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LOOKING BACK, MOVING FORWARD: Using the Past to Mould the Future We are where we are because of the decisions and actions that were taken, with- and without our consent- a long time ago.  All that matters is that we make the most of the present by making the best decisions we can so we can secure the future we want. We come from a place of loneliness, where everyone is on their own. You've found a way to go and make things happen by yourself. There have been awfully sad days when you felt like giving up the ghost. No one understood what you were passing through. But you did. You pushed through, and now you're out of the dark. When you look back, all you see is hurt, loneliness, sadness, disappointment... And grace. The past should not deter you from progressing. It should help you understand why you are where you are, and then help to predict and shape the future. Moving forward, you should know that you are no longer alone. Past experiences may caution you against ...

#ENDSARS #endPoliceBrutality #endNegativityInNigeria Being a Nigerian citizen has for long been a curse on the individual. Being one only means you were born in a very, very unfortunate place. A country where you could get murdered in cold blood, and safe for your family and some close relatives, no one would bat an eye, except you are a part of a select few. When you get killed, there will only be uproar on social media for a couple of days and then you become one more dead person- just another one. Wherever there is a law, the lawmakers seem very eager to show how ‘powerful’ they are by trampling over everyone on their path to breaking said laws. The Special Anti-Robbery Squad, a unit in the Nigerian Police popularly known by their acronym SARS, has been carrying out special searches in peoples’ bags and have been able to so solve robberies only in laptops and smart phones.  They question individuals based on appearance and the prices of their gadgets. Just haras...

                                                                             Image : Africa Feeds It’s been two weeks since our transformer developed some issues, and charging our electronics during the day was a challenge as we could only turn on the generator in the evening. Ever since my dad opened my eyes to the demons behind gambling, I swore to quit, and I tried, as the years went by, falling and getting back up until I managed to kick out the habit. One day I went out of the house and decided to see what was happening in a betting shop close by, hoping I could get to charge my phone. I had wanted to see if people still got consumed by the power of gambling, or if things have changed over the past few years since I stopped going there. Not surprisingly, t...

               I rear lots of birds in my compound, and they lay with time. I also have a puppy in the same space. My dog is cool, playful, and loyal, but it steals any eggs it lays its eyes on. On several occasions I gave the dog severe beatings, only stopping when I felt it was getting too brutal and begin feeling remorseful. After the beating, it will still return, as said, to the proverbial vomit, in this case- the eggs. I had chained the puppy, beat it with a stick, slippers, and all sorts of weapons. If I had the stomach I would have killed the poor dog myself. Several weeks later another hen laid up to eight eggs, only for the eggs to start vanishing; three days and four eggs had gone missing. I immediately sought out the little brown puppy with it's a big head, I hit it so hard out of anger and resentment, it produced a sound I had never heard before I thought it was going to die. "Good. Since I cannot cut your throat, this wil...

Not long ago I was traveling back to Jos from my village and I bought dog meat to make the journey more enjoyable. Alongside myself in the vehicle was my dad, sister, and my grandma who is now frail with age. Do you know how they say red meat isn't healthy for the aged and people with some conditions? Well, dog meat is red meat, and my grandma had been cautioned against partaking in this glorious delight. I knew her teeth were too good for her age, for while her age mates have either lost theirs or can only dine on soft food, she didn't have that limitation. So when she first declined, I thought she just didn't like dog meat, but after some real persuasion to either eat or tell me why she wouldn't, she gave in and said it was doctor's orders.  My message to you is from my response to her: with a smile,  I said, "Let me eat all the meat I can while I'm still young." She smiled knowingly. TD Jakes said, "If you do not devour in the morni...

It is common knowledge that you are the average of the people you spend your time with, and those people surely are your friends. Choose them wisely as it depends solely on you who you choose to emulate. It's easy for friends to let you go astray-lead you astray as well, than to drag you into the light. Living in a time when fake friendship is the norm, leaving you with no idea who to trust, when you find one who tells you the hard truth, one who has stuck with you while at your lowest, stick with them, they fuse better than brothers. What kind of friends do you keep? What kind of friend are you? In a generation where loyalty is fast losing its value, 'squads' change as soon as you're faced with difficulty, or when they can no longer benefit from the 'friendship'. "If you want a friend, be one." If you don't want your squad to leave, then don't leave; a new broom may sweep quickly, but an old one knows all the corners. Your old frie...

All around the world schools are vying for more students, companies setting and maintaining higher standards, sports teams rivaling each other for trophies, countries battling for supremacy, and tons of other examples of competition. Competition is good, healthy even because it brings out the most creative parts in people: we have heard of business wars between Adidas™ and Nike ™, sporting rivalries between Messi and Ronaldo, e.t.c., these are all rivalries that pushed opposing parties to their maximum capacities so they could deliver the best goods. I remember a story I once read of a man who missed a turn trying to outrun the person in front of him. I thought it was a joke until I had a similar experience. Early one morning I went for a run. On my way back there were three boys ahead of me, jogging- mostly to show off than to keep fit.  I covered and got level with them, then I maintained my pace so we could go together but they thought I wanted to overtake them. They...