Massacre In Jos, Nigeria

From what I have gathered so far(online), protests by some youths in condemnation of unhealthy practices which brought about suspicion of perceived rigging by the election officials during the course of collating election results in Jos North LGA formed the genesis of the whole fracas. In as much as the reports didn't state that the protests were carried out in a violent manner, the security agents in an attempt to disperse the crowd gathered to ensure that their votes were protected at the collating center in Gada biyu provoked the crowd into reacting which resulted in the shooting of an individual by the police. All accounts clearly state that the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission moved the collation of the results to three different locations for reasons best known to them at times when the collation were almost nearing conclusion and after the ANPP candidate was said to have surpassed the votes of the PDP candidate by about 30,000 votes. This formed the basis for suspicion of a conceived motive to rig the election. Moreover, majority of the Victims who lost their lives were adjudged to have sustained bullet wounds following the shoot at sight order as directed by the state governor after the whole thing assumed a serious dimension for reasons best known to him.

Sarah Palin is a Mistake

Mccain picked a woman that has publicly stated that she doesnt know what the Vp does. Little political experience (20 months in local government?! WTF). Zero experience in foreign policy (unlike Zionist Joseph Biden, who has chaired Senate Committee on Foreign Relations for some years). A former beauty queen who proudly calls herself a "hockey mom" as though that's a big accomplishment.



I honestly expected Romney to be picked as a veep because of his accomplishments and experience in economic-financial knowledge and management. When it was announced that Mrs. Palin is selected as a running mate, I knew it's a ploy to attract the female population comprised of moderate, on-the-fence and disgruntled Hillary supporters. This is cusp of desperation proving McCain's judgment is questionable

It is believed in many circles that it was the success of Obama’s convention that was a factor that forced McCain’s hand in selecting Sarah Palin as his running mate; a decision that may prove disastrous.
Initially it was believed that Palin was an obvious ploy for Clinton supporters, but if that was ever the case (and I do believe that it partly was), it turned out to be a major failure– the Obamas and the Clintons having made major moves to bring Clinton supporters back into the fold during the convention. On top of that, based on anecdotal evidence mostly but a whole lot of it, if anything Palin’s selection only seemed to energize former Clinton supporters and feminists for Obama; Palin’s selection being a cynical and sexist move that insults women to think they will vote for any woman without first examining her qualifications.

Saddleback Presidential Forum

I expected the worst when it came to faith-based organizations, but Obama did very well. However, in response to the straw worry about religious groups being forced to employ people who don't believe the same, Obama should have asked, "If the focus is helping people, why does it matter what a person believes?" Volunteers, of course, are not covered under any of this. Perhaps parachurch organizations could focus on getting Christians to give of their time and effort rather than receiving money

I liked his answer about taxes. I like that he really answered it, unlike McCain, and that he pointed out how those who make $250,000 are in the top 2% of America, that if we want things like roads we need to pay for them, and how it's immoral to leave our debts for our children to handle.
On to McCain, my friends.
My friends, did you notice how many times McCain said, "my friends," my friends? My friends, I didn't count, my friends, but my friends, does that verbal tic really work, my friends? And does the word "friends" now seem like some alien thing to you as well?

On what it means to be a Christian, McCain's answer was far too short. It should have been his longest answer of the night, and it highlights how he doesn't know what to say. His story about the Vietnamese guard showing compassion is touching, but you simply can't tell a story from 40 years ago and have it fully count toward one's spiritual status today. There will be some lingering - though probably ill-defined - discomfort over that.

I was surprised at the passive voice McCain used in referring to "the failure of his first marriage." His marriage didn't "fail", he dumped it because a younger, prettier, and perhaps most importantly, wealthier woman came along. I may not be a "born-again" Christian(am a christian), but I know someone who's just giving lip service for political gain when I see one -- and McCain is a mean-spirited, narcissistic man whose only use for religion is to gain him the presidency that he believes is his just payment owed to him.

back to barack............
i may be wrong about this, but i believe that deliberateness, and meanings of words actually matter to barack obama.i dont think he would use the word, "friends"...in the casual and constant manner that mccain does.when mccain says, "my friends..." it feels salesmanesque and ingratiating...a sincerity that is a mile wide and an inch deep.trying to create an artificial sense of good will when you are trying to sell someone something. a technique you might learn in a sales seminar....perhaps this may seem like a small thing...but in a forum about faith and social~spiritual connections, the way someone consistently uses the word "friend" reveals a lot about authenticity.

I am tired of John McCain calling everyone "MY FRIENDS"!

Have you noticed that John McCain is always calling everyone who is listening to him, "MY FRIENDS". I am sick and tired of his comments. These are not his friends but fellow citizens. It seems kind of annoying to me and I wish he would stop.

I Hate Reality Television

Reality TV. The very phrase brings every possible negative image one could imagine to invade my mind. I don’t usually get emotional about something as insignificant as television programming, but reality television has proven to be the exception.
I think it’s silly that these shows are called “reality television” when they are so far detached from reality. Reality is not competing for a prize on an island and it is not trying to become the biggest pop sensation in the country.

I suppose that they may be someone’s reality, but they sure aren’t mine, and it’s a safe bet that they aren’t yours either. Reality is me sitting here trying to come up with a whole article of things to say about reality television. Reality is you reading this article when you should be studying for that big history test. Reality, for the most part, is pretty uninteresting. Given that reality television has very little to do with reality, I propose they start being called by what they really are: glorified game shows. Bad ones at that.

Surviving in America:Stories of Nigerians

The stories of Nigerians in America are endless; the experiences in some cases are chilling and others inspiringHE picked me up from Logan International Airport, Boston,where I had gone to attend an African conference at Harvard earlier in the year. His faint but visible tribal marks prompted me to ask him of his nationality. I had concluded that he was one of us, but again, I’ve been wrong before, many times before. But when he hesitated, I knew at once that he was a Nigerian, for only Nigerians hesitate to respond when asked where they are from. Some would respond to this question with, “I am from West Africa”, as if that were a country.Those of us who know that the region consists of more than ten countries would ask for a little more specificity. Only those Nigerians who are secure about their Nigeria-ness, say without hesitation, “I am from Nigeria”, when asked where they are from. Without an answer from him, I proceeded to ask what state in Nigeria he was from.He must have thought I had special powers, but no, it was nothing but instincts and many years of dealing with my people. He indicated that he had been in Boston for three years and had been driving cab for that long. He stated with a confident aura that he was an engineering graduate from University of Ife, “Great Ife”, as he called it. He sounded very sharp and intelligent.Typical careerHis spoken English, which was capable of making the Queen herself turn green with envy, was crisp, alluring and impeccable, not the type one would expect from typical career cab drivers. For the duration of the ride to Harvard, he convinced me of his articulate deposition and enduring qualities as a fine gentleman of repute.He indicated that he worked for construction giant Julius Berger in a management position while he was in Nigeria.

In the midst of our casual conversation, it occurred to me that he must be bearing his cross in America as a new immigrant, a cross that most Nigerian immigrants bear once they arrive these shores. For some, it takes a few months to get their bearing and for others, many years and decades. The most critical issue, as in the case above, was that he was making an honest living and not involved (at least from the impression I got) in a life of crime like some of his fellow countrymen.His story is very similar to those of many Nigerians who came to these shores with utopian ideas only to find otherwise. While they were in Nigeria, they thought that Nigerians in America who refused to send money home were simply wicked and uncaring.They always accused those Nigerians of being stingy and oblivious to the sufferings of their siblings, relatives and parents in Nigeria. But upon arriving in America, they soon come to discover that life is not all that easy. I know of many in my community who were established professionals in Nigeria only to start, over in America all in search of Eldorado. The stories are endless; the experiences in some cases are chilling and others inspiring. A few years ago, a family of five relocated to America from Nigeria.The husband was a bio-chemist from University of Ibadan and the wife was a full professor of medicine. For the first three years, she remained home while the husband worked at a research lab at one of the universities in the area.After many months of staying at home, she became so frustrated that at some point, she contemplated returning to Nigeria as she was fed up with life in America. I cannot remember how many times she told us to pray for her on this matter. This feeling was further compounded with the knowledge that she couldn’t practise her profession without taking a litany of exams.She dreaded returning to the status of a common resident doctor. But there was no way around it; the American medical system is not all that friendly to foreign trained doctors. After two more years of inactivity at home and watching Oprah and the like, she broke down and accepted the lowly position of a resident doctor where ironically one of the students she taught in medical school in Nigeria was one of her supervisors during one of her rotations. (I hope she was kind to him while she was his professor). But that is beside the point. Nigerians in America, especially the women, are adjusting to the realities of the times.If you notice, there are many Nigerian women in the profession of nursing. If there are ten

Nigerian women in a room, chances are seven are nurses, nurses in training or nurses-wannabe. Some of these women were the very ones who despised the profession while they were in Nigeria.They saw it as a profession for those who couldn’t make it to medical school. But they must have either had a change of heart or succumbed to the realities of America as many of them have come to the realization that nursing is the quickest way to normalize their stay and earn good money while doing it. They know that for them to survive in America, they must be involved in a profession that would give them opportunities and make life easier for their families. A while ago, a lady friend of mine sought advice as to whether to go for an MBA or a nursing degree.This was irrespective of the fact that her academic background was Economics earned from one of the prestigious (if there are still any that can be so-called) universities in Nigeria. While she was in Nigeria, she managed a bank (in Lagos) and was very influential in the banking industry. She flew at will to London and other European capitals for meetings and had all the perks of a CEO at her disposal.She was on top of her profession before she won the visa lottery and made her way to the land of opportunity with much hope and anticipation. But when she arrived and went to the local banks with her credentials in tow to apply for mid to high level managerial positions, given her elaborate professional experience, much to her chagrin, after they reviewed her credentials, they offered her a “Tellers” position, one who stands at the counter to dish out money to customers and sometimes takes insults from them when they find out how broke they are even though its no fault of the teller. She knew that this was beneath her, but she had to accept the lowly offer while she plotted her next move.After a year or so in that relatively humiliating position vis-à-vis her previous position in Nigeria, she enrolled in a nursing school, struggled with biology, chemistry, physiology, organic chemistry and the like which she never took while studying Economics in Nigeria, to emerge successful. She is currently finishing her degree, doing her clinical rotation and about to earn upwards of $70,000 per year.


In fact, she has already gotten many offers and is saddled with the unenviable task of choosing the best offer. The case of another Nigerian brought tears, of sorts, to my eyes.After graduating from University of Ibadan with a bachelors degree in medicine and practising briefly in London, this gentleman, a personal friend, came to America in the 1980s to begin his medical career. As it turned out, he hardly had the money to take his rather expensive board exams. Each one of those exams, I understand, can cost anywhere from $1500 - $3000. Knowing that he must gather the funds to sponsor himself, he worked in a hospital as a nurses’ aide, cleaning patients, washing their soiled laundry and taking orders from nurses who had far less education and training.As he narrated his story, he said something that stuck in mymind, “As a foreigner in America, you will fall before you rise.” This has held true for many Nigerian immigrants who have graced this land. They found out very quickly that even though this is a land of opportunity, the opportunities do not always come in that handy and certainly not without hard-work. After a few years in that position, this gentleman, unknown to his employers, took and passed all his required board exams. Ironically, he applied for a residency position at that same hospital and was offered one. In no time, the nurses were taking orders from him. They were surprised out of their wits that all these while he was a doctor and they never knew. They were also surprised at his humility and kind spirit.In appreciation of these traits, the nurses, his former bosses, out of the kindness of their hearts, had a reception for him to celebrate his success. Today, he is a well known OBGYN. It pays to be patient in America, it pays to work hard and earn a decent living, it pays to take full advantage of what the system has to offer, it pays to be humble, focused and purposeful.I can’t count how many of my friends who graduated from medical schools in Nigeria, relocated to South Africa after apartheid was abolished and started a decent career, only to relocate to America to start from square one, as they say. Most of them left behind in South Africa nice homes, cars, business investments and most of all, promising careers. When they arrived (in America), some rented residency and one bedroom apartments in order to save money, a far cry from their former lifestyles. Some drove old and unbearable cars, we call them the musical cars. But in all of this, they knew that their condition was temporary, they knew that they had to bear their cross if they must get their entitlements later.They knew that hard work now means better life in the very near future. Most of them have already finished their residency and have moved on to fellowships or are attending doctors at respected hospitals across the country making well into the six figures. Some Nigerians in America have multiple degrees to their names not because they love school and the challenges of academia, but simply because being enrolled in school keeps them legal and in status while they seek ways to solidify their stay.Graduate seminarLast school year, a Nigerian student enrolled in one of my courses, a graduate seminar.

On the first day (of class), recognizing his Nigerian name, I asked him to wait after class so we can be better acquainted. My chat with him revealed that he had a bachelor in Political Science earned in Nigeria, an MA in Political Science, an M. Sc. in Economics and a Ph.D in Environment Economics all earned from American universities.At that moment, he was enrolled in the Ph.D program in Political Science as a temporary remedy to extending his stay in America until he can find a job on the basis of his already earned Ph.D.This fellow knew what to do to survive in America. He was bearing his cross by amassing degrees, quite involuntary, if I might add. In the bigger cities of New York, Dallas, Los Angeles, Chicago and the like, one would find Nigerians engaged in various odd jobs.In most cases, these are highly qualified individuals who are engaged in these jobs not by choice but by necessity. A Nigerian gentleman in my community told me that he distributes city newspapers in the morning to subscribers when I asked him what he did for a living. Hitherto, I never knew this about him. But this gentleman, it should be well noted, has a degree in Chemistry with first class honours, if I might add, from a Nigerian university. We all know how tough that was in those days. I saw his credentials myself and marveled at his humility.The gentleman, while in the process of sorting out things, had to resort to newspaper distribution to make ends meet. He would begin at 2 a.m. and conclude by 7 a.m. distributing newspapers loaded in the cabin of an old rusty Chevy truck in the ungodly hours of the day in all parts of the city, including the most dangerous and unenviable parts. It didn’t matter whether in snow or in rain, he was faithfully out there, never missing a day, distributing the newspaper even to my home.Finally, the experience of a Nigerian Ph.D holder tips the scale. When he arrived in America, while he waited for his all important documents to be processed, he had to work in one of the fast food restaurants to make ends meet.

On the application, he deliberately omitted the fact that he had a Ph.D and only stated that he was a high school graduate for fear of being seen as overly qualified for such peasant jobs and thereby raising suspicion.On his first day at work, as he told the story, the manager of the store, a high school graduate, pulled him aside and gave him a copy of the company policy to read after which he would answer a few questions. But only after a few minutes, the manager, a young boy, walked back to him and said something to this effect after detecting his foreign accent, paraphrasing, “By the way, let me know if you are having trouble with the words, I will be glad to explain them in layman’s terms.” Unknown to him, he was addressing a Ph.D in English who was an academician in Nigeria before his seemingly eventful sojourn to America.What a humbling experience. Today, the fellow, well settled with a faculty position, laughs about this particular aspect of his American journey. Let us remember that, “As a foreigner in America, you will fall before you rise.”America is such a country that anyone who is serious, focused and purposeful in life would be successful. Most successful Nigerians (in America) have their own stories of survival. When we see them drive Lexus, Mercedes Benz, Escalades, Infiniti, BMWs and the like, we should remember that they worked hard for it. We should also remember that once upon a time, they chased the public bus, drove Pintos and Buicks (no pun intended to owners of Pintos and Buick, I am sure they are fine cars in their own right). Some drove what we call in Nigeria the famous “Leg-mousine”.When we see them in big houses with nice furnishing, we should remember that once upon a time, they lived in efficiency apartments, some lived in other people’s basement.

We should never assume that they worked into their present lifestyle once they arrived in America. Each one has a different journey, a unique experience, but at the end of the day, it’s what you make out of your experience that really counts. Elemide, a Nigerian lives in USA
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By Gbenga Elemide Sunday, September 05, 2004http://www.vanguardngr.com/articles/2002/features/fe405092004.html

The wealthiest Place on Earth is the Cementry.

Will you believe if I told you that the wealthiest place on earth is not the the oil rich Kuwait,neither is it the diamond fields of South Africa. In fact, it is not the oil fields of Saudi Arabia.
The wealthiest place on earth is the cemetery. yes the cementry, where you have books unpublished, songs not sung, schools not built, skills not developed, talents not used, potentials not realized, industries that never saw the light of the day, leaders who never emerged from obscurity. It is amazing to note that eighty percent of human ability lies in the grave.Eighty percent?...thats jaw dropping.




I plead with you not to die with what you have for us. God has given you talents and abilities, which you cannot exhaust. Scientists even tell us that we only use 10 percent of our brain capacity during our life time. That is to say, that even the Thomas Edison and Eistein of this world couldn’t have used more than 20 percent of their brain capacity. All of us have great abilities to bless humanity, but most of us are handicapped by flimsy excuses forgetting that excuses are crutches of an uncommitted soul. Use your gifts and talents to benefit mankind and you will be glad you did.....

Hillary Clinton Should Not Be On the Ticket with Obama

I was trying to keep this to myself, but tuesday night was a historic night and unfortunately Hillary Clinton found a way to diminish it.

On the night when all Americans and the world witnessed how far we have come and for the first time in American History we have an African American Presidential nominee, instead of conceding or at a minimum acknowledging it, Hillary Clinton chose to talk about herself. what is there to talk about?

I never knew I would dislike the clinton this much. Before now I had so much respect for the clinton machine.I can’t even say I didn’t think Clinton was capable of what she did, far from it if you read my musings.I actually thought that she would look beyond herself and at least be cordial.

Clinton, talked about herself and overall it appeared as if she actually had the gall to suggest that he needs her and not the other way around. She lost fair and square.
No matter how many dirty tricks were done, No matter how many times Rev. Wright, Farrakhan, bitter-gate, etc. was brought up, no matter how many times she said she didn’t know if Obama was a Muslim was brought up, and no matter how many times the Clinton campaign moved the goal posts, Obama won.

He endured, persevered, and in the end showed the world why he is destined to be America’s future leader.

The Western Media And Its Exploitation Of Africa

Here is a warning to Africans viewers, avoid watching CNN news coverage of Africa, it can be bad for your health. Bad for your health because its portrayal of Africa is more often than not, in a negative light and may leave you mad, angry and frustrated. I know the temptation to watch 'Inside Africa' is especially strong for those in the diaspora, since it is one of the few visual links to the place you call home. But you stand to be disappointed more times than you will be pleased.

To think CNN believes this weekly 30 minute programme, dissected all the way by ads, is meant to provide a holistic overview of a large continent like Africa is quite laughable. Even the occasional injection of bits of good news here and there cannot camouflage the overall theme of the coverage. Neither does the clever use of mainly African presenters disguise the underlying desire to depict Africa as a tragic and wayward continent unable to fend for its self. A continent with a major chunk of its inhabitants dying of hunger, AIDS and war.

Ofcourse the Western media has every right to report Africa's problems to the world. However its reporting tends to be grossly unbalanced and ever focused on the negative, giving scant regard to areas of notable progress, development and achievement. Almost like there's a desire to maintain an archaic and dire image of Africa. An image which it helped establish in the minds of its viewers since pre-slavery times. The Western media continues to have a field day at Africa's expense, doing a great disservice to the efforts of many Africans who have made significant changes and progress in their respective locations. Undermining its history, rich culture and tradition and overall historical contribution to world affairs.

Africa has about 54 nations in all, yet the problems of a few are used to project and determine the overall image of the continent. Television viewers are inundated with news captions like " AIDS is killing Africa" or " Where have all the parents gone ". They make Africa the ideal dumping ground for all that's wrong or bad with the world. Then some get a chance to visit Africa and arrive to see a place teeming with jovial people, going about their daily lives - working, eating, sleeping and loving, just like people anywhere else in the world. They wonder where all the dying victims of AIDS are. How come they can still afford a smile and a friendly welcome, supposedly living on less than 1 Dollar a day. There's a sudden realisation that things don't quite add up and there has been some error in the calculations.

There's no shortage of Western journalists, actors, charity workers and so-called celebrities heading for Africa, armed with cameras to capture every inch of their philanthropy, charity or display of sympathy. It is a rather trendy thing, for it could breathe life into a flagging career or be a springboard to fame for others.

Having lived in the West for about 5 years now, one comes to the realisation that this pattern of news coverage is a carefully choreographed mechanism designed to give the Western viewer a sense of comfort and superiority over other peoples and nations. And Africa holds a particularly titillating and amusing appeal, especially when things are not going well. Perhaps there is a secret desire for it to remain just the way it is, inherent with hunger and disease, war and famine, not peaceful, modernised with proper infrastructures and working towns and cities.

The media is a very powerful tool in shaping people's opinions and thinking. In my view, its use by the West has done more harm than good, and has given many a skewed perception of Africa and its people. It has discouraged business and tourism to many parts. It has wrongly stigmatised Africans in the eyes of many, partly why they often receive rather poor reception when they travel to many parts of the world.

As more westerners begin to travel to various destinations around the world, they begin to see for themselves the truth and misrepresentation. There's no doubt they will see poverty, diseases and chaotic, poorly managed cities. But they will also see a vibrant people, who in spite of their disadvantages politically, economically and educationally, look for ingenious ways of surviving. That the lives of some these people does not differ greatly from theirs and in some cases may be even better. They may also learn that their own government's political decisions are partly to blame for some of the problems many of these countries face. The world is wising up to the true history and politics of the world. The advent of the internet gives people anywhere in the world access to alternative news and information that might have otherwise been constrained by powerful governments and unreported by mainstream media organisations(Thank Godness..youtube,photo share rocks!!!!) People are beginning to tell their own stories and film their own events.

As far as Africa is concerned, it is up to its people and political leaders to shake off this image of a failed continent. They must run better governments aimed at improving the lot of their people. There's a need for more international media forums where Africans can report their own news and tell their own stories, instead of having someone else manipulate and contort these to suit their own ends. This way we can begin to correct the misrepresentation of Africa and re-educate people and draw the world attention to the varying aspects of this rich and diverse continent, still standing strong despite many decades of hardship, brutality and marginalization it has experienced.

This is what am burning on!!!

Facebook: A complete waste of time?

You're probably like me. You're in the process of confirming a whole bunch of friend requests of people from your past. Because of this you can actually watch as Facebook spreads to the masses.
And whenever you hear Zuckerberg (he was on the Today Show this morning) talk about Facebook, you get the impression that it's providing this perfect service making the world a better place.
Puh-lease!
I believe that the success of Facebook is more about voyeurism and social obligation. What does so-and-so look like after so many years? Are they successful? I hope not. I got a new friend request from someone I knew in primary 5(12th grade right?), I MUST CONFIRM!
After Facebook completely saturates the market, and the initial novelty wears off (and it definitely does), what will become of the site then? Is Facebook doomed in spite of ridiculous short-term growth?
I think so. Do you?

To me, the superficiality and the loss in productivity by far outweigh the rest.
Another thing: Are the Webkinz kids going to graduate to Facebook when they get older? I have a tough time believing they will.

Being an Introvert in an Extroverted World

Do you know someone who can make a show-stopping presentation to colleagues, but is never seen at the company Christmas party? Who, despite the urging of family and friends, prefers to spend time alone? Who can carry on a lengthy, deep conversation with one or two people, but seems at a loss for words when put on the spot in a social gathering? Who would much rather complete a project alone than as part of a group? If so, you probably know me.

I do not like to be fixed.Introversion is not something that needs to be “fixed,” but ask me how hard that is for the extroverts around me to understand. Extroverts have a terrible time understanding how anyone would rather stay home than go out with the crowd. How could they leave that young lady to eat alone in the restaurant? Surely, someone needs to intervene. Right? Wrong. I know. I am an introvert. Accoring to Marti laney,"We’ve all grown up in an extroverted society, and there really is quite a concept of negativity attached to introverts.” I definitely think extroverts wrote the books on manners. It is perfectly acceptable to say you cannot attend a function if you are ill, but considered very rude to decline simply to spend time at home alone. Therefore, introverts like me get good at making excuses, or just not showing up.


I sometimes get mad when people confuse introversion with shyness. Shy people tend to get nervous or anxious around others. Introverts are not usually anxious. They just prefer their own company to the company of others.