ADD THIS TO THE LIST OF THINGS TO STOP FOREVER

This is about to get really long, but it might be worth the read.
Growing up in the midst of so many Yoruba people with their customs and inexplicable behaviour meant so many things – one of which is repeated sensationalism.
An example of it hit me again yesterday when a lecturer of the Federal University of Technology Akure (whose name I do not know or care to mention if I did) came to do some business with us and was attended to by my uncle and I. Somehow I zoned out and by the time I returned to their realm he was saying something about a pastor who claimed he used to be an agent of evil and he helped give power to so many famous “men of God” both living and dead.
According to the lecturer, this fact was the reason why he doesn’t go to church, because he thinks most pastors get power from the devil.
This raised so many arguments inside my head, but I managed to let something out in form of a question; “who are these pastors?” I asked.
Of course the list started with Pastor T.B Joshua (the most demonized pastor in the world), and it went on to include several other preachers within and around Akure.
Before I air my views, I have no reason whatsoever to agree that any of these pastors were truly called by God, neither do I have plenty of substantial reason to argue the opposite.
My view however, is that this is just a means of making unearned money by the so – called converted pastor. This is not the first or second or fifth time someone has come out to claim that they are the source of “power” these pastors have been tapping from. Each of those times have been from CDs sold by these men and women who claimed to be gods in the past but are now pastors of God himself. This is not even then sad part.
The saddest and most annoying part of it is what I know. What I know is this, fast forward to 10 months from now, for example, someone else will come out and claim these same statements again and people will rally behind them and buy their CDs and books or whatever, attend crusades and so on. But they will all be lies.
I am a believer of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, but I believe there are smarter ways to protect your faith than to bastardise that of others.
More importantly, there are easier ways to make money than to engage in blasphemy.
And dear Yoruba people, there are simpler ways to waste money than buying lies over and over again.
P.S this can happen within any tribe, but I’ve seen it happen too many times with my people to stay quiet.

3 THINGS TO LEAVE BEHIND IN 2015

These are literally the final moments of what has been an interesting year. 2015 has come and it is about to go in a hurry. We all fought battles this year, won most of them, lost some – but in all we were never alone; these final moments should be the time to thank those who fought out battles with us last year – because we’ll need them on the new battlefield that is 2016. 

As the new year approaches too, we can identify so many things that happened last year, which to be quite frank, are not good enough. These things happen both personally and nationally (we’ll talk about the national aspect).
Listening to the President during the media chat yesterday sent me a whole lot of vibes, many good, many others not – so – good. Bottom line though is that as a country, we need to drop so many things in 2015.

1. Sensationalism 

The GCFR mentioned this in one of his answers yesterday. Nigerians are very quick to “sympathize” with just about anyone who claims to have a fight with the government – and this should not be so. Our country is going through hard times and as such, the government needs our support prayers now more than ever.
This Biafra brouhaha in itself is very bad for everyone, but it is made worse by the number of youths who are (permit me to say blindly) raising their arms in vandalism to prove a point they are not even sure of. This fight and others like it need to stop because in a country as big as Nigeria, different sets people will ALWAYS feel marginalized – we don’t need to make a war out of it.

2. Ungratefulness

Someone once said that even if Jesus were to personally come and fix Nigeria, some people would still accuse him of having sinister motives. That person is not far from the truth. Nigerians can be just about anyone but what do we choose to be, ungrateful. This country has a very uninteresting culture of not being able to appreciate good deeds, instead we will find one reason or another to justify out ungratefulness, please friends, let us drop this attitude in 2015. Every form of ungratefulness we show to friends, family and anyone else is wrong and should be dropped. Thank you.

3. Selfish, self – serving attitude

This annoying attitude of ours was brought to the fore more than ever during the Paris bombing last month. People, it is ok to sympathize with other people. No additions or conditions, anything else is selfishness. We live in a country where a Yoruba or Igbo man/woman can open their mouths to say” thank God they are killing their own people” when they get the news of another boko haram attack, yet we call ourselves a nation.
If we cannot show sympathy to our fellow countrymen what charity is there for us to leave home with. Enough is enough.
Let us please drop these attitudes and doings this year and watch our nation go higher in 2016. Have a blessed New Year and pray for Nigeria and the world.

READING THIS MAY HELP YOUR RESOLUTION WORK OUT THIS TIME

One of the major reasons why this season is so much loved by everyone is the multiple celebrations that take place, all of them just one week apart.

The problem however seems to be the days between which you don’t know what name to call them or what to spend your time on – luckily its almost over.

The end of this grey period also signifies the end of the year and for many years now, as the New Year approaches, people begin to make resolutions and promises of things they plan to do or achieve in the coming year, bad habits they plan to drop, good ones they intend to imbibe, bold steps they intend to take. Sadly though, the do not usually succeed.

The success rate of “New Year Resolution” is around 12%(ish) worldwide. This means this practice is a huge failure. Several reasons could be fingered for causing this problem, but some of them could include, but are not limited to the following;

1.       UNREALISTIC RESOLUTIONS

Making a resolution on something worthwhile when we are not in the right position for it is entirely useless. For example, making a resolution to save more money while on a hand – to – mouth income/budget without trying to identify new source(s) of income and key into them. is already a bust. By not setting the required stage for each and every intended resolution, we already make its very foundations shaky and as such it crumbles. Other resolutions too abound – which are all misnamed wishes at best and could be. 

2.       A WISH IS NOT A RESOLUTION, A RESOLUTION IS NOT A WISH

These days, the line between these two have not just become blurred, they are inexistent. Making a resolution out of something you wish for is a total waste of time. Imagine a student resolving to buy a car before the year ends, (assuming he/she can manage to keep their hands clean) this requires a stroke of luck to succeed and should that stroke fail to occur (which it probably won’t) this resolution goes bust. So, as a success tip for making resolutions, separate wishes from them and be very clear on your chances.

3.       PROCRASTINATION IS EVERY WHERE

Many of the resolutions we make are as a result of our procrastination. We defer changes that can be made at any time of the year till the end when it is time to make resolutions again. Resolving to make lifestyle changes like quitting smoking or drinking is something that can be done at any time of the year – so why push it till the New Year? If we can muster up the (procrastinating) confidence to push it this far, the chances are very high that we will push it again.

4.       MEANINGFUL RESOLUTIONS HAVE A HIGHER SUCCESS RATE

When making resolutions, we subconsciously measure their impacts on us and this sort of influences the success of it (or lack thereof). Another example involves a resolution to exercise more, if we have a feeling that doing this would make us look better or feel better then we have the motivation to do it, but on the other hand, a resolution that does not add any decipherable value to us will not be easy to maintain and see through.

These are just four observations of what could make a resolution fail (or succeed, when applied properly). This writer cannot claim to be a professional at resolutions, but he is rather another failed resolutionist who believes learning from mistakes is the only way not to make more of them.

Please make a resolution to #PrayforNigeria and #PrayfortheWorld. It will be quite easy too. 

YOU HAVE THE BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT ALREADY

Merry Christmas dear friends, may the true essence of this season never be lost on us and may it bring us multiple graces that fit all our desires. Amen.

Talking about desires, permit me to get very personal with my point of view this morning (it’s not like I know any other way). We have discussed what Christmas should mean in truth, today I would like to go one better and explain why I think family is the greatest gift of all.

AND WHEN THEY ASK "WHAT DOES CHRISTMAS MEAN TO YOU?"

It has been quite the year for everyone – both in a good and bad sense, but we have to be grateful for the overall good which is the gift of life. Being here is not by chance, but however you choose to see it, we are here and that’s what counts.

So many questions crop up at this time of the year; from Jehovah’s witnesses asking “does the bible ask you to celebrate Christmas?” to your friends and random girls asking for gifts to commemorate the season. The loudest question you are going to hear people ask is “what does Christmas mean to you?”

Ironically, whenever I see clergy men and other “important” people answer this question all the say is “this is not a season to eat and drink in excess… or indulge yourself in …bla bla bla”. 

STILL ON THE FUEL ISSUE AND A LESSON FROM MY CHILDHOOD

Still on this fuel thing. I have been sitting on this post for a while now. It has to do with some memories which I’m weirdly fond of.

NOT YOUR NORMAL SUNDAY

In the words of Joseph Addison (I don't really know who that is), Sunday clears away the rust of the whole week. I can not clearly say he is right or wrong.

Every other day I wake up feeling like it's “just another day” and I act like I'm going to trudge through the motions of it "as usual". But I have learnt that there is nothing usual ever going to happen any day any more. I'll share some part of my Sunday with you. It is a blog after all.

I awoke to my father's (phone) call, although he was just in the next room (I like people who don't see the need to shout my name); I had to go make a withdrawal for him after morning prayers so I put on my earphones, turned on the music for the road (sweetest devotion it was for today) and got moving.

Facebook Activates 'Safety Check' for Nigeria

Facebook Inc has activated its “Safety Check” feature, after deadly blasts in Nigeria late on Tuesday.

A report on Wednesday in London by Reuters, stated that this was as a result of criticism from users that the social network was being selective.

Facebook usually activates the feature, which allows users to mark themselves as safe, after natural disasters, but not bombings or attacks.

It said the social network, however, activated the page after Friday’s gun and bomb attacks in Paris.

It said it drew criticism from some users because the feature was not activated for suicide bombings in Beirut a day earlier.

Both the Paris and Beirut attacks were claimed by Islamic State militants.

Meanwhile, Facebook Chief Executive, Mark Zuckerberg, has said in a post on his Facebook page that the feature would now be used more frequently.

He said it was decided after the Paris attacks last week, to use Safety Check for more tragic events like this going forward.

You may want to know...

Good morning good people. Hope you all prayed for Nigeria this morning.
I'm sure most of us have participated in the daily ritual of going through our phones to see what issues have made news since yesterday.

Not much has happened really, our Edo uncles are still at it; but we won't get on their case, they're starting to look like school girls craving attention.

What's bigger news is Adele dropping another track off her upcoming album. The song, "when we were young" will take you down memory lane; one reviewer even said it will burst your heart open. Let's just keep calm and remember its just a song and refrain from poking the past in the backside (like you did with Hello) although I'm quite sure there won't be a" when we were young challenge". More importantly, it further buttresses what we've known for some time now, Adele is good.

The most interesting news item to me this morning is the #20000(twenty thousand Naira) paid to our world conquering Golden Eaglets. To further spread salt on such injury is the $40000 Governor Nyesom Wike would have to pay the Super Eagles as he promised, for scoring two goals against Swaziland.
This is a very funny country, our president recently promised to redeem the promise made to the Eaglets team that won us the first U17 title on 1985. Guess who was Head of State at that time. Although it can be said that it happened for unavoidable reasons, the President is just set to redeem his own promise 30 years later.
So what do we expect the Eaglets to do with #20000 (it's not even enough for a plane ticket to take them home). They certainly deserve more, and perhaps Gov. Wike could have made better use of his money by spending it on a more deserving set of people.

Back to the world stage, it's no more news that a potential cracker of a match between the National teams of Germany and Netherlands had to be cancelled yesterday due to a bomb threat. This is coming days after the deadly Paris attacks that left hundreds dead. Luckily the cancellation of the game was a pre-emptive measure and no damage whatsoever occurred.

A few of us must have heard bits and pieces about a group simply known as" Anonymous". They declared war on ISIS few days ago with the promise to bring them down, and in that light they released some information about some purported members of the group. This development is truly welcome and much needed.

Finally, our own sons of Belial; I'm talking about Boko Haram struck again. Al Jazeera reports that a bombing occurred in a popular fruit market in the Jimeta area of Yola, Adamawa state of Nigeria. Let us pray for the dead who have successfully become statistics (again). And let's keep praying for Nigeria and the world.

WHILE WE CRY FOR PARIS...

The chill of the harmattan in the air can no longer be mistaken, just like the chill that ran down our spines yesterday at the news of what happened in Paris. Gruesome shootings and bomb blasts that left dozens of people dead, several others injured and a whole lot more stranded for hours away from their home.
While I have never seen the sense in terrorism (nobody has, except maybe terrorists), it still defies my logic how killing random everyday people on the streets helps to achieve any worthwhile aim.
I am saddened and angered at the same time, because people like each of us - with dreams, hopes, plans and more - were killed yesterday, and life goes on with all of their dreams, and plans and everything else just dead, like that.

I woke up this morning, happy that it was a Saturday, until the memories of last night's news started flooding back, and the news items Google had waiting for me were just too painful to bear.
The Daily Mail reported over 150 people dead (that's more than the number of classmates I had this graduation year).
More inspiring though, is the spirit of solidarity that Parisians displayed towards each other - by keeping their doors open to people on the streets of the city at the time of these attacks and spreading the message on social media with the hash-tag #PorteOverte meaning open doors.
While President Obama rightly describes this as"an attack on humanity and the universal values we all share"; and the angst and sadness of it all transcends bothers, race and religious lines, something needs to be said (and done) about Islam.
Ironically, it is the famed religion of peace, but it has brought the world so much problem in the last couple of years that Islam is starting to seem like the biggest threat to world peace. While I agree that being a Muslim does not make you a terrorist, we would all understand my view that Islam needs a cleansing.
There are quite a number of religions in the world today, and none of their members seem to generate as much bloodshed as fanatics of Islam.
Eyewitnesses in Paris yesterday reported the terrorists saying this was about Syria, Iraq and
according to a woman in the restaurant where shots first broke out near the Bataclan, a gunman shouted 'Allah Akbar' (God is great in Arabic) before firing.
Islamic leaders need to do more than talk. They need to accept that their religion has been bastardized, the tenets and teachings of it misused by misguided individuals; and take proactive steps to clean it up and save the world.
Someone said on Twitter that Islam was fighting WWIII against the world...and that person may not be very far from the truth in the light of recent happenings.
Our thoughts are with Paris and its people, taking a second hit this year, 10 months after the Charlie Hebdo massacre.
Stay strong Paris. Mere terrorists cannot break the will of all of us. Our prayers are with you all.

PRE - GAME TALK ... YOU WANT TO READ THIS

It's one of those Saturdays again. I mean the good ones where no matter what you have to do, you will finish in time to catch your favourite team play in the EPL. There are a couple of things to do though, before the games begin. Some of them are, but not limited to the following

1. Talk to your family

We get carried away in the hustle and bustle of everyday life and seem to forget the people we're doing it all for. Asking questions is a good way to find out things you don't know. People are secretive, children more so; but willingness to ask them what is going on with them might just make them want to open up to you. My little cousin just asked me if I'm not going to check his books today (I do that every Saturday and he uses the opportunity to tell me the things that happened during the week at school). He's a very inspiring kid, and he's probably the reason I'm writing this post.

2. Fix things around the house.

Little things will always need repairs around the house and the Pre - football moments of Saturday present the perfect opportunity to get down and dirty and fix them. It might be a couple of minor electrical stuff like changing bulbs, socket heads and whatever. Just do it. Preferably with another family member. This provides bonding time and could be the mystery "Quality Time" everyone talks about.

3. Get some exercise

This should be top on the list. Health is key to enjoying life (plus its really good to keep fit and have a presentable body). I know I've not had any exercise in weeks, my cousin just asked "what are these red shoes for?" about my football boots, I spent about 7 minutes explaining the concept to him, but long story short, I need to take this piece of advice too.

4. Visit friends 

This needs no explanation. Visits help to build ties. Visit friends on Saturday, Sunday is for family (this is not a general rule, it's just my rule).

5. Get your hands on some sports news 

This is most important to me. Please do not be that annoying guy at the viewing center who argues like a blind idiot (sorry). Use your phone, buy sports papers; one way or the other, just make sure you don't come to say "when will Wenger use Van Persie now? What is wrong with the man?" (what is wrong with you).

6. Have a nice weekend and may the odds ever be in your favour.

A WORD ON FRIENDSHIP

Relationships are pretty much what keeps us going, family, friends, acquaintances all come together to form our support system. Every individual needs others in one way or another to function optimally; and friends are arguably the most constant presence in our lives, from childhood to the prime of adulthood. Sometimes friendships change as we age and experience new stages of life, and a lucky few get to keep their friendships till very ripe old ages. So the question is what constitutes a good friend.

Good friends support us when necessary, but more importantly, help to put us back in line when we start to err or take unwholesome decisions. Good friends are trustworthy (that goes without saying) and understanding. Being understanding means that they know us and our faults and accept us for the imperfect beings that we are. Simply put, a good friend cuts slacks. It is said that humans are creatures of emotions, not logic and sometimes we do things that make no sense whatsoever – but a true friend understands that fact and doesn’t judge us so readily.

The biggest attribute of a good friend is loyalty. Loyalty needs no explanation, and is a matter of extreme absolutes, you either are or you’re not. Being a good friend requires that you have the back of your friends every time and in every condition (except maybe death, and a federal crime), a disloyal friend is a liability, dead load (even worse).

So read this, evaluate your friendship(s) and make adjustments where necessary. The world needs better friendships.