Anybody familiar with the attitude of workers in any government-owned establishment towards their work and people who conduct one form of transaction or the other with them will readily agree that the attitude of the workers are usually one of people not obliged to do the work for which they are paid. Not only will they not do their work unless you soak their palms "with grease" they also are usually very rude to boot. My pleasant surprise can only then be better imagined on tuesday the 22nd June when things appeared quite different at the Ikoyi branch of the Nigerian Immigration Service (Passport) office when I went to take my picture for the new e-passport.
By the time I got there shortly after 8 a.m., the officials had started calling names of those of us who had appointment to take pictures for that day and everything was done in such an orderly manner that I had to remind myself that this is actually Nigeria! To add to the pleasantness of my experience, I was supposed to be in court that morning and time was already galloping very fast against me moreso because the particular court I was supposed to be in sits very promptly at 9 a.m.! I was thus forced to approach one of the officials to explain the dilemma I was in and see if something could be done to speed up the process for me or if I could reschedule my picture-taking for the following day.
The official I went to meet was really quite friendly and he directed me to a superior officer who also to my pleasant surprise was really quite friendly and because of his help, I was able to finsh with all the processing at shortly after 9 a.m. Perhaps what impressed me more was the fact that all the officials I came into contact with on that day were friendly and polite. They did their work well and organised the whole place in such a way as to foster orderliness.
With my experience at the Ikoyi passport office, I couldn't help but nurse the hope that things might get better yet in ths country, you can call me naive or whatever else you choose to, but I think it is a hope worth nursing!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
SUPER EAGLES HERO
My brother told me a joke he heard yesterday about the performance of Nigeria's Super Eagles at the ongoing world cup in South Africa and it went like this in an exchange between a young student and his teacher:
TEACHER: Who is your hero? is it your father?
PUPIL: No, my father is not my hero because he beats me.
TEACHER: Is your hero your mother then?
PUPIL: No, my mother is not my hero because she also beats me
TEACHER: who then is your hero?
PUPIL: My heroes are the Super Eagles of Nigeria because they can't beat anybody.
I think that was really funny! While it may not altogether be true that the Super Eagles cannot beat anybody, it sure was true of their World cup performance because they couldn't beat anybody!
TEACHER: Who is your hero? is it your father?
PUPIL: No, my father is not my hero because he beats me.
TEACHER: Is your hero your mother then?
PUPIL: No, my mother is not my hero because she also beats me
TEACHER: who then is your hero?
PUPIL: My heroes are the Super Eagles of Nigeria because they can't beat anybody.
I think that was really funny! While it may not altogether be true that the Super Eagles cannot beat anybody, it sure was true of their World cup performance because they couldn't beat anybody!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
I did it again!
I have two immediate problems as it concerns my blogging folks, I don't know if anybody can come to my rescue, I seem to be suffering from two diseases; intellelazigintis and longstorigintis!
While the first disease is one I've been aware of for some time, I'm almost shocked at the second disease! Ok, ok I know I need to break down what each of those diseases really are. Intellelazigintis, as you good and intelligent folks might have guessed by now, is a condition of being intellectually lazy and not doing enough to challenge one's intellect. It's partly the reason why I had to start this blog. No doubt, having a blog has helped me, indeed, forced me to sometimes challenge my intellect and put something on paper (or is it computer?), but my good people, I'm very much aware that this intellectual laziness of mine persists even as I force myself to type out these words and report myself to yáll. .
Now while the first disease is one which I'd been aware of and had to start this blog to see if I could thereby cure, the second disease is one which this blog has exposed to me and you can bet I'm not finding it funny at all! Longstorigintis my good people is a condition which makes it almost imossible for a person to be able to write a brief story or aticle. I would never in a million years have thought myself capable of contracting this disease if not this blog and the notes I was writing on FB.
I had always prided myself on being a master at brevity in writing. One year in my first university, six years in UI and another year at the Law school during which periods I never once exhausted my answer booklet convinced me that I could not write a long story if my life depended on it. Boy!, how wrong can a person be! Since writing on my blog and the notes ob FB, i'm yet to succeed at writing a short article. I have tried and I have been failing! I will however refuse to give up, because only if I do will I have truly failed. I shall succeed yet! You just watch folks.
OMG! I just did it again!
While the first disease is one I've been aware of for some time, I'm almost shocked at the second disease! Ok, ok I know I need to break down what each of those diseases really are. Intellelazigintis, as you good and intelligent folks might have guessed by now, is a condition of being intellectually lazy and not doing enough to challenge one's intellect. It's partly the reason why I had to start this blog. No doubt, having a blog has helped me, indeed, forced me to sometimes challenge my intellect and put something on paper (or is it computer?), but my good people, I'm very much aware that this intellectual laziness of mine persists even as I force myself to type out these words and report myself to yáll. .
Now while the first disease is one which I'd been aware of and had to start this blog to see if I could thereby cure, the second disease is one which this blog has exposed to me and you can bet I'm not finding it funny at all! Longstorigintis my good people is a condition which makes it almost imossible for a person to be able to write a brief story or aticle. I would never in a million years have thought myself capable of contracting this disease if not this blog and the notes I was writing on FB.
I had always prided myself on being a master at brevity in writing. One year in my first university, six years in UI and another year at the Law school during which periods I never once exhausted my answer booklet convinced me that I could not write a long story if my life depended on it. Boy!, how wrong can a person be! Since writing on my blog and the notes ob FB, i'm yet to succeed at writing a short article. I have tried and I have been failing! I will however refuse to give up, because only if I do will I have truly failed. I shall succeed yet! You just watch folks.
OMG! I just did it again!
My Best Friend: 16 years today
16th day of June 1994 was supposed to have been a reasonably happy day for me- it was my matriculation day at the first university I attended before I eventually found my way to the premier university in Nigeria. Indeed, the day started fairly happily enough, I had no inkling at all that the day would end with me almost drowning in a river of my own tears.
My mum came for my matriculation with the news that I had to follow her and my aunt that came with her back to Lagos as my dad's illness had taken a turn for the worse. Even at that time, it did not occur to me that my dad would have given up before we got to Lagos or that it was time yet for him to die.
I had always prided myself as being one tough gal, at those times with little to do and with the mind free to roam about, I had always asked my self what my reaction would be if one of my parents were to die and I had always assured myself each time that tears would not be part of the whatever feeling might overcome me.
As it happened, I couldnt have been more wrong! I was incnosolable, I tried but failed woefully to stop the tears from flowing (torrentially too!). And for the following two months or so, I could not tell anybody about my father's death without opening another flood gate of tears that stubbornly refused to stop!
Today the 16th June 2010 marks the 16th anniversary of one man I loved dearly, a man who truly left crystal clear imprint in the lives of his children and those he came across. He had his faults like all normal humans sure, but 16 yrs on, I remind myself now more than ever when it's so easy to fall by the wayside and join the bandwagon of a society fast losing its values, that I have to remember that I am my father's daughter and should not be (whether caught or not) doing things just because it's the vogue or it's what people do, knowing very well that a purported short cut usually end up lengthening the journey even more.
I sorely miss you daddy! I pray that God almighty grants you eternal rest and forgive all your sins. sleep well daddy, I promise I will try my best to not do things that will bring disappointment to you.
My mum came for my matriculation with the news that I had to follow her and my aunt that came with her back to Lagos as my dad's illness had taken a turn for the worse. Even at that time, it did not occur to me that my dad would have given up before we got to Lagos or that it was time yet for him to die.
I had always prided myself as being one tough gal, at those times with little to do and with the mind free to roam about, I had always asked my self what my reaction would be if one of my parents were to die and I had always assured myself each time that tears would not be part of the whatever feeling might overcome me.
As it happened, I couldnt have been more wrong! I was incnosolable, I tried but failed woefully to stop the tears from flowing (torrentially too!). And for the following two months or so, I could not tell anybody about my father's death without opening another flood gate of tears that stubbornly refused to stop!
Today the 16th June 2010 marks the 16th anniversary of one man I loved dearly, a man who truly left crystal clear imprint in the lives of his children and those he came across. He had his faults like all normal humans sure, but 16 yrs on, I remind myself now more than ever when it's so easy to fall by the wayside and join the bandwagon of a society fast losing its values, that I have to remember that I am my father's daughter and should not be (whether caught or not) doing things just because it's the vogue or it's what people do, knowing very well that a purported short cut usually end up lengthening the journey even more.
I sorely miss you daddy! I pray that God almighty grants you eternal rest and forgive all your sins. sleep well daddy, I promise I will try my best to not do things that will bring disappointment to you.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Grumblings
Looking through my friends'pictures on Facebook and seeing all the fun most of them seem to be having, I couldn't help but think: Oh, Nike u've surely had the most boring of life! Boring, BORING, BOOORRRRIIIINNNGGG!!!!!
I felt that almost without a doubt, I've led the most uneventful and boring life a young human can live!
Some days and self-examination later (during which time I vowed to go to the cinemas daily,try some mountain climbing, hunting, take a break from work and go to a far and exotic place, do whatever else translate into eventful and interesting living), I asked myself, what really does it mean to have an eventful life?
Sure, an eventful life could mean doing all those things I vowed to do but may not really get around to doing, but looked at from another angle,I had to (psyche) myself, so I've not had an eventful life,I've enjoyed reasonably good health, things have been stable in my life except for the accident I had on the 2nd day of 2009; I guess I should go ask some people who have led really eventful lives how well they've been enjoying their lives... People like terrorist for instance!
While I believe I should seriously liven up my life, I think it will do well to perhaps remind myself of God's favours and mercies and learn to give thanks for the gift of life and good health. The Chinese after all have a curse: MAY YOU LIVE IN INTERESTING TIMES!
I felt that almost without a doubt, I've led the most uneventful and boring life a young human can live!
Some days and self-examination later (during which time I vowed to go to the cinemas daily,try some mountain climbing, hunting, take a break from work and go to a far and exotic place, do whatever else translate into eventful and interesting living), I asked myself, what really does it mean to have an eventful life?
Sure, an eventful life could mean doing all those things I vowed to do but may not really get around to doing, but looked at from another angle,I had to (psyche) myself, so I've not had an eventful life,I've enjoyed reasonably good health, things have been stable in my life except for the accident I had on the 2nd day of 2009; I guess I should go ask some people who have led really eventful lives how well they've been enjoying their lives... People like terrorist for instance!
While I believe I should seriously liven up my life, I think it will do well to perhaps remind myself of God's favours and mercies and learn to give thanks for the gift of life and good health. The Chinese after all have a curse: MAY YOU LIVE IN INTERESTING TIMES!
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