Friday, August 24, 2012
Next Batch of Corrupt Officials
Corruption is a common name in most if not all households within this geographical contraction called Nigeria. It originated from the Latin word ‘Corruptus’ meaning to abuse or destroy. So literarily, engaging in corruption is synonymous to abuse of whatever one is corrupting or destroying. Undoubtedly, everyone has in one way or the other experienced corruption. To this end therefore, Corruption has defiled one single meaning; it means different thing to different people, in different location and in different perspectives, but all possessing a common core of negative connotation. For example, in Philosophical, Theological or Moral discourses, corruption relates to spiritual or moral impurity. In the domain of Economy, it relates to the payment for services or materials which the recipient is not due. Politically, it involves dishonest behaviour or conduct in position of trust. Hence, embezzlement, dishonesty, extortion, misappropriation, nepotism, tribalism, bribery, rigging etc. are quintessential manifestation of corruption.
Interestingly, these are the varied ways in which people involve in corrupt practices. It is not limited to any group or institution even though there is a preponderance of it in the political class particularly in Nigeria. For instance, when ordinary citizens, so to speak, lie when they give testimony in court, it is corruption; when a judge declares the guilty innocent and the innocent guilty, it is corruption; when a police officer fabricate evidence in order to favour a particular person in return for money, it is corruption; when a doctor puts his patient in jeopardy for whatever reason, it is corruption; when an academic plagiarises, it is corruption. Also when pastors and imams lie to their followers in order to get respect or favour, it is corruption; when a teacher or lecturer demands sexual gratification to pass a student or when monetary demands are made on student before they pass their exams, it is corruption. The lists are endless; we can go on and on. All these exemplified the wide and multifarious range of corruption around the world in general and Nigeria in particular.
Every state deserves honest public and private officials who are guided by the principles of integrity and patriotism. The growth and development of any nation rest squarely on all, but most especially on public and private office holders who above any other thing put the interest of the country first in their daily routine. Most (if not all) developed societies are as a result of collective responsibility engineered by honest and patriotic leadership. To a large extend therefore; the quality of leadership in a particular country determines the level of development of that state. They provide the much needed enabling environment and infrastructure. Needless to say therefore, that leadership is like a spur that propels a nation forward.
With no intent of enjoying calling anyone names, anyone in full possession of his faculties will not dispute the fact that Nigeria’s leaders are a bunch of corrupt officials who are nothing but a conglomeration of political mistake and misrepresentation. That the problem of this country stems from the problem of leadership, is not just an act of proclamation; it is a fact. And that if corruption and all or most corrupt practices are eliminated, the country will have its lost glory restored, is also not just an assumption. Whatever mess this country has fallen into emanated from the very fact that Nigeria was not and is still not fortunate to be manned by upright people who understand the social contract that binds them with the electorate. The leadership is a horrific monster that devours what belongs to all. The magnitude of the qualms is grandiose as nothing is going well in the country from electricity to pipe-borne water, to employment, to road, to transportation, to education, to health, just name it; everything is in a state of limbo. Everything has been incapacitated by them so they can decide on almost everything that goes around. These characters can not even get one thing to be running efficiently; what a shame! And these are people that are supposed to uphold the dreams and aspirations of the people. They are expected to act in consonant with the deepest yearnings of the people that bestowed them with their mandate. Attention should have been directed toward what the people really want. However, much to their credit is the grossly mismanaged country that is left to be standing on one leg with heavy loads. Of cause, this is as a result of the series of batches of corrupt officials that find their way to public offices and wasted our human and natural resources and they are still wasting. Alhaji (Dr) Yusuf Maitama Sule, Dan Masanin Kano explicitly captures the state of being in the Nigerian state when he asserts that ‘There is corruption in the system, frustration in the people and lack of creativity in the leadership who are suppose to exhibit honesty, integrity and tremendous sense of responsibility’.
One can not in all sincerity quantify the magnitude to which corruption has gripped the country. One requires a kind of revelation to discern the extend of corruption in Nigeria as introduced by the leadership and uphold by other public and private officials. No parastatal, ministry, company, industry (that’s if we have one), school and institution that is left out. Even market women and men are partners in progress. Churches and Mosque also share in it. The entire country is undermined and the problems keep piling-up with no easy solution in view. One can argue that whatever is given them the afflatus to engage in corruption is not unlikely to be symmetrically adjacent with greed, selfishness, and poor moral standards as well as zero consideration for others among other factors. It then baffles anyone with a sane mind to wonder why an innocent, rich and beautiful territory like Nigeria is hijacked by such strata of officials who are completely insensitive to the simplest yearnings of the general public. Indeed, this is a disgusting reality that lacks common sense.
The resultant effect of all these is that the country is jeopardized and left vulnerable to sustainable backwardness because the youths who are later going to ascend to those positions are corrupted by the leadership of today. Today, the average youth believes that he has to cheat in order to succeed. He believes that he has to bribe his way to the top. Integrity, diligence and patriotic zeal to the nation are not in the repertoire of what they believe. This implies that the emerging future leaders will end up constituting nothing but the next batch of corrupt public and private officials. The environment was highly subjected and is still being subjected to dishonest comportment, poor moral values and a primitive desire to amass more than enough for a very few. The youth are keenly watching and learning, this is why it is going to be like trekking from Lagos to Johannesburg to resist the craving temptation to act likewise. It hence becomes imperative that the future of the nation is secured by making concerted effort to properly guide the youth toward diligence, integrity and patriotism.
This country deserves leaders with good intention and patriotic enthusiasm; leaders who are driven by the desire to operate within the dictates of the rule of law and act for the interest of all. Otherwise, the country even in its ‘sorry status’ will continue to see nothing but more of setback. Our dare country can be liberated and taking to great height by her youth, but being at close proximity with corrupt leaders will make them acquire diabolical ideas that will corrupt their young souls to act dishonorably in office. For this reason our young up coming leaders should be allergic to any of such influences. They should look for good role-models with honest demeanours to help shape their thinking and actions. They should look else where (since the home front is corrupted) for inspiration and good leadership skills from leaders that will fumigate their minds with honest principles and patriotic zeal. I strongly believe that for the youth to be the kind of leaders Nigeria needs their mindsets require rehabilitation. What they think, how they think and what they believe are as important as Greece getting out of its financial crisis. Preparation toward a life of purpose and vision do not begin with what one has or can do, but with what one believes. A youth that believes in cheating will work with that mindset. A youth who believes he has to bribe his way to the top will operate within that frame work. Likewise, a youth who believes in commitment, integrity and diligence will live and conduct his affairs with that mentality. This is so because whatever one believes forms a kind of basic principle that guides the person’s conduct.
Time is more than ripe for the youth to get initiated into a life that will help them become great leaders of their followers. Every youth should have a good and positive opinion of him. One day in one way or the other the youth will have to take a decision that will either perpetuate the corruption culture or renounce it. Whichever the youth chooses will depend on what he believes. The youth are not only leaders of tomorrow, but of today because they lead their lives in the direction they want to follow. A youth who cannot lead himself right; cannot possibly lead others right. I believe we don’t require a seer to tell us that simply replacing the old leaders with new ones (as suggested by some people) will not amount to a necessary common sense action to get out of the unfortunate state because it is not about the old and the new; it is about the disposition of their mentality. If the new ones believe what the old ones believe and we merely substitute them, what have we done? It will mean that we just replace a lion with a hyena in a den of goats.
I raise my case.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Political Investment.
The term politics has a Greek origin, ‘politika’ meaning of citizens or relating to citizens. Largely the term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs. By virtue of this therefore, it is governmental affairs that necessitated the emergence and act of politics. Indeed what politics does is to facilitate the avenues through which intending public officers will obtain power in order to serve the state; in so doing it involves the people who are the major stakeholders in the democratic process into selecting candidates that will represent them in government. The people then become the only legal and genuine means through which candidates win election in a Democracy. By it self, Democracy is a system (meaning that it is not a haphazard or extemporaneous administrative methodology aimed at making a society free and fair. Rather, it is a well structured set of procedures that targets and focuses on attaining the wellbeing of the populace through conscious and concerted synergy. Everything within the set up is design and engineered to work by the people responsible) of managing human and material resources of a particular locale in the interest and benefit of all and ensures that majority of the people actively participate in decision making irrespective of their class, gender or religious inclination. This leads us into the fact that by theory (at least as far as Nigeria and other nations are concern) that Democracy is government of the people by the people and for the people. This Abraham Lincoln’s view of Democracy is yet to get a stand in our country because the mentality of our leaders from local to federal level is that as it is shown by George Orwell in his famous novel, Animal Farm in the speech of Snowball which declares that ‘all animals are equal but some are more equal than others.’ And therefore nullifies the free and fair and equal treatment of all within the system. Jose Belo Chipenda, General Secretary, All African Conference of Churches (AACC) said ‘Democracy is about a whole complex of rights and duties which citizens must exercise if a government is to be open, accountable and participatory.’ Indeed, free and fair and equal treatment of all is a right given by the constitution to all men and women.
At its inception, hopes were high to the level of crescendo that such social, economic and political qualms the country faced and still continues to face like poor electricity, unemployment, balance of payment disequilibrium, political apathy, water shortage and host of others will be ameliorated if not totally eradicated. However, things have gone worst today and we have the perpetuation of all these and the coming on board of others like the Boko-raham, Fuel Pump Price(FPP) aka fuel subsidy removal, outrageous fall of the education sector and increase depreciation in the standard of living. Today, more than 70% of Nigerians are set to live below $1 a day as reported by UN.
All these provide us with the notion that our democracy was not founded with people who believe in the tenets of democratic processes. Our leaders do not sincerely believe in it to serve as a platform for the articulation of diverse voices for the propagation of majority decisions in making and implementing policies. Rather, they believe in it to the extend that it will give them comparative advantage over others; they believe in it in so far as it will guarantee them certain social status, political power and economic stability for the victimization of their supposed foes. Their faith in democracy only rest on the believe that it will provide them with the avenue to enrich themselves with their kings and queens.
The resultant effect of all these is that the people are angry with the politicians and how they have succeeded in turning Democracy into something that only the rich enjoys. Indeed it may be factual to assert that Boko-raham is as a result of peoples’ agitation against the whole state of affairs in the country as induced by democratic governers. Every pain and suffering of the past has now tripled and so many jobless hands will join in unleashing terror to their mother land. Isn’t the right thing to do, but what do you called an idle mind? I only hope that things will not generate to what Thomas Hobbs describes as ‘a state of nature where life is brutish, nasty and short.’ The avoidance of this is the beginning of democratic intelligence that will lead the country to discover her glory.
In other democracies around the world, it is the people that decide who wins and who lose an election. Unfortunately, same thing can not be said of Nigeria. This role played by people in the political process has been replaced by money. The electorates no longer possess the power to bring a candidate to power, but money. This new status in a baby democracy like Nigeria’s is perilous and it threatens the fundamentals of the democratic processes.
It is with out doubt that politics of money has taken over Nigeria’s nascent democracy. Our political terrain has been turn to stock exchange. Credibility and integrity is no longer the requirement but money. It is large some of money that guarantees joining the political class as against credibility and integrity. Money is the name of the game; the true fuel that spurs the political system. Money is the motivation not service; money is the mobilizer and the aimed target. Remove the high financial benefit and the game is up for this political criminals.
The huge sum of money put into electioneering campaign by these dubious politicians is not directed towards honest desire to represent and work for the people, but towards return on investment. They see the money they put into the whole process as seed money. They connived to make politics a money making venture. Little wonder the country is still lacking behind in all areas of basic amenities.
Politics is now a class thing because the politicians have succeeded in monetizing it just like everything else in a capitalist state so much so that one is automatically excluded from it once he has little money or no money at all. Except of cause where one gets sponsored which does not easily come by.
It is a serious political tragedy brought about by the very people who are suppose to be the custodians of the country’s political system that politics have been subjected into the law of commodity exchange. You have little money or none at all; you are not in the scheme of things. The affairs of the state has now being turned to money whirling business enterprise by these politicians whose ulterior motive from inception was not to actually serve the state, but their concentric ambitions. Today Nigerian politics have been hijacked by self serving money bags who deprived Nigerians of decent living. They spray so much money on the political terrain to get to power and commit heinous crimes against the majority of the people.
In this regard I will like to talk about how The Independent National electoral commission (INEC) and the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) are partly responsible for this mess. INEC has outrageously place a heavy price tag on those seeking public office from local government councilor up to the president. Today, registration of candidates by INEC requires hundreds of thousands and millions of naira. With this kind of serious money being demanded from candidate they have their attention focused on how to retrieve their money plus interest once they get to office. They are not willing and ready to sacrifice so much in ‘vain’. A case that easily comes to mind is the Ngige and Chris Uba saggar. Chris Uba who is supposedly the sponsor of Ngige declares war on Ngige’s government because he feels that his monetary investments were being threaten. As long as huge monetary commitment is required by those who are willing to serve the people faithfully, the system will hardly be sanitize.
RMAFC on her part pours so much riches to political office holders even when majority of them are not contributing to nation building. Over 60% or so of the annual budget is allocated to public officers salaries. Politicians in Nigerian earn too much for doing too little or nothing, I mean they are over-paid for dosing up on duty. Without fear of contradiction, it is this substantial financial blessings that is causing this nightmare. Clearly, these characters operate by the principles of ‘cause and benefit analyses. With so much money to get including so much freedom to steal more and the inviting allowances here and there they do not mind spending anything to get to power. RMFC should as a matter of urgency have a downward review of the emoluments of public office holders. A lot of pressure and problems would have been done away with from the system. This will create the opportunity for honest people who are sincere in serving the people to come on-board. Or else we will continue to have the kind of corrupt and lazy money concern politicians who lack the initiative to do the simplest thing in office.
I believe you can remember the slogan, ‘bow and go’ in the senate during the ministerial nomination by David Mark. That is frankly annoying and it shows the level of indolence and lack of interest by the so called representatives to do what they are elected to do. They simply lack the questions to ask these ministerial nominees or what? Can you imagine this colossal national aberration! Compare this with how US senate drills their nominees. Hillary Clinton, former first lady and two times senator was nominated as foreign secretary of state, but you need to see how she was drill to the pops by the house as if they never knew her. Have the same situation in Nigeria and David Mark will declare immediately madam foreign secretary of state steps into the podium, ‘madam we know your records, you are one of us, we believe you will do your job well; so just take a ‘bow and go’.’ what a comedy! What an insult to the sensibility of our common intelligence! This should have being the opportunity to access her competence into her new responsibility. The responsibilities and duties of a senator certainly is not the same with that of a foreign secretary; it requires a completely different approach. Little wonder lots of square- pegs are always put in a round hole in this country.
Conclusively, there is need to divorce so much money from politics because having the two will always produce the twin brothers, corruption and poverty and our innocent country will be forced into perpetual impoverishment. The political immorality we see today is the product of their co-ordinated miscalculation and misappropriation! INEC and RMAFC should urgently redress their position on the state of things in the country’s polity so as not to continue to suffocate the arteries of true democratic order. Without doubt, the liberty given by Democracy is so as to benefit all and not some few people. The concept of freedom in a Democracy is such that an individual’s liberty ends where that of another begins. In other words, one’s right must be exercise in consideration of those of others. All these are geared toward the creation of ‘social good’ which is the product of co-ordinated intelligence. ‘Social good’ is in a way, the avoidance of misery to the accomplishment of happiness. And all human beings deserves happiness not some individuals. The foundation of Democracy in ancient Greek was to the accomplishment of this very fact. The Greek founded Democracy on the principles of patriotism, honesty, integrity, accountability and tremendous sense of responsibility. However, the Nigerian situation has taking another dimension contrary to what it is obtained from the founders. Alh. (Dr) Yusuf Maitama Sule, Dan Masanin Kano captured it thus: ‘The syndrome of everybody for himself and God for us all, the devil takes the hindermost has relegated our natural responsibility of being our brothers keepers.’ If anything needs to be done is NOW. I raise my case.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
9th to 16th January 2012.
I stand staring,
The serene scenery of the sunlight vicinity.
So quiet, so quiet as if sacrilege being otherwise.
Is all her inhabitants in exodus?
Oh! What a mournful Monday morning!
Everything stands still, stands still: water supply, electricity,
Filing stations, markets, hospitals, transportation e.t.c.
Lonely streets breadthless, fruitless.
All that moves stock and stoic.
A proviso induced by unpopular policy,
For the leadership is insensitive.
All heads across the states hit the ceiling roof.
These angry agitated minds fused and start,
Firing on all cylinders to eliminate outrageous decision.
Here and there placards took over the sickly streets.
Hungry horrific fagged faces already bellicose,
Protesting the leaders adding of insult to injury.
From 9th to 16th January, this country came to an acatalectic halt.
Zillion of income was lost; so they say.
But who cares when not used for the boon of all.
Afterall it was a free fraud seven days!
Until their demands made, no going back, no work.
But like a bolt from the blue,
The front heads compromised their integrity and jeopardized all efforts.
So the seven days of doom dawn; no fruition; people disappointed.
The serene scenery of the sunlight vicinity.
So quiet, so quiet as if sacrilege being otherwise.
Is all her inhabitants in exodus?
Oh! What a mournful Monday morning!
Everything stands still, stands still: water supply, electricity,
Filing stations, markets, hospitals, transportation e.t.c.
Lonely streets breadthless, fruitless.
All that moves stock and stoic.
A proviso induced by unpopular policy,
For the leadership is insensitive.
All heads across the states hit the ceiling roof.
These angry agitated minds fused and start,
Firing on all cylinders to eliminate outrageous decision.
Here and there placards took over the sickly streets.
Hungry horrific fagged faces already bellicose,
Protesting the leaders adding of insult to injury.
From 9th to 16th January, this country came to an acatalectic halt.
Zillion of income was lost; so they say.
But who cares when not used for the boon of all.
Afterall it was a free fraud seven days!
Until their demands made, no going back, no work.
But like a bolt from the blue,
The front heads compromised their integrity and jeopardized all efforts.
So the seven days of doom dawn; no fruition; people disappointed.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Within the Capitalist World
The pleasures of the rich,
Is bought by the tears of the poor.
The wealth of the burgeoius,
Is acquired from the labour of the proletariat.
It is a relationship,
An assymetrical relationship; one of hierarchical order.
It is a world of social stratification,
One is on top, the other beneath.
A world of complete absense of equillibrum.
The weak/poor are subdued,
the strong/rich, the subdurers.
Everything depends on ones social strata.
All depends on who gets what.
Who owns what; who controls what and when.
It is a game of ownership,
Those who possess valuables make all decision.
Outstanding comportment does not count;
Money in its heterogenous manifestation matters, rules and chooses.
The rule of the game; join the winning team or get crushed.
The one with perspiration all over lives hand to mouth.
He toiled day and night like ants,
But goes to bed stomach lacuna.
Except bones of flesh covering a frustrated soul and a bitter mind,
Nothing else for his dedicated labour.
Equally he is dispensable.
The Capitalist cares less,
But perpetuates in amassing more and more,
With little or no exhaustion.
He screams in joyous attainment.
He hightens the goodness of his luxury,
And contemplates on the amplitude of his abundance.
Is bought by the tears of the poor.
The wealth of the burgeoius,
Is acquired from the labour of the proletariat.
It is a relationship,
An assymetrical relationship; one of hierarchical order.
It is a world of social stratification,
One is on top, the other beneath.
A world of complete absense of equillibrum.
The weak/poor are subdued,
the strong/rich, the subdurers.
Everything depends on ones social strata.
All depends on who gets what.
Who owns what; who controls what and when.
It is a game of ownership,
Those who possess valuables make all decision.
Outstanding comportment does not count;
Money in its heterogenous manifestation matters, rules and chooses.
The rule of the game; join the winning team or get crushed.
The one with perspiration all over lives hand to mouth.
He toiled day and night like ants,
But goes to bed stomach lacuna.
Except bones of flesh covering a frustrated soul and a bitter mind,
Nothing else for his dedicated labour.
Equally he is dispensable.
The Capitalist cares less,
But perpetuates in amassing more and more,
With little or no exhaustion.
He screams in joyous attainment.
He hightens the goodness of his luxury,
And contemplates on the amplitude of his abundance.
Friday, July 29, 2011
My collection of Poems
NINETEEN SIXTY.
October nineteen sixty,
A new dawn emerged, deep in the heart of Africa,
History in the making,
As green white green flag substitute the red white blue one.
Bright smiles Balewa, Nnamdi and Awolowo
Proudly gazed at the no mean attainment.
Our pride, our home, our heritage
The treasure of their selflessness
The capital of the world’s natural resources
Endowed with honorable, happy, industrious inhabitants
From the courage and bravery of our survival,
In a hostile, humanless slave trade and colonialism,
Come a nation standing optimistically gallant,
Keenly nurtured now matured for earnest task.
Paisanos evince no perfidious deportment.
Instead wrap ourselves in the flag.
It’s Nigeria at 50,
Let’s put the flags out.
NOBODY MADE USELESS.
Every has something valuable,
To transport him to fame and fortune.
Nobody made useless.
Everybody is priceless.
Yesterday may be senseless,
Strive to start making sense.
Develop your character, your gift,
You are design a winner.
You are of essence.
No one can deny it or take it.
Put courage to emerge stronger.
Embrace wisdom to evolve better.
Show the gift don’t shot it.
Dress it, don’t dry it.
Water it, nurture it, cheritsh it to prominence.
Never waste it.
It is yours to shine not to shatter.
Stay calm, don’t be cruel
Stay studious don’t be sluggish
You never become something doing nothing.
He is my Shepherd.
Work up, time showed six.
Reflect on yesterday nothing in life is fix.
Before anything, God comes first.
Evening comes he makes me rest.
Days open and close, the lord my fortress.
Is a life of industry, am rewarded with progress.
Nothing distressing.
Am physically, mentally fit.
Its God’s graciousness,
Not my greatness.
My knees on the ground,
My head bow,
Tears poured,
I am humbled,
The devil crumbled,
My faith kindled.
God, my infinite gratitude,
From my baptized attitude.
FULLY NAKED.
As if to attest to a claim of wholeness,
She appeared naked, fully rounded,
Exposing the naturallity of her ecstasy,
Stealing the show in every vicinity.
Clothing her nakedness seems rather shameful
Instead, nude she freezed in the nucleus of the firmament,
Tempting all visible eyes,
Pouring with reckless abandonment,
Her acatalectic lack of decency with,
A vehement vigour of aggression.
Her glary nude display was as oppressive,
As she appeared to be abusive.
Plenty perspiration glide our burned skins.
Chilled litres of waters we consumed to regulate temperature,
As if it was an adventure,
Water outlets appreciate their venture.
Every experience served a clarion call.
Awakening the consciousness of global warning.
Halt smothering these trees, putting them on flame.
Decease emitting unnecessary carbon dioxide.
Perhaps tomorrow the sun will be half naked,
And all burned skins rejuvenated and restored.
SLEEPING GIANT.
Africa! Why these glaring grieve in your countenance,
Massacring the joy of hopes, the peace of trying,
Emaciating and making you pregnable.
You must have forgotten you are primus inter pares
Standing firm like a minaret, indispensable among pares,
With diligent, intelligent, collaborative populace,
Massive unfathomable deposit of coltant, diamond, gold and petroleum.
Africa! Why these sorrows every season,
You must have forgotten you are the cradle of human civilization,
With gigantic array of colourful cultures and traditions,
Exceptional exquisite exhibition of flora and fauna.
The land of the great Plotinus, Aquinas, Ken saro wiwa, Ahmed Ben bella, Dedan Kimathi and Mandela.
The home of priceless pyramids, terra cotta,
The habitat of congo basin forest, Killimanjaro, Sahara desert and Nile.
If they are the stars, you are the sky.
If they are the rain, you are the cloud.
You are the heavenly store house of world’s glory,
Let go of your grief.
Embrace peace and utilize your endowment
My esprit de corps to Africa
ONE NOT TWO OR THREE.
One not two or three
One god
One world
One love
We are one large family
One not two or three
One moon
One sun
One sky
One experience
We have reasons to live as one
One not two or three
One life
One heart
One choice
Which could be wise or otherwise
We all have choice.
YET ANOTHER QUEUE.
Hollow, transparent green white green boxes,
Once again standing on duty,
Patiently waiting to be bulge,
With judicious ballots.
Eligible electorates enroll en mass.
Wear the crown of patriotism perform civic chore.
Relinquish all barriers,
Let us tied as broom,
Wipe out debris,
Make this nascent democracy live.
It is time for sincere serious minds and ready hands.
Time to diligently pick and choose,
Those we give this rare mandate.
A seldom privilege, don’t ruin it.
Ours is not to stand and stare,
Ours is to steer and shape history.
Independent commission, folks of caliber and cando,
Bend over backward, focus on the assignment,
Play by the rules.
This Herculean task in your palms,
Bravely ignore intimidation to sell sincerity,
Corrupt candidates will try to kiss arse,
Hit the nail on the head,
And give to each as given,
No inflation or deflation.
EVERY DAY LIFE.
As the cock crows, a new dawn is born,
Gradually the world begins to lose its serenity.
As the sun appears as if to assert itself,
The world is fully awake.
Legs and hands busy to fulfill dreams.
The sun dies, the illuminating moon conquers the night,
Yet breathing hearts still working.
Heads never resting, sweat still dripping
Eyes stern on screen dreams of varied sorts.
Keen spirits delving hungrily to acquire more.
Polished minds seeking development, adding more value,
Asphexiating circle of ignorance, incompetence, mediocrity, and low productivity.
Self development is self progression, is society’s growth.
Is standing shoulders high above the common crowd.
People come and go,
But our purpose is to leave better what we met.
SIMPLY PERFECT.
A purge sleek complexion,
Came in my direction,
Looks was a perfection
Ours eyes made connection.
Has a life that light my life up
A heart so pure, peaceful, a bright smile and radiant face,
This is astonishing beauty beaming!
The moon is bright, the sun is brighter, but you are the brightest.
I adore you!
No animus to spoil you,
I knew I want you
The first minute I saw you,
Lucky to have a lady as royal!
The things you show me,
The way you hold me,
Certainly mold me.
I promise you, forever your man.
No lying, in love with you bad!
Cos you are something I never had,
Something don’t want to lose.
Something I have to have,
A kind of love that last forever.
Feelings we share don’t need no correction.
Together, no one can cause love abduction,
I be your angel, you be my angel!
Our world full of joy and protection.
ONE MUST DIE FOR THE OTHER TO DINE.
Each survives at the expense of the other.
Life scotched in one to start in another,
One must go for the other to come.
Two contraries, separate locations.
The exist of one is the existence of another
Either dove or dog breathless.
One day, comes a time to decide,
Who to keep, who to kick,
The deacons or the demons,
Jesus or Judas, peace or pain,
One must die for the other to dine.
Which we choose can make or mar us.
One day, some way we are faced with such decision.
SHE IS MALARIA.
She is malaria.
It does not matter the area,
She does not consider class, gender or size,
She can fire anywhere at anybody.
Titchy blood sucker,
Encroacher of peaceful privacy,
Scrawny, hideous night disturber,
Of demonic demeanors.
She flies with a screech of brutality announcing her intrusion,
Other times quietly creep and subjugate her victims,
With a fatal bite of surplus injuries.
She is never done; she flies with her oppressive siren.
When at night her preys are taking quiescent,
She is up and devouring,
Her dawn is come,
Hungrily ramsacking for the warm blood,
Of her bloody survival.
Turning the night nightmare is her speciality.
Never underestimate her size,
She sends to comma, sometimes dead preys thousand times her size.
Where she lands, she bites, she inject and sucks, it itches,
Prey scratches, malaria, yellow fever, filariasis, dengue unleashed.
Mosquito is malaria.
October nineteen sixty,
A new dawn emerged, deep in the heart of Africa,
History in the making,
As green white green flag substitute the red white blue one.
Bright smiles Balewa, Nnamdi and Awolowo
Proudly gazed at the no mean attainment.
Our pride, our home, our heritage
The treasure of their selflessness
The capital of the world’s natural resources
Endowed with honorable, happy, industrious inhabitants
From the courage and bravery of our survival,
In a hostile, humanless slave trade and colonialism,
Come a nation standing optimistically gallant,
Keenly nurtured now matured for earnest task.
Paisanos evince no perfidious deportment.
Instead wrap ourselves in the flag.
It’s Nigeria at 50,
Let’s put the flags out.
NOBODY MADE USELESS.
Every has something valuable,
To transport him to fame and fortune.
Nobody made useless.
Everybody is priceless.
Yesterday may be senseless,
Strive to start making sense.
Develop your character, your gift,
You are design a winner.
You are of essence.
No one can deny it or take it.
Put courage to emerge stronger.
Embrace wisdom to evolve better.
Show the gift don’t shot it.
Dress it, don’t dry it.
Water it, nurture it, cheritsh it to prominence.
Never waste it.
It is yours to shine not to shatter.
Stay calm, don’t be cruel
Stay studious don’t be sluggish
You never become something doing nothing.
He is my Shepherd.
Work up, time showed six.
Reflect on yesterday nothing in life is fix.
Before anything, God comes first.
Evening comes he makes me rest.
Days open and close, the lord my fortress.
Is a life of industry, am rewarded with progress.
Nothing distressing.
Am physically, mentally fit.
Its God’s graciousness,
Not my greatness.
My knees on the ground,
My head bow,
Tears poured,
I am humbled,
The devil crumbled,
My faith kindled.
God, my infinite gratitude,
From my baptized attitude.
FULLY NAKED.
As if to attest to a claim of wholeness,
She appeared naked, fully rounded,
Exposing the naturallity of her ecstasy,
Stealing the show in every vicinity.
Clothing her nakedness seems rather shameful
Instead, nude she freezed in the nucleus of the firmament,
Tempting all visible eyes,
Pouring with reckless abandonment,
Her acatalectic lack of decency with,
A vehement vigour of aggression.
Her glary nude display was as oppressive,
As she appeared to be abusive.
Plenty perspiration glide our burned skins.
Chilled litres of waters we consumed to regulate temperature,
As if it was an adventure,
Water outlets appreciate their venture.
Every experience served a clarion call.
Awakening the consciousness of global warning.
Halt smothering these trees, putting them on flame.
Decease emitting unnecessary carbon dioxide.
Perhaps tomorrow the sun will be half naked,
And all burned skins rejuvenated and restored.
SLEEPING GIANT.
Africa! Why these glaring grieve in your countenance,
Massacring the joy of hopes, the peace of trying,
Emaciating and making you pregnable.
You must have forgotten you are primus inter pares
Standing firm like a minaret, indispensable among pares,
With diligent, intelligent, collaborative populace,
Massive unfathomable deposit of coltant, diamond, gold and petroleum.
Africa! Why these sorrows every season,
You must have forgotten you are the cradle of human civilization,
With gigantic array of colourful cultures and traditions,
Exceptional exquisite exhibition of flora and fauna.
The land of the great Plotinus, Aquinas, Ken saro wiwa, Ahmed Ben bella, Dedan Kimathi and Mandela.
The home of priceless pyramids, terra cotta,
The habitat of congo basin forest, Killimanjaro, Sahara desert and Nile.
If they are the stars, you are the sky.
If they are the rain, you are the cloud.
You are the heavenly store house of world’s glory,
Let go of your grief.
Embrace peace and utilize your endowment
My esprit de corps to Africa
ONE NOT TWO OR THREE.
One not two or three
One god
One world
One love
We are one large family
One not two or three
One moon
One sun
One sky
One experience
We have reasons to live as one
One not two or three
One life
One heart
One choice
Which could be wise or otherwise
We all have choice.
YET ANOTHER QUEUE.
Hollow, transparent green white green boxes,
Once again standing on duty,
Patiently waiting to be bulge,
With judicious ballots.
Eligible electorates enroll en mass.
Wear the crown of patriotism perform civic chore.
Relinquish all barriers,
Let us tied as broom,
Wipe out debris,
Make this nascent democracy live.
It is time for sincere serious minds and ready hands.
Time to diligently pick and choose,
Those we give this rare mandate.
A seldom privilege, don’t ruin it.
Ours is not to stand and stare,
Ours is to steer and shape history.
Independent commission, folks of caliber and cando,
Bend over backward, focus on the assignment,
Play by the rules.
This Herculean task in your palms,
Bravely ignore intimidation to sell sincerity,
Corrupt candidates will try to kiss arse,
Hit the nail on the head,
And give to each as given,
No inflation or deflation.
EVERY DAY LIFE.
As the cock crows, a new dawn is born,
Gradually the world begins to lose its serenity.
As the sun appears as if to assert itself,
The world is fully awake.
Legs and hands busy to fulfill dreams.
The sun dies, the illuminating moon conquers the night,
Yet breathing hearts still working.
Heads never resting, sweat still dripping
Eyes stern on screen dreams of varied sorts.
Keen spirits delving hungrily to acquire more.
Polished minds seeking development, adding more value,
Asphexiating circle of ignorance, incompetence, mediocrity, and low productivity.
Self development is self progression, is society’s growth.
Is standing shoulders high above the common crowd.
People come and go,
But our purpose is to leave better what we met.
SIMPLY PERFECT.
A purge sleek complexion,
Came in my direction,
Looks was a perfection
Ours eyes made connection.
Has a life that light my life up
A heart so pure, peaceful, a bright smile and radiant face,
This is astonishing beauty beaming!
The moon is bright, the sun is brighter, but you are the brightest.
I adore you!
No animus to spoil you,
I knew I want you
The first minute I saw you,
Lucky to have a lady as royal!
The things you show me,
The way you hold me,
Certainly mold me.
I promise you, forever your man.
No lying, in love with you bad!
Cos you are something I never had,
Something don’t want to lose.
Something I have to have,
A kind of love that last forever.
Feelings we share don’t need no correction.
Together, no one can cause love abduction,
I be your angel, you be my angel!
Our world full of joy and protection.
ONE MUST DIE FOR THE OTHER TO DINE.
Each survives at the expense of the other.
Life scotched in one to start in another,
One must go for the other to come.
Two contraries, separate locations.
The exist of one is the existence of another
Either dove or dog breathless.
One day, comes a time to decide,
Who to keep, who to kick,
The deacons or the demons,
Jesus or Judas, peace or pain,
One must die for the other to dine.
Which we choose can make or mar us.
One day, some way we are faced with such decision.
SHE IS MALARIA.
She is malaria.
It does not matter the area,
She does not consider class, gender or size,
She can fire anywhere at anybody.
Titchy blood sucker,
Encroacher of peaceful privacy,
Scrawny, hideous night disturber,
Of demonic demeanors.
She flies with a screech of brutality announcing her intrusion,
Other times quietly creep and subjugate her victims,
With a fatal bite of surplus injuries.
She is never done; she flies with her oppressive siren.
When at night her preys are taking quiescent,
She is up and devouring,
Her dawn is come,
Hungrily ramsacking for the warm blood,
Of her bloody survival.
Turning the night nightmare is her speciality.
Never underestimate her size,
She sends to comma, sometimes dead preys thousand times her size.
Where she lands, she bites, she inject and sucks, it itches,
Prey scratches, malaria, yellow fever, filariasis, dengue unleashed.
Mosquito is malaria.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
ON THE RELEVANCE OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE
It is a truism that language is one of the features that distinguishes human beings from animals. Language incontrovertibly relates to human activities and existence. It plays a significant function in aiding people to consummate their goals and aspirations. It therefore means that language is not just a mere pieces of words logically ordered to make comprehensible sound, it is a vehicle or an instrument that directs, informs, instructs, expresses, demonstrates and describes human thoughts, feelings, ideas, desires, and beliefs. Human beings cannot dispense with language.
Even though all languages are the same from linguistic perspectives, some languages like English are of greater importance and significance because of the rich and varied utility it has to people of different race and culture across the globe.
Wikipedia has it that “English language is one of the several West Germanic languages, a group of related languages that constitute a branch of the Indo-European languages such as French, Portuguese and German. It originated from numerous dialects now collectively termed old English during the Angle Saxon era in the 5th century. ” This global language grew from a humble beginning to its present status of prestige in the universe. Columbia Encyclopedia says, “English is widely dispersed all over the world as a result of British exploration, colonialism and the growth of its empires from 17th through to the 19th century. It is also bolstered by the political, economic and military might of Britain and America. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia states that “English is the most widely spoken language in the world with an approximate population of 1.5 billion speakers and the mother tongue of above 350 million people”. Not even the Manderin Chinese can be at par with the global prevalence of the English language. This is because Chinese is less spoken outside the Chinese territory where as English is ubiquitous around the world as it transcends regional barriers, racial distinction, ethnic and social boundaries.
English studies as an academic discipline navigates through the territory of literature (whose eyes focuses on the society as its primary object of scrutiny) and linguistics, the scientific study of language which combines within its corpus of study, syntax, phonology, morphology, Semantics, pragmatics, stylistic, to mention but a few. It does not stop there it traverses honourably and responsibly into other fields and takes what it finds relevant to its domain and agglutinate them to its property. This basic fact stems from the verity that no field of study can successfully operate in isolation; the effectiveness of every discourse is in relation to other discourses. There is some sort of interdependence or mutual correspondence between them. It is this verisimilitude of the symbiotic relation existing among these various fields that bring about their dependence on language especially English language. This is because English language helps them communicate their essence and relevance. It is the instrument that ensures their sustainability and makes it possible for them to achieve maximum effect in their effort to be of significance within the scheme of things. The moment science makes new discovery it quickly runs to English language for comprehensive description, explanation and naming-without which it will be a useless object of valueless manifestation. Indeed that’s the language the historian, the philosopher, the psychologist, the mathematician, the biologists, the politician, the doctor utilises the more. This is factual because the preponderance of English language in the universe makes it the most utilized language of all academic activities without racial and geographic barrier.
In this contraption called Nigeria, the foundation of the educational system has been built around English language, so much so that today English is tantamount to literacy. Virtually all academic activities are conducted in English language from the pedagogy to the pedagogical paraphernalia. Be it in the sciences or the Arts. English language is the channel, the medium and the means of instruction and students are expected to write their assignments, tests and examinations in it except where they are dealing with another language as subject. Failure to do so will result to serious penalty. The required pass mark comes from using English to say the answer and whether the answer is right or wrong depends on how English is used to say the answer. Success in Education means success in English language as far as Nigeria is concern.
There is no institution public or private such as government ministries and parastatals, banks, companies, military and paramilitary organizations, N.G.O’s that do not require the services of a linguist. This is because of the serious implications of using language in formal documents, correspondences and transactions. Others may be able to speak the language fluently, but they cannot analyze it. It is the linguist who detects such fundamental errors and fashions out a carefully written and detailed language with clarity. At any given time, a true English student can confidently and properly speak or write to audience home or abroad with the accuracy and intelligibility of academic excellence. He/she is an abode or repository of creativity, hard work, discipline and good work.
Students of English hence have a lot of opportunities to explore after their studies apart from the noble and enriching occupation of teaching and journalism. They can even choose to be translators, authors, public speakers, speech writers to presidents, governors, ministers and members of house of assembly both Federal and State. And of course, they could become presidents, governors, ministers, Legislators and chief executive officers, CEO’s of companies or enterprises. For example, the Commonwealth and Caine Prize award winner Helon Habila read English. One time, Plateau State House of Assembly, Hon. Isa Chungwom Song read English. Also Mr. Manok James read English and is now the Director of Press Affairs Government House Jos. Mrs. Ramnap Joyce Lohya read English and is a member Plateau House of Assembly and a Deputy Chief Whip.
At the end of the four years rigorous study, the English student comes out as a full baked graduate of international delivery having gone through the intense study of the language, to the mathematical operations of syntax and morphology, to the philosophical discourses of literary criticism/theories and semantics, to the psychology of psycholinguistics, to the sociology of socio-linguistics and to the history of literature. The graduates’ purview is not for the indolent, uncreative, unimaginative and indiscipline student. He/she is an embodiment of true academic excellence.
Conclusively, English language as an academic field or discipline engages its students to wide range of intellectual probing inquiries that shapes, develops and transmits them as ambassadors of not only the field, but of the institution and society they emanate from. Contrary to wide held believe among other students especially those in the sciences that students of English do nothing serious and at the end of the day have no substantial contribution to the general development of the society is a grandiose fallacy that is expose from the reservoir of ignorance of such students. As had been shown above, students of English are everything that the modern society needs from the university graduates.
Even though all languages are the same from linguistic perspectives, some languages like English are of greater importance and significance because of the rich and varied utility it has to people of different race and culture across the globe.
Wikipedia has it that “English language is one of the several West Germanic languages, a group of related languages that constitute a branch of the Indo-European languages such as French, Portuguese and German. It originated from numerous dialects now collectively termed old English during the Angle Saxon era in the 5th century. ” This global language grew from a humble beginning to its present status of prestige in the universe. Columbia Encyclopedia says, “English is widely dispersed all over the world as a result of British exploration, colonialism and the growth of its empires from 17th through to the 19th century. It is also bolstered by the political, economic and military might of Britain and America. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia states that “English is the most widely spoken language in the world with an approximate population of 1.5 billion speakers and the mother tongue of above 350 million people”. Not even the Manderin Chinese can be at par with the global prevalence of the English language. This is because Chinese is less spoken outside the Chinese territory where as English is ubiquitous around the world as it transcends regional barriers, racial distinction, ethnic and social boundaries.
English studies as an academic discipline navigates through the territory of literature (whose eyes focuses on the society as its primary object of scrutiny) and linguistics, the scientific study of language which combines within its corpus of study, syntax, phonology, morphology, Semantics, pragmatics, stylistic, to mention but a few. It does not stop there it traverses honourably and responsibly into other fields and takes what it finds relevant to its domain and agglutinate them to its property. This basic fact stems from the verity that no field of study can successfully operate in isolation; the effectiveness of every discourse is in relation to other discourses. There is some sort of interdependence or mutual correspondence between them. It is this verisimilitude of the symbiotic relation existing among these various fields that bring about their dependence on language especially English language. This is because English language helps them communicate their essence and relevance. It is the instrument that ensures their sustainability and makes it possible for them to achieve maximum effect in their effort to be of significance within the scheme of things. The moment science makes new discovery it quickly runs to English language for comprehensive description, explanation and naming-without which it will be a useless object of valueless manifestation. Indeed that’s the language the historian, the philosopher, the psychologist, the mathematician, the biologists, the politician, the doctor utilises the more. This is factual because the preponderance of English language in the universe makes it the most utilized language of all academic activities without racial and geographic barrier.
In this contraption called Nigeria, the foundation of the educational system has been built around English language, so much so that today English is tantamount to literacy. Virtually all academic activities are conducted in English language from the pedagogy to the pedagogical paraphernalia. Be it in the sciences or the Arts. English language is the channel, the medium and the means of instruction and students are expected to write their assignments, tests and examinations in it except where they are dealing with another language as subject. Failure to do so will result to serious penalty. The required pass mark comes from using English to say the answer and whether the answer is right or wrong depends on how English is used to say the answer. Success in Education means success in English language as far as Nigeria is concern.
There is no institution public or private such as government ministries and parastatals, banks, companies, military and paramilitary organizations, N.G.O’s that do not require the services of a linguist. This is because of the serious implications of using language in formal documents, correspondences and transactions. Others may be able to speak the language fluently, but they cannot analyze it. It is the linguist who detects such fundamental errors and fashions out a carefully written and detailed language with clarity. At any given time, a true English student can confidently and properly speak or write to audience home or abroad with the accuracy and intelligibility of academic excellence. He/she is an abode or repository of creativity, hard work, discipline and good work.
Students of English hence have a lot of opportunities to explore after their studies apart from the noble and enriching occupation of teaching and journalism. They can even choose to be translators, authors, public speakers, speech writers to presidents, governors, ministers and members of house of assembly both Federal and State. And of course, they could become presidents, governors, ministers, Legislators and chief executive officers, CEO’s of companies or enterprises. For example, the Commonwealth and Caine Prize award winner Helon Habila read English. One time, Plateau State House of Assembly, Hon. Isa Chungwom Song read English. Also Mr. Manok James read English and is now the Director of Press Affairs Government House Jos. Mrs. Ramnap Joyce Lohya read English and is a member Plateau House of Assembly and a Deputy Chief Whip.
At the end of the four years rigorous study, the English student comes out as a full baked graduate of international delivery having gone through the intense study of the language, to the mathematical operations of syntax and morphology, to the philosophical discourses of literary criticism/theories and semantics, to the psychology of psycholinguistics, to the sociology of socio-linguistics and to the history of literature. The graduates’ purview is not for the indolent, uncreative, unimaginative and indiscipline student. He/she is an embodiment of true academic excellence.
Conclusively, English language as an academic field or discipline engages its students to wide range of intellectual probing inquiries that shapes, develops and transmits them as ambassadors of not only the field, but of the institution and society they emanate from. Contrary to wide held believe among other students especially those in the sciences that students of English do nothing serious and at the end of the day have no substantial contribution to the general development of the society is a grandiose fallacy that is expose from the reservoir of ignorance of such students. As had been shown above, students of English are everything that the modern society needs from the university graduates.
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