Tiwa, TeeBillz And The Rest Of Us

The high profile wedding of perhaps the biggest female pop artist in Nigeria at the moment which was contracted less than three years ago has been rocked to its very foundations within the past week. I have read many accounts of what happened and watched the video of Tiwa Savage’s interview concerning the matter. I have also read varying comments from different quarters- from celebrities and regular folks alike; from the amusing to the ridiculous to the downright insensitive.

You Must Get To That Point…

I am not a life coach. As a matter of fact, I have a problem with that title, as I find it hard to accept that anyone person has all the answers to the issues of life. I also believe what makes the journey of life intriguing are the uncertainties that lurk at every twist and turn. Nevertheless, it’s amazing how we come to better understanding of ourselves (and our environment) as we grow older. As we ought to. The idea behind growing older should not just be about advancing in age, but the ability to harness all our experiences, observations and knowledge into making our lives a wholesome one. As we try to make sense of the conundrum called life, I believe we must reach certain points on our journey, some of which I’ll elucidate below:

Talent Is Overrated

“There may be people who have more talent than you, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do – and I believe that”- Derek Jeter

The possession of a natural ability, unique skill or set of skills which sets one apart from the crowd is often regarded as talent. The good thing is that everyone is blessed with it. Whether they have discovered it or not is another matter entirely. It doesn’t matter if it is something as seemingly mundane as has having magical hands as a masseuse, being a naturally good street sweeper or the more highly exalted talent of being a great computer programmer or rocket scientist. Every single person on the planet is talented at one or more things. And that is awesome!

A Tale Of Two Presidents

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One is the Senate President of the most populous black nation in the world. The other is the current Prime Minister of the world’s sixth largest economy – The United Kingdom. Both are well read, seasoned politicians who had served in various capacities in government before attaining the (current) peak of their political careers. While Bukola Saraki was elected as the Senate President of Nigeria in 2015, David Cameron was re-elected as Prime Minister in the 2015 general elections in the UK. However, what the two men have in common at the moment is their indictment in the Panama Papers scandal which has earned them the unenviable tag of being two of the most controversial public officers in the world.

Craving The South African Miracle

In a unanimous ruling that defied the business-as-usual characteristic that has been synonymous with many countries in the African continent, President Jacob Zuma of South Africa was ordered to pay back a part of the $15m he spent in renovating his Nkandla private residence by the supreme court. It came as a pleasant surprise to see a court rule against a sitting president (a clear indication of an independent judiciary), a plot that would have struck as unrealistic if it had been cast in an African movie.

You Are Dispensable…Yes, You!

The erroneous impression that things cannot go well without one’s presence or a job can hardly be done without a person’s involvement is one of those misconceptions that irks me to no end. It is commonplace. The staff with an over bloated ego who saunters around the office like he is the next best thing after ice-cream. The benefactor who carries himself like a Tin god because (unknown to him) he has been given the privilege to be a helper to the less privileged, and even the husband who sees his wife’s success as solely dependent on him. Well, today, I am writing to burst your bubble if you are in any of these categories. Contrary to your myopic notion, things can and will go as planned without you.

Who’s Afraid Of The Gender Equality Bill?

The bill for gender parity and prohibition of violence against women was presented before the eighth Senate for the first time by the Senator representing Ekiti South, Senator Biodun Olujimi last week. But it didn’t pass through the second reading before it was thrown out, to the surprise of many and plenty of hue and cry on social media. Many were rightly peeved by the unwillingness of the lawmakers who were elected into the house to protect and serve the interest of their constituents to pass the bill into law. I am one of the few people who wasn’t surprised by the actions of the Senators.

What Manner Of Change Is This?

To say the last couple of weeks have been stressful for the average Nigerian would frankly be a gross understatement. The poor masses have found themselves spending more time on fuel queues and vehicular traffic induced by fuel queues than in any productive business. To make matters worse, power supply has been virtually non-existent in the last couple weeks. It is tantamount to going from one bout of untold hardship to another, as there had just been a bit of respite from the alarming downward spiral of the naira, when the recurring demon of scarcity of premium motor spirit reared its ugly head once again.

A Time To Give Thanks

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Today I am writing my 100th blog post. One hundred! A hundred posts of self-generated content! Even I find it hard to believe. It’s been about two years since I started this journey of pursuing my dream of taking up writing as a career path. From that unsure, tentative voice to a bolder one, I have to say that it has been an interesting journey. It seems just like yesterday when I published my first article on this platform. I was nervous about sharing it, I wasn’t certain how people would receive me. I had many doubts and worried about how I would sustain putting out original content every single week, while also holding a day job. I wasn’t sure I would last three months, but here I am two whole years later with a reasonable following for a blog that doesn’t post gossip.

Leonardo: The Glory Of The Latter

       “Be so good, you can’t be ignored”- Ololade Ajekigbe

22 years after receiving his first ever award nomination in an acting category, and 12 years after his first nomination for Best Actor by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences,(AMPAS), American actor and producer, Leonardo DiCaprio finally won his first Academy award at the 88th edition of the Oscars which held on Sunday. To say it was a historic moment would be stating the obvious. I have waited in heightened anticipation to write this article since I learned that DiCaprio had been nominated yet again by the Academy for Best Actor in a leading role for the eighteenth century enduring film, The Revenant. Like millions of his other fans, I was optimistic that this time around, he would clinch the award which has eluded him for over two decades!