Fashola has lost my vote

Until recently, I used to be one of the fanatical supporters of Fashola even though I have no real political leaning. One of the reasons why I supported him was beacause he went to the best university in the world, which I am a product of. Incidentally, I graduated one year earlier than him from the same faculty. He really has my sentiments. I also got to love him because of his creative approach to governance and the host of new things that he has introduced in the past two years. I have listened to him over this period and like all talented lawyers he has the gift of garb and listening to him is a great delight.

However, what I am seeing presently indicate that he is becoming a victim of his popularity and is now turning governance into an agent of oppression and affliction to the populace. His regime is beginning to remind me of the whizkid sensations of the finance house days who ultimately turned out to be frauds and dubious people. I think they are now being carried away by the accolades and using it to introduce new policies which are daily impoverishing the people. It now appears as if either our man is now a captive of his self serving political ilks, or someone thinks that we can all be taken for a ride.

With the coming of the rains, the deficiencies of this government is now becoming apparent. The traffic situation has suddenly reached an alarming state and absolutely nothing is being done about it. This is the same government that said recently that they make a monthly income of N14.5 billion and that they had beaten the global meltdown. It seems as if the whole thing is melting down into a few pockets. No one should attempt to claim that the traffic situation is caused by the failure of the federal roads. The truth is that the connecting state roads that should have served as alternatives are either inadequate or in terrible shape.

We have been made to pay immense price under this government supposedly for the better good of the general populace. Buildings have been demolished, shops and stalls destroyed, and people have been rendered homeless and without a source of livelihood and without adequate provisions made to resettle them. The truth is that we have never had it this bad when it comes to government making provision for the upliftment of the people. The burden of taxation on the people presently is most unbearable, and in spite of all these we are yet to see any real dividends. Rather this govenment has afflicted us today with a highly politicised and corrupt civil service made up of task masters and oppressors.

Recently, a local government chairman celebrated his 200 days in office by purchasing 7 jeeps, yet the major road that runs through the length of his local government area is worse than a death trap. One imagines what Fashola and his cohorts could have been able to achieve in their first two years of governance. A great opportunity for a bright young man to write his name in gold is gradually being frittered away. This is the shame of my generation; we are now taking governance to its most unfortunately corrupt height. Why can Lagos not generate its own power to ensure uninterrupted power supply? I would rather pay increased tarrif, than the amount of money that I pay to ensure that I enjoy power in my house and office. Lagos can afford better road network and more bridges to handle the worsening traffic situation. We can make the government schools to have better infrastructures and improve their management in order to secure the destiny of our next generation. Even though I commend the idea for beautification of Lagos, the execution of this beautiful dream has been appalling and maintenance in most locations is not existent. I think Fashola needs to drive around with less speed and on his own. He would be blind not to observe the shoddy work that was made of such a brilliant idea.

Everyday he appears to me like a man under captive and unable to do anything about it. Maybe I thought too much of him initially. Government has turned itself into a nuisance and a hinderance to the well being of the people. It portrays itself as though it has something against businesses and private developments. When they should relate with private citizens as partners in development, they act as if they are in competition and put together policies designed to frustrate them and kill the private sector. One would have thought that Fashola who came from the private sector would have done better. Have they ever imagined why each time politicians come into business they have not fared well?

Now, they have introduced what is called the Infractructure Development Tax, which is designed to kill the lower middle class and younger professional. It will hinder them from aspiring to develop their own properties and keep them at the mercy of those who loot government money to develop properties and rent them out at incredible rates. This is due to the ridiculously high amount that this tax demands from the people who want to develop their properties for commercial, educational and religious purposes. I know someone who wanted to develop a coldstore on a property which he had acquired for a while. He intended to spend about N10 million for the entire development, but received an assessment of about N17 million for this tax. For those who are able to make this payment, the final burden will ultimately be borne by the common man. Meanwhile, no one is doing anything to tax those who develop large mansions that are developed everyday in Lekki, Victoria Island and Ikoyi.

The bottomline is that we are presently seeing in Fashola, the head of a government that is totally insensitive to the plight of the people, and unless there is a change, he has lost my vote in the next election.

What is real?

What can one say is actually real in life? There are so many things that appeared larger than life just a while ago, and suddenly they do not seem to exist anymore. They just fade away as though they never existed, and the world just moves on as though nothing changed. I am talking about people, events and things that the whole world seemed to revolve around not too long ago.
Muhammad Ali, remember him? What about Sugar Ray Leonard, Pele, Michael Jackson and so many other things that our lives seemed to depend upon.
These days when I see people hold on to things as though their lives depend on it, I get amused. You have it today, and tomorrow, it's gone. This tells me that one day Man United, Chelsea and Barca will all fade away too. What then in life is real? They said Coke is the real thing. But these days I'm getting used to th idea that I can live without Coke. In my university days I practically lived on Coke because I just could not get myself to take tap water; and in those days we did not have pure water.
This means that one day we may never see pure water again, or even bottled water. Things that seems so real in life, suddenly disappear and no one even puts out an obituary on them. Since absolutely nothing has enough substance for us to call real, we must build our lives on the foundation of things or someone other than the things that impress us today. Someone that has been, that is, and that will forever be. You must build your life on someone that dwells in eternity if it has to be real.

Minority rights and all

I got into an issue when I attended the old students association meeting of my secondary school last saturday. The association is presently led by a group more recent and younger graduands of the school after my generation had failed in our previous attempt. Going by the success that these new guys have recorded I feel led to reaffirm my position that the younger generation of Nigerians are the most creative and intelligent generation ever in this country.
I consider them to have been very disadvantaged because their older counterparts have not left any real and proper example for them to build upon. We have an embarrasing electoral system, disgraceful performances in governance, a cash and carry educational system, corrupt judiciary and security agencies, terrible infractructures and a dysfunctional society. In spite of these, we have seen outstanding performances from them in sports, music and arts. Nollywood was recently rated higher than Hollywood in some demographics in the movie industry. For those crying about quality, I want to say that there present performance can be equated to bringing water out of stone in our unhealthy financial and business environment. The best part of this generation is their belief in the Nigerian spirit which is seen in their popular phrase Naija which is now of general application, and arouses within them a strong attachment and a sense of belonging to a Nigerian culture that is youth driven.

Now, back to the issue which occurred at the old students meeting. We were talking about starting an online newsletter which would give people the opportunity to advertise their businesses and I indicated that I would also use it for my church adverts. This was highly resisted by a number of people in attendance who were incensed by the idea that I would want to advertise my church activities. This level of hostility against the church has become the norm all over the place, and I think that it has become imperative for us to seek the protection of our rights as a minority right issue.

I have found out that there is a growing negative perception of the church by a generality of the populace. I consider these views to be highly misplaced because when these critics have personal crisis, it is the same church that they run for succour. Sometimes I wish we can repay them in their coins; but we are constrained by our calling to be forgiving.

Recently, the tabloids and the internet were invaded by all types of negative commentaries when one of the most respected pentecostal pastors in Nigeria took delivery of a private jet. Yet there was hardly any celebration when the same man was mentioned among the fifty most influential man in the world for 2008 by Newsweek magazine. i'm sure the influence for which he was recognised were for his positive contributions to society.

While we do admit that there are soem job seekers and bad eggs in our midst, the contribution of churches to Nigeria cannot be over emphasized. in a country where people cannot afford any medical service, they have to rely on their faith and prayer to deal with all kinds of ailments. Our counselling tables have helped in managing diverse forms of psychiatric and psychological conditions especially among those who cannot afford trained professionals. You cannot place a value to the effect of the spiritual activities of the churches to the well being of society, and the church remains the main platform for the teaching of proper values and character building.

With the failure of the family system and the lack of any social security system, churches embark on welfare programmes such as paying rents and school fees for stranded members, as well as providing a network for assisting people in job placements and growing businesses. A lot of churches now operate members' cooperatives as well as Micro Finance Banks for the financial empowerment of its members and the society. It is not true that these programmes are embarked purely for the purpose of church growth. Rather they are carried out as a result of a true desire to affect society and touch lives.

I honestly think that the general hostility to the church is inappropriate and uncharitable. It is true that we have been told to always turn the other cheek, but it should not be a justification for the level of violence against the church. That is why i think we need protection. We intend to institute this matter in the Highest Court in Heaven. In the matter of the protection of the minority right of the church between the church as the claimant and the rest of the world as defendant. We intend to retain Jesus Christ as our lead counsel, and the Honourable Judge will be God himself. I rest my case.

I'm a Night Person

Hello someone,

The night is the best period of my day. This is not just because when I'm working at night I hear the soft breath of my wife beside me which is quite pleasing to me. It's more because it is the best time to think and to reflect. You really do not need to be asleep to dream. if you spend enough time just being still at night you'll surely dream. The best part of these dreams are that they are controlled and you can decide what comes in and goes out, and you can determine where you want to go to.

The night is the best period of my days because that is when I build my world and take my decisions. Someone said that everything in life begins from a thought. That is why I always desperately wait for the night to come. You can beat me and overwhelm me when I am on motion and in the course of my work. But if you let me spend the night on the matter, it will be another matter by the next day. I think that is why the bible says, weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning. By the time I am through the issue in the night, I'll come out with something that will amaze even me.

You know, life in Lagos kills our nights,and that is why we have become less creative these days. The hold up keeps you on the streets until it is very late. You get home and there is no power most of the time. Your nights are forced to become restless and difficult. Who can think in that kind of environment? What is the point in thinking when you cannot put it down in writing? And the noises from the generators, and what they do to your brain. The dogs that bark ceaselessly, and the gunshots from those who contend with the night with me.

Who will help me rescue my nights?