...and Oba Akanni was beaten: A Peep into 2015

Sayo Aluko

Oba Akanni, pictured pre and post grief

Ado-odo is NOT a suburb. This is sentence that gave me a see-through illumination about the cycle of cogitation I've had on the recent shocking occurrence which involved the broad-day beating and stripping of a graded king, Oba Akanni, the king of Ado-odo, situated in a quite industrial area of Ogun state, Nigeria. Ado-odo is not a suburb.

The Plight of the Nigerian Graduate: remembering Benbe Aladisa's dirge

Sayo Aluko

These last three months have been a time of both healthy and unhealthy reflections for me; it was in this period that my year-long nysc-induced pilgrimage to a distant terrain in river-rine Bayelsa ended, a moment where being a young man, the curiosity of the unknown is sandwiched together with the higher urge/demand for responsibility.

NIGERIA - A Nation at 50; THE PAST, THE FUTURE

Sayo Aluko 

"ARISE, O COMPATRIOTS" (1978-PRESENT)
Arise, O compatriots, Nigeria's call obey
To serve our Fatherland, With love and strength and faith.
The labour of our heroes past, Shall never be in vain,
To serve with heart and might,
One nation bound in freedom, peace and unity.

O God of creation, direct our noble cause;
Guide our Leaders right, help our Youth the truth to know,
In love and honesty to grow, and living just and true,
Great lofty heights attain,
To build a nation where peace and justice shall reign.

"NIGERIA WE HAIL THEE" (1960-1978)
Nigeria we hail thee, Our own dear native land,
Though tribes and tongues may differ,
In brotherhood we stand,
Nigerians all are proud to serve Our sovereign Motherland.

Our flag shall be a symbol, That truth and justice reign,
In peace or battle honour'd,and this we count as gain,
To hand on to our children, a banner without stain.

O God of all creation, grant this our one request,
Help us to build a nation where no man is oppressed,
And so with peace and plenty
Nigeria may be blessed.

Written above are the stanzas of the Nigerian national anthem, both the old and present; and over the years, I have personally had varying definitive and somewhat emotional attachments as to what they really embody.

This is a heart balm...an effective one at that!

Sayo Aluko (Monday, December 27, 2010)

I've read this poem many times, and for the umpteenth time, it's heart-grasping effects bore afresh on me anytime I read it again. It's tiltled "INVICTUS" (latin 4 d  word 'undeafeated").have it too  below;


_Out of the night dt covers me,
Black as d pit frm pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

_In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

_Beyond this place of wrath & tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds & shall find me unafraid.

_It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged wit punishments d scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
                   _by William Ernest Henley (1849–1903).

Complexes, the 'depleters' of Human realness

Sayo Aluko  (Tuesday, October 20, 2009)

I hate complexes!

Hmmmn...this sentence can normally go for/as a cliché on everybody's mouth(s), but, are we really sure if we're absolutely free from exhibiting complexes,...are we sure if we ain't still absent-mindedly living in subjection to either of these two malaise of nature that rob us off d rewards that stem from exhibiting exemplary realness in/of human living?.....inferiority and superiority complex(es)....

Inferiority complex, on one hand, is what will make us claim that we know a lot about a lot, while we really know no bit, all in d (dis)guise of trying to "feel among".

Superiority complex, on the other hand, is what will make us claim that we have/know a lot MORE about a lot, while in d real sense, we have/know only a "helpless" bit, all because of vainful ego.

These two mindless, retrogressive and stagnating killers are both scions of Pride.....and the choice of living under any of them culminates into irreparable fatality.

What we all probably know is that Pride alienates us from God and from "deserving" favour...and….

...in fact, yes, you simply become alien to God...you and God repel like south and south poles.

I pray this will not be our lot...So, we've got to undergo a quarantine, a check that will rid our human nature from complexes...living a life of no faking and no fronting, but of always being YOURSELF, I mean, your humble self...plssssss, Don't ACT it....I bet you'd love it like that!......mind you...

....ain't no Preacher!

WARRI Chronicles - The Better, The Worse, The Uglier.

Sayo Aluko (Friday, January 14, 2011) 

As our bus approached this acclaimed innocuously uncivil city generally-revered for infamy in many sorts, I was curious, expectant and a little bit felt as if I needed an extra sense of security. The situation was exacerbated by my resident aunties, who kept calling and saying " Sayo, hold my bag very well oh"…But,really, something in me repetitively intoned that Warri town isn’t all about this its hyped reportage of dis-courteousness.

Throughout my 21 days in this land, I saw that she’s largely, yet, a microcosm of differing shapes, depending on your vintage and vantage point. From all the experiences, I concluded that she’s a land of the better, the worse, and the uglier,…not just the good, the bad, & the ugly.

Their Lifestyle---
Warri, being the crown capital of the Niger Delta, anything generally accepted there, is believed to be an extension of things widely acceptable throughout d region. All that defines them is hustle, hustle, and hustle in all kind of forms both imaginable and also unimaginable. Their crave for getting money, “easy moni" as they call it, will leave you gobsmacked. Their lack of respect for each other will make your forget d existence & definition of culture. Their ingenuity in carving illegality as legality both in commerce & language, will make u feel as if u need rehab. Their quest for endless edgy pleasure of/in every query-form, will make u feel so holy like a No.1 heaven candidate.

D “BETTER”--- Warfarians, as they fondly call themselves, truly are warriors in most facets. They show characteristic relentlessness in their causes. It’s ‘cos of this fact, dt u see most of them always expressing their gross desires to be independent; it’s quick to hear them chant phrases like “na ur money?”, “na my body na”…,they just want to do everything on their own, & most times,it works for them. Also d correct Warfarian possesses this perceptive glance, dt gives d ability to make almost perfect views abt anything seen. Plus , they are sincere people, sincere with their weaknesses and strengths, they rarely fake it. They are also technically witty in their own ways. For example, in Warri, running a football viewing center biz is needless. They all, I mean ALL of them (both ‘pako’ & ‘butty’) watch choice cable TV stations in d comfort of their homes & even their stores; not b’cos they’re all rich, but it’s b’cos it’s incomprehensibly cheap. Jst pay 500(five hundred) naira per month & u’ll watch a choice& rich blend of Dstv/Hitv/Viasat 1 stations,d most exclusive Supersport channels inclusive! How they do it, I don’t know (…and it’s not as if I duly approve of this.looooool)

D “WORSE”---Warri is dirty. Without exaggeration, I can boldly say dt they are a twin to d Pig in terms of “cleanliness”, ’cos even in d “tush” places, their drainages are a stagnant-load of wet dirt & debris. Thruout my stay, I kept wondering how an epidemic hasn’t occurred still. Also, d typical Warri niche is too nonchalantly set up & too pleasurably laced to an extent dt it will take a Herculean effort for any person who grows there, to have d penchant for thorough & sound education. It isn’t as if they don’t go to sch, but they do so with deep apathy, only very few ones make it into tertiary levels, thus, most of them end up as artisans. Then, teenage & youth life is jst somehow; hardly wil u see a lad with a normal hair-cut nor wil u see a lass with a modest make-up. Almost all d young guys I saw had d currently raved “Gallas-like” hair-cut, while d young girls too always wear more than necessary make-up dt make them look like badly designed LCD TVs. Both sexes mostly wear “pencil this & pencil dt”. They’re jst too superficial for my liking! Again in Warri, they live too hazardously. For example, d Premium Motor Spirit (commonly known as Petrol) is freely hawked without fright in kegs & bottles & also sold in kiosks like a domestic commodity.

D “UGLIER”--- Sincerely, I haven’t seen a so much vulgar society as dt of d Warri conurbation, vulgar both in language and cravings. Their crave for sexual pleasure bludgeons morality into utter dungeons. Their standard for a girl’s beauty detests me. In Warri, it’s not d character or even d face(if thinking physical), rather, d moment a girl possesses a heavily-architectured backside, either flaccid or turgid, she’s d toast of d guys…(& most times, d “thing” is even flaccid,,,,looool). For most teenage girls I saw, their believe for maturity is sex, so, hardly will u find a chaste teenage girl around. If u find one, she‘ll be feeling inferior. The guys bliv dt since d females’ population outnumbers d male, they have d right to multiple-date, worse enough,d girls also bliv dt it’s true& they seldom have any problem wit dt. Also,I saw dt d University of Pick-pocketing & Rabid theft is situated in IJABA (d part of Warri, infamous for d learning of near-perfect ways for theft).According to d stories given, u dare not wear ur jewellery b4 arriving at an event,u’ll have to keep it &then use it when u get to d venue. It’s dt bad! Because of their strong desire for ever-flowing pleasure,u'll find a beer parlour after every 10-mile distance...So,I wasn't bemused when i found out dt d "wealth" of d average Warfarian is thrice more volatile than methylated spirit.In a minute,u'll see them shouting,.."...i don hammer..",,&then,in d split minute,u'll be hearing..."..wetin i go com chop sef,..hunger oh,.."... Really,it is not as if i'm a "VILIFIER" of d Warri enigma,rather,i'm simply trying to balance my experiences in this mesh-work. And i'll really advice dt this piece shouldn't be misconstrued as d perfect precis for all dt Warri can be or has ever been. I say there's more to come frm me abt my experiences wit this clan of both ingenuous & ingenious homo sapiens,in d 2nd part of my Chronicles of Warri- d beta,d worse,&d uglier. THANKS 4 reading... ...loooool

...and this "sheerLUCK" or Sherlock of a Proud Pawn called President!

Sayo Aluko (Sunday, April 10, 2011)











.....If Goodluck Jonathan were not vacuous and

clueless about the actual demands of leadership

like all his other PDP co-travelers, he should have

been putting forward some of his past and

present outstanding accomplishments, if any, for

which he should be judged qualified for

continued stay in office. I am sure if there were

such a thing, they would have long unearthed it,

repackaged it, re-branded it, remolded it, and

added a few spices here and there with a view to

serving them fresh to us as his selling points. But

because there is simply no such track record

anywhere and they couldn’t possibly

manufacture any, they continue to beat about the

bush over qualities that do not exist.

For instance, whereas Dora Akunyili and Nuhu

Ribadu can both be remembered for their giant

strides at NAFDAC and the EFCC respectively, Oby

Okwesili as the Due-Process lady, Okonjo Iweala

for championing the repayment of our foreign

debts, El Rufia for the restoration of Abuja master

plan, Donald Duke for TINAPA and its tourist

potentials, Fashola for his re-invention of Lagos

and even Atiku Abubarkar for his instrumentality

in the appointment of some of these achievers, if

for nothing else; What can we ever remember

Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan for, right from

his days as the Environment Director at the

OMPADEC to Bayelsa State House as Deputy

Governor and Governor, and now the Presidency

as Vice President and President?

What is he bringing on to the table as his

bargaining chip for our votes, so he can remain

in power beyond May 29th, 2010? Nothing! Apart

from the old, time-worn argument that his name

is Goodluck (or Bad Luck?), and that he has never

stood in any election before and still managed to

become Governor and President in an ‘electoral

democracy’- such a contradiction and an irony of

fate, and therefore he definitely must be our

modern day Messiah like we have heard said

about a thoroughly disappointing and disgraced

OBJ. And ironically, this Messiah (Jonathan)

happens to be one without any known strong

virtues, neither capable of a holy anger or sense

of repulsion for evil or corruption in wherever he

has served- OMPADEC, Bayelsa and the

Presidency.

Just pause for a moment to think about it: what

can you possibly recall about the OMPADEC,

Bayelsa and the Nigerian Presidency especially

under Yaradua & Jonathan but that they were/are

all riddled with a common denominator, notably,

corruption, looting, mismanagement, cronyism,

lack of leadership and cluelessness. That was

why OMPADEC collapsed, Bayelsa is a failed state

even though received so much money so far,

and the Presidency isn ’t working.

These facts go to prove that, perhaps, the only

thing that is legendary about this Goodluck

Jonathan is his silence, his muteness, his

diffidence, his timidity (please, read complicity,

collaboration and connivance), often mistaken for

"loyalty" and "unassuming disposition", in the

face of monumental corruption and mis-

governance like we saw perpetrated under

Horsfall ’s OMPADEC, Alamaesigha and Yaradua

and still going on in present Jonathan’s

government.

Unlike Moses or Jesus Christ- other types of

Messiahs, this Messiah is known to put up with

anything and everything and can hardly rock the

boat lest he and his co-looters collectively drown.

He ’s neither hot nor cold, and still expects not to

be spewed out. He is deficit in character, courage,

decisiveness, originality and integrity. A man that

is not worth his signature on the PDP ’s charter on

zoning, how can you ever take seriously his

verbal utterances- mere campaign promises

made out of desperation for power? A man so

desperate for power he has no qualms

campaigning with the ghost of a dead man. And

a dead man, who is just who just got turned a

looser in a power game that has Jonathan

together with his co-gladiators positioned as the

sole benefactor in the aftermath. Now, what can

you ever do or achieve with such a man?

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

And talking about co-gladiators, ever wondered

about the kind of friends our dearly beloved

messiah had been intent on keeping around

himself so far? Tony Anenih, Gerry Gana, E. K.

Clark, Gemade, Dangote, the Vaswani brothers,

Oghadiome, Adoki, Uduaghan, Ohakim, Donald

Etiebet, Danjuma, Alams, Otedola (please help me

add more names) - some of Nigeria ’s most

rapacious elements. A case of “Show me your

friends and I will show you who you are”, huh?

Ever wondered why he’s ever so ready and

enthusiastic in negotiating and making

compromises with everybody and anybody (IBB,

Atiku, Ciroma, Dokpesi, Olusola Saraki etc.) in

what appears to be an unquenchable lust and

desperation for sheer raw power dripping with

slime, filth and lucre- power reeking of foul putrid

stench. We would be watching with keen interest

to see how this unfolding macabre dance drama

would be finally resolved and in whose ultimate

favor

My Camp,My Candour of Experience!

Sayo Aluko (Monday, March 19, 2012}

I wrote this note using the MemoPad of my Blackberry,and while I read it over again before copying and pasting it here as a note, it still unsettles my assertion.
The Bayelsa's Kaiama NYSC camp is an environment of uncouth "conduciveness" contained by a bunch of varying genes of men whose acts, stances, views and stories,which when heard,will terrifically tilt a thinker's thoughts.

A lot of things seen. Heard. Viewed. Gazed. Told. Said. Tolerated. etc; from the day's parades to the night's paroles, from the "pain" of the day's unnecessarily long courses/lectures, to the "gain" of the night's male-hostel laugh chatters; and to the gross acts of ignorance shown by the grouse pacts of whoring women,etc,...but, quite stoically, I, Oluwasayo Olumide, met 3 lads from the northern hemisphere of our country - Zaccheaus 28,lives in Gombe; Al-Amin 27, lives in Kaduna; Kilishi 26, lives in Jos; trio all studied in Zaria.

After listening to them at different intervals, all I asked them and my bemused mind was "WHY"...& they'd all simply grimace a smile; they have no answer.
Looking at them at different times, all I saw through my astonished gaze are survivors,true survivors, I saw lads whose experience-modules have been "psychedelically mutant-ed",like say mutated.

Hear Zaccheaus; " See Soyo (sayo), it was just beside my house that two fiful (people) came down prom(from) bike with guns and shot  and killed 28 fiful inside a Deeper lipe (life) church. Soyo wuhaklahi (walahi), na by whisfer (whisper) me&my pomily (family) take escafe (escape)"

Al-amin; (He shook his head and simply giggled after my long, rage-ridden-talk about Zaccheus' reportage and started talking)-- "Shayo, ai (I) nefa (never) dey peel(feel) am again ip (if) fiful die now; por (for) Kaduna, you go dey see dead bodies burnt on d ploor (floor) efriwhere (everywhere), smelling like suya ! (roasted meat).
( hearing that, the trio laughed, but all I saw was delirium, and not a laugh at all!). He continued," I don loose many close priends (friends) in a sflit minute.|| I then said "ehn, fli what?" || again, he still chattered "sflit, sflit"; a quick snap-thought in my head,then I said "okay,u mean 'split minute'?", yowaaa",Al-amin retorted.

Kilishi suddenly shouted "gbooaa!,gboom! epriwhere, dead bodi epriwhere. Almajiris are ruthless. Some op(of) them enter my school to rafe (rape) one girl, apter(after) which they shook her frivate fart (private part) with broken bottle por (for) which she die straight! || Sayo then asked "who are Almajaris?" || he replied by saying, " though, some op them are truly begging, they are bad people who always fretend (pretend) like beggars, they are the ones who most time connive with the Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati Wal-Jihad (boko haram) to slaughter fiful (people) everyday anyhow, Soyo (Sayo), just anyhow".

Sayo was at these three times gobsmacked by the plethora of conundrum formed in just a 3-letter word - "WHY". Why must these lads be made to pass through all these sight and sounds of gross and humanly "unforgivable" blood-thirst, bloodbath and bloodshed ! The word "WHY? WHY?" just kept summarizing my choleric outburst at these human-extincting cum vampire-extancting actions of some crude animals tagged "Boko Haram"! HAA!,I'm unhappy..but yet again.......,hear the Miracle:

I decided to attend the sunday NCCF church service,on a "low-key". It was time for worship, and woolaahh! Al-amin+Zaccheus were part of d choir/testimony givers and as if that wasn't enough, it was Kilishi who led this choir/testimony!. At that point,my heart just went antarctic!; I felt the rush of my ingratitude gushing through all my reins and veins.I pondered, "How can these guys still think of God's-Almightyness and praise Him for it? Why are there no grins on their faces? How did they manage not to complain like I sometimes do when I'm faced with challenges extremely smaller than what they've faced and seen.In a "sflit" minute too, my WHY change to HOW and then back to WHY in these modules:

-WHY are these killings, bloodshed and traumas not prevented,at least divinely?
-HOW did my 3 friends get the gusto to still praise despite their traumatic traipse?
-WHY can't we and I and they still praise God, knowing that HE alone is the one who architects and orchestrates the whole design(s) behind our lives? Right?

I met the trio after church service still greeted by their "worry-lysing" smiles,after which I then approached my hostel. I then again retorted, pondered and re-retorted in my mind,..still thinking about that my first "WHY". God's divine design? What is God's design, Sayo, what is God's design,divine design? What is it? I got to my hostel and I just slept!

Criminality among youths and its impact on the image of Nigeria

Sayo Aluko (Friday, April 13, 2012)
(A paper written&presented by Sayo Aluko on behalf of his Platoon @ d NYSC Orientation Camp,Kaiama,Bayelsa State)

Nigeria is the most-populous black nation in the world, and for its significant youth population, decades of under-investment in the social sector and the failure of employment generation programmes have combined to create a climate of unrest. The volatile mix of rampant poverty, inflation and joblessness has led to a situation where criminality very often seems to be the only means of survival. Of the many pressing challenges facing Nigeria today, youth unrest and violent crime are arguably the most distressing. Over the years, this has been highlighted in cyber crime, sex-related crimes, drug trafficking,kidnapping and armed robbery; the most recent being of the Boko Haram hellish menace, all of which have played major roles in putting a derogatory stamp on our country's image.

What are the Basic Causes and Challenges
1. Moribund Educational modules which is abetting Youths' crimes: Mismanagement and recurring strikes in the Nigerian educational sector have institutionalized a legacy of intellectual poverty and criminality among youth. Unchecked persistent strikes have led to progressive deterioration in infrastructure and academic quality, leading to criminal activities among the youth, which correlates with criminal and mendicant (area-boyism) behaviour among youth.

2. Unemployment plus Hostile Economic and Infrastructural niches: We all are familiar with the clichéd statement which states that "An idle hand, is the Devil's workshop"; that is what serves as d bane of the Nigerian youth. As it is now,even though credible data is lacking, local media reports indicate that half of the Nigerian population of 167 million are youths, 85% of whom are unemployed. Decades of economic stagnation and poverty have conspired to drive a large chunk among the Nigerian Youth to crime and violence from early on. And's there is little doubt that the country's long-term goals are irrevocably tied to its ability to reclaim this youth force from unrest and mobilise its economic potential.
These unpalatable indices are the banal obstacles facing Nigerians in general, and its youth in particular. Business opportunities are, moreover, not equitably distributed over rural and urban areas, a condition that hexes development of new ventures and expansion of existing ones. A practically non-existent rail network and the extremely poor condition of roads have combined to further hamper the country's business environment and investment climate.
Electricity is another area of concern in this context. Power availability is far short of demand, to say the least, and supply is largely erratic even in relatively developed urban areas. Most businesses are forced to run on expensive generators, while frequent outages leave many other facing break-ins and other criminal activities.

3. From a non-sentimental purview, it can be inferred that most of the religion-induced or culturally-biased bouts of youths' criminality and violence, mostly typified by acts of insurgent sects, cultism, and militant thuggery,e.g, Boko Haram, Buccaneers, MEND,etc, are mere outcomes of both the hijacking and exploitation of the idleness,the poignant exuberance and the religious ignorance cum fanaticism that speckles the robe of the Nigerian youth. This is as worse as the fact that the government has been known to grease these violent acts by using its youths to both procure and fester post and pre-electoral violence.

4. High Entrepreneurial Mortality: Entrepreneurship development has also been hamstrung by a slew of financial factors, poor access to credit for small businesses being the most prominent. The absence of credit and tax regimes sympathetic to entrepreneurial realities is a core area of concern, together with the predominance of lending through debt over equity. Low standards of education, restricted access to vocational training programmes, limited use of technology and the high cost of doing business in Nigeria are additional aspects requiring resolution for the country to achieve rapid entrepreneurial growth.

What are the probable solutions?

Reversing this trend calls for a fundamental shift in official outlook and vigorous changes in four key areas:

1. Training and Education: Since the spine of youths' criminality has been shown be fundamental ignorance, this article recommends that for the nation’s education to have an impact in reducing crime there is need to inject vibrancy into education in order to encourage and enhance educational quality/quantity.

From the perspective of entrepreneurial development and youth mobilisation, the importance of wholesome and practical education simply cannot be overstated. The Nigerian government appears to understand the magnitude of its importance, and successive regimes have undertaken sweeping policy decisions in this direction. Before leaving office in 2007, president Obsanjo made entrepreneurial education mandatory for college students of all disciplines across Nigeria. The current dispensation under President Jonathan continues to place great importance on vocational training and skills development programmes for the youth by way of equipping them to meet business challenges. However, such measures need to be standardized across the education system and quality-upgraded to meet current realities.

2. Government Programmes: As of 1999, the federal government has initiated several landmark measures to foster enterprise development, including setting up of the National Directorate of Employment, the Medium Enterprises Development Agency and the Bank of Industry. However, more effective steps are called for in order to increase youth participation in developmental schemes and in shaping social consensus on important macroeconomic issues. Encouraging youth leadership in both the public and private sectors through developmental and aid-providing government programmes, remains crucial to leveraging their full economic potential.

3. Financial Restructuring: Access to capital being one of the biggest setbacks to promoting youth entrepreneurialism, Nigeria needs to focus on devising and implementing radical policy changes in the financial sector. Banks and lending institutions require outlook-reorientation and sensitising to small business requirements as part of effort to boost financial access to emerging enterprises.

4. Rural Development (for productivity): Recruits for youthful criminality and unrest are mostly from the rural areas in the country. The uncouth penchant to get rich/influential by rushing to the urban areas and also the poverty/idleness are the two major baits that violence perpetrators use to waylay and eventually recruit youths domiciled in the rural areas. Hence, special attention must be given to develop business opportunities in rural areas, which significantly lag behind the urban regions,both qualitatively and quantitatively. Sufficient care must be given to enforce policies that favour localised and socially relevant enterprise across the varied Nigerian landscape.

Conclusively,the problem of youth unrest in Africa's second largest economy cannot be viewed in isolation from its larger socio-economic challenges. Nigeria must acknowledge its historic failure in meeting the aspiration of its youth, and come up with creative solutions that sufficiently harness their energies for durable and inclusive prosperity.