.... AND TO THINK THAT MY FATHER CALLED MY 80s COLLECTIONS RUBBISH

  Wanting to talk about the 80s and its music is making me feel like I am embarking on a prehistoric journey because of the things I see in today´s music. Music or what is referred to today as music has changed so much and so rapidly that what we referred to in our own youthful days as music now appears to be anything else but music. Anyone still remember groups like The Jackson 5, Soul II soul, The Gap band, The Whispers, Shalamar, Lakeside, Dynasty and a host of other solo artistes like the now late king of Pop himself, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie, Anita Baker and a host of other talented and beautiful singers of the time, whose music continue to be classic and evergreen even today.

    I knew, like it had also happened between me and my father that a day would come when I would have to defend everything about my youth days before my children to see which was better and particularly more sophisticated between my days and theirs. I knew they would want to question and even laugh at my choice of music and especially too my mode of dressing, which was often the trend we copied from any of our favorites stars in those days.  Our hair cuts were replicas of the ones our stars wore on their heads then, There was the afro hair style which gracefully and happily has come back to be a tendency today among many black boys and girls. I still have friends who wear the brothers Johnson hairstyle today, because they cannot imagine their faces in other style of haircuts, friends who appear to have stuck in the past without any regrets. I have succumbed to the vicissitudes of life, cutting my dreadlocks off and wearing a skin cut that started surfacing in the early 90s with the new rappers who came to retire the very talented and revolutionary ones of the 80s.

 Today everything is changing at the speed of light, music inclusive. I don´t want to sound so drastic as my father did to my own 80 songs; because he would say without mincing words that those were not music but total rubbish, haven heard the music of the 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s. Let me be honest, some grooves today are still worth my very special and expensive ears but a lot of them would rightfully take my father´s adjective, rubbish.

  Most of the music today does not speak to the souls and the minds like the music of yore which I was lucky to listen to up until the end of the 80s, a lot of today´s music only go straight to stimulate your sex organs or directly to put your brain into disarray, with senseless and cheap lyrics, some of them very repulsive and annoying. In our own youth days, It used to be I am black and proud, today it is “nigger kill the nigger” and where in my own days you heard African American artistes call their ladies “queens” and “beautiful ladies”, today they are hos and bitches and somehow it makes them feel on top of the world. What kinds of girls are excited to be called hos and bitches? – Hos and bitches!

  And then this craze of singing naked, with just a string lost inside the asshole…. Or this trousers that drop on to the lap exposing the brief that has made thugs of all black gentlemen. I thought it was the voice that mattered when singing, why then are singers naked like slots these days? If when we danced like Mc Hammer in our days my father would say we were crazy, he is very lucky to have died before the doggy-style dance and now another debasing one, that consists of turning the back to the audience and going down while at the same time moving the butt like a propeller, they call it twerking, and it has become so popular that some whom my genaration called queens but who today are delighted to be called hos would drop their little babies anywhere once they begin to hear those hipnotizing beats comanding bitches to flap it or drop it. I sincerely wish I had not been around to see this level of black degradation. 

      

..... AND THEY KILLED AN INNOCENT YOUNG MAN

  When a confused crowd is led by a wrong leader, catastrophe becomes a must.  It is a confirmed fact that a crowd does not react automatically except it heeds the voice of a leader. The human race like all other animals needs a leader to enable it carry out its natural functions, otherwise its activities will be very chaotic and uncontrollable. But even at that, it will depend on a good leadership for a society or community of humans not to plunge into chaos and catastrophes.

  Have you noticed that in a normal gathering of persons it is usually one person that sparks off the issue that leads to confusion and sometimes a calamity? Their fatal intervention normally starts like a whisper or a suggestion thrown into the air that soon turns into a bomb if an irate crowd, a bunch of weak minded or impetuous persons picks it up. I was about 10 years when I witnessed the burning to death of a young, handsome, talented, promising…. and as it later appeared innocent Nigerian by an irate crowd. 

  The handsome young man as was subsequently revealed after his death had gone from the mainland to visit his girl friend that lives in the Island, those of us who are very conversant with Lagos, Nigeria, would know what I am talking about. After seeing the Girlfriend, this young man set out to return to his house in the mainland, but unknown to him, a boy who was also interested in the girl along with two of his friends had laid siege for him on the way.

  So as he appeared, they tried to attack him and he fought back viciously until they started overpowering him and he realized it was the best time to take to his heels, and as he did, the three boys ran after him, yelling out that he was a thief and that he had stolen something from them, almost immediately people in the neighborhood came out and joined in the chase and in a short while they trapped the young man and without asking any question, they began to lynch him.

  It was then that a voice came from the crowd suggesting that they got a fuel and a tyre to burn down our young man, who has been badly wounded and was mumbling out what appeared to be his last defense. In the twinkle of an eye a tyre and a bottle of fuel appeared on the scene; they put the tyre round his neck and poured the fuel all over him, then someone struck a match and that was all. A young man in his early 20s with a promising future has been killed by a mob lacking the capacity to think individually and act positively.

  It would take the courage of the girl friend and the confession under duress of the three boys months later to really understand what actually happened between the three boys and this innocent young man, but then it was too late.

  Since then I have come to understand the meaning of that epigram that says that those who follow the crowd will never go beyond the crowd. And I have come to realize that the crowd is not always right, and also that one good decision can save all of us from committing an incorrigible error. So, when next you find yourself in the midst of a crowd, planning to burn or kill a human being like you for whatever reason, learn to say no. Accused persons should be handed over to the pertinent authorities (The Police) for their presentation before the law court for appropriate prosecution.               

480 NIGERIAN SOLDIERS FLEE INTO CAMEROON DURING A BATTLE AGAINST BOKO HARAM

  I woke up this morning very disappointed and with my self esteem seriously daunted. I couldn´t believe what I was reading on the social media until I consulted with different online Nigerian newspapers to confirm the shameful story that was trending, that more than 400 Nigerian soldiers fled the battle against the Boko Haram into neighboring Cameroon Republic because of shortage of ammunition. Oh, my God, has our incompetence as a nation gotten this bad? A standby military unit fleeing from a nomadic terrorist group that needs first to regroup themselves before employing logistic support to move their weapons and their field soldiers into the battle field?

  What exactly is happening in Nigeria? Who are these Boko Haram people? And why does it appear to me as if they have better intelligence unit and even ammunitions than the federal government troops? Why is it that nobody on the Nigerian government side is honorably retiring for gross incompetence? And if it is true that all our neighboring countries; Niger, Chad and Cameroon have beefed-up surveillance in their sides of the borders, then how are these unfinished arms and ammunitions getting into the hands of the Boko Haram, so much so that our own federal government troops ran short of ammunitions and the Boko haram group did not run out of supply?

  It is past a 130 days since Boko Haram abducted some innocent Nigerian girls from their school where they were writing an examination and up till now, our internationally highly ranked military men and women have not been able to free the girls or subdue the assailants. What happened to the Nigerian military´s responsibility of upholding our integrity and defending our nation? Do we still have a nation? Why is it that our military officers keep announcing beforehand how and when it plans to attack the Boko Haram, is this the latest military strategy, tell your enemies how you plan to get him so that he can escape or re-enforce better than you before you arrive?

  Honestly, one is forced to smell a rat everywhere and suspect every single person in government in Nigeria. Who are the people sponsoring the Boko Haram? Definitely someone is responsible for their feeding and their several other needs including their arms and ammunitions, who are these persons? Are we truly fighting a group of Islamic fundamentalists or a region with a political agenda? The secrecy and the silence with which the issue is being treated by those who should be more concerned and more worried is inciting every sort of suspicions. How can any group turn themselves into the visible government of any zone in the country and the very prominent indigenes of that region are quiet about it.

  Are these people fighting under the guise of a fundamentalist group not members of the society? Are they ghosts? For how long are we going to continue deceiving ourselves and sacrificing innocent Nigerians for selfish and senseless reasons? Whoever is responsible for drafting the Nigerian soldiers to this mock war, should stop ridiculing our soldiers, we either arm them to the teeth to fight and fight very well, or they be made to stay back in their Barracks while our politicians look for ways of cleaning up their mess.   

I SUGGEST A MIXED WORLD CUP

  AFTER WATCHING THE FALCONETS PLAY AGAINST GERMANY IN THE FINAL OF THE UNDER-20 WOMEN WORLD CUP IN CANADA AND SEEING THE LEVEL OF SKILLS AND IMPROVEMENT DISPLAYED IN THE COMPETITION, I AM BEGINNING TO ENVISAGE A SITUATION WHERE WE COULD POSSIBLY HAVE A MIXED WORLD CUP COMPETITION OF FIVE MALE FOOTBALLERS AND SIX FEMALE FOOTBALLERS IN A TEAM REPRESENTING THEIR COUNTRY. THE GOAL KEEPER, TWO OF THE FOUR DEFENDERS, ONE MIDFIELDER AND ONE ATTACKER BEING THE MALE PLAYERS IN THE TEAM WHILE THE REST WOULD BE FEMALES.

  IF THAT IS DONE, NIGERIA STANDS A VERY GREAT CHANCE OF GOING FARTHER THAN IT HAS EVER GONE IN ANY SENIOR WORLD CUP, IT WILL MEAN THAT INSTEAD OF MIKEL OBI WE WILL HAVE A PLAYER LIKE OSARENOMA IGBINOVIA WHO TO ME IS BETTER THAN MIKEL OBI TO ASSIST OGENYI ONAZI IN THE MIDFIELD, FORGET THE FACT THAT SHE IS A GIRL, SHE IS FASTER WITH THE BALL AND HAS A CLEARER IDEA OF WHAT TO DO WITH IT AT EVERY POINT IN TIME COMPARED TO MIKEL OBI. WE WILL HAVE OUR GOLDEN GIRL, ASISAT OSHOALA MAKING DARING RUNS INTO THE OPPONENTS VITAL AREA AND LAYING DOWN PASSES FOR EMENIKE TO STRIKE, WE WILL HAVE COURTNEY DIKE ASSISTING EMENIKE IN THE ATTACK LINE, AYINDE WILL BE THERE TO ADD QUALITY TO OUR GAME, SARAH NNODIM AND THE FALCONET´S CAPTAIN EBERE OKOYE WILL LEAD OUR DEFENCE.

  I CAN´T WAIT FOR FIFA TO BEGIN TO EXPERIMENT THIS IDEA, I KNOW THAT A LOT OF ARAB NATIONS WILL KICK AGAINST IT ON THE GROUND THAT IT CONTRAVENES THEIR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, IT IS IN THEIR RIGHT NOT TO PARTICIPATE BUT THE TRUTH IS THAT EVERY DAY, MEN AND WOMEN, ESPECIALLY IN NONE ARAB NATIONS ARE ENGAGED TOGETHER IN THE SAME PROFESSION ALL OVER THE WORLD, SO WHY NOT ALSO IN FOOTBALL? ESPECIALLY IF IT WILL PLAY TO THE FAVOR OF NIGERIA AND IMPROVE OUR CHANCES OF WINNING SOMETHING GREAT AND SPECIAL IN FOOTBALL.

  MAYBE THE RULES OF THE GAME HAVE TO BE MODIFIED A BIT TO SUIT THE NEW SITUATION, BUT THE QUALITY OF PLAY THAT I SAW IN YESTERDAY´S FINAL BETWEEN NIGERIA AND GERMANY WHICH GERMANY EVENTUALLY WON BY A LONE GOAL SCORED IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE EXTRA TIME HAS NO REASON WHATSOEVER TO ENVY WHAT IS APPLICABLE IN MALE FOOTBALL. 

OPEN LETTER TO JOSEPH BLATTER (FIFA)

Dear Blatter,

  It is with great resentment that I write you this letter, I have noticed for some time now that the institution that you head is gradually  nose diving into great disrepute, due to different world scandals, including the alleged bribery of some of your electoral delegates that eventually gave Qatar the hosting right of the 2022  world cup. Some of us are still wondering today why FIFA decided to concede the hosting right of the next world cup 2018 to one of the most racist country on planet-earth, Russia. With all its sad stories of human rights abuses and what not. Yes, I know you always maintain that football is different from Politics, an argument that holds no water because if it were true then we can equally take the world cup to the Taliban territory in Afghanistan.

  As a Nigerian and a black man, I think your institution is not doing enough to really kick out racism from football, like all other politically inclined world institutions, your organization is always characterized with its double standard every time there is an important decision to be taken. The punishments given to footballers who insult their colleagues with racists’ connotations are not stringent enough.

   I do not like the fact that you are always in favor of our corrupt football governing body in Nigeria the NFF and always threatening to sanction us each time we try to put our house in order, if really you are honest about the growth of the game and the none interference of government in football issues, you should make it a primary requirement in all countries that anyone aspiring the office of the chairman or the president of any country´s F.A or football federation must be an ex footballer/coach or football club owner.

  Are you not worried that in some countries, my great country Nigeria included, the chairmanship of our football federation, the NFF, is left in the hands of football ignorant persons who are not allowing the game to grow? Does it not bother you that a nation that won the maiden edition of the Under-17 world cup 29 years ago has still not gone beyond the 2^nd round stage of the world cup proper? - Oh, I have forgotten that you are also not an Ex footballer/coach/or football club owner.

  Don’t you demand a football league standard for all member countries? What are you really doing to promote the game and the quality of the game especially in Africa? How are you ensuring that the interests of the professionals are protected at all times? And how do you deal with issues like the failure of a football governing body like our own NFF to settle the allowances and bonuses of its footballers and coaching crew on time? To avoid the international ignominy that most African nations subject their countries to during big football events as the ones we saw in Brazil involving Cameroon, Ghana and Nigeria where they almost walked out of the competition because of financial disagreements with their various national football federation?

  Sir, I don´t want to begin to suspect that you do not care a hoot about football development in Africa, if you must know, football in Africa is not what it is in your Europe, in Europe, people play the game for the fun of it, in Africa football is much more than that, it is the unifying factor for most of us, it is what helps a lot of Africans to forget the hardship and crisis surrounding them at a particular point in time, it is the hope for a better tomorrow for millions of African families and i can go on and on.... so you see, football here is interlocked with politics, economy and even religion, it is a way of life. So don´t sit over there in your office in Switzerland telling us how to address football issues here in Africa. You don´t know anything about us.

                                                                         Thank you very much for your time 

                                                                        signed: an agrieved Nigerian football fan     

IT IS OUTRIGHT SACRILEGIOUS FOR SHAKARAU TO BE NIGERIAN EDUCATION MINISTER

  The present Nigerian minister of Education, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, has proved himself, morally unfit to serve in any government capacity, much less in the ministry of Education. The same man who saw President Goodluck Jonathan as lacking vital ideas to rule a country like Nigeria and even dared to run against him in a general election because of his belief that President Goodluck Jonathan is incapable of governing Nigeria has now suddenly made an all round turn of 360 degrees to serve under the “incompetent” leadership of President Goodluck Jonathan.

  It would be recalled that the same Malam Ibrahim Shekarau who today is Nigerian minister of education ordered and even participated in the public burning of intellectual works; books and movies he claimed contravened the Islamic laws of Kano State while serving as the governor of the State. It appears as if we are always fast to forget that up till today, Nigeria remains a secular country and not a Christian or a Muslim nation, and that the right to freedom of expression is salient and cardinal in the day to day administration of our nation.  

  It is only in Nigeria that a bias and despotic Islamist like Shekarau can be given a sensitive office such as the education ministry to manage. Because for education to be truly educational in any country it needs to be free of any level of sick censorship or autocratic control especially as regards religion. Nigeria should not forget to protect the rights of all Nigerians irrespective of their creed or any other ideologies.

  People like Malam Shekarau are the reasons why some people try to impose their religious beliefs on others today in Nigeria and are even killing innocent persons in their bid to instill fears into them and oblige them to be mono-religious. People who must be assigned into political or administrative offices in Nigeria should be people who can guaranty their impartiality, patriotism and general protection of all Nigerians, irrespective of creed, race, tribe or political affiliations and apparently, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau is not one of those persons.     

HOW NIGERIANS PERMIT THEIR LEADERS TO TREAT THEM INSIGNIFICANTLY

    My encounter with Nigerians some days ago in Madrid, Spain, during the shameful police character report exercise showed me some of the reasons why it would be difficult for our leaders to do the right thing. I observed that Nigerians are very afraid of constituted authorities, afraid to ask questions, afraid to demand their rights…. So, most of the times, they resort to side talks instead of coming forward and formally making their grievances known and seeking a redress for any infringement on their rights.

   I realize that most Nigerians do not like their faces or names to be associated with any struggle or disconformities with constituted authorities. And what is even worse is their ease at applauding the sweet talks of their leaders who are experts in telling them just exactly what they love to hear but never versed in doing what needs to be done; A new person steps into power or prominence and he begins to promise heaven and earth and immediately you see naïve and impetuous Nigerians applauding him for promising to do what he should and will eventually end up not doing. Even when you are bold in their midst to stand up and ask the questions, you see other Nigerians looking at you as if you´ve just farted in public or as if you have done the abominable by having the guts to ask their Oga sir or Oga Madam a question.

  What Nigerians do not know is that they are the Oga sirs and the Oga madams and that the persons they are afraid to come close to or even ask a question are just their chosen servants. In fact, some Nigerians try to discourage and even impede you from asking any question…. They immediately begin to say it is enough even before the government official has had enough time to convincingly answer your question. Those of us who are bold enough to remind the government and its agents of their responsibilities are immediately made to appear as anarchists and even booed sometimes.

  In a country like Nigeria where it becomes a luxury and a privilege to have the opportunity to be in the midst of those who run the affairs of our country, no stone should be left unturned in the effort to get them to answer the many yawning questions regarding their offices. If you are not clear about any issue, you should insist in its clarification. Sometimes, the masses are the cause of their own injustices and the ones who permit their leaders to treat them insignificantly.