You lot suck.
I miss the old days…
They were better.
I have to keep my metamorphosis constant with you lot.
This world is changing faster than it spins…
The air, the people… all are evolving so fast its hard for the elements to keep up.
One has got to put up strange new fronts… personalities if you may, just to protect one’s self or as the case may be… survive.
Thus it’s really hard to stay true to one’s true/original character or personality as one ends up with several factions of one’s self.
In the end, its a real struggle for one to stay true to or hold on to one’s true essence and grasp the shred of importance as to why we were sent to this world.
Why we live… will we ever know?
How do we stay true to ourselves in a world were one has to change and evolve severally as a result of life’s many experiences?
Depending on how life has treated one, it’s either one develops a thick hide or one is all encompassing, and neither is an easy feat to achieve.
Because we come across such hurdles, characters and purely unbelievably ironic, bizarre, and incongruous circumstances which life throws our way so fast we’re jolted into reality without realizing we’ve been hit in a place so tender, so feeble and irresolute we’re left disillusioned or otherwise blinded by our joy or ecstasy even, to the point that we hastily make contrived statements or actions that may or may not be favorable.
But if there is anything I’ve discovered or learned in my journey through life and indeed this world itself, hope is everlasting, hope is pure, hope is the only strand of humanity we hold on to despite our numerous transfigurations & evolutionary progressions or retrogressions.
Hope is divine.
Hope for a better day, a better tomorrow, hope for our future.
Our hopes can only be established or realized as a result of our faith, our beliefs, our dreams.
Accomplishing all our dreams is inherent in how deep our faith is and how far we are willing to go to accomplish them.
So what do you believe in?
Are your beliefs worth pursuing?
Then by all means chase them.
And never give up… no matter what.
It is incumbent that we persist without ceasing in our passion and disinclination in our demeanor or countenance.
Most of all, stay true to you.
This is my word for you all as we march into this new year laden with its rigmarole and mishmash of joy, laughter, pain, sorrow and happiness.
Remember that in Christ Jesus we are all conquerors. Hold him close to your heart in all your dealings this year, and you shall be recompensed accordingly.
GOD BLESS AND KEEP US ALL, IN PEACE, LOVE AND IMMENSE JOY.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR.
WITH TRUE LOVE FOR ALL,
CHIDERA. 
Latest Entries »
Hello people,
A few days back I posted an article on two wily politicians who have laid claim to the city of Lagos, here is the concluding part.
It’s unedited as usual.
Enjoy.
******
CONTD:
From: http://www.lestweforgetnaija.com
It will be interesting to follow up on what has happened to the EFCC intervention in the case of allegations of fraud leveled against Gov. Fashola, by a body known as The True Face of Lagos , which led to the arrest, detention and eventual release of one Dr. Tunji Olowolafe, a prominent contractor and friend of both Tinubu and Fashola. He was arrested in Lagos by operatives of the EFCC following its investigation into allegations of financial crimes. Olowolafe, a medical doctor and owner of Deux Projects Limited, whose company was used as front by the Lagos State governor to execute inflated contracts, was arrested on Friday, April 23, 2010, after investigators discovered that 27 contracts were awarded the company from the state Ministry of Health and three from the Ministry of Education.
He was drilled for three days while in the anti-graft body’s custody and was believed to have made significant and useful contributions to the EFCC efforts to unravel facts on the various allegations of corruption against Fashola, which also led to the invitation of Fashola himself and some members of his cabinet.
Despite the established fact that Deux Projects Limited collected more than N10 billion from the state coffers, nothing has been heard of the case even in the face of damning confessions by Olowolafe to the EFCC while in their custody.
It is worrisome that the anti-graft body has failed to make public its findings over a year now after confirming that investigation was ongoing, with the promise that many more arrests were likely to be made then. It smacks of a cover-up that nothing has been heard since the EFCC extended invitations to three serving commissioners in Lagos State, namely Rotimi Agunsoye of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs; Rotimi Oyekan of Finance and Jide Idris of Health. Also invited by the EFCC in connection with the corruption allegations filed by the True Face of Lagos is the Special Assistant to Fashola on Works and Infrastructure, Ganiu Johnson.
It is indeed remarkable that the petition against Fashola, which led to the arrest of Olowolafe, went to the heart of the matter as members of the group enunciated their desire, as tax payers and residents , for accountability since taxes have recently become the major revenue base of the Lagos State Government. According to them, in developed societies where similar revenue regime operates, associations such as the group have acted as government watchdogs.
The group thus stated: “This is why some of us have decided to take up the gauntlet of championing the cause of taxpayers in the state. After all, if we don’t pay our taxes, government can charge and eventually jail us.’’
They revealed that in the last 10 years, tax revenue has come to constitute about 75 percent of government revenue base, yet the government never bothers to render account to taxpayers in Lagos. In the last three years alone, a colossal sum of N1.1 trillion was budgeted by Fashola’s government, with the government itself affirming that it has consistently recorded a minimum of 75 percent of budget performance, out of which 80 per cent came from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). This is 30 percent more than the entire budgets recorded by successive governments between 1992 and 2007, a period spanning 15 years. The total tax revenue of Lagos last year as the time of making the revelations showed that tax on a monthly basis hovered between N14 and N17 billion while Federal Allocations stood at N6 billion monthly. This is more than the revenue of seven states in Nigeria put together on a monthly basis.
One question that keeps coming however is how Fashola has been spending the money. According to the group, “While we note the heavy investments in roads and environmental infrastructure mainly, and commendably so, there is the need to question some of the ways the governor has been expending tax money which, in our opinion, reflects financial recklessness, mismanagement, gross constitutional violations and abuse of office.”
Some of the allegations are as follows:
1. That in 2009, Fashola gave N250 million to the Rotimi Akeredolu-led executive of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) for the NBA conference held in Lagos, at a time when Lagos teachers and doctors were on strike for improved welfare package.
2. The Babatunde Raji Fashola (BRF) government within six months, January to June 2009, spent N420 million on the hiring of private security – to guard who? – despite his heavy investment in the Police Force through the State Security Trust Fund.
3. BRF spent N1.5 billion to demolish the Bank of Industry (BOI) building, paying a company introduced by one Tunji Olowolafe in cash transfer, only for him and his cronies to claim the land adjacent to it.
4. The BRF government awarded a part of Western Avenue (Funsho Williams Road), about two kilometres road for N7.7 billion, just between Abalti Barracks and Costain. And without the construction of any bridge, the project was carried out by Julius Berger. This project must certainly be investigated.
5. Between January and June 2009, the BRF government claimed to have fuelled 225 vehicles in his office alone with N135 million. These figures amount to about N800, 000 per day at a time that petrol was sold for N65 per litre. The government always got fuel cheaper, but BRF claimed to have bought it at N85 per litre.
6. Between January and June 2009, BRF’s Chief of Staff and Personal Assistants expended N290 million in sending text messages and phone calls on their lines.
7. It is also very sad to know that the BRF government awarded the construction of a road and drains inside Gbagada General Hospital for over N1.8 billion to the same Tunji Olowolafe’s company (DEUX Projects Limited).
8. The sum of N1.5 billion of un-appropriated funds, without approval, was claimed to have been spent on the demolition of Oshodi.
9. The Helicopter Deal was a big fraud. The helicopter was not built for any kind of emergency evacuation, rescue or to even combat urban fire. Over N5 billion has been spent on the two helicopters. And the seal of Lagos State is not on it, and it is not even in Lagos but in the Niger Delta making money for some private people in government. The whole helicopter deal stinks to high heavens; it constitutes the biggest governmental fraud of all times and confirms the rot in the State. See THISDAY December 19, 2009.
10. The Senior Special Assistant , SSA (Media) to BRF spent N183 million in six months on press coverage and editors outside the approved budget but funded directly from the Governor’s Office.
11. In a State where children are sitting on the floor in classrooms, where unemployment is rampant and poverty pervasive, BRF paid the wife of a controversial pastor over N600 million in two years for Christmas decorations for about six streets in Lagos.
12. In six months, between January and June 2009, BRF spent monies on several faceless organisations, subventions, grants and donations such that they quickly pocketed N2 billion.
Other allegations of the group include:
1. The reckless increase and payment of over 60 percent increase on the LASU – Iba road awarded by the Bola Tinubu government for N6.2 billion. It was jerked up to N10 billion less than two weeks that BRF came on board.
2. The Tinubu administration awarded the construction of City Hall for N2.3 billion. BRF only changed the floor tiles to marble tiles and increased the contract sum to N5.2 billion. This project was increased by 126 percent.
3. Publishing of INDICATOR magazine is falsely presented to the public as a private magazine but is actually coordinated by Tunji Olowolafe and Hakeem Bello, SSA (Media) to BRF with government money.
4. BRF recently gave a media-related Permanent Secretary and some others the sum of N100 million to do a soap opera on himself. They are presently in London recording the film.
5. The BRF government has failed woefully in the area of Public Private Partnership (PPP) in three years. Yet, BRF is paying the PPP boss in Lagos State N2 million per month in violation of the Constitution, when even commissioners recognised by the Constitution are receiving N300, 000 per month. The PPP guy is the highest paid government official presiding over a non-performing and failed parastatal.
6. The Beautification Programme of Fashola administration is laden with corruption. In a State where there is no water, where over 90 per cent of the road in Lagos is in a deplorable state of disrepair, he is spending over N13 billion on planting grasses and flowers. Most of the money was spent to import palm trees from Niger Republic, a Sahel region when Lagos is in the rain forest, which explains why most of them have dried up.
7. It is important to note that the renovation of classrooms of usually 12 blocks-plus-one which was done for N26 million by the Tinubu administration up till 2007 was increased to N53 million with the collaboration of the housing commissioner who is supervising projects in the education ministry.
8. The CCTV project was awarded to BRF’s relation who claimed to be acting for CISCO. The contract was awarded for $62 million dollars, while the rejected quote for the contract was $30 million. It is important to note that this is only a pilot scheme.
9. BRF’s wife travels abroad once bi-monthly and takes N30 million per trip from the State coffers, apart from her monthly running cost.
10. The mother of all rip-offs is the award to DEUX PROJECT LIMITED, a company owned by the powerful Tunji Olowolafe, 11 out of 19 contracts in the Lagos State Ministry of Health between January and August 2009. Out of N5.6 billion contract in the Ministry of Health, Olowolafe alone collected N5.1 billion worth and was paid 70 percent upfront in cash.
Here then are the unanswered questions:
1. Why did BRF divert N1.85 billion in the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation to a project that was not originally provided for in the budget but promptly awarded to Olowolafe?
2. Why is the administration of a lawyer like Fashola illegally deducting funds from the statutory allocation of the Local Governments in Lagos State?
3. Why was the Mayegun Scheme sold to Olowolafe and other friends and cronies against public interest without any independent valuation by the relevant agency of government? Why is the size of the scheme shielded in secrecy? Why was N5.2 billion for which the land was sold untraceable? Where is the over N2 billion loan borrowed to sand-fill the place? What is the fate of the tourism and art-craft sellers chased away from the place?
4. Pinnacle – why did the governor and his cronies engage in the questionable transfer of 400 hectares of land to Pinnacle, South Africa, when it is known that the company is almost bankrupt and the ABSA Bank now owns over 60 percent of the company? What nature of PPP is this?
5. Why was the illegal sand-filling of about one kilometre in the Badagry – Marina awarded for N1.5 billion out of which N700 million has been paid, and yet the contractors and the Tourism Ministry have completely destroyed all the historical relics and artifacts in the area? It has also created an environmental disaster for West Africa because of greed. And it appears the Commissioner has been settled.
Here’s a list of Fashola’s other alleged constitutional violations:
1. Flagrant and deliberate disregard for the Appropriation Law passed by the Lagos State House of Assembly, in violation of Section 120 of the 1999 Constitution.
2. Criminal diversion of funds without due approval of the Lagos State House of Assembly, in further violation of Section 120 (3) of the 1999 Constitution.
3. Indiscriminate award of contracts without due process, without following the laid down financial regulation as well as the public procurement guidelines. The payment of such contracts is in violation of Part (E) Section 120(4) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
4. Illegal and unwarranted deductions from the Statutory Allocation of the Local Governments. This is in direct contravention of Public Revenue Provision of the 1999 Constitution and in violation of Section 162 sub-section 6, 7 and 8.
5. Indiscriminate borrowing by the Ministry of Finance without legislative approval, which the Finance Commissioner calls bridging loans, is a grave assault on fiscal federalism, a coup against financial regulations and a shameful and criminal violation of Section 120(1), (2), (3) and (4) of the 1999 Constitution.
6. Concentration of over 70 percent of Lagos State Government contracts in the hands of one Tunji Olowolafe. This is the clearest indication of the betrayal of trust by Governor Fashola. It is against the Oath of Office he swore to; it is also a violation of Sections 14(4), 15(5) and 17(2a) of the 1999 Constitution on which social objective of a just, free and equitable social order is founded.
7. Arbitrary use of Special Expenditure Vote for activities not originally provided for under the Appropriation Law. This is a further betrayal of fiscal federalism and a violation of provisions of Section 120(3) and (4), and Section 123(1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution.
8. Payment of 70 percent up-front to persons and cronies for contracts not yet executed. Similarly, this is a contravention of Section 120(4) of the 1999 Constitution.
9. Giving arbitrary donations to selective professional associations and faceless organisations for acting as sycophants without appropriate authorisation by relevant constitutional bodies. This is a clear violation of sections 120(4) and 123 of the 1999 Constitution
10. The fraudulent purported acquisition of two Bell 412 EP series helicopters from a Canadian firm constitutes a flagrant violation of Section 123(1) and (2) and Section 120(4) of the 1999 Constitution.
11. Furthermore, the award of contract of courts and other judicial Infrastructure as well as procurement for the judiciary in Lagos State by the Attorney-General, Tunji Olowolafe and Governor Fashola is in gross violation of Section 121(3) of the 1999 Constitution.
In all these aberrations, the Lagos State House of Assembly stands accused of keeping mute which portends that it has become inept, archaic, drab, docile and inefficient. All the noise by the Assembly Speaker about accountability and probity, according to the group, was only to enable the legislators line their pockets and feed fat on the sweat and toil of the people of the State.
The two leaders of the True Face of Lagos, Tunde George and Kasali Martins, were forced to go underground to avoid death threats from parties loyal to Fashola and Tinubu. Challenging the ‘Emperor of Lagos’ and his godson is fraught with all sorts of dangers. There is a killer gang in their employ known as Team Lagos. The very dangerous group is made up of local thugs and enforcers, largely belonging to the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW). Each member of Team Lagos is paid N1 million every last Tuesday of every month under the coordination of the musician, Wasiu Ayinde Marshall.
As all opposition forces such as the True Face of Lagos challenging the imperial domination of Lagos by Tinubu and Fashola are faced with threats to their lives by the thugs known as Team Lagos, it has to be stressed that even Tinubu and Fashola have had their share of quarrels in the sharing of their spoils. The arrest of Olowolafe was said to be the climax of the bitter feud between Tinubu and his godson over certain fundamental issues, chief among which is the control of finances of the state.
Fashola’s nemesis, as it were, was his complaint about the huge monthly deductions of over N3 billion from the state coffers every month as consultancy fee by Tinubu’s tax company, Alpha Beta, from the almost N30 billion internally generated revenue (IGR). Fashola would have been consigned to history, never to be returned as the flag-bearer of the party for the governorship elections of 2011.
From the foregoing therefore, there is no doubt that the regime of corruption in Lagos initiated by Emperor Tinubu and continued by his godson Fashola has put the South-west state in a serious deficit.
*************
Well there you have it, my reaction when I read all this was plain sadness, its earth shattering that things like these and who knows what more, still go on in this country. LOL. I’m beginning to sound like a learner. All I can say is pray for this country, I can’t rant this morning. Just pray for Nigeria.
Have a blessed week.
Hello people!
I got this e-mail in one of those threads that get passed along on the internet and well, while it’s contents are oh so controversial, we all know the allegations are all probably true… So I decided I’d share it with yall, unedited and all.
Big shout out to all of BRF’s supporters. *snickers*
Enjoy
“Tinubu Is Lagos”
Culled from: http://www.lestweforgetnaija.com
A contractor (name withheld) needed to collect his payment for a contract he executed for the Lagos State Government. Having met a brick wall everywhere he went in the pursuit of his payment, his boon came up with a quick-fix. “Let’s go and see the ‘Lion of Bourdillon,’” he suggested to his contractor-friend.
The contractor and his friend eventually managed to arrange a meeting with the ‘Lion’ at his Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi residence in the wee hours of the day. And as the ‘Lion’ listened to the contractor as he narrated his story, it was apparent that he was tired as all he could do in response was to yawn as he dragged himself from his chair.
“Lagos is tired,” the ‘Lion’ muttered, walking towards his bedroom, adding, “Eko wants to rest,” without minding his guests.
The bewildered contractor and his friend were confused as to what to do next as the ‘Lion’ banged the door behind them and went off to sleep. Some aides of the ‘Lion’ however advised the early-morning visitors to come back later that day and preferably at midnight.
When the duo returned at midnight, they had to wait till the wee hours again before being allowed to see the ‘Lion.’ This time, the ‘Lion’ had their time as he simply dialed a number, using his mobile phone and the contractor’s problem was instantly solved.
There is no doubt that Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu has become a personification of Lagos. Just as his word is law, he can do and undo. What started out like an act of drama at the beginning of the current democratic dispensation in 1999 has left Nigeria’s premier state, Lagos, as a mere fiefdom of Tinubu who bears the titular toga of the “Lion of Bourdillon.” Though there is nothing democratic about his bearing, he is, in fact, an Emperor.
And there is no escaping the damning reality that Lagos is being plundered by a group of political usurpers who wear the cloak of democratic emancipators in an apparent case of parading immunity as impunity.
It is, indeed, an irony that the people of the South-west , despite their sophistication, have been hoodwinked into the present pitfall through the doctrines of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, being propagated by some desperate self-acclaimed messiahs. These masquerades disguised as democrats on the platform of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), purporting to emancipate the South-west from the injustice of the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election won by a Yoruba son, the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola. Sadly, they only ended up foisting a most fraudulent robber-baron on the Yoruba nation.
A man with a questionable past is today addressed as Bola Ahmed Tinubu and he could bear any name from his weird past such as Yekini Amoda Ogunlere, Hameed Sangodele, Yekini Amoda or even Bobo Chicago. Ever since his inglorious eight years rule as Governor of Lagos from 1999 to 2007 on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), to date, he has more or less served as the chief looter who has unleashed the most egregious corruption and reckless looting on the treasury of Lagos State. Even as he hides under the guise of championing democratic principles, various frauds including financial crimes have been linked to him such that he can only be summed up as a perpetrator of diabolical deeds.
Tinubu was formally arraigned before the Code of Conduct tribunal in Abuja to defend himself against allegations that he operated foreign bank accounts between 1999 and 2007, while in office as governor, thus contravening Section 7 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, Cap 56 LFN, 1990.
The chairman of the tribunal, Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar, indeed had his hands full with the many charges against Tinubu. The charge sheet signed by the chief prosecutor, Kyari Ahmed, read : “That you Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former governor of Lagos State, being a public officer, as listed in part II of the fifth schedule to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and having subscribed to the Oath of Office as enshrined in the seventh schedule to the 1999 Constitution on assumption in office, as such engaged yourself in the operation and maintenance of several foreign bank accounts namely:
“Name of Bank – First Heritage Bank, Country Club Hill, Illinois, USA; Account Name, Bola Tinubu, Account Number – 263226700. Name of Bank – Citi Bank NA. New York, USA; Account Name – Bola Tinubu and Compass Finance and investment Company Limited; Account Nos – 39483134, 39483396, 4650279566, 00400220, 39936383. Name of Bank. Citi Bank International, New York; Account Name, Bola Tinubu. Name of Bank – HSBC, 177 Great Portland Street London WIW60J: Account Name Sen Bola Tinubu; Account No. 71253670, Sort code-40-03-15. Name of Bank – HSBC, 177 Great Portland Street London WIW 60J; Account Name; Sen. Bola Oluremi Tinubu, Account No. 71253670, sort code 40-03-15. Name of Bank – HSBC, 177 Great Portland street London WIW 60J Account name, Sen. Bola Tinubu – money market, Account No.04320002DN. Name of Bank – HSBC, 177 Great Portland Street, London WIW 60J; Account name: Tinubu Zainab Abisola (Miss); Account No. 172447101. Name of Bank – HSBC, 177 Great Portland Street, London WIW 60J; Account Name, Tinubu Oluremi Shade, Account No. 41421522.”
The Society for Rule of Law in Nigeria (SRLN), has since hailed the Code of Conduct Tribunal over the criminal trial of Tinubu. The group described the trial as a welcome development, adding that “Nigerians, irrespective of their political affiliations, must begin to speak with one voice against corruption, because it (corruption) has no political party.”
In a statement issued by its Coordinator, Comrade Chima Ubeku, the SRLN said inter alia: “This is a kind of news that gladdens our hearts and we hope that the Code of Conduct Tribunal will pursue the case to a logical conclusion. He lied on oath by refusing to declare the operation of many foreign bank accounts in the assets declaration form CCB-1 he submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau on 6th January, 2004. We are also waiting to hear from those bread and butter groups to make the kind of noise that they used to make whenever a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) member is on trial for alleged corruption….”
However, in what many have come to accept as a political deal for delivering the South-west to the ruling PDP, the Federal Government let Tinubu off the hook and the matter was thrown out of the Tribunal on technical grounds.
Tinubu’s dubious activities came to the fore quite early during his tenure as Lagos Governor. After just being sworn-in in 1999, the late legal luminary and human rights lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, instituted legal actions challenging Tinubu’s academic qualifications, which were discovered to be forged. The case of perjury, which has been hanging on his neck ever since then is yet to be dispensed with, even as he can no longer hide under immunity clause as a Governor. Being the questionable character he is said to be, the only response Tinubu could give to the premeditated Lagos House Assembly Ad-hoc Committee set up to clear him of the perjury charge raised against him by Chief Fawehinmi in 1999 was to admit full responsibility for some of the “needless errors,” whatever that means.
He told the convoluted story to the Kangaroo committee that as a result of the acrimonious primaries of the Alliance for Democracy in the run-up to the elections, that the information contained in both the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) form and the affidavit of loss of certificates were supplied by one of his political aides, Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi.
While the fraud spotted in the INEC Form CFO1 had exposed Tinubu as claiming that he attended St. Paul’s Primary School, Aroloya, Lagos for his primary school education, the Ad-hoc Committee helped him adjust it to the claim that he attended St. John’s Primary School, Aroloya, Lagos. It was clearly a case of a grand fraud applied to cover an initial fraud because all through the findings of the kangaroo committee, no mention was made of any testimony from any of Tinubu’s classmates in the primary or secondary schools supporting his claims. It is as though Tinubu attended the school alone! The case has however refused to die as questions are frequently being asked on what has happened to the case.
The irrepressible Senator Ogunlewe had asked then: “Did Tinubu lie under oath that he attended St. Paul’s Primary School, Aroloya, Lagos, which was not and is not in existence; Government College, Ibadan and the University of Chicago?”
Some political pundits opine that the case is still being covered because Tinubu still goes ahead to bribe those who could bring him to justice on the issue, including security agencies. He keeps boasting that he will always get off the hook because all officials within the Nigerian system have their price tags.
It needs to be recalled that in 2007, a group called the Lagos Progressive Movement fingered Tinubu and his political godson, Babatunde Raji Fashola, in a huge land scam running into several billions of Naira in Lagos State. In a public statement issued on the matter, the group had noted: “We, the Lagos Progressives Movement once again wish to update fellow Nigerians on the various land scams perpetuated by former Governor Bola Tinubu and being covered up by Governor Babatunde Fashola. The facts are true and verifiable. We have gone further to quote real names of collaborators and addresses of properties for readers to verify themselves. Tinubu is the number one landlord in Lagos and has turned Lagos land worth trillions of Naira into his personal possession to be used freely or given away unaccounted for. Even after he left office, Tinubu continues to steal Lagos land under the watch of Fashola. He gives out Lagos land to curry political favours and still occasionally signs certificates of occupancy even as ex-governor and backdating them to the period he was in office. These brazen acts of corruption are being perpetrated with the active collaboration of select few public officers who are obscenely wealthy at the expense of Lagos tax payers. His accomplices in the frauds are Gbenga Ashafa – former Permanent Secretary, Land’s Bureau, since 2001; Mrs. Awofisayo – former Permanent Secretary and a relation of Bola Tinubu from Iragbiji, Osun State; Hakeem Muri-Okunola – former Personal Assistant (PA) to Tinubu and now Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Lands; Mrs Nike Animashaun and Tunji Olowolafe, who was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) and detained for three days and later released, following the allegations of financial impropriety levelled against Governor Babatunde Fashola.
These people are arguably the wealthiest unelected public servants ever in the history of Lagos State. They are major wheelers and dealers of prime land. We mentioned in our earlier publication that the Land’s Bureau at Alausa stinks of corruption. We catalogue below a few brazen acts of stealing and corruption committed by Tinubu and aided by Fashola on the good tax payers of Lagos. Tinubu’s greed and primitive acquisition tendency knows no bound. In fact, it is believed that Lagos land personally appropriated by him is worth over N500 billion and this is growing because he hasn’t stopped. Some of the properties outside the hands of the single largest landlord and which investigations have revealed are as follows:
1. 4, Oyinkan Abayomi (formerly Queens) Drive, Ikoyi: A 5-bedroom detached house on one acre of land which was originally the Lagos State Governor’s guest house since 1979, but which now belongs to Tinubu. The certificate of occupancy of the property valued at N450 million was signed and released to him by Fashola in 2007 shortly after he assumed office.
2. Tinubu’s residence at 26 Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi was initially falsely presented as Oando Plc Guest House. Later, he purportedly bought it from Oando, and used public funds to rebuild and renovate it. The Lagos State Government bought the property and paid an undisclosed sum to him and thereafter gave the property back to him under the bogus Pension Bill he signed to law shortly before he left office in 2007. The property is worth over N600 million.
3. The annex of the Lagos State Guest House in Asokoro, Abuja was bought by the State Government in 2006 for N450 million, purportedly to protect the main house from security breach. Shortly after Tinubu left office, the property was transferred to him under the pension plan he signed into law before leaving office.
4. The 250-hectare land valued at about N35billion and strategically located at the Ajah junction on Lekki Road was initially meant for a General Hospital for the people of Eti-Osa Local Government but was stolen by Tinubu and handed over to Trojan Estate Ltd – a company owned by Deji and Wale Tinubu – to develop as Royal Garden Housing Estate at the expense of the taxpayers of Lagos.
5. The 1,000 hectares of land valued at about N75billion located at Lakowe near Abijo at Ibeju-Lekki Local Government and given to Lekki Concession Company (LCC) which is partly- owned by Tinubu and Fashola and being developed as golf course and housing estate by Assets and Resource Management Ltd (ARM) as ADIVA project.
6. The prime land of 157 hectares with 2.5km of Atlantic beachfront valued at about N10billion and stolen by Tinubu from the communities of Siriwon, Igbekodo, Apakin, etc in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government and given to Ibukun Fakeye – his crony to build a golf course and luxury villa with little or no compensation to the villagers. In addition, Tinubu paid $20million (N3billion) out of public treasury to Ibukun Fakeye to commence the project in late 2006. Fashola has since released additional funding for this project, which is not owned by the state government.
7. The 14-hectare Parkview Ikoyi Estate foreshore land reclaimed by Lagos State Government is now owned by Bola Tinubu.
8. While in office, he allocated to himself the former Strabag yard beside the Lagos State Secretariat at Alausa, Ikeja. The property is now being developed into a shopping mall as big as the Palms in Lekki. This is public property brazenly stolen and now owned by Tinubu, aided by Fashola.
9. The choice property at Lekki-Epe road on which he built and owns the multi-billion naira Oriental Hotel and the extension of multi-storey car park beside it. Also, the multi-level recreation centre by Mobil in Oniru Estate on Lekki-Epe road jointly owned with ARM and Tunji Olowolafe. All these assets valued at over N25billion were obtained without paying a kobo to the Lagos State Government.
10. Tinubu and Fashola sold the following prime Lagos properties to their personal friend and front – Prince Dipo Eludoyin at very ridiculous prices:
The 3.8-hectare of land of Lagos State Fisheries office in VI (beside the Institute of Oceanography) valued at N3billion.
The fishery landing jetty at Badore (where the Ilubirin fishermen were to be relocated) valued at N500million
The entire Ogudu foreshore scheme initially earmarked for a low-cost housing scheme valued at N5billion
The Ilubinrin housing estate (which used to house Lagos state civil servants and judges up till 2007) valued at N2.5billion.
The former Julius Berger yard at Oko Orisan, Epe valued at N450million.
11. Tinubu raised a loan of N4.7billion on Eko Akete project for which nothing was achieved before he turned around to sell the property to his Chagouri friends of Chagouri & Chagouri and Hitech Construction Ltd at a ridiculously low price at the expense of the taxpayers of Lagos.
12. Tinubu applied to personally purchase the Federal Secretariat building while in office. When he couldn’t get to buy it, he directed Fashola to stop the eventual owner of the complex to develop it. The complex is presently wasting away courtesy of the Lagos State Government.
13. It took several months of horse trading and underhand payments before Fashola could allow the new owners of 1004 flats to redevelop the complex.
14. Several other buyers of Federal Government properties and developers of properties in Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Government Reservation Area Ikeja were forced to succumb to the outrageous demands of Tinubu, Fashola, Commissioner Abosede and other officials of the Lagos State Physical Planning Ministry and were made to pay ridiculous amounts to private accounts before their redevelopments were approved. Those who refused or were unable to pay could not develop their properties. This is a major economic strangulation of property developers and has contributed largely to the skyrocketing rent in Ikoyi, VI and Lekki axis.
15. Tinubu converted all the plots of land where Lagos Polytechnic was located at Ikosi near the old toll gate. He chased away the Polytechnic in 2006 and went ahead to locate the choice plots to himself, his cronies and political associates. The headquarters of Television Continental (TVC), which is owned by him, is located there. He deprived the youths of Lagos of decent education because of his greed.
16. Tinubu singlehandedly sold the prime land on Aboyade Cole, Victoria Island which was recovered from some allotees, to UACN Properties Plc. The amount of proceeds was shrouded in secrecy.
17. Eludoyin, fronting for Tinubu, built the estate directly opposite Goshen Beach Estate in Lekki area.
18. Tinubu’s wife, Remi Tinubu, built the massive New Era Foundation youth camp at the junction of Eleko, off the Lekki-Epe express road, with Lagos State funds and has now converted it to personal use.
19. Tinubu owns the Fara Park Estate and the Beach Wood Estate both in Lekki.
20. The Critical Care unit at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) in Ikeja, built and equipped with state funds, is now owned personally by Tinubu. He has put one Dr. Sikiru Tinubu, (a supposed cousin of his) to run the outfit. It is run as a private unit and the proceeds are pocketed by the duo. The unit charges its users exorbitantly and most Lagosians can hardly afford to pay its high charges. Much of the revenue is derived from fees paid by the State Government for patients referred there by its General Hospitals.
21. Several prominent Nigerians in the judiciary, police, INEC, and other sensitive agencies have obtained prime land from former Governor Tinubu and incumbent Governor Fashola over the years without paying a kobo. Many of them had turned around to sell the land to third parties at substantial profit. Many top officials in the police, INEC and the judiciary who participated in the 2003 and 2007 elections and tribunals in states where Tinubu has interest were compromised with parcels of free prime Lagos land and cash. If the Lagos State Land’s Bureau could publish the names and identities of beneficiaries of land allotees from 2000 to date, the scandal that will result is better imagined. Gbenga Ashafa, now a Senator, and Mrs. Awofisayo were the conduits through which these acts were being perpetrated. Both were also personally involved in various dubious land transactions on their own.
22. Prime land and properties have been used to pay off public officials who are personally close to Tinubu and Fashola for “jobs well done” or for being privy to sensitive information, notably:
(a) Dele Alake, former Commissioner for Information and Strategy, was sold a whole house on Alexander Road, Ikoyi where he lived as official quarters at a give-away price.
(b) Rauf Aregbesola, Osun State Governor, who was a former Commissioner in Lagos as well as Muiz Banire, also a former commissioner, got detached houses at Ladoke Akintola Street, GRA Ikeja for their “good job” while serving under Tinubu.
(c) Yemi Cardoso and Wale Edun, both former commissioners, were sold houses on Iru Close, and another location in old Ikoyi at give-away prices by Tinubu. The list is endless.
23. Governor Fashola in the wake of the petition against him presented by “The True Face of Lagos” to the House of Assembly has succeeded in buying his way out of trouble by bribing each of the 40 immediate past members with cash and prime state land at Abijo GRA, off Lekki-Epe road. He, in addition, bought a N40million bulletproof jeep for the Speaker in a desperate bid to ward off investigation by the Assembly.
These corrupt acts have deprived the taxpayers of Lagos billions in revenue which could have been used for public projects. Indeed, the prime land stolen from the Lekki axis is enough to build the Lekki-Epe road without burdening residents and other taxpayers with the 30-year concession toll road.
We know that people will say: why don’t you take this matter to EFCC? Well the EFCC appears compromised on matters concerning Tinubu. If not, how come he has not been charged to court despite several petitions against him and in spite of Nuhu Ribadu’s boastful claims that he had enough evidence to nail him?
It is evident that Tinubu is deliberately being shielded from prosecution. Tinubu left office about six years ago and lost his immunity but where is the Nigeria Police? But we know that eventually, his cup will run over and he will be brought to justice. And why is there a conspiracy of silence by those known to be dogged fighters of corruption? Why are they watching as both men appear to be getting away with corruption? We hope Lagosians will wake up and fight for their rights. The elite should speak out now and force the EFCC to take action. We once again call on the elders of Lagos, the elite at the Lagos Island Club, Ikoyi Club, Lawn Tennis Club, Yoruba Tennis Club, Ikeja Country Club, Eko Club, Metropolitan Club, The Boat Club, Apapa Club, etc. We also call on the religious leaders, prominent traditional rulers, the media, opinion molders and members of civil society to speak out. Let us join hands in the collective effort to call on the anti-corruption agencies, and in particular the EFCC, to act now and move into the Land’s Bureau and the State’s Treasury Office at Alausa to conduct a thorough investigation on land matters from 2000 to date. We assure the public that if this is done transparently, it might be possible to recover trillions of naira stolen from the tax payers of Lagos.’’
Stay tuned for the next part 
And for all you ardent supporters of BAT & BRF, you can find out if all these claims are genuine you know, but don’t look at me…
I’m pacquiao ( ._.)
Hello guys, this is a piece written by Funmilayo Akinosi on the platform “Nigerians Talk”, I stumbled on the link – http://nigerianstalk.org/2012/11/30/civic-faith/ on my TL and needless to say it struck a chord, and in all honesty, it is the answer to some of the brouhaha recently plaguing religion (and more importantly Christianity) in this country and possibly in the world at large, as Christianity is beginning to be seen or practiced more as a business not just in Nigeria but in other countries in Africa, and this trend is spreading as far as to the west (U.S.A the U.K and other parts of Europe) instead of its statutes and laws being upheld, as well as the faith being uplifted and practiced in the most trying of times (violent, moral and otherwise) and in the face of the most resolute controversy (Tolerance of homosexual practices and perverse, degenerate behaviour amongst others) as it was originally meant to be by our Lord and Master Jesus.
I hope you find this thought provoking piece inspiring, because in one way or the other, it applies to us “ordinary humans” as well, we’re no different from the so called “men of God” who are benefiting (financially most of the time) from the faith rather than upholding its statutes not just in or with their words, but with their actions as well.
I think the best way to portray all this, is with the Bible verse from John 4:24 – “God is a spirit, and those that worship him, must worship him in spirit and truth”.
*****
Faith is rarely the place to begin an argument, at least one between two mortals who want to build two smug Socratic premises and a conclusion. Arguments are typically debated over records that are (or are assumed to be) without blemish or bias. But debates also ignore the adherent’s own personal reaffirming experiences that are unshared by the disputant. I try to avoid these debates especially as mine, the Christian faith, has some uneasy history I try to ignore: one of God’s prophets, Elisha watched bears maul forty-two human beings to death after he cursed them for mocking him, and I still consider the Judaic theory of punishment pretty extreme from a God who created people with advance knowledge of their frailties. Again, there is the idea of hell for people who die without knowledge of a monotheistic redeemer. These conversations could be awkward.
The New Testament, which birthed Christianity, suggests that there should be some rigor and reason to faith. It also urges the believer to study scripture like the best researchers and warns against false prophets. Yet faith is by definition, confidence in the unseen, the supernatural. Like many Christians, I hold myself to that definition and to a relationship with a God I can pray to, or as Richard Dawkins has described it, a delusion. But his description doesn’t bother me, I think – I often jest about being contentedly brainwashed by the church attendances of my childhood. I find that Chinua Achebe’s 2012 memoir best reconciles my thoughts on the Christian God: ‘a struggle with the certitude of Christianity’ not its accuracy; and unease of the acerbity of what it means: ‘the lack of options for the outsider, the other’. This impossibility of a win-win, a mutual contentment, is sometimes unsettling for my optimistic notions of world peace.
It is this unease that makes me less inclined to form an opinion on what people believe in, whether a God who made heaven and earth in six days, or of the Flying Spaghetti Monster or a deity that demands libation in the morning. I hold off judgment in recognition of my own insecurities rather than what Dawkins considers as condescending regard for the need of the masses, presumptively less bright and who desire a security blanket being unable to think through issues for themselves. This uncertainty – something I hope is more of an attempt at empathetic libertarianism than dainty self-absorption – is also a shield for my cowardice and laziness. It probably takes courage or something deeper than conviction to be certain of the absence or presence of ghosts and God. I neither have the courage nor strength to make that decision. In fact I find this stance admirable in my friends who happen to be atheists, those assured of the non-existence of the supernatural; as in my theist friends who are confident of the God of the Holy Quran or the Bible.
Cowardice shouldn’t be shameful and people should be allowed to do and feel as they please. However where the failure to push and to speak up causes harm to oneself or other people, cowardice becomes inadequate justification for the consequences of the harm done. It becomes shameful like the way we watch crime happen and do nothing. We owe society because we take from it. Even the recluse sometimes needs a community to ignore; others need one to love, hate, envy or be amused by it. Perhaps it is only fair that we protect that community. People should be allowed the right to believe and disbelieve in whatever they please, to air solicited and unsolicited opinions while leaving to others, the right to ignore these views. Priests should be allowed to give comfort to their congregation and the latter, the right to receive it, if they choose to. And the state shouldn’t interfere with these rights.
It is the old argument of public and private morality. The freedom to believe in a stone should be as sacred as the right to refuse to believe until the stone commands the worshipper to throw pebbles at the heads of other people. Similarly, the State, government and the rest of us do well to stay away from how religious services are conducted until it hurts us or our community. So when preachers use untaxed income to purchase private jets, we (that helpfully ambiguous responsibility-shirking pronoun) should say something.
Saying ‘something’ is reminding the preacher and the saved that flamboyance was never Jesus’. He and his followers were largely working-class. Jesus was a carpenter’s son; his disciples were hardworking fishermen who may not have been particularly successful as defined by today’s monetary version. Scripture records how Jesus once helped them make a great catch. The Christ also expressed disdain for earthly treasures, urging believers to sell their possessions and give to the poor. In another instance, he told a prospective devotee to sell his property and give to the poor for a pass to heaven. Further, the Book of Luke records a parable of a ‘rich fool’ who died the night after an arrogant review of his investment portfolio. Wealth wasn’t a primary motive for the Jesus of the Bible.
Yes, things changed after Jesus’ death. The Church grew as all who believed in eternal life through the risen Christ joined in. Letters in the New Testament cautioned against showing partiality to those with ‘gold rings and fine clothing’. It also set out principles for slaves and slave owners. Church people were successful but while a form of socialism was encouraged, moochers were ostracised.
There is a lot of history that runs through the early Church and Christianity in Nigeria: of slavery, missionaries and a country. There is more history on the evolution of the Nigerian Pentecostal brand of faith. Yemisi Ogbe’s insightful essay explores the latter, beautifully outlining the role of the Nigerian preacher as a superstar. The modern day preacher is wealthy and lives amidst poverty. And the Church doesn’t seem to mind very much.
***
The conventional rationale for a saviour is the poor’s despondency and the need for supernatural help. It is an easy explanation for the growth of the Church in a country that The Economist describes as the worst place for a child to be born in 2013. There is corruption, poor governance and dire economic inequality. However, The Economist’s desktop research hardly covers the range of church-going Nigerians. A fair number of believers are the growing middle-class and the wealthy: business people, bankers, lawyers, and traders, nearly everyone who isn’t Muslim. Presidents, governors and politicians are also vocal believers, who attend services and crusades. One of the reasons given by the constitutionally secular Nigerian legislature for the anti-homosexuality Bill is religion. It is more socially acceptable to steal public funds than refuse to go to Church or fast during Ramadan.
So the Church and its priests are relatively rich for reasons beyond the point that the poor often give a disproportionate part of their income. Those at the upper end of the equality gap give, perhaps to seek redemption or protection from the poor who live seconds away or like the biblical Lydia, to share with God’s people.
There is also a chance that the rich and poor as well as the rest of church-attending believers enjoy what James Andreoni described ‘a warm glow’, an enjoyment from the act of giving itself. Professor Andreoni’s economic theory had developed for donations to charity in the late 1980s, a concept that found that people may give for less altruistic reasons. This theory may apply to faith based giving. In many Pentecostal churches, offerings are heralded with mini-speeches and testimonies of the benefits of giving to the Lord. Some even urge congregants to wave envelopes of cash and cheques to the Lord in prayer and praise. Believers may therefore derive some form of utility, an enjoyment of being the sort of person who gives and give for that reason. This may explain why some steal and others are accused of stealing to give to Church.
It does not help that oddities are rarely considered so in Nigeria: a telecommunications company with less than stellar services offered a plane to encourage subscribers on its network; former dictators stand for office and convicted criminals are described as patriots; people purchase candles for power right next to those who buy the scented versions for spas. In this context, hearing that believers consider the purchase of private planes for preachers as expedient isn’t out of place.
With this wealth that abounds in the name of God, I suggest that preachers and the Church be protected from themselves. The appropriate biblical injunctions to keep from away from doing God’s prophets harm suit this purpose. Harm in this case is the unchecked power of a superstar (Ogbe’s theory) with wealth that is not accounted for. A church that outlines plane purchases on its website while describing its history should be protected from itself.
The idea is not to pauperise the Church. Wealthy isn’t unhealthy. King Solomon’s wealth helped to build the first temple in Jerusalem and the Book of Proverbs refers to the good man who leaves an inheritance for his grandchildren while the sinner’s wealth is passed to the righteous. The Church despite its spirituality is like other not for profit organisations, bothered by plebeian requirements. It needs money to carry out its mandate and play a role as the ‘light of the world’. Even so, anyone who serves a God who created heaven and earth and who ‘can do all things’ should not be impoverished. But in the steps of the good Lord, I suggest that the Church enhance accountability by paying or filing for taxes. There should be public records for its finances.
This proposal is not innovative. The Vatican, the home of all things pious will pay taxes on non-religious property from 2013. Clearly there will be cases where the Church will be unable to make any payments; the Lord’s work is not a business venture. However removal of a tax-exempt status would allow for transparency and a semblance of accountability. A preacher and its congregants could purchase what they wish in the name of faith but they can do so after they have contributed commensurately to the social pot in respect of their own Caesar.
I have heard adherents and preachers refer to discretionary income made from books and recorded messages, materials over which the preacher enjoys copyright and the right to derive income. This point is often pushed as to oppose criticism of flamboyance in the Church. First, I think there is an argument to be made to tie that income as the Church’s. General legal principles would describe it as income ‘derived from employment’. People typically pay for messages because the messenger is God’s. Second, pastors really should pay taxes on their own income, just as professors do. One vocation is as revered as the other.
Until the laws are passed, churches could begin with self-regulation, setting an example. They should place their financial information on the same websites as announcements and those pictures. The Christian religion could show how much of a light it is in the world by setting a standard for itself. If we urge public officers to declare their wealth, these men and women who represent God in our eyes should do so too. This piece isn’t about how taxes have been administered but how the Church should be financially accountable.
I have written reluctantly, as a woman who clings to faith in God and her country. I have avoided the more complex exploration of the Christian as a proselytist. Here is the message: the five thousand didn’t feed the Christ, and Caesar needs the Church.
Hello people,
So I haven’t written in a bit due to unforeseen events, although I constantly have ideas for topics to write on or about. Anyways, the inspiration behind this piece is the movie – THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS.
For those of us that have watched this movie starring Will Smith and his son Jaden, we all would have been touched by the various pointers in the movie… pointers to real life that is.
You see what makes that movie unique is not just that it’s a true life story, but the fact that the events that took place in the life of that young mans’ life (CHRIS GARDNER) are still ongoing and they not just could, but are taking place in the life of any young man anywhere in the world right now.
You see, Chris Gardner went through stupendously hard times, he had his wife abandon him, and his friend couldn’t even return the $14 he owed to Chris when he really needed it the most, and apparently that was his closest friend because he was the only friend represented throughout the whole movie. So our dear Chris was abandoned more or less with his 5year old son, without a house, moving from one motel to the other, sometimes spending nights in a “cave” as he and his little, obedient boy (JADEN SMITH) loved to call ‘em, he even filled up blood bags with his own blood, just to survive in God’s own country, America.
But you know what really inspired this? You wanna know the reason why I’m typing this on my bed in school, instead of sleeping before my 4pm friendly match?… Well, I was inspired by Chris’s attitude. The attitude portrayed in that movie is one of champions, a believer, and a winner against all odds. I have thought about it a lot, he was frequently frustrated, not just by his wife who abandoned him and their kid later on, but by his tutor at the brokerage firm where he sought a job appointment, he was humiliated, his goods were frequently stolen from him, as a matter of fact most of the movie clips involved the poor guy chasing some hippie or mentally ill white guy across town because of his goods, and yet he’d wake up the next day, garner up a smile and head out like he had the world at his feet.
A POSITIVE ATTITUDE.
That is what he had, and I believe that is what we need… we as young people, as adults, as Nigerians. I was speaking to a friend of mine in class one Monday morning, we had played a club match against the strongest club in our league in school, and we had lost gallantly and I was just pointing out a few things to my colleague, who happens to be my coach, now I don’t know how old he is exactly, because he seems younger than I am but due to his size, you’d think he was really old, anyway, whether he’s older than me or not, one thing is for sure, he’s definitely wiser, why do I say this? Well I asked him why a lot of people don’t like me because at the match the day before and at previous matches before that, I had put on wonderful display after wonderful display and each time after my performance, spectators and opponents alike would walk up to me and say “you played really well bro”, even people that didn’t talk to me normally would do this, yet I wasn’t officially recognized with a Man of the match award, instead the award would go to another one of my teammates who didn’t deserve it and was too ashamed to announce he had received the award, other times the award wasn’t given when my performance was glaringly blinding in its astounding obliteration of other players’ performances (yes persil was duly applied here… moving on -_- ).
So, I asked my friend what was wrong, and what it was that i was doing wrong, and he told me quite plainly, “You aren’t doing anything wrong, you are a very good person, but the problem with you is you are always negative, don’t you notice that your response to everything is always negative? You hardly ever smile, you’re mostly always on your own not just in school but at the hostel, you ward off people like you don’t need them or you’re scared of them… you need to be more accommodating, smile more, say more nice things to people, let people feel more comfortable around you, with time, you’ll notice the ambience around you will begin to change and people will automatically look up to you when there is need for a leader.”
Now i know myself, and on a whim I’d say I’m not always negative, I’d say I’m a realist,
(Realism is defined in the Oxford dictionary as;
1: The attitude or practice of accepting a situation as it is and dealing with it accordingly.
2: The representation of things in a way that is accurate and true to life.)
but on silently considering the words of my wise friend, I began to see reason in his words as I replayed various events in my mind, events where I was quick to berate people’s performance… though I was most probably right in my assessment of their performance in their tasks, it would have been better if I’d just kept mum or better yet encouraged them in spite of their weaknesses/performance.
Positivity, in every thunder storm/cloud there is a silver lining… always and if there is none, you provide one. Yes it might be severely difficult to do this, especially when you’re in the thick of heated arguments or quarrels… the solution? Breath… take deep breaths, it just doesn’t matter how hot your temper is, calm yourself, find something to poke fun at or amuse yourself with, keep quiet and toy with thoughts in your mind, good thoughts though.
My point is be more positive, think more positive thoughts, hope, be prayerful, believe earnestly, work hard towards achieving your goals, smile more, endure more no matter how difficult it may be or the level of insult you’d have to endure, fighting isn’t always the way or the solution, you might be right, Yes, but there are different ways to prove you are right.
Anyway, different strokes for different people, I just thought I’d get this down on my laptop, because from the movie “THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS”, Chris Gardener exhibited a wholly & purely sincere attitude of positivity and kindness, even when his boss asked for $5 and all he had was $7, he gave cheerfully though he hesitated a bit, I have to say at that point I was stunned, considering the world now, and the actions of people in it, if i were in his shoes, I’d never give out that money even if the person that asked for it were @why_vee, or @ColorMyCake a hot, naked female, no sireee!
Oh well, I hope this post inspired yall, I understand not everyone might have seen the movie or relate to it, but please try and watch it if you can and I hope the story of Chris Gardener, inspires you the way it inspired me. Stay safe.
So I had resigned myself to the fact that I would not put up a post this week, but as fate would have it, I got wind of a tiny fracas that had broken out on Sahara reporters on wednesday, I opened the link & being the lazy person I am, I decided i’d take a peek at the articles later on. Alas this wasn’t to be as I got another e-mail prompting me to this same story the next day, apparently it had turned to a sort of mini-series and my curiousity was piqued by virtue of my thinking that it was just an ordinary post at first, seeing as I had barely just opened the link without bothering to look at the page.
So here I am, not quite up to 12 hours after reading the articles, I have penned a short reply to one of the writers, whose derision of the great Chinua Achebe was not lost on me at all.
I’ve also taken it upon myself to highlight the many war crimes as well as other important events that occured during the Biafran war with bona fide, verifiable and accurate facts & sources in the subsequent weeks… it will be, shall we say my personal muse. Asides from that I feel the average Ibo man and woman should have an idea of the inhumane treatment meted out by our so called “brothers and sisters” which is still ongoing today on a much larger scale under the guise of a political, religious and somewhat criminal front called Boko Haram as this new generation of youth most especially have forgotten or are probably oblivious to their heritage.
Link to Obajeun’s post: http://saharareporters.com/article/chinua-achebe-and-burden-old-age-jonah-ayodele-obajeun
My reply to Mr. Obajeun. (@obajeun)
********************************************
Dear Mr. Obajeun from your writing you strike me as a coruscating individual, I particularly love the sarcasm you employed in ending your piece ON Achebe (rather than on his book like you deluded readers into believing you were writing about) . My problem with your theory though is that you were NOT alive during that epoch, you yourself stated that you were born a great 54 years after Achebe, so why spew your indecorous and extremely ribald train of thought on the tracks of a chugging albeit cognizant and obviously much more astute and adept, knowledge assimilating freight?
My dear man, have you gone stark, raving MAD?!
How dare you putrefy the genial embodiment of literature in all its concinnity that is Achebe? Not even the motley of a writer Soyinka is worthy of such an honor and you fatuously garnered the inane and nonsensical courage to do such.
The name of the book says it all: “There Was A Country: A Personal History Of Biafra” Do you see the “personal” in that line or you need another pair of lenses to help with your occlusive eyesight?
In case you didn’t know, the “personal” means its his own view and since he was very much alive not just prior to the war but during the war (not as a toddler or teenager mind you but as a full grown adult), it behoves on not just you but everyone to give credence to his words; and mayhap one doesn’t agree with his words, such an individual may proceed to critique Achebe’s work as is the norm and is expected; but on NO account and I repeat NO ACCOUNT should that individual dare to suggest that Chinua Achebe is bordering on the brink of insanity, be it in a metaphorical form or plain English. Perhaps in your part of the country it is usual or the norm for one to poke or jab his knobbly fingers into the eyes of his elder and deride the elder publicly and for his own amusement but you do not try that with an Ibo man. Keep your inane practices to your kind. Take a swipe at your glorified Soyinka if you please, all well and good; but do not for the sake of all things sacred transcend your ambit. Remember Nnamdi Azikiwe and Chuks Okadigbo…
Also to the best of my knowledge, Ojukwu never declared war on Nigeria, like your ignorant states men claim, he just declared that Ndigbo had seceded from Nigeria in a peaceful dictum. Awolowo and the northern oligarch were obviously not in support of this and opted for war as is recorded in Kaduna
- at 00:00 hours general Hassan gave the order to the Nigerian army to march into Biafra territory- (excerpt from an Ojukwu interview)
As we all should know the Nigerian army made the very first move in starting the war by attacking Biafra from Obolo which is 10miles from Nsukka on the main road to the Biafra capital at Enugu, 45 miles away, and Obudu, at the opposite, eastern end of the northern border near Ogoja – July 7, 1967 “…Federal troops have received orders from Maj. Gen. Yakubu Gowon “to penetrate into the east central state & capture Ojukwu & his rebel gang.” The Nigerian broadcast came some four hours after the Biafra radio said that Biafra forces had repulsed a four-pronged Nigerian attack that it said began the day before. (New York Times)
Also the following are excerpts from the narration of a real-life, real-time eyewitness account of the bombing of Umuahia civilians on February 20, 1969 by the Nigerian Air force, as reported by New York Times correspondent Lloyd Garrison: “At 10:10 this morning, Mrs. Patience Nkemena was behind the counter of her bakery on Ohafia Street in this provincial wartime capital of Umuahia. She was talking with an old customer who stopped by merely to chat, since Biafra has been without bread for months. The customer left shortly. Across the street, a dozen mothers with nursing babies waited in a clinic for their weekly allotment of American corn meal.
At 10:11, a Nigerian Ilyushin jet bomber swooped in low, firing its machine guns. There was no warning & no time to dive into nearby shelters. The 51 year old Mrs.Nkemena made it half way out the door when the first of two 200 pound bombs struck. Her body was found in the courtyard of her house. Twelve other homes & the clinic were demolished. At first count, there were eight dead & a dozen wounded. The bodies of a pregnant woman and her baby, strapped to her back, lay in the street behind the clinic…
The Rev. John Ryan, an Irish missionary who has lived here 12 years, stood atop the mountain of debris that once was the clinic & cursed. “Genocide, it’s genocide,” Mrs. Nkemena’s husband said over & over again…
It was the 21st air raid on Umuahia in the last 11 months. All the dead have been civilians & most have died within 10 blocks of Ohafia street in a crowded residential quarter just off the main road in this town of 40,000 before the civil war & many more now…”
Also on November 14, 1967 the following was reported by The United Press International: “In another development, a Red Cross Plane carrying doctors and medical supplies from Switzerland to Biafra was detained in Lagos today by the Nigerian military authorities.” (UPI)
(Culled with excerpts from THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE NIGERIA-BIAFRA WAR written by Dr. Luke Nnaemeka Aneke)
This is just two of the countless war crimes committed during the Biafran war by the Nigerian army.
You see, the yoruba and hausa tribes are an ignorant, irrational bunch of people who act on a whim at all times without really stopping to think of the consequences. 95% of the time when it matters, they will stare the truth in the face and still call it a lie, irrespective of how glaring that truth may be, without any regard whatsoever for their dignity… if you can associate the word dignity with these people. So I expect a majority of their kind to corroborate this by resorting to plain insults in the comment section.
What is a tiny, shapeless cell to a giant fully grown adult? I advice you, Mr. Obajeun to respect your lean years and hold your tongue on matters far above your reach. Let the elephant wrestle with its kind, lest a rat gets trampled below its mighty foot.
Consider this a cauterization of the festering flesh wound that is your train of thought.
Hey people! So exactly a year ago today, I got the chance to hang out with the Legend… the Grand Master of Beats in Nigeria & indeed Africa himself…the one & only Don Jazzy;for a full DAY! Read as yours truly asks Don Jazzy never before asked questions & get an inkling into the life of the biggest celebrity producer in Nigeria.
( Err there’s a reason why I didn’t use quotation marks… >_> )
Enjoy…
Hey people! So before we jump right into this narrative dialogue between I & BigBruv (Yes I call him BigBruv,what’s your own?) I would like to clearly state that I am not a professional,neither have I done this before,I’m a rookie in every sense of the word. I’m just a young un with a passion for all kinds of literature,from the shitty to the most impeccable form of grammar… it gladdens my soul to read. Hence I hope u enjoy this mish-mash of an interview.
P.S : I conducted this whole interview on my Blackberry Device,any grammatical error or GBAGAUN for the uncouth like myself is purely erroneous. Yes now let’s jump right into it shall we?…
So we’re sitting in the mini-bar of the Barazahi, waiting for our massage & I start with;
Dera – Did you ever think you would be this big?
Don Jazzy – Not exactly,but I always knew i’d end up in the music industry.
Dera – Did you think you’d ever stop trying 2 b succesful,you know just relax once you’ve reached that mark you’ve set for yourself financially?
Don Jazzy – No. There’s always room for more money.
Dera – How has it been adjusting to this BIGNESS?
Don Jazzy – I adjust to the bigness & try to fit in… its not as easy as it’s said, If you don’t adjust you won’t move on. I act in a way that before people catch up with me, I gain enough momentum to surpass them. In life you keep pushing & ask God for help.
Dera – How was it like growing up for you?
DonJazzy – (LOL) My dad is beefing for releasing stuff about the book he’s releasing next year,so I won’t say much.
Well I’m the first child, Jay mohits is the second, Mary my only sister is the third child (Her husband runs Mojek records)… and D’prince is the last child.
Dera – What schools did you go to, whilst growing up?
Don Jazzy – I schooled at Awodiora primary school in Ajegunle till primary4 then at Ebenezer Primary school in Egbeda. I had my secondary school education at Federal Ijanikin and went to Ekpoma university in Edo state (Now Ambrose Alli). My younger one’s went 2 Kings College. I & James went to Ekpoma, while my younger sister stopped after secondary school. I’d been feeding the family since I turned 18.
Dera – What did you study while you were at Ekpoma?
Don Jazzy – At Ekpoma university, I studied Business administration. I dropped out after my first year to search for greener pastures.
Dera – Did you ever think about going back to school,I mean look at international celebrities like Shakira & Wyclef Jean amongst others, that went back to the university. What was holding you back from returning to school?
Don Jazzy – I wanted to go to Unilag at some point, just to continue my studies,my career had started mind you, I changed my mind, considering it was Unilag with all of its distractions & what not. * JayMohits cuts in – Besides Wyclef probably went back to school because of his presidential ambition. *
Dera – Uhm, Big Bruv,what’s your full name?
Don Jazzy – Michael Collins Ifeanyi Enebeli Ajereh.
Dera – Where are you from exactly?
Don Jazzy – Mum is from Abia state and dad is from Delta state.
Dera – What of family members?…I’m sure you had those that said you wouldn’t make it, and when you did they came back & tried to kiss your ass.
Don Jazzy – In secondary school they laughed at me, from SS1 my grades started dropping, some of my extended family members started dissing me. Dera – How many instruments do you play?
Don Jazzy – I play the drums, keyboard,bass guitar…and sometimes the trumpet. Also Percussions,the Konga.
Dera – Marriage?… you are a very lowkey person,how do you pull it off?… you’ll definitely have people that you tell your gist… how come it never gets out?… I mean your not celibate,how come your women never blow their trumpet?
Don Jazzy – *shrugs* Its just like that. In 2005/2006 I was with Tontoh Dike though.
Dera – What of all the rumors surrounding D’banj? You know,the latest being he was being spoilt by a rich Nigerian heiress based in London who actually got in a fight with another babe over him…
Don Jazzy – They are mostly lies *shrugs*
Dera – What of the one about you fighting with one of your siblings?
Don Jazzy – NO! Its just lies. I took ds pic in Germany & once I saw it somewhere online with a funny story attached to it.
(Google DonJazzy,the first picture in the batch)
Dera – What’s your advice for upcoming producers/artistes?
Don Jazzy – They should search themselves to find out if they are really passionate about music & then focus on it. Also they should do loads of research, pray to God, work hard, know their market which is very important, I mean you can’t dish out music that is not generally accepted in ur base,you won’t go far… unless ur Asa. Anyways the point is know the music accepted wherever you are. Promoters don’t want to do dry shows, that’s where the money is, as well as endorsements.
Dera – How do you contain the fear of being attacked by people you’ve known from your younger years, or even random haters?
Don Jazzy – I don’t make it obvious to the haters that I remember their spiteful talk.
Dera – How do you hold your tongue when people hate on you? How do you deal with them on twitter?
Don Jazzy – I RT it & others see it and my fans step in on my behalf. Who am I not to have haters…Omoba. *LOL*
Dera – What’s your inspiration…what gingers you?
Don Jazzy – Music! It’s like football for you… (Yes my passion is football & I’m a proud and if I do say so myself very good footballer 
)… Every little sound & I begin to make beats. Even while sleeping, Wande & Bizzle have told me that I was tapping my head or the bed.
Secondly I don’t want to be broke… the fear of poverty inspires me to work hard because of the people depending on me. Music gingers me. I try to be the best at what I do. There’s no space to carry last. The fear of going back to where I came from also drives me. The internet & twitter is a BIG motivation,(Insert Kelly Rowland CD)…I don’t want to let people down. I’ve always liked being online even before twitter came around.
Dera – So what exactly has been twitter’s influence on your person,or what influences you & your music?
Don Jazzy – From twitter I get ideas & I find out what’s wrong with songs or not. I listen to everything given to me…some producers are locked up in their own space they only listen to their own shit whereas I send mine to numerous people to listen & react. I go to the club to listen to the jamz there & see how d people connect with em’!
Dera – Why do you have this silent,whispering in D’banj’s ear front you’ve been doing for years & why did u suddenly decide to start talking & giving interviews?
Don Jazzy – I didn’t like interviews before,I didn’t do any for 5-6yrs. Besides there wasn’t really much to say,cos D’banj & Wande have answered all the questions before. It also helped to differentiate between the producer & artistes. My interview with Beat FM last month (September) was the first ever aired interview after 4-6yrs. I hate cameras! Now everyone has blown & the public can differentiate who is who & I’ve gathered enough courage to appear before the big screen.
After the interview with Beat FM I’ve been doing interviews every day. I didn’t sleep last night,I sleep around 5 – 6am & wake up around 3pm. I’m a night person,I don’t like coming out during the day.
Dera – Lotsa people say there is no D’banj without Don baba J… Some even say D’banj won’t be this big without you,what is your take on this? Cos I like D’banj,I think he’s super creative & smart.
Don Jazzy – It goes both ways,we compliment each other its like rice & stew.
Dera – How long have you known him?
Don Jazzy – I’ve known him for 7years now.
Dera – Your parents nko, how did they feel when you started with your musical career?
Don Jazzy – They were ok with my passion for music from the start, no hindrances whatsoever.
Dera – What’s your favorite dish?
(Starts with some funny English name & I tell him I mean favorite Nigerian meal)
Don Jazzy – Yam & peppersoup with red oil & fish! Its unfortunate my girlfriend can’t make it.
Dera – Can you marry a babe that can’t cook?
Don Jazzy – Yeah…its 2011 I’ll use my cook. I don’t want my wifes’ hand to burn…make she no use scruffy hand rub my back. (Every one in the bar laughs out loud at this. LoooooooL!)
[O and did I mention that by this time I had quite an audience,as every one was enjoying the expose & listening with rapt attention (^_^) + we actually hesitated a bit when we were called for our massage,ask Tega & Jay,they said they were enjoying my questions & I should not stop *shines teeth*]
Anyways back to the erm interview ===>
Dera – I heard you didn’t want to get married,is that true?
Don Jazzy – If I want to get married I will.
Dera – How do you deal with haters from the industry?
Don Jazzy – Its the same way I deal with fans. Anytime you see haters,take them as fans because that means they took their time to study you & they probably know you more than other fans.
Dera – What’s going on with you & Toolz?…cos I saw you two in 2010 at Eko hotel during the Pepsi concert before the worldcup & all, and since then you two still act mushy.
Don Jazzy – She’s cool,she’s a hot babe but that’s it. She’s one of the few people I chat with in the industry,her accent cracks me up. I don’t think I can date her.
Dera – Why,what’s wrong with her?
Don Jazzy – I can’t marry someone who’s family is richer than I am. Even if the person is famous it doesn’t have to be mega famous,so the press don’t say bad stuff like he’s career was going down & he went to marry so so & so.
Dera – Ok random question big bruv,how many contacts do you have on BBM and your phone?
Don Jazzy – I’ve got 135 contacts now on BBM. That’s the highest ever. :O I don’t have my brothers’ number or D’banjs’ …I can reach them whenever I want to.
Dera – What are your plans for the future?
Don Jazzy – My plan for the future is to increase the number of none Nigerians that listen to naija music as at today.
Dera – When was Mo-Hits established?
Don Jazzy – Mo-Hits was established in 2004/2005.
Dera – What other Nigerian artist do you love?
Don Jazzy – I loveeeeee 2face, I like wizkid, M.I, sauce kid, Brymo, Tiwa Savage, Eva, Muna, Waje, Naeto C, Davido.
Dera – What international artists do you listen too often?
Don Jazzy – I listen to different kinda international works from different international artistes. No need to mention names. A lot sha.
Dera – Lemme ask you in time…shey u will come for my wedding?
Don Jazzy – If God is willing yeah.
Dera – Heheheheeee OSHEYYYYY!!!
Dera – Thank u so much
Don Jazzy – No long thing.
In conclusion… my perspective : Don Jazzy is as real as it gets,he’s like any other human being out there & I mean that… no forming, no bogus pride despite his numerous achievements in such a short while & judging 4rm his personal messages so far,he’s jst lyk d rest of us… he’s got his moods. [Yes Don Jazzy is a "contact" B=)) ]. In all I’ll say he’s simply awesome in every sense of the word. Though one might think or say that he’s numerous gifts to complete strangers is a method of boosting his ego or attracting numerous praise from his ever faithful fans,I’ll have to disagree…not cos I know him personally now… (DIE HATERS DIE!) but cos he’s as real as it gets,meaning, he’s getting from the public & giving back in his own little way,by making people happy & touching lives. From hanging out with him,you’ll tell (If ur perceptive that is…) that he’s cautious with people,but friendly to a fault at the same time.
(Imagine letting a complete stranger drive your bentley… :O).
I dunno about yall,but I love Don Jazzy…pause…(‘_’) and I see no reason why anyone should hate on him…warm, friendly & hugely talented…what more does a celebrity need? IDJA!
*sigh* Reading this piece all over again is just somehow… I mean who woulda thunk it??? Ofcos now we know Mo-Hits is no more, and a whole lotta brouhaha that went on in the past year, but also I’d say Don Jazzy has remained the same good ol’ Don Jazzy I met last year, he still gives, still is funny, still the best producer there is in Africa… What more can I say?…
Happy Independence day folks.
TWO
*******
THE LAST RESORT
Hello yall! The Naked Convos Blog is conducting an open competition, I found out about it myself about a month ago and after procrastinating for weeks i’m finally submitting my adaptation and conclusion of the story. You can see the post on the Naked Convos Blog http://www.thenakedconvos.com/two/
My part of the story appears in italics. Enjoy.
*********
Now
Aigbe smiled callously as he watched Esosa tumble backwards onto the floor. He thought to himself that she quite looked like a fish out of water – flailing about, reaching for support that would not be forthcoming. His smile very quickly evolved into a cruel laugh as he watched the back of her head crash onto the cold, tiled floor with a sickening, wet sound. Leaping astride her semi-conscious body, he rained three solid blows onto her torso, working his way from her lower ribcage to her sternum. She yelped, shook and choked with each blow, unable to fight back.
“You are the one that will die, not me, Stupid Harlot!”
He spat into her face as the last blow landed and she choked violently, jerking with the impact of the blow and recoiling from the glob of projectile spittle that had hit her face.
“You! Are! A! Mad! Dirty! Prostitute!”
Each word was punctuated by a slap that sent waves of pain coursing through Esosa’s head. She could barely speak or shout or scream in protest, much less move. She felt herself start to slip into a numb blackness but she tried to hold on. Aigbe wrapped his hands around her neck and muttered.
“Witch! Harlot! Your plan has failed!”
Esosa closed her eyes and let the numbing darkness take her as her husband choked the remaining life from her, his wedding ring pressing into against her carotid artery.
2 hours earlier
Esosa smiled to herself as she poured the brown powder into the bottle of Merlot. She re-corked it and shook it violently until the powder began to dissolve. She knew Aigbe was already on his way home…
thoughts of their love reborn and revamped filled her mind as she glowed with expectations that were sure to be fulfilled once he took a nip of this vintage bottle of wine now consisting of very ancient concoctions born of desperate needs and desires.
*****
Aigbe was befuddled at what Bukola had just told him, so Esosa had slept with all those men from her university days, he still couldn’t believe it, and what was worse, he had seen her pour in something powdery into the bottle of wine she intended to serve him for dinner that evening on his spy-cam console, thank God Bukola had told him to install the tiny contraptions in covert places all over the house, so that they could watch her to see if she was cheating on him, it was worse than they had both thought, she wanted him dead. Well he was going to show her, he stepped on the pedal with conviction.
2 days earlier
Esosa’s auntie Awawu had guaranteed that her special powerful brown powder never failed and Aigbe would love her again, just as she presented the taffeta containing her last resort to her, the infamous brown powder.
******
He seized his love.
At least that’s what she thought of it, how else could she explain it? It was almost as if he was punishing her for something, what it was she didn’t know, but she was going to put an end to it.
2 months earlier
Aigbe always got to the office first, he basked in the peace and quiet, and on getting to the floor where his office was located, he reached for the door knob and froze, he could hear sounds coming from within, someone was in one of the adjoining rooms and was keen on announcing his or her presence, seeing as the intruder was not discreet about their presence, he closed his eyes in abject trepidation at how turbulent his morning was about to be and let himself in only to see the last person anyone would have expected to see at the office at such an hour “I should have known” he muttered under his breath followed by a hasty “Good morning” as he walked briskly into his office at the end of the long room, he heard her reply but willed it out of his mind as he felt a migraine building up in his head and fester with thoughts of the woman he had just encountered, Bukola George. Ever since her appointment she had set her sights on him and had made it clear to him in plain terms that she wanted him, he had done everything possible to resist her including making an official report to the General Manager who happened to be her uncle; she was subsequently queried and for a few weeks there was a bit of sanity about her, recently though he thought she was back to her old tricks and he avoided her like the plague.
In the solace of his office, he brought out the small pack of madras he had snuck out of the house earlier and started eating, as if on cue, Bukola entered into his office and placed a styrofoam cup filled with simmering hot coffee before him, just what he needed, he smiled and thanked her, then watched her leave, instantaneously, he gasped as he felt very hot madras dribble down his lips and onto his madras shirt… “shit” he muttered, he would need to wash the worrisome stains off, he took a swig of the coffee on his desk and instantly looked at the cup with suspicion, the taste… something was wrong, he got up and went to confront Bukola, as if on cue she turned around to face him as he barged into her office, smiling, she said “ah I see you’ve taken your coffee, you know, you’ve been mighty elusive for years now, but I think I finally have you wrapped around my fingers where i’ve always wanted you” Aigbe infuriated, spat out with venom; “what did you do?” she smiled and replied “I put an elixir in your coffee, to ensure that you become utterly besotted to me, i’ve wanted you for more than two years now and you’ve been completely oblivious to my physical charms, so I thought i’d take things a step further, what you just drank binds us both till death, so prepare to leave your darling wife Aigbe, because from this instant you’re all mine”, transfixed he stared at the horrible woman, reeling from the deafening words she had just spoken, his mind numb, he thought of his wife and tried to process all he had just been told. Bukola reached out to him and he slapped her with so much force that she fell on her glass table, her eyes glazed. He stumbled out of her office as he frantically told himself that none of what she said was possible, not in real life.
Bukola dialed the only number she had on speed dial, her uncle picked up after the fourth ring, “He just slapped me, Aigbe slapped me, it doesn’t work, your potion doesn’t work” she hissed into the phone, her uncle replied in a nonchalant tone “keep quiet girl, that potion never fails, give it time, you’ve always been too impatient, relax and you’ll see what happens in a couple of hours”, and true to his word Aigbe came round, by lunch break they had had hot sex on her table, her bum smashing continuously on the hard vitreous surface as he drove her insane thrust after thrust. She could barely breath now thinking about it, the years of waiting to have him seemed irrelevant, why she hadn’t thought of this earlier she’d never know, she could have prevented him from getting married to that slut he called his wife, Esosa. All through school she had competed with Esosa for everything, and Esosa had always won, well not this time. She smiled evilly and let the euphoria of her thoughts take her away.
2 years earlier
A very ambitious Bukola George strode up the stairs leading to the office of Makama Consulting, she was in an exceptionally good mood today, she was beginning work at a huge organization and she couldn’t wait to explore all the amazing possibilities that lay open for her. She had proved her mettle and was now ready to quell all in her journey to the top… or so she thought, at her desk later that evening, she had let out a startled whimper as she spied Esosa leave the office laughing and tugging incessantly at the arm of an awfully well built, good-looking young man. Bukola spewed curses and asked the worker beside her, “what’s their story?” “oh them? that’s Mr Aigbe and his fiance, they’ve been together for a year now and they get married in a month…”, she was shocked, that couldn’t happen, not on her watch, she would do everything to destroy Esosa’s happiness. All of a sudden making it to the top didn’t seem a priority… unless it meant making it to the top of Mr Aigbe’s naked body.
Hi guys, this is my first real post with a storyline on this blog basically. I wrote this weeks ago and I dare say its a very touchy subject, there’s the popular train of thought that the girl in the story is a ”hoe” for lack of a better word. But i’d love people’s take on this from all angles…
Is the girl in this story a hoe? Or is the guy just a whiny, sappy, broke ass cock?
Feel free to comment. See you on the other side.
I’ve seen you laugh, I’ve seen you stressed, I’ve seen you sad and worried.
Ghosts is what we are, what we have become after all that’s been said between us both.
Hello!
So I never really knew much about blogs or blogging… (I always stumbled on them by accident) but I love reading, the blog that hooked me though is TNC (1st story of theirs I came across, was ”Our best friend’s wedding, a series) and since then i’ve read all their stories and have been following their every post. Funny enough I opened the unprofessionalsblog because I want to take part in their competition – 2.
That said, visiting TNC encouraged me to go back to writing and get serious with it, but procrastination is a nasty little habit of mine. Hopefully i’ll be able to do away with that.
This is my first post, no one knows about this blog, but i plan to fill it with concisely written literature and all that good stuff hopefully I won’t publish any of the corny dumb mostly sexual stories most of these kid bloggers put up on their blogs… nkechi, ada and babcock take note .
God willing i’ll be proud of this blog in the very near future.
P.S : If you’re reading this and you know brilliant writers with equally brilliant minds/imagination, please direct em to me. Diversity in content is a must.
Thank you.
