The Lion's Game by Nelson Demille

Genre: Fiction, 850 pages

Nelson DeMille is a writer whom I've just recently discovered, but believe me when I say I wonder where he's been all my life!! The man is that good. I'm almost ashamed to say this is the first book of his that I'm reading, because he's so good and has been writing for so long that I feel I should've known about him long before now. I read The Lion's Game and I couldn't put it down till the last page, it's totally one of those kind of books-unputdownable!

A Terrorist

As a young boy, Asad Khalil witnessed his mother and sisters killed by a bomb dropped on his family house during the American air raid on Libya in 1986. On the day the bombs dropped and he became an orphan sworn to jihad, he was sixteen and had just had sex with a Muslim girl for the first time. Young Khalil is convinced that this is Allah's instant punishment on him for defiling himself. However he makes it his life's goal to find and kill every one of the U.S flight team that dropped the bomb that killed his family. 


He becomes one of the world's deadliest terrorist and is nicknamed "The Lion". 


A Detective

John Corey is a divorced, former NYPD Homicide detective now working as a contract agent for an anti-terrorist unit. 

The Game

 "Wanted - Asad Khalil, Libyan, age approximately 30, height six feet, speaks English, Arabic, some French, Italian and German. Armed and dangerous."

The book opens with a team of FBI and NYPD detectives waiting to take Asad Khalil into custody at the airport. But what happens alerts them to the fact that they are dealing with someone who is extremely intelligent, resourceful and has had years to gather necessary intelligence and plan every detail of his entrance into the U.S. The plane bringing in Khalil comes in hijacked, with everyone on board dead for hours by poisonous gas inhalation and Khalil escapes right under their noses disguised as one of the emergency response team that entered the aircraft to assess the situation.

Thus begins a deadly mind game that takes John Corey and his team on an intense journey filled with gruesome murders and Asad Khalil outsmarting them at every turn.

Rating: 3.5stars

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man by Steve Harvey

Genre: Motivational, 232 pages

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man is Steve Harvey's first book. It was published in March 2009 and was such a hit that it got a movie made out of it three years later. I read the book early in 2012, (believe it or not, my fiancee bought  it for me to read, great of him yeah?) and it is easily one of my favorite books because it is clearly written with so much honesty and the intent to really help people in their relationships.
Trust me, it is a wonderful book for finding your way in a relationship even when you think you've got it covered, because let's face it, we all need guidance sometimes.

While this kind of book might not appeal  to everyone, i think it's got more than a few things that everyone will agree on because really, there're so many bad relationships out there with genuine men and women struggling to find and keep the right person, while some are really just in the field to play and score as many as they can.

Some Chapters in the book; 

Chapter 1 - The Mind-Set of a Man

1 - What Drives Men
2 - Our Love isn't Like Your Love
3 - The Three Things Every Man Needs: Support, Loyalty and the Cookie
4 - "We Need to Talk," and Other Words That Men Run for Cover

Excerpt 

 

What Drives Men

There is no truer statement: men are simple. Get this into your head first, and everything you learn about us in this book will begin to fall into place. Once you get that down you'll have to understand a few essential truths: men are driven by who they are, what they do, and how much they make. No matter if a man is CEO, CON, or both, everything he does is filtered through his title (who he is), how he gets that title (what he does), and the reward he gets for the effort (how much he makes). These three things make up the basic DNA of manhood-the three accomplishments every man must achieve before he feels like he's truly fulfilled his destiny as a man. And until he's achieved his goal in those three areas, the man you're dating, committed to or married to  will be too busy to focus on you.


Ladies, it is a great book for a relationship guide, do yourself a favor and get it. Guys, there are a few tips to understanding women as well, so if you're of that special class of men (big grin) who know that no knowledge is useless, you'd read this Steve Harvey's book too.

Peace and love...

Americanah by Chimamanda N. Adichie

Genre: fiction, 490 pages

 

 The book follows the life of Ifemelu, who is an only child to somewhat lower class but educated parents. Her father works in the ministry and constantly sounds off his knowledge with big words in his analysis of the declining state of the country's politics. He is a proud man whose firm belief against corruption results in him getting sacked from his job for refusing to call his new boss "Mummy".
His wife is a religious woman who wants the best for her family however her good intentions sometimes lead her in questionable directions as is seen when she comes home one day when Ifemelu is still a young girl, sober and trance-like, proceeds to chop off her long and beautiful hair and declares she has found God and they are now members of a church where they do not chemically process their hair or wear jewelry.

Surviving America and Racism
Ifemelu gets into university and during one of the many union strikes, she applies to universities in America and is thrilled when she gets offers and a partial scholarship. Getting a visa was easy and off she goes to live with her aunt, Uju, who had relocated years ago after her married military lover dies in a plane crash. On getting to Brooklyn, she is disillusioned. by what she sees; overwhelming heat, dirty streets and the fact that everything wasn't shiny, bright and glossy as she had seen in Bill Cosby's show.

Amidst finding a way to survive with no job and little or no money, she has to cope with the strains of university life and racism which she had never had to deal with in Nigeria. Obinze gradually gets pushed to the back of her mind as she struggles to keep afloat in a foreign land.
Enter Curt, a white boy from a wealthy home who introduces her to a bourgeois lifestyle. But in the first class trips abroad, expensive clothes, overall contentment of a new comfortable life, there remains a yearn for the love she's left behind in Nigeria.

A Love Story
Ultimately a love story of two people who fall in love and are separated. 13years later, Obinze who is now a wealthy man and has since moved to Lagos, is married to beautiful Kosi and has a child. Ifemelu, finds she is dissatisfied with her life and despite her success has decided to return home.
Will they reunite and have a life together as they always planned or has the turns of life wedged them apart forever?

 
Although the book deals with a few of Nigeria's heavy issues like an unstable educational system and corruption, its prose, writing style and tone are cleverly done lightly as to not overwhelm the plot.

Americanah is Adichie's third novel and with it she reminds us she is a truly gifted writer.

Captured by Erica Stevens

Genre: Adult Fiction, eBook, 470 pages

The only daughter of a man who is head of a clan in the woods is taken from her home during a raid by vampires. Her identity is unknown to the vampires and she gets locked up in a cage with other humans from her land. while awaiting to be auctioned off, she ponders her fate and hopes hers will be a quick killing at the hand of whoever buys her and not that of a blood slave. She would rather face death than be one of those.

One by one they are picked up and taken to a stage where they are bid for by blood thirsty vampires. when it gets to her turn, she is bought by a old man but they are halted in getting off the stage by a man who she later learns is the first son of the ruler of the vampires. From the way her new owner bows and hands her over quickly to him at his request, she guesses he is someone important. the old man is paid his money back and her new buyer leads her away. Out of the chatter of the maids whom he had come to clean her up, she learns his name is Braith and is the first son of the ruler of the vampires.
Washed and dressed in the most luxurious clothes she has ever worn, she is taken before the prince. Although he is tall, terribly attractive with a commanding presence and a fearsome wolf by his side always, she feels nothing but hate for the man who she is sure wants to keep her as a blood slave. A meal like nothing she has ever seen is brought in and in she can't help but think that the platter with its meat and fruits and vegetables would have fed all the humans that were in the cave with her earlier. Days and weeks pass and she soon grows restless with her new life of being locked up, with regular meals sent up and maids to bathe her and change her clothes.

Wandering around the palace one day, she stumbles upon the prince's library and he offers to teach her to read when she admits she can only do so limitedly. she grows confused about Braith's intentions as he treats her with kindness, and has never demanded anything of her. This was a far cry from the cruelty she had expected to meet. She often found herself yearning for his company on the days when he did not show up at her dinner time as was now usual. Not so surprisingly, she discovers she has an affection for Braith, and she chalks this up to the fact he has been nothing but kind to her and her only companion so far.

Braith finds himself struggling with a passion so strong for Arianna, he cannot understand why she affects him the way she does. She does not fall into the type of women he usually went for; curvy and elegant. Arianna was boyish and slim but the more he spent time with her, the more he found her irresistible and sensual. His longing for her was growing stronger by the day and he dreaded the day when he would have to have her killed as they do with blood slaves who had outlived their usefulness. Right now he couldn't even bring himself to feed from her without her consent. He wanted her to be willing and give herself to him freely.the strength of his feelings for her staggered him and he knew he would protect her from his people no matter what it took.

A shocker arises when Braith's long gone brother; Jericho, who was sent to spy on a human camp in the forest shows up. she recognizes him as Jack who was a trusted friend of her father's and the camp's back in their land. he reveals to her and Braith that he successfully infiltrated their camp but had gotten too involved and was sent by father to rescue her and take her back home. Arianna escapes with him after he convinces her that Braith has a fiance and could not possibly have any future with her, a human. heartbroken and angry, she escapes with him.




I love vampire stories and this had me going from the first chapter. Very well told story, and I really hope the author writes a sequel soon enough.

Pencil Drawings

Hallo, lets play a bit.
Below are some drawings found on the internet. Next to each drawing, I've put the first word that comes to mind when I see it. Please write yours in the comment section, you can use a number for each pic and the word it evokes next to it e.g 1, scary. 2, love, etc

Thank you...

'Expressive' 

'Prey'

'Warrior'

'Dark'

'Happy'

'Dance'

'Detail'

'Real'

'Sad'

'Sensual'

'Bond'

'Comfort'

'Alive'

and finally,

'Lol......'

Do write yours below. Don't over think it, just write the first thing that comes to mind. :)

Top African Literary Prizes

Doing a little research on literary works from Africa, I came across many great writers and works that are simply genius! Indeed, our culture of storytelling and history keeping has metamorphosed from gathering by the moonlight for stories, sing-along songs and storied historical moments into what today can be simply described as art. Art that has commanded attention internationally and is marking Africa as a literary giant.

I find that African Literature resonates with a passion and quiet strength that is both entertaining and evocatively spell binding.

Thus, I thought I'd dedicate a post to a few of the bodies and organizations that have helped to recognize, support and encourage literary talent from Africa. In alphabetical order, the top prizes for African literature are:


The Caine Prize for African Writing

First awarded in 2000, the prize is open to writers from anywhere in Africa and for work published in English. It has received at one time, entries from 20 countries. It is awarded to a short story written by an African either in Africa or abroad.
The idea of the Caine prize was brought to life by friends and colleagues of late Sir Michael Caine, who was working on the idea of such a prize before he passed on.

Prize
The cash prize is £10,000.

Patrons
Patrons for this prize include; African winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature - Wole Soyinka, Nadine Gordimer and J M Coetzee. Also, Chinua Achebe, winner of the Man Booker International Prize and Ben Okri, Nigerian Winner of the Booker Prize.

Past Winners
2012 - Rotimi Babatunde (Nigeria) 'Bombay's Republic' from 'Mirabilia Review' Vol. 3,Lagos 2011.
2011 - NoViolet Bulawayo (Zimbabwe) 'Hitting Budapest' from 'The Boston Review' Vol 35/6 Dec 2010
2010 - Olufemi Terry (Sierra Leone) 'Stickfighting Days' from 'Chimurenga' vol 12/13.


Noma Award for Publishing in Africa

One of the Noma Prizes series, within four years of its establishment, it became the major book award in Africa. Established by Shoichi Noma who died in 1984, it was awarded annually to any new book published in the Juvenile, Literature or Scholarly category. Books in any language of Africa could be entered for the prize. It ran from 1980 - 2009 when the Noma family ceased their sponsorship.


Prize
The cash prize was $10,000.

Past Winners
2009 - 'Lawless and Other Stories' by Sefi Atta
2008 - 'Beginnings of a Dream' by Zachariah Rapola
2007 - 'Strife' by Shimmer Chinodya


Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa

Founded by The Lumina Foundation, it was first awarded in 2005 to Nobel Laureate in Literature, Wole Soyinka. The pan-African prize is awarded every two years to works of any genre or type, written in English or French and which have not won any other awards.

Prize
The cash prize is $20,000.

Past Winners
2012 - 'Young Blood' by Sisifo Mzobe
2010 - 'I Do Not Come To You By Chance' by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani
         - 'Coconut' by Kopano Matlwa
         - 'Tenants of The House' by Wale Okediran
2008 - 'Zarah The Windseeker' by Nnedi Okorafor

News From Home by Sefi Atta

Genre: Fiction; Interlink books: 320 pages.

Excerpt

 

"A Temporary Position"

One afternoon like so, I thought sod it, I will eat my roast beef on rye sandwich at my workstation for a change. Cath was off sick. She'd coughed so hard the day before her eyes filled with tears and her face turned red. "I'm coming down with something," she'd kept whispering into her handkerchief. To me, it sounded like a smoker's cough.
I smuggled my sandwich bag into my satchel and positioned my satchel on the carpet between my legs where I could easily reach for it. Somehow, my sandwich, now illicit, was much tastier. Perhaps that was the secret to Lagos life after all: the general unlawfulness of the place. I'd barely taken two nibbles from the corner of my rye bread when Steve McQueen came along. I sat up and buzzed him through the door. He smiled and really, for an Irish lad, his teeth were almost African.
"Have you seen Penny?" he asked
She was clip-clopping in the direction of the loos when last I saw her. Steve waited as I chewed under my palm. I'd lowered my sandwich as soon as I saw him. Now, I was diving and feeling around for my satchel so I could slip the sandwich back inside, at the same time rubbing my lips in case there was a trace of horseradish.
Penelope reappeared. Her natural expression was a stare because she wore contact lenses. I imagined her taking a crap, as you're supposed to in interview situations to calm your nerves.
"Ready?" she asked him.
"I was just asking about you," he said.
He opened the door for her and she flung her hair over each shoulder, as if to declare, "He's my fiance. I'm his fiance."

Review

 

News From Home is a collection of stories told by various Nigerian voices. Told with so much heart and originality, the various stories are vividly imaginative and powerfully moving.

"Lawless" is a story told by a young orphan, a university undergraduate who finds his life changed for ever during a military rule that closes down his university. He takes in four of his close friends from school who share a passion for acting and script writing with him. In the wake of frequent electricity failures, they perform plays for a gathering of neighbors in the empty swimming pool of his late father's house to applause from the crowd. This soon sizzles out to boos and jeers when a lack of living amenities, tiredness and poor feeding soon result in their poor renditions of plays.
Eventually, they quit play acting and give up going back to school when their university reopens, for they had gotten a taste of a different kind of acting; as armed robbers and decided that this was indeed their true calling as a group.

This is a book I highly recommend to lovers of African literature.

A Bit Of Difference by Sefi Atta

 Genre: Fiction, Interlink Books; 224 pages.

 EXCERPT

Deola finds it odd that Nigerians go to funerals as if they are social occasions that anyone can gate-crash - they just show up, look sad and leave. She has been to three funerals, all three in Nigeria. The first was her grandfather's. Her mother had to pin her head tie in place. She was that young. The second was for a governor of her secondary school, Queen's College. Her headmistress asked for class representatives and she put her hand up. The funeral was at Ikoyi Cemetery and she attended it in her Sunday uniform and beret. It was terribly hot and people arrived by the busload. The third was her father's funeral at Victoria Court Cemetery and his was just as crowded. Her relatives forced her to dance at the reception following his funeral, but she didn't think that at sixty-seven, he was old enough for her to celebrate his life.

The story is narrated by a Nigerian expatriate lady (Deola) living in London whose job sends her on a trip to Nigeria and gives her a chance to be home for her father's 5-year memorial. She is all too aware of the impending nosiness and questions from  relatives about her unmarried status,being that she is in her late thirties and getting past the 'due' age for marriage. Upon her arrival, she is instantly faced with the vivid difference between the rowdy and complex life in Nigeria and civil, orderly life in London.

Amidst preparations for the memorial, in catching up with her married siblings she senses their despair and unhappiness with their marriages.

There is a sort of happy ending with Deola when her one night stand with rich, charismatic, hotel owner, Wale, leads to a pregnancy and an unexpected romance with the preparations for a marriage.

The book is centered on life amongst the middle class of Nigeria and reveals a few of its hidden, family dynamics. The author's sharp, witty writing and the various rich and sometimes neurotic psychologies and personalities in the novel leaves one turning the pages.

I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend this book.

I Do Not Come To You By Chance by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani

Genre: Fiction - paperback. 339 pages; 2011. 

In an earlier post 2013 Reads, I put up a few books I would like to read this year. A couple of them are by a Nigerian author because I want to get to know more indigenous authors and their works.

While having lunch at Terra Kulture sometime ago with the hubs, we went over to the mini bookshop there and, lo and behold, they had mostly Nigerian authors. Yay !!
We ended up buying one by Nwaubani and a couple others by Sefi Atta (please find their review after this post).

I Do Not Come To You By Chance; A riveting story

A young man (Kingsley Ibe) has just graduated from university and has big dreams for himself to get a great job, rescue his family from poverty and get married to his university sweetheart. However, the realities of life and the very present difficulties of a corrupt nation, soon divests him of his lofty dreams. His girlfriend leaves him for a rich, older uneducated man at the same time his father collapses and his poor mother can not raise the finance to get him the treatment he needs. Kingsley finds himself going more and more to his uncle who finally recruits him into his line of internet fraud work, much to his mother's dismay.

The main characters in this book are very strong and original. However, the character I found most outstanding is Big Daddy; Kingsley's illiterate but extremely wealthy uncle. Big Daddy is a hilarious, rags-to-riches persona who eventually becomes a Gubernatorial aspirant. He provides a lot of comic relief throughout the story via his street smarts, wit, uncouth nature and use of biblical passages to assuage his indiscretions. 

This is one book I thoroughly enjoyed, from the impressive story telling by the author to the characterization, which is very much in keeping with Nigeria's socio-cultural dynamics. I'm quite sure every Nigerian who reads this book will find that there is one of each character in their home.

Hola people !

Hey guys, how have you all been?

I'm sorry I've been away for so long. It's been two full months since my last post (so shameful, i know). However I've not been away on holiday or anything lucky like that,  I've been quite sick and even had a few hospitalizations but I'm better now, thank God.

These past two months have made me realize how easy it is to take things for granted and how much of that I actually do. One good thing though is, I can say I have gained a new appreciation for the little things in life.

This isn't a long post, just to try to explain the long absence and touch base with y'all. So, I hope this lasts and we get to see more posts.

Cheers to good health and success to you all in all that you do !!!

A new pope and the conclave...

The Catholic church has a new spiritual leader and successor to Apostle Peter. White smoke was seen pouring out of the chimney late yesterday evening, and shortly after, the newly elected pope stood on the balcony to bless the people gathered in St. Peter's square (some since the day before) and all over the world.

Pope Francis I

Up until a few years ago, I used to be a Roman Catholic. I was baptized, receiving holy communion and going for confessions every once in a while.Why I changed faiths is a blog for another day. :-) However although I'm no longer a Roman Catholic, Rome still interests me as I'm sure it does the rest of the world that was tuned in to the Habemus Papam (We Have a Pope) last night.
With the claims of deteriorating health and resignation of the previous pope (Pope Benedict XVI), the suspense and processes following the election of a new pope, a few questions popped up in my head, and I thought I should make a blog of it.

1. How do the cardinals that go into the conclave get selected?
2. What happens in the conclave?
3. After conclave?
4. Black smoke, White smoke.
5. Can the elected man reject the Papacy seat?
6. What is the See of Peter?
   
7. Why does the Pope only wear white?

HOW DO THE CARDINALS TO GO INTO CONCLAVE GET SELECTED?

All cardinals have a right to vote in the conclave, they must be duly appointed, have use of reason and must be present in person. The cardinals take an oath to preserve the various constitution which govern the conclave and to not assist any secular power which may try to influence the election.They also swear that if elected they will faithfully carry out the Petrine Office, and protect the spiritual and temporal rights of the Holy See.
Each cardinal has the right to take into the conclave, a secretary and a servant. In case of illness, a third conclavist may be allowed, with the agreement of the general congregation. They are all also sworn to secrecy and to not hinder the election.
All true cardinals may enter the conclave but only those who have received deacon's orders have a right to vote unless they have received a special indult from the late/preceeding pope. Cardinals who have been preconized, but not yet elevated to the purple, are entitled by a decision of St. Pius V (1571) both to be present and to vote.

WHAT HAPPENS IN THE CONCLAVE?

On this first day of the Conclave, only one ballot is permitted. On the other days of the Conclave, two ballots are permitted in the morning session and two are permitted in the afternoon session. 

There are three phases to the election process. They are:
1) Pre-Scrutiny
        The ballots are prepared and distributed.
2) Scrutiny
        The ballots are collected and counted.

        Sitting at a table in front of the altar, the 1st Scrutineer silently reads the name on a ballot, passes it to   

        the 2nd Scrutineer who does likewise, and then passes it to the 3rd Scrutineer, who reads the name 

        aloud and then writes it down. Each Elector also writes it down on a sheet provided for this purpose. 

        The ballot is then pierced with a needle through the word eligo (I elect) and placed on a thread for 

        security.

        When all ballots have been read the ends of the thread are tied in a knot and the ballots are placed in  
        a receptacle on one end of the table. 

 3) Post-Scrutiny
       The ballots are counted, checked and burned.
    
In the case of difficulty electing, understood as three days of voting without an election, voting is to be suspending for up to, but not exceeding, one full day, to allow prayer and discussion. Voting is then resumed for seven ballots. Such suspensions followed by seven ballots may as necessary until a pope is elected. 

No Election

If less than two-thirds of the votes have been cast for the same person, or less than the majority required by the special provisions for a deadlocked conclave, an election has not occurred. If it was the first ballot of the session the Electors proceed to vote again. After the second ballot the ballots of both sessions are burned, whether an election occurs or not. 

Election

If two-thirds of the votes have been cast for the same person, or the majority required by the special provisions for a deadlocked conclave, an election has occurred. The Scrutineers, with the assistance of the Secretary of the Conclave and the Masters of Ceremony, who are re-admitted to the Conclave at this point, proceed to burn the ballots.

AFTER CONCLAVE? 

Acceptance

After the junior Cardinal Deacon has re-admitted the Secretary of the College and the Master of Papal Liturgical Ceremonies, the Cardinal Dean, or, the Cardinal who is first in order and seniority, goes to the one elected and asks, 

Do you accept your canonical election as Supreme Pontiff? 

By giving consent, the one elected, provided he holds the episcopal order,  immediately becomes the Bishop of Rome and Supreme Pontiff. If the one elected is not present, he would have to be summoned. If not a bishop he would have to be ordained one before proceeding.
The Cardinal Dean then asks, 
 
By what name do you wish to be called? 


The Master of Papal Liturgical Ceremonies, with the witness of the two Masters of Ceremonies (who are now summoned), draw up a document certifying the consent of the one elected and the name he has chosen.
Following certain formalities prescribed in the ritual for the Conclave, each Cardinal comes forward in turn and makes an act of homage and obedience to the new Pope. An act of thanksgiving is then made by all present. 

Announcement by the Proto-Deacon
Following the vesting of the Pope the senior Cardinal Deacon announces the new Pope from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica to those gathered in the Square and listening or watching throughout the world.

BLACK SMOKE, WHITE SMOKE.

The black smoke that signifies the non-election of a pope is made by adding cartridges containing potassium perchlorate, anthracene (a component of coal tar), and sulfur to the burned ballots.

While the white smoke signaling a pope has been elected is produced by potassium chlorate, lactose and chloroform resin.

CAN THE ELECTED MAN REJECT THE PAPACY?
The elected cardinal has the right to refuse the election. These three conditions must be met for the man to be declared the new Pontiff

• He has to have episcopal character(he must be ordained a bishop). If he isn't already ordained a Bishop, he is ordained immediately.
• He must be lawfully elected
• He has to accept the election

When all three conditions are met, the man elected by the cardinals becomes the new Pope. Unless he accepts, he can never become the Pope.

WHAT IS THE SEE OF PETER/HOLY SEE?
The See of Peter is another name for the papacy, the popes sitting in the seat of St. Peter whom was conferred primacy in the Church according to the Roman Catholic interpretation of St. Matthew 16 : 18-19.
The Vacancy of the Holy See is the period between the death or resignation of a pope and the election of  a successor. It is formally referred to as the "The Vacancy of The Apostolic See" (Papal Interregnum). This period is governed by Papal Law and admits no changes to the Church governance or to the spiritual/material patrimony of St. Peter except his successor.

WHY DOES THE POPE WEAR WHITE?
Popes prior to Pope Pius V (1504-1572) wore red, but he chose to wear his white Dominican habit and the tradition is still being followed till today.



Sources
Wikipedia
Catholic Television Network, EWTN

The First Grader

Yesterday I was a bit ill and couldn't make work so I watched movies, ate and rested all day. Very lazy and boring but I enjoyed it. :-) We all need one of those kind of days, don't you think?
One of the movies which I  watched and was so inspired by is the film; 'The First Grader'. I had seen the trailer when it premiered in 2010 and told myself I'd go see it but somehow I didn't and when it came on Mseries yesterday, I said to myself, this is going to make my day! And it did. It is a truly inspiring story.

Synopsis
 A 84yr old military veteran in a remote Kenyan village decides to go to school for the first time. Free education has just been newly granted by the government and Maruge (Oliver Litondo) has decided that he must be get an education. So he went to the village school and got turned down by the head teacher Jane (Naomie Harris) the first time saying the primary school is for children only.

Maruge cut his trousers into shorts and  went again the next day, demanding to be accepted, as the government said the free education was for all. Teacher Jane reluctantly agrees and tries to sit him at the back of the class but he claims his sight isn't good and he won't learn anything seated that far from the board. So, Maruge gets to sit in front of the class and learning the alphabets begins, to his excitement.

Anger and resentment is stirred in the villagers however at Maruge's acceptance into the school and the publicity it garners. After he and teacher Jane are interviewed and had his picture taken by reporters and journalists, the villagers storm the school demanding their cut from the money the reporters paid to them, as they believe he is doing it for the fame and money.
"He will use up all the resources meant for our children"
"What does he want an education for"
"He is doing it for fame"
...and so on they said, but old man Maruge kept his vision in sight, his chin up and trudged on everyday to the village primary school with his walking stick. He believes that an education is the only way to let go of the past and its burdens.

As the news gets reported all over the country, Maruge is sent away from the school and made to go an adult school but he finds that the people there are not there to learn and he returns to the village school. In a bid to keep Maruge in school, teacher Jane makes him her teaching assistant, and decides to teach him to read after school. This results in her getting threatening phone calls and even her husband has to come back home to try to talk sense into her about letting the old man leave the school. He is also receiving calls saying his wife is unfaithful. She however refuses to listen and she gets transferred to another school.

This sends Maruge on a journey to the state capital, Nairobi where he demands to see the chairman of the Education Ministry and he barges in upon the board in a meeting. Maruge then makes a heart moving plea to them a return his teacher and shows them his back where his flesh was scarred from the beatings while imprisoned by the British colonials.

A shocking recount of the torture and inhuman treatment he suffered at the hands of the hands of the British colonials 50 years prior is recounted throughout the movie.
Teacher Jane is returned to the school and in a touching scene, Maruge and the students rush out of their classes to welcome her.
At the end of the film, the radio presenter announces that Maruge is in the Guinness Book of Records for being the oldest person to go to primary school and he will be going to the United States of America where he speak at United Nations on the importance of education.

Maruge's Quotes

"The power is in the pen".

"Education is key".

"I shall learn till my ears are sore"

 Movie Trailer

Based on an inspiring true story, the movie is directed by Justin Chadwick, (The Other Boleyn Girl).

Reviews

"Inspirational...One is never too old to learn" - Kofi Annan

"A great movie, brilliantly done. Fantastic. Run, do not walk, and go see this." -  Whoopi Goldberg

Coming Home - Chapter 2

...Agreeing to attend the party had been a bad idea and while she had been caught up in the excitement of doing something different and exciting, a feeling that something wasn't right had remained at the back of her mind.


When her friend, Omoh whom she hadn't seen since their graduation from university five years ago had showed up at her house last week looking well groomed and uber sophisticated, she had no idea that she was the target of a well planned kidnap.

That she had escaped it tonight was the work of God Almighty.


She let her thoughts go back to the entire visit and wondered if she had missed anything that could've alerted her. She had bought Omoh's story hook, line, sinker of how she got her new address and phone number from another schoolmate who was on Facebook and decided to surprise her instead of calling. Omoh had told her she had been in the UK since after Youth Service and only just came back to look for a job as the company where she worked in the UK had gotten into trouble for tax evasion and got shut down.

While Omoh hadn't exactly been the brightest bulb on the tree back in university, she had made up for her lack of book smarts by being street savvy and quick thinking. She had all the inside scoop on which lecturer was dating which student, which party was the hottest to attend, which lecturer would accept bribe and so on, she was what the parents would refer to as "risqué" but to Helen who was coming from a quiet and subdued however very wealthy background, she found her exciting and Omoh was a loyal friend who stood up for her and made everyone on the campus take notice of the two of them. They had made a strange pair back in the day, one short, light skinned, slim and pretty, from a wealthy home, first class material, no boyfriend, never attended parties, the other, dark skinned, tall and chubby with boys always hanging around, attended all the best parties, and from a poor background. They always attracted stares and Omoh always enjoyed it. She loved the attention they got and several times, Helen found herself wondering if this was why Omoh had singled her out to be best friends with, considering that there were lots of other girls who were more suited to her all over the campus.


They had chatted for hours and had had a good time catching up on life, men, job and families and the pressure to get married. It was definitely good to see Omoh again, she had always been very entertaining and gave a good gist. She had asked her to stay a couple of days while she got her self together and maybe she could see if they were hiring at her dad's company where she worked. Being the Chairman's daughter and a director, she knew she could get her a job if she wanted to but she also knew her father gave the go-ahead on new staff, and she wasn't sure if Omoh would fit the bill. Their company thrived on hiring only the best and smartest young people. Most of their staff were first class graduates from leading universities, it was a thing her father had and it had helped position their company as one of the leading technology software developers in the country.


That was how Omoh had moved in with her and one week later, invited her to go this event with her, saying she needed to have more fun in her life and she would never meet anyone if all she did was go to work, come back home and go to work the next day. Helen had agreed because frankly she was bored with her life and was quite glad Omoh had appeared to spice things up for her.
So they had gone shopping for what she would wear, being that Omoh had looked through her wardrobe and declared everything unfit for the calibre of the party they were attending. With Omoh three dress sizes bigger than herself, there was no option of borrowing anything from her so they had gone to do some damage after she got off work on Tuesday and Omoh had dragged her through more than a dozen shops in the mall and selected really great outfits for her. She had enjoyed it even though her ATM card was groaning at the end of it all because in typical Omoh style, she had joked and made friends with the boutique managers and shop assistants, got them good discounts and generally made the entire trip a fun one.


The evening of the party, she had got home early from work and wanted to get some rest before they left. Walking into The room that was now Omoh's, the door was slightly open and she could hear her on the phone, "No, we're coming together, I have to bring her else, she will probably not come. Don't worry Aziz, I have my end under control.."
Helen pushed the door open and entered the room, on seeing her, Omoh removed the phone from her ear and ended the call. " Hez! I didn't hear you drive in, how was work? You're back early, is everything ok?".
"You shouldn't end your call on my account, I just wanted to let you know I'm back, I think I should rest for a few hours before we go. Who's Aziz and what're you telling him is under control?" Helen replied with a puzzled look on her face.
"Oh that, never mind, it's a friend that'll be at the party, i'd told him about you, he wants to meet you and he was just confirming that. Plus, he was asking if I'm settling in ok"
"Hmmmm so you already have someone in mind for me, this girl, why didn't you tell me? Helen said laughing. "Well, I didn't want to spoil the meet by getting you anxious and besides, Its better if he's the one anxious and you have no idea whats going on, you know? That way it's more natural."
"Ok, madam matchmaker. I'm off to lie down for a bit, wake me up if I oversleep ok?"
"Of course Hez,"

At 9pm, four hours later, they were dressed and in Helen's car driving towards Apo, where the party was taking place. As they drove through Garki, Omoh said she wanted to pick up a gift from a friend who lived in the CBN estate, she was going to give it to the celebrant. Ok, just tell me where to go said Helen. After giving her directions, they arrived at a run down house at the end of a quiet street. Is this the place? It doesn't look lived in asked Helen as she peered at the surroundings though her windshield. "Yeah, it's cos the owners are out of the country, come on, lets go, well be quick" Omoh was already getting out of the car and Helen didn't like the idea of remaining in the car, so she got down and locked her car, walking after her friend.
She noticed Helen going round to the back of the house and asked, "Not the main house?" "I told you, the owners are out of town, my friend lives at the guest quarters behind, come on replied Omoh with a little annoyance in her voice.


Omoh knocked twice before pushing the door open and walked into the room, as she stepped in behind her, she was grabbed from behind and felt a hand wrapped in a wet handkerchief cover her mouth and nose, and all she could think before she passed out was that she had walked into a trap and she should have listened to her instincts.

The Husband

It's Saint Patrick's day and an armed hooded robber bursts into the Bank of Ireland and forces the tellers to load a sack full of cash. On his way out the door with the loot one brave Irish customer grabs the hood and pulls it off revealing the robber's face.

The robber shoots the man without hesitation.

He then looks around the bank to see if anyone else has seen him. One of the tellers is looking straight at him and the robber walks over and calmly shoots him dead. Everyone by now is very scared and looking down at the floor.

"Did anyone else see my face?" screams the robber.

There is a few moments of silence then one elderly Irish gent, looking down, tentatively raises his hand and says, "I think me wife here may have caught a glimpse."

Little Johnny... Nickels and Dimes

Little Johnny is always being teased by the other neighborhood boys for being stupid. Their favorite joke is to offer Johnny his choice between a nickel and a dime -- Little Johnny always takes the nickel.

One day, after Johnny takes the nickel, a neighbor man takes him aside and says, "Johnny, those boys are making fun of you. Don't you know that a dime is worth more than a nickel, even though the nickel's bigger?"

Johnny grins and says, "Well, if I took the dime, they'd stop doing it, and so far I've made $20!"

Liar's Clocks

It's a slow day in heaven, so St. Peter decides to show a new Nigerian guy around.

St. Peter shows him all of the sights: the golf course, library, observation deck, cafeteria and a huge room full of clocks.

"What's up with those clocks, Peter?"

"Everyone on Earth has a clock that shows how much time he has left. When a clock runs out of time, the person dies and comes to the gates to be judged."

The guy notices that some of the clocks are going faster than others. St. Peter tells him that every time a living person tells a lie, it speeds up his clock.

The guy notices one clock in the center of the ceiling with both hands whirling around at an unbelievable rate.

"What's the story with that clock?"

"Oh, that," St. Peter replies. "That's Goodluck Jonathan's clock. We decided to use it as a fan."

Cab Driver Goes to Heaven

A cab driver reaches the pearly gates. St. Peter looks him up in his Big Book and tells him to pick up a gold staff and a silk robe and proceed into Heaven.

Next in line is a preacher. St. Peter looks him up in his Big Book, furrows his brow and says, "OK, we'll let you in, but take that cloth robe and wooden staff."

The preacher is shocked and replies, "But I am a man of the cloth. You gave that cab driver a gold staff and a silk robe. Surely I rate higher than a cabbie!"

St. Peter responds matter-of-factly, "This is Heaven and up here, we are interested in results. When you preached, people slept. When the cabbie drove his taxi, people prayed."

Devoted Wife

A devoted wife had spent her lifetime taking care of her husband.

When he was slipping in and out of a coma for several months, she stayed by his bedside every single day. When he came to, he motioned for her to come nearer.

As she sat by him, he said, "You know what? You have been with me all through the bad times.
"When I got fired, you were there to support me. When my business failed, you were there. When I got shot, you were by my side. When we lost the house, you gave me support. When my health started failing, you were still by my side.
"You know what?"
"What, dear?" his wife asked gently.
"I think you bring me bad luck."

After The Honeymoon

A couple returns from their honeymoon refusing to speak to each other. The groom's best friend takes him aside and asks what's wrong.

"Well," replies the man, "when we finished making love on the first night, I put a $50 bill on the pillow without thinking."

"Oh, you shouldn't worry about that too much," says his friend. "I'm sure your wife will get over it soon enough. She can't expect you to have been saving yourself all these years."

"That's not the problem, " the groom says. "She gave me $20 change!"

THE 45 DIFFERENCE

Q: What's the difference between a girlfriend and a wife?

A: 45 lbs.

Q: What's the difference between a boyfriend and a husband?

A: 45 minutes.

Dead Again

A funeral service is held for a woman who just passed away. As the pallbearers carry the casket out, they accidentally bump into a wall.

They hear a faint moan. They open the casket and find that the woman is actually alive.

She lives for 10 more years and then dies. They have another funeral for her. At the end of the service, the pallbearers carry out the casket.

As they are walking, the husband cries out, "Watch out for the wall!"

Singer Goldie Harvey passes on

I had just dropped oga off to work this morning and was enjoying the morning program on the radio when suddenly I hear one of the presenters say she had very very sad news. I was thinking oh, she's going to tell us her Val didn't go as planned but what I heard next totally ruined my morning.

Singer Goldie Harvey of the BBA 2012 fame died last night. I am devastated. I don't know her personally, and never met her but death as we all agree is unwelcome. Even more so when it's a young vibrant person in their prime. Goldie had so much going or her, she had just returned form the Grammys, we have been seeing her recently with Ciara and there are talks of a collaboration in the works between the two of them. For this to happen, is just heartbreaking!

Her record label Kennis Music released an official statement this morning and it says she had complained of a severe headache and was rushed to Reddington Hospital in Lagos, where she was pronounced dead upon arrival by the doctors.

This is so painful. Omg... She was such a life lover. One of those people who you can see that they are doing what they love and refuse to be hindered by people's opinions. Which in itself is greatness. To live free of restrictions, is one of the hardest things to do, especially in our part of the world where culture is held high.

Goldie was loved by so many and you only had to hear her talk about her mom, family and friends to know that. She was so motherly during her time at the BB and it was so clear that she was a caring person full of love and a gentle spirit. I can't even imagine what her family is passing through right now, this is so so sad. May God console them and give them strength to go through this. Parents should never have to bury their kids. :-(

Dear Goldie, we will indeed miss you. May your gentle soul rest in peace always.


The press release from Kennis Music below:
Goldie, 31, died on Thursday after she complained of a severe headache at her Park View residence shortly after her arrival from the United States where she went to witness the Grammy Award. She was rushed to her official hospital, Reddington, Victoria Island, Lagos, where doctors pronounced her dead on arrival.

We consider this period a gloomy moment for us and the entire Nigerian music industry in view of the circumstance Goldie passed away, the abundance of talent she has exhibited in her but eventful music career and the various opportunities her trip to the United States of America would have availed her. She is survived by her father, step- mother, brothers and sisters. We deeply sympathize with her family and fans all over the world and very grateful to all and sundry, especially, the vibrant Nigerian media for their concern and prompt reportage. We shall keep everybody informed as events unfold as we are still devastated by the sudden loss.”

Meanwhile, the remains of Goldie, who hails from Ekiti State has been deposited in the mortuary of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos. Goldie represented Nigeria at the Big Brother Star Game in 2012. Her latest effort, she described as three nawti singles from her forthcoming African Invasion album are “Skibo”. “Miliki” and ” Got To Have It,” are presently enjoying heavy rotations on radio and TV stations across the continent. Burial arrangements will be announced by the family. May her soul rest in peace.

2013 Reads

So,here are a few of the books I have on my radar for the first half of this year...

Half Of A Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Genre - Novel
Available in paperback, Amazon, Barnes & Noble

Synopsis
A masterly, haunting new novel from a writer heralded by The Washington Post Book World as "the 21st-century daughter of Chinua Achebe," Half of a Yellow Sun recreates a seminal moment in modern African history: Biafra's impassioned struggle to establish an independent republic in Nigeria, and the chilling violence that followed.

With astonishing empathy and the effortless grace of a natural storyteller, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie weaves together the lives of three characters swept up in the turbulence of the decade. Thirteen-year-old Ugwu is employed as a houseboy for a university professor full of revolutionary zeal. Olanna is the professor's beautiful mistress, who has abandoned her life of privilege in Lagos for a dusty university town and the charisma of her new lover. And Richard is a shy young Englishman in thrall to Olanna's twin sister, an enigmatic figure who refuses to belong to anyone. As Nigerian troops advance and they must run for their lives, their ideals are severely tested, as are their loyalties to one another.

Epic, ambitious, and triumphantly realized, Half of a Yellow Sun is a remarkable novel about moral responsibility, about the end of colonialism, about ethnic allegiances, about class and race—and the ways in which love can complicate them all.

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Genre - Fiction, Novel
Available in paperback, Amazon, Barnes & Noble

Synopsis
Fifteen-year-old Kambili's world is circumscribed by the high walls and frangipani trees of her family compound. Her wealthy Catholic father, under whose shadow Kambili lives, while generous and politically active in the community, is repressive and fanatically religious at home.

When Nigeria begins to fall apart under a military coup, Kambili's father sends her and her brother away to stay with their aunt, a University professor, whose house is noisy and full of laughter. There, Kambili and her brother discover a life and love beyond the confines of their father's authority. The visit will lift the silence from their world and, in time, give rise to devotion and defiance that reveal themselves in profound and unexpected ways. This is a book about the promise of freedom; about the blurred lines between childhood and adulthood; between love and hatred, between the old gods and the new.

"At once the portrait of a country and a family, of terrible choices and the tremulous pleasure of an odd, rare purple hibiscus blooming amid a conforming sea of red ones" — San Francisco Chronicle

Now with a review like that, I just want to go out and buy the book already. I love reading about choices people make and consequences, it is like gaining the experiences without feeling the pain. I hope that doesn't sound too weird? Lol....

Mountains Of The Moon by I.J. Kay
Genre - Fiction
Available in paperback, Kindle

"A woman in her thirties is released from prison, with a new name and not much else. She begins to make a fresh start but the present is soon invaded by fragments from her past. Unsettling, hallucinatory and without precedent, Mountains of the Moon is the tragic account of a broken life, but, against all expectation, it amounts to something utterly beautiful."

A story about overcoming odds, i added this to my list when i came across it on Amazon and its rated 5 stars too.

Murder At The Vicarage by Agatha Christie
Genre - Fiction, Novel
Available in Hardcover, Goodreads

Synopsis
"Murder at the Vicarage" marks the debut of Agatha Christie's unflappable and much beloved female detective, Miss Jane Marple. With her gift for sniffing out the malevolent side of human nature, Miss Marple is led on her first case to a crime scene at the local vicarage. Colonel Protheroe, the magistrate whom everyone in town hates, has been shot through the head. No one heard the shot. There are no leads. Yet, everyone surrounding the vicarage seems to have a reason to want the Colonel dead. It is a race against the clock as Miss Marple sets out on the twisted trail of the mysterious killer without so much as a bit of help from the local police."

This isn't exactly a new book, in fact its old, first published in 2006, but its the beginning of the 'Miss Marple' character series and having read a few of the sequels(Body In The Library,and A Murder Is Announced) I've always wanted to go back to see how it started.

Kill Alex Cross by James Patterson
Genre - Fiction, Novel
Available in hardcover, Goodreads

Synopsis
Kill Alex Cross is faster, more exciting, and more tightly wound than any Alex Cross thriller James Patterson has ever written!

The President's son and daughter are abducted, and Detective Alex Cross is one of the first on the scene. But someone very high up is using the FBI, Secret Service, and CIA to keep him off the case and in the dark.

A deadly contagion in the water supply cripples half of the capital, and Cross discovers that someone may be about to unleash the most devastating attack the United States has ever experienced. As his window for solving both crimes narrows, Alex makes a desperate decision that goes against everything he believes – one that may alter the fate of the entire country.

Trying to keep up with James Patterson is just not possible and I gave up but now that Tyler Perry is playing Alex Cross,(I think that's just awesome by the way, never mind that so many people have their reservations about Tyler Perry being such a hard guy) I can't wait to pick this and catch up.

Recent Reads

One of the To-dos on my new years resolution this year was to read more literary works by Nigerian authors alongside the numerous westerns that I read like my life depends on it. Recently, no thanks to school work and life generally, I haven't been reading as many as usual and I kind of want to pick up the slack a bit. This is one that I read last year and enjoyed.

Lagos Life, London Living by Bobo Omotayo
(Hard cover)

Interestingly titled, it is a collection of 37 short stories based on the writer's experiences and makes for very easy reading (it as been tagged "Coffee-table" by the experts). For me, it is simply a delightful book written with wit, honesty, lots of satirical comic, illustrations and interesting photos. The writer definitely takes you on the narrated journeys.

Plot
The book covers his experiences in two very different but similar cities with slangs and colloquialisms from both documented.

Pope appoints His Lordship, Most Rev Joseph Effiong Ekuwem the new Archbishop of Calabar

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI yesterday appointed his Lordship, Most Rev Joseph Effiong Ekuwem as the new Archbishop of Calabar. Most Rev. Joe Ekuwem who has been the Bishop of Uyo Diocese replaces His Grace Most Rev Joseph Edra Ukpo who retired at the canonical age of 75.

Reuben Abati: Of power-point technocrats, who open social media accounts and pretend to be voices of wisdom

by Reuben Abati

As part of our governance evolution, most people become public servants by accident, but they soon get so used to the glamour of office that they lose sight of their own ordinariness. They use the system to climb: to become media celebrities, to gain international attention and to morph into self-appointed guardians of the Nigerian estate.

A loosely bound group of yesterday’s men and women seems to be on the offensive against the Jonathan administration. They pick issues with virtually every effort of the administration, pretending to do so in the public interest; positing that they alone, know it all. Arrogantly, they claim to be better and smarter than everyone else in the current government. They are ever so censorious, contrarian and supercilious.

They have no original claim to their pretensions other than they were privileged to have been in the corridors of power once upon a time in their lives. They obviously got so engrossed with their own sense of importance they began to imagine themselves indispensable to Nigeria. It is dangerous to have such a navel-gazing, narcissistic group inflict themselves with so much ferocity on an otherwise impressionable public. We are in reality dealing with a bunch of hypocrites.

With exceptions so few, they really don’t care about Nigeria as a sovereign but the political spoils that accrue from it. And so they will stop at nothing to discredit those they think are not as deserving as they imagine themselves to be. President Jonathan has unfairly become the target of their pitiable frustrations.

Underneath their superfluous appearance, lies an unspoken class disdain directed at the person and office of a duly elected president of the country. It is a Nigerian problem, perhaps. In the same advanced societies which these same yesterday men and women often like to refer to, public service is seen and treated as a privilege. People are called upon to serve; they do so with humility and great commitment, and when it is all over, they move on to other things. The quantity surveyor returns to his or her quantity surveying or some other decent work; the lawyer to his or her wig and gown; the university teacher, to the classroom, glad to have been found worthy of national service. When and where necessary, as private citizens they are entitled to use the benefit of this experience to contribute to national development, they speak up on matters of public importance not as a full-time job as is the case in Nigeria currently.

What then, is the problem with us? As part of our governance evolution, most people become public servants by accident, but they soon get so used to the glamour of office that they lose sight of their own ordinariness. They use the system to climb: to become media celebrities, to gain international attention and to morph into self-appointed guardians of the Nigerian estate. They mask self interest motives as public causes and manipulate the public’s desire for improvements in their daily struggles as opportunity for power grab.

They are perpetually hanging around, lobbying and hustling for undeserved privileges. They exploit ethnic and religious connections where they can or join political parties and run for political office. They even write books (I, me and myself books, packaged as cerebral stuff); if that still doesn’t work, they lobby newspaper houses for columns to write and they become apostolic pundits pontificating on matters ranging from the nebulous to the non-descript. Power blinds them to the reality that we are all in this together and we have a unique opportunity to do well for the taxpayers and hardworking electorate that provide every public official the privilege to serve.

Unsatisfied with the newspaper columns, they open social media accounts and pretend to be voices of wisdom seeking to cultivate an angry crowd which they feed continually with their own brand of negativity. They arrange to give lectures at high profile events where they abuse the government of the day in order to gain attention and steal a few minutes in the sun; hoping to force an audience that may ‘open doors’ for them, back into the corridors of power. These characters are in different sizes and shapes: small, big; Godfathers, agents, proxies. The tactics of the big figures on this rung of opportunism may be slightly different. They parade themselves as a Godfather or kingmaker or the better man who should have been king. They suffer of course, from messianic delusions. The fact that they boast of some followership and the media often treats them as icons, makes their nuisance factor worse. They and their protégés and proxies are united by one factor though: their hypocrisy.

It is in the larger interest of our country that the point be made that the government of the day welcomes criticism and political activism. This is an aspect of our emergent democracy that expands on the growing freedom of expression, thought and association but there is need for caution and vigilance, lest we get taken hostage by the architects of odious disinformation. Nigerians must not allow any group of individuals to hold this country to ransom and no one alone should appropriate the right to determine what is best for Nigeria. The accidental public servants who have turned that privilege into a life-long obsession and profession must be told to go get a life and find meaningful work to do.

Those who believe that no one else can run Nigeria without them must be told to stop hallucinating. The former Ministers, former Governors, former DGs, and all sorts who have been busy quoting mischievous figures, spreading cruel propaganda must be reminded that the Jonathan administration is in fact trying to clean up the mess that they created. They want to own the game when the ball is not in their possession. They want to be the referee when nobody has offered them a whistle. They seek to play God, forgetting that the case for God is not in the hands of man. One of the virtues of enlightenment is for persons to have a true perspective of their own location in the order of things. What they do not seem to realise or accept is that the political climate has changed.

When one of them was in charge of this same estate called Nigeria, he shut down the Port Harcourt airport and other airports for close to two years under the guise of renovation. The Port Harcourt airport was abandoned for so long it was overgrown with weeds after serving for months as a practice ground for motoring schools. It was reopened without any improvement and with so much money down the drain, and the pervasive suspicion that the reason it was shut down in the first place was to create a market for a new airline that had been allowed the monopoly use of the other airport in the city.

Under President Jonathan, airports across the country are being upgraded, rebuilt and modernized; in less than two years, the transformation is self-evident. Perhaps the greatest hypocrisy from our see-no-good commentators comes from the one who superintended over the near-collapse of the aviation sector who is now audacious enough to claim to be a social critic.

For the first time since 1999, the Nigerian Railway Corporation is up and running as a service organization. The rail lines have become functional from Lagos to Kano; Ewekoro to Minna, and very soon, from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri, Abuja to Kaduna and Lagos to Ibadan. They couldn’t do this in their time, now they are busy looking for money that is not missing with their teeth. When questions are asked, they claim they invented the ideas of due process and accountability. They once promised to solve the crisis of electricity supply in Nigeria. But what did they do? They managed to leave the country in darkness with less than 2,000 MW; abandoned independent power projects, mismanaged power stations, and uncompleted procurement processes. The mess was so bad their immediate successors had to declare an emergency in the power sector. It has taken President Jonathan to make the difference. Today, there is greater coherence in the management of the power sector with power supply in excess of 4, 200 MW; a better conceived power sector road map is running apace, and the administration is determined to make it better.

They complain about the state of the roads. Most of the contracts were actually awarded under their watch to the tune of billions! They talk about corruption, yet many of them have thick case files with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the courts and the police on corruption-related charges. One of them was even accused of having awarded choice plots of government land to himself, his wives, his companies and other relations when he was in charge of such allocations! Really, have we forgotten so soon?

These yesterday men and women certainly don’t seem to care very much about the Nigerian taxpayer who has had to bear the brunt of the many scandals this administration is exposing in its bid to clear out the Augean stable. They’d rather grandstand with the ex-General this, Chief that, Doctor this and ex-(dis)Honourable Minister who has no record of what he or she did with the funds the nation provided them to deliver results to protect our interest so that we don’t end up continuing to make the same wasteful mistakes.

It is enough to make you shudder at the thought of any of them being part of government with access to the public purse; but then we’ve already seen what some of them are capable of doing when in control of public money, authority and influence; and to that the people have spoken in unison – they have had enough. Nigerians are wiser and are now familiar with the trickery from these persons whose claim to fame and fortune was on the back of their public service.

Our point at the risk of overstating what is by now too obvious: We have too many yesterday men and women behaving too badly. We are dealing with a group of power-point technocrats who have mastered the rhetoric of public grandstanding: carefully crafted emotion-laden sound bites passed off as meaningful engagements. That is all there is to them, after many years of hanging around in relevant places and mingling in the right corridors, all made possible through the use/abuse of Nigeria. Our caveat to their audience is the same old line: let the buyer beware!