Sound in Music

If you listen to a song deep enough you can almost here the sound of its origins.

The beats echoing the ramblings of souls

Within it, the words of the ancestors are felt
Along with their observations of the world around them

Their passion, their values, and even their essence
Capturing aspects of the human experience that our physical senses are not robust enough to articulate

The listeners are unknowingly responding to codes that unlock natures within their depth

The rhythm of a song is capable of changing a man into a movement within in a dance,
into the alphabet in the words,
And the silence interval in the melody

Music re-invents men and aligns their spirits with the souls of the composer

This knowledge makes one fact clear:

Man is capable of listening only to himself; who he is or is becoming

Interpretation of a Dream

I am one of the few people who enjoy traffic in Lagos. I enjoy the moment when I get on the 3rd mainland, crossing over to the “fast” lane (which usually turns out to be the slowest). It might be a survival instinct, but I have learnt to savour every moment of that ride.

But what is there to enjoy?

Well for one, my Nigerian siblings are calmer. Everyone is very aware of the metal restrictions all around, forcing a more orderly behaviour than they would normally have. And in this environment of tranquility, I am given that rare opportunity to put things in perspective: to see things for what they are and build up a desire of how things should be.

To my right is a Toyota Corrolla, and seated at the back seat (or the “the owner’s corner”) is a light skinned man (most likely of the Yoruba extract). He was driven by a young lad in a white shirt and a red tie that kept a straight face and tried too much not “to upset oga”. The “owner” kept a straight face as he glossed through the dailies, with his head up and an attitude of accomplishment. His appearance embodied the Nigerian delusion of success.

·         Possibly just flew down from a meeting in Cyprus and is on his way for a meeting with some senators (on some contract that no one would feel the impact, but he would get awarded for)

·         Possibly lives in Victoria Island.  His wife owns a store for kid’s ware in Pees Galleria and is currently setting up a  crèche in Old Ikoyi for her children.

·         He is an icon of respect and EVERYONE WANTS TO BE LIKE HIM!!!

As I observe the likes of “owner corner” baron, it occurred to me that this man could have desired something else. It seems such a trivial thought, but how we overlook such powerful consideration in the quest for survival.

Maybe, he always wanted to be a gym instructor. Maybe he was considered a strange child, one with an obsession on weight gain and loss. He might have excelled in Physical education and joined all the clubs passionately promoting health education and fitness in his small community. But when he got older, weighed down by the pressures of life, he sought the route most travelled. To gain the approval of his family, and fend for himself, he sought after the roles that appealed to all his contemporaries.

So even though his heart desired something else, even though he knows he his better equipped to handle something apparently trivial, what I observe is a man that fit a definition of achievement.

And this is what caused this traffic!! This is the result of a generation blindly aspiring after a definition of success; chasing to do what they are not equipped to do. All this is fueled by a lie:                         

“Success is only achieved against all odd, it is only achieved when you follow the paths of our successful fathers”

But what if he had chased his dream? What if he remained in Akure as a gym instructor? What if he married Kemi his childhood sweetheart, not Biola, the mysterious girl? What would his life have been like? Would his focus have being to “buy with money what has been created”, or “creating what money can buy”? Putting things into perspective, who would he have become?

I believe a society that functions is a product of many dreams. Every functioning society is beyond doing what is right, beyond learning from the best teachers. Rather it is rooted in the something more fundamental. Communities that soar are those who can desire and in this mist, articulate their essence in the grand scheme of things. Their essence results from everyone chasing personal desires, and by this, crystallizes a reality that can nurture the skills required to sustain the next generation.  

And these desires are results of personal experiences; they are personal responses to challenges the environment presents, changing with every new generation. In a sense, a society that will survive is one that can accurate capture the dreams within their environment provide the environment to harness it; in other words, societies that can accurately interpret its' dreams.

Not until, this dawns in our consciousness, not until we are able to glean this reality, we would be stuck in traffic, on this crowded road to success, (dying inside, revolving against the establishment, angry with the next man)  at the expense of who we truly are; at the expense of the real Nigerian Spirit.

...in 90 words

Enjoy what you eat

Experience harsh realities; 

they are only around to expose hidden truths

Find a family and stick to them; 

they always provide bearing and help to reminder us our stance in the grand scheme of things

Treat all strangers with respect even in their folly, 

as by such you might capture the only wisdom they possess

Always seek for the road less traveled, 

for it is by this quest that mankind has advanced

Overall, be the best you can be.

You might only live to be 90

Form

There is a part of me that is physical
It is my form
Found in my face and my stature
Tall, Brown skinned, sleepy eyes, long finger, soft palms 
All set to remind you of my roots
And to the simple minded, that is all I am


But there is more to me than what your senses can observe 
There are secrets and experiences unknown to those that observe
 There are hidden talents that would be uncovered over my lifetime
 But all that is cage within this form


In a world overloaded with information, 
that sacred part can be lost 
Where I am told to overlook my instincts and follow the popular path 
Because of the fear of the unknown, I conform


But even in my crowded walk,
I am drawn to the word of that still voice 
I am always reminded of His timeless words


“You are more than form, you are spirit
Don’t rely on every information, rely on Me, your inspiration”

LET'S CHANGE THE PLATFORM!!!

October 1, 1960: By an act of the British Parliament, Nigeria became an independent country. Late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe was installed as the governor general of the federation and Sir Abubakar Tafa Balewa served as head of the democratically elected parliamentary government.

October 1, 1963: The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was adopted, thereby making Nigeria a republic. At the same time, Nigeria became a member of the Commonwealth and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe of the NCNC took office as first Nigerian's first President.

January 15, 1966: A group of officers led by Lt Kaduna Nzeogwu overthrew the government and installed Major General Agunyi Ironsi as head of state; an act that initiated Nigeria into a series of military regimes and crippled the emerging democraticPLATFORM – THE PLATFORM which our founding fathers designed to govern the Nigeria state.

33 years of these nine military administrations (to include of the two puppet democratically selected administrations of Alhaji Shehu Shagari and Ernest Shonekan) radically altered the Nigeria nature to an extent that are challenged in institutionalizing an home-grown democracy.

Of them all, one of the most significant impact was the civil war, fought between 6 July 1967–15 January 1970, during the administration of Lt. Col. Yakubu Gowon. After a period of unrest and ethnic clashes, the south eastern region of Nigeria (led by Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu) spearhead a secession from Nigeria into a new Republic of Biafra (an act violently resisted by the Federal Government of Nigeria).

The atrocities committed sowed a seed that militated against our vision of “One nation bound in freedom, peace and unity”. People began to see themselves as individuals, and communities, as nations divided by ethnic background. They believed that success is not dependent on collective effort rather “whatever would be, would be”. We lost hope and believed that we are dispensable parts of a system out of human control. The national character that resulted from these shocks was such that our communal identity and approach was completed transformed

• The emerged character was one which lacked vision; a character that still depends on guidance from the colonial masters in formulating rules and regulations
• The character was violence, rebellious and incapable of producing results; all our basic necessities are products that creative minds abroad
• it was one that traded it inheritance for a “morsel of meat”, one that trades its natural resources for basic comfort of life (instead of developing competency to provide such)
• it was one were intellectual content was divorced from national building; a nation where scholastic topics were excluded from discussions of the elite

A character that no longer trusted it inherent skills, no longer desired to understand its divine purpose; one that chased wealth without human emotions, moral justification or ethical backing.

Even in all these, there is redemption. We are part of bringing a new Nigeria that would deliver “what eyes have not seen, and ear have not heard”. As Nigeria turns 50, we are changing that character:

• We are pushing for a character revolution to challenges the current order. One not enforced by violence means, but by spirits relying on something greater
• We are forcing minds to rely less on institutions and look within for that still voice saying “this is the way to go, walk in it”
• we are collating hidden wisdom nuggets and working out ways to discover how they can be applied in our dealings of mundane issues
• We are encouraging all to see the beauty in the works of our collective hands; beauty that is revealed when we find our purpose and trust in the intelligence that crafted us, to help in accomplishing it

This is the new Nigeria. We are changing the PLATFORM!!!

October 2, 2010. Join us

For more information, visit www.theplatformnigeria.com

Patterns of the Stereotype

I once saw them at a distant
I cringed as they performed their rituals
They made sounds that had a rhythm I couldn’t understand
And a melody that held no resonances with music I was familiar with
But all that was at the beginning of their rhythm
Cos at the tail end, I led the chorus of the song

I once saw them as a primitive people with strange idiosyncrasies
All caught up in doing things that had no bearing to what really matter
Till I sensed it
That moment when it all crystallized
My purpose, my essence and how I had been positioned to make known what is within me

All journeys like this one starts out with us having obvious differences,
It always starts out with us trying to mix like oil in cold water,
But with time and the pressures of living, our differences become less apparent

It was here I found my calling
It was here that that I began to engage my senses and began to blossom from within
And as I continued in purpose, outsiders found it harder to know where I start, and where they begin,
Cos in our harmony, we spoke with one voice

I had become familiar with their ways and what they stood for
I had began to appreciate the intelligence in their gatherings and the logic behind their chaos
I began to know that it is in their mist I can matter
I now see how I can become their anchor
How strangers would soon begin to refer me as the incumbent; the one that defines the pattern in their stereotype

Avatar

Within your depth, I am led to an experience
An experience both strange and familiar to me
Strange in daily manifestation; familiar in it usual rituals
But filled with interactions that renew my soul

It is from this interaction that your words emerged within me taking a personality of its own in my sub-conscious,
A personality I am in constant conversation with even during your absence

It is this personality that stays with me, as I go about in daily chores
It is this personality that provide words to help me understand the times and how to navigate my way towards a preferred future, or rise about circumstances that stand against me
It is with these words I am able in hold on to the unseen with hope, believing that in life’s daily routines, I am enriched with the strength I need to actualize the tomorrow I crave

Our continual conversation has forged a union ordained by the Divine
A union that provides the conviction that you will always be there
Cos during physical encounters I become aware of one truth,
We are one spirit expressing one idea, in our different forms

Me

It is not uncommon for me to secretly lust after his achievements
And be green with envy as he talks about his accomplishments
In our gatherings, he is the man about town
Controlling the atmosphere and pulling everyone to his presences
There is just something about him that I want to be

As my mind races about looking at what I am not
I sometimes overlook this simple truth;
there is something that is essentially me
And the world would be empty without

There would be one less aspiring poet
working to convey thoughts on everything in words
laced with wisdom of the simple,
I won’t be here to question ritual behind traditions
and review our presence in the time and space
There would be no me to rank everything in a mathematical order
and quantify every emotion
Or approach topics with a childlike nature that yearns for the logic behind everything there is
I would be trying to be someone else

The essence of who I am must have been coined up by the divine in His desire to fulfill a purpose And in this desire, he decided that I must come,
Experience life as this being,
Battle with personal weaknesses
And appreciate my mortality as a steward on a mission to fulfill that directive set before me
The content of all will be revealed at an appointed time
It is only in with this realization that who I am is someone unique,
can I achieve fulfillment and be satisfied in the work of my hand

My soul beamed when I realized this truth,
I no longer see the need to ascribe his winnings to luck
Or join as the crowd in mocking the source of his wealth
Nor do I develop methods to measure our individual achievements and grade them (on that selfish quest to test the fairness of life)
This revelation became clearer when I explored his source and discovered
he is a man who built his life on one simple principle:
“All that is beautiful lies in being me”

Random Thought

English is spoken using 26 alphabets to construct words
These words have meaning and are structured to convey ideas
We convey our ideas through conversation with one another
As it is with this method that we can truly connect who we are with one another

Our Ideas emerge from observing the world around us
And what we observe helps in forging an impression
Multiple impressions create a thought processes which gives everyone of us a perspective of what is and what should be

Individual thought processes are one-sided, because we are only able to focus on what we sense as important
And also because what sense, is within the boundaries of rationality and limited by what we observe and what we can conclude

What if all our conversations could be merged into one long dialogue,
Fused into one big book?
We would have a speech of everything there is to say
A document containing every idea that there ever has been,
As every idea will be unified to form one logical point
And it will be clear to see that misunderstandings in today’s world result from different perspective as human’s stray from the Divine order

Humanity’s last hope lies in that book
Because the essence of what it contains, would be all that is Human

Expressions of Care

I believe the foundation of a marriage rest on a life that you share
The strength of that life is holding to God,
He along gives us with the challenges we can bear

From these challenge emerge pleasures of one another,
perfected when both partners stay near
When they are willing to hear
And still remain sincere.

It is important to accept that your responsibilities are to shield one another from individual fears

And build homes that are sanctuaries, with each member being there
But all this happens when your home is love,

and love becomes possible with expressions of care

I speak for Nigeria

Acts 4:11- “This is the stone which was set at the nought of you builders which become the head of the corner”


I speak for Nigeria.
The Settlers around the Niger
Those whose essence hasn’t been captured by written literature
Yet their presences will produce the reality of the global economy we shall live in
Our history is one where the Hausa & Kanem-Bornu Empires reigned in the Northern Caliphate While the kingdoms of Benin/Yoruba dominated the Southern territories,
The Central regions lay claim to Bantu/Nok ancestries,
At a time when the Igbo were mystified with folklore originating from the ideals of Nri & Aguleri

I speak for the middle class Nigerian
Those that travel daily along 1-3rd Mainland, Apapa or the Lekki Express,
Or the people found in the road rage of Trans-Amadi
And those Kubwa residence, in that rat race that sends then daily to Asokoro
All in a struggle to protect that semblance of life and how they conceptualize it to be
Even as the environment stands against them and all they believe
I speak for those in that 4 hours daily commute
Whose every increase has to be fought for and protected against quacks and thieving ruler Leaders
who exchange their natural heritage for instant pleasures
And create wealth for themselves in foreign lands at the expense of the people who trust in their wisdom
I speak for a people whose survival depends on how much they understand of every discipline that affect their life
Having to apply that understanding under the sun that they know, in the management of mundane task
Who have to burn candle at both ends to please the ones they love,
make proud their parents and provide for their offspring
Or those forced to make that tireless search for quality in everything they require

Your time will soon appear
When it come, your people will marvel as it is unveiled who you really are
What you have developed in the chaos will be displayed by kings
And you will be made proud by the creation of your strength
Your strength lies in being who you were made to be
Being patient and caring not cunning and crafty
Being fair and loving not greedy and deceitful
And realizing that what you can become will be evident when you realize who you are

As this enlightenment sips into our national consciousness,
Reorientation emerges challenging all thinking lined with mediocrity
Before you know, the environment will embrace the new Nigeria
And the cursed amongst us will be relegated to the back
To enable those capable of being themselves allow
Nigeria become the Giant of Africa
Till we birth that vision,
I will proclaim what I am proud of:

Middle class Nigeria - the stone that was cast away by the builder, getting set to become the corner stone.