A RECAP

For days now there has been protest by Pro-Biafra groups, the Movement for the Actualization of the Soverign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Onitsha. This protest has reportedly led to the death of 9 civilians,  2 Police amd many injured. Properties have also been burnt (Dangote can testify)

I have really thought hard to understand these groups and what they truly hope to achieve. There is a proverb in my place that says "I ku Nwanyi e be gi a Igbu ewu" meaning " To marry a woman does not end in doing her sendforth"

It is not enough loosing voices, youths, properties and causing serious traffic chanting and clamouring for Biafra. 
Biafra when Anambra will not marry Abia, 
Biafra when the leaders of the states cannot provide security
Biafra where civil servants have not been paid for over 7months
Biafra when Abia will not marry Imo
Biafra when Nsukka people are seen as third class igbo people "e speaki kwele"
Biafra when Abakaliki people are only seen as rice marketers.
Biafra yet you discriminate amongst catholic and Anglicans. 
Biafra and yet some are seen as outcast "osu"
Biafra when Aba products are seen as the most sub standard products on earth 
Finally to all the youths clamouring for Biafra ask yourselves 
1. What you have done for Nigeria 
2. What has your Governor done for you (Biafran States)
3. What have your leaders done for the families of those who have lost their lives for this cause. 
4. What resources do you have to sustain yourselves considering the fact that a lot of our natural resources are under exploited.

Clamouring for Biafra is like saying those states  should control their "under exploited" resources.  No good roads, electricity,  work, security and you want to be independent  (hmmmm 😷)
A friend of mine once suggested that any state that cannot stand should merge 😁😭 "Abia, Imo and Anambra will merge and form ABIMBRA State" when we literally fight for everything Land, Boundary, Properties in fact we don't even love ourselves let alone our neighbours  cos if we did we will understand that we will achieve more as a country if we are united.

Just as we all pray to God heal to our land lets also not allow ourselves be used as pawns by these so called people... Dear Youths dont let anyone deceive you that you are the leaders of tomorrow and you need to violently take it by force.
As individuals we need to change our mentality towards alot of things before we can see the change been clamoured for. 
Change in the sense that citizens of Kogi , Bayelsa will come out n vote peacefully today 🙏🙏.

#SayNoToViolence
#SayNoToAllTheKillings
#UnitedWeStand
#ThereIsStrengthInUnity
#YouthsDoNotAllowYourselvesToBeUsedAsThugs

Laugh Out Loud

 

Just a quick question, should this be classified as lie or just a child obediently carrying out instructions ?

APC KOGI #CommonSense

Ever since the demise of Late Prince Audu who was formerly the Governorship candidate for the All Progressive Congress, there has been a lot of controversy as to how the next Candidate will emerge since there is a Lacuna as regards what happens when a Governosrship candidate dies during election and especially when the election has been declared inconclusive.

First of all is there a Lacuna? YES

Section 181 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended )  made provision as regards the due process to take when a candidate dies after a valid election had been conducted and winner declared. In this scenario the Deputy Governor becomes the Governor while he appoints a new Deputy.

Section 36 of the Electoral Act 2010 make provision on the due steps to take when a candidate dies after nomination but before commencement of the poll.

I am almost sure that the Constitution of APC as no provision as regards the procedure to nominate a new candidate when the former candidate dies during election.

Yesterday I read two different articles
1. That the Leaders of All Progressive Congress in Kogi East Senatorial District have nominated the first son of Late Prince Abubakar to replace him as the party's Governosrship candidate.

2. The running mate to the late prince James Faleke asking INEC to declare him the governor elect  of the state.

I am neither the AGF to advise INEC nor a SAN to advise the party so I am going to air my view as a common man and borrow Ben Murray's #CommonSense slogan.

1. INEC recognises part and not candidate hence the party is allowed to fill the vacancy created by the demise of the candidate.

2. We are in a democratic world therefore a common man will expect that the party conducts primaries where a new candidate will emerge (long process if you ask me).

3. Sine this is a joint ticket the common man will expect the Deputy Governor steps in as the new Governorship candi date and a new Deputy nominated by the party (after all I am sure people voted to the party because of the deputy) #CommonSense

Finally I will advise that the party should not flaunt any son of the late candidate just like that firstly because of the alleged rape allegations by one lady with the Twitter handle @Sugabelly. Rape is a serious offence and personally I think it should be investigated. 😡

Secondly even if the want to flaunt any member of family then due process should be followed, conduct another primaries and let the man with the highest vote step in.

Finally  "TO PEACE TO REIGN" 😂 I will advise the party to use their #CommonSense

5 DAYS TO 25 !!!

I turn 25 in exactly 5 days, and truthfully, I am terrified. Mostly because of the realization that I become a full-fledged adult averse to the somewhat predictable chain of responsibilities that would follow; closer to 30, and not exactly living the dream of having N25million in my account by 25. I mean, wasn’t it just last week when I was so youthful & vibrant in my rompers at my 21^st birthday party? All of a sudden, in 5 days, I will be quarter to life and no longer in my early twenties. I feel like I am running out of time.

I repeat, I am terrified!!!

       

Now, I have been listening to a lot of music lately, No, not the ‘skibo-robo-tinghen-ghen-type of Nigerian music’ (I say this in no condescending manner whatsoever, Olamide is bae) but the deep-think-about-your-life kind of music and my thoughts have been all over the place. Thoughts on whether or not my life will eventually turn out as I want, whether I will make a great wife & mother, whether I will achieve my career goals and dreams, whether I will still visit Jade Mountain, St Lucia for a month and just eat, sleep & lounge. 

I recently got introduced to Jon Bellion, and one of his songs, ‘Human’ resonates so much with me. Basically because, like Jon, I had gotten so sick of being human at some point and felt lost, despite having so much. Some days I would ask myself why I didn’t come as a chicken, the most difficult decision I would have had to make would be whether to cross the road or not?? Or a Chihuahua, going pearl shopping and being pampered by rich white folks. Lol.

I promise, I’m not going through quarter-life crisis, I just think life came at me so fast and 20 year old me would have appreciated guidelines on how to deal with this “fear”. But, I have overcome, although, I am not exactly having the best year but with the help of various verses from the Bible, amazing friends and good music, I have been able to cope, deal with life’s challenges and savour the positive side of turning 25. 

This is why, out of the goodness of my heart, I have decided to share my coping mechanism and guide on how to deal with certain situations that come for you in life.

Disclaimer: This list is not exhaustive neither am I a motivational speaker. Cheers.

1)    Pray: I know every Nigerian says “Pray about it” to every situation, and as cliché as that may sound, you really should pray. There’s this peace that comes with talking to God about your problems, waiting for him to direct your next step and believing he has the solution. There are many verses in the Bible that helped me in dealing with fear, I’ll just list some of my favorites:

Deuteronomy 3:16 – Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified, for the Lord your God goes with you, he will never leave nor forsake you.

Isaiah 41:10 – So, do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

Isaiah 41:13 – For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says, Do not fear; I will help you.

2)    Be Positive: Please, by all means, have a positive outlook towards your future, your career and goals. My biggest fear in life is failing and I realize that my “fear” in turning 25 stemmed from having so many negative thoughts about whether or not I would achieve my laid down goals. Now, this has done more harm than good, because, all I have done is worry, overestimate, and lose focus.

But, one day, I listened thoroughly to the lyrics of Talisco’s ‘Your Wish’, and I must say, this song has become the soundtrack of my life. All Mr Talisco was saying is; ‘Smile, Slow Down, Dream. There are no fixed rules to life, another day comes, be positive’.

(Let’s just say my music supplier has helped with the process, without realizing it)

3) Know thyself: Man, know thyself. In the words of Raphael Ornstein, “Knowledge of oneself is the only real knowledge, for as one understands oneself, only then may one truly understand another”. Spending time with yourself and enjoying your own company is invaluable on so many levels. You get to have a good grasp of your motivations, strengths, weaknesses, goals and you learn to align your life in accordance with these things. I was forced into 3 weeks of ‘alone’ time last month and I was able to put myself before anyone else, restrategize, sort out my errors & review my goals. Not everytime turn up & shakitibobo, sometimes, stay in & have conversations with thyself. Merci!

4)    Balance your finances: I got my financial statement from my bank at the end of one month and started hyperventilating. In my mind, I said, ‘Hello, GTbank, there must have been a typographical error somewhere, where are the zeros in my account that my dreams are made of’. Frankly, I have always been prudent and cautious, however, I had this idea that at a certain age, before I moved into another area of my life, I should have a “target” amount in savings. I created this goal some years back, and the reality is like a plate of badly prepared black amala. The truth is, if I had taken control of my finances adequately when I made that goal, I wouldn’t be here talking to you mortals, Lol.

Dear young person, the key to handling your finances appropriately is taking out your savings first, then, you have a clear picture of what you can afford, and the expenditure to forego. Don’t spend first, and save what is left. The time to build this life-long habit is NOW, your responsibilities will soon come at you like ants rushing towards an anthill.

5)   Read: You are what you read. The importance of reading cannot be overemphasized, it opens & develops the mind and imagination, and increases knowledge in any area of life. Growing up, I was the poster child for ‘avid reader’. I used to read as much as I could, whenever I could, which shaped my thinking capacity to an extent. I was nick-named Booker T. Washington and this fueled my parents’ decision to make me study Law.

Not like I had an opinion in choosing my course of study in a Nigerian home, Lol. Try explaining to my mother that your passion is photography and that’s what you want to study, you won’t know how you got to MFM’s mountain for deliverance.

I digress…

Well, at a certain age, the penchant for reading stopped abruptly. I would read one book for months and dump it without getting anything out of it. I would read one page, press my phone for hours, go to the next page, check my phone, then, dump the book.

I couldn’t continue with this bad habit, so, I turned the cause of my problem (my phone & the internet) into my solution. I have taken my addiction to twitter on a positive level, turning it to a knowledge-gaining ground by following accounts of interest (Law, Economics, Politics) and reading and arguing over articles being shared. Since I won’t stay off my phone, I’ve fallen in love with e-books as well. I’m currently reading “The French Revolution” by Thomas Carlyle, on my phone.

Dear young person, self-development is what sets you apart from others. If you are knowledge-lazy, you end up as a drop-out, even when you’ve attained high academical achievements. I learnt this the hard way, and I’m trying to incorporate reading as much as I can into my daily life.

These steps definitely made me a better ‘coper’. I have to come to terms with where my life is at, I am soaring. My perspective has shifted to a whole different level, because instead of burdening myself with thoughts and fears, I concentrate on what is actionable. Now, I feel like I can take the world by storm and in 5 days, I can confidently tell people, ‘being a quarter of a century is really not that bad’. The learning and experiences do not stop and I am definitely looking forward to my 30^th. 

-         

  ABIYE ABIBO

DILEMMA in telling the TRUTH

Does the truth always set people free?
If I lie a little to save my relationship will I be hurting the ones I love?

The truth is that not ALL situations demand the same level of openness (lol i am sure at this point some people are already asking if we are still brethren). We are humans  and it is only natural that at some point in our lives we are face with the dilemma between our desire for that honest relationship  and the temptation to lie about our failings in order to protect the ones we love.
I once read somewhere that the amount of truth you must tell to any given person depends how much healthy intimacy you want to have with the person.

Don't get me wrong, I am of the school of thought that couples should maintain a healthy relationship by telling the truth. On the other side of the coin our human nature gives us the ability of not forgetting when we have been hurt by the ones we love. Even the TRUTH HURTS sometimes and WE NEVER FORGET.  That is why most times when there is a small issue and the mat is raised, the dirty under it is seen. Your partner trusted you with the dirt and expected you to trash it and if possible burn it but you did not and in that moment of rage, anger and revenge you use the truth as a weapon. Now you are forced to start keeping the truth to your self no matter how hard it hurts if it will protect you and the ones you love like its said 'what you don't know wont kill you'. As you can see this is the dilemma of telling the truth.

At this point I will like to ask
1. Is it okay to keep the truth or to say half truth in order not to hurt the ones you love?
2. How can one guarantee that the truth said won't be used against him or her in future?
3. Which truths are worth telling?

These questions are usually the questions we are confronted with when in dilemma as regards telling the truth. Hope you are not expecting me to answer the questions,(*tongueout*). 
No matter how contradicted the story is ALWAYS TELL YOURSELF THE TRUTH even Shakespeare said " to thine own self be true" because the intimate connection in your life is the one you have with your self.

Someone once told me 'it is always good to tell...' and I am like even when it will break you. I thought about it and I will say tell your loved ones as much truth as you can because at the end they are all you have to stand by you in your trying times...(if they leave you God will never forsake you lol).

I am not saying you should lie, i am saying that just as the courts make a person taking the oath to say " I promise to say the truth, THE WHOLE TRUTH, and nothing but the truth". This clearly states that there are different kinds of truth, my emphasis is on the WHOLE TRUTH. I believe you should should not lie but i also believe the whole truth is a luxury you can not afford always.
So be stingy with the whole truth because it can be used to burn you if in the wrong hands and also it can kill the receiver if they are not prepared for it.Giving out the whole truth requires wisdom in many situations.

Finally TIMING is of essence...know the right time to tell the truth and come clean. 'Select your moment carefully and establish a baseline of honesty...' in all fairness there is no perfect time to tell the truth but there is certainly a wrong time. The art of waiting for the perfect environment is one that no one on earth has mastered yet. Instead of waiting for a perfect moment, create one. Choose a period of no tension, privacy and comfortable environment and say the truth in love.
So what are your views?

A FATHER'S ADVICE

                       
TO HIS SON ABOUT MARRIAGE

1. My son, if you keep spending on a woman and she never asked you if you’re saving or investing, and she keeps enjoying the attention, don’t marry her.

2. My son, a woman could be a good wife to you, some could be a good mother to your children but if you’ve found a woman like a mother to you, your children and your family, please don’t let her go.

3. My son, don’t confine the position of your wife to the kitchen, where did you get that from? Even in our days, we had farm-lands where they worked every morning . . . that was our office.

4. My son, if I tell you that you’re the head of the house, don’t look at your pocket; look if you will see a smile on your wife’s face.

5. My son, if you want to have a long life, let your wife be in-charge of your salary, it will be difficult for her to spend it when she’s aware of the home needs and bills to pay but if it’s in your care, she will keep you asking even when all has been spent.

6. My son, don’t ever beat your woman, the pain in her body is nothing to be compared to the wound on her heart and that means you may be in trouble living with a wounded woman.

7. My son, now that you’re married, if you live a bachelor kind of life with your wife, you will soon be single again.

8. My son, in our days, we had many wives and many children because of our large farm-lands and many harvests, there are hardly any land for farming anymore, so embrace your woman closely.

9. My son, under the cocoa tree that I did meet your mother could be your eateries and restaurants of nowadays, but remember, the closet thing we did there was to embrace each other.

10. My son, don’t be carried away when you start making more money, instead of spending on those tiny legs that never knew how hard you worked to get it, spend it on that woman that stood by you all along.

11. My son, when I threw little stones or whistled at the window of your mother father’s house, to call her out, it was not for sex, it was because I missed her so much.

12. My son, remember, when you say your wife has changed, there could be something you’ve stopped doing too.

13. My son, your mother, Asake rode the bicycle with me before I bought that tortoise car outside there, any woman that won’t endure with you in your little beginning should not enjoy your riches.

14. My son, don’t compare your wife to any woman, there are ways she’s enduring you too and has she ever compared you to any man?

15. My son, there is this thing you people call feminism, well, if a woman claim to have equal right with you in the house, divide all the bills into two equal parts, take one part and ask her to start paying the other part.

16. My son, I met your mother a virgin and I took more yams to her father, if you don’t meet your wife a virgin, don’t blame her, what I didn’t tell you is that our women had prestige.

17. My son, I didn’t send your sisters to school because I was foolish like many to think a female child won’t extend my family name, please don’t make that mistake, the kind of female achievers I see nowadays has made the male-gender an ordinary tag.

18. My son, your mother have once locked up the cloth I was wearing and almost tore it because she was angry, I did not raise my hand to beat her because of a day like this, so that I can be proud to tell you that I never for once beat your mother.

19. My son, in our days, our women had more of natural beauty, though I wouldn’t lie to you, some had minor painting of their appellation mostly on their arms, the ones you people now call tattoo, but don’t forget that they didn’t expose any part of their body like your women of nowadays.

20. My son, your mother and I are not interested in what happens in your marriage, try to handle issues without always coming to us.

21. My son, remember I bought your mother’s first sewing machine for her, help your wife achieve her dreams just as you’re pursuing yours.

22. My son, don’t stop taking care of me and your mother, it’s a secret of growing old and having children to take care of you too.

23. My son, pray with your family, there is a tomorrow you don’t know

How many of us agree to every advice here, have my reservations about some though.
I saw the post on facebook and thought it wise to share.
Have a blessed day but first let me add my own advice

24. My son, if she doesn't cook for you and only competes with you when it is time to drink alcohol then she is not a wife material.

You can kindly drop your own advice in the comment section. Thanks

photocredit: Google

The Phone and The Spouse

Dear Blog visitors, is it right to go through your partner's phone let alone answer his or her calls?

Came across this video and I decided not to laugh alone

 I am of the school of thought that says 'thou shall not pick or go through his or her partner's phone'. Let me give you my reasons before you remind me of how you two have vowed to spend the rest of your lives together as one etc or how 1 + 1 has suddenly become 1.

1.      NO TWO MARRIAGES ARE THE SAME

Just as our faces are different so are the characters and the way our partners react to issues different. You dare not pick or go through your spouse’s phone because your friend does same to his or her spouse. You are not married to the same persons and if your friend’s spouse is comfortable with it, I think it is wise to have that discussion with your spouse before venturing into that line of business. In other words ‘one man’s food is another man’s poison,’ find out that which goes well with your tummy lest it purges you (and blood dey follow some purging self).

Your level of communication and understanding of your spouse will help you better. While some will understand the reason behind you going through their phones or helping them pick their calls some may not.

2.      TRUST

This is the most expensive thing in this world as it could take years to build and seconds to lose. Someone once said ‘if I cut you off, chances are that you handed me the scissors’ and if you ask me I will say going through your spouse’s phone is equivalent to handing him or her the scissors. The truth is you cannot control or censor the kind of messages or pictures the third party sends to your spouse and once you start going through the phone and seeing all the funny chats and messages you start to lose faith in your spouse. Gradually you become the house detective and relationships are about trust and once you start playing the detective then you start having issues and that expensive thing called TRUST will be lost and in some cases it might take forever to repair.

Now there is a difference between going through your partner’s phone and picking your partner’s call. On a normal day I will say it is okay to pick your partner’s call but human beings are very funny and you can never tell what the person at the other end of the line has to say. How will your spouse feel when he or she picks your call and there is nobody to respond at the other end of the line? This kind of scenario can keep one at the edge of the seat and automatically makes one a detective.

3.      ATTITUDE

There is this popular quote that ‘relationship never dies a natural death…they are murdered by ego, attitude and ignorance’. We human beings are naturally jealous and most jealous persons have nasty attitudes especially when they cannot hide how irritated they are. The kind of things we see or read can affect our state of mind, it can make one become jealous of another and it can make one’s attitude change (it could be positive or negative). Brethren to avoid gossip of how your spouse’s attitude has changed especially towards you….STAY OFF HIS OR HER PHONE(s)

Finally you could end up wrong if you use phone call and text messages from your spouse’s phone to judge his or her fidelity and this singular issue can destroy your marriage or relationship. When you decide to play the role of a detective in your marriage or relationship, he or she will equally try to play the role of the smart thief. You will spend your time chasing a shadow instead of the main substance which is making your spouse always longing to spend that quality time with you.  

The Leader's potential difference

Potential difference requires a leader to be ahead in order to keep the team motivated. This requires knowledge acquisition and skill development. In this light, knowledge is defined as a knowing that gives an edge, which results in an ability to influence. Charlie Jones said: “You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.” It is generally believed that every leader is a reader and every reader is a potential leader. CNN’s ‘Reading for Leading’ program lends credence to this hypothesis. A leader should know something about everything and everything about something within his sphere of leadership. Again, this doesn’t mean the leader is the know it all; instead, it means the leader has basic amount of knowing in a wide range of subjects, and a deep amount of knowing in one or a few subjects. This makes for a leader who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way (paraphrased from John C. Maxwell’s quote). If you don’t have it, you can’t give it!

Knowledge is primarily acquired through reading. A leader must study to remain approved because there is a natural degradation that comes with lack of learning. A computer engineer who received a degree in 1980 and has not continually increased in knowledge will be outdated in today’s dynamic and fast-paced world of computing. There is therefore no end to personal development. It is imperative to remain a student of life and a student for life: duly registered in the University of Life. Henry Ford said: “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty.” It is a never ending cycle of knowledge. The more you know, the more you discover you don’t know, and the more you want to know. If one must live without knowledge, then the next logical step will be to purchase a firearm because it will soon become necessary to rob a bank; and even for that, knowledge is needed!

Let’s take a look at one of America’s greatest leaders – Thomas Jefferson. He was the 3rd president of the United States and the principal author of the US Declaration of Independence. History records that he depended on books for his education all through his life. During his presidency, the Library of Congress, which is currently the second largest library in the world, was established. It is worthy of note that Jefferson had the largest private library in North America at the time. After the Library of Congress was burnt in the War of 1812, he sold his personal library collection to the United States Government. His collection was used to re-establish the Library of Congress. At this time, Jefferson had seemingly accomplished it all; nonetheless, he began to rebuild his personal library at the age of 71.

The leader’s first priority is the building of potential while a later priority is to build potential in others through mentoring. A leader in self, increases exponentially by teaching others in leadership. The renowned educationist, Edgar Dale, developed the Cone of Experience in 1946 where he related different learning techniques to memory retentiveness. Although he never added specific numbers to his cone, it was postulated from the cone thereafter that we remember 10% of what we read and over 90% of what we teach others. This implies that we can literally receive 90% by giving 10%; truly it is blessed to give.

Elephants spend about 80% of their day feeding; consuming several hundreds of pounds of vegetation daily, and excreting around half of what is eaten. The lesson here is that a significant portion of time must be spend in capacity building, but capacity must not be kept, it must be discharged, else it becomes toxic to the bearer. Lack of use is as bad, maybe even worse than misuse. Jim Rohn summarized it as thus:

“Don’t let your learning lead to knowledge. Let your learning lead to action.”

The Authors: Akinleye Sowunmi, Chukwuka Madumelu and Oghare Ogidiama are friends and business partners who believe they are going to change the world someday.

Readership for Leadership

Are leaders born or made? This question has a special place in philosophy but only little practical relevance in leadership. It is borne of a misconception of what leadership is. Leadership is believed in some quarters to mean ability to: acquire wealth; create jobs; and occupy top positions in public or private sector. While leadership may lead to one or more of these, it is more appropriately defined as the willingness to serve, while influencing others to achieve a defined goal. Leadership can be as simple as taking initiative to change a blown out light bulb in a dorm room instead of waiting for one of the other roommates to do it. It was Martin Luther King Jnr. who said: “Not everybody can be famous but everybody can be great, because greatness is determined by service.” Good leaders emerge from doing what they love; great leaders emerge from serving a people they have chosen to love (quote by Olufemi Taiwo).

To those with a penchant for numbers, a leader may be viewed as an element in a matrix who carries friends or colleagues along to reach a determinant. A matrix more often represents a committed group rather than a big group. Margaret Mead was spot-on in these words: Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. The leader’s objective is not to be the determinant or the shining star that is hailed ‘ranka dede’ at the city gate. A leader’s hallmark is the led; simply put, a true leader is an ensemble of leaders.

A potential is an unused ability, or the capacity to perform an action. A potential difference will exist between two people if their storage of unused ability is different, implying that they have the capacity to perform different amounts of the same work. A professor for example will ordinarily possess more knowledge that the students because of a potential that has been gathered over time. The professor does not know it all, and is not necessarily the smartest person in the class, but is a more advanced student and is therefore able to deliver voltage to the students. Of what use is a professor with the knowledge of a pupil? To what relevance is a leader who’s never willing to climb the ladder? The leader must operate from a position of strength which begins with the acquisition of relevant knowledge; otherwise called capacity building. As necessary as this period of knowledge acquisition is, it usually appears unnecessary because of its latency and apparent lack of immediate result.

This wilderness experience however forms arguably the most important part of capacity building. Jesus had his wilderness experience. Elijah ate, because the journey was far. This period of quietness and confidence is where an initial potential difference is built. The initial potential represents a foundation and must be continually built upon by consistent learning. No one can effectively lead a group of people who know better than the one who leads. Little wonder it is said that a flock of sheep led by a lion will defeat a pride of lions led by a sheep. An equal potential group means a zero potential difference and will never lead to a flow. Although there are several forms of potential, this literature focuses on potential difference via intellectual development.

 The Authors: Akinleye Sowunmi, Chukwuka Madumelu and Oghare Ogidiama are friends and business partners who believe they are going to change the world someday.

LEARN FROM THE HEN TOO!!!

'Management Lessons from the HEN:

1. She first lays enough eggs before sitting on them: -GOOD PLANNING.

2. When she starts sitting on her eggs, she minimizes movement: - DISCIPLINE.

3. She physically loses weight while sitting on her eggs due to decreased feeding: SACRIFICE and SELF DENIAL.

4. She can sit on eggs from another hen: - IN DISCRIMINATION and GENEROSITY

5. She sits on her eggs for 21 days, patiently waiting, even if they don't hatch she will still lay eggs again:- HOPE and COURAGE.



6. She detects unfertilized eggs and rolls them out: - SENSITIVITY and DISCERNABILITY

7. She abandons the rotten eggs and starts caring for the hatched chickseven if it is only one: -WISDOM and BEING REALISTIC.

8. No one can touch her chick: - PROTECTIVENESS and LOVE.

9. She gathers all her Chicks together: -UNITY of PURPOSE.

10. She doesn't abandon her chicks before they mature: -MENTORING

Live your dreams, one day they shall hatch and you shall see them grow.'

Saw this this morning and I just thought it wise to share. So you see we don't only learn from the ANT. Have a productive week.

SEPTEMBER 21ST

The United Nations’ International Day of Peace is celebrated on September 21^st each year and the theme for this year’s commemoration is ‘Partnership for Peace - Dignity for All’. The Peace Day is celebrated to recognize the efforts of those who have worked hard to end conflict and to promote peace. It is also a day of ceasefire – personal or political…(does that mean everything can return back to status quo after that day..? cos that seems to be the trend)

 

BACKGROUND

In 1981 a UN resolution established the International Day of Peace to coincide with the opening of the UN General Assembly. The first Peace Day was celebrated in 1982 and was held on the third Tuesday of September each year until 2002, when September 21 became the permanent date for the International Day of Peace. The Assembly declared that the day should be observed as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence and encouraged people to work in cooperation for this goal.

The most commonly featured symbols for the day is the peace dove flying with an olive branch in its beak which represents ‘hope for peace’ or a peace offering from one person to another, hence the phrase ‘to extend an olive branch’. Often the dove is represented as still in flight to remind people of its role as a messenger.

We cannot equally say to be oblivious of the kinds of conflict affecting us as Africans and Nigeria as a country. Although there are a thousand and one of them, I will like to point out the most common four which I have categorized as thus:

1.    Boundary and territorial conflicts (quest for Bakassi Peninsular)

2.    Civil wars and Internal conflicts having international repercussions (Ask Burkina Faso)

3.  Religious conflicts (Central African Republic)

4.    Political and ideological conflicts (APC vs PDP)

 

I will be right to say that Nigeria championed the establishment of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in 1975 and even spearheaded the creation of ECOWAS Cease Fire Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) which facilitated the resolution of the civil wars and the restoration of democracy in Liberia and Sierra Leone. The million dollar question is why have we been allowing these internal, religious and political conflicts divide us as a country? The only prominent thing about Nigeria now is their Jollof rice (keeps straight face) 

     When it comes to Religious conflict I will blame our religious leaders as most of them have ceased preaching peace, forgiveness and repentance to preaching prosperity and how the "violent taketh it by force",  at the same time I will also blame we the followers who follow blindly forgetting what the Holy book has to say in every situation we find ourselves.

Finally I will like to use this medium and on this day to appeal to Nigerians (because you are either a staunch follower of APC or a pious supporter of PDP) to stop making this country uninhabitable because this game being played which I title ‘an eye for an eye’ will end up making us go blind. Let us set up a platform and reason together as Nigerians on how to make this country a better place for us and the future generations, as peace can only be achieved by understanding. Let us control our minds as individuals and not be controlled by the name of the party. Lets look past our different religions,  tribe, race, complexion, gender and let us follow peace with all men.

credit...Google