About ten years ago I lost a friend in an armed robbery incident. Obviously the armed robbers were not satisfied with robbing they needed to make a point by harming someone in the house and my friend’s mother was their target. As they swung the axe my friend who was the scholar of our class in secondary school protected his mother with his head….he died; no national award, no postmortem speech from the Governor and of course no celebrity burial; he was just another guy, the fact that he took a battle axe to his head for his mother was irrelevant

This and many more of it happens in a country wherein people get millions both in local and foreign currency for playing football; a country wherein comedians shake hands with the President and women who kiss strange men on camera in the name of acting take home National Award and an immoral youth who made fame singing about his private part is given special opportunity to interview the President in a desperate campaign strategy because the thinking is that the community is populated by zombies and bimbos who will vote in a PHD holder on the “honour” of a nuisance whose only relevance to society, apart from lewd music, is competition in air and space. Thus the question every sane Nigerian should be asking is when will this madness of underserved honour stop?

The death of the musician from Ekiti, Goldie Harvey, and the attempt to make it seem like we lost an icon is another and perhaps the worst of all these madness. I do not believe that death, which we will all face, should make you a hero except you died an honourable death. When people just drop dead we grieve and console the family not tell blatant lies as to who they were. This is why the statement of the Ekiti State Governor is worrisome. Mr. Kayode Fayemi is reported to have described Goldie as a “great daughter of Ekiti State” and one has to wonder upon what was this greatness achieved? Are people now great for singing meaningless songs with promiscuous suggestions or for taking and publishing suggestive photos of themselves?

Since when did we consider it greatness to appeal to the sexual cravings of perverts and run after men on camera in the name of a reality show that is far from reality? Since when did it become great achievement that a lady is even thought of as being a junkie in her life time? How can this be great?

In the past fathers will tell their children “don’t bring shame to this family” but nowadays shame and shamelessness is celebrated with such noise that you think the Devil himself is in charge of people’s life and even he has gone crazy.

Ironically, around the same period this unfortunate death occurred Governor Theodora Orji of Abia State was commending Mrs. Nwanyieze Prosper for winning the Purity Queen title for a lady who kept her virginity until her marriage; surprisingly some Nigerians criticized the Governor and even ‘accused’ him of giving her a car whereas Governor Kayode Fayemi was praised for describing Goldie as a “bright star” among other accolades including that she lived a “fulfilled life”. Indeed the world is upside down.

The problem with giving honour to people who did dishonourable acts is that people will definitely emulate them. The Dolly Parton’s of this world made it a fashion for women to expose their cleavage; years on women have lost their husbands to such exposure and homes have collapsed; the Dr. Dre’s of this world made being “gangster” a fashionable thing and years later the gangsters are increasing and we even have a gangster in the White House killing innocent people with Drones….Martin Luther’s dreams became a Nightmare. And this list goes on and on; for every irresponsible person you honour you make irresponsibility the “swag”, the same way for every man who dies for his mother you honour you make standing up against oppression and protecting the weak the in-thing….make your choice.

Lastly, we must clarify two issues. The first one is with regards to speaking “evil” about the dead while the second one is the “who are you to Judge” comedy.

Firstly, the dead has already met what he or she put forward hence there is no need to speak of its evil. What there is need to do however is to either call the living to an example to live by if the dead is worthy of emulation or to warn the living to stay away from a wasteful lifestyle like that of the dead who lived life as if death was never going to come and this is the real lesson here; life is short, if you live it like Goldie your death may come and meet you in that state; what will you tell your Creator? We cannot pretend this is not the lesson here; it will be one lie too many

Secondly, they ask us not to Judge and we say to them since we are in the spirit of not judging kindly don’t judge the location of your mouth so that you put your food in your nose. We say to them that in this spirit of not judging please cross the road without judging that a vehicle is close enough to knock you down; maybe when you are in the air you will realise your stupidity.

We do not Judge a person who has Faith that he or she will be in the hellfire, we do not Judge that the person’s bad is more than his/her good, we do not Judge if God will forgive a believer…..but we Judge that fornication and the promotion of it is EVIL, and that the one who represented evil dead does not make evil good.

Some others will say an adult can do what he or she likes and you don’t have to force your life on others. The question we have for this set of confused mentally colonized perverts is that this same justification is given to homosexuality and it will soon be given to incest so that if a grown up man and his grown up daughter say they fell in love and want to marry your kind will say well it’s their life, it does not affect me….can you see now that you are sick?

Conclusively, the lessons from this unfortunate incident can be summarized as thus;

1) Death can come at any time; be prepared to meet your Lord.

2) Fame and fortunes are but illusions, what matters is your relationship with your Creator.

3) The enjoyment of this world is fleeting; don’t let it deceive you.

4) Live a good life; one that does not involve promoting lewdness or any type of evil; death and Judgment is real and it is no respecter of status.

5) It was the honour given her musical mentors that led the lady to not just music but a meaningless form upon which her life ended so let’s ensure that we do not turn scum into icons because people will sure emulate them.
May God Almighty give the family fortitude to bear the lost and guide them aright.

Eseoghene Al-Faruq Ohwojeheri
Benin City






http://www.facebook.com/jewju.brown/posts/10152563271535133

@op you are so on point alot of musicians want to emulate fela and majekfashek in smoking indian hemp b4 goin on stage to sing. What do we have now. This has made nigeria a nation were if you dont smoke indian hemp you cannot fit into the society. Ditto for alchoolic drinks beer palour the fastest growing sector of the economy where people who cannot take care of their family finnacialy are seein spending millions just to make sure they belong. Any lady who does not expouse her cleavages or her unclothedness is seein as oldshool.

@Op thats the way the game is now being played. The world is now crazy, n I think its just better to just go crazy with it. As for me I'M CRAZY..!

Chanchit: @Op thats the way the game is now being played. The world is now crazy, n I think its just better to just go crazy with it. As for me I'M CRAZY..!

because everyone is doing the wrong thing does not make it right ... it is a pity you've gotten it all wrong.

True talk.we now live in a society that glorifies evil than good.Eg.Bad guy:what most people refer to them selves now
Sexy:what most girls want to be called
hustler:what most people call what dey do but which really means gettin money through illegal means
Hot:most girls will prefer to be known as a hot chic now instead of cool chic
A world where u talk against gay rights and the prosecute and curse you but support them and you are showered accolades that you support freedom and the list goes on and on.my prayer now is 'father let thy kingdom come.'

"illogicality reigns supreme, and we the conservative die hards are becoming marginalised" cant remember d author

The situation in our country is just so disturbing, what we appreciate, d things we celebrate, our taste of music so worries the mind. We now adore musicians who sing songs with meaningless lyrics which promote a lot of vices through d use of corrupting slangs and d crop of youths of our time seem to create a major point of concern as to what the future holds for our dear nation. May God save our land

its really sad when people praise things that are not supposed to be mentioned, that being said my advice is 'don't follow the multitude to do evil, because others are doing it doesn't make it right, in an hospital there's always more patients than doctors, it simply means if u are doing right continue to do it, because in this insane world there's need to brighten your corner wherever you are.

This is hot stuff. Front page material.

Since when did we consider it greatness to appeal to the intimate cravings of perverts and run after men on camera in the name of a reality show that is far from reality? Since when did it become great achievement that a lady is even thought of as being a junkie in her life time? How can this be great?

. . . but Nigerians are currently immortalizing Kim Kardashian, so how come the 'goldie' situation is now a nuisance?

the media, not nigerians in general.

how many nigerians are even literate talkless follow events like that.

stillwater:

. . . but Nigerians are currently immortalizing Kim Kardashian, so how come the 'goldie' situation is now a nuisance?

stop generalizing, who are the Nigerians immortaslizing Kardashian?
You saw the venom users here spat out when they heard about her visit and the circumstances surrounding are departure, some Nigerians are still sane, even Yahoo news made nairaland a reference in an article to critisize Kim's visit

So afterall we've still got sane people in this country,
@OP nice write up, I thought i was the only one left with this kind of mentality. Come to think such a beautiful piece(kind of corrective norm) not on front page.

The fact that the PR company could use Kim to garner publicity for their concert, what on earth does that tell you? What does that tell you of the current average mentality of the Nigerian youth? Ask yourself why wasn't someone else chosen? Few rebuttals on the net does not surpass the whole strategy of inviting Kim. They got who the Nigerian populace wanted to see.

Reading dis post jst reminded me hw i wrongly lived my life, buh all tanks to God, i have started a fresh page nd tryna build a much more valuable life. I jst need de strenght to get rid of som frnds! Well living right is FUN!

Wow...Free2rhyme, did you author this piece? I think it deserves a space in national or international media. If you did, let's get to talk pls.

Wow...spot on. This deserves a place in national or international media. Free2rhyme, did you author this? If you did, let's get to talk pls.

@Op
What is all dis sanctimonious nonsense you have just penned that all your ilk here are celebrating?!!! People like you make me sick because you just take a look at someone and condemn then from your high viewing pedestal based on media representation wtf! Just because Goldie lived part of her life in the face of the public being an entertainer doesn't mean she can be trashed for whatever we deduce from her so-called lifestyle forgetting that most of our generalisation about these so-called celebrities are mostly based on assumptions and half-truths. Besides the fact that we found out Goldie was married after her death as well as her celebrated relationship with Prezzo, there doesn't seem to be any other scandal associated with her...now if you would be reasonable and agree with me that in between her so-called 'secret marriage' and dalliance with Prezzo there are a lot of grey areas that we do not understand and perhaps may never know nor is this really any business of ours.In view of the fact that the main man (i.e. her hubby) who should have felt slighted or wronged by this 'adultery' kept praising her really makes me wonder what exactly all this hullabaloo is all about! I believe each and everyone of us should examine ourselves to see if indeed we are living exemplary lives before this castigation of Goldie. For the records, I had no intention of holding brief for her because I could barely stick her while she was alive, perhaps I even said some mean words about her during the BBA episode because she came across as a needy and clingy lady not particularly my type of role model because I mostly admire strong women but this whole ish on her death and lifestyle is just totally pitiful so please let's put some sensibilities into our comments remembering she has loved ones that will be grieving her early demise. Just my 2 cents.

oh well, more embarassment for nigeria.

how is it new.

stillwater: The fact that the PR company could use Kim to garner publicity for their concert, what on earth does that tell you? What does that tell you of the current average mentality of the Nigerian youth? Ask yourself why wasn't someone else chosen? Few rebuttals on the net does not surpass the whole strategy of inviting Kim. They got who the Nigerian populace wanted to see.

@ bolded

not so.


they [pr company or whoever] got who they wanted to see, not the nigerian populace, 95% of who are not even literate.

funkydot: @Op
What is all dis sanctimonious nonsense you have just penned that all your ilk here are celebrating?!!! People like you make me sick because you just take a look at someone and condemn then from your high viewing pedestal based on media representation wtf! Just because Goldie lived part of her life in the face of the public being an entertainer doesn't mean she can be trashed for whatever we deduce from her so-called lifestyle forgetting that most of our generalisation about these so-called celebrities are mostly based on assumptions and half-truths. Besides the fact that we found out Goldie was married after her death as well as her celebrated relationship with Prezzo, there doesn't seem to be any other scandal associated with her...now if you would be reasonable and agree with me that in between her so-called 'secret marriage' and dalliance with Prezzo there are a lot of grey areas that we do not understand and perhaps may never know nor is this really any business of ours.In view of the fact that the main man (i.e. her hubby) who should have felt slighted or wronged by this 'adultery' kept praising her really makes me wonder what exactly all this hullabaloo is all about! I believe each and everyone of us should examine ourselves to see if indeed we are living exemplary lives before this castigation of Goldie. For the records, I had no intention of holding brief for her because I could barely stick her while she was alive, perhaps I even said some mean words about her during the BBA episode because she came across as a needy and clingy lady not particularly my type of role model because I mostly admire strong women but this whole ish on her death and lifestyle is just totally pitiful so please let's put some sensibilities into our comments remembering she has loved ones that will be grieving her early demise. Just my 2 cents.

Bullsh¡t Out of point...

Whats the correlation between your epistle and the op's..?
Seriously, whats your point?
That we should celebrate immorality? or give awards to f00ls??

Justice Esiri died today, he contributed a lot more to the Nigerian entertainment inductry than Goldie could ever think of, yet you would have been forgiven if you thought an icon had passed away last week.
When i heard of Goldie's death, I went on youtube and looked for a sample of her song, DISSAPOINTING is not even enough to describe how I felt.

The country truly is in a state and when cowboy governors follow the trend of embrassing mediocrity when they should be setting trends of encouraging the true heros, you know shit has hit the fan.

RIP Justice Esiri, i know he touched my life somehow from all those soaps he did, as for Goldie, rest in peace as well but people should stop trying to make her look like some national hero, I know enough igbo boys in Idumota who have touched a lot more lives than Goldie ever did.

PS: Notice the little attention this topic will get, the truth is bitter alright but I would rather live with it than live in denial

By the way I doubt this will ever make front page but a celebs set of new pictures will always make it, especially if its Tonto Dike's.

Sad world we live in

chuckdee4: By the way I doubt this will ever make front page but a celebs set of new pictures will always make it, especially if its Tonto Dike's.

Sad world we live in

very sad...
They'll rather debate on the celeb with the hottest most revealing dress..

@op u are rit on point, in ds country will celebrate immorality , evil all in d name of modernisation.

Mods, is there a reason why this thread is not on the frontpage? Pls put this on the frontpage!

LesbianBoy: Mods, is there a reason why this thread is not on the frontpage? Pls put this on the frontpage!

Mods are too lazy to do the right thing ... They celebrate immorality as well. They dont want Nlders to know the truth

Nairaland is part of the problem, times and again we see countless meaningless pictures of naked "Celebrities" being fed to the public on the Frontpage. We keep idolising immorality in the name of civilisation little wonder a thread like this is still hidding in obscurity days after being created but create a thread with Tonto's naked pictures and instantly it'll hit the front page even without upto 5 comments. Fine Goldie may have lived a double life but she has contributed to the deceit of many who see her as a role model because to such people all they knew is the Goldie on media display. Am not judging her too but am sure that "we can only be remembered by what we've done".

Wow!

First I must congratulate the author of this piece for a good very good article. I'll also pray God to keep you (and us) firm on the path of guidance.

Second, I'm almost speechless. I'm mighty impressed and glad that there are still Nigerians/people who have not lost all their sense of honour and responsibility to the so called 'modernization', 'civilization', etc. Surfing through nairaland at times, you wonder where the hope is for the future of the country (probably the world), you read the nonsense people write and opine in the name of freedom of choice, freedom of information, etc. However, the reality is that there is no absolute freedom as we all share this space we call earth and therefore, there are boundaries which should be respected.

To those who talk about judging or not judging, what is obvious cannot be denied and on the basis of what is obvious, we advise the living to thread a path different from that of this lady. One of the ways of achieving this is by not celebrating her. Is that too much to ask?

The arguments of my childhood "What determines what a person earns?" (I guess you can also add "how a person is seen" ).

1) Importance?

2) Difficulty?

3) Demand and supply?

What a lovely moral point by one whose head is still screwed on in the midst of impressionable fucktards strandling the world and who are progressive-wannabees.

Anytime I hear these people die, I don't feel any exceptional sympathy towards them, they are just entertainers and majority don't add anything intellectual or fantastic to my life. I have sympathy but not exceptional, "we have lost greatness" sympathy.

It is a shame in the modern world we celebrate such people more than those that actually add real value to our lives.

Bob Geldof might visit Nigeria today and it would hardly make the papers, but Kim Kardashian would and our moronic journalists would make it appear like an iconic moment for the country.

If I was Fayemi and anybody had asked me for a comment about, I would simply have said "My sympathies to her family". This governor did not have his head screwed on.