polytechnic students protests over ASUP Strike

Some students of Nigerian Polytechincs gathered early this morning at the University of Lagos junction and began a protest against the on-going
Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) strike.
The lingering strike which started since October, 2013 has turned into a cause for concern as the students who are obviously tired of the face-off between the government and ASUP which has been going on for months.
We hope something is done for the students soon.

Jide Olowookere: Nigeria is Not on the Map

I appreciate God and for the opportunity to see the end of 2013 and cross over to another year with great minds.
This is not a popular motivational mumbo jumbo – Dare to dream! Follow your dreams!! Dream Big!!!
You know the drill now: Find something you love and put everything you have into it. Take nothing for granted. Apply yourself every day. Keep an open mind. Follow your bliss when faced with hard decisions—listen to the still small voice only you can hear. Don’t let material success or power fool you into giving up the simple human pleasures you will cherish above all in the end. And yes—be lucky like Nelson Mandela and others who spent their life in prison fighting for what they believe.

BUT this rendition is not enough. This rhetoric’s can’t meet the demands of our day.
As a socially conscious individual, the ills of our nation really move me to tears. From the Civil War where families were killed in bomb blasts to the multiple plane crashes we have suffered; to the multitude living in abject poverty and sleeping on the street; the height of corruption and corrupt minds, the demands of our day calls for MORE.

As I watched the coverage and read the news of death, illness, poverty, oppression, murder etc. every passing week, I began to ask myself some hard questions.
What would it be like if we can bring relief to this country we depend on for our future?
What would it be like if we can make some difference?
I have pored over the few recent happening in the country, not from some morbid fascination but because I want you to understand what we have lost.

How fathers and mothers suffered the loss of their children. How the happiest of men become a shadow of themselves due to profound losses either personally or in businesses.
I am not trying to spoil your day with dark portraits from another place. But as one of Nigeria youth at this moment, this time together is to be more hallowed by the remembrance of how precious life is, and how fragile and fleeting.

How negligence on our path as individuals has created a lot of agony for others. How our irresponsibility has dishonoured the works and legacies of leaders who have fought their way to the top through hard work.
Nigerians wake up! Take hold of this day…pull it close…squeeze from it every drop of joy and friendship — for we are taking charge and building a better Nigeria.
Trust me: The Black Swans in our life will come soon enough—“the dark birds of history”—dramatic, unpredictable events that break across our assumptions and ambitions and force us to reckon with the extreme, the wicked, the unknown, and the impossible. I speak as one who was born without a silver spoon, who as walked in the rain with tubers of yam across many road bends, sleep nights without food, work hard for months without being paid, as I continually think of the days of wine and roses out of a misty dream our path emerges for a while then closes within a dream.

If I am to live to be 100 years and in the great procession of time, my life is no more than the blink of an eye. It is not how long we live that determines the quality of your presence here but what you see with that eye and do with your hand.
It’s time to make some difference in every stage of our lives. Today I see young men or women like me who are going to transcend the normal arc of life. Champions, who would break through, inspire, challenge, and call forth from just leaders the greatness of spirit that afire this great country’s imagination.

You know the spirit of which I speak. Memorable ideas sprang from it: “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”…“created equal”… “government of, by, and for the people”…“the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”…“the right mindset.” This will be the transformational period in our country leadership. Enabled by young men and women who participate rather than abdicate. Young people who will stand their ground to fight oppression and every other society ill. These are interesting times. Times we may never experience if status quo remains. Times we may never experience if we continue the traditional politics of “You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.”
I seriously believe that moral leadership will transcend the realities at hand and we will change the course of our history in Nigeria.

Never have we been more in need of transformational leadership. It’s not right that we are celebrating a Centenary as a nation with hatred, agony and oppression. No country can ever survive two civil wars or grow with bad leadership. How long are we going to continue to make socio-political blunders with far – reaching consequences?
We cannot win if we as individuals don’t have an incubator for right values. When we don’t all demonstrate the will or courage to sacrifice for what needs to be done. When some are fighting and some are lounging in the mall.
Nigeria needs leaders than are credible. I believe this to be the heart of democracy. I know it to be a profoundly religious truth.

In Akure where I grew up, to my father’s greatest honour, as he saw it, was to serve as a trustworthy man against the backdrop of the shutdown of his working place. In those days, he taught me things that matters – Faith, persistence, hard work, consistency and freedom of the soul. But time and time again, as my dad prayed the Lord’s Prayers at every family devotion, I realized that our sustenance was never in the first person singular. It was always: “Give us this day OUR daily bread.” We’re all in this together; one person’s hunger is another’s duty.
Generations are linked together by mutual obligation. Through the years, he went on; we human beings have advanced more from collaboration than competition. “Leave me alone” has never worked. We had to move from the philosophy of “Live and let live” to “Live and help live.” You see, civilization is not a natural act. Civilization is an appearance of courtesy stretched across original human hunger.

Like democracy, leadership has to be willed, practiced, and constantly repaired, or society becomes a war of all against all, which we are experiencing today.
Few institutions have done some things to shape Nigeria’s moral imagination, but they get tired along the way because of a conflict of personal interests. If our leadership system is going to be fixed, I believe someone with this DNA will be needed to do it. It’s possible. So as we leave 2013 behind and welcome a new year, take with you this counsel “to assume our existence as broadly as we can, in any way we can. Everything, even the unheard of, must be possible in this life.

Nigeria needs to live as a symbol of a freedom where people of all tribes, religions and nationalities could live together as a nation under credible leadership.
Not as a kingdom. Or a superpower. Not a place where the strong take what they can and the weak what they must. But as a Beloved Nation and the core of civilization through credible Leadership; the core of democracy, and a profound religious truth. We need not go searching for the Beloved Nigeria on a map. It’s not a place. It exists in the hearts and minds—our hearts and minds!

I know and I pray that we as people who will lead Nigeria towards it.
Welcome to 2014, a year to raise credible leaders; to bring about social justice; to sustain our great nation.
Thank you and God bless you.

The Story Of A Unilag Big Babe…

My name is Monica and this is my story.

It all started on a Sunday evening, I felt so big because I cannot lower my standards to start talking to some dead girls. I mean I’m a big girl, I should be found with bigger girls and bigger boys. Anyways that’s aside. My roommates were not around so I decided to start tweeting. I didn’t really have anything to tweet, I went through peoples tweet so i started stealing people’s tweets. Most of my followers were retweetting it because it was really making sense. My roommates got back but I ignored them because I was really having fun on twitter.

Around 1:00 am I got a DM from a guy, I almost ignored it but I checked it. It was just ‘hi’ from a guy. I checked his avi, OMG this guy is so handsome and on point plus he has over 5000 followers. Definitely, he must be a big boy and he should have cash, this attracted me to him and we started chatting; in my mind I have found new maga. He introduced himself and told me he is loving my tweets because they really inspire him. I told him they were all my thoughts.

He must have believed me because the next thing I knew he started telling me his life story. He told me how his girl friend broke his heart and all, he said he loved the girl so much and gave her everything she wanted; he gave her an I phone 4 and also got her a diamond ring he proposed to her with. All this got me thinking of when I would be getting my own diamond ring. Since he got her an Iphone 4 I might get the new Z10! Finally, someone to change my blackberry bold1. He also mentioned giving her the key to his house in Lekki when he was travelling to America to see his parents.

My eyes were wide opened that was how I knew that YES this guy is perfectly boxed up. I wasn’t going to let him think I was the broke one, so I started forming for him too. I lied to him about how rich my parents were . I started consoling him and telling him that not all girls are the same. Not because I pity him but common this guy is young and rich and this kind of fresh fish cannot slip away from my hand NO! When he called me, I spoke with a black American accent I learned from watching TV.

Soon we started planning our first meeting. He asked me for how much I needed. I replied. No thanks, I don’t need your money. He sensed I
was being modest and he asked me if 100 thousand naira will be adding that he would give it to me when I come over. I had to look good to impress this guy, my broke Bottom had only two thousand naira. I went ahead to buy a Brazilian weave on credit. I also borrowed thirty five thousand naira from a friend. I made a good meal. I got new clothes and other stuffs. Nneka had warned me not to come back to school if I didn’t get her money.

We met. While he drove me to the undisclosed place, I talked and laughed at his dry jokes. We got to lekki he stopped by one of the houses, he said he wanted to get something from his friend. Immediately he left, his phone rang but I didn’t pick up, the fourth time the person called I picked up and the person said “I get your message say you don pick the girl, abeg wait for me before you start to dey knack am because I wan knack am too. We go do a before you ask for her ATM card and pin oo. Since you talk say na rich girl, he mean say she go get correct money. No Bleep up oo before she go no say you be broke guy, continue to dey form fonee u hear, helooo, hello, hello”.

I took my things, entered the next cab I saw………. Haaaaa BAD MARKET. Wat will I tell Nneka!!!

Photos : J Martins acquires 2013/2014 G-Wagon

Don Family Music Group Boss and Afro Pop Sensation; J.Martins ends the year 2013 on a remarkable note, and rolls into the new year 2014 by rewarding himself with a new car. A 2013/2014 G-Wagon AMG G55. Excited J Martins decided to share the pictures of his newly acquired toy with the media and his loyal army of fans..