THOUGHTS ON THE MOVIE (12 Years A Slave)

The strong do what they can the weak endure what they must.. No such thing as justice when you are powerless. Don't ever expect the person who holds the power to play fair when it would be to their disadvantage.

Niggaz ain't about fighting they ain't got the stomach for it. - Quote From The Movie.

When you see the injustice of another or others and keep silent. Be careful it might come back to bite u and there will be nobody around to speak up for u. 

Expecting humanity and kindness or sympathy from people who benefit from your own exploitation is futile. Right now most of us benefit from the exploitation of child labor in Congo where the children mine for coltan which is used in the production of chips. Chips which are used in electronic devices such as phones, laptops etc. 

In the movie, it was important to note how the white slave masters never seemed to be against the slaves worshipping and adhering to the christian religion. They didn’t try to stop the slaves from practicing the christian religion, because they knew it wouldn’t save us. After all, it was the very same bible they used to justify their authority over the slaves. 

Learn to recognize when others of different races or different tribes or circumstances are exploited or slaves just like yourself. Don't fall for the divide and conquer tactics that those in power will use. They will try and  make you see enemies where you should be seeing friends and see friends where you should be seeing enemies. 

Don't fall for the Palliatives that they will use to placate you. They will feed u with crumbs and convince u that this is progress.  

Life is not a court of law, there is no due process. Your innocence or presumed innocence does nothing for you when you are powerless. 

Always keep in mind, the strong (Massah) do what they can and the weak endure what they must (Slave). It is indeed possible for that dynamic to be changed but in the mean time endure what you must. 

STORY BEHIND A SONG

You know how they always say every good song has a story, well I don’t just love or get emotional for Demarco’s. 'I love my life'', it was the song the DJ kept playing at the club, the night it all began...

My friends and I were getting ready to go to the library, exams were drawing near and I had not been the most serious student during the semester. Getting downstairs, I met my sister’s friends who convinced me to go up and change for “Boxers and Bikinis” pool party. At this time my friend’s had left me, even though I didn’t want to go, I thought about walking down to the library on my own, so I decided otherwise. I can’t remember the particular date but it was in the month of march, year 2010, the same day that was rumored to be the end of the world. City of David’s youth church, joshuaville was holding a night vigil, half of the school was going to church to spend their last night and the other half… oh well, we chose to party till our last breath *Giggles*

I went up to change, getting downstairs a limousine was waiting to pick me up, I guess other girls were supposed to join me but plans failed, I was then moved to a jeep which had girls wearing too much make up, trying too hard and faking accents, they tried to flow with me but I was too irritated. Getting to school gate, the driver couldn’t find his pass and was delayed, then my sister’s friend came and asked me to ride with them in a car, he introduced me to the guys in the car, I was familiar with one, Nicholas, I think that was his name, the one driving was Kiki, can’t remember the last dude’s name. Tony told me he felt the pool party was gonna flop, so he suggested we going to the club instead. I had never been to a club, so I agreed. We went to Rehab, stayed in the VIP lounge, they ordered fruit juice for me because Tony said my sister will kill him if anything went wrong.

The boys wanted to smoke but Kiki didn’t encourage it, he then agreed for them to take one stick each. There was this way he talked to them, he felt responsible for them and I knew at that moment he was protective over people he cared for. Some guy tried to dance with me, he was drunk and rough, I didn’t like it and he 'Kiki'  intervened. Kiki and I went to the pool side and talked about so many things, in just one night I felt like I knew him already. I was so shy because we were in public and I felt everyone was watching, he tried to convince me otherwise and we kissed. He told me he was 27 and I was just 16, he was shocked because I didn't look my age but then we joked about it with him calling me “smallie”. I called him “Uncle Kiki”. We laughed. I knew I should stop it but my heart didn’t want to,  I slept all through the journey back to school. When we got to school, he walked me to my hostel and kissed me again, it felt so natural, so good, he didn’t care who was looking and I just wanted to be his...

I slept till around 12:00noon when a call woke me up, it was Kiki, we never exchanged numbers so I guessed he got it from Tony, then we exchanged pins.

And that was the beginning of our relationship. He wasn’t just a dude that wanted to date me, he was someone I looked up to for advice, who scolded me when needed and never stopped reminding me I was beautiful.

One rainy night he came to drop his cousin’s friend, Nicholas in school and stopped to see me. We let the chairs down in the car and talked and kissed, I was falling for him but I was too naïve, scared and proud to tell him. No matter how many times he brought up the issue of we becoming official, I always waved it down, joking with the fact that he could be my uncle and it was child abuse.

It was few days to my birthday and I had not heard from Kiki, his BBM DP and PM was same so I figured his BIS was off. He didn’t call me on my birthday so I assumed he forgot, so didn’t bother calling. I didn’t hear from him after my birthday and I told myself I asked for it, getting attached to an older boy.

School closed and we all went home. During the holiday I came to school because I was trying to change my department, I met Tony in school and we hung out. While conversing, he asked me if I remembered his cousin Kiki, I told him as much as I wouldn’t want to I did. He told me Kiki died in a car crash 2 days to my birthday… I could not breathe. I almost passed out. I was hot and cold at the same time. I was disoriented. All I could think of was how I was angry with him while he was struggling with his life, how if I had put my pride down and made that call, I could have seen him before he died and maybe if I had gone to the hospital he would have fought a little harder and will still be here today. Kiki died not knowing how I felt, I never for once told him how he made me happy and how much in love I was with him.

Tony apologized saying that he knew about our relationship and really didn’t know how to break the news. They were 5 in the car, only KIKI died. Tony said he thinks he died because he didn’t have his belt on. I read the news on Linda’s blog and saw people’s comments on youth’s driving drunk. Kiki wasn’t even the one driving and I know he would never drive drunk. Till he died I didn’t know his name was Okikiola, which tells how short lived our relationship was but had the longest effect on me. Till today I haven’t felt what I felt for him with any other guy. 

July made it 2 years since he died. I’m 19 now and kiki would have been 29…. RIP KIKI, you will always be loved and remembered.

Story by @miss_sheyun

Edited by @Superkunle

WOULD YOU RATHER BE A DICK OR A SWALLOWER

Quote: For the black man there is only one destiny. And it is white.  – Frantz Fanon.

I live in the United States of America and believe me when I tell you that this is the greatest country ever known to man. The White God has never blessed a country as much as he did this here great nation.  Now some may be wondering, why is he praising America when he’s a Nigerian? Wetin concern us with America? Well, the elitist part of me has always hoped that every Nigerian should try and reach America and have a taste of civilization before they die. This is not to say that Nigeria is a country of savages I’m just saying we haven’t really hit civilization in that country. Before I go on, I want to make a note about my writing style on this here website, I prefer to write articles in plain English or some may say a conversational style. I’m not trying to win any English essay competition with these articles; however, I am trying to convey my message as simple as possible so that the common man on the street does not have to pick up a dictionary to understand me. With that said, allow me to proceed with what troubles my heart on this great day. This thing that troubles my heart can be described as “White Privilege”. See before I moved to America, as a Nigerian I did not understand the concept of White Privilege, afterall I was surrounded by fellow niggas. The only privilege I knew off was having that police siren on top of your car and being able to bypass traffic as soon as you switched it on. When you move to this great land, you immediately become conscious of your skin, nobody tells you to become conscious of it, it’s so natural and you realize there’s a pecking order and on that pecking order, the skin color of black is dead last. So what is White Privilege? I could provide one of them dictionary type definitions but I promised you all I would keep it simple and plain. White privilege is when a white man or woman can drive through a upper-class neighborhood and not worry about being pulled over by cops because of the color of their skin. White privilege is when a white man can walk into a store and not worry about the attendant paying extra attention to him worrying about whether he would steal something from the store. White privilege is when a white man can walk down a street and 2 women walking down the same street don’t feel the need to cross the road and hop unto the next pavement rather than share the same pavement with him. White privilege is when a white doctor can make a mistake in his diagnosis and his mistake is not viewed as resulting from the color of his skin but as an honest human mistake. And finally, White Privilege is when a white teenager can walk down a neighborhood with skittles and Arizona iced tea and not have to worry that a neighborhood watchman determining that he’s walking with no purpose and thereby accost him.

            See you try not to view every white person as racist in this country because that would be unreasonable. You try to give every person the benefit of the doubt and not immediately hop on the race bandwagon as the reason why the waiter at the restaurant seemed to serve the white guests first even though you and your black friends got to the restaurant first. You try to provide other rational explanations for things of that nature, but this country makes it so darn hard. For example, one of my friend’s momsy was narrating the story of how she went to a Starbucks coffee place to buy some souvenir cups that cost like $15 a cup and she wanted 4 cups.  At the counter she brought out her card to pay, and the white cashier asks for her I.D to verify that she’s the owner of the card. Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem as most stores generally ask for I.D’s to verify if indeed you are the owner of said credit card. My friend’s mom instead opted to pay with cash and she brought out $80 in 20 dollar bills and handed it to the cashier. The white lady in question proceeds to hold each $20 dollar bill up to the light to verify that it was not counterfeit. This clearly got my friend’s mom upset and she sarcastically asked the cashier whether she would like a “U.V light” to verify the genuineness of the bills. After hearing the ordeal of my friend’s mom, a “George Zimmerman white woman” said to her “I would be very mad if the same thing happened to me as well”. A smile came on my lips, because there and right there was a perfect example of white privilege. See what the woman failed to recognize was, such an ordeal would never happen to her because of the color of her own skin which was white. How could she place herself in the same shoes of the black woman when the same thing could never happen to her? See some white people try to act like they can understand how it feels to be the victim of racism, the fact is for most of their lives they might never ever have to know that feeling because of said privilege. Some of you may be wondering what is “George Zimmerman White”. George Zimmerman White is when a Hispanic woman can pass as White.

            Furthermore,  I do not begrudge the white man of his privilege, afterall, what is the point of having privilege if you never get to exercise it? Whenever I see a white man exercising his privilege, instead of getting mad I ask myself why am I even in his land to begin with? Oh yeah, my native country is too shitty compared to his. Would I have to put up with seeing him exercise his privilege if my own land was made of milk and honey? No Sir. I hope that when my fellow Nigerian counterparts experience racism instead of getting mad they should resolve to make their own country as attractive a destination as America so no longer will we have to put up with the fall out from this White Privilege. There’s an old Greek quote that states, “The strong do what they can, the weak endure what they must”. In this scenario, the white man is the strong and the black man is the weak.  A great man once said “There’s leaders and there’s followers but I would rather be a dick than a swallower” – Kanye West.

It’s amazing how conscious you have to be as a black man in this country that you do not offend the sensitivities of your white massahs. A friend of mine came to show me his new car and we decided to take it out for a test drive and we both happen to live in this upper class “white” neighborhood. So as we were doing the test drive I was conscious enough to tell him to get off the road and get on the back roads so we don’t commit the gravest sin a black man can commit in these uppity ass streets “Driving while black”.  We were not breaking no laws, not driving over the speed limit, not causing no trouble but because we had to take into account the sensitivities of our white massahs we had to get off driving on the normal road to test drive a new car just so a cop didn’t see us and pull us over for the crime of “driving over the nigger limit”.  But see if I were white and if my friend were white, we would have no need to get off the main road and unto the back roads because it would never cross our minds that we could be pulled over for no other reason but the color of our skin. That my friends, is White Privilege.

Have you noticed how the white man is always able to go to the most uncivilized places in the world and still build a little paradise for himself which he surrounds with high walls to protect him from the general populace. The next time you are in Lagos and drive past the Chevron headquarters in Lekki before Ajah, pay attention to the estate that belongs to the White expatriates that work for the oil company. See the white man can’t afford to live among the natives, which would be absurd. See he has to create his own little paradise in the midst of the natives because that little paradise reminds him of the civilization he left back in his motherland to come seek his fortune in the midst of savages.

            See when I first came to this great nation, my father taught me ways in which to blend in so that the white man does not ever have to worry about my presence. I was taught not sag, to get a quality education, not to wear dreads, not to have tattoos, not to have piercings, always keep my hair cut. Never do anything to upset your white massahs and allow them to think you are indeed just another ghetto nigga. And for a long time, I listened to my father, I came to love the look that came across the face of a white man when he found out I was currently getting my masters and how I could imagine him thinking to himself “Oh, he is not one of those ghetto ass niggaz, praise be to white Jesus. I don’t have to worry about this one trying to rob me or rape my daughter”. See I started living my life in ways that the white man would approve off, don’t rock no boats and there will be no trouble. "U walking down the street and a white man walking towards u, u gotta cross the street to save Massa the trouble."

Gradually, I came to see the folly in my dad’s advice, see the white man doesn’t care one way or the other whether you are educated or some ghetto ass nigga. All it takes is one slip up on your part, for him to think to himself “All these niggaz are the same, fucking savages”.  See if I pull up to a white neighborhood with my music blaring loudly, it’s because “He’s a nigger and what more could you expect from them jungle niggas? However, if a white guy pulled up with his music blaring in the neighborhood, “Oh here goes Josh enjoying his youth”. See it makes no difference to the white man whether you are a Nigerian with a PHD or an African American gangbanger, there’s no difference. The former is a house slave while the latter is a field slave, at the end of the day all na “slaves”.

            In conclusion, I do not want to make it seem like there are no truths to some stereotypes about black people and all white people are racist. It is true that there are indeed gangbangers, ghetto riff raffs, uncivilized savages who maraud as black people in this here great nation. But there are also 42 million black people in the U.S, for a white person to assume that 42 million black people are somehow a threat to his own personal safety is ludicrous

FAKE SYMPATHIZERS...

This isn't a blogpost for any grand purpose...Sometimes, you just gotta blog about whatever irks you, really.

The whole conversation started with how best to respond when a woman is crying. I'm of the school of thought that unless you had done something real and tangible that made her cry, its not necessary for you to do anything. If she's your girlfriend, maybe a glass of water, tissue and some privacy. Whatever it is, let her cry through it.

Others were like, thats insensitive, why would you let a woman cry? notice the choice of words, your "letting" them cry. Actually, though, you're not. They don't need your permission, and they don't always need your sympathy. Make sure they're okay, and then leave them well alone. The conversation led us beyond this though, to expand into the best way to show sympathy. And that led to subject of people who cry more than the bereaved in general. 

See, there are people that are so narcissistic, that they think everything is a statement about them or the kind of person they are. I know a friend that lost her father recently. Someone was inviting her for an event, and she texted them like "hey im sorry I can't be there this Wednesday, I lost my father recently and his funeral is on that day." u know, something pretty tame. A good response would go from "Aw, I didn't know, to My condolence, so sorry for your loss." But this grown fuck  man replied in all caps  "OH MY GOD, ARE YOU SERIOUS, I DIDN'T KNOW, YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME. WHAT HAPPENED? I AM SO SORRY. CALL ME ASAP. HOW ARE YOU FEELING?"

Sigh.

People do this all the time but Nigerians naturally are champions at it. She thought it was funny, and it really is.
the real funny part though was at the funeral. She was crying and people just circled her like a school of fish, each one justling to 'show support' and be the one to make her stop crying. One of them kept leaning in, and his breath smelled like jalapeno. Can't you respect her need to grieve her loss and savor her father's memory without echoes of your spicy breath ruining the moment?
One of them made a not so sublte pass at her, in the name of 'if you need someone to console you, here's my card.' see how nice guys get a bad rep? who are they fooling?

When someone is crying is not the best time for you to solidify your position as their 'best friend' you know. Or am I wrong?
"Oh I just want to help." "oh, Im just trying to be there for you."
No, thanks.
I feel like whenever someone cries, its something personal and deep. Best you can do is let them know that if they need you, you will be there. Then fade until you can actually say that they need you for sure.
I mean, am I wrong with this??

Did Jesus Rise From the Dead? If yes. Why is your grandpa still dead?

Before I begin I have to set a few things straight.
1. Nothing I write here is meant to convince anybody to dump their religion and follow me.
2. I am a simple man like you all who is simply sharing his thoughts on a subject.
3. Before you continue reading if you know you are unable to have an open mind about things and think critically then you may as well exit without reading any further.

This post was inspired by the whole Kim K tweet controversy that transpired yesterday where most people believed Kim had sent out a tweet dissing Nigerians and Nigerian women.
I got to thinking, if so many people could be fooled into believing such an obvious hoax in this day and age with our technology and the ability to cross chec something as a fact how much more so those living in the era that Jesus lived..

How did so many people come to believe that Jesus a man had died and resurrected from the dead? I'm sure when the tale was first told to the ordinary man he probably expressed doubts about the subject.

Now before I go on I have to state what I believe so people do not misconstrue what I am saying. I believe in Jesus. I believe in his message of love. I believe that he lived and walked the earth. I believe he was a unique and great man. I do not however believe that he died, was buried 3 days and then rose from the dead. Does his resurrection or non-resurrection diminish his message in anyway to me? No. His message is not in anyway diminished whether he remains dead or resurrected..

When I posed this question on twitter some asked "How can you prove that Jesus did not rise from the dead? ". Forget the fact that the burden of proof should not lie with me but with those who believe he rose from the dead. I will say this, how many people have you buried or attended their funerals that rose from the dead? Mention one person or think about one person you personally know that arose from the dead after being buried ? Some of you have buried your grand fathers or grand mothers. Are they still dead? Or did they resurrect? My point is we can see for ourselves that men do not die and after buried rise from the dead. That's proof enough.

Some will then say well "how can you expect people to prove that Jesus resurrected when they did not live in that era" and my reply would be "how can you expect them to believe it? To which some may say it was a miracle "supernatural". When something is a miracle it means that it goes against what is natural and common to men that it is indeed "supernatural". So imagine the ordinary Jewish man when he first heard the tale of Jesus rising from the dead would he not have thought to himself ? What is more probable? That nature should go out of its course, or that a man should tell a lie? In all of our life times we have never seen people rise from the dead when resurrected; but we have seen and many of us continue to see millions of lies told by men to other men.


Those who then say Jesus resurrected are the ones who are pointing out an "abnormality". My grandpa ate food while he was alive so did Jesus. My grandpa slept when he was alive so did Jesus. My grandpa breathed fresh air when he was alive. So did Jesus. My grandpa walked on two feet when he was alive. So did Jesus. If it sleeps like a man, breathes like a man, eats like a man, walks like a man. One can safely conclude that Jesus was a MAN.

Now some will say "Well Jesus was no ordinary man". Yes he was no ordinary man, he was a unique man but just because a man is special and unique does not make said man a "God". Usian bolt is special and unique, Albert Einstein was special and unique. Steve Jobs special and unique. Martin Luther king special and unique. Ghandi special and unique, all these men just like Jesus were great men and just like Jesus did not resurrect from the dead.. Does their inability to rise from the dead take away from their message or diminish them in any shape or form? No.

Some will then go on to say "We'll Jesus healed the sick and performed miracles". Does the ability to heal the sick and perform miracles translate into being able to rise from the dead? Answer is No. Jesus was not the only person to perform miracles and heal the sick, many men before him and after him have healed the sick and performed miracles yet none have been said to posses the ability to rise from the dead.

Then some will go on to argue "Well how can you believe in God and not believe in the bible?". Notice I'm not criticizing the whole bible just a specific part that I want to address. A person can believe in God and not believe in the bible. To think that the two are not mutually exclusive is absurd. Men wrote the bible. Men run the church. I might not know God or the nature of God. But I know men and the nature of men. Men lie, cheat, steal, embellish, conspire. Men also love, show kindness, can be generous etc.

Just because a man says "God spoke to him" does not make the man the spokesperson of God. Just like yesterday during the Kim K controversy, her PR was reached and she denied ever sending out the tweet. The problem is we can't do the same thing in God's case. We can't call up God or his PR to have him say whether he told so and so this or so and so to write such and such. As long as men are the ones who wrote the bible, it will forever be subject to the whims of men. Anybody can claim God made them do anything.

Some will then argue, well the bible says "Jesus is the Son of God" and I ask who among us is not a child of God? Aren't we all sons and daughters of god? Some will go on to argue then that "if Jesus was not the "literal" Son of God why then was he killed?". This takes us back to the nature f men, the Pharisees had a power structure in place, they sought to protect their own interests and power. People in powerful positions do not like when that power is put under threat. Same way Abacha put OBj, Abiola etc in jail, powerful people in powerful positions do not like when their power base is threatened. Jesus and his message was a big threat.

It is important to note that even the Jews who Jesus came from do not believe that he rose from the dead. They don't believe he's the messiah or anything of that such.


In conclusion, some will say "but with God anything is possible". Is it not possible that God resurrected Jesus from the dead?". But if we go down that road then anything and I mean anything becomes possible. Men can then distort anything and claim God did or or approved of it. Which is easier to believe? That God would raise a man from the dead or that men would embellish the story of their leader to make him a God? Same thing was said of Archilles by the Greeks, they called him a God because he was a fresh fighter but alas a man is still a man no matter what greatness he may attain.


I shall finish off with a quote by Thomas Paine.
"The God in whom we believe is a God of moral truth, and not a God of mystery or obscurity. Mystery is the antagonist of Truth. It is a fog of human invention that obscures truth, and represents it in distortion. Truth never envelops itself in mystery; and the mystery in which it is at any time enveloped, is the work of its antagonist, and never of itself".

I BOW FOR WOMEN

Sorry womenfolk if this post offends. I just try to tell the truth.

and the truth is...

I mean, we all grew up with the straight forward template-men cheat. It never even occured to me to wonder if women cheat or not until I was like 14. Imagine that. 

Soon after the transition to adulthood though, everyone pretty much amends that template to women cheat, but men cheat more. But guys, I have come to the realization that women cheat just as much, if not more than men. And I don't even think it started now, I believe women have always cheated at the same rate as they do now. Which makes me wonder why men have earned the stereotype of being the cheaters across the millenia while women are looked at as almost innocent who are only forced to cheat when they are neglected or practically pushed to it. And I discovered one thing: women are jedi. They can jedi mindfuck you to believe in their innocence even when their guilt is clear as sparkling water. 'Feminine wiles' they call it. 'Scam' I call it. Plus women can hide things, and fake a whole new reality to make you believe that what is there, really isn't there. How else can Goldie (RIP) hide a full grown white nigga for like a decade and no one even smelled a whiff, talk less of a hint, that she has a side nigga husband. Feminine wiles, they say. Scam, I say. Doesn't she have friends? 

And then we men, we get fooled by that deer-in-the-headlights innocent look and you just can't believe them capable of the kind of evil we men do as a matter of course. There are so many things women have done around me that if I wasn't there to see, I would die before I believed it. And yet, when they put that look on their face, I even begin to doubt what I've seen. Don't lie and say you've not seen that look put into use. For instance, look at Kirsten Stewart (old story, I know). But, look at her. She looks like she's always about to cry. With a face like that, how can you doubt anything she says. "oh I love my boyfriend so much" and we're like Aye, she does, can't you see the look on her face. And when she came back after cheating and was like 'Im sorry it just happened' we still are like 'Come on now, can't you see she is about to cry. It really did just happen. Bad director.'

But my people, does cheating JUST HAPPEN? 

LOL, nah. 

I know better 

if offensive language offends you, skip the next paragraph. 

if you read 'offensive language' and think..now thats my shit, READ ON.

Truth be told, nothing a woman does JUST HAPPENS. Women are too calculating for that. Kirsten had that director dick inside her and she loved every bit of it. While he was hammering her wet little p***y, he told her what a little slut she was and if her boyfriend was aware that she was such a dirty little slut. When she replied between two heavy breaths a whispered “no”, he spanked her a** and told her that she’s a nasty little slut and that she should be ashamed of cheating on her boyfriend. he then ordered her to “say that you’re my little bitch. SAY IT”. She said “I’m your little bitch”. “Say that you love cheating on your boyfriend with daddy’s big dick”. “I love cheating… I love cheating on my boyfriend with daddy’s big dick. oooohhhh yes. F**K ME . F**K MEEEEE”…Next thing you know. “I’m sorry about the whole affair. It just happened.”. *insert cry face*

mind you, the above paragraph wrote itself.

Kirsten is not alone. Right now, I default think every girl, given the chance, will cheat. Now lets be clear, its not the cheating I'm mad at. We do it too, but then again we already know we are evil. And I don't care one way or the other. Its just how women have been able to pull off this trick that even when we see them cheating, we still think they're not prone to cheating.It must have 'just happened'. How do they do it? Because I need my own 'just happened' juju abeg.

Meanwhile if it is true that there are legitimate trust worthy women and I am just jaded beyond belief, let me know as well. 

NIGERIA - A NATION THAT NEVER WAS

Some of you requested that I post the paper I wrote about the factors that led up to the Nigerian Civil War.
Let me know what you all think.
Here's the PDF file and it's on DropBox
NIGERIA - A NATION THAT NEVER WAS

THE PROMISE OF A YOUNG NATION | MY REVIEW OF CHINUA ACHEBE'S NEW BOOK "THERE WAS A COUNTRY"

So I just concluded reading the book by Chinua Achebe titled "There was a Country" detailing his own personal life experiences plus the events that took place during the Nigerian Civil War and the secession of the country named Biafra.

As somebody who has always been intrigued by the war, the book was worth the read. I honestly do not understand why the war is not talked about as often as it should be in our Nigerian classrooms or even by our parents or uncles. My parents never talked to me about it, neither did my uncles and most of them were either born or lived during that period. It is almost like everybody from that generation made a pact not to talk about the war to future generations. We need to know people fought to give us the country that we have today.

I read the book by Chinua Achebe with a healthy dose of skepticism. I did not fully grasp why an 80 something year old man would wait till now to write a book about the Civil war. You know when it nears time for an old man to die, they sometimes start reminiscing and wishing for the days of old. I hoped that Chinua Achebe had not suffered from the same plight.

Achebe talks about his own personal life growing up and how he came to write the novel Things Fall Apart and he makes mention of the golden days when Nigerians from all across the country attended the best schools in the nation, taught by quality professors and teachers. He identifies how Nigeria came to be a country, how the British basically gobbled up all this ethnicities together and made it a country. The question remains whether Nigeria was ever a nation to begin with, yes we were a country in terms of population and boundary but where we ever a nation? A nation with a common identity. I don't think so.  He also makes mention of the March to Independence and all the founding fathers such as Herbert Macauley, Azikiwe, Awolowo, Tafawa Balewa & Ahmadu Bello. it is obvious at this juncture that in our bid for independence, our founding fathers had not ironed out the issues that would face the nation after independence. It was like they forgot about their differences and swept it all under the rug and united to kick the British out. As some Nigerians will say "the founding fathers blood was too hot". A nation of 250 languages/ethnicities, how did you think kicking the British out would solve the problem? It's almost like a kid telling the father, I'm ready to drive a car when he's not old or mature enough to have a license but decides to get behind the wheel.

Achebe lays out how the Igbos came to be resented due to their industrial and individualistic nature. Most of the civil jobs held in government positions during the time was held by Igbos, and we were in every fabric of the new nation. The first coup in Nigeria was on January 15th, 1966 led by an Igbo officer Nzeogwu and others. They murdered the prime minister Tafawa Balewa, the premier of the West (Yorubas) Akintola & the premiere of the North (Hausas) Ahmadu Bello. I did further research on the death of the prime minister Balewa and found that his body was discovered six days later on the road. I was honestly shocked, a whole prime minister? Left for dead on the road like a common rat. I still don't get the point of this particular coup as it set a chain reaction in which the North reacted by killing Igbos living in the North and 6 months later a counter coup killed the Head of State Aguiyi Ironsi. This time, the coup was led by Northern officers and Gowon became Head of State after that. I do not know why the first coup even took place and the fact that it comes across as an Igbo led coup against the North did not sit well with me. I can't for the life of me understand why Nzeogwu would lead a coup that killed quite a few Northern leaders and think that the Northerners would just let that slide. The coup on January 15th, 1966 led to the Civil War in my opinion. And the fact that those in the coup were not strung up and executed after they were caught drives me bonkers. These were men who had earned the trust of the leaders that they killed, one of the officers Major Ifeajuna in the coup killed his long time mentor Brigadier Maimalari. This theme of betrayal is one conveyed throughout the entire book. What makes men kill other men on the basis of ethnicity? 

I find it remarkable that men who had studied abroad with high levels of education could sink to the depths of tribalism when it came to governance. Achebe singled out people like Awolowo for being primarily responsible for the collapse of the first republic. Awolowo comes off as a power hungry man who would do anything to remain relevant. Not to mention the people who were in the military, people such as Obasanjo, Danjuma, Ironsi, Ojukwu, Gowon, etc. These were probably men who had been friends, men who knew each other's families, yet at the end these were men ready to lead other men to war to kill each other. If there's one thing this book conveyed to me, it was the sense of betrayal and disloyalty as bad as Judas betraying Jesus. 

Gowon was thirty two years old and Ojukwu was thirty three years old when the Nigerian Civil war began, two young men on two different sides. One leading a people out of "Egypt", another seeking to keep people from leaving "Egypt".

Achebe makes mention of programs in the North that led to the death of thirty thousand Igbo people in the North and the mass evacuation of Igbos from the North back to the East. He also makes mention of the Asaba Massacre in which men in Asaba where killed by Nigerian Soldiers. Both sides were guilty of atrocities as it is also noted that Biafran soldiers killed some people living in the mid west, accusing them of collaborating with the Nigerian forces.

The fact that Ojukwu fled after the war left a really bad taste in my mouth. Here was a man who had sent thousands to die for a cause yet when push came to shove suddenly realized he wasn't willing to die for this country called Biafra. Same Ojukwu who as Achebe pointed out executed quite a number of Igbo Officers on the charges of treason and betraying Biafra yet he himself betrayed the very nation which he killed others for betraying. Yet, when he died this past year or so he was hailed as a hero? Ha.  Hitler could have fled Germany when it was surrendered yet he stayed and died for what he believed in. Ojukwu later ran for election in 2003 for the very same Nigeria which he sought to secede from.. It kind of reminds me of a quote that says "Men should pledge themselves to nothing because reflection makes a liar of their resolution" .

Achebe seems to suggest that the problem with Nigeria today arises because of the Biafran war and the failure of the Igbo people to reintegrate back into Nigeria. I find this premise hard to believe because we Igbos have reintegrated quite successfully in my opinion and if there is a problem with Nigeria it lies with the corruption that seems to plague government leaders whether they be Hausa, Igbo or Yoruba. Corruption is not an affliction that only one tribe gets to suffer, we have Igbo leaders/governors in Nigeria who have decided to steal money rather than use the money allocated to them to help their particular state.

The Question is sometimes asked "Why don't Nigerians rise up against the government and demand Change?" Achebe responds by stating " Once a people have been dispossessed and subjugated by dictatorships for such a long time as in Nigeria's case, the oppressive process also effectively strips away from the minds of the people the knowledge that they have rights. Restoring flawed democratic systems will not make the country a success overnight".

I feel like Achebe's response is a serious "cop out" like Americans would say. Nigeria has been independent for 52 years, give or take we have been in a dictatorship for lets assume 30 years of those 52 years. So are we saying that we have lost the knowledge that we have rights after only 30 years of dictatorship? Have there not been countries with a far worse plight than ours? Egypt? Tunisia? Other Latin Countries where their people still rose up against the government and demanded change? Why have Nigerians not demanded any change from their government? Why does it seem like we are content to wallow in mediocrity? Does it have anything to do with the moral makeup of the nation? Are we so corrupt that we can't look past our mediocre surroundings?

At this point I want to make a special note about something. I feel like in Nigeria, we have a "lost generation". What happened to our parents generation? The generation born during the war from 1960 till 1975? Where did that generation go? What did they contribute to Nigeria? It is almost like a whole generation gave up on a nation and now handed over this mess of a nation to we the younger generation to clean up. I can't comprehend how the generation did not do more to stop Nigeria from going down the road it has found itself today. What stopped them from stepping up to the plate?

As a young Nigerian who would really like to see Nigeria blossom, this book does not offer any clear solution in my opinion. Should Nigeria remain as a country or break up like the old Yugoslavia? When we say "One Nigeria" are we saying that just for the sake of unity for unity's sake? Sometimes it is better to be divided and be in peace than united and be in chaos.

I was led to believe that Nigeria had heroes in it's founding fathers, but I have changed my opinion on that matter. Our founding fathers were not heroes, they were ambitious men who sought to have power for themselves in my humble opinion. Men who were not mature enough to drive the "car" named Nigeria but demanded for the keys.

The name of this blog is Truth Don Die and it is evident to me that even in Achebe's book Truth Died a little bit. Achebe seems to suggest that the Civil War was a clear plan by the Northerners to exterminate the Igbos, well if this was true how come they didn't exterminate us after the war? 

Achebe also suggests that it was a Jihad by the Muslim North against the Christian South, if this is true how come the leadership of Nigeria at the time were mostly Christian men and not all of them were from the North. The head of State Gowon was a christian man, Danjuma was a christian man, Obasanjo a christian man. The only prominent Muslim was General Murtala Mohammed. 

The truth of the matter is that the igbos lost the trust of the Northerners in the North by starting a coup which killed prominent Yoruba and mostly Northern leaders but left many Igbo leaders untouched. It came across as the ultimate betrayal, especially as so many igbos had settled down in the North and been welcomed by the Northerners. 

My purpose is not to cast blame on one side, it is to show that both sides have a story to tell. The truth is not limited to only one ethnicity. After reading this book, one may come to feel a deep sympathy for the Igbos and a strong dislike for the Northerners. I urge that we get all sides of the story, let all sides of the story be discussed as a nation. And after discussing, forge a path forward. 


Review of Chinua Achebe's book from a Northern Perspective

Love for God vs Love for Man

"There is not enough love in the world to permit and goodness in the world to permit giving any of it away to imaginary beings" - Friedrich Nietzsche

Sometimes I turn on the TV and on CNN they are reporting about some sectarian conflict in some part of the world and my soul just tears a little bit.. Whether it be Jews against Palestinians, Shite against Sunni, Hausas versus Igbos, Tutsis versus Hutus.

Take for example, the conflict in Israel between the Palestinians and the Jews. How long has it been going on for? How long have both sides negotiated for peace? I wonder constantly don't they get tired and weary of all the hate? Don't the men at the negotiating table have families to which they want to go home to and live in peace with? We all know that it takes a toll on the human soul to hate our fellow man..

What makes a man hate another man on the basis of his ethnicity or religion? Knowing that he/she has only one life to live? Why dedicate your life towards hate? Because at the end of the day that is what it is isn't it? Living a life of constant hate and conflict. I know the world may never be perfect, and I am not a wide eyed optimist but sometimes, I wonder why the same people who claim to love God and love Allah never find it within themselves to love Allah/God's creation, their fellow human.

My friend Tọpẹ provided me with this bible verse 1 John 4:20-21

"If anyone says, I love God and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

THERE IS NOTHING SACRED ABOUT HUMAN LIFE. #ALUU4

Man I haven't written a blog post in almost a year, so I am slightly rusty.


Like so many of you I was saddened to read about and watch the killings of four young men who were allegedly killed for stealing blackberries and laptops in ALUU Port Harcourt, Nigeria. The reason I say "allegedly" is because I do not know the truth of the matter and I rarely assume when it comes to such cases. Some say they were killed because they were cultists, others say it was because they stole blackberries. It really does not matter what they did at the end of the day, the legal system and the police of a nation should be the ones who handle crime. Those of you who watched the video, you would notice how those boys were treated like common animals. The inhumane nature of the killing is what got to most of us, where did our collective humanity go?
Honestly watching that video, my immediate reaction wasn't one of shock or sadness. It was more of "weariness". My soul became heavy and it cried at the sorry state of the human condition. Where did we get to the point as a nation where young men could potentially be killed over blackberries and laptop?


Why are we acting like these killings are something new? They have been burning and killing people for stealing meatpie in Nigeria for a long time. This is nothing new, the only thing new is the fact that we are able to see it due to new technology. The pictures and videos help drive home the full picture.Some people are asking that those responsible for the killings be held responsible. I argue that "WE""the citizens of Nigeria" are responsible for those killings. We are accomplices to the killings of those four young boys.   For so long, "WE" have accepted mediocrity in our nation and now the chickens are coming home to roost. Were we not all accomplices? Accomplices to murder. Accomplices to corruption. Accomplices to bad leadership? Accomplices to the violation of human rights? Have we not all stood by and participated explicitly or tacitly in promoting this cult of mediocrity? Does mediocrity start from the Top Down or from the ground up? Even the bus driver who pays 20 Naira to the police officer is as guilty as the house of speaker who steals 20 million naira.


Sometimes in Nigeria, it is common to hear one say "Nigeria is Bad because our leaders are corrupt". My friend Sasha told me that she came across a quote that says "People get the leaders that they deserve".  Tacitly or Explicitly we have chosen these leaders and they are a reflection of the character of our people. These leaders are not some alien force. They are made up of people like us, and they reflect the moral character of our nation.


At the end of the day "WE" as a people have failed ourselves and failed our nation. Until "WE" decide to dig ourselves out of this grave of mediocrity we will continue to witness the complete degradation of our human existence and our souls will become numb to such actions. So for those asking for the people responsible for the killings to be held accountable. I point you to the main culprits "WE" the people were responsible for those killings.