Today

I woke up this morning with this tingling cough. The weather has been so cold and everyone is just coughing and sneezing. I hate getting cough or cold. It irritates me and makes me feel down. It doesn't help that it gets dark here around 3.30 in the afternoon. I am at university now and seriously thinking of different things I can be doing now. I was supposed to go to London last week but missed my train by just 6 minutes. I was not angry because I missed the train, I was mad because of how much I have spent on my train ticket. I mean, the tickets are non refundable and non amendable. The lady at the Virgin train customer service said I had to buy another ticket to London. Where on earth do they think the money is coming from? I had to swallow my pride and buy another ticket for next month as I really need to get down to London to collect my passport from the Nigerian high commission. I wish they can post my passport to me so I do not have to spend money going through and fro London.

I am also so bored with facebook at the moment. In fact, I have deleted some people from my friends list as they are not contributing anything to my life. Some people just want to know how you are progressing in life which is not bad at all if they share theirs with you. But to hide your pictures and any details and have the freedom to browse mine is unacceptable. So all those "friends" who think they are not going to share their pictures or details with me should get off from my list. I mean who needs that in their life now?

Anyway, I have started swimming and I feel absolutely great. I am planning on going back to the gym to be healthier. I sleep well and feel great after exercising. I hope you all are doing great and in good health? My love to you all.

Prague the beautiful city

These Pictures where taken in Prague. It is such a beautiful country. I hope and wish Nigeria will one day be known for the lovely cities and beautiful people that make it rather than the likes of Nigerians such as John Wilmots who tried to pocket £17.5million in a fraudulent manner even though he is a barrister and could easily live confortable from his wages. Anyhow please enjoy the photos and have a lovely day.

Information on NGOs

Hello all, I am sorry I have not been able to publish any posts for sometime now. I have been very busy with presentations at different conferences. I hope you all have a lovely week and just before you leave, I would love to know what you think of non governmental organisations (NGOs) as a mechanism for technology transfer. My dear Comrade left me a well written reply of what he thinks of them. I think he has got some point there. I will examine his views and compare it with that of literature. NGO is my area of interest and I find it really interesting that we have over 2000 NGOs in Nigeria. So if you know of any NGOs involved in technology transfer, I would be happy to have some contact details so I can interview them or get some documents from them. Thanks all and I will be waiting for all your information. I don’t mind if the NGO is international or local just as long they are involved in technology transfer. Have a lovely weekend.

Ignorance, race and so what I am black?

I watched this program yesterday on BBC called all white in Barking. Wow! What an eye-opening program. I found it very intriguing yet extremely disturbing. This program brought out a fear in me of the human nature. It is a program about the disturbing nature of integration and racism in modern day, multi cultural Britain. I fear for all those who think coming to the UK or any other developed country is the answer. Many of us left our countries for different reasons. Some left for further education, others for jobs, better life etc. No matter the reason, we all have one thing in common which is the fact that we are all considered as immigrants. One of the most disturbing comments by one of the people interviewed on the program is their description or perception of the African person. In light of this, one cannot help but see their ignorance. To one family, every black person is Nigerian and because of the way “Africans” are perceived, they would not want any Africans to stay in UK but would rather prefer Eastern Europeans because they are more of their own. Ignorance exhibits itself in that they cannot even differentiate that Africa is made of different countries and even the Nigeria they talk about is made up of different ethnicities, colours, beliefs and customs. One tends to overlook the fact that some of these ignorant xenophobic people who talk about immigration and how their country is been flooded by immigrants forget that their country contributed to the way Africa is now (please read how Europe underdeveloped Africa by Walter Rodney). I will not go into that topic now. They forgot that we tolerated slave trade; we tolerated colonialism, all our goods, raw materials etc was used to develop their precious country of today. Our men even fought in the wars for their country.

I can understand one of the interviewees’ anger with Nigerians. His daughter’s boyfriend and father of his grandchild beat and abused his daughter. No one supports an abusive man no matter what colour. Some of the interviewees said that Africans are arrogant, well so are some English people and people from other nationalities. I mean what does he expect? Blacks are also humans free to be whoever they want to be. Should blacks live just to please “some people”? Where was it written? Who says one race is more superior to the other? I believe we should all respect other peoples way of life, belief etc. some have conducted experiments to rubbish the black race, well, that is their own cup of tea. I believe I am who God says I am. Made in his Image, destined for great things so who is it that shall say otherwise? I love who I am. I am not like any white person neither am I like any black person. We are all different in who we all are.

One of the participants in the program said he did not believe in the mixture of races. That Whites should be with their own and black with theirs. I say totally rubbish. Who does he think he is? I respect his opinion. He can be with whom he wants to. To my opinion he is out of date and time. People of mixed marriages and mixed parentage have come a long way and do love who they are and accept who they are.

My happiness is that these people making most of these traumatizing comments are getting old. I am happy the younger generation are more tolerant and open minded than some of these old people. I have some of the most wonderful friends in the UK who are English. I am so happy with my life and the beautiful people around me who are of different ethnicities, races and countries. I believe the younger generation will have a better life without such hatred and ignorance around.

For every program like this, it annoys me when I see pictures or videos of African children on TV channels raising funds for African children. Some times I ask if they are patronising us Africans. Sometimes I am like are they mocking us by showing these pictures and videos of children in poverty. I know some might mean well but I think it is high time such cliché clips end.

The only way out of this misrepresentation and false impression is for Africa to get up and develop it self. It has everything, human, material resources. Use it then. Shame how we leave our children to starve, shame other countries has to show horrible pictures of our children to raise funds for their survival. What are we going to do? Well, be the best in anything you do. If you are in education, excel, if you are into science and technology, excel, no matter what you are doing, excel in it and tomorrow we will make a difference one way or the other.
Hope you had a lovely weekend?

Accomplishment

I would like to share with you that I have gotten my 25 meters swimming badge. I am so excited. I could not swim some few weeks ago but now, I have done 25 meters. My next goal is to achieve the 50 meters and then start swimming properly as a form of relaxation. I was so proud of myself and had this feeling that I have accomplished something. I never really feel something is too big for me to achieve. I put all my heart into something if I want to achieve it. My friend always says I have got this determination about me and I really see it in every thing I do.

From determination to articles I love to read and you may find interesting. See Dele Momodu’s write up on Why Nigeria Must be Rescued Fast: The Pendulum also Simon Kolawole’s writ up on Who’ll Tame These Armed Robbers? http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=105382. I really enjoyed each article and really hope our leaders do read some of the brilliant write ups by our very talented writers.
Hope you are having a lovely week? God bless

Achievement

When can one say that they have achieved what they wanted in life? What is achievement and by what standards can it be measured. Some say they have achieved when they have completed their education, some say they have achieved when they have met Mr. Right. Others believe achievement has to be something grand. Well, I do not think any one is wrong with their definition or views on achievement. I wanted to talk on this topic because there was a dialogue that just went on with a mate on How “Abuja babes” are making it. Such stories are not my cup of tea but it seems to be just the normal gist of babes who maybe “envy such a lifestyle or want similar life style. The story goes on about how these “big chicks” make their money. I hate such stories and I think without proof, there is no need to indulge in such fantasy stories. For all we know, these “bigger babes” might just be hard working and earning a decent living. And if a man decides to spoil them rotten, take them abroad, buy houses for them and big car then Hi five to them after all it is not easy and not all babes who indulge in same business get anything tangible from it.

Second story was about a mutual mate getting married to a member of “who is who” in Nigeria. Again, such issues do not rock my boat. If one meets a good man, fantastic but a man does not determine who one is or does it?

Again, to be an ass licker is not what I admire in people in fact I cannot stand such people. They lick the ass of any rich person, any person they can gain from, and any person with big names etc just to feel among. Such people I am even scared of as they will do anything to be accepted in “the fold”. They will back stab, gossip, even plan evil for one. I say this because I have had an experience where people would back stab in a second just to use one to make friends with so called (to their standard) “high class” people.

Anyway, the crux of this write up is that some people see achievement as any of these, making friends with important names, marrying into rich homes or famous people, etc. but for me, achievement means that one is constantly challenging one’s self to improve, to make it, to be a better person, to touch lives positively. It means more than just personal gratification. To me, it means that lives are also touched with my achievement and not just me. I am extremely proud of my self, where I have come from and where I am today. I am extremely optimistic about the future because with what I have invested today and with the love of family and few great friends, tomorrow will be fantastic. My sweat, my self, that is what I base achievement on.

Life appreciated

Hello everyone, I hope you are all having a very lovely day and looking forward to spoiling your mums this mother's day. I am down because I can’t get time off work to go to church with my mum but never the less that will not stop me giving her a fantastic day. I have been busy with my research work. I need to send a paper for publication. I am also doing other things by the side like learning how to swim. I am really loving it. I managed to do another 10 meters. Small steps I say make the big changes.

Yesterday about past 1.00am I felt the whole house shaking. I woke up so shocked as to the reason of such a tremor. I woke up and ready to get out of the house cause this particular shaking I have never felt. It felt like the house was going to cave in but that feeling didn't last for long. I went back to sleep. I woke up to the news that an earthquake hit Britain at the same time. The same shaking and movements was felt by many. Well I have every reason to give thanks to God Almighty. Anything could have happened but he didn't let the enemy succeed. When you think of it, you'll realise that nothing makes us more special than those who died in the tsunami tragedy or other natural disaster.

From me, have a brilliant day.