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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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

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

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

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DOES AFRICA MATTER?

"Freedom is indivisible, and when one man is enslaved, all are not free. ”... J.F. Kennedy 35^th President of the United States of America (1917 - 1963)

                                              

The Slavery Angle          

                   

Slavery is perhaps the most sensitive and seemingly controversial topics of the past five centuries or so, and as broad as the topic is, it cannot be fully captured in an unpopular blog post, yet it is an important reference point for actions of the mash-up of current generations.

 

Africans have carried the burden of the thoughts and feelings of their ancestors’ enslavement for as long as they can remember, and the singular act of the enslavement and export of Africans to the west has caused the descendants of the poor captives to be caught up in a huge wealth gap and also suffer stereotypes and psychological trauma especially because it has caused certain classes of people to leverage on a superficial claim superiority over time, creating division, hate and claims of systemic racism.

 

In as much as this is true, there are some points that may have to be noted, for instance, the very people that ‘perpetuated’ the slavery export are long gone in as much as the slavery system was meticulously orchestrated.

Historical legend tells us that slavery was already in existence among Africans long before the westerners arrived, and even if there was no evidence of this, at least we can all see how African leaders loot the treasury of their people, deprive them of infrastructure and humane livelihood, suppress the press and arrest people that protest for justice, seeking to drown their voices while anarchy exists in broad day light. This is nothing short of enslaving your own people. 

 

“Freedom has many difficulties and democracy isn’t perfect, but we have never had to put up a wall to keep our people I, to prevent them from leaving us. ”… J.F. Kennedy 35^th President of the United States of America (1917 - 1963)

 

Apparent Freedom

 Africa and Africans due to sovereign act rights tend to act free, but are they really free? 

It is not a secret that the western world control the African economy through demand for Oil, financial policies, strategic presence, constant supervision of her activities, exploration of her resources and exploitation of Africans’ vulnerabilities, which include professional use of age long intelligence garnered due to millennial / historical head start. Africans in power also have greed for vanity ridden material wealth by African leaders bourne of stereotyped poverty of the mind, embedded illiteracy, feel for need to oppress and intimidate the down trodden and less privileged, and absence of emotional and financial intelligence, making freedom feel like a mere mirage.

 

It has all been figured out and weaponized, all hidden in plain sight. Even the blind can see that Africa doesn’t only have massive potential, her resources have sustained the world economy for centuries, and she might as well be dubbed the future. 

Rather than Africa being celebrated, she is constantly shamed and attributed to all forms of negativity such as illiteracy, poverty, corruption and even terrorism.

 

Perhaps it is a reversal psychology of sort; Africans appear to be less confident about themselves without validation from the west. It is understandable that the western world have a massive head start in education, leadership, experience, inventions, discoveries in medicine and so much more that Africa has had to imitate them in most aspects of living, notwithstanding, countries like China, Israel, Russia and so much more have evolved realizing the imperative need to reinvent themselves especially by not only coming to terms with reality about themselves, but also accepting themselves and learning to discover the core of their being and reveal the result of such uniqueness to the rest of the world so that she can also be seen and respected as the asset she truly is.

 

 “People turned against each other cannot turn against those responsible”… DaShane Stokes (1979 - ) Author, Sociologist, Public speaker and Progressive Activist.

 

The Pitting

 

Whether you know it or not, the world is filled with secrets, mysteries, conspiracies and tendencies for bad guys to do evil, even when the good guys try to avert them. In a nutshell, our uniqueness and the apparent relativity of the complexities of this world causes people to see the same things in different ways such that it is easy for the people in power to create scenarios to make us act in predictable ways to meet the selfish ends of a class of people.

 

The existing theories that shape our lives and push us to predetermined directions include Oil, finance, weaponry, drugs, porn, media, agriculture, manufacturing, racism, religion and even the internet all of which are basically about the bottom line.

Although there is competition throughout the world, it is on another level between Africans. The unqualified people want the top spot and strive to get there through corruption, only to practice inefficiently and keep rolling the cycle of mediocrity, causing a ripple effect of repeated and irreparable damage, which causes dysfunctionality in the system, and fosters a bleak future for the youths, which is a clear reflection as seen today.

 

Tribal and religious sentiments have helped divide the longstanding unity between good people because the supposed leaders have due to their greed spread hate, instead of educating and empowering citizens, they chose to impoverish them and oppress them with heir common wealth, altering the eco system and tipping the natural balance of nature.

                            

“The people’s silence is a tyrant’s greatest advocate. The less captives talked, the less they knew, the more they feared and the more they feared, the more easily others could manipulate them to their own ends, the more easily the captives could be controlled”… John Kramer. (1956 - ) American Darts player.

 

Culture

 

Africa very visibly boasts of rich cultures across the continent, those beliefs have shaped their thinking, building up their ideas of fashion, integrity, laws, ceremonies that stand out  and their perception of tolerance for other cultures, lifestyles and technology.

Their level of acceptance of foreign lifestyle has virtually and gradually eroded their existing customs, threatening their nostalgic heritage, here where being a good or bad thing is delicately subjective.

Perhaps also we can actually say that the fact there is a thin line between the African culture and superficial slavery especially in resonance with the apparent freedom that education and technology is offering the new generation, throws all cards to the table, a time bound occurrence, which will ultimately reveal if the current leaders will be immortalized based on the type of legacy that they eventually leave behind.

 

So does Africa matter? Well, it appears to matter more to the western world than to Africans themselves, because for every African that has refused to speak out loud against the injustice and corruption, and the servitudes of the common citizens, silence means consent, hence they are shamelessly comfortable with the mediocre status quo, the exploitation of their good people.

Does Africa matter? Of course it does, but it will only start being important and valuable to the African people if they put on the armour of confidence bourne of untold courage, when they teach their offspring to bow to no one and they can only be truly independent when they free their minds. They will continue to wallow in the shackles of slavery even by their fellow country men if they don’t embrace the boldness to speak out against injustice, mediocrity, illiteracy and corruption, for it only reveals the beasts of our own making, that come out in ugly ways such as terrorism, division, oppression, greed, selfishness and inability to love ourselves.

 

God bless, and I wish love and healing to the entire world!

 

Thank you, and be awesome because you truly are.

 

Akin Abimbola.

 

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Sources: Brainy Quote, Blythe, Google, Good reads, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Wikipedia, 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.

A RACE TO CURE RACISM… AND HATE?

 No matter how big a nation is, it is no stronger than its weakest people, and as long as you keep a person down, some part of you has to be down there to hold him down, so it means you cannot soar as you might”...Mariam Anderson (1897-1993)American singer of classical music and spirituals. 

How did we get here?

History they say somewhat gives us a clue of what the future holds, yet it seems like the history handed down to us has been altered and abridged, perhaps because history belongs to the victors, right?

Yet, an echo rings from the past like legends passed down by dogged prophets that probably paid the ultimate sacrifice to guard messages through generations like time capsules, so that they may grace our attention and that our minds may be freed of lurking ignorance and negative stereotypes created by men of mischief seeking to hurt poor humanity.

 

Not only is this a hard topic to discuss because of absence of clear cut details and the feeling of awkwardness, it also cannot be emphasized in volumes of lifelong lifeworks of researchers and historians, not to talk more being well encapsulated in a lowly patronized blog, but this much we know, even if a number of us lack the courage and will power to address it, hate does exist…but how, why and can it be cured?

 

“The Piano keys are black and white, but they sound like a million colours in your mind”…Maria Cristina Mena (1893-1965) American author of short stories, children’s books and non-fiction articles.

Systemic… Really?

 

Think about this for a while maybe with your eyes closed, who have you been in a competition with that you were not tempted to develop envy or hate for, especially when they are much better than you perhaps in the glare of the world? See, we all have a tendency to hate; only it is triggered by certain emotions, competition being one of them, and the art of controlling ourselves in such situations matter much and takes discipline.

 

Now, speaking about racism, this is definitely another level of emotional rollercoaster topic which not only sparks hate, it makes it virtually impossible to recover from, especially when it still persists, worst still when you realize that it is embedded in the subconscious mind and the powers that be stand by without doing anything about it, but rather, it seems like they have an insidious scheme to not only keep at it, but also benefit from it at the expense of the lives that other families cherish and hold dear and even hold unto for survival financially, emotionally and for guaranteed protection. 

What happened to humanity and oneness? What happened to the innate wisdom it took us to realize that diseases are blind to race, position and gender, forcing us to either cower or simply unite in fear during a pandemic that is also possibly wrapped around conspiracy theories of self-inflictions that lay on a path of potential self-destruct.

 

If indeed there is a systemic oppression that tends towards the annihilation of certain people such as blacks, then we have not only failed humanity, but we have been a catalyst for destruction of the tendencies of great things to come that generations will benefit from.

We all know that racism and hate can only be thought, it is what you teach or bring to the consciousness of a child that he knows and lives with. One thing I also noticed is that in as much as blacks are pained, they don’t seem to seek revenge, rather equality and justice.

 

 “To become better, you have to admit your ignorance – at least to yourself ”…William Pasmore (1953- ) A partner in Mercer Delta, he advices CEOs in the areas of organization design, senior team effectiveness, acquisition integration, strategy implementation and managing large scale change.

Owning up!

 

If not anything, I have been able to perceive with apparent pity that it is extremely difficult to let go of power and privilege. It takes great strength, courage, humility and true love, after all these are done, true power mysteriously emerges.

I say this because perhaps for the first time in modern history, light skinned westerners have risen for their dark skinned counterparts and other visible minorities to protest under the slogan of ‘BLACK LIVES MATTER’ against police brutality especially against African Americans in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, an African American that a Minneapolis Police officer knelt on his neck for eight minutes and forty six seconds, which is now a major reference in the United States.

 

A big shout out to all the white people and organizations that admitted that systemic discrimination is still a problem and are speaking out against it. 

This shows that there is hope for Humanity to truly be one, even though there is still a lot of work to be done.

This movement also made people more aware of their environments and certain historical facts such as the confederate flags and statues that have constantly reminded black people of the painful suffering that their fore fathers endured a few centuries ago. 

For those that say black people should grow past this and move on, trust me, you probably cannot quantify the level of emotional wreckage this can cause, especially when the people of African descent let the scenes play in their heads, it is a tear jerker.

                            

“It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not”…Andre Gide (1869-1951) French author and winner of Nobel Prize  in Literature

 

Loving Deliberately!

 

Another controversy that is related to the matter at hand also currently trends online, and it is about Africans criticizing African Americans for being too laid back and not maximizing their full potentials in the United States. Honestly, without bias and prejudice, my take is fair and simple, especially in proportion with the information at my disposal regarding this delicate yet volatile matter. 

I have great respect for African Americans living in the United States because they are strong, brave, independent, daring and driven. No doubt they could be more united and stop killing each other over drugs, but their unity brought the United States to her knees and forced uncle Sam to change policies such as segregation and black people’s right to vote.

 

Back in Africa however, a different type of slavery occurs in broad day light due to self-inflicted suffering upon the people. The leaders are obviously massively corrupt, the justice system rots, mediocrity thrives in place of excellence, religion is a priority to education and foreign powers dictate the direction of Africa which by the way is a very wealthy continent, that even China is now getting a piece of the African pie, while Africans themselves groan in pain. Yet Africans have not been able to free themselves through peaceful protests, the leaders or organizers of the protest would lose steam when arrested or after being bribed as the youths are hungry, insecure and utterly misguided.

 

Perhaps it is high time Africans showed the way by fixing Africa, so that the African Americans Abroad can trace their beacon of love back home where they truly belong, where Police brutality will not be because of the colour of their skin, but because of the content of their character, if at all.

 

God bless, and I wish love and healing to the entire world!

 

Thank you, and be awesome because you truly are.

 

Akin Abimbola.

 

Support us:

 

Please subscribe, and do feel free to contact us: akinzogee@yahoo.com, akinzogee@gmail.com

Twitter: @akinzogee

Facebook: Critical Lyric by Akin Abimbola

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Did we make your day? Spread the word.

Tell the world that it happened here.

Become a fan, follow us and share our content.                  

You can also become a critical lyricist!

Talk to us.

What did we miss?

What do you think?

Be grateful for being alive and let your content flow…

Remember! You are special, and you’ve got a word for the world also.

 

Sources: Autumn Leaves, Brainy Quote, Google, Good reads, The Collected Stories of Maria Cristina Mena, Unsplash Team, Wikipedia, 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.