American Wonder!

The caption of this piece would yet remind elderly Nigerians how times have changed. Really, what happened to that commonest of exclamations so fond of by the youths back in the day? To the average youth of my day, 12 Inches were always equal to a Foot; while a Yard always contained 3 Feet. 1760 Yards made a Mile. Eight Pints made a gallon. Gravitational forces always pulled towards the earth. Like poles repelled, while opposite poles attracted; etc. Every space of the back cover of our exercise books had been filled with such “immutable facts”, which our selflessly committed teachers made us memorize. Our fledgling brains were made to function like mini memory banks. (Eternal gratitude to those great teachers of old; many of their former pupils are still harvesting dividends of their priceless investments in capacity-building) Having become so saturated with immutable facts, therefore, our very impressionable minds always responded to all information/situation that didn’t fit our notion of social norms with, American Wonder! Those arresting words have long disappeared in contemporary social discourse. One cannot even find any traces of them in print. Thus American Wonder! had been completely erased from my mind, and replaced with such trendy terms as Scam! 419! Yahoo Yahoo! etc. But on Wednesday the 4th of November, at about 9PM Nigerian time, those magic words involuntarily resurrected in my consciousness. Because on the same day at about 2PM Washington DC time, the reported presidential election results had the incumbent president, Donald Trump as having a comfortable lead in all the key States ahead of his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden. Trump had comfortably won the key State of Florida, and was leading by 7-odd percentage points in the swing States of Michigan and Wisconsin with over 80 per cent of the regular votes counted respectively. In another key State, Pennsylvania, Trump was said to be ahead of Biden by nearly 500,000 votes with over 90 per cent of the regular votes counted. In the remaining 8-odd States with middling collegiate votes the race was reportedly tightening. Current collegiate tally stood at 224:213, Blue, Red respectively. Thus the incumbent looked good for a renewal of his tenancy at the White House. Then the strangest thing happened. At about 5PM Washington DC time, the reported presidential election results put Biden ahead of Trump in both Michigan and Wisconsin; and Biden was reported to be rapidly narrowing Trump’s huge lead in Pennsylvania. Reporters covering the election would attribute the nigh-miraculous change in trajectories to the mailed votes, which they suggested were predominantly from Democrats. The Trump campaign team was aghast; its never-say-die candidate soon after declared himself winner of the election, and called for a review of the monitoring team in Pennsylvania State. (It would be recalled that Trump had repeatedly expressed reservations about some aspects of the mailed votes, more so respecting the latter State). Therefore, Trump’s response to the strange turn of events could to be said to a condition reflex, but he could hardly be faulted for declaring himself winner. Science is the unassailable evidence. Newton’s iconic 2nd Law of Motion states that every established state of motion would remain the same until acted upon by an external force. Collated early voting and voting-day votes had established that the incumbent president was comfortably winning the election; the key States of Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin had provided all the evidence. Therefore, the mailed votes were expected to follow the established voting characteristics: Trump leading Biden. But that proved not to be the case in the US 2020 presidential election results. The mailed votes completely reversed the emerging graph! Science strongly disagrees: samples taken from the same body would always feature similar characteristics. (Note: no Community or State exclusively employed the mail-voting option in the said election). The hard to fathom impact of the mailed votes was idiotically attributed to party affiliations. More Democrats employed the mailing option than Republicans(!!!) That was an exhibition of curious memory lapse or outright falsehood, or both. Candidate Donald J. Trump had back in 2016 been proven to be an “outsider”, more an embodiment of a mass movement, if you please. The unconventional candidate’s appeal had thus cut across party lines, compelling Democrats and Republicans alike to respectively vote for him in their numbers. That was the reason many a Blue State unexpectedly turned Red in 2016. Self-same reason the polls completely missed the bull’s eye in 2016; much in the manner emerging results in the 2020 election were beginning to reveal until late afternoon on Wednesday in Washington DC. Therefore, party affiliations could not have had any impact whatever on the voting characteristics of the mailed votes, as is being floated, unless of course external forces came into play as the Trump team is said to have alleged. Lastly, it is instructive to observe that empirical evidence is in complete sync with science on this occasion. Recall that unprecedented 100 million-odd early votes were reported in the said election. This figure represents about 70 per cent of the number of registered voters in the US 2020 election. And political commentators had previously deployed that unprecedented number of early votes to make the point that majority of voters had decided who they wanted as president well ahead of the voting day. That decision is encapsulated in those 100 million-odd early votes. To suggest that about 30 per cent of the votes dramatically changed the established trend in the bulk, more so when mailed votes were not exclusive to any voting bloc, is to finally unravel why that famous exclamation so captured the human imagination for generations. A part cannot be more the whole; or can it? Indeed, the notorious US Establishment is an all time American Wonder! Afam Nkemdiche; engineering consultant. November, 2020

Alice in Wonderland moments…

When, a couple of weeks previously, our monetary authorities formally announced the onset of yet another cycle of recession, the rest of the country reacted as though “recession” is the name of a heavenly body suddenly descended upon us. That collective reaction is better described as the response of a people dwelling in denial. Recession, which has become an awe-inspiring word of sorts, is a mere noun depicting lack of growth or progress in an economy. In technical speak, recession is said to be onset when an economic entity undergoes negative growth in two successive quarters. This presupposes a hitherto state of stability and, or growth for the particular economic entity. Therefore, it is incomprehensible that our monetary authorities have regaled us with tales of recessions in recent years, having regard to Nigeria’s prevailing stagflation going back to the late 1980s. It is delusional to speak of going into a recession when you are already in state of stagflation. Again speaking technically, stagflation is said to be onset when aggregate demand (money supply) is in excess of supply (production of goods and services), resulting in simultaneous increase in unemployment and inflation rates. Without a shred of doubt, this definition aptly captures the Nigerian economy in the last half century or so, commencing from the petro-dollar-soaked 1970s when her revenue was virtually dependent on hydro-carbon sales, to the first decade of the 21st century when the global petroleum industry suffered unpredictable tailspins. Over this period, Nigeria’s petroleum oil daily production capacity grew from hundreds of thousands barrels to approximately three million barrels, though OPEC currently pegs her official production at a notch above two million barrels per day. Over the same period, the country’s installed petroleum refining capacity barely moved on the dial, only attaining a paltry four hundred and forty-five thousand barrels per day by 1989. This simply means that while the Upstream of the petroleum industry, which fuels inflation because of its emphasis on rent-collection, grew in leaps and bounds, the Downstream, which stimulates growth because of its impact on production, stagnated. This is one of the valid reasons why Nigeria, a potential ten trillion-dollar economy, still struggles to attain a mere four hundred billion-dollar GDP. Same reason her national currency, the naira, has persisted in a free-fall; ditto for the reason she is unresponsive to decades of experimental economic therapies. It is time we owned up to the fact that stagflation is asphyxiating the Nigerian economy. Stagflation exacts its toll on the Nigerian economy through the instrumentality of an incapacitated Downstream, which ought to produce the two critical factors of production in the economy, namely: power and energy (petroleum products). Consequently, manufacturing, the real sector, has remained below five per cent of national GDP over the stated period. This is simply unsustainable. In combating the above scenario successive governments have experimented with all manner of therapies, most prominent of which are: diversification from petroleum; soliciting massive investments in solid minerals; value-addition driven agriculture; tourism; etc. However, more’s the pity to observe that in spite of those sustained endeavours the unprepossessing face of stagflation still stare at us. Our seeming half-measured approach towards solving national emergencies could well be the reason for this. For example, we have so far focused on increasing aggregate demand (money supply) in the economy sparing little or no serious thought for the supply side (productive activities). The federal government’s sustained policy thrust to increase the Upstream production capacity to four million per day in the foreseeable future, with no serious commitments to bringing up the Downstream installed capacity, helps to make the point. Our monetary authorities are evidently unrepentant monetarists – a regrettable disposition which Britain quickly learned under Margaret Thatcher. The British experience later resulted in the founding of a Centre of Policy Studies in the summer of 1974 in London to propagate the consequences of unbridled monetarism. At the risk of telling a tale twice, l should like to state that the only efficacious path to stemming stagflation lay in closing the gap between money supply and production. In Nigeria’s virtual mono-economy, this would translate into bridging the yawning gulf between the Upstream and the Downstream of the petroleum industry. Some creative ways have to be sought to grow the Downstream temporarily faster than the Upstream; and certainly NOT the other way about as successive federal governments have sought to do, which would invariably exacerbate stagflation. The fancy term for federal government’s preferred economic therapy is known as, “spending your way out of recession/stagflation”. With some imagination and commitment that therapy may well succeed in a country with standard infrastructure. But in Nigeria’s extant situation any talk about spending her way out of recession/stagflation would approximate to the delusions of Alice in Wonderland. Sooner than later, hopefully, our monetary authorities would climb down from their high horses and, like the lead character in Lewis Carrol’s classic novel, realize that their years of academic adumbrations have been nothing but daydreaming; or better still, Alice in Wonderland moments… Afam Nkemdiche; engineering consultant; Abuja. December, 2020

How Biden Can Restore Multilateralism Unilaterally

Dec 31, 2020 JOSEPH E. STIGLITZ After four years of the Trump administration undermining global governance arrangements, President-elect Joe Biden will certainly have his work cut out for him. Nonetheless, there are several actions the new administration can take immediately to reaffirm America's commitment to multilateral institutions and the rule of law. NEW YORK – There is so much to celebrate with the new year. The arrival of safe, effective COVID-19 vaccines means that there is light at the end of the pandemic tunnel (though the next few months will be horrific). Equally important, America’s mendacious, incompetent, mean-spirited president will be replaced by his polar opposite: a man of decency, honesty, and professionalism. But we should harbor no illusions about what President-elect Joe Biden will face in office. There will be deep scars left from the Trump presidency, and from a pandemic that the outgoing administration did so little to fight. The economic trauma will not heal overnight, and without comprehensive assistance at this critical time of need – including support for cash-strapped state and local governments – the pain will be prolonged.1 America’s long-term allies, of course, will welcome the return of a world where the United States stands up for democracy and human rights, and cooperates internationally to address global problems like pandemics and climate change. But, again, it would be foolish to pretend that the world has not changed fundamentally. The US, after all, has shown itself to be an untrustworthy ally. True, the US Constitution and those of its 50 states survived and protected American democracy from the worst of Trump’s malign impulses. But the fact that 74 million Americans voted for another four years of his grotesque misrule leaves a chill. What might the next election bring? Why should others trust a country that might repudiate everything it stands for just four years from now? The world needs more than Trump’s narrow transactional approach; so does the US. The only way forward is through true multilateralism, in which American exceptionalism is genuinely subordinated to common interests and values, international institutions, and a form of rule of law from which the US is not exempt. This would represent a major shift for the US, from a position of longstanding hegemony to one built on partnerships. Such an approach would not be unprecedented. After World War II, the US found that ceding some influence to international organizations like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund was actually in its own interests. The problem is that America didn’t go far enough. While John Maynard Keynes wisely called for the creation of a global currency – an idea later manifested in the IMF’s Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) – the US demanded veto power at the IMF, and didn’t vest the Fund with as much power as it should have. In any case, much of what Biden will be able to do in office depends on the outcomes of run-off elections for Georgia’s two US Senate seats on January 5. But even without a willing partner in the Senate, the president has enormous sway over international affairs. There is plenty that Biden will be able to do on his own, starting immediately. One obvious priority will be the post-pandemic recovery, which will not be strong anywhere until it’s strong everywhere. We cannot count on China to play as pronounced a role in driving global demand this time around as it did in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. Moreover, developing and emerging economies lack the resources for the massive stimulus programs that the US and Europe have provided to their economies. What is needed, as IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva has pointed out, is a massive issuance of SDRs. Some $500 billion of this global “money” could be issued overnight if only the US Secretary of the Treasury would approve. Whereas the Trump administration has been blocking an SDR issuance, Biden could give it the green light, while also endorsing existing congressional proposals to expand the size of the issuance substantially. The US could then join the other wealthy countries that have already agreed to donate or lend their allocation to countries in need. The Biden administration can also help lead the push for sovereign-debt restructuring. Several developing countries and emerging markets are already facing debt crises, and many more may soon follow. If there was ever a time when the US had an interest in global debt restructuring, it is now. For the past four years, the Trump administration has denied basic science and flouted the rule of law. Restoring Enlightenment norms is thus another top priority. International rule of law, no less than science, is as important to the US’s own prosperity as it is to the functioning of the global economy. On trade, the World Trade Organization offers a foundation upon which to rebuild. As of now, the WTO order is shaped too much by power politics and neoliberal ideology; but that can change. There is a growing consensus in support of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s candidacy to serve as the next director-general of the WTO. A distinguished former Nigerian finance minister and former vice-president of the World Bank, Okonjo-Iweala’s appointment has been held up only by the Trump administration. No trade system can function without a method of adjudicating disputes. By refusing to approve any new judges to the WTO’s dispute-settlement mechanism to succeed those whose terms have retired, the Trump administration has left the institution inquorate and paralyzed. Nonetheless, while Trump has done everything he can to undermine international institutions and the rule of law, he also has unwittingly opened the door for improving US trade policy. Sign up for our weekly newsletter, PS on Sunday For example, the Trump administration’s renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada largely did away with the investment provisions that had become among the most noxious aspects of international economic relations. And now, Trump’s Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer, is using the time he has left in office to call for “anti-dumping” sanctions against countries that give their companies an advantage by ignoring global environmental standards. Considering that I included a similar proposal in my 2006 book, Making Globalization Work, there now seem to be ample grounds for a new bipartisan consensus on trade. Most of the actions I have described do not require congressional action and can be carried out in Biden’s first days in office. Pursuing them would go a long way toward reaffirming America’s commitment to multilateralism and putting the disaster of the past four years behind us.

GREED: THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL

Greed goes much further than money. A person can be greedy for money but also for fame, possessions, attention, compliments, gifts, another person’s time, and more. In the Bible, the words greed, greedily, greedy, and greediness are always used to describe the selfish motivation of a person. - Danielle Bernock Greed is a spiritual disease of the heart affecting all areas of a person’s life. Greed is an “intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power or food.” Vocabulary.com goes a little further in its explanation calling it ugly, insatiable, and gives us the origin of the word. “Greed come from the Old English graedig, or ‘voracious,’ which means ‘always hungry for more,’” they explained. A person can be insatiably hungry for money but also for fame, possessions, attention, compliments, gifts, another person’s time, and more. Greed is always self-centered and never satisfied. This would explain the ugly nature of our political office holders and their insatiable lust for money, office, and position. It also explains why political office holders, had cause to institute criminally bogus salaries and allowances, and pension schemes for themselves and their successors. Not satisfied with the volume of loot they amassed during their 4 or 8-year tenure, these greedy ‘Oliver Twists ‘wanted some more’ in perpetuity: Regardless of the financial fortunes of their states. That is why some of them today, are not only proud owners of executive private jets (we hear that one even has a fleet of three), but mansions in Abuja, Dubai, and The Bahamas. Shameless gluttons, they have developed very thick necks and find it difficult to turn their heads. Parasites on their people, they have developed an insatiable and voracious appetite for other people’s money. This brings into focus the Public Office Holders Pension Laws in most states of the federation: A dubious and immoral contraption instituted to bleed the states of funds which they did not work for. The Lagos State pension law was passed by rubber stamp state assembly in 2007 on the eve of Governor Bola Tinubu ending his second term tenure. Titled: The Public Office Holder (Payment of Pension) Law No 11 Official Gazette of Lagos State, 2007, the law has since been copied by other states. But because of litigation and court rulings, many states have jettisoned the obnoxious law. The obscene Lagos State Pension law among other provisions: former governors of the state are entitled to a house each in any location of their choice in Lagos and Abuja (for two-term governors only). The law also provides for six new cars every three years( wetin?), 100 per cent of the basic salary of the serving governor (N7.7m per annum), as well as free health care for himself and members of his family. Furniture allowance, which is 300 per cent of their annual basic salary (N23.3m); House maintenance allowance, which is 10 per cent of basic salary (N778, 296); Utility allowance, which is 20 per cent of the salary (N1.5m); Car maintenance allowance, which is 30 per cent of the annual basic salary (N2.3m). Entertainment allowance, which is 10 per cent of the basic salary (N778, 296). A personal assistant, who will earn 25 per cent of the governor’s annual basic salary (N1.9m). According to the law, the former governor will also be entitled eight policemen and two officials of the Department of State Services for life. The state will bear the expenses. And all these for life! Haba! This is the height of parasitic living. SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare said: “Public officials should not encourage, sustain, or implement jumbo pension laws that show an appearance of conflict of interest, impropriety or create situation of personal enrichment. The pension law negates the duty to act honestly and to represent the needs and concerns of the people, and to refrain from activities, which interfere with the proper discharge of public functions.” The organization also said: “Those who manage the resources of the state ought to protect the interest of the people in their states. Public officials while entrusted with duties and discretions are not to act in their own best interest, but to discharge those duties and exercise those powers in the interests of the public.” But their time will soon be up. During the last ‘Townhall Meeting of Southwest Monarchs and their political leaders, with the representatives of Abuja in attendance, the Obas were unanimous in their condemnation of the greed of political office holders which said was the major cause of the looting and mayhem that followed the peaceful EndSARS protest. The Oba of Lagos was even more detailed in his submission and brutally frank despite his erstwhile ‘chummy’ relationship with the governors of Lagos State, and the findings that he may be guilty of the same charge: His palace was also looted and ravaged during the orgy. In the midst of this mindless pursuit of illicit and ungodly aggrandizement is the sane voice of reason, of Babatunde Raji Fashola, ex-Governor of Lagos State who refused to collect on principle saying in an interview on Thursday 13th July 2017: “I declined to benefit from the package. There was a cabinet meeting where the matter came up and there is a record of the minutes where I said ‘ if this is a privilege conferred on me, I had the right to refuse and I refuse and the Cabinet should record my refusal to partake because I was conflicted morally about the position”. “For me, the real privilege was to serve, and I have gone back to my house in Surulere. No house was built for me by Lagos State Government in Abuja”. Ata boy!!! That is the kind of leader we are craving for, not the ‘jegudujera’ who would greedily eat up everything placed in front of them, including poison. The Bible tells us that: “The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labor. He coveteth greedily all day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not.” (Proverbs 21:25-26) Islam promotes kindness and generosity and thus it stops people from being selfish and greedy. The greedy does not know when to stop, the only thing he or she cares about is acquiring as much fortune as possible. Greed can enslave a man, so it is important to learn how to overcome it. Greed is a destructive force that can harm a person in many ways. A man’s greed is more dangerous than two hungry wolves in a flock of sheep. What these greedy leaders fail to realize is that no matter how much wealth, power, or food you collect in this world, it will not help you in your grave. All the worldly possessions will stay while you will be no more. Therefore, we must be careful as we approach the twilight period of our lives. We are at that point in life when our thoughts should dwell more on the ‘end’ than on the now! "In his love for the world, the greedy is like the silkworm: the more it wraps in its cocoon, the less chance it has of escaping from it, until it dies of grief."-Imam Muhammad al-Baqir. "Greed is an imperfection that defiles the mind." said Gautama Buddha. Rivalry for acquisition is a source of diversion: “Your rivalry in the accumulation of wealth diverts your minds.” (Quran 102) “Refrain from greed for those who were before you perished because of greed. Greed commanded them to be stingy and they obeyed: it ordered them into alienation, and they obeyed; and it commanded them to sin and they sinned.” Prophet Muhammad (SAW) Being a greedy person harms you both mentally and physically. That is why Islam does not fancy the greedy person. In the Quran 4, surah Al-Nisa verse 128. They are never satisfied nor grateful see Quran 102 surah Al-Takathur verse 1-2. People who only focused on themselves without taking care of others become a disgrace to Islam. The Quran 68 surah Al-Qalam verses 17-18. No matter how rich you are, your money is never helpful on the Day of Judgment. Quran 92 surah, Al-Lail verse 8-11: Many years ago, my host pointed to a fenceless house in Kaduna and I asked who lived there. I was blown away when he told me it was the residence of Alhaji Balarabe Musa, a former governor of Kaduna State and erstwhile leader of People’s Redemption Party. Hmmmmm! His simple and spartan life attest to the fact that he shunned worldly and ill-gotten wealth. Balarabe Musa died some days ago and was buried without fanfare. He left the way he came, with empty hands. Inna lillah wa ina ilehi rajiun! May Allah admit him to Jannatul Firdous. Let our greedy leaders remember that: “ The soul that sinneth shall die”; “destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity. . . the wicked shall not inherit the earth; Be not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatever a man sowed, he shall reap; and when the wicked spring as the grass and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish, it is that they shall be destroyed forever”. A word is enough for the greedy leaders. Before them have passed workers of iniquity and where are they today? Barka Juma’at and a happy weekend Babatunde Jose Babatunde Jose +2348033110822

THE WONDERS OF CREATION: MAN

On the earth are Signs for those of assured Faith. As also in your own selves: Will ye not then see? (Quran 51:20-21) After looking at the wonders of God’s creation as manifest in the heavens and earthly creatures, man begins to ponder: How does the size and order of the physical universe deepen your appreciation of God? When we look closer at water, what can we learn about the One who designed it? 'He spoke in a loud voice: 'Fear God and pay him homage, for the hour of his judgement has come! Worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water!' (Rev. 14:7). How does the earth’s size and proximity to the sun demonstrate God’s wisdom? What purpose does the moon serve? How has God designed humans to enjoy life? If it is evolution, then that evolution has a masterful design and purpose and a mind of its own. It could not have been otherwise. It is therefore God: It is He Who sendeth down rain from the skies: With it We produce vegetation of all kinds: From some We produce green (crops), out of which We produce grain, heaped up (at harvest); out of the date palm and its sheaths (or spathes) (come) clusters of dates hanging low and near: And (then there are) gardens of grapes, and olives, and pomegranates, each similar (in kind) yet different (in variety): When they begin to bear fruit, feast your eyes with the fruit and the ripeness thereof. Behold! In these things there are Signs for people who believe. (Quran 6:99) What is DNA? Of all God’s earthly creations, how are humans different? Again, we ponder: Where do colors come from? How does water overcome gravity to reach the tops of trees? What role does water play within our bodies? How do creatures know to form partnerships with others? In the Bible, Mathew 6:26-28, we are told to observe intensely God’s handiwork as doing so can deepen our faith, instill confidence in the Creator and build appreciation for God’s wisdom and power. The Quran 24:45 delves on the same topic. The greatest of all creations is man himself, the marvelous machine—precise and efficient. Though man-made machines are lubricated only by outside sources; the body lubricates itself by manufacturing a jelly-like substance in the right amount at every place it is needed. The body has a chemical plant far more intricate than any plant that man has ever built. This plant changes the food we eat into living tissue. It causes the growth of flesh, blood, bones, and teeth. It even repairs the body when parts are damaged by accident or disease. Power, for work and play, comes from the food we eat. The body’s cooling system is very efficient during time of excessive heat. Drops of perspiration pour from millions of tiny sweat glands in the skin. The human body has an automatic thermostat that takes care of both our heating and cooling systems, keeping body temperature at about 37°C (98.6°F). As for the human brain, it is ‘… the most complex and orderly arrangement of matter in the universe’, says Isaac Asimov. The brain is the center of a complex computer system more wonderful than the greatest one ever built by man. The body’s computer system calculates and sends throughout the body billions of bits of information, that controls every action, right down to the flicker of an eyelid. In most computer systems, the information is carried by wires and electronic parts. In the body, nerves are the wires that carry the information back and forth from the central nervous system. And in just one human brain there is probably more wiring, more electrical circuitry, than in all the computer systems of the world put together. Yes, it is a wonderful thing—this brain of ours. Yet, they say it was a product of chance and evolution. Hmmmmmn! The eye is another marvelous structure: In our eye the focus and aperture are adjusted automatically; a process called accommodation: The act or state of adjustment or adaptation; the automatic adjustment in the focal length of the lens of the eye to permit retinal focus of images of objects at varying distances. The sound we hear is being played on a perfect little musical instrument inside our ear. The sound waves go down the auditory canal and are carried by the bones of the middle ear to the cochlea, which is rolled up like a tiny seashell. The outer ear operates in air. But the cochlea is filled with liquid; yet, transferring sound waves from air to liquid is one of the most difficult problems known to science. Three tiny bones called the ossicles are exactly right to do the job that enables us to hear properly. Interestingly, the size of these little bones does not change from the time we are born. The heart is a muscular pump forcing blood through thousands of miles of blood vessels. Blood carries food and oxygen to every part of the body. The heart pumps an average of six liters (1.5 U.S. gallons) of blood every minute, and in one day pumps enough blood to fill more than forty 200-litre (50-gallon) drums. A far more astonishing wonder is in the development of the human embryos. Man We did create from a quintessence (of clay); Then We placed him as (a drop of) sperm in a place of rest, firmly fixed; Then We made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood; then of that clot We made a (fetus) lump; then We made out of that lump bones and clothed the bones with flesh; then We developed out of it another creature. (Quran 23:12-14) The wonders which occur during the nine-month gestation period are unsurpassable. During the first four weeks of the new life, billions of cells are formed, and they arrange themselves according to a fascinating plan to shape the new human being: A dramatic new development occurs; the first blood vessels appear. A few days later another wonderful event takes place: Within the tiny breast of the 1.7 mm long embryo two blood vessels join to form the heart, which begins to pump blood through the miniscule body. The tiny new heart provides the developing brain with blood and oxygen. In the fourth month, the heart of the fetus already pumps almost 30 liters of blood per day, and at birth this volume will increase to about 350 liters. It is not a random process. In the embryonic stage, lungs, eyes, and ears develop, although they are not used yet. After two months, the embryo is only three to four centimeters long. It is so small that it could literally fit inside a walnut shell, but even at this stage all organs are already present. The more reason why ‘pro life’ people say it is murder to terminate the pregnancy. During the following months, the organs only increase in size and assume their eventual shape. Allahu Akbar! How is it possible that embryonic development does not entail a disorderly growth of cells, but is systematic and purposeful according to a set timetable? A precise plan, in which all stages are programmed in the finest detail, underlies all these processes. Surely, there is God! But, having said all these: Man is a most ungrateful and inconsiderate being. He steals from his fellow man and even commits other transgressions in the name of God. He is a liar, cheat, fornicator, and a reveler in the sinful ways of life. Like our political leaders, Man is often not worth the value of the skin that covers his lips. Yet, Man forgets all that Allah has said in the Quran Chapter 76 Al-Insan (The Human Being): Has there not been over Man a long period of Time, when he was nothing (not even) mentioned? Verily We created Man from a drop of mingled sperm, in order to try him: So We gave him (the gifts) of Hearing and Sight. We showed him the Way: Whether he be grateful or ungrateful (rests on his will). For the Rejecters We have prepared Chains, Yokes, and a Blazing Fire. (Quran 76:1-4) If only they knew! Barka Juma’at and a happy weekend Babatunde Jose Babatunde Jose +2348033110822

THE HOUR IS COMING

As the momentous and highly unusual year 2020 rolls to an end, there is need for us to deeply reflect on the coming ‘Hour’: For many, the year had been a sad experience in many ways. Many have died of the strange affliction called Covid-19; loved ones had their lives attenuated; children were not left out; some families were wiped out and powerful men who bestrode the narrow corridors of power were exterminated by the scourge called Corona. As the year roll to its end, many had been laid off from work for over eight months without any other source or means of livelihood; they have been pauperized and impoverished because of the fall-out of the pandemic. For the lucky ones among us, it is therefore appropriate that we should be full of thanksgiving and penitence. We all have stories to tell! What have we done that we ought not to have done and what are those things we ought to have done but we failed to do? Have we kept the commandments as we have been admonished to do by the good books or have, we persisted in our iniquities? Have we been just and fair n our dealings with our fellow men? Have we taken care of the widows and orphans or have we cheated them of their inheritance? Have we loved our neighbours or wished them ill? Have we been charitable to those who offended us, or have we invoked Psalm 109 on them? Have we then forgiven those that trespassed against us as we would have loved the Lord to forgive our trespasses? No doubt, the Hour gets nearer as the years roll by. It is an inevitable and immutable event. Man must come to judgement or else all our doing good and eschewing evil would have come to nought. It was Immanuel Kant, the great German philosopher who said: 'The drama of this life is not complete; There must be a second scene to it . . . Therefore, there must be another world, where justice will be carried out"’ That other world is the Day of Resurrection. "The Unbelievers say, 'Never to us will come the Hour': Say, 'Nay! but most surely, by my Lord, it will come upon you; - by Him Who knows the unseen,- from Whom is not hidden the least little atom in the heavens or on earth: Nor is there anything less than that, or greater, but is in the Record Perspicuous:' (Quran, 34:3) See also Surah Qiyamah, Ayat 1-15. Let us reflect on the coming Qiyamah - also known as the Resurrection, the Day of Judgment, Day of Gathering, and the Great Announcement. Allah is the creator and the master of the Day of Judgement. There is the story of Ezra or Uzair (Quran 2:259) who questioned the possibility of resurrection and Allah made an example of him. He was made to die for a hundred years, resurrected, and made to face his people who have all added a hundred years to their age since he left them. He was made to die at the age of 40 and had not added a day to his age when he was resurrected. His maid who was 20 was now 120 and his son who was 18 had grown to 118. Yet, Uzair was still 40. What a paradox. Allahu Akbar!!! Allah is not bound by time and space! Quran Chapter 101 promises a reckoning: The (Day) of Noise and Clamour: What is the (Day) of Noise and Clamour? And what will explain to thee what the (Day) of Noise and Clamour is? (It is) a Day whereon men will be like moths scattered about, and the mountains will be like carded wool. Then, he whose balance (of good deeds) will be (found) heavy, Will be in a Life of good pleasure and satisfaction. But he whose balance (of good deed) will be (found) light, Will have his home in a (bottomless) Pit. And what will explain to thee what this is? (It is) a Fire blazing fiercely! (Quran 101:1-11) Our preoccupation with aggrandizement is condemned in the Quran: See (Quran 102:1-8) (Quran 103:1-3) But before the last Hour: “. . ... there will be great liars, so beware of them; When the most wicked member of a tribe becomes its ruler, and the most worthless member of a community becomes its leader. . “- Holy Prophet We need to keep reminding each other of the coming Hour: There is no doubt, “the weekly homily we share re-jig our sense of duty to God, our soul & our neighbour. It reveals the emptiness of our everyday pranks, the vanity of life in itself & the good sense of our obeisance to Allah. Have you in 2020 lent even the tiniest help to the weak or have you alone thoughtlessly consumed God's favours? All effort directed toward faith & selfless living profit none but ourselves. We must ceaselessly struggle to remember God & His angels. Those who forget would curse their cruel stars! May our hearts forever fly robustly in the spacious firmament of love and freedom. The light will be dim if the oil in the lamp is low. Thus, do all the good that you can all the time, and always honour Allah (swt).” Alhaji Hameed Ajani. As the year rolls to an end, we might ask ourselves these searching questions from the words of a familiar hymn; “Have I Done Any Good?” Hymns, no. 223: Have I done any good in the world today? Have I helped anyone in need? Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad? If not, I have failed indeed. Has anyone's burden been lighter today? Because I was willing to share? Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way? When they needed my help was I there? How many of us can answer these questions? The emphasis here is 'when they needed my help was I there? We pray O Allah “keep us ever mindful of the needs and wants of others”. May the coming year be a better one for us all. Let us remember those who have gone for it shall be our turn soon. Who knows for whom the bell tolls! Barka Juma'at, and a happy weekend.

TIE YOUR CAMEL!

Today’s New Year admonition is taken from our book, Reflections on Juma’at Greetings. At some point in the various journeys, we embark on in our lives, we get to a point where we feel like giving up. On such occasions, everything just goes wrong, and we contemplate giving up or quitting the race. Sometimes we give up before we even start +and other times, we give up just before we are about to make that huge breakthrough that we have been putting so much effort in to achieve. Seth Godin in his book, titled “The Dip” a compelling read, which teaches that at any given time you are always just a heartbeat away from success. The temptation to give up is a common one, and nobody is exempt. Failure is not something many of us can handle gracefully. And even though we know it is a common human condition, we are somehow always surprised when it happens to us. Reminding yourself that loss of hope is temporary might just compel you to pick yourself up and move forward. You are also enjoined to match your efforts with an unshakeable faith and trust in God, who crowns all effort as all work and no faith could be tantamount to fail. Let me remind you that courage does not always roar. In the words of Mary Anne Radmacher, American author and artist, sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow '; A Japanese proverb says, 'fall seven times and stand up eight; 'It's not that I'm so smart', said Albert Einstein, 'it's just that I stay with problems longer'; and Thomas Edison went on to say, many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. He should know, it took him several failures before he invented the electric bulb; we learnt from Henry Ford that, 'failure is only the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently'; in the same vein, B.F Skinner, an American psychologist said, 'a failure is not always a mistake, it may simply be the best one can do under the circumstances'. 'The real mistake is to stop trying'; Dr. Steve Maraboli, the author, said 'As I look back on my life, I realize that every time I thought I was being rejected from something good, I was actually being redirected to something better', which is very true; success therefore, as Robert Collier said 'is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out', which really is perseverance; Confucius concurred with this statement when he also said that, 'It does not matter how slowly you go, so long as you do not stop; many of us confuse a single defeat with a final defeat , said Scott Fitzgerald, the American Author; but as Newt Gingrich said 'Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did' ; that perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20 said Julie Andrews , the film and stage actress of the 'Sound of Music' fame; through perseverance many people win success out of what seemed destined to be certain failure said Benjamin Disraeli, British politician and writer ; but Dale Carnegie put it more succinctly when he said, “Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest steppingstones to success; Leigh Mitchell Hodges, journalist and poet now said,' failure is often that early morning hour of darkness which precedes the dawning of the day of success'; which is what Hannibal, the Carthaginian General who crossed the Alps with an army of Elephants to wage war on Rome, actually did, when he said, “We will either find a way or make one”. He 'made a way', because he reached the gates of Rome; late Nelson Mandela gave the clincher, when he said, “It always seems impossible until it's done.” And he did It; and really, 'a winner is just a loser who tried one more time' said George M. Moore Jr. (1862-1940), Member U.S. House of Representatives; Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States, said,' courage is not having the strength to go on; it is going on when you don't have the strength'; while “Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure', said George Edward Woodberry, American poet; Confucius says again that 'the man who moves a mountain, begins by carrying away small stones', which is very true; And Abraham Lincoln said, “I am a slow walker, but I never walk backwards”; according to Winston Churchill, Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts. To achieve success in life, you have to stay alive and believe that 'anything is possible. The only valid excuse you must give up is if you are dead. If you are alive you have the choice to keep trying until you finally succeed. You also must be realistic: The chance of mastering something the first time you do it is almost non-existent. Everything takes time to learn and you will make mistakes. Learn from them. Michael Jordan arguably the best basketball player of all time, attributes his success to all his failures. He just never gave up even when he knew he had missed over 300 shots and had missed the winning shot of the game many times. Every time he got knocked down, he got back up again. Lance Armstrong was diagnosed with cancer that had spread throughout his entire body. Against all odds, he overcame the cancer and set out to win the Tour de France six consecutive times. Muhammad Ali was one of the best boxers the world has ever known. He suffered only five crushing losses while having 56 wins and was the first boxer to win the lineal heavyweight championship three times. This is a guy who literally knows how to get knocked down and get back up. The man who created 'The Marathon', long ago, an Athenian herald, was sent to Sparta to get help when the Persians landed in Greece. It was said that he ran 240km in 2 days and after that he ran 40km to announce the victory of the Greeks, only to collapse and die on the spot from exhaustion. Don't try that because you might die from it but use it as an inspiration. Nelson Mandela campaigned for justice and freedom in South Africa. He spent 20 years in jail for his opposition to apartheid. He called it a 'Long Walk to Freedom'. And indeed, it is usually a long walk to success, no short cut. Do not forget, you are stronger than you think. One little setback is not enough to stop you from achieving your goals. Neither are 10 or 100 or 1000 setbacks. Prove yourself; you do not want to be known as a quitter. Go out there and prove yourself to the world and to yourself. You CAN and WILL achieve what you set out to do. The only time you fail is when you give up. Believe in your dreams, and do not sell yourself short. In life there are going to be many people who will try to bring you down and tell you what you want to achieve is not possible. Do not let anyone destroy your dreams. Let the people you love and who mean the world to you be your inspiration to persist and persevere. Maybe you need to try a different angle, study more or practice more but do not ever, ever give up! There are many people who are in a worse situation and environment than you are right now. Are you thinking about giving up running 5 miles a week? Think about the people who are unable to even walk and how much they would give to be able to run 5 miles every day. When you achieve whatever you set out to achieve you can use your success to make a difference to the world or other people's lives. Face your fears and do not take the easy way out by giving up. There will always be haters. There will always be plenty of naysayers and people who try to tear you down. Do not pay attention to them and do not take what they say to heart. Let the haters hate but keep believing in yourself. Do not ever let anybody tell you otherwise. You deserve to be happy and you deserve to have success. Keep that mindset and never give up until you reach your destination! My late father said, 'I believe that the price of success can only be paid for in the currency of hard work'. This, he drummed into my ears throughout my school days. That should be the motto of your life. It was Solomon who wrote, 'Do you know a hard-working man? He shall be successful and stand before kings!' (Proverbs 22:29). Success is always a possibility, but never a guarantee. It belongs to the man or woman who is willing to show up early, stay late, go the extra mile, and keep asking, 'Is there a better way?' UCB Word for Today. A young man once asked Henry Ford, 'How can I make a name for myself and be successful?' He replied, 'Decide what you want, then stick with it. Never deviate from your course no matter how long it takes or how hard the road, until you've accomplished your purpose.' Successful people have one thing in common: they refuse to quit! No matter how many times they fall, they get back up, dust themselves off, learn from it, and start over. Paul J. Meyer said, 'Ninety-nine per cent of those who fail are not actually defeated, they simply quit.' The Bible says, 'To win…you must deny yourselves… things that…keep you from doing your best' (1 Corinthians 9:25). Finally, all efforts must be rooted on an unshakeable trust and reliance in God. For, after all said and done, it is His Grace that guarantees the success of our labor. We are told in the good books that all efforts without the Grace of God will come to naught. Hence, I enjoin you to, “Commit thy works unto the Lord.” Allah in the Quran promises that anyone who commits his work unto Him: And He provides for him from (sources) he never could imagine. And if anyone puts his trust in Allah, sufficient is (Allah) for him. For Allah will surely accomplish His purpose: Verily, for all things has Allah appointed a due proportion (Quran, 65:3.) There is no contradiction in working hard and believing and placing one's trust in Allah. Rather, those who have trust do not abandon material resources, the 'tying of the camel', as it were. We all know the Hadith in which the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said to the Bedouin who had left his camel unsecured, to 'tie your camel and place your trust in Allah'. What the statement implies is that you should make effort, Allah will not tie your camel for you, lest it run away. Barka Juma'at and a Happy New Year Babatunde Jose

MAJOR CURE TO POVERTY DISCOVERED!

Have you eaten today? If Yes, consider yourself lucky! There are millions of people worldwide who don't know where their next meal is coming from. Food, as well as clothing, shelter, access to clean water and healthcare, are basic human needs. The ability to afford them is often used as a yardstick for the measurement of poverty or prosperity. Wikipedia defines poverty as not having enough material possessions or income for a person's needs. It is no doubt that the world is blessed with abundant human resources and others. Yet, poverty remains a global scourge ravaging many individuals, families and nations. The weight of poverty can be debilitating when compounded by other risk factors such as low education, limited skills training, lack of savings, or lack of family supports. Poverty can be as a result of personal struggle, which can be physical, mental, or emotional. Many people experiencing poverty are faced with a lack of emotional, psychological or financial support, changing market demand for skills or labour, gaps in social safety nets, the high costs of education and health, which adds salt to the injury that poverty had already inflicted. While tremendous strides have been made towards reaching the global goal of ending poverty by 2030; according to World Bank Data, 689 million men, women and children are still classified as living in extreme poverty - surviving on less than $1.90 a day. The achievement of the goal of global poverty eradication by 2030 will be determined by several factors and methods that are being employed. Few lines from now, you will discover a true, tried and tested method that has been effective in solving many of life's problems. I firmly believe that when it is applied to the problem of poverty, it will become history, and we will hopefully have a world where humans can afford a decent life. The best way to kill a tree that produces an undesirable or unwanted fruit is to uproot it. The potency of this method will be better appreciated if we treat poverty as an effect rather than a cause. Why are people poor? Poverty remained a beast that has ravaged many lives and nations. It is often attributed to unexpected life challenges, health problem, job loss, economic downturn, divorce and many more. All that poverty has been attributed to are not peculiar to any nation or tribe. They are unsentimental life challenges. It is how people prepare for or respond to them that spells the results. Most developed and wealthy countries of the world have gone through a period of health crises, economic downturn, and other challenges often attributed as causes of poverty yet came out stronger and better. Is it not then obvious that most of the generally accepted causes of poverty are the trunk and not the root of the matter? So, what is the root cause of poverty? - Lack of knowledge, which can also be rephrased as - lack of actionable insights. Knowledge is the bedrock of every human endeavour and requirement for navigating the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of life. The explosion of technology, most especially the internet and the massive amount of wealth it has brought to the world is a vivid testimony to the power of knowledge. Knowledge of needs, opportunities to meet those needs and how to meet them releases the ability to make wealth. A method that promotes the acquisition of relevant experience is, therefore, indispensable in the fight against poverty. It can be the knowledge of running a business, closing sales, living healthy, creating value for individuals, businesses and many more. Though precious more than gold, knowledge is readily available to those who seek it. Knowledge can be found in many places; most importantly, it resides in men. The quest for knowledge can be activated by meeting people who have already acquired it. The keyword here is 'acquired'. Knowledge acquisition is a process that takes time, and it often requires learning, unlearning, practise and feedback. One of the most effective methods that encapsulate this vital learning process is mentorship. How can mentorship help people overcome poverty? Despite all the several intertwining factors that can be attributed as causes of poverty, history is filled with stories of great men who have broken free from the shackles of poverty. What do they know? What have they done differently? And how can others learn from them and be delivered from the grip of poverty? According to Wikipedia, Mentorship is a relationship in which a more experienced or more knowledgeable person helps to guide a less experienced or less knowledgeable person. The mentor may be older or younger than the person being mentored. However, he or she must have a specific area of expertise. If overcoming poverty through acceptable means do not qualify as expertise, l wonder what else would. Rich people do not always come from wealthy backgrounds; many famous billionaires grew up poor. What makes the difference is their exposure to relevant knowledge provided by a mentor. These mentors might be family members, family friends, work and school associates, and concerned members of the community. "Knowledge/awareness breeds courage. Courage breeds success". There are several individuals like Oprah and Ralph Lauren, both billionaires, media and fashion icons respectively became rich through exposure made possible by mentors, were able to change their lives and therefore become an inspiration to many. Oprah identified the need for exposure, popularity, desire to be heard and feel important that people (most especially influential ones) have, and created an opportunity to meet those needs through her TV shows and entertainment outfit. Several initiatives by groups that believe in mentoring as a means to overcome poverty have yielded positive results. Many organizations like Faithgane Foundation, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and LIFT in the USA have been able to lift people out of poverty using the mentorship model. Some strategies like pairing low-income individuals and families with people who are advocates and mentors are where organizations are placing their bets to create pathways out of poverty for individuals and communities at large. Mentors also help to guide their mentees through such important tasks as polishing a resume, negotiating debt repayments, finding a job, ensuring good childcare and life strategies. It is this kind of initiatives that can lift people out of poverty, not the 'giving of fish' approach—empowering people intellectually to solve not just their problems but that of others. That way, the effort put into lifting a person out of poverty will yield exponential results. Every child is born with a wealth of potential. However, some are unable to fulfil their potential because of their inability to leverage knowledge which can be acquired through mentorship. Suppose poverty will be kicked out in 2030. In that case, a concerted effort has to be made in promoting mentorship and putting both formal and informal mentorship structures in place. Organizations need to expose their human assets to sources (human and non-human) where information can be mined for actionable insight and creatively explore inherent or created opportunities to create value and capture value (wealth) for themselves and organization in return. If the collective wealth of organizations and by extension nations is increased and properly managed, it will translate to individual wealth - this is the 'secret' of wealthy economies. They promote and create a conducive environment for creativity, productivity, and actively encourage mentorship. Productive people are greatly rewarded and motivated to do more. In contrast, people who still far behind in the wealth ladder are placed on 'support systems' often termed social security. People in the informal sector should also be encouraged to embrace mentorship in the form of apprenticeships. The Igbo tribe in Nigeria have greatly maximized this option to wealth creation, and it is no surprise that they excel in trade within and outside the shores of their country. The richest man in Africa, Alhaji Aliko Dangote is also a product of the business mentoring he got from his uncle. The examples of people whose life has been transformed by mentorship are numerous, and it is quite apparent and indisputably one of the most viable routes to eliminating poverty. Even though individuals, families, and nations can overcome poverty through other different legitimate programs and initiatives, mentorship remains a significant catalyst towards achieving financial success. Therefore, people who have valuable knowledge to offer should be open to the idea of mentoring others. In contrast, people who desire experience should actively search for mentors to break free from the chains of poverty. A very popular Yoruba proverb reads like this in English: You can force a horse to the river, but you cannot force the horse to drink water. If you read this piece to this point, you have made a great effort. I will like to believe that my argument has been compelling enough too. But, none of all that will matter if you do not mentor someone or submit yourself to be mentored to wealth and abundance. No matter the plans or actions to take people out of poverty, it might become impossible to have a hundred percent poverty-free world because the root of poverty (ignorance) is in mind. It takes a willing mind to hate and fight indwelling ignorance. This is probably how Jesus thought when he said- "the poor shall always remain in your midst". © David Osiri A.K.A. Mr. Mentormorphosis 08021471061

MAJOR CAUSE OF LEADERSHIP FAILURE EXPOSED!

MAJOR CAUSE OF LEADERSHIP FAILURE EXPOSED! When Isaac Newton proposed the first law of motion, I doubt if he had the concept of leadership in mind. I hope he will not turn in his grave if I borrowed his invention briefly. Newton's first law states that every object will remain at rest or in uniform motion in a straight line unless compelled to change its state by the action of an external force. I like to think of the law in the light of Nathaniel Hawthorne famous quote - "To do nothing is the way to be nothing." Things or life will remain unchanged (rest like a grave) except there is an intentional force that will bring about the desired change. People experience leadership when that change empowers them to make choices that are in alignment with a vision of the desired future. Authentic leadership is a force of change. Great leaders know how to rally people around a unifying vision. They know that the best way to equip people is to teach them how to make the best choices for themselves. Therefore, they always seize opportunities to communicate the vision they believe. The world is blessed with great leaders, yet evidence of leadership failures also abounds. Is it not an aberration to get thirsty while living near the river? Dr Martin Luther King Jr. communicated his life purpose and passion in his unforgettable "I have a dream," speech. That speech was in agreement with the vision of his country, the United States, where freedom was supposed to be every person's right and privilege. At that time, racial discrimination and divide held the USA in its deep web. Martin's passion put him to work even at the cost of his life. Throughout his lifetime, his visions shaped his values, which in turn determined the choices he made. His life and work influenced an immense multitude within and beyond the shores of his country. About 50 years later, the USA had her first-ever black president. The barriers that racial discrimination has created, that which Dr Luther King fought in his lifetime was dealt another fatal blow. According to the records on the website (https://thekingcenter.org/), an organization set up in his memory, during the less than 13 years of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.'s leadership of the modern American Civil Rights Movement, from December 1955 until April 4, 1968, African Americans achieved more genuine progress toward racial equality in America than the previous 350 years had produced. This incredible feat would be impossible without the inspiration he drew from both his Christian faith and the peaceful teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. Dr Martin Luther King Jr. learnt leadership. He had a mentor. Though the circumstances of his time /life might have thrust leadership upon him, he did not bank on a mere event, limited experience or the lure of wishful thinking to get him through it. There had been an old and prolonged debate on whether leaders are born or made. I hope not to resurrect it. Best of athletes though talented often put work, more work than their average contemporaries. And there is also a famous saying that 'ultimately handwork trumps talent '. Both talent and hard work are raw materials for great success. Learning is hard work. Though it may involve listening, reading, or writing, the process is not complete until it produces a noticeable change of behaviour. You see, change is real work. Being able to change oneself and influence change in others is the hallmark of outstanding leadership. There are nations, individuals and organizations that have steadily and consistently moved through various phases of development and are close to the ideal that their founding fathers had in mind. It never happened overnight. Over a while, they have had different people (leaders) at the helm of their affairs. The succession of developments and progress can only be possible with a deliberate and consistent push in a desirable pre-agreed direction. Likewise, we have nations whose founding ideals and vision have been washed in the muddled water of corruption, poverty, lack of infrastructure and another undesirable element. Africa is the world's second-largest continent with the oldest human history. She most likely had experienced outstanding leadership at some point and made some progress. Despite a rich history, natural resources and abundant human resources, most African countries remain underdeveloped. Most African countries have been led by military officers and other 'emergency leaders' who have no experience in nation-building and did not bother to learn. The men in uniform ruled mostly after seizing power while others got to power through flawed selection (packaged as election) process. Some military rulers who managed to transition to democratic leadership, continued in their limited knowledge of leadership and nation-building, probably hoping that their clout or some other hidden factors will bring good fortune. Oh, Africa, what (rather who) has befallen you? Suppose nothing moves or works, except it is moved or worked, it is safe to believe that leadership is vital to the growth and development of any worthwhile venture. Nature has enough demonstrations of how life works- essential traits and features necessary for survival, growth and development are often transferred to the next generation, a process called hereditary. Humans, the most sophisticated of all living beings even devised nonbiological means of passing useful skills and knowledge to others through teaching, learning, and documentation. Just like all essential life skills, leadership skills can be passed on to others. When it is not learnt or passed on, stagnancy and underdevelopment are inevitable. You do not have to look far before seeing the evidence of leadership failure in many nations across the world. From deteriorating value systems to corruption, poverty, and the list goes on and on. The absence of worthy role model figures that the younger generation could look up to and learn from is a significant factor responsible for poor governance, leadership failure by the political class, family and religion heads and other myriads of socio-economic problems bedevilling the world. Leaders and people all around the world need to embrace mentoring deliberately. Mentoring in this context can be thought of as the transfer of wisdom from a wise and trusted counsellor, generally in a leadership position, who helps to guide another person to become a successful leader. Leadership and mentoring are inseparable. Hence, it is shocking that some people in leadership positions do not embrace or believe in it. Even some who believe in mentoring are not intentional about it. According to a research published by PDI Ninth House, it was discovered that as leaders move up the organization, their ability to develop others decreased -- even though they readily recognize its necessity at every level. This why we have knowledge and experience gap which is responsible for lack of sustainability and continuity of initiatives that could lead to growth and development. Leadership is all about service; influencing people to become better. The focus is primarily on those being led. And the most critical metric for the achievement of a leader is the growth and development of those being led. The great privilege of leadership carries with it an even greater responsibility; the obligation of service. Once a person assumes a leadership role, they automatically inherit the responsibility for the care, well-being, and overall stewardship of those they lead. Some may refer to the demands as mentioned earlier as the burdens of leadership. However, they are the real primary benefits of leadership. Mentoring is a vital element of a leader's job description. A leader should help people develop to the best of their ability, thereby reaching their full potential. Leadership is not an easy task because it is life moulding; this why all successful organizations and nations need to create a culture where the acquisition, development, implementation, and transfer of skills and knowledge are highly valued. This type of culture cannot exist where the practice of mentoring is not a top-down initiative. Leaders must not only embrace mentoring, but they must also become its champion by building their mentoring process on trust, mutual commitment, living by example and choosing mentees who are deserving of their time. For every nation whose labour of their past heroes has yielded results, there has been a deliberate transfer of leadership skills. These heroes were wise to know that what they have done will amount to nothing except they commit their vision to able men who are also able to teach others. This is how legacy is laid and a great nation or organization built. Have you heard the quote – "Success without a successor is a failure"? What does it mean to you? No matter how 'great' an achievement is, without sustainability and continuity, all that is accomplished crumbles and falls like a pack of cards. The only way to achieve real success is to raise leaders that will sustain and build on initial progress achieved by their predecessors. A leader who has not raised at least another leader cannot be referred to as a successful leader and cannot leave behind an enduring legacy. Mentorship must be embraced and deliberately practised to avoid leadership failure. © David Osiri A.K.A. Mr Mentormophosis 08021471061

Steering Nigeria out of recession

By Bayo Ogunmupe After decades of diminishing prospects for prosperity, Nigeria recently entered her second recession in five years. The Purchasing Manager's Index (PMI) a leading economic statistic, has confirmed Nigeria slipped into its second recession in July, the third quarter of 2020. This was caused by dwindling oil revenues and the corona virus pandemic. In quarter 2, Nigeria's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported that the economy contracted by 6.1 percent. An economy is said to be in a recession when output contracts for two straight quarters. The average PMI for July, August, and September- the third quarter, was 45.3 points, whenever PMI is below 50 points, it is a sign of contraction; while a reading above 50 points signals expansion. Nigeria could outperform many advanced and sub Saharan African countries, but the cause of our failure is darker particularly when our GDP is unpacked. For example, the wholesale and retail trade sector of our economy recorded the biggest contraction ever at -16.6 percent in Q2 of 2020. This dipped further to -12.12 percent in Q3. This sector is home to Micro Small and medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) which accounts for more than 85 percent of jobs in the economy. The contraction of this magnitude explains the direct impact of corona virus pandemic on the people. Compared to the USA, retail trade grew by 2 percent reflecting the government's $1.6 trillion stimulus package given households to ameliorate the effects of the pandemic. Thus, The economy deteriorating to recession is deplorable, given the years of snail paced growth of our GDP and high unemployment endured. Indeed, widening poverty, accelerating inflation and declining disposable income among other deleterious issues are unacceptable in today's Nigeria. Hence we urge the return of Ministry of Economic Affairs as established by President Olusegun Obasanjo. The ministry should be staffed by economists who are to formulate worthwhile policies, supervise and implement them across the board. In Germany the Minister of the Economy is the deputy chancellor, where the chancellor is the chief executive of the country. That is how important the economy is. Thus, government must focus on alleviating the suffering of the masses. One way is to enthrone a loans scheme for any Nigerian can apply, not that you have to be young or be a farmer. Such a scheme should be channeled to the states in the manner of the Marshall Plan organized for war ravaged Europe by George Marshall, a former US secretary of state. Since we cannot find any outstanding economist in President Buhari's cabinet, it will be advisable for him to go to the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG). Moreover, NESG, in a recent document hinted on the need to address the matter of high insecurity in the country and its impact on businesses. With a misery index of 39.9 percent, Nigeria isn't only reeling from rising unemployment, but also in high inflation. This means there is a mismatch between the earning capacity of people and the cost of living in Nigeria. The current data on the rates of inflation and unemployment should give policymakers the direction they must focus. To boost employment, government must provide credit easily and cheaply. This means revoking regulations which stifle businesses. Government must rework the Economic Sustainability Plan to be more realistic. The Mass Housing Strategy envisaging the creation of 1.8 million jobs with the building of 300,000 houses in a year is impossible. If government intends building tents, then it is possible. Which education and experience do your policy makers come from? To get out of the recession, because the cost of governance in Nigeria is the highest in the world, it must be reduced via a comprehensive national austerity measure. The basic salary of any public officer including ministers, national assembly members and indeed the president should not exceed one million naira per month. About 120 percent of our total accruable revenue is expended on political office holders and civil servants; with senators earning N36 million per month and N25 million per month for national assembly members. All that must be pruned down. Along with that, we must revisit the fiscal, socioeconomic, regional control of resources and governance framework of the Republican Constitution of 1963 and adopt them. The satanic Constitution of 1999 must be accordingly amended in terms of regional autonomy, resource control vested in the regions and the restoration of part time legislation. The three loss- emitting refineries should be sold along with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. Let the regions establish their own oil revenue collecting corporations. Every importing firm should be given two years moratorium within which to produce locally or its owners be sentenced to ten years in jail without any option of fine. It is deplorable the amount of cars, motor cycles and tricycles being imported to Nigeria in the last ten years without government compelling them to be manufactured locally. It is tragic that the Abuja Kaduna expressway has been overtaken by bandits. It is shocking that we now pay kidnappers for the rescue of our love ones; with the ransom paid being funneled to sponsoring kidnappers, gun totting herdsmen and motor cycle riding hoodlums. Moreover, it's incomprehensible why government cannot contract an electricity provider like the General Electric of the USA to fix our electricity supply conundrum all these years. Innate incompetence must be our problem then.

Empowerment of the Youth as panacea to curbing delinquency.

By definition: Youth empowerment is a process where children and young people are encouraged to take charge of their lives. This is achieved through taking action in order to improve their access to resources; transforming their consciousness, their beliefs, values and attitudes. Youth empowerment aims to improve quality of life and it is achieved through participation in empowerment programmes. There are various models that youth empowerment programs use to achieve youth empowerment. A variety of youth empowerment initiatives abound around the world. These schemes can be through non-profit organizations, government programs, schools, or private institutions. Youth empowerment is different from youth development because development is centered on developing individuals, while empowerment focuses on creating skills acquisition, community change, relying on the development of individual capacity Youth empowerment is addressed as a gateway to intergenerational equity, civic engagement and democracy building. It has been institutionalized as a means of curbing delinquency, youth unemployment, criminality and youth involvement in community decision making. What do we mean by empowerment? Empowerment means the creation of processes that enable people to participate in schemes for the uplifting of the well-being of individuals in the society. Empowerment enhances control through shared decision-making; creating opportunities to learn, practice, and increase skills. Empowerment theory suggests that engaging the youth in pro-social and community enhancing activity that the youth themselves define and control, helps youth gain vital skills and confidence necessary to becoming productive and healthy adults. Youth empowerment examines six interdependent dimensions: psychological, community, organizational, economic, social and cultural. Psychological empowerment enhances an individuals consciousness, belief in self- efficacy, awareness and problems and their solutions. This helps an individual to address problems that can harm their quality of life through creative problem solving. This dimension creates self confidence giving the youth knowledge and skills. Community empowerment focuses on enhancing the development of the community through leadership development and creating a network of support in addressing community concerns. Organizational empowerment creates a base of resources for a community, including voluntary organisations unions, and associations that aim to protect, promote and advocate for the powerless. Economic empowerment teaches entrepreneurship; how individuals can take ownership of their assets and how to have income security. Social empowerment teaches youth about social inclusion and financial literacy as well as helping kids find resources to be proactive in their communities. Cultural empowerment recreates cultural practices and redefine cultural rules and norms for the youth. Through these dimensions of empowerment, programmes can be made to empower the youth in one or more aspects of their lives. The goals of youth empowerment programmes are the creation of healthier and higher qualities of life for the underprivileged or at-risk youth. The five competencies of a healthy youth are: (1) positive sense of self, (2) self control, (3) decision-making skills, (4) a moral system of belief, and (5) pro-social connectedness. Empowerment programmes have to be anchored on these competencies that define positive outcomes of healthy youth. There are many types of empowerment programmes. However, the beneficial outcomes to youth empowerment are improved social skills, the curbing of delinquent behaviour, increased academic achievement, increased self esteem and increased self- efficacy. There are programmes aimed at just empowering women and girls; these effects improving women's well-being; enhancing their social status by teaching them technical and organizational skills. Some youth empowerment programmes are focused on poverty alleviation. Such programmes are aimed at empowering poor youth, working toward livelihood protection or livelihood promotion. Also, youth empowerment has been used as a framework to prevent delinquency and reduce youth violence. Research shows youth empowerment improves conflict avoidance and resolution skills, increases leadership skills, improving ethnic identity and reducing racial conflict. Examples of youth empowerment programs around the globe includes India where exists a Youth Empowerment Foundation. The not for profit foundation focuses on at uplifting the underprivileged young generation of the society. It provides them with basic education which creates a strong foundation for their careers. It develops their personality skills because the youth is the future of the country. Namibia's most popular empowerment programme is Pots of Hope. Its main aim is to reduce the vulnerability of the youth to HIV and AIDS through education, income security. It provides counselling to those in the rural areas who do not have access to information and awareness. In the United States there are countless empowerment programmes for the youth. There are those urban based which are culturally responsive. Those community based engage families, youth and community in the development of the youth. The community based empowerment helps youth build skills to enable them overcome economic and social barriers. Each major political party in the US including the Republicans, the Democrats and the Green Party, as well as political parties in Europe, South America (Peru), and Australia have manifestos supporting youth empowerment. USAID have youth empowerment programmes around the world aimed at access to resources and opportunities for education and employment. Youth empowerment is a central tenet of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which every country in the world has signed into law except the USA and South Sudan. The United Nations has numerous development programmes, one of which is for youth empowerment. Their youth empowerment programmes examine all the dimensions of youth empowerment, seeking to improve all of them. In the European Union (EU) youth is defined as those between the ages of 15 and 29. The EU is the birthplace of youth empowerment movements across the centuries. Articles 165 and 166 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union is the basis for youth empowerment in the EU. In the Republic of Ireland, government in 2002 established a youth council in every local government through her Irish for Youth Council under the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. The 53 member countries of the Commonwealth of Nations all signed the Commonwealth Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment (2007-2015). The Plan of Action underpins the work of the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP). The Commonwealth of which Nigeria is a member defines youth as: "Young people are empowered when they acknowledge that they have or can create choices in life, are aware of the implications of those choices, make an informed decision freely, take action based on that decision and accept responsibility for the consequences of those actions. Empowering young people means creating and supporting the enabling conditions under which young people can act on their own behalf, and on their own terms, rather than at the direction of others." In Nigeria, the Presidential Youth Empowerment Scheme was launched in October 2020. This was followed a week later by the launching of the N75 billion youth investment scheme by the Minister of Youth and Sports. Nigeria's leading global system of mobile communication network MTN through its MTN Foundation has a youth empowerment programme. Also, empowerment opportunities abound in Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and the Bank of Agriculture's Small Business Loans Scheme where you can access up to N5 million per business. In Nigeria, the Islamic Development Bank also offers an education empowerment programme. Also, the Jaiz Bank of Nigeria offers youth empowerment schemes of loans without collateral and without interest. Miss Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan won the Nobel Prize for Peace for her youth empowerment advocacy. She is the youngest Nobel laureate.

Implications of Water Resources Bill 2020

By Bayo Ogunmupe In 2017, the Federal Government sent the National Water Resources Bill to the National Assembly requesting that it be passed into law. The Bill sought to transfer the control of water resources from states to the Federal Government. Owing to a countrywide outcry against the measure, it was dumped by the Eighth Assembly. But earlier this year, the Chairman, the House of Representative Committee on Rules and Business reintroduced it as an executive bill. The faulty manner by which the bill was reintroduced puts to question the motif of its sponsors. At present, the bill is being used to polarize the country along ethnic lines. Here, I am seeking to examine the implications of the bill, situating its status on the denial of access to portable water to the majority of Nigerians. The first faulty aspect of the bill is that it is unconstitutional for the representatives to reintroduce and continue processing any bill that was not passed by a previous Assembly session. The sponsors of the bill ought to have been advised to present the bill anew. It was inconceivable that no member of the House saw that the bill breached the Rules of Procedure of the House and the relevant provisions of the Constitution. From time immemorial, Nigeria has been blessed with water in abundance. From the 1970s federal and state governments invested in river basin authorities and dams which made water to be available all over the country. Indeed, the urban areas were guaranteed regular supply of water to the extent that there was pipe borne water in every home and street then. But the dream of the rural areas to have pipe borne water extended to them was shattered in the regime of President Babangida when Structural Adjustment Programme(SAP) was introduced. Thus, SAP led to drastic reduction in public funds meant for social services under the Directorate of Foods, Roads and Rural Infrastructure. Thereafter, water supply was privatized and priced out of the reach of the poor. Then, water from boreholes started to be packed and sold in sachets to the poor while the rich could afford bottled water produced by factories. However, instead of collaborating with states and local governments to address lack of water supply in the country, Aso Villa forwarded to the Ninth National Assembly the bill rejected by the Eighth Assembly designed to further commercialize access to water by the people. Through the bill, the federal government will takeover water resources from the states, licence the supply and commercialize the use of water. What is more, government that has failed to supply water to the people will turn round to give approval and charge people for digging boreholes. Since the bill contravenes parts of the Constitution and relevant judicial authorities, some states and cultural groups have accused the federal government of seeking to takeover the water resources of some sections of the country in order to implement the obnoxious rural grazing policy through the back door. In its highlights, the national Water Resources Bill empowers the Minister of Water Resources to formulate water resources management strategy to guide integrated planning, management, development, use and conservation of the nation's water resources and provide guidance for the formulation of hydrological area resources strategies under section 94 of the bill. The bill creates a commission regulate, protect, conserve and control water resources identified by the bill as water sources crossing state boundaries in accordance with section 2 as well as the first schedule to the bill for equitable and sustainable social and economic development, and to maintain environmental integrity. In his own criticism of bill, a human rights activist and senior advocate of Nigeria, Chief Femi Falana averred the following illegal provisions of the National Water Resources Bill: "Contrary to the provisions of the proposed bill, the federal government cannot authorise or licence persons who may want to sink boreholes outside the federal capital territory. In Attorney General of Lagos State versus Attorney General of the Federation, the Supreme Court held that the power over physical planning in any state of the Federation is exclusively vested in the state government and that the National Assembly lacks the power to legislate on physical planning outside of the federal capital territory. In Attorney General of Lagos State versus Attorney General of the Federation(2003) 4 WRN 124 the Supreme Court (per Uwaifo JSC) held that "In the circumstances, I have to say that Professor Osinbajo is right, in my view, in his submission that urban and regional planning for the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja is within the exclusive legislative function of the National Assembly but only by virtue of section 299(a) conferring residual power on it and not the controversial section 20 of the Constitution." Similarly, each State House of Assembly has the exclusive function to make planning laws and regulations for the state under its residual power. It follows that the National Assembly cannot make a law in the form and detail of the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Decree 88 of 1992. That will be in clear breach of the principles of federalism and an incursion into the legislative jurisdiction of the states. But the National Assembly can make planning laws for the Federal Capital Territory. Again the National Assembly cannot enact any law, in contravention of the Constitution, imposing any responsibility on a state and expect obedience to such a law. It is a noncontroversial philosophy of federalism that the federal government does not exercise supervisory authority over the state government." Senior Advocate Falana went further that in granting the reliefs sought by the plaintiff, the Supreme Court held that urban and regional planning as well as physical development were residual matters within the exclusive legislative and executive competence of the state governments. It is therefore submitted that on the authority of the Supreme Court, the bill seeking to confer power on the federal government to give approval or licence for digging boreholes in any part of the country is illegal and unconstitutional. In Nkwocha versus Governor of Anambra State (1984) 1 SCNLR 634 at 652, the Supreme Court held that the Land Use Act is not an integral part of the Constitution but claims the special protection of section 9(2) of the Constitution in terms of its amendment. It was however, made clear by the Court that the land comprised in a state is vested in the governor of that state. Even during the military regime of President Ibrahim Babangida, the people of Nigeria resisted attempts to takeover landed properties by decrees. The most daring decision to corner land in Lagos State and other states was the enactment of the Lands Decree 52 of 1993. The decree vested ownership, control and management of all land within 100 metres of the 1967 shoreline of Nigeria and any other land reclaimed from any lagoon, sea, ocean in Nigeria. The commencement date of that decree was to be 1 January 1975, a day when the Yakubu Gowon junta was still in power. In the ensuing Elegushi versus Federal Attorney General (2000) JELR 57863 the Constitutional validity of the decree was challenged. The trial judge, Odunowo J. struck down the decree on grounds of inconsistency with the rights of the indigenous land owners in Lagos State. Instead of funding state and local governments to provide water to the people the federal government is only desirous of granting approval for the sinking of boreholes for commercial purposes. It is unfortunate that federal government is so ignorant that the indiscriminate sinking of boreholes will lead to upsetting the water table and thereby increasing the risk of earthquakes in Nigeria. Indeed, Lagos State successfully challenged the power of the federal government in unreported (CA/886/14) where the Court of Appeal held that the Inland Waterways within Lagos State are not and cannot by any interpretation be covered by the exclusive legislative list under part 1 to the Second Schedule of the Constitution. It was the unanimous decision of the Court that the Lagos State House of Assembly has exclusive powers to legislate on inland waterways in Lagos State. Therefore, from the unambiguous provisions of the Water Resources Bill 2020, it is indisputable that its sponsors have not adverted their minds to the relevant cases decided by the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal which have upheld the exclusive powers of state governments over land use, physical planning and inland waterways in the coastal states. Thus, the implications of the bill are that it is dead on arrival because the bill is illegal and unconstitutional. The bill should be withdrawn and the legislators should stop confusing the Nigerian people.

The Bubble Burst

A review by Bayo Ogunmupe The Bubble Burst is the latest fictional genre to burst forth from the laptop of Femi Ibirogba of The Guardian newspapers. It is his first novel after many short stories. First published in September 2020, in paperback by Kraftgriots, a literary imprint of Kraft Books Limited, Ibadan, Nigeria. The short novel is written in intellectual language of the academic community and woven together with beautiful images. Janet Kuti and Sandra Omar became friends on being admitted as undergraduates studying law at Open Air University. Both girls have to make lifetime decisions in the course of their future careers in the practice of law. Ibirogba the author uses conversational language to espouse profound ideologies and imagery. With developed characters, perhaps too matured for their ages, the author describes the academic realities in our institutions of higher learning. The Bubble Burst has 18 chapters, 130 pages showcasing the hurdles, deceptions and pitfalls students go through in our universities.It is an eye opening reading for would be university students. The protagonist of the novel, Janet, wants to take after her politician father. Through campus politics, she learns the ropes to political power. Unlike real life Nigerian political parties bereft of ideologies, the Open Air University political parties are torn between conservatism and socialism. "The socialists had the better manifesto. They were well versed in political philosophy and resolute against all forms of maladministration and exploitation. The members were highly indoctrinated with socialist principles of equal rights and justice; and equitable distribution of the commonwealth. Capitalism was seen and taught as an aberration and a class weapon." Janet would want to share the ideas of the socialists who she admired generally. The socialist leader, Afroman is the one Janet admired the most. The polymath is a law undergraduate, intrepid and versed in the socialist doctrines of dialectic materialism. Afroman was popularly referred to as the Aluta Bulldozer of the struggle and indeed, the most salient Aluta commander in the university. Another activist admired by Janet on the campus was a clever young man, a medical student noted for his wisdom and erudition. Which was why he was nicknamed Aristotle, was so named because he was wise in the manner of Aristotle 384-322 B.C. the Greek philosopher and logician, the pupil of Plato and who was tutor to Alexander the Great. Those who loved and respected him gave him the nickname for being so well equipped with political philosophy and the art of politics. He was one of the greatest orators their students' union ever produced. "He was the Squealer in George Orwell's Animal Farm." Janet was free to do whatever she liked with her life on the campus. But she rejected ignoble behaviour. "Her itinerary on campus was from her room to the lecture theatre and from lecture theatre to the library. It was a deliberate regimental lifestyle. And in the room, when she was not cooking or reading, for she was a voracious reader, she would be listening to music. It was her way of relaxation. Music relieved her of academic tension and rejuvenated her for greater performance." On campus, every student was free to do whatever she liked as long as it did not infringe on the rights and privileges of others. Though there were dress codes, they were usually disobeyed by students who wanted attention. Attention seeking is a common sign of adolescence. "As there were many intellectually sound and virtuous students, so were student commercial sex workers. There were regular night clubbers. They would dress flamboyantly. Ladies were heavily cosmetic. These undergraduates did not believe in industry or endurance. To them, life was supposed to be a bed of roses. Study was secondary on their list of priorities." After all they can buy marks with their bodies. Success in life isn't what you know it is who you know. There were rumours of undergraduates who had their photographs at various hotels with their names, room numbers, and ages written on the opposite sides of the photographs. There were boys who worked with them. They never cared for the consequences of the racket to their education. An epicurean lifestyle these group settled for. Many wondered what university education was becoming. Any wonder, Nigeria has one Nobel laureate to 200 million people while Israel has 14 to nine million people. Our lackadaisical attitude to life will get us no where. The most notorious among student pimps was called Pallad. He had the photographs of all campus racketeers at his disposal. The racketeers believe in using what they had to get what they did not have. Pallad had spent six years studying a four year course before janet entered the university. Academics and politicians did deals with him. He thrived from these deals throughout his stay on the campus. At a point he was arrested, accused of being a cultist. After police investigation, he was freed but warned to stay off crime by the police. "Perhaps misery, vices and social maladies are nor divine. They are the results of how a society is organized. They are concomitants of a system that intentionally destroys everything that is rational and just for self gratification and avarice. When a government cannot alleviate poverty and those in power cannot see beyond themselves, a country becomes the breeding ground for the morally depraved.....Unemployment is the mother of poverty and grandmother of prostitution, drug trafficking and kidnapping. An increasing crime rate is the aftermath of how a society organizes itself." The examinations came and went, but Janet found it difficult to readjust to her old routine. Her sleep became erratic when she went back home for the short after exam break. After a few weeks Janet readjusted. Her total grade in the first semester exam placed her solidly in the first class rating and that became her hallmark throughout college. However, Janet didn't have things smooth sailing. A flirtatious lecturer, intoxicated by her beauty, approached Janet for love. Janet turned him down. However, the tutor found opportunity for vengeance when Janet registered for a course in his department. "Feeling rejected the tutor retaliated and Janet failed the course. But certain of her preparedness, Janet lodged a complaint with the university authorities. The university called for her exam script, reassigned it to another lecturer; surprisingly, she emerged the best. An investigation exposed the agenda of the tutor and he was suspended for one year without pay. The episode perplexed Janet." "She didn't mean to jeopardise anybody's career or income; she just wanted justice. If she had foreseen the momentous aftermath, she would not have lodged any complaint against the lecturer, she thought. "I did not know it would be as grave as that," she said ruefully to her friend." Eventually Janet became a celebrity on campus. Her contributions to the Union of Campus Journalists were commendable leading to her being appointed assistant president of the union. She also won the union's best reporter of the year award. As precursor to her political plans, Janet became active in the Women Liberation Movement. She would think that political and economic superiority complexes of men were artificial and calculated to keep women miserable and perpetuate injustice. Thereafter, Janet contested and won the post of her Hall of residence, Moris Hall. "Politics is a means to an end. And the participation of right-thinking people becomes inevitable because allowing rouges and mediocre individuals to manage the affairs of people will always breed system failures. More importantly, my ambition arises from my intention to better the lots of Moris Queens of whom you are one," janet said. Midway through her studies at Open Air University, Janet Kuti also contested and won at Afri-Theatre, the beauty pageant named: The Most beautiful Girl on the Nigerian Campus from where she won $10,000. But along the way she contracted HIV disease which was diagnosed while trying to help her bosom friend Sandra Omar who had an accident. She even gave her car to Sandra while contemplating suicide over her plight. But she was miraculously relieved on hearing from television that a cure for HIV had been found. This book is good for the adolescent who has just found the sexual freedom bestowed to the young adult away from parents acquiring higher education. I recommend it for adoption as textbook for tertiary institutions by the Federal Ministry of Education. It is a guide for social behaviour. The author, Femi Ibirogba is an award winning journalist. He is currently working with The Guardian Group of Newspapers, Lagos Nigeria. He heads the Agriculture desk with decades of experience in journalism. He holds degrees in Education from Obafemi Awolowo University and the post graduate certificate in Advanced Writing and Reporting Skills of the Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos, Nigeria. I commend The Bubble Burst to your kind attention and perusal.