₦airaland Forum

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2006/aug/22/national-22-08-2006-06.htm

Another one.

http://odili.net/news/source/2006/aug/23/559.html

http://nigerianmemories..com/

Riding bike with my brothers and cousins.

My 10th birthday, five days after my sister's baptism was just the best birthday I have ever had.

Hunting for snails with my brother and cousins at Housing Estate park in Calabar, shortly after rainfall. What happened? The maid fried them for us.

Listening to Christmas carols during Christmas, decorating the house with artifical Christmas tree from "Whispering pine" tree.

Annual Christmas party at Unical Staff School, complete with Father Christmas.  Ok, that one, I was a regular, even when I left for secondary school.


My mother taking me and my siblings for Christmas shopping along that Marian Road, have forgotten the name of the shopping 'plaza'

How can I forget, baking ChinChin and cookies (Gingerbread man and the rest) with my mother and siblings. That was a treat!!!.

Fetching water at the pump, sometimes at UNICAL staff quarters and a nearby well in the village.

Heck, how about gathering firewood during harvest of palm fruits in the village?

Watching Television with my family members.

Life in Nigeria generally was memorable. Thank God for those wonderful memories.

Sometimes when dueling couple attempt to fix their rocky marriage, they resort to a 'neutral' third party. At times, it may work, but often times, a backlash may ensue, because, the secrets binding the couple has now been revealed to a third party. I can recall an interview granted by Dr. Tokunbo Dosumu (Awo's daughter) to Quality magazine of the advice that her father gave her prior to her marriage. He told her that she should never bring in a third party in her marriage. Ok, I was stunned by her admission. Along that line, my mother's servant repeated the same line that never would she intercede in any marital squabble because you are bringing trouble upon yourself. This sagacious woman told me of a couple who fought each time the wife was pregnant, and dare anybody intercede. The third party would be beaten up by the dueling couple, and at the same time, they would solve their marital quanta.

Unlike the USA, where such barbaric act usually necessitates the presence of the cops from a vigilant neighbor or bystander, in Nigeria, who sai? Marital quanta is sometimes strictly off limits. So for some of us, who have resided abroad and do know the lasting repercussions of a marital dispute (case in point, the wife may be beaten to death by the enraged husband, or the man's head may be bludgeoned with a pestle ,  yeah, it happens.), would you intercede?

Agony aunts in America would definitely refer the victim to the services of a shelter, but in Nigeria, sometimes the woman would be told to bear with it. WE have read some African novels where this practise is endorsed by our customs, and I have even read that about a woman who would be sent packing by her mother each time she returned home from a marital dispute with her husband. So, while we are now endowed with the mentality that squabbles can be solved without the use of fists, would you still brazenly intercede in a marital dispute in Nigeria, involving your next door neighbour, or would you just accomodate this practise, because it is none of your business?


http://www.nigerianmemories..com/

Da Owo, I scoured for accomodation at the Hilton hotels (where the convention was hosted), but all the suites were booked, so I withdrew my plans at the last minute. Yeah, I am sure that it must have been an exciting event.
Da, afo aba ke Ibadan or ke USA?

my2cents, da akpene-o, ubaha ke IM aba?

@nightrider,

You can get a list of inventions on the internet. Just type "Black inventions" on google and the results will pop out.

Here is one that I found.

http://www.ritesofpassage.org/inventors.htm

On my earlier discourse, I wrote about hired helps in Nigeria and its link to child abuse, but the subject has not really received attention from the govt until lately, when a law went into effect to protect children. On the issue of street trading, who really benefits from it? You see kids jumping like acrobats in the middle of traffic to sell their wares in traffic. Sometimes an accident is inevitable. For others, another trap may stealthily stalk them , and that is rape. Most vulnerable are street traders who are thrust into the world by various circumstances.

Sick perverts capitalize on this accepted practise of street tradiing back home, by luring these unsuspecting traders to their house with the pretext of patronizing their wares. Minutes later, the innocent girl is sexually assaulted and threats of punishment would silence them from speaking out. The consequences of these sick acts, as all of you know usually result in an unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, psychological problems (flashbacks are all too common) and a gradual withdrawal from a healthy relationship with the opposite sex.


Shouldnt there be laws to abolish street traders? I regard it as child abuse, but others may view this trend as a way of a child helping out in the family. But there are other ways of helping mom and dad at home without resorting to selling provisions on the mean streets. I think this is far better than sending a child who is barely 7 years old to work as a servant in a far away city.

P/S: In college, while relaxing in my department, a hawker was approached by one of my classmates (or coursemate as per Naija slang). It was the Uniuyo communication arts department and my classmate had the nerve to request that the girl should remove her slippers before stepping into the carpeted (hmm, how long had it been cleaned) room. The lady complied and walked in barefoot. I was incensed, and quickly ordered her to slip on her footwear. I was waiting for her reaction, because I was ready to lash out at this cameroonian classmate of mine. And you wonder, how those people woudl treat their hired helps.

Come-o, is Idongesit Nkanga contesting again? What of Ime Umanah? How many people are running for Akwa Ibom gubernatorial primaries? It would be interesting to see who would be our next governor.

Akwa Ibom isong-o. My 2cents, da nki kaha convention aba.

The rosy picture that most Nigerians have back home can be a rude shock for a Nigerian coming to America. America is a very challenging place to live. Remember you are competing with other immigrants for survival in the country. If you graduated from college in Nigeria, and expect to make a transition in your field in the USA, forget it, it aint going to work. The hiring manager would just set aside your resume for those affiliated with American universities. This is just an eye opening revelation. At times, it may get so challenging that our people, in a bid to survive, delve into the nursing field. As lucrative as it may be, the hours can be taxing, the taxes for Uncle Sam, exhorbitant, and your free time limited. You are always working to pay your bills, and for those with a penchant for living a high life by driving a porsche, living in an ornate condo, and dining out exclusively, you will be inundated with bills. Others have taken illegal route by doing 419. Added to this burden is the demands from home. And Homesickess can torment even the most ambitious immigrant to America.

Dont get me wrong. There are legal routes to achieve the American dream in this country. There are very numerous Nigerians who have achieved the dream and with no iota of regret for leaving Nigeria. There are some whose tears in their eyes and despair on the faces reflect the hardship they are facing in this country. Bills is a way of life in Ameria. For new comers, you may have to work two jobs to make ends meet, while attending school. If you are an ajebutta, whose demands are easily fulfilled by your doting parents, with a maid at your disposal. It may be rough when you move out here.

My parents told me the truth about America, while I was living in Nigeria. So shocked was I at their portrayal of the society that I questioned the reason for living there. Dad told me that you are responsible for your rent or mortgage, irrespective of whatever status you may have acquired in the American society. For us Nigerians, we know that our parents lofty status in the society will automatically confer us free living quarters (so that means, saving money to build a house in your country home for retirement), having a personal driver to squire your kids to and from school during business hours, at the expense of the company's overhead amongst other benefits. America is different. Your movements are monitored. If your kid is sick, prompting you to take time off work, you WONT get paid, especially if you are an hourly employee. Losing a day's pay can make a dent on your account. Trips to mickey dees, clothes for schools at JC penny, the excessive materialism in the country would lead to a life of living on credit card.

I aint going to lie to any of you and say that all is fair and dandy in this country. I have seen the rough side of America, but God has been Faithful to me, in the course of my sojourn in this country. My mother who was very reluctant in 'releasing' me to America, on account of my carefree attitude, was pleasantly suprised during a visit in 97 that her son was doing well (Thank God for that), contrary to her fears. The picnics at the amusement parks, the trip to my company's party, and a sense of peace, radiating in my life was a confirmation that I was doing quite well.

Bottom line is this: If you have a good job in Nigeria, please, don't abandon it to come to America. You can always visit and witness the highs and the lows of living in America, without subjecting yourself to a life of uncertainty. And for Nigerians residing abroad, try and be a little bit truthful about the challenges of life in America. Dont go about flaunting your hard earned dollars in front of loved ones that you are doing well, especially if you are working as a security guard or driving a yellow cab to make ends meet in a foreign land.


www.Nigerianmemories..com

Contentment is the key. No matter how much money you may have at your disposal, if the spirit of avarice is embedded in your psyche, you wont be satisfied, even if you had the deed to Buckingham Palace and the White House.

Talk of inferiority complex. Some of the civil servants will be ordered to line up the streets to bid farewell to the August visitor. When I lived in Nigeria and Babangida visited my hometown, Uyo, the city was cloaked with excitement. Generally, citizens regard the visit of the president to their hometown as a milestone that would yield fruits of development. Unfortunately, that sometimes may be far from the truth. I doubt if the masses will benefit directly from his visit.

Reformed or not reformed, accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. Neither Mohammed nor the rest of them can offer you Salvation.

I am a testimony of God's Love on earth. And I thank Him for preserving my life uptil today so that I will accept His Salvation. Now, that is the Greatest Gift for the Human Race, the Salvation of God.

May God give you the fortitude to bear this loss in Jesus Name, Amen.

Take heart. Dont rush into any new relationship. Give yourself some time to grief before getting into a new relationship. I wish you the best.

Mariama Ba's classic novel, "So Long a Letter" which is partly a scathing attack on polygamy constrasts with Helen Ovbiagele's novel, "A fresh start" which actually supports this trend. In the novel, "A Fresh start", the spouse of a wealthy man, after putting to bed four children, marries a new spouse for her husband. Luckily, the younger spouse has a good relationship with the senior wife as well as her children, whom she regards as siblings. Growing up in Nigeria, I heard of such a trend too.

Unfortunately, such relationships could backfire and create a rift between the senior wife and the younger wife. Proof of its practise dates back to Biblical era when Sarah gave her maid Hagar to her husband who then gave birth to Ishmael. From my understanding, the conflict between the Jews and the Palestines is embedded in the genealogy of Isaac and Ishmael. In the modern world, such trend may not be acceptable. My co-worker told me that no normal woman would wholeheartedly accept a rival and there are countless women who who would support him. Is it true? If so, can someone explain the underlying reason that would prompt a wealthy woman to seek a spouse for her husband, even when they exist a strong matrimonial bond between these two parties? In polygamous homes, tensions arise, but sometimes, even when the co-rivals have a good relationship, there might be speculations on the minds of cynics that their cordial relationship is a 'front'.

What do you all think?

It is always great to hear of developing projects going on in my hometown, Akwa Ibom state. Grew up in Calabar though, and right now, the stories that I have heard about Attah are mostly two sided , naysayers view him as a corrupt official, taking him to task for embarking on "elephant"(?) projects (airport and flyover). His supporters point to the Akwa Ibom plaza, Econet amongst others as proof of his efficient leadership. Still, I don't know what's going on in the state.

For Akwa Ibommites, are any of you attending the convention in North Carolina?


www.Nigerianmemories..com

Yeah, Jesus Christ is a descendant of King David, and No, Jesus Christ and Mohammed have nothing in common.

Read the Bible, His genealogy is traced through King David. I think it is both on the maternal and paternal (Joseph was his step-father) side.

Yeah, I do@funty.

Read this link

How the Passover Reveals Jesus Christ
by Rich Deem
Introduction

The festival of the Passover has been celebrated by Jews for thousands of years. It is the retelling of the great story of how God redeemed the Jewish nation from enslavement in Egypt.1 The celebration itself was given to the Jews while they were still in Egypt.2 The original celebration centered around the Passover lamb, which was sacrificed and its blood put over the doorposts as a sign of faith, so that the Lord passed over the houses of the Jews during the last plague poured out on the Egyptians - the killing of every firstborn.3 To a large degree, the Passover lamb has been eliminated from the Passover festival (with the only remnant being the roasted lamb shank bone).4 The New Testament says that Jesus is our sacrificial Lamb.5 The Passover lamb was to be a "male without defect,"6 which is the same description given to Jesus.7 In addition, when the lamb was roasted and eaten, none of its bones were to be broken.8 This fact was also prophesized for the Messiah, whose bones were not to be broken.9 It was customary during crucifixion to break the leg bones of the person after a few hours in order to hasten their death. The only way a person could breathe when hanging on a cross was to push up with his legs, which was very exhausting. By breaking the legs, death followed soon by asphyxiation. However, in the case of Jesus, they broke the legs of the other two men, but did not break His, since He was already dead.10
Passover symbolism

Much of the symbolism of Jesus' last Passover week is lost to us because we are unaware of the customs of the time. For example, Jesus came into the city of Jerusalem five days before the lamb was killed in the temple as the Passover sacrifice for the sins of the people of Israel. Five days before the lamb was to be sacrificed, it was chosen. Therefore, Jesus entered Jerusalem on lamb selection day as the lamb of God.11 The people did not understand the significance of this, since they greeted Him with palm branches12 and hailed Him as King,13 shouting "Hosanna,"14 which means "save us." However, they were not looking for a spiritual Savior, but a political savior. Palm branches were a symbol of freedom and defiance, since Simon Maccabeus had entered Jerusalem with that symbolism.15 Jesus' reaction was to weep,16 since He realized that they did not understand the Messiah's purpose in coming.
Passover sacrifice

Good Friday was the day of the Passover celebration and the day that the Passover lamb was to be sacrificed. For the previous 1,200 years, the priest would blow the shophar (ram's horn) at 3:00 p.m. - the moment the lamb was sacrificed, and all the people would pause to contemplate the sacrifice for sins on behalf of the people of Israel. On Good Friday at 3:00,17 when Jesus was being crucified, He said, "It is finished"18 - at the moment that the Passover lamb was sacrificed and the shophar was blown from the Temple. The sacrifice of the lamb of God was fulfilled at the hour that the symbolic animal sacrifice usually took place. At the same time, the veil of the Temple (a three-inch thick, several story high cloth that demarked the Holy of Holies19) tore from top to bottom20 - representing a removal of the separation between God and man. Fifty days later, on the anniversary of the giving of the law (Pentecost), God left the earthly temple to inhabit those who call on the name of Jesus through His Holy Spirit.21
Burial

The festival of unleavened bread began Friday evening (at sunset). As part of the festival, the Jews would take some of the grain - the "first fruits" of their harvest - to the Temple to offer as a sacrifice. In so doing, they were offering God all they had and trusting Him to proved the rest of the harvest. It was at this point that Jesus was buried - planted in the ground - as He said right before His death.22 Paul refers to Jesus as the first fruits of those raised from the dead in 1 Corinthians.23 As such, Jesus represents the fulfillment of God's promise to provide the rest of the harvest - resurrection of those who follow the Messiah.
Resurrection

matzah - striped and piercedChristian symbolism in the Passover occurs early in the Seder (the Passover dinner). Three matzahs are put together (representing the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). The middle matzah is broken,24 wrapped in a white cloth, and hidden, representing the death and burial of Jesus.25 The matzah itself is designed to represent Jesus, since it is striped and pierced, which was prophesized by Isaiah, 26 David,27 and Zechariah.28 Following the Seder meal, the "buried" matzah is "resurrected," which was foretold in the prophecies of David.29
Christian communion

It was during a Passover seder30 that Jesus proclaimed that the meal represented Himself and that He was instituting the New Covenant, which was foretold by Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Isaiah.31 The celebration of this covenant has become the ordinance of communion in the Christian Church. At the end of the meal, Jesus took the unleavened bread, broke it, and said that it represented His body.32 Then He took the cup of wine, which would have been the third cup of the Seder - the cup of redemption. He said that it was the new covenant in His blood "poured out for you."33 It is through the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that we are declared clean before God, allowing those of us who choose to accept the pardon, to commune with Him - both now and forevermore through the eternal life He offers.
Conclusion

If you are a Christian, I encourage you to celebrate the Passover with your friends and neighbors. Our family has been doing this for the last six years and have used the celebration as a way of sharing the gospel of Christ in a fun and non-threatening manner. For more information on how you can celebrate your own Passover Seder, see the related pages below.

Cómo la Pascua Revela a Jesucristo

<< back
Related Pages

    * A Messianic Passover Seder
    * A MESSIANIC PASSOVER HAGGADAH

References

   1. The entire story can be read in the book of Exodus
   2. See Exodus chapter 12.
   3. Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb. Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. Not one of you shall go out the door of his house until morning. When the LORD goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, He will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down. (Exodus 12:21-23)
   4. The Passover lamb was still sacrificed in the first century, as indicated in the New testament - Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. (Luke 22:7)
   5. Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. (1 Corinthians 5:7)
      The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)
      When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!" (John 1:36)
      For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. (1 Peter 1:18-19)
      I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 7:14)
      "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death. (Revelation 12:11)
   6. The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. (Exodus 12:5)
   7. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. (1 Peter 1:18-19)
   8. "It must be eaten inside one house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones. (Exodus 12:46)
   9. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. (Psalms 34:20)
  10. The soldiers therefore came, and broke the legs of the first man, and of the other man who was crucified with Him; but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs;,  For these things came to pass, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, "Not a bone of Him shall be broken." (John 19:32, 33, 36)
  11. The next day he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)
  12. On the next day the great multitude who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palm trees, and went out to meet Him, and began to cry out, "Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel." (John 12:12-13)
      And most of the multitude spread their garments in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees, and spreading them in the road. (Matthew 21:
  13. saying, "BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" (Luke 19:38)
      And the multitudes going before Him, and those who followed after were crying out, saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David; BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Hosanna in the highest!" (Matthew 21:9)
  14. And the multitudes going before Him, and those who followed after were crying out, saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David; BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Hosanna in the highest!" (Matthew 21:9)
      And those who went before, and those who followed after, were crying out, "Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David; Hosanna in the highest!" (Mark 11:9-10)
  15. Simon Maccabeus entered the Akra at Jerusalem after its capture, “with thanksgiving, and branches of palm trees, and with harps, and cymbals, and with viols, and hymns, and songs: because there was destroyed a great enemy out of Israel” (1 Maccabees 13:51) (see also 2 Maccabees 10:7).
  16. And when He approached, He saw the city and wept over it, (Luke 19:41)
  17. And about the ninth hour [3:00 p.m.] Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" that is, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME?",  And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. (Matthew 27:46, 50) (see also Mark 15:34-37, Luke 23:44-46)
  18. When Jesus therefore had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head, and gave up His spirit. (John 19:30)
  19. And behind the second veil, there was a tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies, (Hebrews 9:3)
  20. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth shook; and the rocks were split, (Matthew 27:51)
      And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. (Mark 15:38)
      the sun being obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two. (Luke 23:45)
  21. Acts chapter 2.
  22. And Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. (John 12:23-24)
  23. But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:20)
  24. And when He had given thanks, He brake it, and said, "Take, eat: this is My body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of Me." (1 Corinthians 11:24)
  25. And so they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. (John 19:40)
  26. But he was pierced through for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and by his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)
  27. For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet. (Psalms 22:16)
  28. "And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him, like the bitter weeping over a first-born. (Zechariah 12:10)
  29. For Thou wilt not abandon my soul to Sheol; Neither wilt Thou allow Thy Holy One to undergo decay. (Psalms 16:10)
       O LORD, Thou hast brought up my soul from Sheol; Thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. (Psalms 30:3)
       But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol; for He will receive me. Selah. (Psalms 49:15)
       I shall not die, but live, And tell of the works of the LORD. (Psalms 118:17)
  30. And He said to them, "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; (Luke 22:15)
  31. "Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. (Jeremiah 31:31-33)
      "And I shall give them one heart, and shall put a new spirit within them. And I shall take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances, and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God. (Ezekiel 11:19-20)
      "I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you, And I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations, (Isaiah 42:6)
  32. While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." (Matthew 26:26-28)
  33. In the same way, after the supper He took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you. (Luke 22:20)


Last Modified May 11, 2006

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Culled from http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/passover.html

I am among the minority who viewed Nkrumah as less than an ideal head of state. Do some research about him and come up with your conclusions. I aint gonna follow the bandwagon and eulogize him as the best African head of state.

Patrice Lumumba? I am not familiar with his policies. But yeah, Sankara was great.

I am referring to any African leader, alive or dead.

Just found out that Faison is not of Nigerian descent. His name was given to him during his family's visit to Nigeria.

Na English I go chop? Please dont overlook the redeeming qualities of your girl that you have described as a "ruby among ladies" because she cant speak English. Why dont you enrol her in school to be acquainted with the queen's language if you really love her?

Interesting topic. I am always curious to know the salary range in naija. I graduated from college in the early 90's and moved abroad, so I am not at all conversant with the pay structure back home. However, at the time I lived in Naija, the pay for graduates was about 5k a month in the banking sector. I am talking about the early 90's period which was good money. So, you could imagine my surprise when my cousin told me in 99 that she was making 50k a month for some bank in Nigeria. As of the time she left for yankee, her salary had more than doubled. I don't know what my salary worth would be back home, but me and my brother were discussing on the merits and demerits of moving abroad and having to struggle from scratch. But the environment in yankee ameliorates the challenges. For a car, you can just make car payments monthly for five years instead of bothering to save what? 5 million naira to buy one, which may be a herculean task for wage earners in non plum positions.

I had this erroneous assumption that all blacks were friendly with one another. I thought if you saw a black person and said "woz up", that's cool. Imagine my surprise when I walked into an elevator of my aunt's building and saw a black woman. I greeted her amiably but she turned around and looked surprised. Chei, and this was when homesickness was beginning to take a hold of me and my aunt was telling me to avoid Nigerians at all cost. There was nobody to turn to, if you turn to Nigerians, aunt might be unhappy that you are breeding problems for yourself, and you are considered an outsider in America. Plus the chilly weather in Virgina did not help.

At least, the weather gets warmer in California.

My taste varies and changes regularly. Today it could be fufu and afang soup, tomorrow, Rice and stew with plantain could be my favorite. But I love beans and ripe plantain though.

For a change, who has been the best leader among the pack of African rulers? Nelson Mandela presently carries the torch as the best African leader. His exemplary leadership in abolishing apartheid through self discipline, denial of self and a willingness to forgive his enemies has made him one of the world's favorite leaders. But his glowing attributes has been besmirched by his divorce from Winnie Mandela, who stood by him during his life in prison. My former co-worker told me that he could have forgiven her, if he could have forgiven his detractors.

Julius Nyerere was another favorite leader, who would be listed as one of the few African leaders who voluntarily stepped down from office. He was a modest man, eschewing flamboyance and a proponent of communism


But my favorite has to be Thomas Sankara. Unbeatable, charismatic and a visionary leader of Burkina Faso. Sankara was admired for his stellar political leadership as much as he was admired for his charisma. The day he was assassinated by his dear 'friend', Compaore, Africa mourned a great leader. During his lifetime, he declared his assets publicly, which comprised of a few material goods. His trips around the country was without fanfare, he drove in a Renault 5, banned female circumcision and opposed polygamy.

There are more than a few other great leaders of Africa, but Sankara stood head and shoulders (in my opinion) above his political contemporaries in Africa. His death was a tragic loss to Burkina Faso as well as to the world because his revolutionary leadership was a stepping stone for the reformation of his society.