Decades: Chunks of Time

Imagine entering a danfo bus, after your car refused to work, around ten p.m. on a Monday, to go home. Imagine receiving a call from your wife, asking where you were and how come you were out so late. Imagine getting down from the bus, to find out that your phone had disappeared. And not just any phone. The type that costs about six digits or more. A Nokia Communicator. What would run though your mind? What would you do? Well, our pastor just strolled home, and told his wife. She suggested getting the same phone immediately, the next day, but the Pastor had the conviction that it would be returned to him. They went to bed. The next morning, as he was strolling to the bus stop, some youth in the area asked him about his car, then he narrated his story. They told him they would trace it for him, that by nightfall, he would have it back. If you were the one, wouldn't you have sneered at them? How can a phone be stolen from you and you would get it back? In Nigeria? Lailai! No be for t

Prison Break Imagine my shock when I heard about the prison break in Ibadan.I felt trepidation that somewhere someone had copied all those silly american films - or someone who has been seeing Prison Break decided to try it out. And no wonder at his success - our prisons are so old, i bet its the threat of jazz that keeps those criminals in there. Now the jazz is broken. But it is a wake up call to the Prison Service in Nigeria. A loud one. But the deaths are pitiful. Forty people dead. Just because their walls were not strong enough. Just because Nigeria could not maintain its prison system. God have mercy on us all. And be sure to find innocent people who might have been 'detained' over flimsy reasons like expired licenses, and wandering in the night, and who couldn't pay the 'free' bail fee. God have mercy.... Check it out at Newsreel1 , Newsreel2 , and Newsreel3

I know it has been 6 years but it still has left a painful memory for the whole world. I cannot imagine the hurting families that would have tears in their eyes on that day. I hope we all went out of our way to be nice to people on that fateful day - you can tell me all about it! I was in my mum's office on that day, and a young girl came to check her results with my Mum. I looked up from my PC when I heard three consecutive zeros. My mum added another one, and I had to look back down. If she failed, what was my business. Eventually Mum went out, and the same girl came back into the office, asking to talk to me. ME? I wondered. WHY ME? She said her name was Bunmi, and she needed advice. She had transferred from one department to her present department about two weeks before the last exam (FAULT ONE: How could the department have allowed that? Surely they should have told her that it was not feasible, just two weeks before the exam!). And it turns out most of her courses, because th

At one point in my trip, the bus was told to slow down for workers ahead. We got close and it turned out to be NYSC people, clearing the road and packing sand into ditches (NYSC means National Youth Service Corps. It is a year long program that every graduate has to partake in, in Nigeria. Without the certificate that it has been completed, 99% of companies and 100% of the governmental ministries will NOT employ you). Some of them were a bit excited but I was not thrilled, honestly. These ones were the lucky ones, the ones that didn't get posted to danger zones like Port Harcourt (which, from the last I knew, was declared (or about to be declared) a state of emergency), Zamfara (a truly Islamic state), or the Eastern remotest villages where the rudimentary comforts of life that we have taken for granted are not available (like pipe - born water, and electricity). Come to think of it, every state has far - to - reach obscure villages that lack these things, and the danger of being p

Today was a funny day. I will start from the night before, when I had to sweettalk Vicky into going home, and when I hugged him goobye he didn't want to let go. For a fw minutes after he drove off, several things kept running through my mind. Then I shook myself mentally - of course I was coming back. Of course there couldn't possibly be any accident on the way. God would protect me to and fro in Jesus name. Amen. Then I worked on the net all night. It's amazing how little you really earn from all this free - to - join paid - to - read eamil schemes. But if I could do it everyday, I know it might be a trickle but the little drops would amount to something later. So I waited for Vicky to come and drop me off at the bus terminal. He came, and even stayed awhile with me there. Cross Country is supposedly one of the best transport services but I was thoroughly dissappointed that day. The second bus to Lagos was supposed to leave by 8 a.m., but didn't leave until twenty min

Well, I decided to be obedient to my Dad this time, and travel to Lagos by road. He is so scared of the airplanes in Nigeria, and CNN does not make it any better with their overblowing up of stories. But I had to go and see at least two of my clients first, to notify them that I would not be in town for a while. I agree with my Mum, why not stay in Lagos and finish everything they want me to sign, whenever it comes up? Why not wait for the call - up letter before going back to Abuja? It made sense to stay for as long as it would take. But I had a major problem. I just got this internet connection for myself, twenty-four hours, from Reliance Telecommunications a.k.a RelTel. I paid ten thousand naira for a month as an Abuja resident, and since I was going to Lagos, it just might not work there. I was worried about that. Anyway, I spent the whole of Wednesday seeing my clients, and submitting another proposal somewhere else. Then I told Vicky, who wasnt too happy to hear that I had to tra

Well, since no one answered me, I chose option C. It seems the best option anyway, since it would cost me the least - about N200. I tried the one friend in science that I knew would help me out of any trouble - Angel. Angel has been my friend for five years, and she is a true friend to the core. She would cut her hair for me if it was what I needed to go forward. I have been there for her as well, and some people even think we are sisters. Angel went to the Head of Department Secretary's office and met a brick wall. She was told that she could not take the form out of the office, that she had to sign it right there. She now confessed that she was not the one, and was told to tell me to send an authorization email to the department, allowing her to act in my stead. Needless to say that by the time all the protocols are fulfilled, the Secretary would have submitted the forms to the Dean of Student Affairs office and it would be too late. So I just have to travel down. But I still hav