Short Story: Justice For All...

His struggles were pulsating, oozing out a stench of astute determination, the kind that the forces of nature are vulnerable to. Ogbuke knew that he will need more than mere resolve to see this battle to the end. They say fighting a war against strong employers is always a battle in futility. But, Ogbuke sought after such futility, to change it's fortune. His boss had just shown him the exit door for his dogged refusal to add two zeros to a certain sum of money in the company's transaction. Though such occurances had always beena trend at the office, Ogbuke's resolve has been hitched upon what he called 'An Unflinching Conviction'. This conviction and it's carrier could have been swept away a long time ago by his employers, but Ogbuke's sublime expertise had left their hands tied. However, the powers that be can no longer stomach such 'nonesense'. As financial manager, he was cajoled to turn 600,000 naira into 60,000,000 naira, in a deal the company opined will be their jackpot as a firm. The trajectory was to be unprecedented, and Ogbuke's refusal earned him a sack letter. 'Unlawful dismissal', was the grounds he used in suing his employers. The court proceedings were a cumbersome furore; an unending series of litigation that beggars belief. Ogbuke kept hope alive. Having lost his job and several friends in his tussle for 'change', hope was the only thing he could keep alive. TheD-Day finally arrived. The day when the verdict was to be pronounced. Ogbuke came into the court room, optimistic as ever, and looking forward to a reprieve. But, it wasn't long before the verdict lefthim in bonkers. His employers were justified, and he was to pay them a huge sum of money for damages. Ogbuke remained glued to his sit. The penury was enough to cripple the limbs. He glanced at the big inscription inside the court room that reads 'JUSTICE FOR ALL'. At least, today, in his rattling fight for 'Change', he now knows who 'All' refers to. Perhaps, a soothing progress in his effort to solve the societal puzzle. He lived a beggarly life afterwards.

Mubi, Aluu & The Culture Of Babarism

If ever we thought that the chauvinistic era of life being short, brutish and nasty as propounded by Thomas Hobbes were theories that had outlived their relevance, the events of the past few weeks have served as gruesome reminders. The tales of avarice and sheer sordid tendencies in our land has reached a new crescendo in recent times. Like a scalded cat, the news became viral of how untrammeled gunmen attacked the Adamawa state polythecnic in Mubi and randomly killed about three dozens of people. Investigations and committees became the aftermath response of those saddled with our security, and the blood of those innocent citizens still yearn for vengence. We thought we have seen enough, before social media became awash with the gory video of four University of Portharcourt students that were murdered under the most gruelling imagined situation. The madness was unrivalled. Not only were they beaten to death, their bodies were turned into ashes. All these within the space of one month. This culture of babarism has reached an all time high. No explanation will ever suffice to justify this crude act of man's inhumanity to man. The events of the past few weeks should send alarm bells, that the times demands for carefulness, caution and wisdom. We heard of how Cynthia Udoka Osokogu was killed by friends she met on facebook. The streets are unsafe, the villages insecure, the airwaves unprotected, and now the internet. Conventional wisdom tells us that our government can not protect us; the times are evil, desperate and precarious. Watch and pray.

Short Story: Trapped!

It was her presence that alerted me. The glittering substance in her attire. The beauty of her dresswas hypnotizing, the kind of beauty that puts you in a spell and keeps you there. She sat down unperturbed, and with a grace that spoke volume of her simplicity. I sat at the rare, but kept my gaze on her. She brought out her blackberry phone. The sophistication of the phone suggested it belonged to the top echelon of the bb world. Her attention was stolen by the phone. Her both hands were busy, punching the buttons. At times, she will smile at herself, at other times, she will wink to herself. The phone held her in a spell. I wanted to leave the bar, but there was something about her presence that captivated my thoughts, and paralysed my limps.I observed her carefully, from where I sat. She still held her phone, still fixed on the screen, still engrossed. The seconds rolled into minutes, and the minutes metamorphozed into hours. But, there she was, intoxicated by the device. I wondered: was it that she was waiting for someone? Perhaps, she was in the wrong place. I attempted to go and ask her. But, there was something about her beauty and countenance that putsyou off, that advices you to mind your own business. Then, the hours began to trickle down. Suddenly, she stood up. Her face looked hushed. Like a bolt from the blue, she came to where I sat 'Can you please lend me your blackberry charger, my battery is dead, and I am not through chatting with my friends' she said, smiling.

Nigeria @ 52: Hope against Hope

Beyound sufficient chronicles already exist of the doom’s den that Nigeria seems to have become. Not only is the nation in eclipse, it is on a tenterhook, a certain uncertainty that grows with the passage of every new day. A rehash of the myriad of the problems currently besetting us is not needed here. We have already seen and heard so much of them, and asking for more here will only put a damper upon many hearts. It goes without saying that at 52, the true gains of democracy remains elusive in our land. Constant power supply remains a pipe dream, unemployment continues to skyrocket, our roads are still death traps, the aviation industry is in a state of debacle, corruption is at its crescendo, educational standard is still on a down slide, poverty is written on the faces of many, and then, the peak of the penuries, Boko Haram. But, despite all these plethora of problems, the message for this anniversary is hope. This hope is not just one we should bestow on our leaders. Rather, it is one we should have because of the great Nigerian spirit that we possess. Bad as it seems, we can surely turn this around and usher in a wheel of fortune. Our nation is and has never been in need of efficient human resources. All we need is the true will to demand a change. Without fear of sounding ludicrous, we are a nation for all seasons. At 52, we should come to a round table. The sins of our past have been our burden today, but we can reverse the fate of tomorrow by getting it right today. A more effective and pragmatic way of doling out a fatal blow to the scourge that is Boko Haram must be concocted. The electoral process must be strengthened, and political offices should be made less attractive. Development should be holistic, and only square pegs in square holes should be tolerated. At 52, the blame game of who crashed the Nigerian project should be buried. We are all in the logjam together. We all live with the mess, though in varying degrees. It is far from uhuru in Nigeria, but better days are surely in the offing. It is apt to drop the ink by saying that the leaders must muster the will to take the genuine initiative and the followers must show enough believe and sincerity to steer the Nigerian ship together.

The Curious Case Of Patience Jonathan

For some, it is a search for Nigeria's first lady, for some others it is a wait for the Dame, and for a strong few, it is time to play games. It's been more than a forthnight that Nigeria's first lady, Patience Jonathan went at large. The power brokers at Aso Rock will have us believe that she went on a sabbatical, a rest as they coined it. However, the news has finally gone viral and it is now common news that the Dame is in far away Germany, where she is receiving treatment for an undisclosed medical ailment. There is something pathetic and fundamentally inimical about the way that the media handlers at the Villá ply their trade. They told us she went to rest. Is there not a better dignified way of decieving 166 million people? And we heard that the president was infuriated that news of his wife's ill health became public knowldge. Perhaps, he needs reminding that this was the conundrum that became the achilles heels of his predecessor's handlers, and attempting to bottle a top secret in this age is like trying to guide the flow of the river. Patience Jonathan is a figure that polarises opinion. Many jesters have made her spoken english a tool for their trade, while her emergence as a Permanent Secetary in Bayelsa state has fuelled the ink of many penpushers, and has given more than a few public analyst a topic of debate to tussle their tongues over. However, Patience Jonathan must be one of the most ridiculed first lady on our planet. It is a harsh truth that if you google her name, the related post you will see are Patience Jonathan bad grammar, english and speeech. Unforunanetly, this is what the average Nigerian has come to identify her with. Yet, at times like this, there is no pride in taking solace in the ills of another man. But, we live in a society where the misfortune of a member of the nouveau riché glitters a certain joy to the downtrodden. What exactly is wrong with the Dame? Some say it's fibriods, some say it's worse, while some others insist that it's food poison. We night never know for sure which version of the story is closer to the truth. However, the best we could give her at times like this are our best wishes and sincere prayers.

Remaking The Nigerian Premier League: Issues and Analysis

It has become a national creed that the Nigerian Premier League is still years behind it's contemporaries, and it's development over the past ten years have not only been at a snail's pace, but have often been stunted. Certainly, it is a pathetic reality that our youths are still very intoxicated with European leagues. So much so that an average Nigerian youth can reel out the names of both the first and second team list of Arsenal football club but, ask that same youth to mention just one name from the NPL, and he will keep looking at you in perplextion. Just before one starts throwing stones on the youths for being unpatriotic, the question of what makes the NPL so disdainfully followed within and outside the country must first be answered. I dare say with every ounce of conviction in me that the problem is not entirely that of the media. Our league gets fair coverage from Supersport and one must commend journalists such as Emeka Nwani and Colin Udoh for astutely reporting the league despite of the odds engaged in sourcing and venturing into such reportage. Be that as it may, it will not harm if many more journalist makes the NPL their hub of reporting. However, it has been said, and not without reason, thatthe true bane of the Nigerian league lies with the administrators and stakeholders. It is an axiom in the co-operate world that a good product naturally sells itself. It is not lack of sponsors that have kept the NPL in the doldrums, rather, it is the primordial attitude and unguarded interest of the powers that be at the glasshouse that has continued to be our albatross. Until we start having true technocrats at the helm of our footballing affairs, we might keep nagging over this issue. Club owners should be held accountable for some erratic decisions that they make in their clubside. Success in the NPL will surely translate into success for the national teams at all levels. But, are we resolved enough to bring about the watershed?

The God That Saves...

'God Saves'. You must have probably seen it in a sticker on the wheelscreen of a car before, or on the door of one of those your christain folks. There is a popular cliché that asserts that 'Life is a university of hard knocks'. The saying goes to show that the journey of life is a topsy-turvy one that does not often go the way we plan. It is a truism that so many people have given up on their lives, their pursuits, and their dreams. For some, nothing good can come out of their lives anymore. However, the good news is that there is God, whose speciality is turning seemingly impossible and improbable situations around. In a world that is often tempting us to join the bandwagon of it's basterdized system, there is the need to cling to the saving power of God. He might not show up in your time, but he will surely show up in due time. That is why it is not mere balderdash to say that there is no failure with God. If he says it, that settles it. We have to learn to believe God for whom he is. Fear is often the menace that hovers around us like a cloud. It makes us doubt the potency of God to see us through, but each time fear springs up, the panacea to fighting it is faith. God is still in the business of salvaging destines, putting smiles in the faces of the depressed and changing the fortunes of many. But, you have to against hope, put your hope on him. No man is irredemable for God's use. If Paul,an ex-killer could be saved, if David, with his randy nature could be in God's plan, if Jeremeieh, with all his inadequecies could be used, if Peter, with his igniting temper could be considered, who says your case is beyond repair? You must believe that your life is not finished, and that your best days are ahead of you. God saves!