'BODEDEREK

In my last post, I spoke about my ancestral warrior blood. This part of my african lineage is a common trait in the Egba people who were known as fierce warriors. The capital of Egbaland was and still remains the city of Abeokuta in Nigeria. Amongst the distinguished Nigerians whose origins can be traced back to Abeokuta city is former president of Nigeria General Olusegun Obasanjo who happens to be celebrating his 75th birthday this week. The late Fela Kuti musician extraordinaire and loads more distinguished Nigerians come from Egbaland. The traditional ruler of this part of the country is the Alake of Egbaland and he is highly respected by all. He is in effect the custodian of the cultural heritage of his people. Up till the present day, certain ceremonies are still performed in the same way as in ancient times,.Certain elements within jazz music were taken from the talking drum patterns of this area and the west african region as a whole. Drummers are an integral part of...

Lying slightly on his right side in the deep undergrowth of bushes, terrified and trying not to breathe too hard in the dark moonless night, his main concern right now was that his thudding heart was loud enough to be heard, Crayon's face was pressed hard against the damp moist earth, his own right hand clamped firmly over his mouth, more afraid that the whimpering he felt in his chest may involuntarily escape and he would be discovered by the human monster frantically parting the bushes looking for him.  This is a nightmare,  he thought, his attention was now drawn to the rustling sound from the bushes getting nearer and nearer, the search getting closer and closer by the second. His mind conjured up his experiences since he could walk. Everything he had seen, heard, smelled and tasted came to him in the space of a millisecond. I suppose this is what they mean when they say "your life is flashing before your eyes", he thought. The nearer the search got, the closer to ...

The truth they say will set you free. this is very true from my experience, the only trouble sometimes is the journey you have to take to arrive at the truth. The judiciary I think describes truth as relative. Our perception of truth varies depending on the context of which truth, whose and what so I get a headache trying to reconcile the truth will set you free without contextualising it. In short, this statement can sometimes be difficult to swallow. As for me, it seems like I am sitting in a calm before the storm and my one true perception of truth right now is to match this external calm with an inner calm, anticipate and give a thought for peace. The world at different times, has experienced peacemakers, some at just the right time for the peace they made and others not. Our world right now, needs the peacemakers more than ever with the upheavals in the arab world, war in Afghanistan and also certain parts of africa. People should be more focused on helping to further peace...

Condolences to the families of Christopher McManus and Franco Lamolinara who while working in Nigeria found themselves embroiled in a nightmare beyond imagining. It is unfair and tragic when innocent civilians who are going about their daily business, end up getting murdered at the hands of kidnappers. It is difficult enough in a developed country, for the authorities to conduct successfully, the rescue of a kidnapped victim. The logistical and operational demands that have to be met are numerous, timing has to be exact and the element of surprise is usually the only advantage the rescuers will have going for them. Maybe with time, the reason why this rescue mission was attempted at all will be explained. In my view, the attempt at rescue was doomed to failure, especially in a country like Nigeria where in a lot of cases, nothing is ever what it seems, where tribal and ethnic loyalties can outweigh the other considerations of being a good citizen and where political allegiance has...

In my last post, I spoke about my ancestral warrior blood. This part of my african lineage is a common trait in the Egba people who were known as fierce warriors. The capital of Egbaland was and still remains the city of Abeokuta in Nigeria. Amongst the distinguished Nigerians whose origins can be traced back to Abeokuta city is former president of Nigeria General Olusegun Obasanjo who happens to be celebrating his 75th birthday this week. The late Fela Kuti musician extraordinaire and loads more distinguished Nigerians come from Egbaland. The traditional ruler of this part of the country is the Alake of Egbaland and is highly respected by all. He is in effect the custodian of the cultural heritage of his people. Up till the present day, certain ceremonies are still performed in the same way as in ancient times,.Certain elements within jazz music were taken from the talking drum patterns of this area and the west african region as a whole. Drummers are an integral part of royal cer...

On facebook the other day, I came across a picture of my grandfather's funeral. My whole family was present except me. The memories came flooding back, it was the funeral of the man who had raised me exclusively from the age of eighteen months till I was five years old. Even after my parents and siblings joined me in africa, I delighted in going to spend time at granddad's whenever I could. My grandfather and I had a special bond, I loved being around him. I knew every nook and cranny of granddad's house, the whole household and the community at large took very good care of me. The saddest part of this story was when my grandfather passed away, I was in boarding school, my dad was in Austria at some medical conference. The family must have decided to wait for my dad to return from abroad (him being the eldest son) and in the ensuing brouhaha and confusion, everyone forgot about me, the old man's favourite grandson. I found out about my grandfather's death and ...