This “Wokeness” Will Haunt Us Someday

Opinion Pieces1 Comment

 

We are a woke generation. We know “What’s up”. Full of spunk and sass and in the loop happenings around us. A set of people who are never bereft of information because we are fortunate to be in our prime during this time of a digital revolution. Our smartphones and other devices are our fast companions and we pride ourselves in being a driven, forward-thinking generation who are vastly different from the older, slower generation. However, the trend of events and recent dynamic in the way we perceive developments, interpret happenings and most critically, behave, is gradually becoming a source for concern; and this development can be tied to the growing belief that nothing is really wrong. The lines between good and bad are blurring daily, and we have “wokeness” to blame for that.

The Twist In The “Lazy Youths” Narrative

Essay6 Comments

 

The general consensus is that the average young Nigerian is unserious. Loafers seeking a free meal ticket. Male and female alike, they shun the principles that guarantee success because they are a pampered generation. Nigerian youths have been touted as unserious lots who are always looking to reap where they have not sown. Little wonder Yahoo Yahoo and other sundry vices are synonymous with them. Young Nigerians have been maligned by even the one person that should be rooting for them – the “lazy youths” insinuation comes to mind here.

Ode To The Silent Lovers

Essay2 Comments

 

In the shadows…behind the scenes

Nodding in the background

Almost non-existent if one were to judge by the physical, yet always there.

Always, always there.

No comments on the blog post. Sparse reactions on the Facebook, yet silently rooting.

Taciturn, shy, reticent but stoic in effervescent support.

Caught

Flash Fiction4 Comments

 

After yet another night spent tugging lightly at the hem of his pyjamas to no avail, I knew my husband was cheating.

Osi was crazy about sex and it had taken a while for me to adjust to his constant need for a tangle between the sheets after we got married. But I had caught up. I had to, I didn’t want my man checking any other woman out on account of my sexual passivity.

So when Uche mentioned she knew some private investigator, I didn’t hesitate to engage his services.

Racism And The Conundrum Of Identity

Opinion Pieces2 Comments

 

The French Ambassador to the United States recently expressed his displeasure about famous comedian and host of the Daily Talk Show, Trevor Noah, arrogating the French national team’s World Cup win to Africa. The players are fully French and should not be associated with Africa in any way, was pretty much the summary of his letter to Noah. It didn’t matter that almost 70 per cent of them were Blacks whose parents or grandparents had migrated from several African countries. Apart from Noah’s brilliant response to the ambassador’s protest, the issue has once again brought up the question of identity, how it is perceived and what its implications are for an individual ora group of people.

2019: The Mind Shift Nigerians Need

Politics/Governance6 Comments

 

The Ekiti Gubernatorial elections have come and gone, but the revelations that were made before, during and after the civil exercise should be a source of worry for any well-meaning Nigerian. The keenly contested race between Prof Olusola Eleka of the PDP and Dr Kayode Fayemi of the APC threw up many unwholesome practices that do not bode well for the electoral future of Nigeria. As early as the wee hours of election day, news already began to filter in about the massive vote-buying embarked upon by the two major political parties.

In All You Get, Get Gutsy

Inspiration6 Comments

 

Recently, a cab driver hit on me. It wasn’t a shy, can-we-be-friends-first-and-then-you-know-maybe-something-can-happen-from-there kind of hitting on. It was a full-blown, I-really-like you-and-would-like-to-date-you-and possibly-marry-you kind of hitting on. It was cute. A tad annoying, but cute. He had been sent to pick me up for an appointment of sorts, and I had every right to be upset by his utterances. He was being unprofessional and if I had reported him to his employers, he may have been heavily reprimanded or even lost his job. But aside the slight the irritation I initially felt, I admired his courage. I was impressed with his guts and it got me thinking…

What Is The Value Of A Nigerian Life?

Opinion Pieces6 Comments

The image above not only represents the heart-rending inferno that consumed some commuters in Lagos last week, it could also pass for the current state of the Nigerian nation. On Saturday, a young man, in an apparent demonstration of his dissatisfaction with the chaotic and saddening reality of the country, stood at the Maryland intersection holding up a signage that asked the government of the day either shape up and fix Nigeria like they were elected to do or resign. He stood there almost all day, alone and stoic in his one-man peaceful protest, braving the odds. When the pictures began to make the rounds on social media, one would have expected everyone to laud his initiative and courage, but that was not the case. Rather, some of the same youths who have been clamouring for a revolution opined he was only wasting his time and would soon tire out.

The One Quality That Earns You Respect

Lifestyle7 Comments

 

The hot topic in the last two weeks has been the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The tournament holds once in four years and it’s not surprising that it would take over the discourse space. Apart from the adrenalin-inducing effect the event has on football lovers all over the world, regular individuals are also sucked into the frenzy of the month-long competition. However uninterested they may be, they are not completely immune to the buzz and activities that come with the game. It’s practically impossible not to “stumble” into conversations or arguments or some good old banter relating to the event, let alone the adverts and constant updates in the traditional and online media.

The Lesson In Everything

Essay4 Comments

 

Music. Dance. Culture. Rifts. Love. War. Football. All the bits and pieces that make up our existence. The fragments, the wholes, our interests and the stuff we really do not give a hoot about all have a lesson to teach us. I choose to see life as a lesson. In everything I do, however mundane, I am always mindful that there’s something to learn. Beyond the four walls of the classroom formal education offers or the deliberate training and development efforts our employers put in place to improve our work skills, there’s something to take away from the seemingly pedestrian activities we are involved in.