On dying

Photo credit: halekenergypartners.com

One of the poems I swear by “desiderata” has this line “nurture strength of spirit to guide you in sudden misfortune”.Events of the 3^rd   of June and the past week has reminded me of the brevity of life. In addition, nothing truly prepares prepares one for bad news. I have thought and pondered on the purpose of life; why we bother getting educated and getting jobs when we would all die; why terrible things happen just when a situation is turning around; how one makes plans for tomorrow that never comes. I have wondered why A dies two weeks before he is to graduate; B passes a month before she is to get married; C dies after all the struggles and investments his parents have made in his life. I have thought about the man struggling to survive, who is a hit by a car and is gone; the guy that stole N1705 and has been sentenced to death, the domestic help that falls ill and is sent “back home to die”. I wonder how Nigerians live with the weekly murders of Nigerians in the North and how we as a people are no longer shocked when we hear that so and so number of people were murdered.I imagine the quality of life an area boy, a driver, a maid and how these people pass through life and may never enjoy the good life.

I have come to the conclusion that life is not living not selfishly because death just comes like the snap of your fingers.I have learned that life is for service. My mind  keeps going back to Eccleciastes 9: 5,6 and 10. I am challenged by verse 10 that says “Whatever your hands finds to do, do it with all your might, for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the place of the dead where you are going”.

I imagine that if we (both rulers and the ruled) realize that we are all going six feet under, our country may not be in the state it is in. It is unfortunate that people live and die without a thought for others.  I am not going to run a commentary on all that is wrong with this country but I want to leave each one of us with this thought; what can I do to make the life of another better? 

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Forget Not

Thanks to the #FaroukLawan scandal,Nigerians are moving on from the news of the Dana crash. Just thought to share a link on why we should not forget the Dana crash. http://esosays.blogspot.com/2012/06/tears-are-two-penny.html Cheers

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Tosin, Chris and Charles

Good morning, my name is Tosin Anibaba from FATE foundation. I'm calling to invite you to our program on on 29th of March. There has been concern among our alumni on what 2012 holds with fuel subsidy issues, Boko Haram and the economic crisis. We have invited Dr Doyin Salami to come and talk to us on the economy and what we can do. It is in lekki. N10,000'.

'Debo check, check, people are paying poo'.

Tosin's voice was lyrical. As she made call after call to people and I'd say in my mind keep talking. Tosin, words can't describe your loss.I knew you from afar and your loss rankles.I can only imagine how those close to you feel! For them: I pray for the grace to bear your abscence. For the grace to look at your empty seat at work realizing you're never coming back  and be comforted that you are in safe in His arms.Your memories, your smiles, your joys and laughter will  always be rememebered and when we remember we would thank God for the gift of Tosin.Hmm Chris Okocha and Charles Ntuko, what can I say? You were ever ready to help with the mentees. It is really sad that you left not because it was your time but because of human negligence. Your memories will always be remembered.Fare thee well Chris Okocha, Tosin Anibaba and Charles Ntuko.

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Growth, Fire and Intra African Trade

Growth

Growth, growth, and more growth has been a theme of this blog. Studies show that Africa has one of the highest growth rates but this has not translated into higher and better standards of living for her people. There is this belief in Nigeria that if Nigeria’s electricity problem can be addressed such that the country has constant and regular electricity, then our economic problems would be solved. I was also a believer in that gospel but my experience in the last few weeks has taught me to disbelieve this common sense logic. Why? I currently reside in a country contiguous to Nigeria. The electricity and water supply is par none. Electricity has not mistakenly “tripped”; infact I have taken power supply for granted.

But I digress, despite the availability of light and water, this African nation is far from being developed. There are a few theories I can spew on why this is so. Caveat (this is not empirically backed- it is just my opinion).

1)     Other African countries are laid back and lack the Nigerian sense of hurry and urgency.

2)     This lack of urgency shows in their cultural values of accepting whatever they get from the State. There is no desire for a better life.

However, there is no counterfactual (yet) to prove that Nigeria and Nigerians would translate regular power supply into business opportunities that would multiply and lead to economic growth

Fire

There was a fire incident in my room. The gas I bought was faulty and when I tried to use it, it went up in flames. Reminiscing on the incident makes me laugh but at that time it was not funny. Thankfully all I lost was the gas and the only evidence of the fire is the soot that covered my wall. However when the fire began and I called for help, flat mates came out and we all started to pour water and sand which didn’t help.  2 porters and 3 other men (5 men in total) also joined. We were told (my flat mates and I) to step back and let them handle it.  They could not. We got a fire extinguisher that was empty and one of my flat mates suggested what to do to stop the fire but the men refused to listen to her saying she was a woman so…. (fill in the gap). After an hour, the men left and said the gas would burn out itself. Another began to smoke. Interestingly, residents on the lower floor saw the fire and smoke and just went about their business.  To cut the drama short, Julia Okey - the Shero of this story, who was ignored by the men- put out the fire. The whole fire incident made me think about the Aesop fable of the Donkey and the Horse. I found the whole, I- am- not- landlord-I don’t- care- attitude appalling. More appalling is that my neighbors on the second floor did not care about their own safety! Nonchalance is an attitude that needs to be addressed. It may be a reason why we are still where we are. Julia Okey, thank you.

Intra African Trade

Reports show that South Africa is facing restrictions on importing oil from Iran thanks to US sanctions on Iran. Errmmm what is Nigeria doing, I think this is the time to step in and steal Iran’s thunder.  Yes, Nigeria doesn’t refine the oil (check are there refineries in SA) but crude can be sold to SA for them to refine. At the risk of sounding ethnocentrist, why should SA be investing in Iran when her brother and many brothers would soon join (Angola, Ghana, Zambia) are producing oil?

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