₦airaland Forum

This snake has probably for years had a gauge of you and foolishly spared you. For years, it had conducted itself in such a manner so as not to get in your way or in your eyes despite you invading its space. We forcefully take their habitats from them and one day, there is no place for them to go.

Anytime, you have come so ignorantly close to it, the snake has overcome the enmity God said would be between human and the serpent… and swallowed the venom that could harm you.

and perhaps, this is the snake punishment for disobeying God, by hoping to overcome the enmity. We may meet such fate too, when we see such serpents and let them be or go, without striking them or fleeing from them. and we may meet such fate too, when the snakes begin to realise that avoiding human contact is not enough but that they must strike first too, to avoid certain death.

And the many snakes that are nonvenomous will now pray for venoms potent enough to cause injury and death.

It is not about renaming, but about upgrading.

Messi needs a Xavi or an Iniesta to actually get desired results.

Yes, he is perhaps the best player to have ever graced the game, but Messi is not so much on his own a great winner or a facilitator of victory.

He would probably replicate his performance with the Argentina national team, which is spectacular, he led argentina to the world cup final, won the biggest regional tournaments, but Messi could have always done so, had it been he had a peak Xavi or Iniesta behind him...

Messi has many brilliants moments, but less occasionally fruitful moments. I believe he would still thrill us and score beautiful goals, but we may never see the fruitful Messi of the Xavi and Iniesta era. Neymar may be on his side, but even in Barcelona with the array of talents, Messi's struggle to be fruitful at the most important games were evident.

Ronaldo, however has many fruitful moments than he has brilliants moments. From Portugal to Man Utd to juventus to Real Madrid; he has yet shined and has not had his career trajectory depending on some exact players.

Someday, I wish they take two of the Ballon d'or Messi won, and give one each to Xavi and Iniesta.

I think the gestapo approach of the dean was excessive, unwarranted, unwise and trespassing and that is the story for me.

Also, it is a case of harassment as alleged by the student, and the university staff disciplinary committee ought to look into the conduct of the Dean.

Even if the lady had flouted a school rule by her conduct, the appropriate thing to have done is to invite her to the student disciplinary committee.

Going to her room in the mid-night, with no respect for the privacy or the dignity of those girls … just to arrogate power is unwholesome and improper.

Even a strip tease performer has right to dignity of person. After stripping before you, if she goes to the bathroom to have her bathe, and you sneak behind her, to watch her bathe, without her knowledge, you become a pervert, guilty of a sexual misbehaviour. It is never a justification to disregard her privacy by disreputing her private space just because of the manner she may have handled herself.

It was no urgency, the dean’s conduct. In the morning, a letter could have been forwarded to her, demanding she make herself available at the Dean’s office, but rather than do that, the dean invaded a private space, put the lady in an unnecessary disarray and put her life in needless peril that night.

Till now, there has been no reasonable charges on her by the committee charged with overseeing students conduct and it is only probably because they are reasonable and sensitive and are not charged by sensationalism.

That said, the sanctimoniousness here is appalling. Aside for financial reasons, one can be financially buoyant and still be passionate about dancing, some are just wired to compete and win, and would do what need be done to win. #30,000 for less than 10 minutes dance can be much money, there are fortunate graduates earning less than that in a month and unemployed graduate praying to earn that amount in this failing and backward Buhari administration. All she did was dance, it does not have to align or appeal to your own moral uprightness and you are almost likely to be an hypocrite because I am sure you probably also consume even worse sexual images.

It's a 10 minutes dance. You know her name now, no one knows yours. She is probably coming from the library when she stumbled across them and decided to participate. It does not reflect well on you, to have to slut-shame her. You can indicate or express your opposition to her conduct, but channelling your intense revulsion here, and making it seem, she is the reason for all of your misfortune or that she is the epitome of your society moral decadence is a disgusting attempt. Her disregard for your own ideology of patriarchal lines or disregard for what may be a socially acceptable conduct may even indicate she is a feminist or an artist at heart, strong and bold enough to radically follow her passion.

I wish Mirabel a good and exciting life and I hope she doesn't let the trolls here get into her mental space or make her psychologically ill, admitting she has thought about committing suicide not because she is ashamed of her conduct but because of the aspersions and reviling she has received, and yet many are willing to continuously fuel that aspersion and reviling, tormenting her mental health, demeaning her individuality... makes me want to hug her and tell her she has done nothing wrong, in trying to meaningfully earn a living and that I stand with her.

I hope she goes on to get her education, from MLS to MBBS or Phd and still do what she is passionate about in dancing or whatever else.

So the reasonable thing to do is to get in touch with the students alleged.

The Nigeria security force don’t have a reputation for integrity. They killed people in the toll gate and lied about it. They laid siege on Justice Odili’s home and lied about it. The super cop is a tailor for international fraudsters. The top brass are in a romance with bandits, providing them resources to further terrorize Nigerians. One top custom officer recently said he took rice seized from hardworking Nigerians trying to earn a livelihood, he took that rice to the forest to give bandits. All of these occurs and it is a joke to most, of coz it has to be a joke, that there are no outrages. Because if you have an outrage, if you are fortunate, you will meet the fate of Igboho.

Getting in touch with the students arrested and not yet released will enable you get their own view and from there, a decision can be made.
…Or relating that the students union told you the students still incarcerated are held for financial crimes is a better source for a decision to abandon them.

Why Ibadan office, what happened to the EFCC office in Ogun? How about requesting compensation for the illegally detained students? How about stating that the dire situation of the country, unemployment will continue to propel individuals to any available means of livelihood, even fraud… and scold the Buhari administration for his resounding successes at making everything more difficult for Nigerians?

Folks don’t understand that ASUU is perhaps the last champion of the masses.

A manager in many of the parastatals earn more than a professor in Nigeria public universities.

A polytechnic lecturer earns more than their counterparts in Nigeria public universities.
The polytechnic lecturer who is not a PhD holder earns more than some university lecturers with even post PhD qualifications.

College of Education lecturers earn more than lecturers in Nigeria public universities.

A graduate assistant in many universities abroad earn more than Nigeria public universities senior lecturers.

Of coz, in some schools, some of the Nigeria public universities lecturers have resorted to their own exploitation of students by selling course materials or making students buy books directly from them. In Some universities lecturers even abandoned teaching and invested more time in seeking grants for research or trying to become a consultant at the expense of their primary responsibility.

It was ASUU’s mandate to rebuke this, and in several universities especially the ones in the Southwest, they were able to get the university administration to issue a memo that lecturers not sell handouts or books to students. (This is very well enforced in Uni Ibadan)

You can check the lecturers salaries online.

The lecturers in Nigeria public universities have for years yearned for their earned allowances, and many have died without receiving it. If you know a Nigeria public university lecturer, then you would know there is no luxury there. They are unappreciated lots. Those that have remained solely fixed on their call, retire into a basic average livelihood, where the value of their pensions cannot longer afford the necessities they need.

ASUU just wants universities to be funded, so that they can have functional laboratories and equipment to convey practical knowledge.

This, has always been on the forefront of ASUU’s struggle, never members welfare.

Ask those that have apartments, they prefer to rent it out to a banker than to a lecturer in Nigeria public universities. Yet the lecturer is expected to do research in their offices where they don’t even have a functional bathroom with water supply or an office properly fitted. You have seen this, you have been to a lecturers office, was the air conditioning functional? Was there power? Didn’t you wonder how they survived in such heat, surrounded by books… yet they stay awake and give their lives, with many retiring into diseases and illnesses because of the hazards that comes with the profession.

The minds that should be retained in the academics observing the situation, prefer anywhere else than the position. Yet, some others are just only passionate about conveying knowledge and supplying the society with adequate minds and capable hands but they become the victim of your vitriol when they ask that their laboratory be equipped so students can be engaged in quality researches.

The child of the politicians that you grovel at their feet, get an education outside the country at the cost of what will more than equip the laboratory or enhance the learning facilities such as classroom. Your lecturers who cannot afford to send the child to such, have such children in the universities here, paying too with their time for the negligence and irresponsibility of the government.

Yet ASUU must capitulate to the ignorant ones, partial agreements or promises which are often never fulfilled is sufficient to suspend the struggle for the soul of Nigeria public education from those bent on ruining it.

Hehe. I think you mean wet their appetite?

You would find the largest numbers of dumb people on Ronaldo threads. Again, a very ridiculous headline.

Wenger did not say Ronaldo is the problem of Manchester United. In fact, Wenger has no criticism for Ronaldo whatsoever.

Wenger said the problem with utilizing Ronaldo optimally is that the manager has to build the team around him. He added that Ronaldo will win MAN UTD games if balance is created around him.

So the problem Wenger is referring to, is creating a balance around Ronaldo.

Then he added that Ronaldo is still a fantastic winner.

I think the wording of the headline is negative and misleading. And what a terrible shame that folks are quick to make judgment from headlines without any reference to the actual report.

What he said about the loss was that,

“And this is on us, only on us, because there’s no one else to blame”.

There is a reason why the writer didn’t phrase the headline appropriately and that is to depict Ronaldo in a negative light.

The headline could have been

‘Ronaldo blames himself and his team mates for loss to Liverpool’ or ‘Ronaldo says fans deserve better than the team outing against Liverpool’ or ‘Ronaldo promises improved tides’ .

And no where in his statement, did he indicated as to what the manager should or should not do.

The fact is the whole Manchester United team together with the manager are responsible for the poor outing. Managers are powerful. Mourinho won the champions league with an Inter Milan team that are about their decline. Managers make the team coherent and that is what assures victory..
… But teams often are inspired by what Zidane did with Real Madrid and think the way to go is having a past player inexperienced at managing, take the role. In juventus, Chelsea and now in Manchester United, the experiment continues to fail. Zidane was in the background at Real Madrid for over a decade learning what makes a great football manager, and same with Guardiola. A player with no experience should first begin as a team staff, learning.

That said, Ronaldo’s or Messi personal knack for excellence have led to many victories in the past, but sometimes it’s never enough.

Ronaldo past team mates in Juventus Bonucci recently commented on what could happen playing with a player with so much accomplishment and drive as Ronaldo. He said

“Cristiano’s presence had a big influence on us. Just training with him gave us something extra but subconsciously players started to think his presence alone was enough to win games,”
Bonucci 2021

This is the source too of the vitriol around Ronaldo. If Ronaldo is fed, he would certainly convert as he has an insane record of converting opportunities, but when opportunities are not created, and the manager cannot inspire the team, and bloggers and journalists and players and many others that Ronaldo has caused to weep by defeating their teams, hear of defeat involving Ronaldo, they see it as opportunity to debase him. These people have never had anything positive to say and only look away on the victorious nights.

Football is a game people are passionate about, and the whole teasing of Ronaldo’s effort makes the game even more interesting. Ronaldo has been the source of joy for millions of people. That is the power of football, and he will again win games and make his fans happy…
But even if Ronaldo has the same results in every of his remaining game as he did yesterday, he will still be the aspiration or prayer of your hero in terms of the desired accomplishment he wants in the game. That is how far Ronaldo has come.


…but then it’s no part of the game to depict him in a false light or falsehood. That reflects more poorly on you and though actually takes away from him, as it affects how he may be perceived by folks that get their judgment on here, but when it’s all settled, they would realize the absence of objectivity in your life. A life spent on criticizing another person.

Shame on those who are saying the apology was forced. This lady seem very manipulative. Saying she was receiving death threat in the video is all in a bid to malign Mercy J character further and shame on her for doing so. She should share the death threats received. Her apology is nothing...when she spewed her poison, it was as though she was there when the incident occurred and had followed the little girl all her life.

Mercy J went to the school afterwards, and did a live video with the head of the school to debunk the vile nonsense this woman spilled concerning Mercy and her daughter. So those who are saying the apology was forced, believe Mercy J, the principals of the school in the live video, who denied some of what the lady alleged... are in on the lies.

Mercy J only said her daughter not be bullied and that position will always be defensible.

Shame on those who are saying the apology was forced. This lady seem very manipulative. Saying she was receiving death threat in the video is all in a bid to malign Mercy J character further and shame on her for doing so. She should share the death threats received. Her apology is nothing...when she spewed her poison, it was as though she was there when the incident occurred and had followed the little girl all her life.

Mercy J went to the school afterwards, and did a live video with the head of the school to debunk the vile nonsense this woman spilled concerning Mercy and her daughter. So those who are saying the apology was forced, believe Mercy J, the principals of the school in the live video, who denied some of what the lady alleged... are in on the lies.

Mercy J only said her daughter not be bullied and that position will always be defensible.

Many great players at their prime can’t even compare to Ronaldo at 36.

Klopp said Ronaldo is better in everything except with the left foot.

That is the plus of diversity.

Our carriage even when we stumble can make us victorious.

After recovering it from her, it will be given to Yusuf Buhari.

Congratulations to Fury.

You may find Wilder’s gut admirable but I think when you meet an Everest on the way, take your time.

Can you tell one where the movie is better than the book?

Book to movie adaptations are often not totally accurate. There might be additions or subtractions.

Why do you love or love to read or see poverty and hopelessness so much? I think what you love is the vivid experience evoked in the book, you should make the distinction.

I think the analysis you have attempted on the anchorage of juxtaposition is competent… but I hope folks are not misled by the promises of what a review should be or entail. I was. …and I think a little engagement with the movie from your end as to the quality of the movie without reference to the book as well will alleviate such concern. So, it’s important to remember that your review and judgment is on the basis of comparison with the accuracy or the ability of the movie to capture the essence of the book…rather than on the quality of the movie itself which is also deserving of a critical review as regards the plot, dialogue, acting, production, inconsistencies and others.

…but then again, it is a review which is a subjective endeavor.

Hehe.

With the quality of the Human Resources in Ekiti State, you would expect the state to be foremost in many ranks. The state is not and it’s a leadership problem!

Jonathan can be an elder statesman and yet improve the ruling party. The opposition were fierce with his administration inadequacies, but he has never called out blatantly the many failures of General Buhari. He is pandering to the northern elite. It is such pandering that cost him his good intentions for the nation. Jonathan should be uniting the south, you can remain a leader without occupying a political office…but not Jonathan. His ambition is to become an African elder statesman and be running errands for Buhari.

It is the shame they talk promises and parade records, while their people languish in poverty, poor infrastructures, bad electricity, diseases and insecurity.

You can see the major traditional monarchs there acting as though Nigeria is the paradise, but my issue for now is with the southern ones.

I don’t know why these monarchs can’t position themselves as checks for the political class, and balances for the economic tendencies of the nation which is often gained and exploited by an undeserving region than theirs.

of coz, it’s because they are unpopular with the common folks, the people. When you take a look at the the Alaafin, he is far popular for his extravaganza and marrying of young beautiful women. The Ooni is popular for attending parties than attending meetings to discuss his people’s plight or progress.

There is no report of either trying to build his influence in the economic or political circle. They are satisfied with appearances and photo ops and disrespectful and meaningless invitations to Aso-Rock.

I think the council of king or the Oyomesi should require these traditional monarchs use our money they spend on extravaganza and Royce to take strategic and leadership courses abroad , which can help them project themselves even better.

Be an Alaafin, that any individual who desires a political seat would fail his ambition without your endorsement, be an Alaafin that captains of industries fear; such that if you say

‘’Dangote don’t have the interest of the Yoruba’s at heart, his trucks destroys our roads, he has 90% northerners on his payroll yet he uses our resources, our god given resources as his raw materials, he pays little to no tax that directly translates on the people, we the Yoruba’s must now self create whatever Dangote supplies us and boycott his goods and services until he has met our demands, and even so, must ensure he cannot hold so much power over us by consolidating his monopoly of essential goods… we shall therefore put the resources at our disposal to empower an industry that is in our people’s interest…”

and statements similar, that the southwest politicians know that if they fail to facilitate his desire, they will lose their seat and wealth. Be an Ooni that is mad about bringing affordable healthcare to his people, that is mad about bringing employment to the youths, that is mad at the representative that has not provided potable water, or decent infrastructure as schools, that is mad about the murder of any Yoruba anywhere, an Alaafin or Ooni, that if you sneeze, other ethnic groups significant people shiver.

You cannot claim to be the head of the Yoruba’s, when all you care about is cosmetics, Cheques from those exploiting your people and photo ops of an Obasanjo bowing to you in public or Buhari seating at your feet and all El-Rufai needs to get your endorsement is kneeling before you, but has no respect whatsoever for your utterances, which you do not have. You should only promise such endorsement, when that individual has shown commitment to your course and not just by visiting you during elections. Be an alaafin that can demand that a senator resign from the senate and he does, for if he doesn’t, he loses it in the end, together with all that he has gained. Be an Ooni that tells everyone abroad about the beauty of our gods, selling to them the Odu Ifá, just as they sold a Jesus and a Mohammed to us and not an Ooni that disrespects his role as a custodian for popularity gimmicks.

The Alaafin or the Ooni has to position self above the political and economic class and be able to pronounce consequential vote of (or no) confidence on these people.

I think the very intelligent Emir Sanusi wanted to do this, but those that feared and felt threatened by the emergence of such a charismatic and courageous leader, took him out. Don’t think Dangote wanted a Sanusi as the Emir, for Dangote didn’t want to stress his intelligence with Sanusi, and that is why all of these people are making sure they impose an Ooni that likes parties and skit making and luxuries to representing his people, that is why the politicians impose an Alaafin whose only known legacy is how many young beautiful women he has courted and married, an Alaafin who is concerned about the colour of his skin. King Solomon married more, but he did strategically, and he sought to increase the wealth of his people and of coz the times are different, but you cannot continue to be intimidated and governed by a local government official who can impeach you and call yourself the head of the Yoruba’s. You first have to use whatever influence you have to increase your constitutional power as to who can dress you down.

Maybe, one day, we the people can pronounce over existing territories an overhaul of these traditional offices; and can get people in, that would represent our interest and values. It is not democracy, it is Machiavelli, the Prince, but the Prince of the people.

Nigeria does not have independence from under-development.

Nigeria does not have independence from incompetent administrators, bad governance, and inefficient civil service.

Nigeria does not have independence from foreign debt.

Nigeria does not have independence from high unemployment.

Nigeria does not have independence from poverty and suffering.

Nigeria does not have independence from police brutality and extra judicial killings.

Nigeria does not have independence from terrorism, banditry and herdsmen attack.

Nigeria does not have independence from religious crisis and violence.

Nigeria does not have independence from nepotism, tribalism and corruption.

Nigeria does not have independence from high number of road traffic accidents.

Nigeria does not have independence from water borne diseases and other living condition diseases.

Nigeria does not have independence from poor healthcare system.

Nigeria does not have independence from inadequate infrastructures and facilities.

Nigeria does not have independence from a dire future.

Every reasonable person should want an independence from Nigeria as we have it.

Hehe

That is the best achievement of his administration.

Interesting.

It is the shame they talk promises and parade records, while their people languish in poverty, poor infrastructures, bad electricity, diseases and insecurity.

The failure of leadership is getting to the elites.

It’s important that everybody rise(s) up now.

I fear a great deal for this nation. No one is safe.

I think it is better if you say ‘seeking direction’ rather than ‘with no direction’ … seeking direction itself is a good direction.

Also I think you need to stop seeing yourself as inferior. Try to take your circumstances as an opportunity to propel more.

If job is not forthcoming, It may be God telling you that he did not intend you to be an employee but an employer. Rather than applying as a supervisor in a restaurant, you should be able to start one for instance.

If you still feel oriented towards academics, you have to ask yourself, to what end that is. Is it to equip you to be employable? How many of your classmates are working in a chemistry related role? If there (they) are, maybe continue down that road then.

Whatever skill you learn or acquire, you should ask yourself…to what end. If it’s to increase your chances in the labor market; that sounds reasonable but are there better reasons that could inform your choice?

Allow the opportunities that surrounds you inform your decision. I know young medical Doctors selling hair, I know barristers or law graduates doing events planning and I know many engineers working as tellers in the bank, unfulfilled in the role.

Look at the informal sector and do so with your best efforts. There’s certainly something for you there if your intent to make something meaningful of your life is strong enough.

All the best to you.

So the corpers fault is that she has a flow and decided to take care of it, before heeding the officers call?

I know some ladies, that when they have their flow, they are overwhelmed by the pain.

I think every single individual has a right to dignity of person and this circumstances didn’t warrant that her dignity of person be abused.

There is no justification for the action of the officer especially because she should know better as an officer and it’s a stain on the military shredded robe that the narration is that the corper was somewhat intimidated to leave the state.

When has the army gotten so low?

See, you have right to personal dignity even if you blatantly disobey an officer of the law.

The officer should detain you, then charge you and allow the court to give the judgment as to your treatment or chastising.

The officer does not have the power to assault or abuse you or maltreat you individually without respect to the law!

It’s of coz because of sentiments that allows it, that such abuse or misbehavior has been emboldened.

I think the corper deserves our support, and our support must be one that sends a clear message to the military; that abuse of civilians or callous displays of power is not acceptable…

…but when you justify the abuse of the victimized and share partially but effectively such sentiments that inspires it, you put all of us at jeopardy to a terrorizing military.

Today, it is the corper, but tomorrow it might be you or yours… trying to get by a medical condition, but delayed and denied to it by a power drunk officer like Lieutenant Anele, on the flimsiest of excuses..who feels, you must answer to her first or her flimsiest of excuses, before you answer to your own safety or dignity or health and who because you have heeded to your own personal health, humiliates then assault you.

This is the experience of this young corper and the dire reality of our nation and it is not to be condoned.

Aliko Dangote is more influential than those you have mentioned. When you talk about influential, it is referred, individuals that have the capability to change or alter the prevailing in the country.

Ojukwu attempted to, but he lost the leadership of his people. He could have retained the leadership despite losing the civil war and directed the choice of his peoples preference during subsequent elections. As to your other choices, what exactly has Achebe ever influenced?

Adeboye is a religious figure that commands a significant following among Christians in the country, if he tells his followers to be wary of a product, candidate or a vaccine; a significant percentage of his followers would listen to him, hence he is influential. Okonjo Iweala was able to help the country negotiate significant debt forgiveness, her ability to influence global bodies attitude towards the country earns her the status of an influential Nigerian. Dangote is not just about being a financial giant, he’s a significant power broker in Nigeria politics and Africa’s economy too.

As to the greatest Nigerian- I do not have adequate knowledge to make a choice. But Adadevoh and Akunyili comes to mind.

I think being a global acclaimed author or artist shouldn’t be the criterion to measure a great Nigerian. If your literature has led to a significant improvement for your people or how they may be perceived; then great. I rank Professor Soyinka and Professor Achebe as great Nigerians not because of their literary accomplishment but because of their consistent activism to ensure the country is better off. The question is not how entertaining or brilliant their stories or arts were, but rather; how many Nigerians are better off because of such stories? So people are better off for instance because of Awolowo’s free primary education and free primary health care conceptions that millions of Nigerians have gained and still gain dividends from.

The poorly rewarded teachers and health care providers that constantly show up each time and care for those in their charge- are also my candidates for the greatest Nigerians, along those that put themselves in harms way so that we can be safe.

N.B Although the topic here is greatest Nigerian, if you read the body, you would find the question about the most influential too, hence responses about influential and greatest.