THE POLITICS OF SENSATIONALISM OR CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM?

Hello all,

Happy 2014!

I apologize for my absence. It was due to circumstances beyond my control...well, not really, though. I just decided to stay away from politics for a while and focus on other things. Well, Malcolm the storyteller is back now and without further ado, to the matter on ground!

Yesterday, I saw a news report...no, a link rather by Sahara Reporters stating that Kenyans had ridiculed President Jonathan over the presidential fleet when he visited Kenya to take part in their just concluded Independence Day celebration. I didn't bother to click the link to see the video because there was no report attached.

However, I was surprised to see that the link had metamorphosed into a frenzy especially twitter. It all started with a tweet of the link by former FCT Minister and well known stalwart of the APC, Mallam Nasir El Rufai; a retweet by blogger Japheth Omojuwa and an unguarded, uncouth response by Presidential Media Spokesperson, Dr. Reuben Abati.

I was forced to visit the link as posted by SR and I was totally disappointed. In an obviously edited video of less than 15 seconds, I saw a woman who's identity is yet to be confirmed, allege that the President of Nigeria arrived Kenya with 7 private jets!

While such a farce may not be impossible, it raised serious issues in my head that ought to be considered quite seriously because of its far reaching consequences.  

Nigeria is at a crucial period of her democratic history considering the fact that she has had uninterrupted democracy in over a decade. Though the dividends of democracy are yet to trickle down to masses, there is still hope that it will.

However, it is pathetic that the only constant thing since the inception of the Fourth Republic is that Nigeria's international image has suffered massively. She is now known by the international community as the den of criminals; a view which has not been helped by the countless criminal escapades and roguery of past and present public officials.

More recently, the campaign of calumny managed by APC which hopes to unseat the ruling party PDP is something that should cause worry in the mind of any rational Nigerian. It is correct that PDP has failed woefully in its mandate to yield the dividends of democracy but is the APC going to be any better?

With the APC extending it's arms to the disgruntled and renegade members of PDP to fill up its ranks in a bid to snatch power from PDP at all costs, one is left to wonder what an APC future holds. A friend of mine made a comment last year that rang so true. He said, "Nigeria is a PDP nation. APC does not exist". Though the statement has a partisan tint to it, it cannot be further from the truth. APC is gradually becoming another acronym for PDP.

That is by the way side: rumours have been rife that the whistle-blowing Sahara Reporters is a contraption of the APC. While the veracity of that is yet to be ascertained, I am beginning to see them in a new light.

Until yesterday, I had the utmost respect for the online newspaper for the role it has played in bringing to light the unbelievable excesses of the public officers of this political dispensation, the most recent being the Stella Oduah Saga which in my opinion, is a masterpiece of investigative journalism.

However, the posting of the link without an attempt at verification smacks of partisan mischief which is no longer far-fetched. The Youtube link that appeared on SR's website with a sensational headline was totally devoid of a report affirming or denying the truthfulness of the allegations of the "Kenyan" woman.

The headline of course caught the attention of Nigerians and without any serious investigation, people jumped into conclusions that further castigated the already battered image of the Presidency. Poor Reuben Abati who must have been infuriated lost control of his emotions and tweeted a tactless statement most unbecoming of a presidential spokesman.

It is good to criticize a government that seems to be losing it's way but at what point do we draw the line between criticisms aimed at causing disaffection and constructive criticism? This is where I have a problem with APC. They only seem to be good at pointing fingers without offering suggestions as to solutions.

Nigeria belongs to all of us and as a result, we must all play our roles to ensure that somehow we achieve the Nigeria of our dreams. Achieving the dream will not be by the vehicle of baseless and antagonistic criticisms by constructive criticism. This report by SR is the kind that has the tendency to overheat the polity needlessly. The fact that we have a profligate government does not make right the attempts to spread evil rumours about it. We who seek change ought to know better.

Young Nigerians who have overrun the social media space in what is seen by many as an unprecendented political awakening lambast the FG government daily. I will not lie, I am one of them but I have learned to draw the line. Sadly, I have not seen any of the opposition Twitter activists applaud this administration for the significant reduction in the activities of the dreaded militant sect, Boko Haram which has in recent times, made holiday seasons an "explosive" one. The FG may be doing a lot of things wrong but it is still doing some things right.

The Nigerian government is viewed with disdain by the world for her notorious profligacy, that's bad enough. However, desperate attempts such as this current one by SR should be seen for what it is; a smear campaign. Pray tell, why didn't SR release the full clip so that we know the genesis of the allegation if it didn't have a pocket full of mischief?

I think it's high time Nigerians start to criticize constructively. For the social media crowd, it is a poor testament of self to latch hopelessly on the opinions of relevance-seeking politicians, influential social media activists and unverifiable, sensational news headlines. We must learn to form opinions based on clear logic rather than herd-mentality sentiments.

MOI.

The Standard of Influence

America is indeed a great country. They are the largest export of culture in the world via the media of movies, music and democracy. Even though their financial capability have whittled down considerably since the 2008 financial meltdown, they still remain a force to be reckoned with.

America's greatness lies in the image it has been able to successfully sell to the world. Its massive advertising prowess is evident in musical and movie preferences, fashion trends, exotic lifestyle, government systems, consumer models and the likes. Never underestimate phrases like 'The American Dream', 'the greatest nation on earth' etc, that make peoples of the world migrate in droves and aspire to be American.

While this ability is impeccable because they actually do have a system that works and are indeed a great nation, do we really have to kowtow to everything they do?

Every individual nation is unique in its own way. Take Nigeria, for instance. Nigeria is possibly the closest to American in the African continent because of its diversity but the incidents that gave birth to both countries are miles apart. While America is a creation of consensus, Nigeria is a creation of colonialism and is united by shared experiences. So what makes America the standard of influence?

Today, the world is inundated with images of what is right. The West has toppled nations that did not embrace democracy and every day, we are persuasively encouraged by the media on culture switch and sadly, most of us are victims, myself included.

The influence of Western pop culture is evident in everyday life world over through the medium of entertainment and rightly so as entertainment has taken the forefront in today's world. The irresistible glitz and glamour rightly coincides with the fact that the industry has become one of the highest industry earners in the world today.

Hollywood and TV contributes a whopping $175 billion annually to the US economy with over $15 billion going to taxes. This is more than the annual budget of most African countries! In Nigeria, the story is pretty much the same. Nollywood has become the third largest movie industry in the world, grossing about $286 million annually and the music industry in Nigeria is the largest in Africa.

While we applaud the successes of the industry, what are its implications in terms of subliminal messaging? In Nigeria, there is a gradual extinction of our indigenous cultures as our generation have become increasingly "westernized". Just like how our indigenous religion caved in to western superiority, the same is now the case with regard to our culture.

One cannot help but notice that West's moral bankruptcy is now the new gospel. In almost all aspects of our social life that has to do with the media, our subconcious is battered endlessly with fads that has gradually eroded our cultural identity.

Granted, the new way of life as advertised is quite attractive, some of it anyway but the danger it portends is not to be ignored. I was in a gathering of young people recently and could hardly believe the amount of hogwash I heard. Our young people are more fixated on morally bankrupt programs like Keeping Up With The Kardashians and the likes than understanding the history of Nigeria. I was mortified when one of these persons had not an inkling of what a parliamentary system of government was but she could tell me in detail of the Kardashians if I had asked.

Little wonder why some of these undergrads are unpeturbed about the current ASUU strike.

I fear for the new generation. With the prominence of Google which has made information easy to retrieve, I find it hard to understand why youths of today are not walking encyclopedias.

Inasmuch as we may choose to ignore it, we are gradually building an army of educated illiterates who know little or nothing about the world we live in. While a big chunk of blame would naturally go the high level of decay in the educational sector, the truth is that the thirst for knowledge has been relegated to the background for other valueless pursuits.

The world has become too fast-paced. Proper parenting is becoming a myth and this is probably the major blame-taker. Kids of today have become too worldly-wise because of improper supervision. The family is no longer the first agent of socialisation as unrestricted access to adult-stuff now lies at their finger tips and being impressionable creatures, you'd be surprised about how much they have learned; knowledge that they can't handle.

It is in this that opinions are formed and habits, learned. Without doubt, the perceived drudgery of reading a book is cast aside for the more promising excitement that the glimmer of entertainment has to offer.

It is important for today's parents to strive to instill a little analogue into this generation of digital kids. While I'm always impressed when I see kids that can operate iPads comfortably, how well can they read a book or write? What is their thought process like? Have they been configured to just be users and not makers?

The standard of influence has to change.

I am @saymalcolm on twitter.

Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN

THE HOPE THAT KILLS

Human beings have the amazing ability to adapt to what obtains in their environment. It is the reason we have survived on planet earth this long. It is the reason we have inhabited this earth for so long and have adapted even as the planet changed as a result of our activities.

Change is a never ending process. In life, there's no static. Its either progression or regression; movement is constant either in the positive or in the negative.

One of the major causes of discontent in world today is as a result of dissatisfaction with self; broken dreams and the eventual disillusionment. The onset of life is filled with hope and optimism for a brighter tomorrow. A man born is learns to believe that things will eventually get better. What happens when things don't get better?

It is amazing that in survey many years ago, Nigerians were regarded as the happiest people on earth. In a country were nothing really works, you start to wonder what the criteria was to label Nigerians happy. I prefer the more appropriate term "Hopeless hopefuls".

I have come to believe that the rare ability to numb ourselves to the harsh realities of today and live in an imaginary tomorrow with improved conditions is the reason we are what we are today. How does the average gateman who earns -N-20,000 monthly with a wife and four mouths to feed manage to break a smile? It is the belief that his situation can change in the blink of an eye.

This is one of the reason a revolution is near impossible in Nigeria. Everybody is content to live with the pitiable status quo and wait his turn even though it may never come. This mentality is killing us because we have become pushovers. We have no idea what a good economy looks like so we sit and wait or devise means to get a shot at the national cake.

This is not the way forward.

Take the ASUU strike for instance. The impasse between the Federal Government and the Union just clocked a hundred days and the curious thing is I don't see no protests. NANS is busy pretending to be the mouth-piece of the unfortunate students by lambasting the opposition party about how they are using the strike to score cheap political points.

Cheap, they say.

Isn't the job of the opposition to criticize? We may not like how they go about it but isn't that what they are supposed to do? Somehow, NANS has conveniently forgotten that the Federal Government has reneged on every deal it has signed with the Union. Why don't they condemn this shady attitude? Your guess is as good as mine.

How about the unfortunate plane crash that happened in Lagos sometime last week. Not to make light of the tragedy but "deadi bodi get e accident, yekpa!". Didn't Fela Anikulakpo-Kuti see this coming years ago?

The aircraft conveyed the remains of former governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Agagu and, wait for it, former Minister of Aviation during the Obasanjo administration. It is mind-boggling that Nigeria has had not less than 18 incidents of air mishaps since 1999, with at least 3 happening in the last 2 years.

The real tragedy of the most recent tragedy was the statement credited to the current Aviation Minister, Stella Odua that air crashes are "an act of God". Any right thinking human cannot help but marvel at the obvious mental flaw in such line of reasoning. The only logical conclusion to be drawn is that something is horribly wrong with those who have run the aviation ministry since the inception of the 4th Republic.

As if the mediocrity espoused by the current Aviation Minister wasn't bad enough, another former Aviation Minister, Chief Fani Kayode sought to correct her by saying air mishaps were the hand work of the devil. In what could clearly be ascribed to incompetence, these Ministers decided to blame God and the devil.

Wonderful!

The NCAA responded by reactively suspending the licenses of Associated Airlines; and of course Dana Air which was responsible for the death of 163 persons in June last year. Only God knows why Dana was granted the license to ever fly again in Nigeria after such a tragedy of such humongous proportions.

We all are to blame for the continuous misfortunes that befall us as a nation. The Nigerian man does not think right; something is horribly wrong with his mind. It is the reason he accepts what he sees as his fate and continues to hope that some day, God will come down from heaven to change things for him. Why will God come down to change things for us when we believe that every evil that befall us is His will?

This hope for a better tomorrow has become a poison. A seed that has bred the spirit of indolence amongst us. Perhaps it is time to reduce the spectrum of that hope that binds us all in misery to realistic limits. We have been pushed to the wall but we use our backs to break the wall so that we can be pushed further. That is not the consciousness of a people that need change. Only fools continue to do the same thing in the same manner and expect a different result each time.

It is time to do things differently.

I am @saymalcolm on twitter.

OFFICE DATING COMMANDMENTS (FOR MEN)

Rap today sounds pretty much the same these days with the mundane recycling of lyrics. Only few still keep it real in the game and amongst the chosen few is the hip hop messiah called Duno.

Just when we thought we had heard the best of his special delivery on the most unconventional rap topics many rappers wouldn't dare touch like he did on the amazing single "Define Sex", he comes out with a hot new single titled "Office Dating Commandments(for men)".

In this song, the Benin-born rapper once again astounds us all with his amazing intellect laced with hilarious metaphors and such unique delivery you will never find anywhere else as he guides us through the pitfalls of office dating relationships. You want to learn not a few tricks about office dating? Download and listen to the hot new single; its the best place to start!

Happy listening!

YOUTUBE LINK - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0bWTdd4YAs&feature=youtu.be

HULKSHARE LINK (AUDIO) - http://old.hulkshare.com/7kxuumfnk64g

VIDEO DOWNLOAD LINK - http://www1.datafilehost.com/d/3ae5d775

Malcolm O. Ifi.

Gold-Plated iPhones: Is Nigeria Run By Humans?

As I write this article with Fela Anikulakpo-Kuti's Army Arrangement playing in the background, I feel the visionary maestro turning in his grave at the current happenings in Nigeria. The only word that sufficiently captures how I feel right now is rage. You should feel it too if you knew the cause of my rage.

There was chatter this morning about iPhones on social media but I didn't bother to investigate as I was very busy. However, the news came to me during lunch time and when it did, I can swear that my heart stopped for at least 5 seconds!

Here is a country grappling with man-made problems that threaten her very existence. The north has been ravaged for over two years with serious insurgency problems; we have witnessed heights of unemployment previously unknown; ASUU has embarked on what could probably be its longest strike yet in a bid to force the FG honour an agreement it signed with it over a decade ago, which is going on its third month yet the priority of this administration is iPhones!

The list of problems bedeviling Nigeria under the current administration can be represented by a number a whole lot larger than Metuselah's age but in the usual utter disregard of what's important, many Nigerians are still reeling from the shock after a foreign newspaper reported that the Nigerian Government have placed order for 53 gold-plated Apple iPhones engraved with the coat of arms, a shield and two horses worth N689m to commemorate Nigeria's 53rd Independence Day celebration!

Pray tell, Mr. President, what independence are we celebrating when the nation is in bondage? Bondage to corruption, insurgency, dilapidated infrastructure, a fatally-afflicted educational sector, a crippled health sector, the list goes on and on. Yet, a government that has refused to honour its agreement with ASUU, claiming it would shut the economy down can afford to go on splurge to buy 53 gold-plated iPhones with hundreds of millions, build a Centenary City for the FCT to celebrate the 1914 amalgam of Northern and Southern Protectorates with billions when existing cities can't boast of functional infrastructure, spend billions to maintain a wasteful fleet of private jets, contract our territorial waters security to militants to mention a few. If ASUU never had a reason to strike until their demands are met, they have one now. This is a fight that must be fought to finish.

It breaks my heart that these men in authority, our so-called rulers are not straight or measuring up and have hearts as black as endless pits. Their souls are evil as evil itself. How these oligarchs can, in the face of all Nigerians go through on a daily as result of visionless leadership, make such decisions without the fear of God or anything close to it continues to baffle me. It completely stupifies me that these acts continue over and over again, each worse than the former without fear of any form of consequence.

We the downtrodden, have contributed in empowering the political class to continually shit on our faces, taking it with a smile. In the eternal words of Fela Anikulakpo-Kuti, "suffering and smiling". We have given them the license to treat us as slaves because we have refused to open our eyes to realise our worth. We have refused to see that we have the power. We have adjusted to and are content with to live with the current culture of abuse.

I resigned a long time ago that the Nigeria of today is not yet ready for change. We have watched with folded arms as Nigeria became a theater of the absurd with each stupid and reckless government policy surpassing the other even though we thought it not humanly possible. We have the mind of a great mob - we don't think. Its easy to whip up sentiments and send us all on a wild goose chase with a catchy phrase and after we have expended our energies, a new distraction is put in place and in no time, we forget all that is really important.

With the current crisis going on in PDP, it has been my most fervent prayer that majority of Nigerians will snap out of their hypnosis and realise what a hydra-headed demon PDP is and for once, work to install a suitable replacement. Even with the massive political awareness because of social media, there's still a long way to go. As Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon said, "...2015 is inherently laden with a political thalidomide...". I'm inclined to agree, except we rise up and make concerted, co-ordinated and sustained efforts to ensure that sanity returns.

Enough is enough!

Malcolm O. Ifi.

THE EFFICACY OF TALENTS

"And unto one he gave five talents..."

See Matthew 25: 14 - 30

I was watching a documentary about Christopher Wallace a.k.a. Notorious B. I. G. yesterday and despite being a die-hard Tupac Shakur fan, I came to the realization that in the senseless feud that raged between both rap icons which ultimately claimed both their lives, Tupac was the antagonist.

That's by the wayside.

What struck me however was how both uncommonly talented rappers in the rap game wielded so much power that they were able to influence with ease, hip hop culture and stir up emotions of love, adoration and hate. There was hardly any hip hop head who wasn't forced to take sides. I chose Tupac.

That is the power of a well-developed talent.

A talent is simply a special natural ability or skill inherent in every human.

Growing up, my skills inclined towards the arts. The talent that stood out then was my drawing skill and it was so obvious because I was a comic book addict. I still am.

However, it was heavily frowned upon by my father. In the way he saw the world at that time, art would lead me nowhere. The norm was to study a professional course and get a government job, and being an obedient child most of the time, I succumbed.

This myopic world view eventually led to the gradual demise of my interest in drawing; something I regret deeply everyday. True, there was no encouragement but the greatest mistake I made was to AGREE to follow the norm as I was indoctrinated.

I pursued my academics with fervor believing that I would at the end of the day, get a civil service job just like my father. My talent became a stranger as the economics of the nation spiraled downward, making certain expectations a mirage but I kept on going.

Fortunately, I found another way. I still draw but my tools are different. I no longer use pencils and paint; I use words.

Today, there are many youths out there who went through the same experience I did. We were taught to put all our eggs in one basket. We were made to hope for jobs instead of creating jobs. This orientation choked our creativity and stunted our growth as individuals and as a nation.

With our laid-back attitude, we missed the formula for progress on an individual basis; Talent + Passion = Success.

Today, capitalism has proved to be the recipe for vibrant economic development. It is deep-rooted in the entrepreneurship spirit that unfortunately, did not form part of our education while growing up.

In developed countries, emphasis is given to creative and entrepreneural development as well as qualitative education, matched with hands on experience. These ingredients could not help but lead to increased competence and healthy competition that aided economic productivity and growth.  

In Nigeria, we lost focus as emphasis was placed on worthless piece of papers called certificates which invariably led to lazy brains and hands. This ailment slowly crept into minds and lives of many and today, the resultant effects are staggering.

As Nigeria sluggishly and laboriously shifts in the direction capitalism, it is pertinent to emphasize the need to desensitize and re-orient our mentality, especially that of the young and up-coming generations from parasitic expectations to symbiotic realities.

Every person must make it a personal mission to discover, nurture and develop their in-born talents. We must bring back our creativity from the dusty attic, oil them and shift to hyper drive. No matter how much talents may be similar or vary, they are our contributions which are key to our development.

You want to make a difference in this world, develop your talent. Talents are not to be wasted; they are means to advancing humanity and specifically, the black race which is lagging behind in the world today in all respects.  

Imagine a world where Michael Jackson was a lawyer, where Tupac was a doctor and Christoper Wallace, an engineer. They would have come and gone the same way many lawyers, doctors, engineers and other professionals have come and gone without leaving their footprints in the sands of time.

How many talents were you given? Will you be like the foolish servant who went and hid his in the earth? Do you remember what became his lot when his master returned?

Let us be wise. Africa has been given talents. You have been given at least, a talent. What are you doing with it? The change you seek will not come if we don't make use of that which lies within us.

Malcolm O. Ifi.

Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN

MISTAKES ARE GOOD. MAKE ONE TODAY!

Hehehehe...I got your attention, didn't I? Of course I did. However, I must inform you that the intent of today's topic is not to merely get your attention like those other attention-grabbing headlines you see on other blogs or newspapers.

This should get your attention because of the inherent paradox but going further, you realise that your attention is being drawn to the truth. The topical assertion above is nothing short of the whole truth and nothing but the truth.  

What are mistakes then, you may wonder? A mistake is simply an action or judgment that is misguided or wrong. It is an error or fault resulting in defective judgment, deficient knowledge or carelessness.  

From the above definition, I must issue out a disclaimer; mistakes are only good for people who DECIDE to make it good for them. The conscious choice or decision to move forward as a much wiser person in that specific erroneous regard is what makes all the difference.

In other words, I'm talking of those who don't just stay focused on the immediate consequences of their mistakes but focus on the useful lessons learned which hold the key to achieving the desired results after subsequent tries.

Take for instance Thomas Alva Edison, the American inventor. After several failed attempts at inventing the electric light bulb, he was asked what he thought about his failure to create a light bulb, he said, "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." He went on to create the electric light bulb.  

Mistakes are a very necessary part of an active existence. A person who has never made a mistake has never done anything and has never learned anything. For this reason, you should never be shy or scared about making a mistake. A friend of mine once told me, "You never lose money; you buy lessons." Lessons learned from mistakes that costs you something dear are those that stick.  

Every mistake should be a voyage of discovery. Mistakes can be embarrassing but its better to suffer the embarrassment that comes from mistakes than suffer the consequence of sustained ignorance borne out of the fear of making mistakes.  

You must configure your mind-set to shed all fear of mistakes, though costly they may be. Never let the fear of making a mistake keep you from taking that step. Do your homework, venture into that which you seek to do and take lessons from whatever mistakes you make and venture into it again and again(persistence is key), armed with the experience and knowledge gathered from previous mistakes.  

There's nothing you can't do if you set your heart to it. Just appreciate your mistakes for what they are; learning the hard way and most times, learning the hard way is the best way. So go ahead and make that mistake...and be sure to learn from it! :)

Malcolm O. Ifi.

Photo Credits: The Simpsons