Down to Earth

To think that Some banks such as Union Bank, Fin Bank and Afribank could get their MDs fired is unavoidable but for Intercontinental and Oceanic, it is quite disbelieving. If i were to rate banks in my candid and rather inexperienced statistics, I would put both Intercontinental, particularly Oceanic bank on the A list. It is indeed both painful and disappointing to know that Oceanic bank which was voted twice last year by three different institutions as Bank of the year is actually managing to stay afloat. This once again shows that what dazzles is not necessarily golden. This i believe is not limited only to the banks whose MDs are fallen, very soon more interesting and shocking revelations would unfold by the day if Sanusi keeps the torch burning and the flag flying. I hope he will not be daunted like his predecessor who saw the truth but rather allowed the camel swim. Although some people are beginning to chant a disapproval of the move taken by the gallant governor. They claim that he was being one-sided in his decision and action; that there are banks with more debts than the affected banks, yet they are untouched. This has always been the cry whenever the truth is being said in this country, even though the truth hangs against their rebuffs. Besides, Sanusi had promised us that eleven more are going under the knife soon. So that is a strong signal to the other banks who have no rhetoric in the ideal scheme of loaning their incredulous customers money. Anyway, I don't blame the 'big boys', it is generally the ways of business men. It is the duty of the bankers to cut their excesses. Imagine if you have a place you could always run to to salvage your bad business initiatives without any form of deed to bind your insatiable demand for pecuniary salvation to keep your wrecked business afloat even though it is not doing well in the market, wouldn't you rather do business with ease

Am i not rather surprised that Jimoh Ibrahim, the patriach of Transcorp and Global fleet is among the list of debtors. How about Aliko Dangote, the one time number one richest man in Africa, little did his admirers knew he was in debt than he was in riches. His brother Dantata who succeded in buying Chevron could have at least lent him some money (who knows if he too is not indebted to some banks) As for Otedola, I had a hunch A.P wasn't doing as well as it looked, (and to think that he just bought a new Airplane worth $500 million).

I do believe this is a clear instance of the problems of the elites brought to confront the fabric of the economy. Whenever a 'big boy' is doing bad in business, the banks are always there to salvage them from going under water and we ignorant observers do not know that our hard- earned money is being used to monetise the stupidity of some 'big boys' somewhere. It is indeed a dry land that needs to be watered so that the nourishmnent it deserved might once again flourish. And i believe that Sanusi is on the right path.

POTTY FINGERED SENATORS

I had promised myself that i will not be caught dead discussiing or reffering to the unresolved state of corruption in this country. however, much against my willed desire i am constrained to issue a slim statement after seeing a video of what our so called senators receive as their monthly take home salaries. It is an understatement to say that i was shocked, for indeed i almost suffered a cardiac arrest at the enormous figures mentioned as salaries of these blood sucking senators. Did you know that a senator of the federal republic of this country takes as much as these at the end of every month.

Basic salary: N2,484,242:42k (two million four hundred and eighty four thousand, two hundred and forty two naira forty two kobo).

Allowances

Wardrobe 25% of basic salary= N720,000

Recession, 10% " " = N248,000

Accomodation, 200% " " = N4.5 million

Utility 30% " " = N900,000

Domestic 75% " " = N1.2 million

Entertainment 30% " " = N900,000

P.A 25% " " = N750,000

Vehicle 75% " " = N1.2 million

Leave 10% " " = N248,000

Hardship 50% " " = N1.2 million

Furniture 300% " " = N7.2 million

Severance 300% " " = N7.2 million

Custom 250% " " = N6.2 million

all these added to the basic salary and of course some fringes and perks

Relieve them; they are yet to find…

Perhaps the Nigerian Society is yet to be delivered of a stock of youths that will reciprocate the available offers of its political institutions and incidents. Rather, only a wave of star eyed, explosive, randy, glitzy and funky youths litter and rock the floor of this inbred society. Except for some frustrated ones, in an outlandish manner, campaign their frustrations and noble background, with no exceptional output from the government. Yet the youths of this country are becoming more and more confused.

You may want to say that the teeming population of the Nigerian youths contributes largely to the corrupt practices that pervade the status quo. Do you blame them, When the only factor that could have presented them as responsible youths have been deprived them by the lack of good employment in the society. In the recent past, between the early 60s and close of the 80s, the desire to go to school was popular because there was the fine certainty of securing a fine future. Today a certain proportion of the Nigerian youths do not see the relevance of going to school. Even those who have the fixed idiosyncrasy are consciously engaged in academic malpractices. They merely dabble into. A stroll along the streets of the nation presents you with a chagrin maze of confused youths parading desultorily, smoking hashish with a configured head in expectation for a deux machine of opulence. Do you blame them, when those that preceded them have nothing to show for it but have become gladiators in the labour market, seeking a job that recedes in an apparition before them?

Nevertheless, some have been able to beat the need for education to survive. The progressive state of the music industry in the country has evolved a vibrant parvenu class of both professional and fledgling musicians all over the nation. They have opened a flood gate to address their socio-economic demands. This as well has projected Nigeria as possessing talented youths. Some of such images are Tuface, D-banj, 9ice, Durella, Timaya, P-square etc. the film industry has its impact on the youths as well. With the current pace at which Nollywood is going, it will rock the attention of the world and a craze by youngsters for the film industry as participants and schedulers is at an unprecedented spate.

What is more, the youths flagrant desires for the premiership and other European leagues show avidly that their hearts are no longer with the country. If they could have their ways, they would dump Nigeria for greener pastures. Their ways mimic in every way western values, properties and elements. You will agree that every Nigerian youth wants to become a model. Go to the higher institutions and you can bear me a witness. You will see clownish, repulsive looking ensembles that would remind you in quick flash cartoon and sometimes sardonic characters. Hence, the attention of youths is gradually being dragged away from more important issues such as political and leadership aspirations. Most seem less concerned about the frame work. They probably feel they lack the foundational strength to survive the harsh bureaucracy of political parties and subsequent party demands.

Jeffery Jackson’s description of the Nigerian youths; “a revolutionistic tendency in the future” might sound gloomy, offensive and grossly abrasive on the personality of the Nigerian youths, it however aptly defines the present nonchalant youths as a redefined and purposeful object of wind of change in the fabric of the distasteful apolitical system government the nation into what would then be known as the new Nigeria.

But today, the Nigerian youths are yet to display the propensity in taking part in the fleeting path of rediscovery for the nation, instead they find themselves more useful in criminal activities; where they indulge in credit card bunkering, telecom hacking, and internet fraud popularly known as Yahoo Yahoo boys, who incubate themselves financially on the internet.

A cursory survey carried out on youths and crime by the Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs in 2007 revealed that 70% of youths that are neither students nor graduates have an insignificant means of livelihood. In other words, they couldn’t identify a reasonable source of income. Their investigation showed that 45% claimed they do contract jobs such as marketing imported goods and other inanities, while the remaining 55% could not identify any form of job, yet they adorned themselves in very expensive clothes.

There is no doubt the government has not been fair to the country and especially its generation next. Perhaps they forget they are the future leaders of this country. Except that they have fractionalize the society into an inbreeding system of leadership, I do not conceive any other reason why they should forsake those they are meant to cater for. Like disowned children, the youths seemed to have been forgotten and discarded and they likewise are acting like one. The government has no plans for them and they have planned themselves wrongly. It is a mystified shame that the network that ought to be the most vociferous, stimulating and disciplined have become ensnared by wedlock of political anomalies. Remember the 1953 Cuban revolution, the Norwegian 1932 youth march and of course the popular Kenyan Mau Mau revolution. All these were foisted by a depressed and changes seeking youths.

Finally, I dare say that the Nigerian youths are yet to possess the much needed trait of leadership. Like the unresolved youth of Leonard Cohen’s Letter , the Nigerian youths have become rustic, complacent and impervious to the political absurdities of our fuehrer. Nevertheless, I believe that one day, like the words of Rev. Jackson, they will finally awaken from their slumber and hold tenaciously the reins of politics consciousness. The prayer is that; when they are ready to dawn a new Nigeria there would be enough left to salvage.

IT HAPPENED TO SOMEONE I KNOW CLOSELY.

I have often been perturbed by the lack of human feelings for the spiritual. Man was fused in the maze of the mind, body and spirit. interestingly we seem to be more attainable towards the former two. It is not irrational, delusional or psychologically demerit for one to be informed of the spiritual ambience and forces that revolve around our stately being. after so many confusions about the components inherent in the manufature of man, scholars have 'managed' to agree that afterall there is indeed an extention of the metaphysical in every man. Whether one has learnt its admission or relate to its generative flux, matters less for a man could either utilize his spiritual force or have it utilized for him by a fellow man who understands and could even manipulate it.

People witness several grotesque things every day and they bother not to to talk about it, for they fear they would be reserved for the senatorium. which brings me to tell this story which actually happened to a friend of mine.

I remember that very cold afternoon clearly. It had rained heavily and the weather was bitingly cold. I was in a recumbent position on my bed when he bolted into my room, sweating inspite of the freezing air about. I equally jumped at his entry, in readiness for an attack. Although my position presented a man in no state to encounter an onslaught cause I was more frightened than defensive in my posture. But when I realized it was just him and he was the cause for alarm, he was visibly shaking all over like someone who had seen a ghost. And really, he indeed had. I slid of the bed slowly watching him cautiously. I approached him the way a lion would attempt its prey, touched him. His body was surprisingly cold. I motioned him to sit down but refused, shaking his head in rejection to my gesture. I left him for a while, went into the kitchen to see if I could fix him a hot cup of tea. But before I could walk out of the room, he began talking, like a record that was remotely set off, I listened. I will be presenteing his story to you in the first person, with every detailed punctuations and references to his exact expressions

Retire not resign if you want

it is quite a story to tell about the mismatch between the country and the president that has been selected to serve it. it is indeed a wrong idea at the wrong time all together. i dare say that the only thing the country is being served with is nothingness from the whims and caprices of a jejuned mind.
when Obasanjo inserted Yaradua into the presidency, arguably did we compromise the decision perhaps because of the indiciplined method by which he got his mandate, however more to that the man is just imcopetent
In well over 2 years Mr. President (servant and savant leader) had been as redundant as his predecessor when he first took power. the difference is just that his predecessor soon assumed the post of the foreign minister while in his own case became a guinea pig under the scalpel of surgeons.
i find it perplexing when i realize the indebtedness of our leaders to failure. they are practically glued to their offices while they imitate a finely defined work of art in their offices doing nothing.
it goes against my grain at such fissure of incompetence. a popular artist once said if you can't don't do it.