kenosky:

[size=13pt]IF I HEAR ONE MORE BANTER OVER DIS EMEAGWALI (WHO IM B SELF? NA NAME OF CAR?) AGAIN- I GO AND IF I VEX, SOMEBODY MUST TO COS I NO GO FIND AM . UNA HEAR MI SO ? GOOD MORNING TO ALL OF UNU PEOPLE? HAVE A LOVELY WEEKEND AHEAD AND TGIF (THANK GOD ITS FRIDAY! ) [/size]

opokonwa:

@Kuwena
No point going back and forth.
This talk ain't about you and you alone.
Neither is it about you and I alone.

I'm as pissed off with the calibre of leaders that this country has produced up till date.
If they are not stealing from the home front, they are ignoring the country from the foreign scene.

If they are so good and become high achievers, they are thinking of themselves only
It is for themselves, pockets, bellies and nuclear families only.

And when I see the same trend from our generation, even before opportunites open to us, I get more pissed
Where are we going?

We need to start thinking beyond our present comforts. _{and personal gains.}
If we get the thoughts right, then we may get the actions right when power and opportunities open to us.
And those times are coming!

opokonwa:

Oga Kenosky, you blame me?
I never experienced any tremor in my life, so I wouldn't know
Thank God you're still alive 'cause no be ghost dey post
But don't turn it into an earthquake yet, the news say na tremor

where u for get ur own gist so opoks baba? 5.3 na tremor? afterall d same news na im report say people die when na only one major injury dem report. Guy, stop reading the Sun newspapers o

No bickerings; just a healthy argument that has a potential of raising some nerves.

pak:

Kenosky Sorry O!,
e be like say the tremor affected you a wee bit
why are you thanking God for Friday on a Thursday?
Softly O my brother

WORD! u with opoks na guru- i wanted to c how many couldnt wait for saturday! , kai menini, una smart no b small o!

@all
How una dey

adrianic:

guys,
its been a really long time.congrats on our entry into the centennial page.

d understatement of the century!

kenosky,no vex for your guy.i dey hussle now like mad.time no too dey again.

eh ya, good to know u r doin great sha!

kuwena:

Today is a very emotional day for me. Every 28th of February is. On this very day four years ago, I took the most radical decision of my whole life. How did it begin? And so it happens that since after February 28, 2004 I have had to mark that day as a recurring anniversary. I usually go to a fast food joint, or cook myself a meal to mark it. Today I went with a friend to Mr. Bigg's.

On February 28, 2004 I sat on my mattress on the floor of my room in my uncle's house at Owerri. I relived my past, my present and my future, and all I saw was darkness. So I got up, in the insanity of anger and picked my small travel bag; then I walked up to my so-called uncle in the sitting room. I told him: 'I am leaving; I am leaving your house for good.' He looked at me awhile, and then threw his head back and laughed loud and good. Then he said, 'Your father thought he was a disciplined man, that he was discipline itself. Where is he today? Is he not six feet in the grave? And you are going the same way!' I retorted: 'Back to sender.' And with that, I was on my way, out into the world.

Life seemed to be giving me a choice between two alternatives: have a family and be unsuccessful all through life, or forsake your family and thrive. I chose the latter. That fateful day, when I walked out on family, I chose to be successful, even if it meant sacrificing them. And I have not looked back.

When I left, I had nowhere to go to, but somehow, I had to keep running, and that race has now lasted four years. Still I am not tired. In Igbo culture we say, oso ndu anaghi agwu ike (the race of life is not tiring). And I will continue to run, as far as my legs will take me. Away from mediocrity, away from poverty; away from death.

How did I realize I had to run? From the day I set foot to live in that house in 1996, till the day I ran in 2004, life never seemed to go straight; but from the day I ran until now, life has advanced; in these four years, I have graduated, served and begun working. As if everything is starting afresh again, after all the pervasive darkness, of dropping out of both FUTO and the seminary, and all the other frustrations besides. And life is all an adventure now; an intriguing movie. Exciting, terrifying, almost unreal; yet I go on living.

The climax of the suffering under the oppression of my extended family was an event that took place on 15th November, 2003; the Rat episode; it is written in Ninety Negro Numbers, and an excerpt copied directly from the manuscript is afforded below:



It was ten at night when the fiend came home that day. As usual, I was still studying on the verandah. He called me to lock the gates. We all went to bed. Suddenly, I awoke. There was a rat on my chest! I was horrified. At once, it jumped off and tried to get out through the window; it was locked. Then the mouse tried the side door; it was stuffed underneath with paper. Then it stayed still, unable to escape. I stared at it, and then opened the main door and spoke, ‘Leave.’

As if the rat perfectly understood English, it walked straight out the door, neither swerving left nor right. I felt enough was enough. This juju manipulation had to stop. I began to pray. I prayed long and hard, from twelve midnight to broad daylight morning. At the final amen, I opened the curtains and the sun greeted me. I stepped out of my room and grabbed a bucket to go wash my so-called uncle’s car. Usually, every morning, I would wash his car, sweep the verandah and finally rake the compound. This morning, however, after washing the car, I was going to drop the bucket when the fiend, Ambrose Chukwuma Nze, confronted me. He asked what I had been doing all through the night. I told him about the rat, and that I had been praying, and he at once declared I wanted to kill him! I asked him if he was the rat. He said for me to keep shut, that I was wicked, and that he was going to tell everybody that I wanted to kill him, an ungrateful fellow I was.
‘So you want to kill me,’ he sniffed.
I said nothing.
‘You told me that I would die, my children would cry; you would be laughing and burying me.’
‘Really? When?’
‘Shut up! Ungrateful boy, you also said that the Nze family would fall, and only you would stand.’
‘Me?’
‘Keep quiet, O keep quiet you wicked boy! So you want to kill me, because I killed your father?’ And he turned his face away.

Was this a revelation or something? Had this beast actually killed Patrick Azunna Nze, his immediate elder brother? He continued to mutter, and I to stare at him. Jesus, what was happening?

Reader, pray never to experience what I did after that day. He began carrying his double-barreled gun about whenever I was in the house. He refused me to wash his car, to sweep the verandah or to rake the grounds. Once when I tried to take the rake from him, he shuddered and shifted. ‘Leave me-o! Leave me!’

And the nightmares? The poisonings – O my God! I probably died seven times over, but then a cat has nine lives, and my yahoo avatar is the bespectacled feline. I bear a charmed life. Odieshi! If you buy my soon-to-be-published autobiographical novel, you will get the details. It is a long, long, very long and intriguing story, my whole life.


This, you must know, is my favorite number. I am not a musician myself, but I have long converted it to a song, to be played on the drums, with the samba dance. The rhythm is so obvious that any fool can make a song of the piece, and a lively one at that.

After making the poem a spirited song, the next is to get drummers and shekere players, who should play with gusto. Then, the making of the mimers: Get a middle aged, black man to play Ambrose, and also a set of dancers, maybe twelve or so, all dressed in traditional African dance attire. The drummers and the shekere players (and if you can mange wind instruments too, get flutists) are all positioned at a corner of the stage, playing and producing veritable beat. Then enter the lad who hops onto the stage and begins to dance. O dear, how do I describe the particular dance I have in mind? He pushes out his chest at the words ‘with rat on my chest’ and sucks it in again; then he kicks his feet, and mimes a prayer session in dance (do you get the picture?), and then he moves three or four paces back, grabs a bucket, tosses it up and flings it aside; then his dance steps become more regular, mostly shoulder and hip movements consonating with the music of the instruments. At the point after the first two stanzas, when he begins to question the fiend who, all this while has stood still, head bowed and arms folded across his chest,

Am I to kill you to make meat for soup
Am I to kill you to use as kpomo?

he turns to face the middle aged man, who jerks in turn to face the lad. At once, the other dancers fall in behind the boy, dancing synchronously, hands pushed out at the fiend in accusatory stance, bodies moving expertly to the beat. They advance one or two paces, and the fiend shifts back in fear. After the word, kpomo, the dancers step off the stage expertly and neatly, and the fiend points at the lad who is now facing him still dancing defiantly, even if now alone:

He pointed at me and grit his brown teeth
He began to say all what I had not.

The man’s mouth does move, but of course it is the lad who is singing. After the next set of lines,

That he would soon die, his children would cry
The Nze’s would fall and I alone stand,

has been mimed and sung, the dancers come again and fall in behind the lad, stretching their hands towards the fiend, singing and dancing to the beat:

Am I a dreamer, saying this and that
Am I a dreamer that you hear me foul?

And after the word, ‘foul,’ they hop off stage again. This becomes the repeated procedure: the lad and the man mime the activity in each set of two stanzas, the lad singing and dancing, the man on the defensive; and at every refrain, the dancing group hops onto the stage to join the lad in challenging his enemy with rhetorical questions. The drums and other musical instruments play on; dancing endures with singing till the end. Curtains.


You Want to Kill Me

With rat on my chest
I had to pray hard
I pleaded with God
From midnight till dawn

I grabbed a bucket
To rub down his car
But this man intoned
You want to kill me

Am I to kill you
To make meat for soup
Am I to kill you
To use as kpomo?

He pointed at me
And grit his brown teeth
He began to say
All what I had not

That he would soon die
His children would cry
The Nzes would fall
And I alone stand

Am I a dreamer
Saying this and that
Am I a dreamer
That you hear me foul?

He said to keep shut
That I was wicked
He'd tell the whole world
I needed him dead

He fetched his dane gun
To keep at his side
That when I was near
He'd ward off the threat

Am I an uze
To keep me a gun
Am I an uze
The type you shoot at?

He quarreled with me
And sent me demons
Concoctions and spells
Witches and devils

He called a dibah
To poison my food
He fashioned a charm
To secure my death

Do you want my corpse
For sniffing the ooze
Do you want my corpse
For drinking the blood?

I had to escape
I couldn't stay on
He was determined
To ensure my doom

I packed up my bag
And made for the road
I would change my name
To Munachukwu

Is kinship by force
When you want me dead
Is kinship by force
With God on my side?

I was a free man
Now so for three years
I left them for good
Never to return

I did suffer much
I wept and I pained
I did everything
To eke out a life

Am I not to live
In my own country
Am I not to live
In my fatherland?

But I didn't lose
See how much I've grown
My chest fends the wind
O stay back, I say!

Assurance increased
I face the wild west
Ready for all things
Because I'm a man

Am I not Negroid
The eye of the sun
Am I not Negroid
The hope of the world?

(Cf Ninety Negro Numbers, pages 67-72)

I wish myself a happy fourth year anniversary of liberation. Amen.

kuwena:

Today is a very emotional day for me. Every 28th of February is. On this very day four years ago, I took the most radical decision of my whole life. How did it begin? And so it happens that since after February 28, 2004 I have had to mark that day as a recurring anniversary. I usually go to a fast food joint, or cook myself a meal to mark it. Today I went with a friend to Mr. Bigg's.

On February 28, 2004 I sat on my mattress on the floor of my room in my uncle's house at Owerri. I relived my past, my present and my future, and all I saw was darkness. So I got up, in the insanity of anger and picked my small travel bag; then I walked up to my so-called uncle in the sitting room. I told him: 'I am leaving; I am leaving your house for good.' He looked at me awhile, and then threw his head back and laughed loud and good. Then he said, 'Your father thought he was a disciplined man, that he was discipline itself. Where is he today? Is he not six feet in the grave? And you are going the same way!' I retorted: 'Back to sender.' And with that, I was on my way, out into the world.

Life seemed to be giving me a choice between two alternatives: have a family and be unsuccessful all through life, or forsake your family and thrive. I chose the latter. That fateful day, when I walked out on family, I chose to be successful, even if it meant sacrificing them. And I have not looked back.

When I left, I had nowhere to go to, but somehow, I had to keep running, and that race has now lasted four years. Still I am not tired. In Igbo culture we say, oso ndu anaghi agwu ike (the race of life is not tiring). And I will continue to run, as far as my legs will take me. Away from mediocrity, away from poverty; away from death.

How did I realize I had to run? From the day I set foot to live in that house in 1996, till the day I ran in 2004, life never seemed to go straight; but from the day I ran until now, life has advanced; in these four years, I have graduated, served and begun working. As if everything is starting afresh again, after all the pervasive darkness, of dropping out of both FUTO and the seminary, and all the other frustrations besides. And life is all an adventure now; an intriguing movie. Exciting, terrifying, almost unreal; yet I go on living.

The climax of the suffering under the oppression of my extended family was an event that took place on 15th November, 2003; the Rat episode; it is written in Ninety Negro Numbers, and an excerpt copied directly from the manuscript is afforded below:



It was ten at night when the fiend came home that day. As usual, I was still studying on the verandah. He called me to lock the gates. We all went to bed. Suddenly, I awoke. There was a rat on my chest! I was horrified. At once, it jumped off and tried to get out through the window; it was locked. Then the mouse tried the side door; it was stuffed underneath with paper. Then it stayed still, unable to escape. I stared at it, and then opened the main door and spoke, ‘Leave.’

As if the rat perfectly understood English, it walked straight out the door, neither swerving left nor right. I felt enough was enough. This juju manipulation had to stop. I began to pray. I prayed long and hard, from twelve midnight to broad daylight morning. At the final amen, I opened the curtains and the sun greeted me. I stepped out of my room and grabbed a bucket to go wash my so-called uncle’s car. Usually, every morning, I would wash his car, sweep the verandah and finally rake the compound. This morning, however, after washing the car, I was going to drop the bucket when the fiend, Ambrose Chukwuma Nze, confronted me. He asked what I had been doing all through the night. I told him about the rat, and that I had been praying, and he at once declared I wanted to kill him! I asked him if he was the rat. He said for me to keep shut, that I was wicked, and that he was going to tell everybody that I wanted to kill him, an ungrateful fellow I was.
‘So you want to kill me,’ he sniffed.
I said nothing.
‘You told me that I would die, my children would cry; you would be laughing and burying me.’
‘Really? When?’
‘Shut up! Ungrateful boy, you also said that the Nze family would fall, and only you would stand.’
‘Me?’
‘Keep quiet, O keep quiet you wicked boy! So you want to kill me, because I killed your father?’ And he turned his face away.

Was this a revelation or something? Had this beast actually killed Patrick Azunna Nze, his immediate elder brother? He continued to mutter, and I to stare at him. Jesus, what was happening?

Reader, pray never to experience what I did after that day. He began carrying his double-barreled gun about whenever I was in the house. He refused me to wash his car, to sweep the verandah or to rake the grounds. Once when I tried to take the rake from him, he shuddered and shifted. ‘Leave me-o! Leave me!’

And the nightmares? The poisonings – O my God! I probably died seven times over, but then a cat has nine lives, and my yahoo avatar is the bespectacled feline. I bear a charmed life. Odieshi! If you buy my soon-to-be-published autobiographical novel, you will get the details. It is a long, long, very long and intriguing story, my whole life.


This, you must know, is my favorite number. I am not a musician myself, but I have long converted it to a song, to be played on the drums, with the samba dance. The rhythm is so obvious that any fool can make a song of the piece, and a lively one at that.

After making the poem a spirited song, the next is to get drummers and shekere players, who should play with gusto. Then, the making of the mimers: Get a middle aged, black man to play Ambrose, and also a set of dancers, maybe twelve or so, all dressed in traditional African dance attire. The drummers and the shekere players (and if you can mange wind instruments too, get flutists) are all positioned at a corner of the stage, playing and producing veritable beat. Then enter the lad who hops onto the stage and begins to dance. O dear, how do I describe the particular dance I have in mind? He pushes out his chest at the words ‘with rat on my chest’ and sucks it in again; then he kicks his feet, and mimes a prayer session in dance (do you get the picture?), and then he moves three or four paces back, grabs a bucket, tosses it up and flings it aside; then his dance steps become more regular, mostly shoulder and hip movements consonating with the music of the instruments. At the point after the first two stanzas, when he begins to question the fiend who, all this while has stood still, head bowed and arms folded across his chest,

Am I to kill you to make meat for soup
Am I to kill you to use as kpomo?

he turns to face the middle aged man, who jerks in turn to face the lad. At once, the other dancers fall in behind the boy, dancing synchronously, hands pushed out at the fiend in accusatory stance, bodies moving expertly to the beat. They advance one or two paces, and the fiend shifts back in fear. After the word, kpomo, the dancers step off the stage expertly and neatly, and the fiend points at the lad who is now facing him still dancing defiantly, even if now alone:

He pointed at me and grit his brown teeth
He began to say all what I had not.

The man’s mouth does move, but of course it is the lad who is singing. After the next set of lines,

That he would soon die, his children would cry
The Nze’s would fall and I alone stand,

has been mimed and sung, the dancers come again and fall in behind the lad, stretching their hands towards the fiend, singing and dancing to the beat:

Am I a dreamer, saying this and that
Am I a dreamer that you hear me foul?

And after the word, ‘foul,’ they hop off stage again. This becomes the repeated procedure: the lad and the man mime the activity in each set of two stanzas, the lad singing and dancing, the man on the defensive; and at every refrain, the dancing group hops onto the stage to join the lad in challenging his enemy with rhetorical questions. The drums and other musical instruments play on; dancing endures with singing till the end. Curtains.


You Want to Kill Me

With rat on my chest
I had to pray hard
I pleaded with God
From midnight till dawn

I grabbed a bucket
To rub down his car
But this man intoned
You want to kill me

Am I to kill you
To make meat for soup
Am I to kill you
To use as kpomo?

He pointed at me
And grit his brown teeth
He began to say
All what I had not

That he would soon die
His children would cry
The Nzes would fall
And I alone stand

Am I a dreamer
Saying this and that
Am I a dreamer
That you hear me foul?

He said to keep shut
That I was wicked
He'd tell the whole world
I needed him dead

He fetched his dane gun
To keep at his side
That when I was near
He'd ward off the threat

Am I an uze
To keep me a gun
Am I an uze
The type you shoot at?

He quarreled with me
And sent me demons
Concoctions and spells
Witches and devils

He called a dibah
To poison my food
He fashioned a charm
To secure my death

Do you want my corpse
For sniffing the ooze
Do you want my corpse
For drinking the blood?

I had to escape
I couldn't stay on
He was determined
To ensure my doom

I packed up my bag
And made for the road
I would change my name
To Munachukwu

Is kinship by force
When you want me dead
Is kinship by force
With God on my side?

I was a free man
Now so for three years
I left them for good
Never to return

I did suffer much
I wept and I pained
I did everything
To eke out a life

Am I not to live
In my own country
Am I not to live
In my fatherland?

But I didn't lose
See how much I've grown
My chest fends the wind
O stay back, I say!

Assurance increased
I face the wild west
Ready for all things
Because I'm a man

Am I not Negroid
The eye of the sun
Am I not Negroid
The hope of the world?

(Cf Ninety Negro Numbers, pages 67-72)

I wish myself a happy fourth year anniversary of liberation. Amen.

trinitech:

Hi guys.
hope you engineers et'all are having fun, and learning too.

Here's some of my thoughts. Hope you find it interesting; and you can access a lot more interesting content at www.adetayo..com

Prince Harry in Afghanistan! Classic Leadership / MBWA example

Tom Peters, alumnus of the management consulting firm of McKinsey & Company and one of today's best known and highest paid management gurus, first came to prominence in 1982 with his ‘knock-out’ book; In Search of Excellence. This thought-provoking classic provided us with many valuable lessons from America's Best-Run Companies.

In his first book, Peters introduced us to the key concept of MBWA (Management By Wandering Around). MBWA does not mean leaving your responsibilities behind as you stroll through the nearest shopping mall. According to him, to "wander" with customers and vendors and our own people, is to be in touch with the first vibrations of the new. Pretty self explanatory!

To illustrate: in our highly digitised natural gas processing plant, we have sensors that are connected to and closely monitor all plant conditions (pressure, temperature…e.t.c) and give instant feedback to enable instant response in emergencies. (Our plants are multi-billion dollar metals that deserve world-class monitoring and protection)
A key characteristic of effective leadership is its ability to detect changes in the eco-system and execute a seamless transition program that responds appropriately.

The nexus between MBWA and Prince Harry should be quite clear now. What on earth would a Royal and possible heir to the throne (King of England) be doing in war front you might ask (and I asked too!), particularly in a country notorious for insurgency, a drug-based economy and base for international terrorism Harry has spent about 10 weeks there now, and seems to be enjoying the experience of rendering service to his nation.

No pun intended, but you and I would quite agree that this isn’t a frequent occurrence in Nigeria, and by extension Africa (Where so-called leaders live in fortresses, and claim to defend the plight of the poor by ruling from those same palaces).
Harry has often been portrayed as the black sheep of the family, but his recent accomplishments speak volumes. The decision of the Royal family to allow their son to pursue his dreams also deserves applaud.

I believe Leadership largely involves experiencing and possessing the ability to relate to what every other person feels. If I can’t empathize with you, and relate with you on your level, why should I qualify to lead you?

Rick Warren in his classic “purpose driven life” talks about the strategy adopted by Saddleback, His Church. He says people who have had terrible experiences in the past, but overcame them (by God’s help of course!) are commissioned to lead and coordinate ministry arms that reach out to youths and others experiencing the same pain. In essence, the fact that you experienced and overcame a particular challenge puts you in a much better position to rescue those having similar experiences.

It’s not cast in stone that you must be an ex-evil (or have had a terrible experience) to help others, but the truth is adversity fortifies and places one in better stead to help others overcome. (I guess if Christ himself had to shed eternal glory momentarily and endure unimaginable pain to save us, then any serious minded leader must be willing to identify with his constituency)

And one more example: Barack Obama – I’m not exactly a fan, but I believe his life experiences, humble beginnings and past voluntary work have significantly aided his campaign. People are naturally drawn to those they view as having the ability to understand their needs and view points. God help Hillary as the Obama Machine seems to have stockpiles of ammo and WMDs that could keep up with the annihilation.

From a business perspective, David Packard had this to say about MBWA:


Straightforward as it sounds, there are some subtleties and requirements that go with MBWA, if it's done reluctantly or infrequently, it just won't work. It needs to be frequent, friendly, unfocused, and unscheduled—but far from pointless.

Here are some tips on how to practice MBWA:

Include affected employees / team members in goal setting.
Give frequent and meaningful recognition for a job well done.
Interact with employees on an informal basis.
Go to staff's work area. Meet them on their own turf.
Ask for staff's opinions and listen with an open mind.
Share non-confidential information with staff.
Offset demoralizing actions and events by emphasizing what went well
Listen 80% of the time and talk 20%.
MBWA works best when you are genuinely interested in people / employees and in their work and when they see you as being there to listen.

Time to add some credentials to our names folks! Check this out:
Adetayo Bamiduro, MBWA (Pretty cool! or what do you think)

AlfaPrime:

I thank you all. When I was a Christian, one of the psalms I loved was Psalm 131. In the first part of that psalm, the songist said: 'Yahweh, I am not proud!' I second him. Indeed, I am not proud.

I have got admission to do a master's in the course I love best, in a standard American school (name of school deliberately withheld), and am being offered a GTA; but what if I package the admission letter, and the I-20, and my transcript, and all what not, and go to the Embassy and they see all these documents, and still deny me a visa? What then? I would still be back to square one. So I know it is not yet uhuru. NLNG has taught me certain things: Do not count your chicks before they are hatched. And I will not do so. I will patiently begin to plan my embassy interview, with my fingers crossed.

The reason I went all emotional and started saying I would give my life for the USA and all what not is simple. I had just received the letter, and I was ecstatic; but now that I have allowed sufficient time to pass, I can reflect. What touched me about Professor Pat's letter was the language she used. For someone that has just been rejected by NLNG, words like: your credentials are very impressive; you will add greatly to our graduate community here; I look forward to seeing you; you are admitted on full graduate standing; welcome to the Graduate school, and all what not, simply made me feel wanted. I had felt rejected in my own country, and the USA seemed to be welcoming me with open arms; an orphan boy like me. How could I not feel love for them?

Anyway, I know it is not yet Uhuru. I know this too well. Let's see how the big one goes, the embassy battle. That is the big one. The real maccoy!





@Kuwena,

You said, "when You were a Christian", may I ask what You are now?

Am also happy for u that u've calmed down and allowed commonsense to prevail after your initial near-hysteric excitement over the admission. It never ceases to make me wonder silently whenever I see people so excited about leaving our country Nigeria for greener pastures abroad. Guys, my prayer for us all is that we come to the point where travelling to the US or anywhere else will be normal and usual, like a pasttime, not a thing to break our heads over. When I got my letter informing me that I had passed the NLNG test, I injured myself with excitement and nearly lost my life, but it taught me sober lessons. When God in his infinite mercy later blessed me with a much more expensive multi-million naira job, I was much calmer, because I had realised by then that His plans for me are much greater than even my greatest hopes and dreams. He's indeed a loving God and a great Father!

ANother thing I must say here, Kuwena, (and to all landers) is that we must have a positive attitude to Nigeria. mark my words, and go confirm them on the net, there is NO CRIME, MISFORTUNE, CORRUPTION OR DISCOMFORT that You see in this country, that does not much more abound in the USA. from violent robbery/crime, rape, car-snatching, , name it! I have seen riots and mob action happening on the streets on US (in this 21st century!) over a hit and run driver, it's just that, the truth remains, the system there works far better than our system here, because nearly everyone behaves themselves and respects the rule of law. So please, we still have a future and a hope here. I work with Americans in my company, and many of them have a deep respect for this country, despite the fact that it's obvious our leaders have shortchanged us. One of them once told me quite frankly, that he thinks the NYSC scheme is one thing that makes Nigeria so great and unique. Imagine!

Finally, remain blessed all. Prepare very well for your Visa interview, Kuwena. You may wish to visit the USIS at Broad Street, Lagos, to acquaint yourself on what is required for a successful interview. I want to believe that it's a credible school that's offering the admission, because, funny enof, there are some American schools whose admission and even scholarship CANNOT get u a scholarship.

Up Landers!!!

WORD! ALFA PRIME KUDOS

AlfaPrime:

I thank you all. When I was a Christian, one of the psalms I loved was Psalm 131. In the first part of that psalm, the songist said: 'Yahweh, I am not proud!' I second him. Indeed, I am not proud.

I have got admission to do a master's in the course I love best, in a standard American school (name of school deliberately withheld), and am being offered a GTA; but what if I package the admission letter, and the I-20, and my transcript, and all what not, and go to the Embassy and they see all these documents, and still deny me a visa? What then? I would still be back to square one. So I know it is not yet uhuru. NLNG has taught me certain things: Do not count your chicks before they are hatched. And I will not do so. I will patiently begin to plan my embassy interview, with my fingers crossed.

The reason I went all emotional and started saying I would give my life for the USA and all what not is simple. I had just received the letter, and I was ecstatic; but now that I have allowed sufficient time to pass, I can reflect. What touched me about Professor Pat's letter was the language she used. For someone that has just been rejected by NLNG, words like: your credentials are very impressive; you will add greatly to our graduate community here; I look forward to seeing you; you are admitted on full graduate standing; welcome to the Graduate school, and all what not, simply made me feel wanted. I had felt rejected in my own country, and the USA seemed to be welcoming me with open arms; an orphan boy like me. How could I not feel love for them?

Anyway, I know it is not yet Uhuru. I know this too well. Let's see how the big one goes, the embassy battle. That is the big one. The real maccoy!





@Kuwena,

You said, "when You were a Christian", may I ask what You are now?

Am also happy for u that u've calmed down and allowed commonsense to prevail after your initial near-hysteric excitement over the admission. It never ceases to make me wonder silently whenever I see people so excited about leaving our country Nigeria for greener pastures abroad. Guys, my prayer for us all is that we come to the point where travelling to the US or anywhere else will be normal and usual, like a pasttime, not a thing to break our heads over. When I got my letter informing me that I had passed the NLNG test, I injured myself with excitement and nearly lost my life, but it taught me sober lessons. When God in his infinite mercy later blessed me with a much more expensive multi-million naira job, I was much calmer, because I had realised by then that His plans for me are much greater than even my greatest hopes and dreams. He's indeed a loving God and a great Father!

ANother thing I must say here, Kuwena, (and to all landers) is that we must have a positive attitude to Nigeria. mark my words, and go confirm them on the net, there is NO CRIME, MISFORTUNE, CORRUPTION OR DISCOMFORT that You see in this country, that does not much more abound in the USA. from violent robbery/crime, rape, car-snatching, , name it! I have seen riots and mob action happening on the streets on US (in this 21st century!) over a hit and run driver, it's just that, the truth remains, the system there works far better than our system here, because nearly everyone behaves themselves and respects the rule of law. So please, we still have a future and a hope here. I work with Americans in my company, and many of them have a deep respect for this country, despite the fact that it's obvious our leaders have shortchanged us. One of them once told me quite frankly, that he thinks the NYSC scheme is one thing that makes Nigeria so great and unique. Imagine!

Finally, remain blessed all. Prepare very well for your Visa interview, Kuwena. You may wish to visit the USIS at Broad Street, Lagos, to acquaint yourself on what is required for a successful interview. I want to believe that it's a credible school that's offering the admission, because, funny enof, there are some American schools whose admission and even scholarship CANNOT get u a scholarship.

Up Landers!!!

kenosky:

trinity abi wetin u say your name be! which kain lengthy mail b this na? carry your tyme o abi u think say this place na dumping ground? no allow mi for u because i fit make u after u don .

tommyex:

Ken
no mind them jare,them muscle dey move them,anyway I don't mind you bringin a healthy fight with me,make we flex

Opoks
ehyah! sorry o,my sins may get more,but i hope u ll forgive as God does.

Kuwena
happy birthday/happy good day
i actualy read most of it,but weak eyes 2 show 4 it,nice post/story!

@ tommyex,
how far?how u dey?wetin u think say go happen for sat , sebi na sat we go get match
anyhow
dey pray say we go win because that Manchester United no wan gree#
anyhow enjoy

that he thinks the NYSC scheme is one thing that makes Nigeria so great and unique. Imagine!

Ken
notin do TRINI mail oo,infact i gained frm it,

im for send am to ur mail na!

Trini
welldone bro.

Hi guys.
hope you engineers et'all are having fun, and learning too.

Here's some of my thoughts. Hope you find it interesting; and you can access a lot more interesting content at www.adetayo..com

Prince Harry in Afghanistan! Classic Leadership / MBWA example

Tom Peters, alumnus of the management consulting firm of McKinsey & Company and one of today's best known and highest paid management gurus, first came to prominence in 1982 with his ‘knock-out’ book; In Search of Excellence. This thought-provoking classic provided us with many valuable lessons from America's Best-Run Companies.

In his first book, Peters introduced us to the key concept of MBWA (Management By Wandering Around). MBWA does not mean leaving your responsibilities behind as you stroll through the nearest shopping mall. According to him, to "wander" with customers and vendors and our own people, is to be in touch with the first vibrations of the new. Pretty self explanatory!

To illustrate: in our highly digitised natural gas processing plant, we have sensors that are connected to and closely monitor all plant conditions (pressure, temperature…e.t.c) and give instant feedback to enable instant response in emergencies. (Our plants are multi-billion dollar metals that deserve world-class monitoring and protection)
A key characteristic of effective leadership is its ability to detect changes in the eco-system and execute a seamless transition program that responds appropriately.

The nexus between MBWA and Prince Harry should be quite clear now. What on earth would a Royal and possible heir to the throne (King of England) be doing in war front you might ask (and I asked too!), particularly in a country notorious for insurgency, a drug-based economy and base for international terrorism Harry has spent about 10 weeks there now, and seems to be enjoying the experience of rendering service to his nation.

No pun intended, but you and I would quite agree that this isn’t a frequent occurrence in Nigeria, and by extension Africa (Where so-called leaders live in fortresses, and claim to defend the plight of the poor by ruling from those same palaces).
Harry has often been portrayed as the black sheep of the family, but his recent accomplishments speak volumes. The decision of the Royal family to allow their son to pursue his dreams also deserves applaud.

I believe Leadership largely involves experiencing and possessing the ability to relate to what every other person feels. If I can’t empathize with you, and relate with you on your level, why should I qualify to lead you?

Rick Warren in his classic “purpose driven life” talks about the strategy adopted by Saddleback, His Church. He says people who have had terrible experiences in the past, but overcame them (by God’s help of course!) are commissioned to lead and coordinate ministry arms that reach out to youths and others experiencing the same pain. In essence, the fact that you experienced and overcame a particular challenge puts you in a much better position to rescue those having similar experiences.

It’s not cast in stone that you must be an ex-evil (or have had a terrible experience) to help others, but the truth is adversity fortifies and places one in better stead to help others overcome. (I guess if Christ himself had to shed eternal glory momentarily and endure unimaginable pain to save us, then any serious minded leader must be willing to identify with his constituency)

And one more example: Barack Obama – I’m not exactly a fan, but I believe his life experiences, humble beginnings and past voluntary work have significantly aided his campaign. People are naturally drawn to those they view as having the ability to understand their needs and view points. God help Hillary as the Obama Machine seems to have stockpiles of ammo and WMDs that could keep up with the annihilation.

From a business perspective, David Packard had this to say about MBWA:


Straightforward as it sounds, there are some subtleties and requirements that go with MBWA, if it's done reluctantly or infrequently, it just won't work. It needs to be frequent, friendly, unfocused, and unscheduled—but far from pointless.

Here are some tips on how to practice MBWA:

Include affected employees / team members in goal setting.
Give frequent and meaningful recognition for a job well done.
Interact with employees on an informal basis.
Go to staff's work area. Meet them on their own turf.
Ask for staff's opinions and listen with an open mind.
Share non-confidential information with staff.
Offset demoralizing actions and events by emphasizing what went well
Listen 80% of the time and talk 20%.
MBWA works best when you are genuinely interested in people / employees and in their work and when they see you as being there to listen.

Time to add some credentials to our names folks! Check this out:
Adetayo Bamiduro, MBWA (Pretty cool! or what do you think)

@Kuwena,

You said, "when You were a Christian", may I ask what You are now?

Am also happy for u that u've calmed down and allowed commonsense to prevail after your initial near-hysteric excitement over the admission. It never ceases to make me wonder silently whenever I see people so excited about leaving our country Nigeria for greener pastures abroad. Guys, my prayer for us all is that we come to the point where travelling to the US or anywhere else will be normal and usual, like a pasttime, not a thing to break our heads over. When I got my letter informing me that I had passed the NLNG test, I injured myself with excitement and nearly lost my life, but it taught me sober lessons. When God in his infinite mercy later blessed me with a much more expensive multi-million naira job, I was much calmer, because I had realised by then that His plans for me are much greater than even my greatest hopes and dreams. He's indeed a loving God and a great Father!

ANother thing I must say here, Kuwena, (and to all landers) is that we must have a positive attitude to Nigeria. mark my words, and go confirm them on the net, there is NO CRIME, MISFORTUNE, CORRUPTION OR DISCOMFORT that You see in this country, that does not much more abound in the USA. from violent robbery/crime, rape, car-snatching, , name it! I have seen riots and mob action happening on the streets on US (in this 21st century!) over a hit and run driver, it's just that, the truth remains, the system there works far better than our system here, because nearly everyone behaves themselves and respects the rule of law. So please, we still have a future and a hope here. I work with Americans in my company, and many of them have a deep respect for this country, despite the fact that it's obvious our leaders have shortchanged us. One of them once told me quite frankly, that he thinks the NYSC scheme is one thing that makes Nigeria so great and unique. Imagine!

Finally, remain blessed all. Prepare very well for your Visa interview, Kuwena. You may wish to visit the USIS at Broad Street, Lagos, to acquaint yourself on what is required for a successful interview. I want to believe that it's a credible school that's offering the admission, because, funny enof, there are some American schools whose admission and even scholarship CANNOT get u a scholarship.

Up Landers!!!