The Nigerian Law School And The House Of Lords by Barr. Ogundipe David Oluwasegun

THE NIGERIAN LAW SCHOOL AND THE HOUSE OF LORDS

I have come to cherish the time-honoured truism that “one should not judge a book by its cover”. This is because a great deal of evil lies in one-sided view of a person, situation or thing and possibly a man who simply conclude that it would be a sunny day all through because of the terribly scorching rays of the sun would be left at the mercy of the unexpected heavy rain. That exactly is a lifetime lesson I have learnt from the Nigerian Law School and the House of Lords.

It exists in virtually every intellectual, social, and even religious gathering, though it may be called another name or even exists without name but one must have noticed it on one or more occasions. They form a team of formidable people somewhere in the classroom or any gathering. More often than not, they subscribe to the rare seats in such gatherings. Different classes of people with quite amazing and strange purpose for abandoning the front seats for the back. Ask an average Nigerian, he tells you they make the association of unserious minded fellows: empty heads with no clue on the answer to potential questions, the Jonahs who sees the back as comfortable to take a siesta without being noticed, class disturbing rascals, people whose mode of dressing violates the law of the gathering and seeks a perfect abode to evade sanctions among others. In religious gatherings, if you hear anyone says “Amen” without the pastor saying any prayer or you hear an abrupt shout of “Hallelujah,” without the conventional “praise the Lord” find out, it would be a backbencher.

As much as the above assertion may paint the true picture of the backbenchers of occasions, I seek to spot on this perception of the House of Lords as popularly known and called at the Nigerian Law School. No, this House of Lords does not comprise of learned judges and justices of different courts as known in the real sense, rather, it comprises of students whose comfort zone is the back seat. They are ready to go extra miles to secure that back seat for themselves and fellow “Lords” in their caliber. Little wonder, they found it quite easy to notice a new comer as even the way one looks and responds to their greeting manner would tell if one is a “Lord” or an “intending Lord”.

As expected, different pranks and stunts are pulled from this group of people in class. A house of Lord Member would never suffer the same embarrassment for not knowing the answer to any question asked by the lecturer like a non-Lord. Whether he is short of idea or not, a standing ovation with the loudest of claps awaits him by fellow Lords. Upon his return to his seat, he is more often than not entitled to a bow. Even for an articulate non-Lord with the apt answer to the question to be allowed to half of the encomium, he need pay obeisance to those at the House of Lords. This mode of determining who goes back to his seat with a swollen ego or a deflated one is not limited to fellow students but even lecturers. A mention of lecturer’s name before superior officers attracts different grades of reaction triggered by the House of Lords. A loud noise accompanied by thunderous claps are exclusively reserved for the most cherished lectures, thunderous claps alone for the cherished ones, average salutation noise for those a step below while the last categories earn grunts as compensation. Ask well, these categories honoured with grunts are those who won’t stop patrolling the House of Lords in a bid to seize phones, I pads or other gadgets. So, the Lords see the opportunity as a payback time by grunting when such people are mentioned even before the Director General. It must also be noted that, despite the percentage of those in the House of Lords which can accurately be put to 20% of the entire class number, they have the most audible voice and loudest claps. If they say they hear the lecturer, no one attempts to say otherwise and if they say they couldn’t hear him, no front seated fellow dare say otherwise. If the House of Lord says a baboon is the most beautiful creature on campus, so be it, if they call a beauty pageant winner a monkey, everybody would be willing to join in singing the chorus. It should be noted that these Lords are not into violence and acts inimical to the progress of the school, they only enjoy intellectual rascality.

However, there lies more than enough knowledge to acquire by taking the pain to sit among the Lords. Even from their seemingly unserious attitudes comes a clue to wisdom for those with insight. Or what do you say of a student who was caught posing for pictures at the rare part of the class only to provide accurate answers to all the lessons been taught in the class when asked? Among every bad group lies some form of good and amidst evil men lies some form of good. Despite, the spoilt and rotten ones who gist away dreams and ping out prospects during lectures, students with challenging and intimidating credentials, genius of enviable potentials, outstanding poets and writers, distinguished orators, great dreamers with zeal to actualize it and possibly the best of intellectuals abound in the House of Lords. They burn night candles to study hard and only attend classes to ease tension and catch fun.

One then would not be wrong to assert that the House of Lords has proved an exception to the old believe that serious minded people are found in the front seats while the dismissive ones seek to hide behind in a bid to conceal their ignorance. Several best graduating students of the Nigerian law school were known as typical back benchers and respected Lords. Now the battle line is drawn, who wears the crown at the next call to bar? A Lord or a serious-minded front seat addict? Only time will tell.

Ogundipe David Oluwasegun writes from the Nigerian Law School, Abuja.

LECTURERS OR TENSIONERS? by Ogundipe David

Equality before the law has become a banal phrase among students in the Nigerian higher institutions; when they feel they are facing unjust treatment and oppression from other students and colleagues, and even freshmen students know that freedom of thought and expression are concepts embedded in the constitution.
However, their actions tell us that “equality” is a subjective expression. Remember George Orwell in “Animal Farm?”…. “All animals are equal but some are more equal than others”. Thus, fear drives us to attend lectures, the fear of terrible sanctions. These “tensioners” aggravate the fear and pressure we’re under rather than encourage us. And like low rank military personnel respond to their draconian superiors, we answer “yes sir” or “yes ma” even when they call us people from “miserable and hopeless backgrounds.”
I feel emotionally lacerated as my pen engages in its usual magic of turning my thoughts to words. Some of the memories of my early days as a student linger in my head, like they’re on a quest to feature in this piece to help express a “bitter truth”.
I attend lectures with religious punctuality not just because I want the knowledge or the few marks it would add to my total score, but also because of lecturers’ decree that no one would write their examination unless they make 75 % attendance.
I bottle up my feelings and thoughts on some of the actions of our leaders, but my countenance reveals my disgust. I am able to hide my emotions most times because I know I will be a graduate very soon and will be free from these manacles of intimidation and threat that I consented to wear. My conscience, however, being the independent soldier that he is, will never forgive me if I fail to express this golden thought and our “grund norm” (the Nigeria constitution) will doubt the validity of my being a Nigerian if I fail to exercise the freedom of thought and expression it gives me.
Cases of “tensioners” telling the students some grades are practically unattainable in their courses have become the talk of the town. Such “tensioners” are usually reported to have said things like “A is for God and it is exclusively reserved for Him, B is for me and I can’t let it get out of my custody while C is for the serious students”. I used to think this was just a rumour started by unserious students in a scheme to excuse or justify their average performances- their Ds, Es and carry over grades until I overheard one “tensioner” telling his audience not to expect distinction because he has no such package in his marking scheme.
I could tell from the whispers coming from the students, their confused, scared faces, and agitated gestures that they were under tension. Less than two weeks after this humorous but saddening event I witnessed another scene that involved another “tensioner” directing threatening words to a portion of the class. This lecturer told that section of the students that he would fail them and tell other lectures to do the same; this elicited a bout of thundering laughter from me. I think the “tensioners” have forgotten that “studium discendi voluntate quae cogi non potest constat” (study depends on the good will of the student, a quality which cannot be secured by threat or compulsion.) We can never learn under threats, compulsion or out of good will.
As if that was not enough, in a visit to one of our universities during the last holiday I met a 200 level student that told me he is likely to convoke anytime since one of his “ogas” has threatened him with expulsion, yet the boy have no case with the disciplinary committee. When I view these incidents from another perspective, I ask myself when our universities became joke factories. Even law students have to reserve their legal and equitable rights in some cases while other students in our universities will rather go home to display their knowledge with their sibling than trying to tell the tensioners their “church minds”.
I must however include that some of our bosses here are not just here to impact knowledge but are also treating us like their brothers, sisters or even children. And in my opinion, by doing this, they pass the test of humanity. The memories of their humility, kindness and right attitude towards us will live forever.
However, my humble question to the “tensioners” is if timidity is infused into us, the fire of courage burning inside us is quenched with their water of threats, the free relationship that should exist between us is severed, and our well-deserved academic excellence is denied us on paper, what is the fate of the “better Nigeria” we all wish and pray for?

KLEPTOCRACY: THE TRUE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT IN NIGERIA by YUSUF ANTHONY

It is unsurprising that when Olusegun Obasanjo changed the system of government in Nigeria on May 29, 1999 from military to democracy, many gave kudos and lauded the decision. This is because People saw it has the beginning of an era where there won't be tyranny and the right of the people won't be trampled upon. People saw it as the era of leaders not rulers (though we ended up having administrators and rulers) who will work toward the interest of the masses and serve them well. Unfortunately, all these were dashed. The democracy has been "in view”. Democracy has been defined as "government of the people, by the people, and for the people" our democracy is the absolute negation of this universally acceptable definition. Many saw what OBJ did in 1999 as a positive change that will be to the betterment of the masses but cerebral political analysts, pundits, intelligentsia and some with critical mind now realised that it is just a "latent package" that has not been unravel for its manifestation due to the mental and psychological disorder inherent in our administrators and rulers (even in an era of democracy). Democracy in Nigeria has been reduced to an inertia state for more than a decade. Democracy has never seen the light of the day in Nigeria. It has only been taught in school but we have never witnessed the practicability. It is just on paper and the gullible masses also dance to the tune of those who are claiming to be giving the masses the dividend of democracy. Democracy did not solve the problem of our dear nation. There is nothing wrong with this system of government, but what is the value of a bottle of honey adulterated with 30 cubes of sugar? Tyranny and abuse of human right is not what can be absolutely stopped by enacting laws and changing the system of government, this is because it in the 'person", it is internal , it is only enhance by some systems of government.
Though many Nigerians believe that the system of government in Nigeria is democracy, for those who are critical minded it is blatant to them that our system of government is not democracy but "crazy-demo" Our own democracy has been the demonstration of outright craziness. This is a nation where those entrusted with the well being of the masses are the ones milking the masses by using the public resources for their selfish gain. Unfortunately these kleptomaniac human beings go without being punished despite the fact that even the blind can see that such act is culpable. It is only an illusion to say we have fundamental human right in our dear country, only the crème de la crème are enjoying it through their dubious and unpatriotic means. This is a nation where everything says 'yes' to money and affluence even if it is against the majority and has no respect form rule of law. This is a country where a public official can steal ₦100b and get ₦100,000 as bail when charged to court while a poor man who stole ₦20,000 due to lack of basic needs as a result of deprivation by the 'administrators' will be sentence to 2-5years imprisonment. This is a country where there is nothing like justice or fairness. The electorate are now at the mercy of the elected.
It is very pathetic and disheartening that those entrusted with the leadership in this nation are not leaders but administrators. It is only the leaders that can lead and make use of democracy for the betterment of the people; administrators are not leaders and they can never lead. We don't have leaders, we only have administrative heads. How can you lead people you don't know? How can you lead people you don't know their fears, hope and aspirations? How can you lead people you don't love and admire? How can you lead when your personal gain is your priority? How can you lead people you don't wish well and see them living better? How can you lead when service and sacrifice has no place in your mentality? How can you lead when you never thought of adding value? Our administrators that people call leaders are just like two pupils who score 2/10 and 0/10. The pupil who scores 2/10 maybe claiming that he/she performed better than the other. But it an absolute ignorance and stupidity to believe that, on the scale they are birds of a feather. What is the different between 0/100 and 20/100? Definitely both are 'F9'.
Nigeria is a blessed nation endowed with numerous resources; in fact our dear country is one of the richest in natural endowment in the world. Unfortunately, these natural endowments cannot spontaneously yield the desired output without the 'human resource' that will put our enormous resources into reasonable and judicious use. Who will save Nigeria from the abject and excruciating poverty that has permeated our society? Who will harness our enormous resources for the good of the populace? Who will be the saviour of this Nation from it lamentable state due to cruel 'administrators'? Can we continue to entrust the people currently at the helms of affairs with the leadership of this nation? Can we hope for a better tomorrow if we remain docile, complacent and indifferent about our precarious and melancholic situation?
The epidemic that has successfully penetrated the leadership of this nation is kleptomania. Our 'administrators' are kleptomaniac and all they can give us is to change democracy to kleptocracy. Kleptocracy is a system of government where officials are politically corrupt and financially self-interested. What can better describe the extant system of government in Nigeria? What a cruel leadership! The rich are getting richer while the poor are getting poorer, the common interest is not being served, and personal pockets are now the priority. Many Nigerians are in melancholy due to depression and dismal situations that has befallen them as a result of bad leadership-kleptocracy, some are roaming the street due to unemployment, about 7.2 million children are on the Nigerian street with no one to care for them. Unsurprisingly we are number one when it comes to social instability and disorder.
How I long to see the emergence of leaders at the helms of affairs in this nation, how I long to see rulers and administrators relegated to eternal and abysmal exile. How I long to see Nigerians who are not only educated but 'critically educated', those who cannot only read but also reason to demand change from the oppressors camouflaging to be democrats. It is of no use to continue to pretend as if all is well when everything is in chaos. Billions of naira both in cash and in form of resource are being channelled to personal pocket, despite the numerous and huge allowances those 'administrators' are earning, they still display their inherent kleptomania by looting and embezzling public funds. Corruption and personal interest is the heartbeat of kleptocracy. Nigerians has embraced this and we are suffering and smiling. This has been the cankerworm 'eating' us up.
Don't be deceived there is nothing like democracy in Nigeria, we are in the era of kleptocracy disguised as democracy. It is left for us to take the bull by the horn and shun sentiments, tribalism, nepotism, and favouritism. This is the time for us to fight for our well being. Let us join hands to re-write our history, nobody will help us to do that. It is high time we looked straight into the face of anyone found culpable because of an offence no matter our relationship with the culprit. If we want the future to be different from the past, we need to study the past and effect change in the present. We need change, but change agents must not fold their hands. Be among the change agents in your own little way. Nigeria can be great and better again.

WHat does your Marriage tells?

The story of Hosea’s marriage to Gomer is one that gives a lot of men heartache; a story of an unfaithful wife— who always slept with other men. But God encouraged Hosea to marry his adulterous.

That marriage tells a story; it is a metaphor for Israel’s unfaithfulness to God and God’s undying and unconditional love for his people. Abraham and Sarah’s marriage tells us stories of God’s faithfulness in fulfilling His promises; even when man sometimes derails (Abraham fathered another child through Sarah’s maid, Hagar). The marriage also gives us an insight into why Abraham is today referred to as our father of faith.

Isaac’s marriage to Rebecca reminds us that marriage is a tripartite union with God as the nexus… (Genesis 24:12-14) as confirmed in Proverbs 19:14. Houses and wealth can be inherited from parents, but only the Lord can give a sensible wife.

Basically, every marriage tells a story; the question is what story is your marriage telling? Is it a story of a good marriage or a bad one? like Hosea’s—a metaphor? Is God using your marriage to prepare you for an assignment unknown to you? Is God trying to increase your wisdom, to help others, by finding a solution to that difficult spouse or troubled child or is your marriage one huge fraud meant to deceive people, seemingly happy outside, but boiling inside?Is functioning well?

When we talk about the story your marriage tells, we are not talking of the made up story you tell to deceive the world, but the real story of your marriage. Made up stories linger only for a while… like a pack of cards it will collapse someday. It is stupid making up stories to please the world.

Marriage, as an institution, should not have room for make up to please the people. Remember when you had your wedding amidst crowd who came to rejoice with you. When the celebration was over and it was time to retire to the room, how many  guests followed you? In my case, as in all the cases I know, it was only my wife and I. It is that lonely and personal. Why bother about other people’s opinions.

So why do you think you need to  deceive people that you have a “perfect” marriage, spending all your time and energy  to perpetrate this lie; meanwhile, the odour oozing out of your marriage is contrary. Marriage is primarily a union between a man and woman; it needs constant attention and nourishment, if not decay will set in. As the union grows in age and number, new challenges will arise,and you need to face these challenges and surmount them. As you sincerely go through the daily motions of matrimony, including parenthood, the story of your marriage begins to evolve. That story is not make belief, it is rather the sum total of the consequences of your actions and in-actions.

Sometimes the defining moment of your story can be surmounting challenges that crippled other marriages; it can be taking in your unmarried pregnant teenage daughter and tending her until she delivers, instead of sending her far away to live with a relative or  secretly aborting the pregnancy because it is a shame  to you as the senior pastor, general overseer, elder, respected member or knight of the church or because it is demeaning to your socio-economic status.

Happily your story is not like your finger prints or your DNA which are unchangeable. You can change your story for the better. May be all you need to do is to reorder your priorities and put family first instead of career or financial pursuits. That way, spouse and children will take their rightful place in your life. Or maybe, what you need  is an attitudinal change towards your spouse and children. Rather than see them as liabilities and drain pipes begin to see them as assets and blessings. Sometimes we create problems where none exists. Oh! you have been sulking because all your children are girls. Congratulations, you should be grateful you have kids; what about those who do not have any? Wait a minute, the legendary former American President, Bill Clinton, has only one child, a daughter!

Sometimes kicking out a bad habit is all you need to change your story. That alcoholism that has prevented you from being a responsible spouse and parent, is it not time to stop it? That chronic gambling that has prevented you from meeting your financial obligations to your family; can you not summon the will power and put a stop to it? Yes, you can. Just take your case to God in prayers for forgiveness and healing. You can change your story for the better for your sake, your family’s and the larger society.

Perhaps changing our individual stories for the better is one of the challenges Nigerians need to surmount to realise its full potentials: everybody, or at least a lot of us, from the mightiest to the lowliest, making efforts to change our story for the better so that we all churn out better products (children) that constitute the larger society. All those in authority today and in the past are products of families. Is it not possible that our leadership problems started from the family unit? What about the kidnappers, armed robbers, fraudsters, rapists and other deviants? If so, I think it is time we, as individuals, make efforts to remove that speck from our eyes so that we can sufficiently see to clear the log we see in the eyes of our neighbours.

Our society needs cleaning up… but it is not going to happen if we expect only those in higher authority—(all parents and the older children in the family are all in authority… .) Every one of us has some cleaning up to do; I concede that the bulk of the clean-up rests at the doorstep of those in higher authority



By Francis Eweherido

What Story does your Marriage tells?

The story of Hosea’s marriage to Gomer is one that gives a lot of men heartache; a story of an unfaithful wife— who always slept with other men. But God encouraged Hosea to marry his adulterous.

That marriage tells a story; it is a metaphor for Israel’s unfaithfulness to God and God’s undying and unconditional love for his people. Abraham and Sarah’s marriage tells us stories of God’s faithfulness in fulfilling His promises; even when man sometimes derails (Abraham fathered another child through Sarah’s maid, Hagar). The marriage also gives us an insight into why Abraham is today referred to as our father of faith.

Isaac’s marriage to Rebecca reminds us that marriage is a tripartite union with God as the nexus… (Genesis 24:12-14) as confirmed in Proverbs 19:14. Houses and wealth can be inherited from parents, but only the Lord can give a sensible wife.

Basically, every marriage tells a story; the question is what story is your marriage telling? Is it a story of a good marriage or a bad one? like Hosea’s—a metaphor? Is God using your marriage to prepare you for an assignment unknown to you? Is God trying to increase your wisdom, to help others, by finding a solution to that difficult spouse or troubled child or is your marriage one huge fraud meant to deceive people, seemingly happy outside, but boiling inside?Is functioning well?

When we talk about the story your marriage tells, we are not talking of the made up story you tell to deceive the world, but the real story of your marriage. Made up stories linger only for a while… like a pack of cards it will collapse someday. It is stupid making up stories to please the world.

Marriage, as an institution, should not have room for make up to please the people. Remember when you had your wedding amidst crowd who came to rejoice with you. When the celebration was over and it was time to retire to the room, how many  guests followed you? In my case, as in all the cases I know, it was only my wife and I. It is that lonely and personal. Why bother about other people’s opinions.

So why do you think you need to  deceive people that you have a “perfect” marriage, spending all your time and energy  to perpetrate this lie; meanwhile, the odour oozing out of your marriage is contrary. Marriage is primarily a union between a man and woman; it needs constant attention and nourishment, if not decay will set in. As the union grows in age and number, new challenges will arise,and you need to face these challenges and surmount them. As you sincerely go through the daily motions of matrimony, including parenthood, the story of your marriage begins to evolve. That story is not make belief, it is rather the sum total of the consequences of your actions and in-actions.

Sometimes the defining moment of your story can be surmounting challenges that crippled other marriages; it can be taking in your unmarried pregnant teenage daughter and tending her until she delivers, instead of sending her far away to live with a relative or  secretly aborting the pregnancy because it is a shame  to you as the senior pastor, general overseer, elder, respected member or knight of the church or because it is demeaning to your socio-economic status.

Happily your story is not like your finger prints or your DNA which are unchangeable. You can change your story for the better. May be all you need to do is to reorder your priorities and put family first instead of career or financial pursuits. That way, spouse and children will take their rightful place in your life. Or maybe, what you need  is an attitudinal change towards your spouse and children. Rather than see them as liabilities and drain pipes begin to see them as assets and blessings. Sometimes we create problems where none exists. Oh! you have been sulking because all your children are girls. Congratulations, you should be grateful you have kids; what about those who do not have any? Wait a minute, the legendary former American President, Bill Clinton, has only one child, a daughter!

Sometimes kicking out a bad habit is all you need to change your story. That alcoholism that has prevented you from being a responsible spouse and parent, is it not time to stop it? That chronic gambling that has prevented you from meeting your financial obligations to your family; can you not summon the will power and put a stop to it? Yes, you can. Just take your case to God in prayers for forgiveness and healing. You can change your story for the better for your sake, your family’s and the larger society.

Perhaps changing our individual stories for the better is one of the challenges Nigerians need to surmount to realise its full potentials: everybody, or at least a lot of us, from the mightiest to the lowliest, making efforts to change our story for the better so that we all churn out better products (children) that constitute the larger society. All those in authority today and in the past are products of families. Is it not possible that our leadership problems started from the family unit? What about the kidnappers, armed robbers, fraudsters, rapists and other deviants? If so, I think it is time we, as individuals, make efforts to remove that speck from our eyes so that we can sufficiently see to clear the log we see in the eyes of our neighbours.

Our society needs cleaning up… but it is not going to happen if we expect only those in higher authority—(all parents and the older children in the family are all in authority… .) Every one of us has some cleaning up to do; I concede that the bulk of the clean-up rests at the doorstep of those in higher authority



By Francis Eweherido

GENIUSES ARE MADE NOT BORN by Jegede Oluwatola

  It goes without saying that a genius is someone embodying exceptional intellectual ability, creativity or originality typically to a degree that is associated with the achievement of unprecedented insight.

Geniuses are those who fully embrace whom they are and are passionate about it, persevere amidst all odds, setbacks and do not let the expectation of others get in their way.

Having belabored the foregoing, genius involves figuring out whom you are and being in total control of yourself. It is about strengthening your best traits and compensating for the rest. A genius is one who takes the bull by the horn in life, and becomes a master of his or her profession or career.

Professor Gaga who was the one who promulgated this saying when she once said "we are just born this way". She actually did not mention the fact that heritability has very little to do with the potentials of becoming a genius. This speech of hers led to a conference being held in Venice, Italy. There a young scholar debunked her statement by raising a point that "what if you are born with some tendencies you do not want to be born with? Are you just stuck that way?". It caused a flurry of discussions and it was generally agreed upon that just because a trait is heritable, it does not mean that the trait is fixed and cannot be developed.

 It stands logic on its head that a very false myth popularly said is that we are all stuck at the intelligence level we are born with when actually Intelligence Quotient(IQ) can change and be improved upon with tremendous efforts. Many of our greatest artists, scientists and record-breakers demonstrated brilliance only after honing their craft throughly and devoting hours of practice and study on it. At this juncture, I beg to disagree with the proposed motion which states that 'Geniuses are born not made'.

The thrust of this piece is that the real meaning of success is not what others may say to you or the days of little beginning. As it is popularly said, 'better is it that ends well' also 'it is not all about how far you have gone but how well'. Success and becoming a genius is not a day's job. It is all about working on yourself to become better in what you feel you are at your best, practising to broaden your horizons, passionately becoming good at what you are doing and finally becoming a master in it.

I submit that genes   definitely play a role in intelligence level, but at the same time, genius is also the result of tremendous amount of work. Hence, the phrase 'born genius' is deceptive. I do not subscribe to it for a minute! So many people often regarded as the greatest minds of our century often had to face great obstacles, the ridicles of their peers and the animosity of the society, which mostly gears them up to become better.

I would like to cite Albert Einstein as an example, majority of us do take him synonymously with a genius, but he did not show such promise. Einstein did not speak till he was four and he did not write till he was seven, causing his parents and teachers to think he was mentally handicapped, slow and anti-social. He had an IQ test and he had a ninety which only showed that he was a dunce. He was expelled from school and he was refused admission to the Zurich Polytechnic School. Now people will ever remember him for changing the face of modern Physics and also a Nobel Prize winner.

Charles Darwin,a well-known scientist himself wrote 'I was considered by all my masters and my father a very ordinary boy, rather below the common standard of an intellect'. Perhaps they judged too soon, Charles has made a name for himself.

As it is, Isaac Newton, great mathematicians will never forget this Maths guru but it suffices to say that he never did particularly well in school and he was put in charge of the family farm, he always failed miserably. His uncle gave him the benefit of the doubts and sent him off to Cambridge where he finally blossomed into the scholar we know today.

I make bold to say that Robert Stern-berg, which is a big name in Psychology received a woeful result in his first college Introductory Psychology class with his teacher saying that 'there was already a famous Stern-berg in Psychology and it was obvious there would not be another'. Stern berg was jolted and he worked harder. He graduated with exceptional distinction in Psychology and he is now the President of American Psychological Association.
Digging deep, Thomas Edison, in his early life, a teacher told Edison he was 'too stupid to learn anything'. Work was no better, he was fired in his first two jobs.


Edison made one thousand attempts at inventing the light bulb, he failed at all but all this unsuccessful attempts finally resulted in the design that worked.
In all frankness,Orville and Wilbur Wright, popularly known and referred to as the Wright brothers, battled depression. After numerous attempts at creating flying machines, several years of hardwork and tons of failed prptotypes, the brothers finally created a plane that could get air-borne and stay there.

 Firing from all cylinders, taking it away from the science and inventory world, i would like to talk about Michael Jordan. Often lauded as the best basketball player of all times, Michael once said 'I have missed more than one thousand shots in my career, I have lost almost three hundred games, on twenty-six occasions, I have been entrusted to take the game winning my shots and i missed. I have failed over and over again in my life and that is why i succeed'.

Ben Carson said' I was not a good student. No, i lie, that is not exactly true, I was the worst student in my whole fifth-grade class at Higgins Elementary School'. He had no competition for the buttom of the class, he was exposed to taunts, ridicle and teases from other kids. Yet he struggled to make headway and worked hard on himself. Behold, all this is history now because he is a Professor and Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at John Hopkins Medical Institution. He made world-wide breakthroughs in Neurosurgery that has brought life and hope to the hopeless. Am there were sure some 'born genius' in this profession before him. Why did they not make the breakthroughs with their naturally high IQ? What must habe withheld them? Manyquestions begging for answers.
 Most people do ask 'am I really good enough, talented enough?' when really the most important thing is to stick to it and with determination you work your way to becoming the best. It is either you shape up or ship out.


Worthy of mention is the fact that working memory has a lot to do more than Intelligence Quotient level to be a genius. A genius is influenced by both biological and environmental factors. Saying that a person is a dunce, he ever remains a dunce was defuted in the life of Teddy. Teddy was affected psychologically with the issues at home. His teacher, Mrs Thompson took delight in marking his paper with a broad X's and then putting a big "F" at the top of his paper. The moment Mrs Thompson did the review of every student in her class and found out that Teddy was traumatized by his mum's death and how things were rough at home, the story changed. She took her time to coach him and his mind came alive, by the end of the year, Teddy became the smartes in her class. Teddy Stoddard is the Doctor at Iowa Methodist in Des Moines that has the Stoddard Cancer wings today.
       

I will like to draw up my conclusion by stating that determination and perseverance, hardwork and a die-hard spirit are the keys to becoming a well reputable and renowned genius. Believe in yourself, look deep down into what is in you, work on your flaws and i dare say the sky would not only be the limit, it is just the starting stone. Simplicita!

GENERATOR FUMES: THE SILENT KILLER

In the last six months, no fewer than 30 people have been reported dead across the country as a result of poisoning from generator fumes. The reports are almost always similar: people go to bed with their generator on and the next morning they are dead. “It is a silent epidemic. Nobody hears anything, nobody feels anything. It just happens,” said Professor Olu Akinyanju, a member of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Advisory Panel on the Human Genetics Programme. The medical practitioner and chairman, Sickle Cell Foundation of Nigeria, has described death by generator fumes as alarming. “It is so rampant, and the challenge is how to bring it to the attention of those in authority,” he stated.

We agree with Akinyanju as reports of death through generator related accidents have indeed become a daily staple in our country. Given the epileptic power supply by the now unbundled PHCN, many have had to rely on power generating sets of different kinds with all the dire implications. In some cases, an entire family has been wiped out through inhalation of dangerous fumes from their generating sets. This is because there is hardly a home, particularly in urban areas, without such a generating set. Our country which is said to have the highest concentration of power generating sets is now littered with what is also now known as "I-better–pass-my-neighbour".

Yet despite the noise and pollution from these generators, they have become necessary nuisance in many homes. They provide “emergency” power for lights, fans, fridges, television to video games. The rising death toll through carbon monoxide poisoning can therefore be attributed to the fact that majority of Nigerians generate their own energy, but mostly without taking the necessary precautions.

The danger that is not factored in is that generator fumes can be deadly. Exhaust from the generating sets contains carbon monoxide, a dangerous, invisible, odourless and colourless gas. When inhaled, carbon monoxide replaces oxygen in the tissues. The tell–tale signs on the victim are dizziness, nausea, headache, even confusion, symptoms mistakenly attributed to too much alcohol or sun.

The carbon monoxide fumes emitted by generators are fatal, often without the victims, who are mostly asleep, knowing or realising the danger. It also has long-term hazards as a possible cause of lung cancer. Experts advise people using the device “to never run a generator indoors or in any area where ventilation is limited and people or animals are present.” In effect, it is always safer to put the generator outside, and away from a window, and never in an enclosed place. Indeed, most of the deaths recorded have been as a result of unsafe generator use in badly ventilated environments. Such was the fate of a family of four – a man, his wife and two children, aged 13 and 10, recently in the sleepy village of Nkwere- Ezunzka in Oyi local government area of Anambra state. They went to bed hale and hearty. In the morning neighbours became apprehensive because their house remained locked while others were already going about their normal businesses. They were all dead before any help could get to them. They left their toyish but deadly generator close to one of the windows. The lesson is apt: never leave a generator too close to the house unless there is enough ventilation.

We feel the general public should be adequately enlightened on the danger of using generators, and how they can be safely used, mostly at homes. This should be the responsibility of the health and environment authorities at both the federal and state levels. By so doing, we will be able to save our people from painful and very cheap deaths.

DEMOCRACY: AN IRONY IN NIGERIA by Ogundipe David Oluwasegun

I went towards the sea nodding in concordance to the perfect work of nature. My face was empty but my heart was crying. I could hear the melodious songs of the birds like those of the Rome choir in a cathedral during Christmas. Insects made their creaking sounds in a diplomatic tone. The rays of the morning sun penetrated through the spaces in the trees. The early morning dew stood on the leaves in other to display its pureness. Sea-birds showing love to one another by sharing preys. The sound of the sea mighty waves lures my heart to an imaginative paradise. The concatenation finally leaves cold tears of passion dripping from my eyes.
I have no premonition of writing. I am not here to cogitate on any issue that might be troubling my mind. I have no plan of coming to the sea side to commit nature into paper artistically. I am here to enjoy a solitary moment.
Just in a trance, the environment became less conducive: the cool breeze became hot like the air from a drier. The song of the birds turned cacophonous. The newly adopted malicious and excessive noise of the insects showed they’ve gone ballistic. The objects of my sight became the opposite of what I saw earlier. My thought became the antagonist of my mind. The sorrow I had tried to keep at bay resurfaced. The heavy heart gave birth to tears: tears of sorrow and pain. I have no choice than to give my thoughts life through the use of my pen and express the reason I’ve come to seek refuge from nature.
After the end of the colonial rule, the post colonial era has been one of a struggle for political arrangement, pragmatism in government, transparency, accountability and sustainability. Corruption has engulfed all government sectors. Nepotism has become a consistent manager of private enterprises. Bribery thread the street majestically in classy attires on a daily basis. Ego centrism became a consistent factor in identifying a true Nigerian.
It is disheartening that Nigeria has become a “work shop of democracy” where the mechanics chose to change the destiny and outlook of the vehicle (democracy) to suit their selfish purpose.
They took it to their workshop and called on the other self-acclaimed specialists and the task towards changing the destiny of democracy began. The democratic vehicle which was spacious enough to accommodate us and the generations unborn was reduced to a smaller one in the guise that it will move faster and cover the distance of achievements needed as far as our country is concerned in a short time.
 We become heart-broken upon realizing the freedom of expression has been sacrificed during the panel-beating process. The new democratic vehicle doesn’t occupy the practical freedom of expression. The initial steering of the vehicle which makes democracy the government of the people was removed and substituted for an electric one. This makes people with visions for the nation flee in fear of getting electrocuted while people without purpose for the state were seen in their insulating gloves controlling the state vehicle.
The cushioned seat in the rear vehicle of democracy where the human right activists used to sit was changed for an iron one coated with spikes. This made the human right activists and advocates who wanted to see how the affair of the state goes alight from the vehicle after getting a sore back sides due to the sharp objects. We challenged them as to why a seat was coated with sharp objects and the reply they gave was that the determination of a good leader lies in the ability to endure hard times. In other words, telling us their inability to sit on spikes means they are not meant to be there.
The normal movement of the vehicle was substituted for a break-rib speed and the policies which are not yet ripe for execution were seen being enforced. The speed became too much that the on-lookers at the road side scream in terror of a potential damage to the vehicle.
The tires of the real democracy vehicle was changed for an unusual iron type. Sadly, the crawling babies among us (innocents) who might be crawling while the mother is busy preparing the meal became crushed by the vehicle and as such the future appears uncertain.
They knew too well the destination they intended and made the vehicle without brake; they easily turned to the roads that suits them. Hence, when our few representatives who can still endure to stand in the vehicle calls their attention to good policies calling for a lift at the road side in a bid to help them, they claimed the vehicle has got no brake and as such those policies die at the road sides. The policies they bring is nothing short of searching for an honest man with a stolen lantern and their motive for the people is only understood by their fellow looters with a predetermined and similar agenda.
Our parents stands at the road side with loads of responsibilities on their heads expecting the vehicle to return, but the hope of its return diminishes on a daily basis. The weak among us became helpless with the loads and died tragically.
They’re never happy when the night is over. They prefer driving at night in a bid to satisfy their selfish interests. Our representatives demands that the head lamp be put on in a bid to see what lies ahead the dark destination, only to be told the lamp is in a bad stage and they threaten to throw out anyone who complains again and as such, the vehicle proceed on a dark and fruitless journey.
They threw cash on occasional basis to the road side and buy our conscience and reasonability, thus, the slightest murmur earn us a thorough beating by their roadside loyalists.
We seek refuge in protest, believing we have the government which recognizes the rights and interest of the people, but lives were lost in a bid to express our grievances peacefully. We stick to the television and got married to our radios expecting to hear news of redemption, only to be told “the pain is temporal”. The question is when did democracy become the government of temporal pain?
The destiny of democracy has been changed by the destiny mechanics. The colour it has now was given to it by the fate painters. The democracy we have in Nigeria is the shadow of democracy.

WHAT DOES MARRIAGE MEANS TO YOU

 

Perhaps 50 years ago, it would have been awkward and superfluous to ask this question. In the late 60s through the 70s and earlier part of the 80s, marriage was seen as what a man and a woman go into for the rest of their lives; it was very odd to hear of separation and divorce.

In fact, it was normal for a woman to be unmarried than to be a divorcee. But I must also add that  troubled marriages were all around as I grew up.

In those days too the only meaning of gay I knew was happiness. I cannot recall gay being associated with homosexuality as a synonym. Today homosexuality comes tops when searching for synonyms of gay. These and other factors prompted me to pose this question today; what does marriage mean to you? I am sure if everybody is to answer there will be varied answers as there are varied human beings and personalities.

So I am just going to answer the question from my perspective What is marriage? Marriage to me is”the matrimonial covenant between a man and a woman for life, (which) by its nature (is) ordered towards the good of spouses and the procreation and education of offspring…”( The Catechism of the Catholic Church).

Marriage is  a partnership  for life…  “And God said, ‘for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and unite with his wife, and the two will become one.’ So they are no longer two but one. Man must not separate then what God has joined together.” (Mathew 19:5-6). It is not easy to separate what has been merged. I was actively involved in the merger of Fidelity Bank, FSB International Bank and Manny Bank. Today the initial blurred dividing lines between those three banks have evaporated. All we know today is Fidelity bank. If those three banks were to revert to their pre-merger status, I do not even want to contemplate the mess and chaos it will create.

Marriage is also a covenant. A covenant is a binding agreement between or among the parties going into it. Marriage as a covenant binds the spouses forever; it is an irrevocable commitment  only death can annul. This covenant is likened to the  relationship between Jesus Christ and his church as St. Paul teaches the early Christian community at Ephesus in the First Century (Ephesians 5:21-33). In addition, because marriage as a covenant it involves sacrifice, and sacrifice involves death. Death in this case is death to self (putting the other person and his/her interests before yours or subsuming your interests …). Sacrifice requires you to give up something, hence King David said: “I will not offer sacrifice to the Lord, my God which will cost me nothing.”(1 Chronicle 21:24; 2Samuel 24:24).

Marriage cannot be successful if you go into it with your whole self without putting to death some aspects that might be unhealthy… and invariably endanger its success.

A person who goes into marriage with whole self is selfish, and selfishness does not cohabit with successful marriages. Making sacrifice is not about your spouse only; it also includes your children; that is if you want them to turn out well.

You think it is convenient for Barrack Obama to leave his busy schedule to attend his daughter’s school game? In the mid-90s I accompanied my boss to his children’s school’s end-of-year activities. There I met so many movers and shakers of corporate Nigeria, men you normally see regularly only in the media. Was their presence convenient for them? I guess not; they had to make sacrifices to be there for their children.

Marriage and family are delicate and tricky issues. Like Rome there are many ways to a fulfilling marriage and happy family life. I do not claim to know all or have all the answers. Every marriage is a work in progress.

That is why the marriage institution has not produced a single graduate since its establishment in the Garden of Eden. You enter and exit a student. It is one institution where you cannot be too relaxed or take things for granted lest you fail. Sometime ago, a 99-year old Italian man filed for divorce of his 97 years old wife of 77 years. Reason: The wife had an affair over 60 years ago, but the man just stumbled on the evidence (letters from the lover boy).

Only God knows why she was still keeping those letters! When he confronted her, she owned up to the affair. Swiftly, the man filed for divorce. By the time the divorce is through, they will enter the Guinness book of records as the oldest couple to divorce and probably the oldest marriage to fall apart. Some record, you would say, but it brings to fore the delicate nature of marriage.

Al Gore’s (former Us Vice President under Bill Clinton) and his wife, Tipper Gore, separated after 40 years of marriage! In 1998, the 38 years marriage of  Frederik Willem de Klerk (last President of apartheid-era South Africa) to his wife, Marike de Klerk, collapsed due to the former’s infidelity. Marriage reminds me of St. Paul’s admonition: whoever thinks he is standing firm had better be careful that he does not fall. (I Corinthians 10:12).

No happy or successful marriage happens by accident; it is the product of hardwork and conscious  efforts.

By Farancis Ewherido

SECRETS EVERY SUCCESSFUL AND GREAT INDIVIDUALS NEVER TELL YOU BY: IRIAEVHO PRECIOUS

 
Every one of us today is been controlled by a force which compels us to drive for success and greatness In diverse fields, but it is nauseating today to realize that, even though we all have met the requirement to be whatever we envision, it is just a select few that have gone on to cross the Rubicon into wealth, greatness, success and even health.

It is very unhealthy to realize that every day, we keep hearing about the same individuals, in short you can even predict the news headline for the dailies and television tomorrow. Annoyingly, nobody is just interested In breaking into the ranks, we seem very content with our “nobody” status, and we will still sit down and spend our golden time in arguing about this same people, who can get whatever they want by just flicking their fingers, then when it becomes dark, you lay on your bed and wonder why GOD seems not to know of your existence, when even you are yet to know if you exist or what your purpose is.

Before you saw this article, you should have read countless news about celebrities and some you even searched on your accord, and if you do not feel a pang of pain when you realize that the celebrity you are reading about is your age mate, a fellow man like you, then I tell you that there is a problem somewhere, now am not saying that showing love for their work is bad, but you should also create time to show love for your own work, so you will not depreciate with time.

Let me get you in the mood, please answer the following questions sincerely:  Is it a bad idea when people read about you?

·        Those people you adore, have they got two heads? Why not also make yourself adorable.

·        We all have 24hours in common every day, what do you do with yours?

·        Are you ever bothered with your status or do you think that you can be better?

·        Have you ever wondered how significant you can be on earth, if only you get serious with that which you love doing?

I believe now, you will be sober, very good, because, whatever it is they have done, you can actually do way better. Analyzing some great people from their personal testimony, I got to know that what got them there is what you and I always overlook as nothing, if you do not mind knowing. Scroll down now…

         LET LOVE DRIVE YOU

Do not just do anything in life, you will just be aimless and hopeless, instead, do what you love best and are sure you are good at, it is then you can never be a failure. When you read the interviews of great persons or there biography, you will always come across these statements:

I love what am doing;  it is my passion;  I discovered I was so good at it;  I failed a lot, but I knew it was what I was supposed to do: I felt I was made for this; … you just fill the others in and see if we are not saying the same thing.

The mistakes most of us make, and will always fall victim to, is trying to make MONEY, just from everything, my brother, you will definitely pollute your purpose. Do not think money when you are into doing activities that you are good at, instead work from your heart and let your joy and profits come from the smiles you can put on the faces of others, indirectly, you will get all you want .

I could have sold out this article for money for money, but I will spend it all someday. But putting it up here for you to read just free is not foolishness on my part as some people have made me understand. My profits are actually in the way I would have affected your life, the smiles on your faces now, and the fact that you will be indebted to me for life.

Do not despise your humble beginning, for you do not climb a tree from the branches, neither did you build your house from the roof

      

“When you are propelled by love, you do better and success becomes inevitable”

     RIGHT PICTURE, WRONG FRAME

     There is a reason, everyone one has got a shoe size, different names and faces, diverse personalities… it is because YOU ARE SO UNIQUE. Problem erupts when you try to be something or someone else aside YOU, you will be a total failure, because it is like fitting a square peg in a round hole, it would not fit.

     Am not talking against having mentors or role models, but cutting your picture to fit their own frame is a totally wrong idea. They have their own story, so even though, they inspire you, never ever aspire to be them. Create a big picture of yourself and determine your own frame, work hard towards it and someday it will fit.

     There is absolutely nothing on earth you want to do that another person have not tried doing or even succeeded in. so when you set out, do not even try to compare yourself to anybody, just do your work as best as you can carry it out.

     Another error we commit is when we steal another person’s work and prototype, to make a name for ourselves, but In the real sense, you will only end up advertising them towards their own success, that is why I keep saying, do only the things you are good at so you will not be forced to follow the bandwagon in living under the shadow of another person just because you could not dare to be ORIGINAL.

     MY CRITICS, MY FRIEND

     The best and only true friend any person aiming for success will get are those who find joy and happiness in criticizing you and your work, they are the only ones who tell you the truth although in disguise and not without the price of envy, bitterness and strife, but it takes cool headedness to decode there messages which is aimed unknowingly to them to make you and your work better.

     My personal test to know how successful a project will be sometimes is based on the amount of constructive criticism I receive, and it works a lot. Because, when a person spots you doing something different and awesome, they always try to discourage you because they could not do it, whereas in the light, they are scared of you becoming better than they are {And you are!}. Most critics are deep thinkers and they have a way of knowing how something might turn out to be, maybe successful or not.

     Be warned, those who call themselves your real friend, will most times never tell you the truth even when it is obvious you are headed for self-destruct, they will only tell you what you will be so happy to hear and at the end you might never notice the shaky foundation, until your dreams collapse on you.

     Do not say because you got criticized you want to give up, NO, it means you are been noticed for what you do, and it is left for you to decide if the criticism is constructive or destructive, then work from there.

     If you give up on your dreams, another person will take it up from where you stopped, and they might even employ to help you complete theirs.

“If you do not get criticized for what you do, drop it now or check where you got it all wrong”

CONSISTENCY

     Do you know why you hear of those names a lot? They are so consistent in there doings that when you think of any field, their names pop up in your mind.

 You can play the name game, think any career and see how effortlessly some names would just come to your mind. Now think how cool it will be too, to think of a career and have your name popping out too. Well that is where consistency comes in.

This is the factor that attaches your name to whatever it is you are doing, that I why artists keep releasing albums, footballers always want to score, authors bring books constantly…. So why should you stop working?

Making a name is not as easy as it sound, because when you start, you will become just another struggler in a saturated field, but as soon as you continue dishing out your work without reservations and continuously, that is when you will start getting your needed attention and heads will start turning to your directions.

You might really know what you are doing  or might have a lot to offer, but as soon as you become inconsistent, you will just become an unknown and struggling figure in a pool of failed under achievers.

So try to always be better in your act, work as if you are the only one and continue to give out your best!

DISCLAIMER:there are many secrets and I will be revealing them under diverse themes, so if you do not want to miss out, you can follow me. Follow our fan page below my signature

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IRIAEVHO PRECIOUS

YOU INITIATIVE

How to study for an approaching exam

Testing has been the most typical way of showing one’s skills regarding a subject or task since the beginning of time. Some people are brilliant test-takers, others not so much. For most students, the probability of success on a test comes down to two things: Whether or not you paid attention while learning the material and  whether or not you studied the material afterwards.

Yes, there are different things that factor into achievement of a ‘good’ test score, but those are the main two,  and it all adds up to preparation.

Need help? Learn how to bone up on your next test with the help of these top 8 tips on acing exams like a pro:

Pick the right time: Do not study when you are tired. It is better to study for two hours in one day, rather than trying to cram that lost time going over material at 2AM in the morning! You will not remember much, and you are definitely likely to stop before you have studied what you need.

Rewriting: Rewriting your notes is great if you are a kinesthetic learner and, fact is, most people learn by doing. That is, when you re-write something it refreshes your memory. If you took notes a month ago, and just found out that those notes will be relevant in your test, rewrite! In short, rewriting your notes will make them easier for ‘total recall’ at exam time.

Difficult topics: If it is math you’re studying for, work on the problems. Don’t just read over it like you would for a history class. (You can actually do math, but unless you’re a reenactor, you can rarely “do “history!) Working problems out will help burn them into your mind, and remember: if you cannot solve the problem before the test, you more than likely will not be able to solve it on the exam either. If you are studying for a more social subject, do your research! Be sure you know what you’re talking about.

Plan ahead: Always create a plan before you start studying, not to mention that this plan has to be achievable. If out of five lessons, three are easy and can be completed quickly, finish them first. This way you can spend quality time on the difficult lessons without being a worry wart. Small tricks like these will help you complete your sections in a blink!

Take breaks: You need some time to have fun! It is better to revise when you are feeling relaxed than to wipe yourself out with studying all day, every day. A condition to this step is: you need to avoid procrastination! DO NOT wait forever.

Review: When you are finished studying one page of your notes, before you move on to the next page ask yourself questions relating to the material to see if you have remembered what you just studied. TIP: It also helps to say the answers to your questions out loud as if you were trying to explain it to someone else.

Surroundings: Under what circumstances do you prepare the best? Comfy attire, inside/outside, with or without music and TV? In any scenario, you probably will not be able to study while there are annoyances such as the following:

 Your darling little sibling is running through the house, or your older brother or sister are bothering you. Ask your parents for help in distracting them from distracting YOU. Your music is not relaxing, or is a song you want to sing along to rather than studying. Turn down the volume.

It is too dark: Your eyes will hurt in dim light. Turn up the wattage!You are in a mess. Clean your room, as the mess around you really can distract you from what you are doing.

Ask for help: Last, but not least: If you need help, ask someone who is good at what you are studying. These people may include: teachers, family, friends, smart folks with whom you are not yet acquainted.

Regardless of what your study habits are, the end result should be that you understand what you are preparing to be tested on so you can walk into the class ontest day feeling confident and refreshed.

AGENCY REPORTER

MORAL DUTIES AND VALUES SHOWS GOD EXISTENCE by QUIVAHX

If God exists, then objective moral values and duties exist.

If evolution is true, then we are nothing more than time+chance+matter+energy. If that is the case then where does the source of morality come from? Without God you cannot adequately explain why objective moral values exist, since you are the result of a biological process.

When you look around the world, you will see that Objective moral duties, and values do exist. For example: Murder, rape, torture, child abuse, cheating, lying, and stealing will always be objectively wrong no matter what country, culture, or society you are from. Deep down inside everyone knows that these things are evil; on the other hand for example: Love, compassion, kindness, forgiveness, justice, and things of that nature are always good no matter where you are from. Now before you call foul on me for thinking I am question begging the argument I raised is not question-begging, since the warrant I offer for belief in objective moral values and duties is not God but moral experience.

The problem with the atheist is that they cannot objectively explain why we are obligated to do for example good. If God does not exist then what motivates someone to do good? Or if Satan does not exist then what motivates someone to do evil? If God does exist then we have a sound foundation for our morality.

There is too much evil and suffering for God to exist? This is a typical argument put forth to try and disprove God as an objective source for morality. Take the problem of evil for example. Now whenever someone raises the question of evil it is either raised by (a) person or about person(s). If you assume there’s such a thing as good, then you’re assuming there’s such a thing as evil. If you assume there’s a such thing as good and evil, then you must assume there’s a moral law to differentiate between good and evil. If you assume there’s a moral law, then you must assume there’s a moral law giver who gives us a moral conscious to know right and wrong. But that is who you are trying to disprove and not prove. If there is no moral law giver, there’s no moral law. If there’s no moral law, there’s no such thing as good, if there’s no such thing as good then there is no such thing as evil. If there is no such thing as evil then what is your question?

The only way you can Philosophers and Scientists can argue morality is either subjective or pragmatic. They can tell you how to apply morals in society, but they can’t tell you why they exist, nor where they came from.

Based on premise one and two we have a sound grounding for our Morality, because God exists. If there is no God, then any ground for regarding the herd morality evolved by homo-
sapiens as objectively true seems to have been.

The blessing of oil: A peculiar mess

Our parlous economic predicament is generally regarded as a “resource curse”; a phenomenon, which the free encyclopedia defines as a paradox of plenty, in which countries with abundant revenue from mineral resources show less economic growth with a beleaguered manufacturing sector when compared with other countries with less resource endowments.
The causes of such paradox are said to include exposure to global commodity market swings; weak and corrupt institutions, which condone fraudulent diversion from the revenue streams from such mineral exploitations; other causes are government’s mismanagement of resources, and the expected adverse impact of a nation’s real exchange rate.
Let us briefly examine these identified causes of resource curse from the Nigerian perspective!
In reality, global commodity market swings cannot be responsible for our  parlous economy, as crude oil price climbed from less than $4/barrel in the last three or so decades, to stabilise at over $100/barrel, while improved extraction technologies have also more than doubled daily production output to about 2.5bn barrels; furthermore, price and output swings have been few and short-lived.
Conversely, we cannot dismiss the incidence of weak and corrupt institutions as a contributory cause of our inability to translate our huge mineral resource endowments into a blessing for our people.
Incidentally, lately, in a report titled “Swiss Traders’ Opaque Deals in Nigeria,” a Swiss advocacy organization, called ‘Berne Declaration’ accused the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) of conniving with major Swiss oil trading companies to drain Nigeria of billions of dollars revenue through the sale of crude oil below market value!
Consequently, the ‘Berne’ report alleges that NNPC plays a significant role in maintaining the so-called resource curse.  Prominent amongst NNPC’s reported shady deals are its partnership with the Vito and Trafigura corporations, who incidentally paid over $6.7bn for about 27 per cent of Nigeria’s crude oil exports in 2011!
The ‘Berne’ report further decries the unfortunate reality that Nigeria is the only major oil producer that sells 100 per cent of its crude to private traders rather than marketing it itself, and benefitting from the resulting added value!  The report wonders why NNPC continues to allocate over 400,000 barrels of crude daily to its ‘comatose’ refineries, “as if they were operating at full capacity, while the excess allocations are sold at knockdown prices or exchanged for refined petroleum in shady swap contracts”!
The Berne report identifies the ‘MRS’ Group and its subsidiary, Petrowest Services SA amongst other culprits, which include Ontario Oil and Gas, allegedly owned by one Ugo-Ngadi Adahoha.  Others are the RahaManiyya Group and Tridax Energy and Mezcor Limited, which were traced to allegedly close associates and the younger brother of the Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison Madueke!
Furthermore, the ‘Berne’ report also identified government mismanagement of resources as being contributory to our predicament of resource curse.  This observation is probably underscored, for example, by our nation’s lopsided fiscal strategy, which, in spite of our severe infrastructural deficit, steadily commits about 70 per cent of federal and state budgets to recurrent expenditure!
The Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s expressed intention to redress the expenditure imbalance with just one to two per cent incremental rise in annual capital budgets does not demonstrate a convincing resolve to urgently address our infrastructural deprivations!!
Worse still, a fiscal strategy, which accommodates fuel subsidy (of over N2tn i.e. equivalent of about 40 per cent of 2013 federal budget) annually, is undoubtedly a misguided approach to positive economic and social consolidation!
Besides, Nigerians have wondered why better-endowed oil producing countries can earn respectable levels of income from a ‘reasonable’ sales tax on fuel, while the Nigerian government conversely pays out a horrendously large component of its crude revenue as subsidy!  It is inconsequential that a significant proportion of the estimated 35m litres daily fuel supply is smuggled to neighbouring countries, neither does it seem to matter that ‘briefcase’ fuel importers are paid billions of naira in fuel subsidies, even when they have not brought in a drop of P.M.S!
Worse still, government’s attempt to support the poor with over 50 per cent subsidy on kerosene prices has been largely undermined, as NNPC’s porous regulatory structures and systems appear to deliberately create huge opportunities for excessive profiteering, in its partnership with allegedly fraudulent fuel importers!
The above revenue leakages are further compounded by official narratives of daily losses of about 200,000 barrels ($25m daily) to crude oil theft, in addition to the tens of billions of naira budgeted for security of such public assets in the Niger Delta annually.
Real exchange rate appreciation as increasing mineral resource revenue flow into the economy has also been identified as a responsible factor for resource curse.  But herein lies the obvious contradiction in our own nation’s experience, as bountiful forex revenue earnings and vastly extended imports’ demand cover in the last three decades, somehow unexpectedly failed to stop the naira exchange rate plummeting from 1:1 to over N170=$1.
Consequently, in the Nigerian context, there is a contradiction in the notion of the ‘Dutch Disease’ as increasing oil revenue has led to a much weaker naira, rather than the realistic expectation of a stronger exchange rate, which could create a challenge to the manufacturing sector’s growth and competitiveness.
The main reason for the above contradiction in exchange rate valuation can be easily traced to the process  by which CBN infuses export crude dollar revenue into the economy; the CBN’s substitution of naira allocations for dollar revenue constantly ensures that the ensuing excess naira liquidity ultimately weakens our naira, when pitched against CBN’s rationed weekly dollar auctions!  Consequently, we have the paradox of increased dollar revenue instigating excess naira liquidity and ultimately a lower naira/dollar exchange rate!!
The above fraudulent rape of our resources notwithstanding, salt is further rubbed into our injury as poverty deepens in those communities, which host oil exploration and exploitation, as both local and international oil majors defile the agricultural landscape and sources of fresh water, and jeopardise the traditional mainstay of subsistence fishing!  In a recent report, Amnesty International also claims to have fresh evidence that Shell falsifies and manipulates oil spill investigations, and documents in Nigeria, and also mischievously blames sabotage for oil spills, which are sometimes caused by corrosion in its own aging pipelines!
Regrettably, there is yet no indication that the corporate rape of our resources in partnership with NNPC is about to end any time soon, as the steadfast abolitionist fervour that ultimately put an end to the slave trade seems dormant in the apparent efforts of our leaders to redeem our people from the deepening poverty actively induced by our economic predators!!

 dailyindependentnig.com