Grateful To A Faithful God

 By: Macaulay, Babajide Milton

Born with a silver spoon in eighty-five.
Few years down the line, a misfortune threatened to extinguish the drive.
Nursed my dreams though struggled to keep them alive.
Cursed my weaknesses but it only made it more difficult to thrive.
Eventually, the Lord recharged me and I was revived.

Remembered days I couldn't get even gari to eat.
Walked long miles though not with my bare feet.
Malnourished, skinny; everybody noticed it.
Today I still wonder how I survived the red heat.
The Lord rescued me from the shameful pit.

I opened my eyes for the first time and my father named me Milton.
Don't be deceived, i'm very black-skinned, I don't hail from Britain.
Just like you, I've had my ups and downs, yet I had a dream that frightens.
Bill Clinton had his at fifteen, I had mine at nineteen.
I give thanks to my Lord for my burden He lightens.

Flew from Lagos to Heathrow three years ago without paying a penny.
Tears clouded my mother's eyes as I set out to begin the remarkable journey.
Despite alien to the cuisines served by the British Airways, I consumed everything 'cause they were yummy.
My life which was once losing its light, suddenly became sunny.
Oh Lord, your favour just never stopped running.

The intellectual battle in Britain was keen.
I almost bowed to defeat; thanks to the rush of adrenaline.
I held up my pride in green-white-green.
In the end, all my challengers had was a painful grin.
'Cause the Lord came down on my behalf as I've never seen.

It's amazing how one's life can rise from dust over high tides.
From the dark clouds of obscurity to uncommon glory-personified.
From the emptiness of nothingness to achieving a feat earlier mystified.
From a heap of devastating rejections to the receipt of a single mail that forever redefines.
Only the humble, the Lord qualifies!

The road to greatness first weakens, then strengthens.
If what you seek can be acquired cheaply, then it's value will lessen.
For every timely victory there's always a timeless lesson.
No matter how great you become; Never change your person.
Thank you Lord for making my life a blessing.

I owe Him a debt I would never be able to pay.
All He wants simply is praises all the way.
And I'd give it gladly till my very last day.
Even till I draw my last breath and my body decay.
Oh gracious Lord, what else can I say.

Some would think I wrote this to raise my shoulders.
But why would I want to inspire envy in others.
Envy leads to jealousy and jealousy breeds haters.
I wrote this publicly in honour of a faithful God who has sailed me across turbulent waters.
Interestingly, to my Lord this piece matters!

A man's time comes when God's promises are kept.
You may experience a delay but He never left.
He specialises in bringing desires to fruition at a moment best.
Therefore, never stop hoping, never stop dreaming, always keep trying like you'll never rest.
The Lord is watching; He never slept.

I've been investing my very best and even broke a jinx.
Yet, I knew I needed more than a First-class or Distinction, 'cause poverty stinks.
The struggle for greatness often reminds me that a weighty item sinks.
But am not scared guys, 'cause I'm July born #Winks.
Which might be exactly what the Lord thinks.

I'm very human, I make mistakes too.
Maybe more often than most of you do.
How I end up soaring, I have no clue.
A friend once told me to look inward that there may be something I used to do.
I've searched hard as hard as I could as if my mind is threatened by a coup.
I still don't know but I set big goals since it's not entirely my duty to make them come through.
And if you feel the favour is getting too much, perhaps it's the Lord you should sue.

With my impaired speech, I ended up as a public speaker - Nice!
With my finance limited, I ended up as a Commonwealth Scholar - Twice!
With my humble background, I ended up as a Judge to the Commonwealth Essay writers - Thrice!
Within a year, I ended up getting four awards from student bodies in FUTA - Super nice!
With the Lord on my side, the grace will surely suffice!

Gravity! Anything that rises must surely fall.
Laxity! Be carefree, what will be will be whether you are sharp or dull.
Sanity! Be realistic or else you'll achieve nothing at all.
Tenacity! No matter the logical limitation, you'll climb the tallest wall.
Deity! Ask the Lord for the hardest thing, don't waste the call.

"A PhD? but you're still young" - A friend's mutter.
Great minds don't rest, they push further.
Until there's nothing left to achieve their lives remain an opened chapter.
Now you know why I run my life daily on a personal charter.
And the good Lord has been my propeller.

Getting to this point in record time, to everyone is a shocker.
What next? Now that in my field I am a Master.
I preferred a new continent, the Americas or Asia.
But the Lord said, "Listen son, I'm taking you to a place much better."
...And it turned out to be Manchester!

I remain grateful to an ever faithful God.
#ThankYouJesus.

My Experience with Professor Yemi Osinbajo

Written on the 23^rd March, 2015 for Nigeria’s Presidential Election which was held on the 28^th March, 2015

Its 5 days to the Presidential Election in Nigeria and I believe this is the best time for me to share the personal experience I had with the Vice-Presidential candidate of the APC, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

In September 2010, I was in Lagos taking a deserving rest after the 5 year-marathon at FUTA studying Biology, a multi-disciplinary subject that sapped my mental energy completely when I came across the Excellence in Leadership Conference (ELC) hosted by DAY STAR Leadership Academy powered by the revered, Rev. Sam Adeyemi.

The programme was divided into sections based on about 5 core leadership areas. As a result of my undying passion for politics, I chose the ‘Politics session’ and found my way to the arena where we were to be seated waiting for the Guest speaker for politics. Few minutes later, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo was introduced, and I said to myself, ‘Oh, the former Lagos State Commissioner for Justice? Not a bad idea. Let’s hear what he has to say.’ I sat upright, rolling my pen in-between my fingers, listening with rapt attention and thrilled by the intellectual aura surrounding the guest speaker – I must confess! He had statistics in his head like a living computer system and was careful in the way he argued out his points in a clear, concise and unbiased manner. Suddenly, I felt like making him my political mentor because he was able to combine Academics with politics successfully (a feat I achieved in FUTA and a future I still envisage for myself. #Winks).

When it was ‘Question and Answer time’, I wrote my question quickly on paper on sent it down to him. We were about 500 in number seated at the politics section and a lot of people were sending in questions. As a result of time, the questions were thoroughly scrutinized before they were sent to the Professor. At some point, I thought mine would not scale through because it was politically sensitive but behold it did. ‘Sir, since PDP is the largest party in Nigeria and Africa, and indeed from your explanations, we need a competitive political space for our democracy to have some level of national benefits, how then do you think the monopoly of power by the PDP can be broken for the economic liberation of Nigeria?’, my question was read out loud! Everyone seated at the area burst into laughter on hearing my question because they knew how sensitive it was most especially for the fact that the programme was recorded.

The Prof. explained that a new formidable party (in terms of ideology and number) will have to be formed partly from PDP and also from other smaller parties but these members must agree firmly on the core values of the party so as to separate their ideologies from the existing PDP. However, he cautioned us that Nigerians are too used to ‘PDP’ and that any other party that will give PDP a run for her money must produce candidates of excellent characters to convince Nigerians for the need for a change in political taste to achieve a balanced diet of democratic nutrition’. The Prof. gave a very intelligent answer and got a round of applause in return. I’m sure he never knew that 5 years later he would be the Vice-Presidential candidate of the party he wittily described.

Professor Yemi Osinbajo, the current Vice-President of Nigeria

 

In December 2010, I was at the Redeemed Christian Church of God’s (RCCG) Holy Ghost Congress themed, ‘All will be well’. Behold, Professor Osinbajo was the Pastor anchoring the programme and I said to my elder brother, Macaulay Olubukola, that’s the Professor I was telling you about! I have been a member of RCCG since 1998 and I have lost count of the number of Holy Ghost Congresses I have attended. However, this particular one was special for many reasons. First, I was excited to see Prof. Osinbajo, my newly-found political mentor anchoring the event and secondly, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was physically present. In fact, it was the Prof. who announced the presence of the President and invited him to the stage for a short speech. I’m sure the Prof. never for once thought that 5 years later he would join Buhari to contest keenly against Mr President mainly because the president was so loved by all. You need to hear the screams when he was about to mount the podium. I saw with my eyes millions of Nigerians raising their white chairs in the air and shouting, Jonathan! He had the oil of gladness upon his head and was anointed for victory even before the election. How then did he become so rejected in just 5 years? (The 2015 Presidential Election Opinion Polls says it all as he was unable to win any).

Now let me fast-forward the event to 2015! The day APC announced that Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, a Professor of Law and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), would be Buhari’s Vice-President, I was shocked to my bone marrows! I was Shocked not because he doesn’t deserve the position, but because I didn’t see it coming. I never knew that any political party in Nigeria could still be interested in choosing upright men, excellent in character, without any political blemish in their past. On announcing him as VP, PDP was in chaos for a while; didn’t expect the big punch thrown at them by the APC, carefully orchestrated by the Jagaban (Bola Ahmed Tinubu) whom everyone hates including me but the same man so hated, has produced two nationally-agreeable upright men (Prof Yemi and Fashola), let’s give him kudos for that despite his questionable character.

It pains me when I read some delusional comments that Prof. Osinbajo signed an agreement with the Jagaban to quit the VP office for the Jagaban to take over if APC triumphs in the elections. I just wonder why those who designed the propaganda for PDP could not do it sensibly and effectively despite been paid so much from our national treasury. Whew! The Prof. whom I have met physically and who also took permission from his spiritual leader, Pastor E.A. Adeboye before accepting APC’s offer, would never be involved in such a thing. I don’t need an evidence to know it! It’s like your referees asking you to provide a physical evidence for your good behaviour before writing you a reference letter. Of course it would be foolish of them to do so because they are expected to judge you by the character they have known of you and not by any paper evidence of any sort. In the same vein, I know this Prof. so well because I have followed him in the last 5 years and can vouch to a great extent for him. Even, Pastor Adeboye once visited Prof. Osinbajo’s parish at Banana Island mid last year and told him he is a man after his heart. Let’s assume that people can be fooled; True men of God cannot be fooled!

My support for this man (Prof. Yemi Osinbajo) is not because he is a senior pastor of my church or because he is a Yoruba man. My support emanated from my first physical contact with him in September 2010, a time when no human knew he would become a Vice-Presidential candidate of the APC! He stole my heart and remains my political mentor! I foresee a new government where Buhari will handle corruption matters and the supervision of governmental affairs whilst the Prof. will handle the administrative aspects that bother on the economy and development. Buhari’s firmness and anti-corruption disposition plus Osinbajo’s towering intellect and bright ideas are expected to be a rock-solid combo and a wonderful gift to Nigeria’s democracy. We do not know how their partnership will fare but believe me, it is a risk worth taking rather than supporting the continuity of a government that even succeeded better in the last 6 weeks than it did in the last 5 years. Now, tell me, you think such a rush in activity can be sustained for the next 4 years? Please Nigerians wake up!!! No one is saying that Buhari/Osinbajo is the messiah pair! All we are saying is that we need fresh legs in our political affairs. Fresh Financial Ministers to think of how to get us out of our current mess most especially how to rapidly solve the skyrocketing exchange rates. Our political space is in need of new ideas from other credible leaders as the current ones have honestly tried their best after almost 6 years in power.

Unlike our current VP, Arch. Namadi Sambo a.k.a Samboribobo, who is a shadow-cast of Goodluck Jonathan, I foresee an in-coming VP (Prof. Osinbajo), who would be more active in power! Even during campaigns, Sambo has been taking the back seat so what makes you think anything would change in this next 4 years? As for the Prof. he has been on his own tour, talking to people and even attended town hall meetings sharing the policies of the Party – This is a VP that looks more like it. The Al Gore type!

DEAR NIGERIANS LET US TRY BUHARI/OSINBAJO NOT BECAUSE A MIRACULOUS CHANGE WILL OCCUR BUT BECAUSE WE CAN HAVE FRESH LEADERS IN ASO ROCK TO RETHINK OUR SITUATION FOR US AND GET US OUT OF OUR CURRENT MESS AS THE GOVT CURRENTLY IN POWER HAS SIMPLY LOST IDEAS!!!!

THANK YOU.

 

 

 

 

THE UNBELIEVABLE FEAT

BY MACAULAY, BABAJIDE MILTON

 

I arrived at the Natural Resources Institute (NRI), University of Greenwich, United Kingdom, on the 18^th September 2012, through the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship and as usual, expected to graduate excellently after the one-year MSc study in Sustainable Environmental Management.


 

Three months later, I was utterly disappointed by the results for the modules I took in term 1. The writing style and the marking scheme were alien to me. I made an emphatic effort to improve but my scores kept hovering around a fixed boundary (between 65 and 68). It appeared so impossible to cross over to the 70s. At some point, I thought my lecturers treated me unfairly because I am black! Although, I must point out here that even the Caucasians amongst us experienced the same challenge.

There were about 12 students in my department offering different modules. Among them were 7 Commonwealth scholars (including myself) from Nigeria (2), Ghana (4) and Pakistan (1). Let’s assume I wasn’t working hard enough; What about other brilliant scholars studying with me? They also faced a similar fate which ruled out the possibility that my efforts were weak.

I never gave up! I kept hope alive and worked as hard as I could. I hardly had time for myself whilst some friends and loved ones were angry with me for not keeping in touch without knowing what I was passing through. After the results of all coursework were released at the end of term 3 (July, 2013), I was shattered and devastated! I needed the average score of 70 to make a distinction but sadly, I had an average of 64.5. I thought I had fallen out of favour with God! I had 50s in my academic essays, a potential strength I thought I possessed.

I picked up myself and looked at the last task I had (MSc Project) before the herculean journey would come to an end. I said to myself, ‘Even if I don’t make a distinction, I want to carry out a mind-blowing MSc project, one that would live after me’ then I started working as hard as I could. Through divine inspiration, I developed a novel oil spill cleaning mechanism in my project and never missed a meeting with my project supervisor (Dr. Deborah Rees - a wonderful woman).

The novel Bioslurping-Biosparging Technology for the cleaning of oil spills in the vadose and groundwater zones

Macaulay and Dr. Deborah Rees at the NRI, University of Greenwich, Medway campus, UK (September, 2013).

On the 12^th September 2013, my programme leader (Dr. Peter Burt) sent for me. On getting to his office, he told me that I had been awarded a Distinction! I was completely speechless! He said I scored 76 in my project which made my average leap to 68.5 (approximately 69). During the Progression and Award Board (PAB) meeting, the members decided to compensate my efforts with a Distinction! The last time the department produced an MSc Distinction student was in 2010.

Macaulay and Dr. Peter Burt at the NRI, University of Greenwich, Medway campus, Kent, UK (September, 2013).

 

I was yet to recover from the great news when he added another. “This year, we have decided to start a new award for the Best MSc thesis. I am happy to inform you that you are the pioneer recipient of the award. Congratulations!”, he said in excitement. Immediately, I was interviewed by a young woman who asked me a whole lot of questions about myself (where I grew up and what my life plans are) and ended up taking my picture with a signed consent of course.

The Best MSc thesis Award certificate

How I became an instant celebrity is still unbelievable to me. How could I have achieved such a beautiful feat without the help of God? I thought His grace had left me but today, I need no soothsayer to tell me I was very wrong! Actually, His grace just doubled in my life and this is just the beginning!!!

Macaulay's Award-winning MSc thesis

Lessons learnt:

(1) Never give up!

(2) Grace will always find the diligent!

The Nudity Syndrome

By Macaulay, Babajide Milton

Skimpy dresses don’t annoy me – hell no! I believe you ladies are adults; therefore, can wear whatever you like cause it’s up to you to define your personality. However, what pisses me off greatly is when I sight a lady dressed in a skimpy dress but looking very uncomfortable in it like she was forced to wear it.

If you want to wear pieces of cloths, wear it! If you want to dress half-naked, please go ahead! In fact, if you wish to go completely nude like Maheeda, feel very proud to do so! But, please don’t get to a public place and suddenly realise that you’re naked or show ‘regrets’ for wearing the ‘wrong’ dress! Don't be caught pulling down your extra-ordinarily short gown hoping it would suddenly elongate to your knees or using items such as hand bags, scarfs, sweeters  e.t.c., to cover the already-exposed private part of your pelvic region in a bid to appear decent! Ladies, please be man enough to take responsibility for your public actions and be proud of it, okay?! Spread your legs freely in public since you love ridiculously-short dresses; leave your twin headlamps dangling off their cages since you feel you must showcase your natural resources.

 

Next time, ask yourself if you’d be comfortable in that dress and in those heels before wearing them. Don’t get to your destination before thinking as it would be the most absurd and terribly foolish thing to do! No one says you must suffer in the name of fashion. These days I think fashion is also a victim; I sense the need to go nude is becoming psychological and establishing itself as a syndrome! I guess the intention of most ladies is to draw the attention of the opposite sex (or same sex for some of them – a topic for another day. Lol) or to ‘kill’ the guys they admire. Funny enough, none of these guys has actually ‘died’ ever since! As far as I understand, such ladies often end up as sex objects, sadly in the hands of those they cherish.

I will implore you ladies to start making better decisions that will not tarnish your personality, for your personality is what truly represents you in your absence! I don’t expect the guilty ladies to like this piece. Lol.. All the same, the information has been passed and I remain your naughty sweetheart!...#Winks!

SERVE TO LEAD

By Milton Babajide Macaulay

Most people have the wrong perception of what service and leadership are. You would hear a so-called “leader” say to his dissatisfied followers,” Stop treating me like your servant. I am your leader!” and this has caused an unimaginable gap between stewardship and leadership. Many see both words as two separate entities where the former indicates” slavery” and the latter indicates “headship”. Everybody wants to be the head, part of the ruling class, sitting at the top of the food chain and ordering subordinates to run helter skelter in order to carry out a task, which ordinarily should have been carried out by the leader himself. 

The moral decadence and character degradation happening all around the world should not surprise or frighten us, for it is natural for such corrupt/reprobate/perverse occurrences to take place in societies where there is no living example or role-model for leadership and service. This is why those of us who are still sane character-wise, must continue to preach the linkage that exists between stewardship and leadership. Even our dear politicians have a wrong mindset, for they vie for public offices with the intention to lead/rule/govern, but never with the responsibility to serve, whereas, the objectives of a true leader can only be achieved through service.

Under normal circumstances, people should naturally be reluctant to take up leadership roles if they deeply understand   the sacrificial service attached to it, but opposite is the case in our world today, where lazy set of beings consider themselves fit for public offices and end up growing fatter and more robust than they were before they took up the office. Wolfgang Von Goethe said,” Leadership is action and not position” Therefore, leadership entails movement, dynamism, activity, running around, making enquiries, allocating duties only when necessary, apportioning blames only to himself for he is responsible for the actions of his followers, and solving problems proactively.

The truth is continents around the world, most especially Africa, are yet to have worthy examples that are capable of being called true leaders! The only example worthy of note is the Late South African anti-apatheid leader and first native president, Nelson R. Mandela. No wonder today, South Africa has the best economy in the Africa which made her the only African country to earn a seat in the current G-20. Also, according to the 2013 world universities ranking, South Africa has the best African university – the University of Cape Town (which ranks 145^th in the world). How many Nelson Mandelas do we still have in Africa? None or a negligible few? Exactly, your guess is as good as mine! This is why the continent is still the poorest so far, for the current sets of African leaders have no problem-solving potential, and of course, lack stewardship attributes which makes a leader complete! 

Even the bible espouses this view by saying,” He who will lead you must first serve you, and he who will be your head must first be the least” The servant-leadership style of managing people and resources solves a lot of problems before they occur, such as:  anarchy, resistance/rebellion, youth restiveness, national  insecurity, recurring industrial actions, unimproved standard of living, over bloated labour market, nepotism and undue ethnic/religious sentiments, overdependence on one source of revenue, lack of workable national development programs, dignitaries becoming more powerful than the law, destabilized economy, incessant importation of locally produced materials, full exploitation without conservation in view, dilapidating infrastructures, poor maintenance habit, fire brigade approach to crucial matters, dehumanizing treatments from expatriate firms to indigent workers, and a host of others.

A leader, who is service-driven and does not mind taking a trip to the bottom of the food chain in search of what the masses need, in order to change the standard of living of the downtrodden, will become a transformational leader capable of creating a monumental change to be celebrated by generations yet unborn. Only if our dedicated youths (who are the next leaders in embryo) can understand this principle deeply, will the future of the continent be well secured.  

AFRICAN YOUTHS COME ALIVE TO THE RESCUE OF AFRICA!!!

The Child-Marriage Saga: The Last Piece Of My Mind

By Milton Babajide Macaulay

Nigerians are not confused. They only want to know why such a clause has been in our constitution all this while. Taking advantage of the moment to trash out the lingering problem of child-marriage is a cause I am aware would better our nation, therefore, I strongly support the ‘ChildNotBride’ initiative. A lot of hullabaloo has been made by Nigerians over this issue whilst some religious fanatics have tried to turn it into a religious battle. However, this is the last piece of my mind on the child-marriage saga.

www.nairaland.com

You may ask why I have been so concerned about this issue. I guess it’s because I saw with my naked eyes while I served my nation in Kebbi State (North-western Nigeria) 2 years ago, the soul-shattering cases of “adolescent-mothers” lying in excruciating pain in hospitals as a result of all sorts of medical complications (with Vesicovaginal Fistula topping the list). There was a Girls’ Secondary School situated opposite my Place of Primary Assignment in Bunza, Kebbi State, where my roommate (during this period) taught ‘Government’. He narrated to me how these adolescent girls disappeared from the school the moment their fathers’ hand them over as child-brides to their friends or business partners.  He added that there was a time one of his students presented her wedding invitation card to him. He asked, ‘how old are you?’ and she replied, ‘14 years old’ ‘Although morphologically, her body was well-developed’, he admitted, ‘but mentally she was too young to make such a life-time decision’, he pointed out. After the wedding, she never returned to the school again. He later asked her school friends what had happened to her and they replied, ‘she’s at home helping her family now’. That was the end of education for that poor girl who could have lived her dream as a teacher or nurse and become a very useful tool for the development of her community.

Even the school principal (a learned Northern Muslim woman) complained about this but as expected, nothing was done by the leaders in the community to save the situation. They appeared to be unmoved and nonchalant but didn’t criticize the woman for going against any Islamic doctrines.  I was very impressed by the efforts of the principal who treated the students of her school like they were her own daughters. If the parents of the principal had married her off as a teenager without giving her the opportunity to learn and be educated, would she have become the principal of one of the largest Girls secondary schools in Kebbi State, contributing so much to the futures of young northern girls?

I decided to share these real-life stories because I have noticed how some people have kept yelling that child-marriage doesn’t mean the girl would not be given a pen or be educated. The reality before our eyes, tells us that MOST of the victims of child-marriage actually sacrifice education on the altar of marriage. It is important to note that my friend clearly stated that 95% of the students in the Girls’ secondary school were unmarried, which is self-evident that child-marriage often marks the end of education for the majority of the young girls living in Northern Nigeria.

It is true that ideally, child-marriages should not be consummated not until the bride is physically and mentally mature enough to face the rigour of childbirth, however, this does not happen in reality! In Northern Nigeria, child-marriages are consummated too early – even when the child-bride is just 10 or 12 years old. What about the decision of the child-bride herself? Doesn’t she have the right to choose whom she wishes to marry? Is marriage supposed to be a life-time of bondage? Those who think that parents want the best for their kids should think again!!! As we have loving and responsible parents, so we have callous and self-centred ones! Some child-marriages are solely organised to deliver the father from a mountain of debt. Others are organised to secure a business transaction like the child is collateral! Most are organised as a result of poverty, illiteracy and ignorance. Therefore, I can clearly say that it is very possible for some individuals to love a child more than the way the parents love that child. A good example is the principal of the Girls’ secondary school mentioned earlier.

Those who keep screaming continuously like a broken record that we should clamour for marriage and not fornication should for goodness sake get medication for their sentimental illnesses! WHEN DID FORNICATION EQUAL MARRIAGE?! Who in his right senses would encourage fornication or abortion? It is true that the global community is sex-crazed at the moment and both Christians and Muslims are doing everything possible to redeem the youths from the global menace of sex-enslavement. Therefore, it irritates me when I read comments from some religious fanatics who claim that Christianity encourages immorality. Haven’t you heard of Alhajis who are fond of running after female youth corpers serving in the North? Who doesn’t know that immorality knows no religious boundary? How angry do Muslims get whenever some people say Boko haram is an Islamic sect, yet some Muslims are now fast in associating Christianity with immorality? When are we going to learn that hasty generalization will land us in bigger troubles? What church have you seen distributing condoms to youths? Even till this day, there are churches that would not wed a pregnant bride because it is against their doctrines. This very simple and logical issue should not be manipulated into a religious tug of war. Okay what would you suggest Christians do to solve the problem of fornication or abortion? Should we begin to behead them one by one or cut off their private parts for sleeping around? I’m sorry to disappoint such fundamentalists but Christianity teaches forgiveness and free-will! The problem of sexual immorality is rooted in poor upbringing/parental care/guidance; therefore, it is not a simple issue that can be solved over the night. All we can do is to keep preaching the good news and hoping to save the few we can (who are willing to change because we do not believe in coercion).

Claiming that child-marriage would solve the problem of sexual immorality is like trying to convince me that a hurricane is better than a tornado! Any reasonable person should know that both have the potential to cause natural disasters!!! Hence, child-marriage as practiced in today’s world has only added to the world’s problems instead of reducing them. Yes, we may not be able to solve ALL the world’s problems BUT let’s stop adding to them! Senator Yerima who claimed publicly that he can give out his daughter at the age of 6 should be asked if any of his sisters were given out or even betrothed so early. His supporters should also be asked the same question. Funny enough, most of his supporters are southern Muslims who would NEVER give out their daughters so early because they are enlightened of the consequences of such actions; therefore, I wonder what they have to gain by fomenting so much disarray! Rather than tell the truth, they have decided to cling to religious sentiments which would further tear us apart if we are not careful. I’m tired of reading articles screaming out religious sentiments like one in which the author wrote, ‘what is your business if I give out my daughter at the age of 6?’ The writer forgets that we are ALL Nigerians and therefore, it is our business because his daughter is a Nigerian! I read in Premier Times today that the Senate President, David Mark, said, ‘Senator Yerima blackmailed other northern senators with religious sentiments’. He promised to revisit the issue for the sake of the common good of ALL Nigerians (irrespective of their tribe or religion). Therefore, we need to lay aside unnecessary sentiments if we truly appreciate the strength that lies in our diversity.

Considering the current state of the world and the moral decadence/social injustice which occurs daily, it is important for LAWs to be made to protect everyone when the situation demands it. For example, the United States made laws in the past for civilians to own a gun for personal protection but today, the law is being deliberated upon for changes due to the recent wide-spread indiscriminate use of guns by psychopaths which have led to the preventable deaths of both children and adults. Also, in our country, the current times have called upon us to revisit the section of the constitution that encourages child-marriage. As far as I know, my Muslim brothers have told me that the Quran doesn’t state explicitly that child-marriage MUST be practised which indicates that for the common good of all, bearing in mind the reality before us, we can decide to amend that section of the constitution that supports child-marriage in order to make the country a better place for ALL (be it in the South or in the North) of us including helpless innocent female children born into the hands of callous parents anywhere in the country! What ulterior motive is there to have over this matter? There’s none for crying out loud! In fact, most of us clamouring for the abolition of child-marriage will not be directly affected by it, but someone like me, who saw the appalling consequences of child-marriage in the North, will bask in the deep sense of fulfilment of having contributed his humble quota for the good of others. Therefore, let’s stop labelling our religions unprintable descriptions which would only divide us across religious lines and not help us as a nation.

This is the last piece of my mind on the raging debate on child-marriage. I can only hope that when the Senate reconvenes, our representatives will think more as Nigerians and not as a Christian or Muslim for posterity will judge all of our actions on this blessed day.

FAMILIARITY: The Friendly Enemy

By Macaulay Babajide Milton

Familiarity breeds contempt they say

But if we are so familiar, why the mindless fray?

Perhaps, the more knowledge we gather about the other

The more our minds wander

What could have happened to my friend? We ponder

We expect too much but end up receiving so little

We perceive more flaws than there is; steaming like a boiling kettle

Drawing impulsive conclusions with our limited senses

To justify the reasons for erecting high fences

We fail to remember that our friend is a human

And unlike robots, He is an emotional being

This makes Him to be equally loving and mean

He may strike when pushed to the wall

But won’t hesitate to catch you when you fall

It seems the friendlier we get, the more vulnerable we become

The full access provided makes friends take us for granted

So why are they often shocked at our immediate reaction

Pretending to be completely oblivious of what triggered such actions

Stimulating ceaseless sympathy from the emotional veins of bystanders

With the hope of finally paralysing the friend-turned-offender

There is a thin line between love and hate

And sadly, friends are usually the unexpected baits

Some know so much, therefore, know how best to hurt us

Others know so little, yet, feel they can judge us

We are envied for remaining on our feet in the midst of turbulence

Sometimes referred to as arrogant for rejecting every form of insolence

New tactics are then employed for gravity to bring us to our knees

One moment we are friends, the next moment we are enemies!

When strangers hurt us it’s no big deal

But when a friend does, it’s all we feel

Like our hearts have been ripped open

And our dignity stolen

Familiarity is said to begat it

But friendship can’t be formed without it

All Friends are prone to envy

And envy’s a silent enemy

They strike when you least expect

And sadly, the culprit you’ll least suspect

Philosophers would say, ‘keep your friends close but your enemies closer’

For me the reverse is the case because friends may be deadlier

That they love us doesn’t mean they can’t hurt us

Deliberate hurts we need to be aware of

Bad advice, even good friends may offer

Cherish their efforts but don’t be a stickler

Digest not their words – hook, line and sinker

For an alternative approach may turn out to be healthier

Truly, familiarity may produce scorn

But also forms the bedrock that creates trust

The person in question is what matters

So beware of hasty flatterers

Better is an honest rebuke than poisonous love

Better are friends who change our lives with bitter truths

Than friends who mess up our lives with sweet lies

However, friends are needed to brighten our day

Tap us on the back and tell us, ‘all will be okay’

Though we risk being vulnerable

In our weakness lies the strength that makes us capable

How then should we handle our friends?

How far can we go without them?

Since we lack the futuristic vision to perceive a potential foe

How best do we protect ourselves from head to toe?

Man is a gregarious animal

Needing one another is the key to survival

We are heavily flawed to succeed alone

Even a king needs advisors to preserve his throne

On the shoulders of others, we stand to reach the sky

A nudge from a true friend, is all we need to fly

We live in a cruel world where everybody wants to be the first

Ineluctably, we will always need somebody we can trust

The first person you embrace might be the first to betray you

Yet, running a solitary race might quickly burn out the oil that should sustain you

We may decide to be unpredictable to our friends

To fool them into thinking they know our weaknesses and strengths

Just in case they try to turn against us smartly

They see another side of us which isn’t friendly!

There’s no need to keep a battalion of them

For quality is the determining factor of adorable gems

Despite our imperfections they continue to stick around

Understanding that when under pressure our weaknesses scream aloud

They say friendships are often broken due to familiarity

But I will say the ‘accused’ should be laxity

Valuable substances are wasted due to availability

Therefore, preserve your worth by adopting timely scarcity

Friends may not share the same mother

But the support lavished, is greater than a father’s

Their volatile nature might make us accidental targets

All the same, give them a warm hug for we too are not perfect