YOBE YOUTHS MARCH AGAINST CORRUPTION 2015

In continuation of solidarity march by Nigerian youths support to Mr President in his Fight Against Corruption . Held on Thursday 27 August 2015 by the youths in Yobe state,  Nigeria.

FROM THE DESK OF TIJANI SHERIFFDEEN OPEYEMI...PART II

BUHARI WILL REVITALISE NIGERIA

At the inception of President Muhammad Buhari’s administration, people started strategizing plans for him, working out things, so that his administration would bring the much awaited change he had promised. As if he had no plans himself, poor Nigerians! They have indeed suffered in the hands of unscrupulous, conscienceless and selfish leaders, why won’t they plan ahead for Buhari?

When he assumed office, he said things weren’t in place, that which we aren’t supposed to be told, we know the situation of our country- Nigeria. Corruption as eaten deep the lung of our nation, indiscipline almost in all sectors if not all, menacing Boko haram terrorists disturbing the peace of the nation and threatening its security, unemployment at its peak, injustice at the interpreting tie of government, incapacitation of law enforcement agencies by the don’t-touch-us-men, poor infrastructures- deteriorating health sector, crumbling education sector, corruption infiltrated oil sector, abandoned agriculture sector, confused aviation sector among others. Will this man take it up all at once? He isn’t robotic don’t forget, he is a man like ourselves who wants to implement changes, who wants to make life worth living for Nigerians, who wants to give every Nigerian the sense of been represented, who wants to send corruption into extinction, who wants the youths voice heard, who wants to help facilitate social amenities, who wants to restore our economy into its buoyant state, among many other plans he has for our dear country.

At the early hours of his administration, people had started throwing in comments, saying he was too slow, which resulted to the name “babagoslow”. Some even concluded early that he wasn’t the messiah, and a host of others were optimistic. He is after what some think isn’t necessary at the moment- corruption. Checking and balancing could be postponed for now, but till when? People need to understand the fact that you don’t start rectifying problems from the top, you start from the scratch, best known as the foundation. And if I may ask, what is the foundation of Nigeria’s problem today?

Commenting on people’s early claim that Buhari is too slow, the chairman of the APC in Abia state said “You don’t assess a government in a month period. The minimum acceptable standard of assessing any government is 100 days in office. So, PDP should wait for the 100 days in office” Nwankpa said. And now the 100 days chance is over, what has Buhari done? In every government, the first hundred days are important, because a government that gets it right within that short and limited period of time will sail the boat of the nation successfully. And the question then is has Buhari got it right?

While addressing the electorates on his 100 days in office, he said he hasn’t done anything yet, but then he has fought to block the loop holes that flies out our country’s money, and that he has the list of those who have in one way or the other looted Nigeria’s fund. A committee was set up by this same man to mediate between the government and this set of people, so as to recover the stolen funds. If this has been the only thing he has done within the short period of his administration, I think it really worth it. Why? You would want to know, the country is generally facing a financial crisis, states don’t have money to pay workers and other consultants working for them, some benefits of the masses have been temporarily blocked, policies are been reverted, construction works are been halted- which as a matter of fact is very much disturbing. Roads under construction have turned to death traps. These and many other challenges are posing treats to the development of our nation. And so when the country has something to run itself with, things would go fine, workers would get paid; consultants would smile while construction works would be completed, without leaving out capital projects of the federal government. Isn’t it worth it?

Artisans have been smiling of recent, particularly those whose jobs have to do with electricity. They said their jobs are now running better; the story of electric power supply is taking a new dimension in our country. Don’t forget, a government that sees to the affairs of its people is the real government. It’s crystal clear, that if Buhari should eventually work out his plans on electric power supply, it would help our crumbling economy stand tall again, for lost investors would find hope in our country again. Isn’t it the foresight we want? Is it not a progressive government we want? If things must work, then it has to go bit by bit, little by little because, Rome wasn’t built in a day.

The youths, the future leaders, played an active role in the emergence of President Buhari as the president of Nigeria. No doubt it was every ones fight, but then the youths didn’t sit to watch this time around, they fought for what they wanted, if our voice won’t be heard then let’s put in someone who won’t bath an eyelid to our cries and worries, I guess that was the striking point of the youths. It’s necessary to ask now if Buhari will listen to the cries of the youths, “would their voice be heard?”

The youths want to be represented, they want to feel the sense of been an integral part of this nation, they don’t want their rights to be trampled upon again, and as such, they woke up from their slumber. Would their action pay back? Let’s wait to see the drama unfold.

 A part of the youths have been catching feelings that this new administration has nothing for them, a government that wants to send corruption into extinction definitely as a plan for the youths, a government that wants the representation of its people has undoubtedly planned for its youths, a government that sees the employment of its youth has been important, as making it one of the three most important fights, is that which wants the success of its youths, and so youths would reap the good seeds of their struggle.

The people of a state are the statesmen; they are in the capacity to choose who they want as their leader, which is vindicated by their power to vote. But in our dear nation, the power is as light as a feather, they come for our mandates, and get there to forget their promises, they see their appointments as a privilege to siphon the country’s wealth, power blinds them totally. And when a man has surrendered himself to help the drowning nation, to help her people from the abject poverty and neglect they are subjected to, do we then confuse him with unnecessary cacophonies, and complaints?

When you see progressive minded ones you would know, they tend to look at the two sides of a coin before judging a side is rusted, not bias observation. “Mr President’s appointments are restricted to the north”, is that supposed to be our call now? Are we supposed to be bothered about who rules or how they rule? Nigerians should get it right, when they get it right, they will help the government in getting and setting it right! We complain over things that can sought itself out, the president as only made few appointments and complaints have been floating in the air like balloons. A man with integrity needs men and women of his calibre around him. It’s hilarious you know, if this man should surround himself with undisciplined figure, people would bless write ups with the sage “birds of a feather flock together”, and this man is trying to avoid working with corrupt men, is that too much to ask for?

 I was listening to Edmond Obilo of splash FM, anchoring his brilliant programme- Voices, he said something which caught my attention, if Buhari finds all he wants in the North, let them work and move the country forward. The last administration had a lot of Easterners but what did they do to help the situation of our Country? And that’s the reason we have to be patient with Buhari, let him do what he sees as the best for this nation, not distracting him with baseless claims.

The nation is going through changes, optimistic men are following him, the pessimistic ones have dropped from the wagon of change, do we help them join back? So we can have a completely sanitized Nigeria. The solution then is, let’s give Buhari the chance to implement the changes he promised, and a better Nigeria will crawl in. He is indeed working. Youths shouldn’t feel left out, the game as just started. There strive in making Nigeria a better place will materialize, I pray and hope so. Nigeria will stand tall again.

  

Tijani Sheriffdeen Opeyemi, a young motivator, speaker and writer, is of the anatomy department of the prestigious University of Ilorin. 

contact: s_opeyemi42@yahoo.com

still IN MY KITCHEN with ABIMBOLA OMOLADE IV

                          PEEL BEANS WITH A BLENDER

There are so many dishes that could be made from beans. Dishes like; Moi Moi, Akara, Gbegiri. This dishes are very delicious but nobody enjoys peeling beans because it is stressful and takes most of your time.  So here’s a way to stop shying away from preparing beans dishes. Here's how to peel your beans with a blender. 

STEPS TO PEEL YOUR BEANS WITH A BLENDER

STEP 1: put your beans into a bowl, add water and leave in the water for about an hour. And if you are using brown beans, this time may be less. You will know the beans seeds are ready to be peeled when they are swollen and the skin is baggy. The skin should also come off easily when your rub it with your hands.

STEP 2: Put a small amount of beans into your blender and add water to twice the level of the beans.

STEP 3: Press the button on your blender for 1 second, then press it again for another one minute then off again. Do this 5 times and that is enough to peel the beans without blending them.

STEP 5: Pour into a big bowl and repeat this same process with the remaining beans.

STEP 7: pour the peeled beans into another bowl using a sieve. And make sure it is mostly the skin of the beans that goes into the sieve by shaking the bowl containing the peeled beans it into the sieve.

STEP 8: keep adding water into the peeled beans and the pour through a sieve till all the coat is removed. If there are any seeds that were not peeled, rub them with your fingers to peel them. 

 

Omolade Abimbola; 

email@ Abimbolaomolade9@gmail.com 

contact:08188866735 

FROM THE DESK OF TIJANI SHERIFFDEEN OPEYEMI

ONE MISTAKE ONE BEATING…

You have done this, you did that, why this? What were you thinking? All resulting to beating, why? It’s so pathetic that at this age, we still find parents who see no other means of correcting their children other than flogging their butts to serious pain, or worse still, inflicting injuries on the skin of their children.

“Charity begins at home”is what most parents that fall into this group seize to unleash terror on their children. Nobody is saying you shouldn’t train your children, mould them to have good character, build them to be honest, loyal, hardworking, prayerful,and patriotic among other virtues, but all am pointing out is the fact that too much beating disturbs a child psychologically.  You can beat a child, but let them see it as the last option, when you have talked to a child, scold him a times and if he doesn’t change scare him/her with a cane, by flogging with caution. When you call their attention to certain things and they don’t yield, you then introduce a cautious beating. The child would also sit down to think, oh! Mum doesn’t beat me o, means have crossed my boundary, and so he/she changes for good.

Cautious beating! Yea cautious beating, when some parents are enraged, exasperated and annoyed, they tend to beat their children anyhow- random beating. The cane meets the head, and other delicate parts in the course of the action, and then the child starts watering a problem grow. Even if at all no problem is caused, the injuries itself are problematic! A boy sees a friend of his in school, and sees his body beautifully designed with beating, and ask, were you hit by a trailer or something, the lad replies saying, oh! No, might be uncomfortable saying his mum caused it, and so would lie saying another thing, then what charity begins at home?…

It’s true every parent wants the best for their children but not at the expense of exposing them to psychological problems. You would be surprised to hear a 7 year old boy say his parents don’t like him, as a result of them flogging him every now and then, he further says, his friends don’t get the same share of what he gets at home, and as such the boy is left to thinking why such is happening to him. Would that type of a boy listen in class? Would he make good grades? And if he doesn’t pass he still has an unpleasing gift to receive at home. So who is hurting who? What about the boy that doesn’t accept sorry for anything in the world? Who blames him?When his parents don’t too, he beats his siblings mercilessly when his parents aren’t around. You then begin to ask yourself how his parents have benefitted him with the beating.

 “Spare the rod and spoil the child”, beat them when they do things you don’t like which you have corrected them on, they are your children, but still, with caution. Some parents would beat their children ruthlessly, and would still be the one rushing them to the clinic, running up and down to pay bills. Maybe some parents don’t get it right, they feel if they beat them they wouldn’t want to repeat the action again. Ask anyone and they will tell you, when beating is too much the child doesn’t fair the beating again, and as such no correction is made again. It thus becomes a normal thing as the gas we inhale.

This applies to teachers too, who derive joy in beating students for the slightest mistakes. What impression do we create for these young minds? If you ask me I would tell you, no student likes a teacher who beats all the time. You beat all the time and scare them away, from you, your subject and everything, and you then later complain they aren’t passing your subject, how would they?... We use to have a teacher in school then, he hardly flogs, he was free to students but still the mark for respect wasn’t compromised, his subject gets accolades all the time, students pass easily and get to tell him what their problems were concerning his subject.

That memorable day he flogged me, I felt bad myself, if this uncle could flog me, then I went too far myself. He left the class and I jumped out after him, to ask for forgiveness. That’s how it should be, let them know the right thing but not always withcaning them. The room to flog them would always come after much persuasion, and then they dance to the tone of the music, skelewully or shokilly.

Beating children or students should come last always; better methods or approaches should be taken to correct wrong attitudes in them.

Tijani Sheriffdeen Opeyemi is of the anatomy department of the prestigious University of Ilorin. 

 To comment on this piece  contact him : s_opeyemi42@yahoo.com

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GRIN-M33T SADIYAH NASIR...An exclusive interview about youth who are contributing immensely to nation building

GRIN-M33T  SADIYAH NASIR… a graduate of law, USMAN DAN-FODIO UNIVERSITY,SOKOTO (UDUS), NIGERIA 

 

 Q: Can we meet you, ?

A: My name is Sadiya Nasir, founder and Chairperson, foundation for the future woman

Q: where do you hail from?

A: By identity, am from Kaduna state, but have been in Sokoto State for a while.

 Q: Can you tell us briefly about your educational background?

A: I did my Nursery and Primary education in Kaduna, precisely in Kaduna Capital School, and then I moved to Sokoto where I continued up to obtaining a degree in law. So currently, I apply for law school and awaiting admission.

Q: What are you doing currently to contribute positively to the society?

A: well….for now, I run a Non-Governmental Organisation with the name; FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE WOMAN. I founded it and currently the chairperson.

 Q: What does your NGO specialised on?

A: It specialises on female/girl in the rural community. What brought about this initiative is that I have a female reporter friend who publishes pathetic stories about girls in the rural communities. Hence, I realized the need for special intervention by creating this foundation. What we do is to educate, enlighten, motivate and encourage these girls in the rural communities.                        

 Q: What are the Foundation’s achievements so far?

A: Although, our foundation is a new one but we have been doing well in community services and human capacity building. We succeeded in re-orientating girls in the rural communities by changing their notion that they are neglected because they are not needed in the society. We have also succeeded in carrying out few projects, one of which is educating 10 girls by enrolling them in primary school, paying their school fees and providing the stationery materials needed for them. One of the issues we have in the Northern part of Nigeria is the issue of stopping education after secondary school education. Our foundation is doing everything possible to encourage girls to further their education up to university level. 

 Q: How do you finance your projects?

A: Actually we don’t have a parental organisation financing us but we do have a board of trustees, who are trying their best for the foundation but mostly we executive task ourselves to achieve a project. We also pay monthly dues to the foundation’s purse just to cater for emergency situation. 

 Q: Where do you see your foundation in the next 10 years?     

A: In a position where we have been able to contribute to every nooks and crannies of rural communities in every part of Nigeria and be able break walls between the girls in the rural and urban areas. 

 Q: Where do you see your foundation in the next 10 years?        

A: In a position where we have been able to contribute to every nooks and crannies of rural communities in every part of Nigeria and be able break walls between the girls in the rural and urban areas. 

Q: What’s your parting message to Nigerian Youths? 

A: There are a lot of issues with Nigerian Youths but what I will just say is “everyone should stand for himself”; don’t depend on anyone. Stand for your self. Don’t wait for some sort of help somewhere…..just GO AHEAD and DO IT!