria and even Africa with collective intelligence and shared mission to save the soul of such blessed a land, by educating and inspiring a new generation.

#ENDHATE

God bless us all.

Thank you, and be awesome because you truly are.

Akin Abimbola.

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Please subscribe to, comment on, and share our content.

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SOURCES: Arise News, Brainy Quote, Channels TV,  CNN,  Google, Goodreads, Rise up and salute the Sun, The Punch, Youtube

This article is an original piece, which was reasonably researched, contains considerable opinion, and is composed in the unique style of the author.

The names in the published stories are not usually real and names appearing are probably coincidental except for news and quotes, which are typically referenced.

WILL AFRICA EVER BE FREE?

#ENDSARS: I stand with the Nigerian youths, joining my voice to end police brutality.

"In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed, it must be achieved”…Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882 - 1945) 32nd President of the United States.                                                                                                                                        Freedom                                                                                                                                                       It will interest you to know that as bad as the slavery era has been constantly resented and the perpetrators condemned, slavery still persists today, underneath our noses and perhaps surprisingly, before our very eyes.

The recent killings of dark skinned people in the United States has caused peaceful protests to turn violent because of apparent racist claims and undertones, resonating the slave trade that occurred about four centuries ago, when Africans were shipped to the west to very painstakingly cultivate plantations that has accrued immense wealth for the slave owners, and benefitted the countries in question on the long run. 

In all of this, dark skinned people have expressed tremendous fear and threat of subjugation, hate and systemic racism aimed at annihilating them, making freedom a rare and essential commodity.

 “Until the Lion learns to write, every story will glorify the hunter”… J. Nozipo Maraire (1964 - ) Zimbabwean Doctor, Entrepreneur and writer.

True African (Hi)story

 History they say belongs to the victors, perhaps this is why it is hard to come by any substantial African history of note detailing her greatness, achievements and her contributions to the world, because she was conquered and then oppressed by the warlords and mercenaries in a Trojan horse. In as much as the Western world have had their fair share of poverty, wars and epidemics, they have also come a long way, seeking better future and fortunes to leave great legacies for their coming generations. In the course of this however, our dear Mother Africa became a blatant casualty.

“When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you”…Winston S. Churchill (1874 - 1965) Former British Prime Minister

 

Divided… we fell

A school of thought explains that slavery has always been a part and practice in Africa. A chain of command existed firmly especially in line with royalty where the king would have slaves tend to his family, and the elites too had armies of them at their beck and call. 

It became so extreme in some climes to the extent that it turned out to be a cultural norm for male servants to be castrated for fear of sleeping with the king’s wives or daughters, or amongst themselves. Some slaves were even slaughtered upon the king’s death with the belief that they would serve him in the afterlife.

“If you are living an original life, there is absolutely no need to compete with anyone else”…Edmond Mbiaka 

Unhealthy Mix 

It is known the world over that various tribes with different languages and cultures made some form of compromise in order to peacefully co-exist as nations with mutual respect and benefits. In this light, the ways countries were created and named, especially by the master colonizers A.K.A. the Europeans, Spanish and Portuguese is a questionable mix. 

Here, the question arises whether the apparently forced union was put in place for the benefit of the west in terms of resources or for the sovereignty of a free and genuinely tolerable people. 

This line of thought is imperative because multiple claims arose, faulting the unions due to the tribal clashes and regional suppressions due to stereotypes of supremacy of certain clans over others, by implication, detrimental to their development.

“In this world, it is too common for people to search for someone to lose themselves in. But I am already lost, I will look for someone to find myself in”…C. Joybell C is a Writer, Poet, Business Investor and Counsellor.

Discovery and Awakening 

We are all social animals, which makes the love and co-operation we show ourselves worth it. With intelligence, we can discover ourselves. Intelligence which comprises knowledge, wisdom and empathy in no particular order is stringent upon the collective survival and prosperity of humanity, unfortunately however, due to greed and corruption of the souls of some of us, we let strife thrive, and our sacred hearts are polluted to reveal hate, and subsequently, catastrophe.

Will Africa ever be free? Truth be told, it looks very much less likely. In as much as I hate to be pessimistic nor a prophet of doom, it would be an unfounded denial not to admit seeing the obvious. Africa’s weak institutions have permitted decay in the education sector, corruption, injustice and suppression, all which have the potential to lead to self-annihilation. 

Nigeria, the Giant of Africa and most populous nation in Africa, and of Dark skinned Africans with over 200 million people recently celebrated her 60th year independence with no commensurate development to show for it in proportion to her contemporaries. The low key celebration was marred by youths protesting to put an end to a unit of the Nigerian Police known as Special Anti-Robbery Squad dubbed #EndSars, and garnered international support. They are found to be notorious in extorting and being lethally ruthless with good-looking youths, especially millennials that are distinct in the western trend. This problem is not isolated, but rather a spin off of endemic and generic issues that stem on poor leadership, illiteracy and lack of confidence and belief in the potentials of the African people.

We recently got information that SARS has been indeed ended in some way, a controversial move that the Nigerian youths refuse to believe, but will the perpetrators of evil be brought to book?  What it currently looks like is that the youths recognizing their powers will have no choice but to clamour for #EndPoverty, #EndIlliteracy, #EndUnemployment, #EndPoorHealthcare, #EndKillings ?

God bless Africa and the entire world!

Thank you, and be awesome because you truly are.

Akin Abimbola. 

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Sources: Brainy Quote, CNN, Google, Good reads, Punch, You tube

This article is an original piece, which was reasonably researched, contains considerable opinion and is composed in a unique style of the author. 

The names in actual stories are not real and the stories in this write-up are fictional. Consequently, people’s names appearing are purely co-incidental, except for quotes and news that are typically referenced.