₦airaland Forum

Fellow Nigerians, I’m not sure how many of you know or remember the famous Yoruba novelist, Daniel Oroleye Fagunwa. If you’re Yoruba, and attended school when education was still well- rounded, you are likely to be quite familiar with that mystical author of epic literature and magical reality. Who has not read or heard of the rambunctious narration and gripping description in Ogboju Ode Ninu Igbo Irunmole, translated many years later by the master prose-stylist and certainly the greatest brutaliser of English language on earth, Wole Soyinka, as the ‘Brave Hunter in the Forest of a Thousand Daemons’. Though fictional, this forest actually exists in the imagination and full consciousness of Fagunwa’s kinsmen. Before the coming and arrival of Nollywood, Fagunwa had painted a vivid picture of the ubiquitous spirits that parade those movies we all love to watch. Igbo Irunmole or Oke Lamgbodo is truly situated somewhere in a border town between Ondo and Osun States, in the South West of Nigeria. If Nigeria was truly serious about tourism, Oke- Igbo would have become a destination of choice for tourists. The novels of Fagunwa would have been hyped even beyond the level of ‘100 Years of Solitude’ by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and read globally with relish. Anyway, the long and short of my preamble is that I drove through Ondo State yesterday and I could not but remember Fagunwa, whose personal life trajectory was as mysterious and superstitious as the characters he portrayed in his novels. At the time of his death, he was said to have disappeared while stretching his legs during a break from a long journey. His body has never been found. Thus I’m endlessly fascinated by Ondo State. I researched and wrote one of my biggest covers on Fagunwa during my stint as staff writer at the then African Concord in 1988. I bought and read most of Fagunwa’s works mainly Ogboju Ode Ninu Igbo Irunmole, Aditu Olodumare, Igbo Eledumare, Irinkerindo Ninu Igbo Elegbeje and Ireke Onibudo. All these works flooded my memories as we drove through Ondo State yesterday on the way to our final destination. I had landed in Lagos from London a few minutes past 5.00am yesterday morning in the company of two friends. Mercifully our luggage came out promptly and we were elated. That was just the beginning of our journey, Prince Damola Aderemi, Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi and I drove towards Ikeja GRA. While Tokunbo excused himself, the Prince of Ile-Ife and I chose to travel on a long-winding journey to Kabba in the North Central Kogi State. What should have been a pleasurable adventure soon became a misadventure. Wow, my God, we started seeing samples of what to expect from Maryland Lagos where the queues for petrol had led to some horrendous traffic conundrum. The confusion and chaos brought to mind the great challenges faced by the Change agent, Minister for Petroleum Resources and President of Nigeria, General Muhammadu Buhari and his able Minister of State and Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, in forging a new progressive path for our petroleum industry. We managed to navigate our way through that and drove towards Lagos-Ibadan Expressway which sadly was far from being the fast highway it was designed to be. We meandered through that frustrating traffic and snaked our way slowly trying to dodge gaping potholes and gullies. Our journey past the Lagos Ibadan Expressway and into Oyo and Osun States was uneventful. We stopped by Oduduwa University Ile-Ife, founded by Dr Ramon Adedoyin to meet up briefly with our friend, Mr Yomi Adenuga. We then had the choice of which direction to take to get to Kogi State. It turned out that we took the longer route but it was an eye opener for several reasons. Our next challenge was how to refill our tanks intermittently. We saw mostly empty stations, over-congested ones and we came eyeball to eyeball with the cruelest of Shylocks who brazenly and boldly tuned and kept their meters at N200 per litre. It was so incredible. At a stage we decided enough was more than enough and I came down to engage some petrol attendants at a particularly notorious station near Akure. First I used my smartphone to take pictures. Thereafter, I sought out the manager who had become incommunicado by hiding after I couldn’t succeed in persuading his guys about reducing the atrocious pricing. The manager eventually appeared but denied himself the way Peter denied Jesus. I played a fast one on him by saying his folks had pointed him out to me and he then owned up. I told him I was ready to phone Abuja and get the place shut. Shaking like jelly, he quickly called the owner of the place. Trust me, we were very patient. The director begged me to take it easy with him. He reeled out details of all the esoteric process he had to go through to get his allocation and I actually pitied him. I’m practical enough to know the Nigerian system can’t and won’t change overnight no matter the sermons being preached by APC operatives. We reached an agreement that he would reverse the meter to the normal price and we can then all pretend that all was well while negotiating individual rates subject to class and status. I was told some people were ready to pay N500 per litre. Well, well, well. That’s my wonderful country, a land of opportunities overflowing with milk and honey if you can squeeze or dig deep enough. Don’t ask me how much we paid eventually. I’m sure life continued as normal at this particular filling station as soon as we left. We drove past Ilara Mokin, home town of business Titan, Chief Michael Ade Ojo, Chairman of Elizade Group and founder of the Elizade University described as one the best private tertiary institutions in Nigeria. We also saw the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) as we passed. We took the turning which bypassed the town of Akure. My mind raced back to the year 1983 and the conflagration that razed down many properties and killed some politicians and their supporters in old historical town. I wished I could drop by to say hello to the Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko and his hospitable wife Yeye Olukemi Mimiko, to chitchat about politics and the state of the nation. Despite our heated disagreement over his crossing over to PDP, we have remained friends and I actually love some of his progressive projects, especially his pet health project. We moved on towards Owo and it brought back tears of nostalgia while remembering the number of times I visited my boss, Chief Akin Omoboriowo, at Owo Prison during the first coming of Major General Muhammadu Buhari. Politicians were hauled into detention and it was a period total confusion. I was barely 23 then but gained immense experience and exposure. We drove towards the Akoko axis and noted Akungba, the hometown of late Ondo State Governor, Chief Adebayo Adefarati, that immortalized the name of Chief Adekunle Ajasin with a State University. We saw the picturesque hills of Ikare-Akoko but sadly the Federal roads were in sordid states of disrepair. Only if these roads were good, internal tourism would have been a regular pastime like it is in the United States. Shame! Of course, we drove through Oyin Akoko and I remembered the former Inspector General of Police, Sunday Ehindero and his younger brother, my mentor, Professor Sunday Ehindero and their niece Bose Ehindero who have ancestral links to the place. We soon crossed backed into Ekiti State via Omuo Here the road was beautiful and it was like Eldorado as we saw firsthand the salutary work on road rehabilitation and construction carried out by Dr Kayode Fayemi as Governor of Ondo State. However, our excitement was short-lived as we curved into Kogi State. The roads degenerated into more of the same bad stuff that we had witnessed earlier. What struck me though, was how people built beautiful mansions in run down towns and villages, what I love to call living in expensive ghettos. The road towards Kabba nearly dismantled the bolts of my body. I even pitied the convoy of cars we rode in as they slapped their tummies on stony slabs after giant boulders. When the road seemed endless, we saw the first sign that we were entering Kabba. We had come all the way from Lagos for the funeral of our friend, Ralph Lewu’s mum, Deaconess Veronica Ebunoluwa Lewu. At the time we left Lagos, the Virgin Atlantic plane that brought us had not yet boarded its return passengers to London Heathrow. We had said Bon voyage to Princess Kemi Aderemi, my friend’s wife, who was on the flight to London. You won’t believe she landed long before we arrived Kabba was even already approaching their home in Milton Keynes before we got to Kabba. By the time we eventually got to Kabba at dusk, the whole formal event was over. Happily, it was not all labor lost as Raph had a night party afterwards in his country home where we were able to relax after such an arduous journey. I want to just show you the suffering we have to endure as Nigerians and say I do not envy our President. Where will President Buhari and his team indeed start from? The cross is very heavy.

ednut1:
unrealistic expectations. later they will see d wedding pics of men they turned down for being broke, timid, jobless, short and all manner of silly excuses on facebook nd instagram nd wail. iranu.

God bless you

Richiy:
When they have been brainwashed by "perfect" pre wedding pictures and "perfect" wedding ceremonies. Then they'd want to have it too.

They forget that 1) People are not the same 2) Things might not be what it seems to appear 3) Wedding is a fraud, it's the marriage that matters

they don't understand that. Hollywood and telemundo scenes Don scatter dem brain

HUSBAND SCARCITY!!! This may not be the best time for me to write on this because of misinterpretations, but I can no longer resist the push. "Husband Scarcity" has become one of the challenges faced by many young girls today. If you go to prayer houses, majority of the intentions are prayer for a life partner. And this calls for concern. Casting our minds back to the time of our mothers and grandmothers, was there really much of a "Husband Scarcity" problem? Or, maybe there were more men than women then, or there was an adequate corresponding numbers of both genders. I don't think so. Maybe then, the women had values and were prepared to build a home and not park into a built home. Then, once a young man comes of age and can at least feed himself and his wife, he goes out in search of a wife and the woman really appreciates him and helps him to build a future. What am I really trying to say? We created what we now see as "Husband Scarcity" for ourselves. Today, the reverse is the case. Ask an average girl to define her dream husband; you get things like "he has to be tall, handsome, fair, and rich, own a house at least, and be presentable" and then she adds "God fearing" in order not to sound so worldly. Then, check the number of girls around you and the number of men that meet that standard, and you will see the problem. You hear girls say, "I cannot suffer in my father's house and then go and start suffering with a man." What a wonderful dream! What if from the beginning, you have everything you want and there is no suffering, and later in the marriage, the table turns around, then comes suffering? Will you run away? No one prays for suffering, but it is good to start small and end big, than start big and end small. The problem is that the description majority of girls give of their ideal man is virtually the same. When 50 girls want the same kind of man and the man that fits what they want is just 1 man, and the man can only pick one. Then, what becomes of 49 others? They simply start lamenting of "Husband Scarcity". Another irony of our time is that it is hard, due to the face of our economy to find a man who is of marriage age who possesses all those things these ladies want, legally (except those involved in Internet fraud); even the number of those in Internet fraud is not enough to match all those searching for already made husbands. If you look around, majority of the ladies of substance, of good value and virtue, who are ready to build a home with a man who has prospects, are married and not complaining of husband scarcity. The easiest way to find a husband now, is to change your view of who a husband is. A husband is that man God made and then saw that it may be hard for him to really actualize his purpose for making him, without a help mate and then made the woman and gave to him, and he felt complete and fulfilled MARRIAGE IS NOT A POVERTY ALLEVIATION PROGRAM. It is a mission of building the family of God here on earth. For those who see marriage as a way out of poverty, it is a way into bondage. Women are HOME BUILDERS, not HOME WARMERS... DON'T CONFUSE A MAN'S PATH WITH HIS DESTINY. Where he is today, may only be a route to where God has destined him to be tomorrow. Another truth is that YOU MAY BE THE ONLY FAST MEANS TO THAT HIS DESTINATION. Join in alleviating "husband scarcity". PICK UP THE RIGHT VALUES. I am not saying that you should pick anyone that comes your way and talks of marriage, not all men are husband materials. What I am saying is that you should stop setting your standard on material acquisitions or physical appearances. Look beyond the physical. WHAT MAKES A MAN WHO HE IS, IS NOT WHAT HE OWNS OR HOW HE LOOKS, IT IS WHAT HE IS MADE UP OF. And that which he is made of is, most times, not seen with the physical eyes, only its effects can be seen. Marriage is a permanent thing. Whatever is seen is temporal and that which is not seen is permanent.

Fireandice:
thanks dear, PS (earthandair) am making sure she use that moniker if she ever thinks of joining nairaland lol

you welcome. an uploaded selfie of both of you would be appreciated though

Fireandice:
happy birthday to me and my twin sis......

Happy birthday to the amiable twins fireandice and earthandair. May God continue to bless your family. enjoy your day

Get infront of an AC

Pls don't walk away, run away from the karishika, Ladies that love you will always give you attention even busy lady bankers would text once in a while, i can categorically say that you are a maga and you are at the bottom of her priorities. you are only beeped when she needed something. pls find a gal that makes you her number 1.. bless you

Vinshu:
So you want a reward for recharging her phone? She must be calling your phone? Besides she is a student she is busy with school stuff.

She doesn't need to call you. You do the calling.

haba, Op should keep calling ba? it's obvious from the statement that OP has been *magalized(a source for money and recharge card when broke), I knw it's ur opinion but i don't want a fellow man to be mumu forever.

Especially during my undergraduate days, if not for self control

justified10:
being president for one week? too short..

I will only think of what can be implemented within dat one week...policies and laws dat wouldn't take long process to get dem implemented and which would be felt by nigerians if continued.

only one thing comes to my mind, I will scrap or change the "face" of NURTW. .d union encourages thugery and laziness dat leads to insecurity and robbery...if u live in IB or lag, u will understand..

cc

logodwhiz

crobboy

Trust me, i witness NURTW Fight over a garage when i was in Jss3. it wasn't funny. i saw everything where i hid, i still have bad dreams abt those graphic contents. imagine a 13year old watching something gruesome like that. God bless Nigeria

Who takes BH serious these day

lamideee:
My fellow ladies,these are some of the male folks you should avoid this year.please be warned

thank God abbey isn't there

lol. nice advice

ireneony:
Tosyne2much u get time to reply the jobless niggah.
There are things dumb niggah can't comprehend.
Leave him let him rob himself with his own faeces

dumb is an understatement.

tosyne2much:
Baba wetin u find come this thread?

lol, me just dey waka pass i come hear your name, naso i branch o but i later see say OP, kemi olunloyo and Fayose are siblings, naso i vamoose commot o

Abeg who get groundnut? i wan drink gaari

SexySapphire:
Good morning dearest Golden City fam. I hope you all are doing fine and using the free time we have for positive things? Just wanna wish you all a happy new month and I pray that heaven will open just because of us this month in Jesus name.

By the way, it's my birthday today, so you guys are all invited for the party. Wishing you all a great day.

Happy birthday sweetie, enjoy your day to the fullest cos u are best. HBD GGMUB

Hbd, make sure u shake body wella

amodu:
It cannot work....Try again and put more effort

Lols. happy New month to you too

AdunniIwo:
Are you April fooling?

Your name should be casting caster.

Got injured on my left big foot when i was running for my life due to one political riot(adedibu vs ladoja). i didn't noticed until i got home, lost a lost of blood that night, everything was just hazy and to make the matter worse, infection set in 3days later and doctor said they would cut off my leg. if not for the matron that volunteered to treat the wound in an unorthodox, unsanctioned way, i would have lost the whole leg. dunno what she applied to it but that sting thing is like hell. i don't wish that kind of pain on my worst enemy. had to take abt 15 injections, drips. God bless the woman

i'm done with this group and 2go babies. i wanna engage myself in a more positive group. logodwhiz, kbs468 and co F U ALL. i don't care and you people should stop mentioning me cos i'm done with nairaland too. mtcheeew

Hihmm Cos i'm a sec v

Beckytee:
do u think we have a choice here?hmmm! the youths are always at the receiving end in Nigeria. and that's because our voices are too low to b heard. it is well joor

we have the power, we are just afraid. Ali must go protest in the 70s was successful. if they can, so can we.

Chai, how many points am i guilty of? but number 1 cut it out for me, if there is an award for someone that procrastinate, i would win it back to back with a hit.

jubrealguy:
lol...... so u sef see am

dem fall una hand gan

jubrealguy:
u prefer Mozambique or sao tome and principe, abi?

more of chad, Niger, somalia and scycheles lol. nah joke o

Beckytee:
what kinda rubbish is dis for God's sake, what am hearing again, anoda postponement ? this shld not happen ooo, ehnehn. let them give me my #3000 am not serving again o. seriously can't imagine staying at home again for only God knows how many months. na to start 30 days fasting and prayer be DAT ooo

nah to enter MFM be that bae. Fire, fire NYSC be sanctified from discombobulations.

corporate2016:
Charles
A.k.a docky Uniben
Medical doctor Where I go like serve na lagos.

anoda dr in the house. welcome bro

this is so infuriating, had it been that The presidency and our chalartan NAAS leaders are from different party, it would have been understandable. i so much hate to be the grass where two elephants are fighting. Another shifting of the scheduled date would be catastrophic, unacceptable and insultive.
**
Good evening GC