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

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.

Wanted: More Listeners

“The older I get, the more I see reasons to speak less and listen more”– Ololade Ajekigbe

One of the major ways through which I conserve energy is by saying very little. The day I divulged this piece of information to my friend, she laughed and shook her head in that Lolade-and-some-of-her-unconventional-ways-again manner. Yet it was true, and is likely to remain true for a very long time. Sometimes, I would have some “hot gist” for a close friend, but when I remember the amount of time and energy it would require to give them a detailed account of what happened, I would put off recounting my story till a later time. I just find that I am one who would rather listen than talk, unless of course I am in a really chatty mood, or have something absolutely important to contribute to a discourse.

I’ll Buy Nigeria, But…

In the past couple of days, there has been some clamour for Nigerians to patronise made-in-Nigeria products. The hashtag “Buy Naija To Grow The Naira” was even created to drive its awareness on Twitter. The aim is simple – Buy locally made goods to save the naira from its current alarming slope downhill. For all intents and purposes this campaign has become imperative especially in the light of the dwindling fortune of the naira against the dollar. Since the price of crude oil has been on a steady decline for a while now, oil producing countries have had to turn their attention to other sectors of their economy to ensure that their gross domestic product does not plummet. In a mono-economy like Nigeria there were no such options.

Much Ado About Valentine’s Day

The Feast of Saint Valentine, a liturgical celebration of early Christian saints has since evolved into a yearly expression of love among lovers and loved ones. In a couple of hours, it will be yet another Valentine’s Day, celebrated on the 14th of February in many parts of the world. The euphoria heightens as the day draws closer, especially among the younger generation.