That day is coming

There are many things I believe in, but one thing I know, it is what we visualize that we can actualize

Our history as a nation has been plagued with many experiences,

Experiences to challenge us,

Challenges that make us search within for that inner revelation,

To remind us that we are is what we make of our existence

I might be naïve but I believe current events are not experiences in isolation,

There are implications deeper than our rational minds are able to conceptualize,

The cosmos has designed our path to ensure what we birth together is beyond what currently is,

The idea is for our generation to bring forth a Nigeria that works,

And I see it coming

The day is coming when our youth will pursue the desires of their heart and not rely solely on the vain advice of their peers,

Not chase the desires of the main stream, but engage in those unique causes that relieves their burdened souls,

It will be a nation that engages the strength of the strong,

The courage of the bold,

Harnesses the wisdom of the elders

To protects the weak, and rear its offspring

Everyone would have a family they can point to,

A household where father will be faithful,

Mothers will be selfless

And children will be true

We would have families creating enterprises

And parents leaving behind an inheritance for the generations coming

This would be one where families stand as units and contribute their effort to build a community they love

The communities they build would be designed on principles that enable individuals and households alike achieve deeds; deeds capable of reinforcing those elements required for self sustainability.

Our communities would be divided into units that can attend to different aspects of our collective needs

As some units farm,

Other will teach,

As some entertain, other will manufacture,

As some of distribute, other will finance

Every unit will provide support that will sustain our concept of life and how we envision we would live it

And they would be rewarded

Not for their class, or affiliations,

But for their efforts

Our communities would minimize involvement in cultural activities as there are little benefits that can derived from such

Those functions would be restricted to marking milestone

They would be used to mark significant events, rather than as a display of opulence or a proof of good things to come.

In the place of these flamboyant ceremonies, we would invest our finance, passion and minds in the development of trade relevant for self actualization and community building.

That day is coming, when our leaders will be philosophers and our politicians, men of insight,

They would create visions that engages the natural, cultural strengths of communities

They would develop policies that unleashes the enterprising nature of the average Nigerian

They would understand the pride in creating a nation capable of attending to its need

That time, our farmer would feed us,

Our teacher will train our children,

Our engineers will construct our bridges

And the wealth we create would not be found in the land of strangers

That will be the time the giant of Africa will awake.

I visualize a future, where I would be proud to be a Nigerian.

Junkies

It gets windy at night
And when it does he goes to his favourite spot, somewhere along Jalingo Street,
He squats behind the abandoned blue sedan with his legs resting on the wall
He lights up the joint,
Opening the entrance to his Junkie Heaven

During the day, he encounters stares as he strolls in his only apparel, that torn brown sagging combat trousers that exposes his pubic to the view of all willing to see,
His collection of scrap, gathered during these strolls, are exchanged for money,
Money that is later used to buy dope and food
In the evening, he returns back to Jalingo Street,
For that spark that leads to Junkie Heaven.
And to begin his journey again…

But Tuesday was different,
Nobody could hear that sob, that sound of a tormented soul hovering back and forth experiencing ecstatic pleasures known only to those that indulge,
There wasn’t the usual clattering of cans and discarded mental as Hamad drags his most precious items in preparation of tomorrow’s supply
In two days, we all began to get worried on what befell dear Hamad
There are too many possibilities we could conceptualize
But as human, there are limits to the scenarios we can construct
Remember, rationality has boundaries

Boundaries that are further limited in the absence of our Hamad,
A reminder of the worse that can happen to a man
He puts in the minds of our offspring the idea of that thin line between humanity and the beast, forcing them to act in their best
Visualizing the lower limits of human evolution gets us up in the morning
It is with this knowledge that we developed mean to diligent manage our lives and construct our community
Hamad weakness, ignites us to aspire

In his desires to rise above his demons, he frequents the abode of the reformers with that cry for help
Their remedy to him is just enough to return back in a state, worse off that he started
At every attempt to break free, he is remind of the shackles on his wrist and disastrous covenants made during his years of innocence
They tell him of unattainable goals and targets he can’t achieve
And this forces him back to Jalingo street
A feat that keeps the reformer employed

Our search party went into action to find him lying by the riverside, overdosed
We gathered together and attended to his wounds
Against his will, he was treated and restored,
Restored to return back to his hopelessness
Which was our desire because:
- in it we find hope
-in it we find our desire to rise
- in his hopelessness we sparks our joint,
And opens the gate to our junkie heaven.

The Coming New World Order

Thou, oh king sawest and behold a great image. Whose brightness was excellent and stood before thee; and the form was terrible. This image’s head was of fine gold, and his breast and arms of sliver, his belly and his thighs of brass…….
Thou sawest till a stone that was cut without hands which smote the image upon his feet and were the iron and clay and brake them to pieces………….
……………….and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain that filled the earth.
----------Daniel 2: 31-35


The desire to meet the needs and requirements is what makes men organize.
Understanding that needs and requirement are not static, is what makes the style of governance evolves.
I feel capitalism is dying
I feel a new generation craves a new world order.

The flaw that crippled the initial empires (ruled by kings and the heirs) was the inability to transfer understanding through generation.
Such led to moral decadence and inability of the heir in upholding the basic principles that positioned and made their ancestors.
Receiving power too early also created distance between the heirs and the people they rule as they couldn't tap into their heartbeats;
It made their souls clamour for something new.
The desired to be functional and to be integrated into the main stream;
Their scope of thinking felt that was all was required to have a fruitful existence.
Equality was on the lips;
The desire for socialism was born.

Socialism leads to the creation of massive infrastructures and large institutions.
But it lacked that human element; it opened room for complacency.
Citizens felt entitled to what they received; they had no vision because they had no hunger.
Mass welfare provided just enough.
Again the soul knew it needed more.
It needed people to take initiative.
People would no longer be products of what society dictates but what they desire to achieve and will be rewarded for it.
Capitalism was born in this dilemma.
Survival of the fittest became a quest to live, by any means.
The creative torch was revived and peaked but lost as individuals tried to monetize all they saw.
Stock market crashed, global economic meltdown, and credit crunch became the result of people trying monetizing everything around them.
The message that has been sent down the tunnels of time is one that has been delayed for a long time; it is a message people knew must be said but no one had the courage to say it;
CAPITALISM CANNOT SUSTAIN!

I believe that the divine has a reason why systems of governance had to evolve like this.
I believe it is essential that before the coming of a new order, society must be convinced that certain methods of organizing people cannot be maintained.
It must be understood that the only way a society can be led is when the enlightened are positioned in areas of their strength to make decision.
Between transiting from one style,
The poets would be burdened with poems,
Singer willl sing,
Artist must paints,
All in an effort express that inner conviction that is something wrong.
All sort of artistic expression would ignite people to act to collaboratively change the world around them.

The new world I see is one where passion would determine who does what.
Everyone would realize that they are entitled to only the value they contribute.
People would work in their area of strength with no rivalry.
The Government & religious bodies would work in unity to put meaning into where the society is going,
to and put life into the objective people set for themselves
They would receive voluntary contributions from the functional units within the society.
This fund would be used for welfare, crime management and social integration programs.

Companies will be setup to focus on implementing the vision their founders passionately sought to achieve.
They would voluntarily invest in infrastructure and education of the young (the potential leaders and future employees).
Because their visions are fueled with passion, services they provided would not be spurred out of response to competitive action, but out of a desire to actualize something within.
Employees would see their jobs as a learning ground; places where they can get hold of their passion, set up their own businesses and create new opportunities for the next generation.
The new world order would achieve all that the ancestors aimed to achieve:
• Legacy,
• General literacy
• And creativity
But it would do something different, position the right people in the right place at the right time. I see that as the future.
I see that as our peak, in the evolution of man.

Never ending Rhythm

Think of a life & think of a melody

everyone is a Beat

A Beat is the sound that we bring

It is the sound of our work

as we till the earth for substance

It is the sound of our essence

the sound we make during interactions

Each Beat is who we are

An appearance of similarity

embodied in perfection

Yet unique in expression

All part of a song

A song that has been weaved up since creation

with every action resulting in a different flavour to the eventual sound

Though every Note made destines out to accomplish a personal purpose,

There is no awareness that it's ways are being orchestrated by the divine to sound in harmony with the times of the song

With every death, the tune changes

The melody loses a Beat

Even when replaced,

The New never sounds like the Old

With these departures,

the new Beats that are born ushers in a new era,

a new melody,

a new sound, in the melody of life.

(Dedicated to Micheal Joseph Jackson, August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009)

All time favourite Movies

Fight Club

Adaptation

Truman Show

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Stranger than Fiction

In my opinion, these films are timeless classics.

Does that say anything about me?

Becoming

Who am I?
I ask myself that question,
‘Cos who I am is not static,
It is an evolving experience,

I know who I was,
I know who I have been,
But I am not sure who I am.

It is not written what I am yet to experience
And how my reaction would affect my version of reality
How it would open a new part of me
Revealing hidden strengths and weakness
And with that transformation,
The manifestation of a new me

So when I tell you this is who I am,
Be sure to know that I am referring to who I was,
Cause I don’t know what I am becoming

Whisperer

The loudest words are heard in the silence,
At that point when nothing else can be heard,
It might be a whisper,
But it is capable of charging the atmosphere
And making men act with an objective in mind

To a passerby, all statements appear to be a mixture of vowels & consonants used to create words in sentences
But we know better
The ears of the observer interprets statement that resonates with their core belief system
By testing the use of words and the underlying logic
His eye looks at charm, the charisma and confidence
The brain fuses within us what these senses noticed,
A belief system is formed,
The observer imagines,
The observer is convinced
The observer acts

The average person overlooks what lies in the heart of the speaker
People forget that behind those words lie internal conversations
Lies individuals dealing with mundane person issues, common to everyone alive

Men dealing with depression,
Asking that age old question: “What is the point of my life?”
He tries to improve the state of their health, his weight & work life balance,
In secret he punishes himself for the failures of his children
And boast about his wife’s beauty,
With a fair yardstick, he gives judgment on himself for actions that go unnoticed

Amidst these trivialities are great ideal designed,
Men are refined to synchronies words with demeanor
This is how value within is born
And it is from this value that, earth changing words emerge

But in a world lost to its own values and warped belief,
It is only a whisper loudest in the ear of those that can hear

On Spoken Words

I have noticed something about us, Nigerians; and I find it in spoken words.

During conversation with foreigners (someone speaking a different accent of English, most either of the Americans or the British), pronunciation of words change.
The average uncouth Nigerian begins to speak in what he or she assumes is the accent of the other person in the conversation.
Immediately a fellow Nigerian appear, the normal Naija accent for spoken English returns.

But I noticed that the accent of the person the Nigerian is speaking to, is maintained no matter where he/she is (that is at least until he acclimatizes to the environment; by then, the subconscious takes over and he speaks in the accent of the locals).

This has left me pondering:
1. Maybe we think they our versions of English are different languages; “this foreigner doesn’t understand what I said; I must translate to his language”.
2. Or could it be that we believe that our language is Pidgin English? Therefore, we must speak formally (which is the foreign way English is spoken) when a stranger is around.
3. It could be due to the mouthy way we speak English. Subtly we think this is an inferior way of communicating.
Could (3) be the right answer? Could that be why?
· Is this what make some of (obviously less sophisticated) elders sound funny in their effort to incorporate “being there slangs” in their spoken English?
· Maybe that is why the average Nigeria adjust quickly to foreign lands with ease and face a tough challenge re-adjusting back to “hot” Nigeria “after so many years” (2 years; and this dude traveled when he was over 25)”.
· Or why the media retains foreign accent speaking (or "fonee" speaking) presenters?
· Maybe that’s why this “never being there” presenter is trying to ruining my afternoon… (using words like:
> “twenny”(for twenty)
> “innit” (for isn’t it)
> “nigga” (black man)
> “big up” (Sign of respect))
…in the most awful ways?

Before you ruin my day,
just listen.
You can’t forge an accent.
Takes more than just twisting your mouth or saying "cool" words.
It describes where you are coming from,
signaling a history you have experienced
Any effort to belittle it will only be an open mockery of everything you stand for
…and noise to my ear (as you successfully done)

You accent shows generations of individuals interacting with their environment in a particular way.
It reflects how the previous owners of a land viewed the earth,
their socio-economic/ legal struggle,
what they understood by all they sensed,
And how this understanding forced them to silently the pronunciation of certain alphabets (and amplify other) the way they did
Such different use of vocal chords created different accent.
In line with the saying of the holy book that “the fathers have eaten sour grapes and the children’s teeth are set on edge”

Hey Mister,
Please do you were employed to do;
Develop qualitative & engaging contents.
Use every opportunity to speak justice, the truth and what you truly stand for.
Because, that’s what earns respect.

Second Discovery of Fire

Someday after we have mastered the wind, the waves and gravity, we shall harness for God, the energies of love. And then for the second time, man would have discovered fire.
Pierre Tiehard de Chardin

I still remember the 29th of Feb 2008, when you asked that profound question:
"What would you rather do?"
I was always lost in thoughts pondering about my current state, comparing current realities and the ideas I have of an ideal.

I would love to explore the world. A rolling stone, no strings, no attachment, and all memories of fantasies the average man never saw.
I imagined myself as the modern Viking, conquering territories in search for the golden flees.
The thought being an astronaut would have been great. The vastness of outer space provides exploration with no boundaries.
In all my desires, I find one thing common;
© that desire to be seen;
© that basic human need to feel accepted by humanity
But as always, that question kept lurking in the dark corners of my mind.
Little did I know destiny was beaconing on me.
Not until I stumbled in my life walk and received enlightenment.
That understanding that:
© Experiences are meaningless unless shared and used to shape a version of hope
© Whatever hope held is vanity unless it helps in establishing sustainable future
© The sustainability of a future is based on how much of it the visionary can create
© Creative ability depends on how much of it is unleashed.
And to unleash would mean a freedom of being, soul, and mind. That tri-team is anchored on the simple heartfelt desire to make the world a better place for two (me & you).
So what would I rather do?
I would rather
© explore all possibilities in space reachable by within the depth of your soul
© The look in your eye would reveal to me the beauty of the earth
© Engaging in your internal conversations would quench that thirst for fables & tales of mysteries
© The warmth of your smile would appease more than the approval of all strangers
The answer to your question is clear.
There are many different experiences possible in life. But of all, I think the most fulfilling is that choice with that one capable of unleashing the abilities in the heart; that one capable of enabling the second discovery of fire.
What I would rather do, is take that life walk with you.

Intimate Strangers

Always together, forever apart

Who am I, Who are you?
We sit six desks away in the office,
We live in the same neighborhood,
We are even friends on facebook,
But there is not a Hi, even in our stares
Cos no one is sure how to break the ice

We both get to work at about 6:00am
You work in marketing and I, in operations
Your day usually starts with the manager’s request for your report
Your always have bread and akara in the mornings
Fried rice and chicken with Dansa Orange in the afternoon
Every time you come, the phone is glued to your ear, and eyes to the ground
The sales man in you is trying to convince him using your most frequent line “like I said”

As you walk by, time seems to freeze giving me that moment to say these words:

Tobi,
you would be leaving us tomorrow,
What do you need a British Masters in for?
I really think you will do great without one
I admire your charisma and wish I could be that way one day
Though we are not even acquaintances, I feel we would always be connected
I try to imagine the content of your profile on facebook,
Most of your pictures would be in parties, raves and bar
Chidi and Toun will commented on most of your pictures insinuating an understanding beyond what the picture appears to be telling
But all of you won’t be hidden
Behind all the glitz & glamour ,
Your eyes, even in the pictures, would expose your soul
That worry would still be there
That desire for satisfaction in relationships that you feel the pressures of life robbed you of
The hope for a future that protects your offspring and those close to your heart
All that drives you to look for solitude in excitement and adventures
You try to hide it all with that “no surrender” swagger
But I understand

I look at the pictures and want to make a comment
But this digitization has made life too fast for my mind;
Knowing what to say would be hard
I want to say I understand all your are going through and notice things you feel are overlooked
I understand that desire to survive against all odd even when your environment stands against you,
I notice that your shirt wasn’t ironed this morning;
revealing your efforts to battle erratic power supply & a demanding job

I really do understand
If the world had been different we would have been platonic friends
We would have shared stories while I drive to work
We would have attended family functions ,
I would have commented on your pictures with that deeper understanding I feel I have
I would be one of the voices in your heads,
a part of your conscience that speaks my unique opinion
I would be one of those saying jokes that will make you laugh when you're alone

Back to reality,
our eyes lock in another stare and we both turn away when it becomes uncomfortable

I watch you disappear into the gathering of other marketers,
Your contagious laughter fills the room as you disappear till we meet again
Something in me feels I would miss you, but I know we would always be in touch,
Our circle of friends and the internet would make our stories flow,
Fueling that unclear intimate relationship,
Even as we live completely separate lives

1st Words

One desire I have is to be renowned as a provider of art. The medium or the type of art is not clear but the focus remain; that message must come forth.

A message that preaches fairness with equality and gets people to act in truth with one another.But such message does not come out of thin air. It must be embodied in our understanding of individual daily rituals packaged in an artistic form; a form that capture imagination whilst allowing the message retain its purity. Thus, I am taking up the tasks of the medieval craftsman with the use of words:
* By capturing thoughts and giving insight into ideas people have overlooked.
* By preserving rare moments like the first kiss of a lady, or jokes shared by age old friends and merging it with the logic of a tale.

Such goes beyond the simple use of words and music but also it comes by the creator thinking in a realm where words are refined and become life. The creator must work as a craftsman, refining his thoughts, digesting specific moments and then searching for a medium that can adequately express the message in a way that can be appreciated.Making the tears flow, charging the atmosphere to release that euphoric feeling through the spines of my audience, and creating lasting moments that they can always identify with.This might be my most noble act to humanity.

Changing myself, to change the world.