Moi Verses

This issue of next of kin is a topic that generates lots of heated arguments. Unfortunately, many tend to misunderstand this very vital issue in our lives.

The hair-dressing salon, as we all know, with women is not just a place where we make hair. It’s more of a gist palace. It is a place where women get to giggle, socialize and gossip.

Some years back, I was at a salon to fix my hair when a gist ensued between the stylist and me. She said her next of kin is her under-aged child. I asked her why she didn’t use her husband as her next of kin, and she laughed and told me that I shouldn’t try it either. Her ignorance on the subject is palpable.

To date, I still find it fascinating that a lot of people use their underaged children as their next of kin even when their spouses are alive, and their marriage is intact. Many are ignorant about the term next of kin. We must shed light on it. We are usually required to write the name of our next of kin when filling out some important document.

There is a misconception about the term. That ought to be corrected. Who is your next of kin? The next of kin is your contact person when you are not available.

For example, aged parents can use any of their adult children as next of kin, who can make vital decisions concerning them.

If a couple have four children, two living abroad, one resident in Abuja, while the other one is in Lagos, with the parents. The next of kin should automatically be the one in Lagos, who is closer and easier to access than those who are a distance away when the necessity arises.

Now, to those who would rather have their under-aged as next of kin, the question is: Can that child make those decisions on your behalf at critical moments?

How about in cases of permanent disability or death, are you saying you prefer strangers to cart away with your money instead of your spouse who will use the resources for the family that is left behind.

When dealing with any financial institution your money is not automatically transferred to your next of kin. There ought to have been proper documentation and signing of papers before the money is transferred to the beneficiary and a mandate of who should get the money.

Much ado about LGBTQ

The barrage of attacks that heralded my last write-up on this highly controversial LGBTQ matter was terrific. That’s just to be mild. I didn’t expect less because I know most people will misunderstand the write-up and see it as a support for same-sex marriage rather than examine the moral issues raised in the course of dissecting this very contentious issue.

The feedback is something else! You guys came firing from all cylinders, ferociously tearing at me. What they considered as most offensive was where I wrote that I cannot judge “if the pope was right or wrong”.

Critics of my last article expected me to condemn the Pope. In a world driven by democracy, one of its pillars is freedom of speech. Now let’s set the record straight. The Catholic Pontiff just exercised his freedom and right to free speech in a democratic world. Just as you have your own right to take a stand on this issue, I also have the same, and the same applies to everybody.

The Bible says: Touch not my anointed and do my prophets no harm. The Pope is supposed to be the epicenter of morality. Should I be more catholic than the Pope?

In Europe, they have never condemned homosexuality. They believe it is part of society and people need to accept it. They want a liberal society where the rights of everyone are respected.

No matter what we believe, the fact is that the Bible and by extension, Christianity promote European culture. It is a subliminal approach. Africans are wired not to take details and facts into perspective. Africans pretend not to believe in the superimpositions of the European culture on their own through religions. We dress in the traditional attires of the European or Arabian to gain access to God. We model our lives after them and now, we talk in hush, hush tones about an agenda that will be realised through politics and the instrument of government. They are the masters of the game.

LGBTQ is already gaining ground in some African countries like South Africa and Kenya. It was not the Church that signed the bills into law. Their governments did it.

African countries are being coerced through the withdrawal of financial aid and threatened with sanctions to legalise LGBTQ. It almost happened in Nigeria at a time, but the National Assembly shot it down. It was around this time in 2013 that then President Goodluck Jonathan signed into law, the Nigerian Same Sex Prohibition Act, “In accenting to this bill on January 7, President Jonathan took special cognizant of the fact that the bill and its positions reflect the religious and cultural preferences of the Nigerian people,” noted Reuben Abati, who was the President’s spokesperson.

The law prescribes a 14-year jail term for offenders yet there have been attempted same-sex marriages in Nigeria. The most notable has been a mass same-sex wedding attempt in Ekpan, Delta State. At the end of the day, 67 suspects were arrested and detained by the police.

Rather than blame the Pope or howl on a columnist for airing opinions, ask the relevant authorities; How far? Where are the suspects? What is the progress report on the case?

Countries where right-thinking and patriotic policymakers are in charge, reject whatever is thrown at them by any foreign since they are convinced ‘it’s not good’ for their citizens. They are fully aware of the consequences, and are ready to damn it, because they can run the affairs of their countries without any external interference or aid.
Nigeria don’t have a problem with sitting on 51 or more mineral resources, yet it remains one of the poorest countries in the world and shares planet earth with a country like Singapore who have no mineral resources yet moved from a 3rd to a 1st world country.

My write-up which generated so much vitriolic, is just to shed light on those grey areas we feign ignorance or other negative vices of our society we view as lesser evils.

One of the most special edges this generation has over the former is the internet. We are currently at a time where information moves at the speed of light, yet many Africans will not still use the internet to source knowledge or follow international politics.

The LGBTQ is an imperialist agenda and part of the new world order. It was planned a long time ago. Some books and articles have been written and now they are beginning to implement part of their plans. The exact manner the Berlin conference was planned and executed.

We have seen videos on social media of schools where they are already teaching people new adjectives to describe humans. They no longer want Male and Female. They want other gender and other pronouns to replace the old ones we are accustomed to.

The Europeans came together during the Berlin Conference of 1884 to plan how to rule Africa. All their plans were achieved through divide and rule and colonization of Africa. To date, most of those policies and tactics used to conquer Africa are still very much in place.

No matter how well we tend to shy away from the truth, the truth remains the truth even if no one is talking about it.

I have seen some videos of medics of African descent sacked from European/ American hospitals for praying for patients.

In Nigeria, I have seen so-called ‘men of God’ tell their congregants to write their ailments on a sheet of paper and tear it with the blood of Jesus Christ. The Video of a pastor commanding money into his followers’ bank accounts from various banks’ vaults once went viral.

Even those who handed the religions to us were not at any point this stupid. I have read almost eight volumes of God’s Generals. These are men who did great and mighty feats in Christianity. Yet, some of them questioned things they didn’t understand and made room for further improvements that the later generations are benefitting from.
It was from one of the series, God’s General; that I read how development started in Europe.

Nigeria never see the need to discuss or look for a way of creating a fair, just and equitable society. But any time the Europeans speak their own truths, Nigerians catch cold.

In 2023, the Netherlands shut down the 23 prisons in the country because there were no more criminals to put there.
Iceland also recorded almost Zero criminality. Same can be said about some other advanced nations. Yet Nigeria where our religious houses and worship centres are increasing in multiples was, in 2023. the leading country on Pornhub; a hardcore pornographic site.

In March 2022, France banned Pornhub and 4 other sites from its cyberspace. In Dubai, China, Russia and other conservative countries, pornography is a crime.

The brand of religion in Nigeria puts people in mental slavery. Luckily, we are in a time where the truth cannot be hidden for too long.

Good people, Great Nation
Take charge.

em>Ms Mosunmola Omokunga is a social analyst, public speaker and commentator she can be reached on:mosunomokunga@gmail.com

Pope Francis, LGBTQ and Our Inbuilt Hypocrisy

The internet is agog once again about the proclamation of the Catholic Pontiff, Pope Francis granting blessing to the highly controversial same-sex marriage.As usual, Nigerians are commenting, ranting, and giving the topic a head start even in our national discourse.
It is our past time, to address and dissect popular topical issues, Nigerians are sentimental people rather than logical, and fact-dealing.
We tend to be biased and emotional. We often don’t deal with issues to tackle their root causes or to arrive at a logical conclusion.
It’s not for me to say Pope Francis was right or wrong.
What I am putting on the table here is the hypocritical nature of typical Nigerians and why we like to Judge other people who sin differently. After all, as the saying goes, ‘there is no small sin’.
One of such topics, that most of hypocrites in the Nigerian society, love to discuss freely is homosexuality and they begin to form ‘holier than thou’ once the topic is raised.
I won’t be addressing anyone’s sexual orientation because I’m not a sexpert.
My duty as a social scientist is to lend my voice or pen to a cause that will shape the thinking of our society to be more constructive. Talk is cheap and we cannot continue to be silent if not fools will continue to multiply and dominate the space.
According to a statement issued by Catholic Bishops and published by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Thursday, the Catholic Bishops opined that blessing same-sex marriage is against God’s law and, the cultural sensibilities of Nigerians.
NAN reports that the statement was signed by its President and Secretary, Most Rev. Lucius Ugorji and Most Rev. Donatus Ogun respectively.
Every advanced country of the world developed systems that are peculiar to their own needs and aspirations and obviously, they have achieved their developmental goals.
America and other advanced Nations adopted LGBTQ and that has not stalled their all-round development.
LGBTQ has been a part of every society since time immemorial.
I have read many stories of great inventors or geniuses who are gay. To date, their works are still celebrated even though they passed on hundreds of years ago.
One such is Leonardo da Vinci, a 15th-century genius and inventor who was bisexual, as depicted in a popular movie done in his memory, To date, his works earned him a memorable mention and he is celebrated all over Europe.
In Nigeria, it’s a regular occurrence for negative news about religious leaders committing sacrilege in cyberspace. We ignore Pastors’ adulterous relationships with members’ wives, extra-marital relationships with young girls and some even commit the unpardonable, incest. All because it is not LGBTQ matters and we are now on the rooftop, blaring, all because a priest made a passing comment on gay matters.
This year alone, I have lost count of religious leaders who have been caught in an unholy romance with female congregants. Yet that’s a ‘small sin’.
Killing for money rituals, kidnapping, incest, and other abominations are almost now part of our culture and these bunch of hypocrites are quiet about all these.
Some of these people condemning gay marriages, most times, commit this same ‘big sin’ in secrecy.
Over time, it has been proven that these self-acclaimed righteous ones in Nigeria are in the class of the most toxic and wicked reprobate souls who have no conscience.
Like I always say, some Nigerians definitely think God is a fool.
The truth is that we tend to be more Catholic than the Pope. Most of those who are shouting about gay and the forceful American agenda and are quick to judge are often those who sexually harass women be it in religious environments, workplaces or tertiary institutions.
Every day we hear news scandals involving high-ranking religious leaders and we don’t bring down the roof over these stories. I think morality and judgment should start from the house of God.
One man even said people should not be hard on religious leaders who were found wanting with female church members. We have been inundated with ‘touch not my anointed and do my prophets no harm’. That can only apply to God’s prophets not those committing several criminalities, using God as a cover.
One thing I have also noticed about Nigerians is that everything seems right until when the same person becomes a victim.
I believe the proper way to address the issue of LGBTQ is for us to get our priorities right.
The world can never respect the black race until we begin to take charge of our destiny.
All these atrocities can only be addressed by good government.
It is the government that controls every other arm of the society. But what is the calibre of men in our public space? How have they distributed the resources entrusted in their care?
A self-acclaimed righteous person who spends more time praying and busy doing only church or mosque activities and is not relevant to things that will better the society is worse than a gay.
Weeks ago, Russia passed a bill criminalizing gay activities in their country. Russians are not religious like Nigerians.
China also criminalized gay marriages. China is also not a Christian or Moslem country.
But Nigeria who takes pride in religiosity is deep in many disgusting news that breaks every second.
Many Nigerians are currently Joining LGBTQ for economic gains. Which viable economic structure have we built? No single part of Nigeria has celebrated a day of constant electricity supply. Not even the presidential lodge is spared. This is an oil-producing country where prices of the same commodity have jumped out of the roof.
The best way to tackle an issue is to evolve systems that tackle the problem.
Most Nigerians sabotage and don’t want to play any role that will help improve society.
Many can’t spare their time, money, or energy for events or programs that can transform society.
They will rather pretend to be in churches or mosques praying fervently but in reality, they are sadists.
Poverty in the land and hatred for one another needs a more popular approach to address.

Good people, Great Nation
Take charge.

em>Ms Mosunmola Omokunga is a social analyst, public speaker and commentator she can be reached on:mosunomokunga@gmail.com

Let’s Rebuild our educational system.

Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it.Marian Wright Edelman

I was chatting with a friend some time ago about the national broadcast by some of Nigeria’s past Presidents.

She opined that what she hated the most during some of the National Broadcast was that the Leaders couldn’t pronounce Nigeria properly. I quickly interjected and told her that I used to notice their pronunciation too and thought it was influenced by their accent until I attended a program at the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria and discovered that the President and some other important political office holders attend special courses where they are taught how to pronounce some words properly especially words like Nigeria, states of the federation etc.

What beats my imagination was that How can only an insignificant group in the population be taught how to pronounce the name of their country and states properly?

Unfortunately, only a few celebrities and some of us have had to pay to learn how to pronounce the same names.

At least, as citizens, the correct pronunciation of the name of the country should be a matter of necessity and part of the school curriculum which we are supposed to learn right from elementary schools and not a product of adult education.

This brings to fore a review of our educational system.

At an event I attended recently in Lagos. One of the speakers (name withheld) mentioned that she is a university lecturer and according to her findings, the journey of adjusting the curriculum takes about 10years,

This is something that shouldn’t take more than one week. The reason for the delay is just unnecessary bottle necks and bureaucracy.

The importance of education cannot be overemphasized as development thrives on literacy.

The most antagonized people in this country today are the agitators for a better Nigeria. They are vilified for exposing the lies that the masses have been fed with from generation to generation.

When education is not given adequate attention all the structure of the society are in jeopardy. In fact, a mantra says “when you want to destroy a nation and its people, just destroy the educational sector, then sit back and watch the nation go down.

In Nigeria of today, we are currently doing well with accumulation of degrees and certificates. But for us to record significant improvements in our society, everyone needs to be taught how their knowledge can translate into viable and sustainable solutions.

“The great aim of Education is not knowledge but action” noted Herbert Spencer. Many of those on the frontline canvassing for a better society, often time, stop at writing series of articles and policy papers that never get implemented.

We are in dire need of a mental shift to ‘take action’. Enough of asking God what we ought to do for ourselves.
In all advanced Nations they rely on action. Unlike Nigerians who are praying for what God has empowered us to do.

In the 2023 Budget, Nigeria budgeted 2.98 trillion for education which represents 13.4 percent of the budget.

For years Nigeria’s allocation to the education sector has always fallen below the recommended benchmark for a developing Nation.

When we talk about education it also includes research laboratories which are almost nonexistence or functional. They hardly get funded.

The education system is supposed to fix and engage people. There are thousands of job opportunities not tapped into in Nigeria today because of the poor management of the system.

We need to have a system where citizens are trained to take charge in the society and build it to the level we desire. We need adequate training where people can handle manpower and machineries instead of outsourcing such to foreigners.

The United States of America and Mexico share a border, but the U.S is a first world country while Mexico is far behind in terms of development the difference is the investment in the educational sector of the U.S.

To get our priorities right, we need to educate a larger population of Nigerians that their education is not just to feed themselves and their immediate families.

Education is to fix the society and everyone has a role to play including you and I. It is private individuals who become public officials.

We need to start training members of the public enmass on personal development, volunteering etc. A person ought to have something to give back to the society. When one keeps taking without giving back, sooner or later there will not be nothing left to take.

We need to shift our society from consumption to production and this can only be attained through massive education.

According to Nelson Mandela, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”.

In category 4 of UN SDG goals which deals with quality education and lifelong learning opportunity for all. To attain the Vision 2030, focus and priority must be given to education because Education is the panacea for the future we want.

Let’s stop the blame game and swing into action.

The change we desire can only come from you and I.

Take Charge!
Good people, Great Nation.

em>Ms Mosunmola Omokunga is a social analyst, public speaker and commentator she can be reached on:mosunomokunga@gmail.com

Changing Our Historical Narratives: A Scientific Approach

According to excerpts from the book, History of Nations and How Their Identities Were Forged, a book written by Thames & Hudson.

A country’s history plays a vital part in its national self-definition. That is why most countries especially the advanced nations make their past a centrepiece of their education and their historical research, in addition, most countries make history a compulsory subject in school, recognising how vital a component it is in shaping national identity and in moulding society’s energies.

The history of Nigeria is a very controversial one which often leaves a series of trails of lies, deceit and misinformation.

We were told that most of our histories were not documented or written, and we were left with the scrambles or pieces of information that we needed to knit together to make sense.
Thankfully we are in a unique era which is the information age at least we make meaning out of all the pieces of information we can gather.

We need to understand our past and know where we are and where we are headed.
According to Marcus Garvey “A people without knowledge of their past, history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.

A writer and philosopher George Santayana said those who do not learn from history are bound to repeat it.
In an attempt to write our history some stories emanated that needs to be analysed and put in proper perspectives.

One of the popular attempts at addressing our historical faux pas is the claim in some quarters that Igbos are descendants of the Jews.

Another one is the claim that the Yorubas emigrated from Medina in Saudi Arabia, children of one Lamurudu who according to that school of thought was one of the ancestors of the Yoruba people.

Some traced human history solely to the biblical Adam and Eve, who they claimed gave birth to all the different human races on the face of the earth.

Let’s not forget that the world is no longer a global village, but now a global family.

Many Africans in a quest to find out our own truths devoid of distorted information handed over to us by tale bearers have also gone into deep research, hunting for facts because we cannot continue to feed ourselves with illusions.

No nation or people can grow without first knowing their truths, separate facts from fiction and ultimately build on the established facts.

Some of the findings by modern day African historians of this generation, who have traced their genealogy to establish their roots and origin, are definitely brilliant postulation to guide the black race to quit the long journey of going back and forth on topics that leads to dead ends.

The first one is the Igbo’s having their origin from the Jews in Israel and the Yoruba’s claiming origination from Medina.

The fact is if those accounts of emigration were true then the Jews in Israel and the people of Medina in Saudi Arabia are also supposed to have it as part of their own history that at a time, some of their own people emigrated and settled in West Africa.

Yorubas in Brazil, Cuba and other parts of the world have traced their origin to West Africa. We all know their settlements in these countries were occasioned by the slave trade.

Alex Haley, the great Afro-American historian and author traced his genealogy to Sierra Leone, his exploits were well documented in his bestseller book; Roots and was screened into an award-winning movie with the same title just as the famous lawn tennis-playing Williams sisters; Serena and Venus traced their own roots to Badagry in Nigeria and actually visited their ancestral town and were treated as guests of both the Federal and Lagos state governments.

Another story that needs to be put into proper perspective is the biblical story of Adam and Eve who were believed by some to have given birth to all the human races on the face of the earth.

According to scientific proof, if a white and a black couple copulate, they can never give birth to a fully-fledged black baby with our coarse and kinky hair. The child will turn out to be what we call “half cast” or in the latest terms “Bi racial”

It has not been scientifically proven that a couple gave birth to all the human races in the world with all the different features in terms of physique and outlook.

Many of the stories many people hold sacred are just stories to guide or manipulate humanity. Unfortunately, at the period most of these stories were concocted ‘the scientific approach’ to all these stories was not factored into consideration.

Today science has advanced to the point that an individual’s DNA can provide traces to his origin.

The entire DNA conducted on all blacks in the diasporas who were unable to trace their roots revealed that they have their roots in Africa. So far, no full-fledged black man or woman has been traced to either Saudi Arabia or Israel.

There are DNA tests now that not only reveal the father or mother of a child but their roots, origin and ancestors.

Nigerians and Africans are very poor history students, and we also love to delude ourselves and run away from the truth.

Truth can never change from being the truth even if no one is talking about it. A lie can never become the truth just because we fail to do thorough research or probably, we feel comfortable just believing everything we are told as the truth.

Many Nigerians spend more than half their lives studying the Bible or the Quran and many are ready to cut off a lifelong friendship or even kill anyone with a different or conflicting opinion to their existing belief.

Many Nigerians are unaware that the Bible has gone through several editions. In fact, there is a Museum in America today called the Bible Museum.

This is where all the old and contradictory or conflicting editions that are withdrawn from the public are kept.
To get our priorities right, the first step is that we must recognise that God is omnipresent. And righteousness is not by the number of religious programs or pilgrimages you attend.

People need to understand that God will not do for you what you ought to do for yourselves. The brand of leadership and religion we play in Nigeria is anti-development.

We need to teach Nigerians to take responsibility for their lives and society.

Europe, Arab or Asian Nations were not built by superstitious beliefs. People need to know the right skills they must learn to be relevant in life.

The black race cannot continue to hide behind religion and be contented with the toga of a liability instead of an asset to the world.

We have a history of never taking responsibility, we have still yet to change our pattern, which way forward dear black, bold and beautiful?

Good people, Great Nation.
Take charge!

em>Ms Mosunmola Omokunga is a social analyst, public speaker and commentator she can be reached on:mosunomokunga@gmail.com

Our Mumu Don Do!

Some few weeks ago, I was with a friend from the Eastern part of Nigeria when he received a call from one of his brothers from home, in the East, about a crisis that erupted in their village that morning and was undergoing a resolution mechanism as at the time he decided to called his brother in Lagos.

The story was that a woman was going on the street with a baby strapped to her back, an oncoming masquerade descended on her, flogged her even with the baby strapped to her back.

Aggrieved youths in the community reportedly descended on the Masquerade, removed the costume he was wearing and beat him to a stupor.

On her part, the woman was reportedly hospitalised as a result of the flogging she received from the masquerade
The matter was reported to the elders of the community, who in turn called leaders of the angry youths, pacified them with money to calm the situation.

The elders said it was a taboo to remove the costume of a Masquerade in public. I remember the 1st day I was to attend the Eyo festival in Lagos, I was informed that a woman could get beaten if she wears slippers or wear certain types of hairstyles. I treat that as privileged information. I beat a retreat.
In Epe, Lagos state, they celebrate ” Odun egba” a festival where people from different households will come out with canes and engage in a flogging competition. It’s so scary because they inflict so much pain and injuries on each other.

Earlier in August this year, three persons were reportedly killed following a violent clash between rival cult groups around the Osun-Osogbo ancient groove, during the festival’s grand finale.

Also, 10 operatives of the Nigeria Hunters and Forest Security Service (NHFS) were wounded by the hoodlums during the clash.
The incident threw Osun traditionalists and tourists into panic as people scampered for safety.

A video went viral recently where Ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo told traditional rulers to get up to greet political leaders. There is also another old video of the then governor of Rivers state, Nyesome Wike publicly ridiculing a traditional ruler.

All these issues need to be put in proper perspective.

Let’s start with the story of the woman who was flogged by a Masquerade.

Every society is governed by laws.

And every person in a society has a fundamental human right to walk freely.
A man hiding under a costume to flog a woman with a baby on her back didn’t just infringe on her fundamental human right.

He and his ilk constitute a nuisance to the larger society.

Even in war situations, nations involved don’t harm women and children.

What played out in the story of the woman flogged by masquerade is the government’s failure to protect lives and property which is the primary role of the government.

Culture and traditions are created by humans. Many of the traditions in Africa are toxic and mostly backed by evil charms.

For our society to grow we need to review and abolish barbaric laws that doesn’t align with fundamental human rights.

On the issue of Obasanjo telling traditional rulers to “stand up and sit down”.

The truth is that our kings or monarchs were truly the paramount rulers and the highest officers in the land before the colonial invasion.

Today, all traditional rulers are now appointed by political office holders. Our Royal fathers have no constitutional roles and are now stooge or election mercenaries who MUST deliver their domains to the ruling parties for political gains.

Some Royal fathers have ridiculed their stool and in the process lost relevance in the sight of right-thinking members of the society. A typical example is Oluwo of Iwo and the only self-styled Emir in Yorubaland, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Telu ll who openly denigrates our culture, and tradition and has openly insulted our heritage and ancestors. He has turned Yoruba history upside down, exalted and place premium values on the Fulani’s cultural values and their history more than the stool he was called to occupy and protect.

Stories abound of traditional rulers commit sacrileges unheard of in the past. One trended years ago for sleeping with his daughter, modern day traditional rulers are involved in land grabbing, kidnapping and other criminalties.

The problem is that we urgently need a national revival of our culture where we need to re-orientate and re-educate ourselves.

All over the world, Tourism is a multi-billion dollar industry that generates foreign direct investment. What we get from ours is sorrow, pain and anguish.

Imagine the gory incident narrated above happening during the Osun Osogbo festival. The annual cultural festival is one the very few festivals to have achieved international recognition as a UNESCO designated heritage site with UNESCO Site Id: 1118. Are we really serious?

America used to have traditional kings, just like Nigeria, the system was abolished and today they are a superpower.
In Nigeria of today, all our institutions are going through a crisis. We never get to discuss things that can lead to development. We also don’t evaluate, take stock or improve.

On a daily basis, we are challenged by the rising cost of living and no one can really advance any reason for its cause.

Please our mumu don do!.

Good people, Great Nation.
Take Charge!

em>Ms Mosunmola Omokunga is a social analyst, public speaker and commentator she can be reached on:mosunomokunga@gmail.com

Insecurity Nurtured By Poverty of the Mind

Last Sunday was thanksgiving Sunday. Quite a bunch of faithful stepped out for the usual testimonies and “praise God hallelujah.’ slogan.

The astonishing part of it was that three out of the testimony bearers stepped out to give testimonies because they entered “one-chance.”

One-chance is one of those numerous Nigerian coinages that has become notoriously popular over time and I won’t be surprised if it finds its way into the English language dictionary. It is a vehicle, disguised as a commercial vehicle but with the main aim of robbing innocent passengers. Remember that I mentioned it briefly in last week’s article.

The three testifiers are not related and they didnt come from the same area of the community of course, they didnt take off from the same location hence they got their treat in different areas of Lagos as well.

I once read an article on social media that said if a phone is missing in Dubai, it will be found, except if the missing phone was first located by a Nigerian. The import of this assertion is that: the average Nigerian is a thief.

I’m a 2016, graduate of school of theology from the Redeemed Christian church of God. As a result of that I have many friends who are ordained pastors and ministers of the gospel. So when the news of the abduction of Leah Sharibu, alongside students of Government Secondary School, Dapchi in Yobe State broke out in 2018, I was devastated and more devastated upon hearing about the release of some of the girls based on the condition that they denounce christianity and Jesus Christ and that she was held back because she refused.

I debated the Leah Sharibu issue with some of my bible scholar friends. I am a realist, I would rather face the reality than keep deluding myself, My humble opinion was that she took a wrong decision and will only end up as 1 of the wives of the terrorist and would be subjected to all forms of abuse. That situation has come to pass and today, Leah has been married off and has had babies for a terrorist and she is still in captivity.

I need to know. Which of these modern-day Pastors cruising town in high profile jeeps with gun wielding security men will not fail such temptation in the face of an assassin pointing a gun at their head?

Of course, the above brings to mind an examination of IQ of the black race and how we fail to take responsiblity for our actions, turn logic and critical reasoning upside down and thereby reduce ourselves to wretched of the earth amidst the multitude of treasures God deposited in our part of the universe.

Before you come for my head, as it is the norm when someone challenges the status quo, Let’s examine some issues here.

We all know and identified Abraham as the only man God identified as his friend. He is recognised as the father of faith, at least the two major religions, Christianity and Islam had their roots from him. Even at his level, faced with immediate and unforseen danger, he denied his wife Sarah, to protect his own life from Abimelech king of Gerar, who was lusting over the pretty woman until “God came to Abimelech in a dream one night and said to him,

“You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman.” When Karl Marx, a German philosopher, economist tagged religion as “the opium of the people,” he foresaw our situation and ‘mumuish’ approach to religion as a tool to manipulate the people or manoeuvre out of poverty by some lucky few.

There are Pastors and Imams who are richer than their ministries. They generated resources from congregations to build schools that average members of the same congregation can not afford, yet we all clap and called it the Lord’s doing.

Whenever there is a crisis in the Middle-East be it between two Arab nations or with Israel, a section of Nigeria boils depending on the side of the divide their interest is. The current war between Palestinian Hamas and Israel has provided an opportunity for some to display their ‘mumuism’ on global stage. I have seen very amusing posts on social media depicting it as a religious war.

This is a war over control of territory, Christians and Muslims are residents on both sides and they are victims of this war. How come some protesters march on the streets of Abuja and some key Northern cities chanting religious slogans?

And war or no war, Nigerians still embark on pilgrimage to Isreal and the Middle East. We are Catholic more than the Pope and are versatile more than the Mulahs of Saudi Arabia.

God gave us brain to use to better our lives and develop our society, yet we await God to do everything for us. Even, the holy book says work and pray, we manipulatively turned it upside down, able bodied men are in churches praying during work hours. Why won’t there be insecurity?

The job of the security is the task of the government but for the fact that Nigerians fail to hold their leaders accountable and pretend nothing is happening until another citizen falls to insecurity.

It is worthy of note to mention the latest statement by the former Chief of Army staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai who disclosed that the insecurity in Nigeria was created by the political class and that only a strong political will, can eradicate it.

Buratai spoke at the 2nd stanza of the 2023 National public service lecture and the 65th anniversary of the University of Ibadan alumni association of 3rd November 2023.

It was written in the holy writ in Luke 11: 9-13
..ask and yea shall find…

How do we find peace in Nigeria when we are not asking for it?

‘Our mumu don do’

Good people, Great Nation.
Take charge

em>Ms Mosunmola Omokunga is a social analyst, public speaker and commentator she can be reached on:mosunomokunga@gmail.com

Poverty Induced Insecurity

A female lecturer at the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, Niger State, Associate Professor Sherifat Funmilola Adefolalu, was on Sunday found slaughtered in her residence in Minna.

The report said she was found dead in her residence at Gbaiko area of Minna, off Bosso Estate, in Bosso local government area of the State.

It was learnt that close relations and friends tried to get in touch with her earlier but could not get through to her in the early hours of Sunday.

Disturbed by the strange development, it was learnt that some of them traced her home and they found the late lecturer in the pool of her blood.

The chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), FUT Minna Chapter, Dr Bolarin Gbolahan, while reacting to the gory incident, opined among other things that “the level of insecurity is becoming worrisome and something must be done before we all become victims of systemic failure.”

When I first read about the late Professor’s murder, what flashed into my mind was ‘another cult group has struck.’ Blame me not, cultists have turned Nigerian Universities into citadels of insecurity.

The scare came nearer after watching the above clip from TVC News. A gang of teens had committed such a heinous crime? How did we get here!!!?

Teenagers, so daring to slit the throat of a fellow human? I remember an equally unpleasant and scary story of a teenager in neighbouring Abeokuta, who lured his girlfriend into an uncompleted building in a secluded area and in connivance with two of his friends, killed the lady, severed her head and burned it for money rituals when local vigilantes caught them in the act.

It also brought to mind the gory tale of an incident I read in the papers some years back. It was about one Alhaja Sikirat Ekun, a society lady, she was single and lived alone in an apartment in Omole, her assailant, Adewale Oyekan, a Lagos prince and son of the immediate past Oba of Lagos, Late Adeyinka Oyekan, accused alongside her domestic worker, Lateef Balogun, of strangling the hapless woman to death and threw her corpse in a well.

Adewale and Balogun committed the offences around 1 a.m. on October 1, 2012, at the deceased’s home at No. 5 Babatunde Ladega Street, Omole Phase I.

The deceased had employed Adewale as the manager of her restaurant, while Balogun was Ekun’s domestic worker.
However, Balogun’s employment was terminated following a dispute with Ekun, which led to a conspiracy between the convicts.

It was gathered that the convicts killed the deceased, threw her corpse in a well in her compound and took over her business and properties, the two were subsequently arrested, arraigned in court and sentenced to death.
But the deal has been done.

Reminiscing on childhood and growing up in FESTAC area was nostalgic. There were no perimeter fences in the neighbourhood until robberies started happening and people had no choice other than resorting to self-defence and the first step was to erect fences. Those barricades killed the beauty of FESTAC which in its early days was the ideal garden estate.

I’m fortunate enough to have read in the dailies, long before it started, that a terrorist group will emerge and wreck havoc on Nigeria. True to the report, years later the deadly Boko haram extremist group started dominating the headlines.

Most of the security crisis didn’t start today, it has always been part of our growth too. I remembered what would have been a traumatic experience for my own family. A strange woman had kidnapped one of my sisters. Luckily for us, she had not escaped from the neighbourhood when she was spotted and my sister rescued. Cases like that happened years back, we were only lucky.

What has developed into kidnapping for ransom money today has been rooted in our society since then. As society is growing, modernization catching up at the speed of light, the vices too are not slowing down.

The dailies serenade us with frightening stories of insecurity and massive corruption in high places, an indicator of a failing society.

The level of insecurity in Nigeria has reached a devastating crescendo. One chance, the acronym for robbery while in transit, which used to be the exclusive scourge of Lagos has found its way to Abuja. About two weeks ago, I watched a video of a one-chance car in operation.

The vehicle was at high speed even as the victim battled with his captors with the car door wide open.

In Lagos here, a man dropped his car at the mechanic garage and boarded a yellow bus from Ojota to Maryland to keep an appointment slated for 10am, but for his timely suspicion and saying it out, the guy seated next to him by the window side behind the driver, pointed a blood-stained knife at him, he quietly surrendered his phone, as demanded and was let out of the bus as it tried to manoeuvre the small traffic at Odo Iya Alaro bridge. As for the rest of the passengers on the bus, only God knows their fate.

Last week on the 18th of October, The Punch Newspapers published the story of a 40-year-old Maison, Mr Lekan Sunday who raped a prophetess, who had engaged him for work in the church, in broad daylight.

No one is really safe again. Petty traders are not spared. A woman that I buy petty things like crayfish, egusi, ugwu and all that from has had her shop burgled about five times within a year. Same, for another one, who retails noodles, garri, beans and rice in the neighbourhood.

Security is one of the basic services the government needs to provide. Sadly, the leaders in Nigeria are not fond of looking the way of the masses until another election year. Even Pastors ride in bulletproof cars with security escorts while they advise their congregants to fight armed men with prayers.

Our lawmakers are set to cruise SUVs priced at N130m each in a country where hunger and starvation are sending many to early graves. Rather than address the root cause of insecurity which is poverty, successive governments have paid attention to luxuries of office.

If half of Boko Haram fighters had access to secondary school education, the story could have been different and surprisingly, the masses who ought to demand a responsive government as well as a better society are busy scrambling for crumbles from the table.

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the current ruler of Dubai, who serves as the vice president, prime minister, and minister of defence of the United Arab Emirates, in his book “ My Vision” Challenges in the Race of Excellence opined that society must take development as a priority because the more development is delayed the tougher the crisis the society will face.

Pastor Sam Adeyemi in one of his popular messages in 2021 declared “The reason why Nigeria will go from crisis to crisis is because Nigeria as a Nation doesn’t have a culture that basically aligns with principles.

And all the problems boil down to economic factors. Money is fundamental to the survival of humans and a society needs to create an economic structure that enables people to make money in legitimate ways.

True social stability is linked to economic stability

Good people, Great Nation.
Take charge

em>Ms Mosunmola Omokunga is a social analyst, public speaker and commentator she can be reached on:mosunomokunga@gmail.com

Deadly Romance With Corruption

A few days ago, I watched a scary video of a fully built estate and its beautiful houses pulled down. It was in a highbrow part of Lekki in Lagos state, the den of the nouveau rich and highly influential.

The madness didn’t start from Lekki, it began from Banana Islands, reputed as Nigeria’s most expensive real estate. The home of the high and the mighty.

Mansions valued in dollars were pulled down for obstructing drainages or circumventing other building regulations.

Earlier in the year, Festac hosted the Lagos demolition squad and left on its trail rumbles of what were once beautiful houses and some people’s private enclaves.

Demolition squad is not peculiar to Lagos alone. Even the newly appointed minister of the FCT, Abuja, Nyesome Wike, barely weeks in office, unleashed his own squad on some areas of the Federal Capital, all for contravention of building rules and regulations.

These demolitions have been on for a long. Its been happening and still happening. People’s sweat have gone down the drains for offences ranging from building such on water’s right of way, contravening building regulations or outright illegal land allocations.

In 2022, Joseph Egbiri, aka Prince Kpokpogri, who once had a love flight with controversial Nolly wood actress,
Tonto Dikeh watched helplessly as his N700m valued house was pulled down for the same offence as listed above.

Must one wrong always lead to another?
Where were all these regulatory agencies at various stages of construction? Where are the town planning offices of those days? How about the urban and physical development office? Who approved the building plan? In most cases, lands in these areas are allocated and sold by the same government whose excavators are now trampling on structures built on it.

In most cases, demolitions occur at very short notice. Some one week and others 21 days leaving valuables running into millions of Naira at the mercies of the bulldozers. In most cases, victims of demolition exercises suffer more losses from the after-effects such as health-related issues and traumatized for life and of course poverty.

One thing that is at the root of all these plight is corruption. Were town planning officers bribed to approve the building of those houses in the wrong locations?

Aside from Omo Oniles, who are mostly crooks claiming ownership of lands as if they are God who created it, there are areas where you can’t just buy land except from the government, so who bribed who to get such allocations?

The effects of corrupt practices in Nigeria’s housing sector are what is manifesting and it’s massive. When the government is not demolishing,
structures are coming down on their own all because someone, somewhere is cutting corners, using substandard materials, evading or bribing regulatory officials to allow water to pass under the bridge.

According to Farouk Salim, Director-General of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Nigeria has the highest number of building collapses in Africa and this calls for a radical response from the federal and state governments.
Recently, cases of collapsed buildings have escalated and Lagos is the epicentre.

Among the 221 cases recorded in Nigeria in over four decades, Salim said Lagos, the country’s largest cosmopolitan centre accounts for 60 per cent.

These cases call for serious concern because continual building collapses in Nigeria have led to loss of lives, and jobs, and eroded confidence in the real estate industry. Clearly, government regulatory agencies in the sector have failed to ensure quality control and compliance, backsliding in their duty to deliver consistent inspection, transparent approvals, and enforcing standards.

According to a report in the PUNCH of May 10, 2023, the Building Collapse Prevention Guild recorded at least 62 catastrophes in 2022, causing 84 deaths and injuring 113 persons. Lagos had 20 cases, while Kano and Anambra recorded five building accidents each, and Delta and Jigawa four each. Also, 135 cases were reported between 2007 and 2013.

Recent cases have been reported in highbrow areas of Lagos and in densely populated areas leading to multiple injuries and deaths.

A seven-storey building on First Avenue, Banana Island, Ikoyi, collapsed in April, with no deaths reported. Gov. Sanwo-Olu blamed the Lagos State Building Control Agency for duty dereliction.

In the same month, a three-floor building in Apapa GRA collapsed. Again, it was revealed that the Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory had sealed the building, but the recalcitrant developer continued working on the site.

This is a pattern in Lagos, suggesting that the state government simply cannot enforce work stoppage orders.

The developer of the Ikoyi Foreshore 21-storey ongoing structure that eventually collapsed and killed him and 41 other persons in 2021 had similarly reportedly defied regulatory ‘stop work’ orders.

In my area, the obituary of a man and his two sons who died last week in a building collapse brought tears to our eyes. It’s so painful because I know his wife, a bread seller in the same neigbhourhood. The sad story was that the house where they lived, collapsed, killing the man, his 2 sons and other co-tenants.

Another sad story occasioned by a building collapse happened in my neighbourhood about 3 years ago a young couple, both first class degree holders perished when the house they were living collapsed. The wife was pregnant and the husband was the only child of his parent. The incident happened shortly after their return from the church.

All these are traceable to poverty. To gain undue financial advantage, someone somewhere has cut corners and the after effects are devastating.

At the end of the day, we console ourselves that it is the will of God. God does no evil.

We are the architects of our misfortune. Poverty has caused us the ability to feel pain and that’s why we are accepting all the shits coming our way.

Good people, Great Nation.

Take charge

em>Ms Mosunmola Omokunga is a social analyst, public speaker and commentator she can be reached on:mosunomokunga@gmail.com

AGN, Mr. Ibu and Implications of a Non-functional Healthcare System

According to reports, popular hip-hop star – Mr David Adeleke, who’s notable stage-name is Davido, and some other people, including the ex governor of Kwara State and former Senate President, Dr Bukonla Saraki, have pledged to offset the medical bills of Mr Ibu.

The matter is also generating a lot of controversies.

People are dragging Ms Kate Henshew who is the publicity Secretary of the AGN (Actors Guild of Nigeria). They are accusing her of not paying the hospital bills of Mr Ibu.

But according Kate Henshaw, the AGN had paid his medical bills before and that presently, there are other members of the Guild who also urgently need help, in the face of scarce and inadequate resources.

Unfortunately, the AGN is not buoyant enough and cannot continue to foot his medical bills endlessly alone since, it has now become a recurring menace.

It’s laudable and commendable that the actors have a body that they can turn to when issues of this nature arise.

However, it is also right to put the subject matter in proper perspectives by asking some pertinent questions.

Nigeria as a country has an institutionalized healthcare system and structure called the National Health Insurance Scheme – NHIS.

How come the AGN never deemed it fit and proper to take full advantage of the health insurance scheme by enrolling its financially active members?

And if the members have been registered with NHIS, how come that so far, none of the members have been able benefit from the scheme? .

With the publicity that the NHIS has enjoyed since inception, it will be inappropriate and therefore unacceptable if the directing minds at the AGN will claim not to know about the NHIS.

Let me also add that apart from the Federal health insurance scheme, the Government of Lagos State also established a rival scheme, with more affordable terms and conditions.

It needs to be stated that it is not the primary responsibility or duty of Actors Guild of Nigeria to foot the medical bills of their members.

The Guild could only have undertaken a group enrollment or registration or in the alternative, encourage individual members to key into the health insurance schemes by enrolling.

The failure of the thespians to buy into the scheme is clearly their fault and not that of AGN.

As much as they may claim to be ignorant of the existence of the health insurance schemes, it won’t be tenable as – ignorance is never an acceptable excuse in law.

It’s sad to reemphasize that every four years of election cycles, it is these same actors and actresses that the political gladiators run to for campaign support!

The same actors and actresses were always at the forefront of campaign plans, programs and events of all the different political parties – practically marketing candidates that the parties would have pushed forward to contest for various offices.

The reality however has always been that politicians only use and dump the actors and actresses after the campaign and once they get elected.

And we are here talking about the Nigerian political class who is never known to keep to their campaign promises nor deliver on them – even to the generality of Nigerians.

Sadly too, most of these actors and actresses travel abroad and just as the politicians, they also fail to replicate or copy some of the facilities and infrastructures that they not only see overseas, but also must have enjoyed while there.

It’s therefore a case of these actors and actresses becoming victims of the ills of the societies that they have helped to create

Senator (Dr) Bukonla Saraki donated money and to the lay man on the streets or wherever, he is seen as a kind and generous political godfather and he automatically becomes a hero .

The people will hastily fail to remember or forget in a hurry that Bukonla Saraki is from a family whose members have occupied various high offices and exercised political powers at one time or the other, in the history of our country Nigeria.

They have had the privilege and opportunities to have initiated and built, along with their ilks in power, not just basic or standard but world class hospitals and health care centers in the country.

Somehow, they failed to – knowing fully well that these are parts of the gimmicks and strategies that they would be using to confuse their dumb, impoverished, gullible and non-discerning followers.

*The implications of lack of a functional health care system.*

If someone in the class of Mr Ibu – who is so famous and very popular, and therefore seen in the public eyes as well-to-do could resort to begging for alms, as the last option, so that he can pay to keep himself alive, it is better not to imagine nor experience the lots of the average common man.

In functional societies, where it is universally understood and acknowledged that people will naturally take ill, at one time or the other, everything is done to not only ensure that both basic and advanced medical facilities are established, they are also guaranteed to function with zero tolerance for breakdowns and timeouts.

It is a sine qua none that anyone and everyone will suffer from illnesses and diseases during their lifetimes and these are without regards to their levels of education, religion or faith, economic and financial muscle, social status and other classifications.

World renowned British scientist – Mr Stephen Hawking had series of health challenges and conditions to the extent that he became paralysed and couldn’t talk.

They had to fix a device to his brain and used a computer with a screen to transmit his speeches!

Notwithstanding, until his death in 2018, he remained a very popular guest on the world famous global TV platform – CNN.

Sadly in Nigeria, quite apart from the failures of successive governments at the various levels, some non-medical, medical and healthcare professionals are known to make huge gains people from the sick just by helping to connect them with overseas hospitals and medical centres.

There are others who carry sick and infirm people around our highways, under unhelpful and unhealthy conditions, and keep them exposed to attract sympathizers for alms and donations.

In some cases, their mission is never to raise money for the treatment of the sick and infirm but just to amass so much money while playing on the intelligence of the benevolent and magnanimous passers-by.

That is how low the Nigerian society has degenerated into.

In advanced countries everyone is entitled to basic health treatments, facilities and infrastructures.

It is your right as a citizen to enjoy health insurance and allied services.

Hopefully, either through the dint of hard work, miracle or magic, we will get these things right one day soon.

Good people, Great Nation.
Take chargee.

em>Ms Mosunmola Omokunga is a social analyst, public speaker and commentator she can be reached on:mosunomokunga@gmail.com

Poverty Index 1: Lack of Healthcare

The video of Mr John Ikechukwu Okafor, Nollywood’s bigwig whose stage name Mr Ibu, is currently trending. As it has become the norm, he is asking Nigerians for help to pay his medical bills.

Norm,because it has become a usual thing for celebrities to go that way in moments of health crisis.

Nigerians did it for Babatunde Omodina, aka Baba Suwe, Ojo Arowosafe, the famed Fadeyi Oloro too as well, celebrated music producer, OJB Jezrel, Leo Mezie and others.

These are indicators that the Nigerian society is long overdue for health insurance.

That is supposed to be part of the welfare packages a citizen is entitled to.

With health insurance, citizens can get treated at subsidized rates. What this means is even if your financial capacity cannot adequately foot your bill. You get government intervention as your right . Not on a beggerly level.

Sadly, this is not the case, many people end up spending all their resources on health and some people go bankrupt in the process.

In Nigeria many are confused about the meaning of poverty and of course why some of us are agitating for a better Nation.

From my study of Nigerians most people don’t understand what governance is all about and that in itself is a huge problem because many are already victims of the ills in the society. And a far high proportion of the population are operating far below their potential.

The new international poverty line is set at $2.15 a day . It replaces the previous 1:90.

$2:15 is about N2,000. When we multiply N2,000 by 1 month that is about N60,000.

Do you know there are graduates in Nigeria earning less than N60k a month.?

And can you even imagine that some of these graduates are married people with children?

God forbid that such a graduate with a family member, a family member has a life threatening sickness how does he pay the bills.

Many watch their loved ones die before their eyes because of hospital bills.
Even the ones that have money, some of their family members who takes care of them sleeps on the floor in an open space in the hospital. Those family members sometimes fall sick as a result of exposure to harsh weather or mosquitoes bites.

I have read the stories of some people on Facebook who brag about how smart they are and how much they make daily and think those people who are making less than 2 dollars a day are not smart enough.

Most times when I read such stories its amusing because such people are ignorant who don’t understand what governance is all about.

They also do not understand what leadership means. And that’s the major reason Nigeria and Africa is backward.

If the leaders in all advanced countries think in such a manner, there will never be development.

Development is when a country have basic infrastructures such as electricity,health care, education and it is affordable and accessible to all its citizens.

I chatted with a man to buy some health products to the tune of 90k. He said he cannot afford it. This is someone who I saw products worth 10 million in his shop. He said he rather opt for local herbs of 6k.

His reason was other expenses he has to cater for. such as the school fees of his children etc.

That is what ignorance and poverty mentality does to most people. He rather buy an unregulated products.

Most of these local herbs end up causing additional problems. Like kidney damage, heart attack etc.

Whereas, I know some Nigerians who have been living abroad for more than 20 years. They can’t boast of 5 million in their accounts but they have access to world class health facility.

Most Nigerians don’t even know about health insurance.

I remember the amazement that gripped me the very first time I heard the word pediatrician in the news room. And one of the editors was laughing because I said I never heard the word before.

But the funny truth, I had a pediatrician as a child. But, to us then, every medic is a doctor. That I didn’t know they call children doctor pediatrician doesn’t make me poor or qn illiterate.

Go and trace the childhood stories of most of your public figures, then you will know the true meaning of poverty.

Yet, the moment they rise to certain position of authority, they turn around to inflict pain on the citizenry.

Sometimes, I’m tempted to want to believe the masses deserve the treatment they are getting from the leaders.

On the other hand, I know that God didn’t distribute intelligence equally and that’s the reason i still write.

The quest for health insurance is to make the lives of every Nigerian count.

Good people, Great Nation.
Take chargee.

em>Ms Mosunmola Omokunga is a social analyst, public speaker and commentator she can be reached on:mosunomokunga@gmail.com

Lend Yourself Brain

I have read many stories that shaped my view about life. I have also conducted studies into people’s mindset and by extension their view about what life is all about.

What I learnt about life is that this life itself is a mystery. A huge one for that matters and till date. So many mysteries have gone under the carpet, unresolved. I’m giving you this information so that you can begin to search for your own truths or special record to break.

One thing I find fascinating about life is that I cannot make anyone understand what they are not prepared to understand. Your understanding of my posts is your responsibility.

I read the story about one of the greatest men ever lived, a genius and inventor, Albert Einstein, Who had his brain removed and studied when he died. Infact while checking Google, to confirm his name I discovered, there were other geniuses whose brain were removed and studied. The reason was to find out the uniqueness that gave him the special edge over everyone else. My people……. They couldn’t find any special cell.

Another amazing research was on Mental health. They took the brains of some mentally challenged people and studied it over a period. They found nothing that led to their mental illness.

Although some mental related issues are caused when some nerves are not sending the right signals to the brain. However, there are cases where every cell in the brain of the patient is intact but their brains still malfunctioned.

These studies are one of the many other mysteries yet to be unravelled that made scientists conclude that indeed there’s a power that controls the affairs of men.

The reason why examination was invented was to test the IQ of students to know if they understood what they were taught.

I have seen students asked to withdraw from the university as a result of their poor performances. Infact, I witnessed the case of 2 handsome boys from same parents with my 2 naked eyes.

I have asked more than enough questions which I expect answers or solutions. One of the questions that I asked is that why is it that everywhere BLACKS are gathered their country is usually in penury, there’s always conflict, confusion and you people are always deceiving yourselves with Religion.

Please answer all these questions before coming to tell me what you think about what I think because my thinking and writing are products of facts and figures.

I have taken my time to watch and study Nigerians since 2015. I paid special attention to most of the major leaders and of course the followers.

The result of the study are amazing and the reason I still find courage to pen down my thoughts is because I found out that my Life is Nothing but a pencil in the hand of my creator.
In 2015, I had series of attacks, that were severe, both physical and spiritual, infact I had assassination attempts, I still had another assassination attempt in 2019. These incidences strengthened me that this life isn’t mine and I should spend my last minute here to please my creator.

Let me even tell some of you the blunt truth. I will keep telling you the truth. That’s what I owe you. Your evil imaginations about me cannot come into manifestation as long as the Lord is on the throne.
And to the glory of God till date . God has been faithful. All the evil plans of the evil ones will never come to pass in my life.

Till date, my life is a roller coaster of God’s glory back to back.
My prayers this day is that God will open the mind of our understanding. The day I got scared was when I read that God can harden the mind of people in other to punish them.
The choice is ours to make.

Good people, Great Nation.

Take charge!!

em>Ms Mosunmola Omokunga is a social analyst, public speaker and commentator she can be reached on:mosunomokunga@gmail.com

Time for cultural renaissance

Many people view culture as though it is biologically transmitted or a genetic factor. This isn’t true. Culture is learned.

What is culture? Anthropologists and social scientists define culture as a learned human behaviour or patterns.
English Anthropologist, Edward .B. Taylor in his book Primitive Culture published in 1871 said culture is that complex whole which includes Knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom and other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of the society.

Culture includes arts, beliefs, customs, inventions, language, technology and traditions.

In Nigeria, we need to learn about the significance of culture on our psyche and start the Cultural Revolution. Our approach to culture, presently inhibits growth. Many are still stuck in centuries old culture. They don’t innovate or understand that culturally, each generation must evolve and be better than the former.

Not few of our people believe that our culture is totally wrong. According to the late Professor Abosede Sophie Oluwole, a distinguished philosopher, “ we cannot disregard our culture”. In her words, “only a madman will assert that his / her culture is totally bad. No culture is good or bad in its totality. Just like everything else, we need to learn and unlearn some of our bad cultures so we can grow”.

Those that reside in Nigeria value foreign things more, to the extent some schools now teach children phonetics. You want a child that was born and bred in Nigeria to have the accent of a foreigner?

While Nigerians living abroad prefer homemade products to the ones in their countries of abode, we living in Nigeria have developed an insatiable quest for anything foreign. Nigerians at home are selling houses to travel abroad, while the ones sojourning abroad are sending money to build houses here. These best illustrates the irony of our preference for foreign culture.

In a nutshell, we love home from far away and dislike the society we have created for ourselves. We only love it when we see how others hold theirs in very high esteem and try to have a sense of belonging just to compete.

We prefer everything else that is not of our own origin. We believe God resides in Europe and Arab, and have told ourselves from generation to generation that anything about the blackman is hell. Some of us even back up such claims with verses from the scriptures such as darkness can never overcome light. People translate it that Africans cannot develop because it is the will of God. Others claim we are the descendants of Nimrod the son of Noah who was cursed in the bible. Little wonder, in the film; Jesus Christ Superstar, Judas, his betrayer was depicted as a blackman. It was as if we had no religion before the advent of Christianity or Islam.

Our traditional religious system was not totally evil, what makes it bad are the practitioners who are the product of our own society. Forgetting that leadership itself is a product of the society and by extension, governance is between the leaders and followers.

We have sold the most devilish narratives to ourselves and programmed our minds for total failure in this aspect.
The best of our work of arts are ‘assylumed’ in American, British and German museums returning huge economic benefits for the host countries and it beats one hollow that if those bronze or golden sculptures and quality wood carvings were demons as we were made to believe, why were they having difficulties returning our ‘demons’ to us? .
The young are dying their hair, white, while the oldies are dying theirs; black. Confusion.

Any society that plans to develop must be focused on science and technology and not all these crazy and mentally lazy and silly junks that has taken over our society. In the advanced societies, while their children are in the laboratories learning coding, space technology and robotics, ours are in Bible and Qur’anic schools getting indoctrinated with beliefs we don’t even obey to the latter.

Time for cultural renaissance is now!

em>Ms Mosunmola Omokunga is a social analyst, public speaker and commentator she can be reached on:mosunomokunga@gmail.com

Our Languages, Not Inferior 

A few years ago, I took a three months short term course in French language. I did it solely in pursuit of more knowledge, in addition to what are in my kitty and as the saying goes, no knowledge gained is wasted.

Fortunately for me, it provided an opportunity to learn some other lessons beyond the ability to speak the language. It gave me an eye opener to the fact that no language is superior to the other and every language has its own unique flow and dimensions.

That experience brings to fore the negative perception some of us have towards our native languages. Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi, once cried out about the level of neglect pervading the Yoruba language pointing out that Yoruba language has failed to move with current time and has failed to assert its identity among respectable languages ruling corporate relationships in the world.

The monarch therefore challenged Yoruba scholars to rise up by conducting intensive researches to coin Yoruba equivalent to some foreign words, tools and devices.

Typical of our nature to be reactive instead of proactive, his statement caused an uproar which has abated without any plan or structure to address the situation.

One of the first lessons I learnt was that my teacher and the proprietor of the French school are both Igbo ladies. Interestingly, both of them learnt French here in Nigeria. My teacher said she picked interest in the language by herself and nothing really motivated her.

She is the type often described as having “ears for learning languages”. She was so vast in her knowledge that students come from other Francophone countries to learn from her and they were amazed at her fluency.

What I learnt from her is that no language is superior to the other and that every language have its own unique pattern. She made me realise that there are words in French that cannot be translated to English language likewise there are English words that cannot be translated to French language.

What this means that there are some words in our native languages that cannot be translated to English language and there are also words in English languages that cannot be translated to Yoruba language.

A way round it? The Oxford Dictionary, in its January 2020 updates added about 29 Nigerian slangs. Majority of these new additions are either borrowings from Nigerian languages, or unique Nigerian coinages that have only begun to be used in English.

So slangs like Okada, Chop-chop, next-tomorrow, buka, Kannywood, tokunbo, k-leg among several others are now in Oxford Dictionary.

Language is part of our culture, and any society that neglects its language may extinct. Over there, there are institutions saddled with the responsibility of updating and modernising their languages, such needs to be replicated here.

In this part of the world, in our lame duck position priding and showing off our dexterity in phonetics and Queen’s of King’s English, the Chinese have started teaching their children Igbo and Yoruba languages. I watched the clips and I was shell shocked. Do we really understand who’s knocking? The next colonial masters.

Speaking another man’s language doesn’t make you superior to your fellow brothers and sisters and there is a spiritual connection that one derives from speaking ones language.

Japan, Russia, Germany are typical examples of countries who don’t speak others people language and they are doing great. China had to revert to her native tongue when they understood the power of language.

The English and French languages are the most powerful today because they have invested heavily to keep these languages alive and up to date.
Whereas in Nigeria, culturally, we love everything foreign and relegate our own. We take pride in things that are of lesser value and publicly display our ignorance.

Advanced societies have institutions that takes care of the upgrade of the language. They make it fun to learn in the languages. Let the change we seek start from our corners. Our curriculum can be developed in our own languages.

Personally I retraced my steps when at age of 18, I discovered I couldn’t speak Yoruba fluently. Some people didn’t believe I am Yoruba.

So much that an old friend was amazed at my proficiency in Yoruba I engaged her for hours conversing only in Yoruba language. She commented ‘I noticed you can now speak Yoruba properly’.

I then told her how I invested in my personal development to not just sit on the fence but to lead the change from myself.

em>Ms Mosunmola Omokunga is a social analyst, public speaker and commentator she can be reached on:mosunomokunga@gmail.com

Our craze for titles

As humans, we all have similar characteristics. However, what sets each one apart from the other is mental programming and this will normally have both positive and negative influences on our actions, beliefs and thoughts.

The Knowledge one accumulate, parental training, school curriculum, belief system, cultural influence and others are factors that combine together to determine mental programming of an individual.

As social animals, humans have similar behaviours, the main reason social science have come up with concepts and ideologies to address the society and her numerous issues.

The world we live in today has passed through many stages of reformations. One of such is prefixes or as we call it in our clime, titles or what comes before the real names.

Last week, I did a piece titled ‘Proper way to address a woman in an official setting’ the fuss generated by that simple effort, to enlighten and educate is yet to abate.

One point of correction here, Ms. doesn’t mean Married Single as its being interpreted in Nigeria here, even by professionals who are supposed to be in the know.

By the way, how does a prefix becomes more important than your name? Steve Job, the late co-founder of Apple, the man who modernised the Apple phone brand to what it is today, remained Steve, till he died a few years ago. Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Mark Zukerberg are all simple Mr. Who title epp? Thank goodness, our own Femi Otedola has chosen to remain simply Mr, even though a senior Fuji musician once dashed him the title of Otunba in his albums.

In our clime, tittles are coined to address differences in status and educational accomplishments. But it’s being taken to an abusive level especially among the political class and the elites as well as a multitude of ‘follow follow.’

A friend once stunned me with the narratives of how he was rebuked by a Nigerian Local Government chairman, because he addressed him as Mr. in an official letter.

Our craze for titles have come so incurable to the extent that people are now on a procurement spree. I wouldn’t want to list honourary doctorate degrees and chieftaincy tittles, those ones are the exclusives to the moneybags.

I have witnessed instances where people in authority refused to attend to official issues because the would be beneficiary addressed them as Mr. or Mrs instead of Daddy, Mummy, instead of Chief, Prof., Dr. and others.

I have seen people cried foul, programme halted, MC hurriedly called to order all because the right title was not added when introducing one man.

The author of How to win Friends and influence people, Dale Carnegie, opined that “people seek relevance and acknowledgement”. So that makes it a universal phenomenon for people to want recognition.

But where a society lays more emphasis on an individual’s prefix than the solution the character brings to the table, becomes worrisome.

We are beleaguered by myriads of problems. The astronomical rising numbers of out of school children, instability in power and water supplies, decaying infrastructure and insecurity are major issues challenging Nigeria. How does a prefix before anyone’s name get us out of the wood?

Aside BVN for banking transactions and NIN to register SIMs, Nigeria, the giant of Africa has no functional central data system for anything. How does titles bring about a solution to these?

The Nigerian educational system has perennially suffered in silence. The eggheads in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions have not been able to recognise the box not to talk of thinking outside of it.

In over four decades, ASUU and its counterparts in Polytechnics and Colleges of Education have not invented any other method than strike action in dealing with its employers; the government.

The number 1 reason advanced countries are ahead is because they dispense energies on the value an individual brings to the table, harness the gifts that each individual wields for common goal which is excellence. The system is better and stronger when square pegs are in square holes and this ultimately produces a functional society.

Still on the response from last week, generally, women seem to have issues with the Ms, Miss more as a result of misconception. As I enumerated above, it doesn’t mean Married Single. It is just the opposite of Mr while addressing a woman in an official setting.
Do enjoy your weekend.

em>Ms Mosunmola Omokunga is a social analyst, public speaker and commentator she can be reached on:mosunomokunga@gmail.com