'BODEDEREK

How does a thief  almost become the president of Nigeria? A former governor from Nigeria pled guilty to being a thief, fraudster and money launderer in a British court of law. I was ashamed! How, I asked myself, does a nation of millions, the majority honest, hardworking and talented have allowed this to happen? More embarrassing and disgraceful was the faceless crowd of placard carriers demanding this vagabond in power (VIP) be released.  I don't know if that was a rent-a-crowd stunt, or just a bunch of sleazy cronies trying to put political spin on illegality regardless of guilt. All I know, is the crowd/mob does not represent any constituent part of the Nigerian citizenry.  Too often, my country Nigeria is wrongly portrayed as a hopelessly corrupt nation. A monicker undeserved by most of  my fellow nationals. At least not those that I come into contact and interact with on a very regular basis.  The imposition of poverty, a lack of education a...

It's tuesday morning and I cannot seem to think straight. I don't know what to do with myself but I know I gotta do something. I know what needs to be done, I also know what should be done and what should have been done by now. I just don't feel   like doing much of anything so far. The truth is nothing has been done! We all have these moments from time to time and every one has their way of dealing with it. I used to fret and beat myself up over stuff like this, but with the years, I have mellowed out and have developed my own way of dealing with such things. I remember vaguely a serenity prayer that goes something like this:  God please grant me the courage to change the things I can, The serenity to accept the things I cannot change, And the wisdom to know the difference. It is very easy during times like this when you don't know what to do with yourself and you eventually become bored and then somehow end up embroiled in some palaver. Trouble, 'cause t...

Some reading my blog so far would wrongly conclude they know what it is all about. We all try to second guess, it is a way of showing others how smart we are. In my case, don't! You will be so far off the mark that you wont know what hit you. Chill, sit back and relax, the real story is coming. I promise! It will be a matter of timing, but we will see. Music is a passion most of us share and it is one medium I can use to  articulate my emotions effectively and accurately. Moods and feeling that could take pages to express can be shared by a few well placed chords on an instrument of choice. That is the beauty of expression, a thing we all share. Sound fascinates me, even the harsh, dull off key and noisy have some kind of relevance to me. Sweet, tender and pleasant sounds have a profound effect and a relevance of sorts to almost everyone. Music has  proved to be important to our lives (our moods can be influenced covertly and sometimes overtly) and each generation can id...

I want to balance out my last couple of blogs by focussing today on positives and the indestructibility of the human spirit. People seem to acknowledge courage on the battle field but find it harder to reconcile and identify courage during peace time. The easiest thing to do in times of conflict and anger is to strike out. It is harder to exercise restraint during these times and I consider those who no matter what the provocation, never ever lose it. Those are the true heroes. Some of the most positive achievements that has brought us to where we are today, have been discoveries of the last 100 years. Also the time it takes from discovery and development to manufacture and eventual availability to the public seems to much be much quicker. True some of the most revolutionary discoveries have come out of conflict and warfare, but not most. Even that being the case for some, the foundation stones for such discoveries were founded in peace time. Giant leaps in agriculture, manufa...

The present economic crisis in Europe, United States and Africa seems to be making everyone very uncomfortable. People don't like the uncertainty and we all feel so powerless because there seems to be nothing ordinary Joe Public can do to alleviate suffering. The people with the power (i.e. Politicians, business leaders and religious leaders) can't seem to convince the rest of us to trust their judgement. I'm not surprised that most people have lost their confidence in political and religious leaders because of past betrayals and a general "I'm alright Jack" attitude of past decades. Defending massive bonuses seem to come from the top and never from the bottom. The kind of figures that are awarded as bonuses nowadays is equivalent to a lottery win by Joe Public and I still cannot reconcile the amounts these greedy people award themselves with the jobs they do. The rest of us have to make do with salary, why can't these fat cats do the same. I will h...