Random thoughts - 1
On Death
“Zec 11:2 “Howl fir tree, for the cedar is fallen.”
Unrest hits the forest when all of a sudden the crashing sound of a mighty tree is heard. For them, it announces the presense of the woodman, and each is aware once again of it’s unbreakable appointment with the edge of the axe. Each remembers that it’s marked for death and there is an end to it’s journey in this frame of existence. All mortals must like the fir tree, howl and not scorn at the events that remind us of the temporary nature of life on earth. Death is the weightiest of all of life’s events, and he who does not prepare for death is worse than an ordinary fool.
Death happens to us all! Be ready, servant of Christ, for thy Master comes on a sudden, when an ungodly world least expects him. See to it that thou be faithful in his work, for the grave shall soon be digged for thee. Be ready, parents, see that your children are brought up in the fear of God, for they must soon be orphans; be ready, men of business, take care that your affairs are correct, and that you serve God with all your hearts, for the days of your terrestrial service will soon be ended, and you will be called to give account for the deeds done in the body, whether they be good or whether they be evil. May we all prepare for the tribunal of the great King with a care which shall be rewarded with the gracious commendation, “Well done, good and faithful servant”
On Independence
While it is not an easy thing to enjoy Nigeria as it is, the elders in Yoruba land say that when the pounded yam has lumps in it, and the soup that goes with it is sour, that is when we know a true pounded yam lover. I desire more than I can see for my nation, my country of birth, my people, but the sourness of the soup or the lumpiness of the pounded yam cannot stop me from loving and believing in the possibilities of our change. As if to establish a need for me to consistently rejoice about Nigeria, God blessed me with a son on October 1, 2007. Every independence day from then on, become a reason for me to celebrate. I have also chosen not to count the age of Nigeria like the age of a man. Just like dog years are multiplied by 7 in other to compare them with woman, I believe that there must be appropriate ratios for countries. If a dog is 10yrs old, then it would walk and look like a 70year old human. The calculation basis is equating the life expectancies and using them as a multiplier effect. A dog can father another dog at age 2, in dog years, that’s 14yrs of age :). With Nations, we have the UK which is 1081 yrs as an independent colony and America at over 200yrs. This makes me know that the age of a country is not like the age of a man, if 1081 year olds exist, then 48yrs must be a baby :). I’m not saying we are where we should be, but we are far from where we were. Nigeria will not move forward by yearly criticisms of Government or the powers that be. Nigeria will move forward, when we make our National birthday a day we take stock of how we as individuals have contributed to it’s development. Early that morning I was on radio at Eko Fm to talk about our role in the Nigeria of our dreams, and the rest of the day I spent with my son -Araoluwa Akinyemi, and a colleague - Emore Ogho whose birthdays were the same with our beloved country.
Ask not what your Government can do for you, ask what you can do for your Government. If in reality we provide our light and water, then we are local government chairmen and counsellors without election, let us spread this responsibility to push our nation forward. After all, when we are embrassed on the counters of immigration for the countries where we regularly are, it’s not our Government that is being ridiculed, its us. Why don’t we abandon this entitlement mentality and pursue our nations development?
On Contribution
Early this week, sometime within my stay in UK and my arrival, I stumbled on a quote that has not ceased to turn around in my mind. It was a quote by Albert Einstein, and I know many of his quotes, and always am excited when the thinking of man collides with the perspective of God.
A hundred times a day I remind myself that my inner and outer life depends on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the measure as I have received and am still receiving. - Albert Einstein
Our lives, the pleasures we enjoy and the joys we recieve, are dependent on the labours of other men. It is our duty and responsibility to exert ourselves in order to give the measure as we have recieved and still recieve. Friends, I owe you! The lazy man and the thief they say are similar in that they both rob the world, one of physical possessions and one of his potentials and contribution. I owe my generation the liberation I’m capable of giving it, I owe job seekers the benefit of a chance, I owe ignorant people, the opportunity at knowledge, I owe those lacking in personal confidence the chance of my courage, I owe the uninspired a feel of my passion, I owe Nigeria my perspective, my uniqueness, my message and my hope. I must exert myself, to ensure that in the same measure I have benefited and been blessed, I share the same to the world around me. You owe the world too, and it’s your duty to make your contribution.
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The more i read the more i want to read about the things i can do to change the world around me and not just read alone but be a doer of what i read.
I am glad i was at the platform yesterday, infact my MP3 as been stuck my ears since yesterday listening to mighty words from the great men of principle and authority, men that understand the things of the spirit and have operated under divine protocol to actuallize the promizes of God in their lives and the world around them. I also just went through Leke Alders presentation on the role of a christian the the Corporate world and reading this again almost immediately is like a flag calling me into action.
For me their is still more to learn but be sure that I am designed for something the world will have a feel of. Naija owes me nothing more because it as presented me with unequalled opportunities the world over and now i owe Naija the duty of actualizing this opportunities and making it something the world around me and the worlds to come will have a feel of and know that God as really ordained me and everyone else to be a carrier of his mantle in this generation and for generations to come.
Happy Bday AraOluwa! Sorry i missed your bday but man, it’s for something that will keep the smiles on the face of the world out there forever…You are my personal Mr. Naija. Happi Bday Emog.. u rock!!
Thank you Lord Jesus for making Deolu Akinyemi a blessing to this generation
Hmm………word…..”If I was taken away from the world in an instant now, who will miss me? how much of a vacuum would I create, none, some, local, national or international?”
I’m humbled at the thot of it.
thanks CM
Albert Eisteen once said
Naija was a year older yesterday, yeah it’s already yesterday. still very young from Deolu’s analysis but regarded as the strongest in the in Africa with intelligent intellectuals representing her in every facets of the world society but from what i know she will survive and move from good to great only if we teach ourselves and learn how to respond to changes. A change as occured yesterday, how have you responded to it.. complaining?
Thoughtful random thoughts
Hmmm! good stuff and memmorable too. It is because of this individual contribution that some of us who went for further studies, sit down brainstorming on how best to help our beloved Nigeria. I am particularly grateful to be born in this generation because i know Nigeria will be VERY GREAT, and i will be alife to witness it. Thank God for you and i wish ur son a splendid belated body.
On Nigeria:
Firstly congratulations on your son’s 1st Birthday.
I must say Deolu that we as a people must first ’see’ what we hope Nigeria can become. I am afraid that without these visions into the future we might lose the country to sceptics and those who insist on doing the same things over and over but expecting a different outcome.
We all must begin to give back to this country in ways we have never done before. We must task our brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts who daily contribute to the demise of our National Pride. As individuals, we should do more than we speak, criticize less and take on those responsibilities that are within our powers to.
Most of all we should be good role models and examples for the next generation of Nigerians. You see Deolu, although we may lack an Awo, an Azikiwe, a Tafawa Balewa in our national leadership, we can re-engage the young ones and teach them to love their neighbours as themselves and by extension their country.
Failure to trasmit these to the next generation will lead our country further down the path to nowhere.
Hmmmmm… this is thought provoking and inspiring too, thanks for the piece.
What do we say or make out of a country that is the blessed in the world yet nearly the poorest ;imports what it has like petroleum products and bitumen;and exports what what it lacks e.g electricity to neighbouring countries .
Why is it we dont have standards in anything be it education, transportation,health,justice ,commerce etc.In education some schools run British curiculum, some American,Turkish,Indian And some a mix of all of these.Few years back it didnt use to be like this.When we finish pry school our destination was a boarding house in a grammer school.
All of a sudden the boarding houses that were modest,functional,lifetime preparatory collegiates
suddenly for loss of standards became unbefitting for us to send our children!
We allow a chip of our tarred roads to become trailer swallowing craters before we award multimillion Naira contracts to reconstruct instead of patching. Cant we remember that a stitch in time saves nine.
Even the reconstructed roads dont last.Please let somebody show me a road that was built in the last ten years that has lasted one full raining season.
Some roads built by Awolowo by PWDs leading to some villages are still standing.
Why is that with the arable land God has given us we cant get farming right and there is embarrassing level of unemployment?God has positioned us to feed the whole world but we srtuggle to feed ourselves.
News came in this evening that another Nigerian youth ,brother to a friend has died,shot in Libyan sahara desert while trying to cross to Europe to look for better life.This is news that have being recurring for the past 18 years.
The first wave of slave trade was by trickry coersion and forceful raids.Now we fly, and cross perillous desert to face infradig ,humilliating lifestyle still considered better than what we have here.
The Nigerian policemen buy their own kits,uniforms.belts and we dont want them to take bribes.
90% of pregnant Nigerian women dont go for ante natal check .Only about 5% go for post natal checks!
That Nigeria is still standing is a miracle!
Need I talk about Niger Delta? What do I want to say you have not heard.
When do we start having SOLUTION PROVIDERS AND NOT POLITICAL PROBLEM PROVIDERS?
I believe we have to start solving these problems by reviewing our political system.Our present president promised this but is yet to do anything!
These situations are vexatious and what do we and can we do?
Surprisingly, I read Zechariah chpt 11 this morning in my quite time. Thank you for putting that verse in perspective.
Let me say this and i know you would agree with me that there are a thousand and one nigerians (not politicians or those in power) out there doing thier best to make nigeria great but thier efforts are being undermined by the kind of system/governnance we have in place. Its like those in government are telling the rest of us to go to hell knowing that they will certainly get away with thier corrupt ways.This is where it hurts!
The way forward, like you pointed out, is for us to ask ourselves what we can do for our country. This is true but let me add that we can not rule out the place of the critiques albiet constructive ones. Even Pastor T. Bakare was one in the days of OBJ.
They are there in thier numbers in developed countries and that is why things are the way they are over there.There are issues that make news over there which, over here its swept under the carpet and taken for granted. Needless to cite instances.
I like your analysis on age. I have always resisted the temptation to compare Nigeria with countries like the UK and the US as per development bearing this issue in mind but when i consider our contemporaries like Ghana, i knew something is certainly wrong somewhere.
While we do our parts, there is need for checks and balances if we are talking about nation building and national development so that we can joyfully reap the full fruits of our labour.
This issue goes beyond personnal development and fulfilment which a lot of us are already pursuing and attaining.
Why not! i believe in the possibility of a new Nigeria.
Luv u!
Hmmmmmmmm, more questions than answers, Naija is made up of units, our families inclusive, it is so easy to analyze but the big question is what role are you playing to see this dream?. How many of us voted, how many pay their light or water bill, when last did you pay your tax? the questions can continue, but until we make up our minds to stand for change and see how to influence our own circle of friends we will keep having political verbal diarrhea, so much analysis but little action, friends lets Just do it!
My earnest expectation for this promising and great country is prosperity and corrupt-free as every one has expressed and desired but We need to ARISE and take conscious effort and sacrificial contribution.
Such as this site via Oga Deolu and his team are doing here. It indeed encouraging and inspiring.
@ Emore Ogho and Araolu Akinyemi…….my belated birthday wishes and more fulfilling years ahead.
GOD bless Nigeria!
GOD NewNigeria.!
Powerful. This is, of course,deep. I’m inspired. Thanks.
Happy belated birthday to Araoluwa.
@Gbenguz
It is true that we have to start solving our problems but have you ever thought about the fact that the solution to all of this problem is you????
Robert H Keller III once said
and he went on to say that “most times the prophet of your situation is you” meaning the solution to every situation in or around you is YOU
How i wish you were at the Platform on the 1st of October, while Leke Alder was pouring out his heart about this country that i love so much, maybe you would have realized that you should be out-there creating solutions rather than pouring it out here where your complaints wont change a thing. You are here complaining about a Yar Adua, waiting for him to fufill his promises i bet you “ He who wait for Yar Adua shall wait forever”
If you are sure we have to start solving our problems by reviewing our political systems, i share your view but are you and I going to do that by just writing it here without doing a thing about it, is the change going to be brought alive if we lay back and complain from afar. i believe the right comment to your suggestion was the answer Leke Alder gave to question that was asked on wednesday, he said ” Politics is a negotiation for power. Politics is not a dirty game it is the politicians that are dirty, if the scriptures says righteousness exalts a nation then it is the people that carries the righteousness of God in them through faith that should be at the negotiation point. It is because we have neglected this post for too long that the Abacha’s the Mobutu’s and Taylors of this world have been able to penetrate and stay in power to marr and destroy” He also said if you are not a part of the system and you know what to do, pls stop complaining.
I want you to know that you are the only one that can review this system since you’ve been intelligent enough to identify that their is a need for review, it is your little contribution that will make the whole situation tweak just the way it took the reaction of one woman to trigger the elimination of racial seggregation in the United States of America. I offer to get you the CD of the teaching i referenced above if you can provide me with your address or get you an MP3 of it if i can have ur email. I will also like you to read this two post that i will link below believing you will rediscover and be geared for change rather than complain about Nigeria
Hyperlink to Complainers didn’t build the Ark
Hyperlink to The Role of a Christian in the Corporate World
My name is BabaOlowo, I am the righteousness of God, I live in His abundance.I am world’s greatest !!!
http://www.babaolowo.blogspot.com
@Abidemi Babaolowo.
Ater reading ‘Complainants didnt build the Ark’ the points raised there were not lost on me.I felt a bit bad being a comlainant but I will confess most complainants do so to ventillate perhaps hoping to feel better but never feel better about this our beloved country.
What again sparked this round of complaints was my visit to Ghana with my family this last summer holidays.
At the end of the one week visit,my children and wife expressed their wish to stay behind if only jokingly knowing fully well the new school session was the following monday.
Let me say here sir, that in my life and line of biz all I enjoy is providing solutions.
As a former University lecturer and and an exploration/well site geologist I was into solution provision.It has been the same thing since I went into private biz about 18 year ago.
What can we do that will that can and will bring the change desired.What hasnt been said .written or suggested.
Let me quickly round up by saying “Those who make peaceful change impossible make violent change inevitable” ;but we dont want that in Nigeria.
Im at a loss.I dont want to say we shall keep praying because God is not going to come down to solve this problem.We Nigerians will have to solve this problem which seems insurmountable.But how because decent people are messed up whenever they try to join the political fray.Look at how Buhari is being messed up despite the belief that he actually won the election.
Somebody help me!
Hello ‘Deolu, nice to read from your side. I am not in anyway surprised with the stuffs I am reading here. I
am quite pleased with this avenue of reaching out to people in a very positive way. I have read through some of the contributions and I think I am happy with the mentallity of the people who are contributing. Please keep up the good work. I hope to send my contributions.
paulo1ofafrica