There is something worse than the lack of knowledge; it is the abuse of knowledge. A man lacking in knowledge can be likened to a tamed beast while the one in the habit of abusing it is a wild beast. The two follow each other closely in most Nigerians - from a child who got enrolled for just a day in school to professors; people around them must pay dearly for the “mistake” of allowing them taste of the fruit of knowledge. As for the children, they return from their schools continuously chanting at home like the cuckoo birds, words that near conjuring a spirit. “Hay-ai-bee for da yee, for da yee popo…piyo piyo for da yiiii popo ha pien pien for da yiii pooopoo tamor’. If you are lucky not to have heard this song in this manner, the song that has the misfortune of that epic literal assassination actually goes thus, ‘H-I-P for the hip for the hipopo…’

Wait! Do not make the mistake of thinking it is normal for kids to sing or even talk in an incoherent manner. I am no scientist for this purpose, but once a kid can assimilate a message, he is more likely capable of efficiently reproducing it without such degree of inconsistency. It is the system that is sick. That is why most of us will get to heaven before we realize the “sandalili” we religiously chant with a conviction of erudition is actually “standard living.” Everything in Nigeria will kill you, including knowledge.

Here, I want to address a few issues out of the several ones which shows our society is not in the right frame of mind. I shall focus on how education has become a weapon of gender extortion. While all of us may claim that the older generation and masters in fields of life are more knowledgeable, it is only a few of us that recognize that their knowledge is inconclusive and not flawless. And, even a fewer, still, have the guts to point this out. Those of us in the last category are the rebels. We are mostly the weeds in any gathering where the objectives are promoted by undiluted dogmas.

On more than four occasions, I have witnessed slaps, with alarming stridency, on the face of men courtesy of women. On those occasions, I was not seeing it from the side of a woman and a man, I saw them as two able-bodied humans capable of unleashing trouble. Some of those dramas ended in people admonishing the man to accept the ‘dirty’ slap in good faith while the other instances saw the man facing harsh criticisms for returning the slaps. Comments like - ‘Don't you know she is a woman?’ ‘Why would you slap a lady?’ ‘A gentleman won't slap a lady!’- were never too far from the lips of those present. In a scenario at the Obafemi Awolowo University in 2008, best described as extreme, passersby intervened and instructed the girl to slap the guy back three times. I enjoyed the show; it gave me an insight into how hypocritical we can be. If you can read beyond these lines, you must have realized that I am not blinded by the bandwagon's philosophies and unconvincing ideas. You must also be aware that when I am moved to address issues, I don't shy from facts and substance. I don't agree with people because of their status or because of the number of people on their side. I do because of the beauty of their ideas and what it may achieve. You may stop reading if you can't endure the theory I will propound here. It is not for uncultured ladies that slap guys as if it is their birth right!

On the issue of slaps, although I see no reason to make my stand and possible reactions known if I were those guys, I will still forge ahead. In Nigeria, your simplicity, personality, popularity or even goodwill may not be enough to shield you from the unruly attitudes of some girls. So, if I get slapped by a "lady," I won't reciprocate. This is not because she is a "lady," it is because I have the moral duty to exhibit the good upbringing I had and the legal duty to avoid starting violence or aggravating one. Simply, I won't reciprocate a slap by a lady not because she thinks she is a lady, but because I won't reciprocate a slap from anybody- male or female. However, if reporting at the police station is the step I would take if a man slaps me, being a lady won't make me change that, I shall report her too and she will face the legal consequence. There may also be an aggressive fellow who will reciprocate on my behalf, whether I know him or not, I am sure I won't have the strength to stop him. The first slap must have weakened me.

However, for people who do not share my school of thought and philosophies, their definition of morality is probably different. In that case I think anytime a supposed lady slaps them, she deserves the right to a ‘dirty slap’. A person is reasonably presumed to expect the consequence of his action and be ready to face it. If a lady had the strength to launch a clean slap on another man's face, she must be ready to embrace a dirty slap. The most considerate and reserved of mankind would certainly lose his calm if he gets slapped. It has beyond a physical effect, it is also psychological. A gentleman from a good background will never slap a lady, same way a lady who is well brought up won't slap a man. Is someone insinuating that I am endorsing the slap trade? No, I just understand that a ‘dirty’ slap can change a gentleman to an ordinary man and vice versa.

By the way, are you aware that every female is not entitled to be addressed as a lady? If you are not aware, the word ‘lady’ is a civil term of respect for "a woman of breeding or higher class; a woman of authority and ideal attitude, specifically the female equivalent to gentleman or lord." Not too many of the girls that parade themselves as "ladies" these days are of class! A few of them exude finesse and command respect. As a matter of fact, I do not address every female as a lady.  The penchant for education now is not for the good of the worsened nation, it is to further choke it and rid it of air of sanity. I have heard more than enough ridiculous use some girls plan on using their education to serve; it is similar to what Hitler did with power. Guys, you need to pray! Dreams are noble, nightmares are scary; like their male counterparts, some of them have nightmares all in the name of dreams. Some don't want to attain statuses where it will be impossible for anyone to slap them, they want to attain statuses where they would slap and not be slapped back. They do not want to attain a status where they can stand with a person who shares sound philosophies and dreams; they want a status where they will easily escape when the wind of hard times blows. How many ladies do you have around you? Are you a lady? I have heard a girl argue that she will rather remain single than get married if the man cannot let her retain her surname. Education and westernization altered the integral part of her thinking faculty. She is abusing civility, she is a wild beast.

Some people are free yet they remain slaves to injured reasoning. They have to abuse rights and privileges accruing to them. Why must you go to an event late and expect a man to vacate his seat for you because you are a lady? A lady won't have the intellectual misfortune of asking any gentleman to vacate his seat. A gentleman knows he is not vacating that seat because you are a lady, he is just doing it to let the sleeping dog lie. The bad news is that as a girl, you growing with such habit will increase the number of societal liabilities and national concerns. The finesse of real ladies commands respect from gentlemen. This finesse is not attained by any high heel or facial paintings. Look around and observe the requests some pseudo ladies demand just because they think he must be a gentleman. All the same it is not strange, the Nigerian meaning of a gentleman is a gullible and docile individual who is unable to question anything.

I wish all ladies a fulfilled new year in advance
I wish all gentlemen a slapfree new year in advance.

Hidentity is a gentleman within the context of its meaning in the Encarta dictionary.

anybody wey go read this to the end is a jobless fellow.

infact this thread should be locked

Good observation on the 'lady' thing. Very good observation. I had some girl like that who thought i had go fetch her a chair in a packed hall. She was almost gonna sit on that chair when i brought it close enough. I had to remind her to go in search of hers.

But then, you really could have spared us the mini-autobiography and still make your point.

I feel supported. God bless this Op! I need intellectuals for my 2015! Knowledge is power I tell you! Op, Whr you at?

5naira:
anybody wey go read this to the end is a jobless fellow.

infact this thread should be locked

That's why u jobless till date..

goofyuncut:
Good observation on the 'lady' thing. Very good observation. I had some girl like that who thought i had go fetch her a chair in a packed hall. She was almost gonna sit on that chair when i brought it close enough. I had to remind her to go in search of hers.

But then, you really could have spared us the mini-autobiography and still make your point.

See how you intelligently made your point without insult. That is what gentlemen do and I took to the hint. God bless you.

ShakurM:
I feel supported. God bless this Op! I need intellectuals for my 2015! Knowledge is power I tell you! Op, Whr you at?

Thank you brother. It is a daunting task to comment intelligently in Nigeria. You were able to do that- not because you are in support but because you did without any iota of insult.

Hidentity:
Thank you brother. It is a daunting task to comment intelligently in Nigeria. You were able to do that- not because you are in support but because you did without any iota of insult.

Enjoy ur day!

5naira:
anybody wey go read this to the end is a jobless fellow.

infact this thread should be locked

Thanks for this amazing comment sir. I wish I could reply but I don't understand the language of unintelligent people who lack the polite language to express their dissenting views.

At last,i can see i am not the only person who has the same view towards this ish...Hidentity,are you a barrister?

Taylor184:
At last,i can see i am not the only person who has the same view towards this ish...Hidentity,are you a barrister?

. Yes friend.

Hidentity:
. Yes friend.

Thought as much..Your style of writing is excellent sir.Keep it up

Inasmuch as I admire your writing style,I beg to disagree. Do you know that it is a ladies' world? While I do not support the idea of men being slapped by females,I strongly believe that as 'Weaker Vessels',we should be treated as so.
You leaving your seat for a lady,makes you a 'gentleman'.
You not retaliating when being slapped is not what only the male folks do,it is what every civilised person will do. I can't imagine and will never try slapping anyone who isn't my younger sibling....
My point is that the topic 'the woes of Nigerian men isn't befitting to 'me'. Do your homework well and find out how much ladies suffer in the hands of 'Nigerian men'
Cc: hidentity

Ghyft:
Inasmuch as I admire your writing style,I beg to disagree. Do you know that it is a ladies' world? While I do not support the idea of men being slapped by females,I strongly believe that as 'Weaker Vessels',we should be treated as so.
You leaving your seat for a lady,makes you a 'gentleman'.
You not retaliating when being slapped is not what only the male folks do,it is what every civilised person will do. I can't imagine and will never try slapping anyone who isn't my younger sibling....
My point is that the topic 'the woes of Nigerian men isn't befitting to 'me'. Do your homework well and find out how much ladies suffer in the hands of 'Nigerian men'
Cc: hidentity

First, ladies are not weaker vessels. At least, most of the ones I've met are not. They are as intelligent, capable, ambitious, skilled and determined as men. Some are even better off. Gentlemen and great minds like them that way, they are the product of determination without limitation. A lady in that class won't stoop so low to tell a guy to vacate a seat or slap a guy. You can read "THE PROBLEM WITH WOMEN'S RIGHT ARGUMENT" here. I think it will shed more light. About vacating seats, read the circumstance of vacating the seat and justify that. So, ladies have the right to attend a gathering late because a man must be gentle enough to give up his seat?

On the world being a ladies' world, that is not conclusive, especially when I sense you mean it in the context of "ladies can do anything and get away with it." Why don't you let us see it as our world I.e men and women? Religion, Science, Law, Philosophy or Culture won't even rule that it is a ladies' world or guys' world... "For YOU and for ME" goes the popular song. About what men do to ladies in Nigeria, I never said I was in support of violence directed at ladies. In fact, I advocate against any form of violence or disrespect towards the women folk. I believe in gender balance and equality- everybody should be as free as an eagle flies. I will still vacate my seat tomorrow if any girl should ask for it politely notwithstanding that she came late and I was first in time. Do not read with a mind riddled with bias and telling me to do my home work well is laughable. I don't write to impress, I do to express my conviction. Not too many people can read with an objective mind. Learn it; it pays. Before I forget, your moral strength that won't let you slap anyone except your younger ones is not too laudable in my opinion, I can't even slap my own younger brothers and sisters. A lot of people can't do. So, you can't be more Catholic than the Pope.

Cc: Ghyft
Others.

...

Hidentity:


First, ladies are not weaker vessels. At least, most of the ones I've met are not. They are as intelligent, capable, ambitious, skilled and determined as men. Some are even better off. Gentlemen and great minds like them that way, they are the product of determination without limitation. A lady in that class won't stoop so low to tell a guy to vacate a seat or slap a guy. You can read "THE PROBLEM WITH WOMEN'S RIGHT ARGUMENT" here. I think it will shed more light. About vacating seats, read the circumstance of vacating the seat and justify that. So, ladies have the right to attend a gathering late because a man must be gentle enough to give up his seat?

On the world being a ladies' world, that is not conclusive, especially when I sense you mean it in the context of "ladies can do anything and get away with it." Why don't you let us see it as our world I.e men and women? Religion, Science, Law, Philosophy or Culture won't even rule that it is a ladies' world or guys' world... "For YOU and for ME" goes the popular song. About what men do to ladies in Nigeria, I never said I was in support of violence directed at ladies. In fact, I advocate against any form of violence or disrespect towards the women folk. I believe in gender balance and equality- everybody should be as free as an eagle flies. I will still vacate my seat tomorrow if any girl should ask for it politely notwithstanding that she came late and I was first in time. Do not read with a mind riddled with bias and telling me to do my home work well is laughable. I don't write to impress, I do to express my conviction. Not too many people can read with an objective mind. Learn it; it pays. Before I forget, your moral strength that won't let you slap anyone except your younger ones is not too laudable in my opinion, I can't even slap my own younger brothers and sisters. A lot of people can't do. So, you can't be more Catholic than the Pope.

Cc: Ghyft
Others.

One nice thing is that you do advocate gender equality.. I won't be doing much typing here then. I was actually referring to The Bible's opinion of women weaker vessels.
More so,I was and I'm still against the men folks playing victims. What I read from your post does not actually portray gender equity,in my opinion. The topic made it seem as if the Men are being mistreated and portrays them as objects of pity.
Different strokes for different folks,I slap my younger ones to correct them. If you don't,then good..what works for me might not work for you.
Your post,you said is your Opinion....... It isn't a 'scientific fact' per se