Adrian, Opokonwa, Kenosky, Tolagbaju, Uche, Jill, and all the other posters, I salute-o!

I really don't know what to make of the feeling that our letters are out. The last time I called, the list of successful people was still under management scrutiny. And the person I spoke with did say that letters would be sent out to all those who participated, whether they were successful or not. Izi-n-bizi says he has strong reason to believe the letters are out. We all know there have been equally strong reasons to believe the same thing in the past.

We have two options (probably more). One could call their HR department and ask if it is true that the letters have been sent. Or we could just go on waiting, believing that God is in control. Either move takes strength. I myself prefer the former, and would have called them, but one or two people, whose opinions I respect have advised me not to call them again, after the last time I did.

So then, what must we do?

Thanks, Opokonwa for your interest in the Enneagram. You see, it is not surprising that you think you may be a Two; and that you are desirous of girls who are Type Nines. Jude thought he was a Two as well, once upon a time.

You requested to know a little more about the Twos. The Twos are controlled by the heart. So are the Threes and Fours. The Fives, Sixes and Sevens are controlled by the head, and the Eights, Nines and Ones are controlled by the gut. The Numbers controlled by the heart (Two, Three and Four) are concerned about Image, what people feel about them. But they act out the image story in different ways. The Threes achieve, and then impress people by what they have achieved; the Fours, express, and seek acceptance and recognition for their artistic fluidity. The Twos in their turn go about helping and serving people. Maybe as they were growing up, they earned the approval of their parents by being useful and helpful about the house; and they saw it as a way to get attention and acceptance. They somehow deny their own neediness and seek to fill the neediness in others. They share what theyhave, believing that it is more blessed to give than to receive. They can in any case get really angry if their acts of kindness go unappreciated, and they certainly can be manipulative, smouldering people with kindness while seeking their love and acceptance and appreciation. They are very emotional, and sentimental.

But where a Loving Seven can find himself moved to serve and help people, his motivation unlike that of the Two is not to get appreciated or liked; they simply want to create a smiling face where there was none; they want to bring joy and happiness to the people around them. They want to reproduce the happiness in their own hearts, and banish suffering from the world, if they could. This is what moves them to be helpful and kind. The eradication of pain, replacing it with joy.

You could learn more about the Enneagram from these sites: www.enneagraminstitute.com; you may also take free personality tests in Enneagram from: www.similarminds.com.

For more links, Google Enneagram. And if you want to learn about my own 48-type model personality scaling (Catparian Scaling), I alone will have to teach you that.

God bless you, brother.

I better get going (back to work), but maybe after foot-dragging awhile (say 15 minutes?) Now I have your number, Your Excellency, i'll call you. Safe, brother!

kenosky, which of the Oga Libras are you referring to, His Excellency (the incumbent Godfather), or my humble self?

Sagesse inspired by wonder, yet controlled in expression
The melting pot of two hearts destined for a common fate
Windy appraisal in gratuitous sport allaying distraction
Forceful recognition that the one attracts the other
In friendship
That acceptance of likeness, the delicate bonding
Of human souls, refusing to concede distraction
From the ethereal claims to individuality;
I am me, you are you,
So we must remain apart, born apart, to die apart
Realizing albeit that conciliation abounds in ambiences
Previously marked out by the crafting will
Without consultation,
We cannot choose whom we must love
The pulls of a stronger deity fashions hearts to affirm
One the need for the other;
If we bow to the forces stronger than we
Those that remind us of our neediness as mortals
If we say yes to the powers in the cosmos
That spark the joining of blood even when born by different mothers
If we say I love you, despite our faults and mean it
Say I need you depite our pride without ruing it
If we transcend the baseness of being ostriches in the sand
Our hearts freed to embrace the hopefulness of spring
Melting the deceitful aspiration to do all alone
In the satanic folly displayed in Adam's ostracism
If we say aye, we are willing, able and mustered
Then and only then can we be the best of friends.
Opokonwa, I give you my hand, and with it a part of my heart.

All at once I feel warmed. We will be friends, God willing. Libra Sevens, when they meet Libra Fours, are at once filled with a sense of quizzical interest. They arch their brows and say within themselves: 'And who is this one, by the way? He seems to do his own thing differently, as if from another planet; hmmph! And is there really someone so unique as to be from another planet? Hmmph! Maybe he's just forming. He's probably the usual guy, like everyone else.' And then they snub the Libra Four a little while.

But then the interest returns again, and they say to themselves, 'Hmmm; this guy really is a wonder; there's something about him that doesn't really click; am I seeing a little of myself in him, and a little of what I wanna be?' And he goes closer; a little confrontation, maybe; lots of listening to him; fighting him, then accepting that he is likeable, just a little likeable; no, maybe not just a little; quite likeable infact, or make that really likeable; or very likeable. Waow! this guy rocks. Well, well, I guess I like him. I'm hooked. With this intriguing brother-friend.' It is the expected.

On the part of the Libra Four, he is struck by the carefreeness of the Libra Seven. Being a Libra in the first place, and controlled thus by the wind, he naturally wants to go wild, but the sophistication of the Four, the delicateness, the panache and primness cannot let him. The Four loves dramatic, slow, greasy living; the Four is a dreamy prince trapped in a lofty castle, disdaining the vulgar. But in this case, he is a Libra! So when he sees a person behaving like a true child of the wind, and a Libra Seven is bound to, he is at once intrigued; a positive jealousy grips him. 'How can he be so free like that? How can he just shout, and frisk, and run and play? Oh, how I wish I could be so free, so careless, so glad, not minding what people think of me; not minding my image before the world. O, I must have this one near me.' A possessiveness then grips him, making him seek the enduring company of the Libra Seven.

But the Libra Seven has already been intrigued by him, don't forget, so the bonding becomes easier; and they drift closer and closer, ending up nearly inseparable. Attraction based on wonder, positive jealousy, and a shared windy identity.

It is always the case.

Thanks, Opokonwa; thanks, Kenosky. Thanks for your emails. Opokonwa, I too am a Libra. And I am not surprised you are one. Libras are controlled by the wind. This means they are free-spirited, extroverted, people-pleasing, charming, playful, child-like; at ease with the spirit; the jewels of the Zodiac, indeed.

I don't think you are heart-centred; there's too much of a rush of wind with you. Methinks you are head-centred; the type seven (God of Joy). Type sevens are gluttonous over fun. They want to keep rocking all day long! They are probably the happiest people alive. They do their best to avoid pain. If then you are a type seven, as I think you are, it means that, according to the Catparian Scaling, a personality study I developed by myself, by fusing the 12 zodiac signs with the 9 Enneagram types, you are: S*P/S (pronounced es of pee by es); this is exactly the personality type of my bestfriend, Jude.

What this means is that when I meet you, if I am lucky to, we are certain to click. There will be a fraternity established between us, that it will be as if we had known each other since the day we were born; your only competition may be Jude himself. What am I saying (I hope I am not running away with myself again)? People with your personality type, the Libra Seven, are the ones with whom I share the greatest bond. So, I am 100% sure that I will end up liking someone like you, as unto a brother or bestfriend.

I thank God.

Let me here list all the 9 Enneagram Personalities (Enneagram is a study developed in Afghanistan by the Sufi Brotherhood):

1. Type One (the Perfectionist): The God of Right
2. Type Two (the Helper): The God of Compassion
3. Type Three (the Achiever): The God of Success
4. Type Four (the Romantic): The God of Love
5. Type Five (the Observer): The God of Wisdom
6. Type Six (the Faithful): The God of Law
7. Type Seven (the Joyful): The God of Joy
8. Type Eight (the Boss): The God of Power
9. Type Nine (the Peaceful): The God of Peace

Once again, I thank you for you. God bless you.

Anyway, it will soon be time for evening mass. Today is the feast of Our Lady, Queen of Nigeria. I better get going. Safe, y'all!

Certain questions, Opokonwa:

1. What did you read in school (UNN, I presume?)
2. What is your star on the Zodiac?
3. Are you only extroverted in writing, or are you that way in real life?
4. On what day did you do your Assessment?
5. Are you head-centered or heart-centered? (Psychologists identify three centers: head, heart and gut.)
6. What church do you attend?
7. What are you hobbies?
8. What are your unique gifts?
9. What is your phone number? (my email addy for sending it if you please is: kuwena@yahoo.com)
10. What are you most afraid of?

Thanks, and God bless you!

Perhaps, to preserve your anonymity you would keep silent on these questions?

It was Ayi Kwei Armah who wrote The Beautyful ones are not Yet Born. Yes, he did spell it so: Beaut[i]y[/i]ful

Kenosky, like you I am addicted to this thread. Under Opokonwa's admirable leadership, we have become more of a family, and undoubtedly the best thing to have happened to the Job forum on Nairaland. We are a huge inspiration to one another, and to all the people who read this thread. We speak of a Nigeria they probably never thought possible. We tell them, 'We are your brothers, and yet see what we have achieved. We are young, but we have pushed out our chests as if quarreling with the wind. We have damned the consequences to prove us men; we have braced the glowing heights. And if we can, you too can.' I am filled with hopeful joy.

Permit me to say this again.

Origga! You got Shell! My girlfirend's (hopeful fiancee's) eldest sister and her husband both work there. They met and married there. Want a similar fate?

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S , ORE MI, ORE WA!

kEEP ON ROCKING, NA GOD GIVE YOU!

i v got a confession to make,




I M AN ADDICT!!!!!


SHOCKED!!!!!






I m addicted to this thread, in fact my supervisor wan giv mi memo because i abandon my work dey read una posts- little does he know that i ll b quitting very soon though

opoks, adrian, uchcelly, jill (i happy say u dey enjoi my flows) "aint u a beauty to behold? (oga lawyer say no b physical attibutes but na the fluidity of the writing style, u no bow??), euphoria (welcome on board), lindiwe (your name don dey cause confusion already), graces, pgm, uche (wey wan quit but for adrian!!!), abussyaya (who unmasked the ladies man- opoks!! ),, who i go leave out,




i used to think i wuz controversial till i met opoks (ladies man),
thot i wuz fluid till i crossed adrian (mr prolific),
something told mi i was a motivator till i jam kuwena ,
thot i had an eye for a good poem until i encountered jill (without jack though),
felt i had information till tolagbaju show,
thot i could psyche till euphoria came kalling (what with all the overseas yarns), opoks and adrian, 10x for telling him some truth
thot i wuz gaga till uchcelly appeared
think say i dey krazie till i saw pgm ,

i m out of breath and the list is endless, no b small ting o!!!



make i drink water 1st, i ll b right back, don't touch that dial!!!!

A lively spirit through and through. Indeed, Prospero's Ariel is reborn in Kenosky. Keep it real, brother!

Certain questions, Opokonwa:

1. What did you read in school (UNN, I presume?)
2. What is your star on the Zodiac?
3. Are you only extroverted in writing, or are you that way in real life?
4. On what day did you do your Assessment?
5. Are you head-centered or heart-centered? (Psychologists identify three centers: head, heart and gut.)
6. What church do you attend?
7. What are you hobbies?
8. What are your unique gifts?
9. What is your phone number? (my email addy for sending it if you please is: kuwena@yahoo.com)
10. What are you most afraid of?

Thanks, and God bless you!

wow! wow! wow! I stumbled unto this thread out of boredom, well if you're thinking its probably because i'm not looking for a job at NLNG you'd be dead right.

For the first time i realise that there is another world on Nairaland that i have never noticed. You guys make me humbled and for once i feel positive that while Nigerian schools are poor compared to foreign schools in terms of quality we still have several Nigerians who are doing us proud out there. Yep i finished from a Nigerian university too, made a first class too, never had a plan B as the plan A had always been to relocate to the US for a graduate degree never to return. Thank God for His mercies, it worked out very smoothly.

I wish each and everyone on this thread who have challenged me the very best that God has planned for you (Kuwena and Opoks - i can't spell the name now)!

Just wondering if some here especially those who made good degrees in school would consider doing graduate programs in the US. this is especially for those in the medical sciences - perhaps many are not aware that majority of medical science graduate degrees are free of charge! Please do take advantage of the opportunity to give yourself a better plan B while you dream of NLNG.

I sympathize totally with the sentiments contained in this speech.

For now, let me go home and rest.happy independence tomorrow.bye for now.

« on: April 08, 2007, 03:56 PM »

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is reaching out to fellow Landers whose hearts are beating expectantly for NLNG. No wa - God dey. Is it to be a 3rd test or a 1st interview? An NLNG guy at my centre said that if the number of those that pass the just-concluded second test is great, there will be a third; if not, we move straight to interviews. Please post words of encouragement on this thread to all NLNG hopefuls. If you post here, we will see you at the training school. Na prayer be that. One love!

That was how it started.

these days i prefer not 2 even tink of the letter at all.and maybe that is why the posts have been far away from the central topic(nlng).forgive me if it seems i have been running away with myself.i have not intended to put myself on show. keep posting. as we wait for the letter.and for those that will make it. don't forget to share with us who may not make it. if you make it and i don't, share your first salary with meo! don't be like the rich man in 2day's gospel who went to hell because he did not help lazarus, the beggar at his gate.me too, i may be a beggar 2morrow.

On a lighter note, Happy Independence Day, all!

Thanks, everyone. I had been rewriting my fourth manuscript, a novel called Membusoje Doherty, when I had to break away and come here. Writing a novel is lonely business. You feel trapped in the world of your mind. And you can't stay there for too long. You need to come back to the real world, Yahweh's own. By the way, @jbyno, I'm so glad to read something from you. And Lindiwe, permit me to welcome you specially.

I want to engage the house in a long exposition. I hope that after reading this, we all will start thinking more seriously about our lives here on earth. Our country is going to be forty-seven years the day after tomorrow, but we all know that we are far away from where we want to be. And why is that? Because many of us are not doing what Yahweh placed us here to do.

Opokonwa has said very many things on this thread, and much of what he has said prove useful for this discourse. To start with, he has harped on the necessary ambition to make money. Young people like us want to make money, lots of it in fact; we want to be able to live comfortably, and to retire well. Some, however, do not just want to make that much money; they want to make much more, so that they can spend hugely on global philanthropy. They want to be the Dangote's, Oprah's, Combes' and Fernandez's of this world. And it is not a sin to aspire.

Yet it is not enough to only aspire. We must work assiduously to reach the goals we have mapped out for ourselves. And we all know it is not easy. We wonder, and indeed I myself have asked: How did people like Gates, Buffet, Abramovich and Kiyosaki become as rich as they are? When a person has a net worth of $52 billion, then you know he is rich indeed. And this is the actual worth of the second richest man on earth, himself the Sage of Omaha, the illustrious Warren Buffet. But how? How?

The Bible tells us that a certain master prepared to travel. He called together his servants and entrusted them with talents. To one he gave five, to another he gave two, and to a third he gave one; each in proportion to his ability. Then he went on a long journey. When he returned, he called his servants and asked for a report of their financial activities during his absence. The first, who had received five talents, came forward and said, 'Master, you gave me five talents; here, I have earned five more.' The master commended him. Then came the second. He said, 'Master, you gave me two talents; here, I have earned two more.' The master commended him. Then came the third, who said, 'Master, I knew you were a hard and grasping man; you like to reap where you did not sow, and gather where you did not scatter, and so I was afraid, and I went and hid my talent. Here it is; it was yours, so have it back.' The master was furious, and threw him into prison. He said to his guards, Take that one talent and give it to the man who has ten.' The servants said, 'But he has ten already!' The master replied, 'Yes. To him who has, more will be given and he will have aplenty; but from he who does not have, even the one he has will be taken away.'

The foregoing story brings the question of talents to the fore. Do we have any? And how do we use them? Firstly, let us define talent. According to Wickipedia, the free online encyclopedia, talent may be defined simply as 'a personal gift or skill'. The more common ones appear to be in the arts; we easily recognize those who know how to sing, dance, draw or write. We easily recognize the likes of TuFace, DBanj, Daddy Showkey, and Brenda Fassie; we also recognize Achebe, Soyinka, Okri and Adichie; yet these are just a handful of the very many great people, a good number of whom have made everything from nothing. Again I ask: How?

Charlie Jones said: 'You will be the same person that you are today five years from now, except for two things; the books you read, and the people you associate yourself with.' What this means is that we must learn to fill our minds with everything that is in line with where we want to be. We cannot hope for example to be in Harvard next year, and everyday today we are at a pub, reading pornography and meeting whores. Or we want to be in NLNG next month, and we did not even write the tests with others. Mr. B did say, 'If you wanna be a millionaire, think like a millionaire.' And we all know this is true.

But that is not all. Another wise man said: You need four things to succeed in life: Intelligence, Creativity, Attractiveness and Innocence. We shall spend a good part of this discourse trashing these points, and juxtaposing them with Robert Kiyosaki's own view of the four things necessary for success, which are: financial knowledge, investment culture, selling and lawful conduct. When we have these four points at the tips of our fingers, then we are ready to move.

1. Intelligence: By intelligence, we do not refer to grand degrees or bombastic use of the English language. We all know that 'kpali' does not guarantee success. We also know at least one person in this country who made a third class and either because or in spite of that is making waves in the area of human rights. We as well know that Bill Gates, the richest man on earth, is a university drop-out, though he is worth over fifty billion dollars, and earned about $300 every second as far back as 1998, and made his first million dollars at the age of 19. We know too that Farah Gray, Author of the best-selling Reallonaire, made his first million dollars at age 14. We could go on and on to name wealthy people; let us now show how intelligence makes one rich. The bible says: 'You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.' This points to intelligence. Again, a Latin maxim says: Sciencia est potentia. Knowledge is power. We need to know. But what do we need to know? Aristotle provides the answer: We need to know a little of everything, and everything of a little. We shall use making money as a case study. Nigerians are yet to learn how to make money in the proper way. They do not know that making money is good, but stealing public funds is bad. The former blesses the society; the latter impoverishes it. There are many multi-billionaires in the USA, but they did not have to steal to be that rich. Many probably have body massagers, but bought with their own legally-got money. These people are intelligent, not cunning. When we have many Nigerians making billions the proper way, the country will improve, as these billionaires will create more wealth, that others can share by way of employment opportunity, social responsibility and trade. And all this starts with intelligence. What Kiyosaki calls financial knowledge. How many of us read the Financial Times? How many people read books like Rich Dad, Poor Dad, and so forth? How many people attend financial seminars? How many are like Opokonwa who wants to go to Harvard Business school to learn how to make everything from nothing? I myself confess that I do not know enough about making money, and yet I claim to be working in a bank. It is appalling. It is through financial knowledge that people like Akingboola, Utomi, Ovia and Ibru have become as wealthy as they are today. They had financial commonsense. But maybe the starting point of financial intelligence is the ability to save up to two-thirds of one's salary. Any fool can earn money, but only an intelligent man can save two-thirds of it. It is instructive that Warren Buffet, despite his mind-boggling wealth still lives very frugally indeed. He is afterall, the Sage of Omaha.

2. Creativity: Intelligence alone is not enough. Even if we know what to do with money, that knowledge would be useless unless we did have money. Robert Kiyosaki calls this investment. And investment is wealth creation. We need to make money. Having a job is about the easiest things to do; but it is on the bottom of the list of creative activities, when we desire financial actualization. We need to be creative, to do what no other person can do. How did Gates make his first million dollars? He created a programme that he sold to IBM. How did Farrah Gray (a black 14-year-old at the time) make his first million dollars? He created a food chain, which he called Farrah Foods. How did Oprah make her money? She created a talk show, called Oprah Winfrey Show. Most rich people created something. Some cook; some write; some sing; all are creative. They invest in either their personal talents, or with the little money they saved from a previous job. With their knack for investment, they sink their money into good business ventures that yield enviable dividends. Who knows for example that oil dredging is a viable investment route?

3. Attractiveness: Does it seem as if beautiful and handsome people make good progress in life? If yes, why? I think it is tied to a psychology of attributing everything that is good to what looks good. In more practical terms, and to borrow Kiyosaki's proposition, it boils down to selling. If you know what to do with money, and you have created something good, something you know can satisfy popular demand and bring in millions, and you don't get it out into the market so people can buy it, then you are not going to be rich anyway. Take me for example. I have written four literature books, the least of which is about 190 pages. But because I am yet to gather enough money to publish and sell them in the USA, they remain incapable of yielding me any money. But when I do sell them, and they are read all over the world, I begin to 'chop better money'. Why? Because I would have made them attractive, and people would have bought them. The publishing company would then give me royalties on each sold. This is how TuFace makes money (royalties on his records sold), and it resembles how Gates and Buffet make money (dividends on what their companies sell). To be rich, sell something.

4. Innocence: Though many politicians make money by fraudulent means, we all know we do not want to go 'down that road,' as Joe would say. Recall he 'has some friends who do drugs for dough'? May God not allow us be like them. The bible says in Psalm 14 verse 1: 'The fool has said in his heart, ''There is no God above,'' and that is why his deeds are depraved. You can be holy and rich at the same time. Oprah is so; Gates is so; Buffet is so. And these people are richer than our fraudulent politicians. And they have less stress. And they are happier, and live longer, with clear conscience. They provide jobs for the teeming youth, and they give to charity. We need more of them. If you look at the philanthropy of the likes of Ben Carson, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey and Warren Buffet (who has sworn to give practically all his wealth to the Gates and Melinda Foundation when he dies) you can see why it is better to make money the right way. Besides, the bible instructs us never to envy the wealth of the evil doer, since it fades like grass on the roof tops, like the evil doer himself (cf Psalm 129 v 6ff). We must be innocent. Kiyosaki calls it keeping within the precincts of the law, and knowing how to do things the proper way, so as not to get into trouble with the state. In this regard he talks of things like: paying taxes and rates; corporate issues and registration with proper authority and so on. We should by these learn to safeguard our wealth. But the issue of innocence can be further stretched to include our attitudinal dispositions. We must shun envy, for one. How can we progress when we envy others? Envy, we must know, is witchcraft. I will tell you a true life story. I know a person; he lives in Owerri. He was once a successful film maker in the USA. Then he decided to come to Nigeria to set up shop. He built a house and threw a party, inviting all the villagers to come around. He went about shaking hands. That night, he woke up abruptly to find his right arm decaying, with maggots going in and out of it. As I speak to you now, he has had to have his arm amputated; he is now very poor, and is reduced to near beggarliness. Because someone envied him. This is one reason we do not progress. We spend our lives envying others. Another thing we must be innocent of is a feeling of inferiority or pessimism, or dissipation. We must not as well let race, religion or rumor deter us. Jesus said: 'Unless you become like a child (at heart), you cannot [be rich].' We must be innocent.

In conclusion, I must say that there is hope for us. Yar'adua is doing things that will change the destiny of this country. Nigeria will be better; we will grow and be more prosperous. But we must learn to contribute our own quota to this growth. JF Kennedy said, 'Do not think of what your country can do for you; think of what you can do for your country.' And one thing we can do is help her to make money. How? By being financially intelligent, through saving little monies, and understanding how money works; also by being able to creatively use our talents and the money we have saved to grow our assets and lessen our liabilities; then, by selling these talent-procurred utilities, amass wealth in a legal way, to prove our innocence and rightness of attitude. As we celebrate 47 years of independence, let us take seriously the call to make Nigeria more prosperous. It is well with all of us.

C ON G R A T U L A T I O N S !

You guys make me cry shamelessly whenever I read this thread. Forgive me; I have been told all the time that I am emotional. You all make me happy. I love all of you, each one: Opokonwa, I love you; I long for the day I will meet you. You are a big boost to this thread; a veritable catalyst. I could never have done what you have as Leader. In my time, the thread moved one page in three days; now it moves two pages in one day. Believe me, I checked. What this means is that by January next year, this thread may have more pages than the Job forum itself that houses it. Opokonwa, I am filled with affectionate awe.

Wandel, I am proud of you. My dad read Economics at the University College, Ibadan, but he did not make a first class. That you did what he could not do probably means you are greater than he. I know that Intercontinental has greedy eyes for the best; it is no wonder they took you. You make me very glad. And when NLNG calls you, you will have tasted three wonderful employments in one year. I am filled with admirable reverence.

Tolagbaju, able first classer and proud NLNG hopeful, I salute you. It is not easy to be you: unique, ambitious, intelligent. You remind me of Achebe's Nza, who felled all the spirits across the seven seas. Only in your case, you will not be so foolhardy as to wrestle your chi. Your destiny is so bright, we may have to wear shades to look at it. I am filled with fraternal appreciation.

Kenosky, like you I am addicted to this thread. Under Opokonwa's admirable leadership, we have become more of a family, and undoubtedly the best thing to have happened to the Job forum on Nairaland. We are a huge inspiration to one another, and to all the people who read this thread. We speak of a Nigeria they probably never thought possible. We tell them, 'We are your brothers, and yet see what we have achieved. We are young, but we have pushed out our chests as if quarreling with the wind. We have damned the consequences to prove us men; we have braced the glowing heights. And if we can, you too can.' I am filled with hopeful joy.

So let my heart run the race of nymphs, skipping wide and far, berthing tides akin to the breaths of the shadoofs of Egypt in glowing summer; jumping in friskiness like the lambs, and coursing the hills like Maria, with the chirping of the birds in their chorusing after the coming eves. In my heart will now resound the magical ululations of peaceful exhultation, unabashed and unafraid of future strife reminding me of the fact that I came from dust, and it is there I will return.

When I see you all do what you do, and inspire me by it; what spirit, or what man can tell me, 'Be still'? I will be what I will.

I love you all. 

Let us wait for NLNG. It won't be forever. And let us have plan B's. It won't be for naught. See y'all later! Bye.

There's at least a drop of greatness in every man

Making a first class degree in the university is not the guarantee to be successful in life. Almost anyone can make a one-one, by doing the things one-one candidates do. First classers are not the best of brains around, and I do know that if I had not studied Mass Communication (the one course I am most gifted at) I may never have made a first class. (You cannot expect me, for example, to have read Economics and made a first.)

Mass Communication is like second nature to me. I will do my master's degree in it, and as well my PhD. Indeed, while still an undergraduate, I patented four hypotheses, that are yet to be fully researched into, and called new theories in Mass Communication. They are:
1. Operational communicationism: 'The dispersion of the self, consequent on the facets of the self, transactional of the self, and for the purpose of the actualization of the self'.
2. Ontological classification of the history of newspapers in Nigeria (the era of Authenticism).
3. A history of public relations development, through 5 paradigms (Corporateness, Concern, Transcendence, Duty and Perpetuity), and
4. Advanced methods of computational Mass Communication research (making use of scale tables and weight numbering).

Mass Communication is really fun, and many will find their destiny in it. I have. This is why I tell everyone to read the course they are gifted in. When I was entering the university, the family wanted me to do Law. I said no, that I wanted to do Mass Communication. And they let me be. I do recall that those days, when I was in year one or two, the teacher would be telling us something, maybe about rural community newspaper development or something else, and I would turn to my seat mate and say, 'Watch; the next thing he will say is that almanacs may be a substitute for journals in the event of a lack of infrastructure.' My seat mate would say, 'You must have read it in a textbook.' Which I hadn't. And sure as hell, the lecturer would say that thing! I used to have recurring deja vu's like these; as if in a past life, I had been a Mass Communication student, and I was doing it all over again. As if I had heard some particular lectures before, though I never could recall where I had heard them. So, doing Mass Communication was very easy. Whether I read or I did not read, I was sure to get an A. I am also the first human being in the history of the existence of Mass Communication in IMO STATE UNIVERSITY, OWERRI to make a first class in the course, and the best graduating student of three joint convocation ceremonies (1999/2000; 2000/2001; 2001/2002). One may confirm from Exams and Records Department of that school. I stand to be challenged on this.

I hope I have not blown my trumpet unnecessarily. If I have, I humbly beg for pardon and peace.

May God bless you all. Amen.

 

Good evening, everyone.

I heard someone ask: What will Kuwena do if not taken by NLNG?

It is simple enough. I shall work at least two more years with my current employers (Intercontinental Bank Plc) and save up to a million naira at least. (IB Plc is probably the highest paying bank in Nigeria, and I can be frugal in spending.)

Then I will relocate PERMANENTLY to the United States of America, where opportunities are plentier, and hearts cleaner.

I was not born to suffer; neither were my children.

God bless you all.

Warning: The blab you are about to read is permitted by the Fourth Chapter of the Constitution that guarantees freedom of expression.


If you wonder about the Mandela photo, I must say it is symbolic. This thread has become more like a nation-state of its own. Like South Africa. It is a democracy.

If I founded it, then I am like Mandela. But after a fruitful tenure (democratic tenures are expected to be short), I have handed over the mantle of leadership of this great thread to Opokonwa, who must now guide the themes and aspirations of this thread. From his erudite mind must flow the words of encouragement that will keep our hopes alive, until the day it pleases God to give us rest; rest from all the pensiveness of waiting.

Long live Opokonwa
Long live Which Way Nlng?
Long live Nairaland.

God bless you all.

(May we rise for the national anthem?)

Yeah, I'm back. There's hope afterall.

Strength appears to be the greatest of all the virtues a man must have; but then, strength is not enough, as there are always hardships seeming too difficult for the man. He needs faith, and hope, and above all the love of God.

It is well. Come what may.

Yahweh spoke to me earlier today. He was reproachful of my conduct. I had been complaining like Job, hating the slow pace of my current life. Job had been cursing the day he was born; he had been blaming his mother for giving him life. His wife had even advised him to curse God and die.

And Yahweh asked him certain questions:

Did you help me make the world?
Were you there when I measured the depths and heights?
Does Leviathan stand still for you?
Then who are you to question my ways?

And Job repented.

But I asked God, 'Why does it have to be so hard?' And He answered, 'Are you the only one suffering? And after all I have done for you!' And I said, 'But with regard to NLNG, what is the greatest thing you have done for me?' And He said, 'Giving you this thread, to bear you up. I have always known you to be emotional. I knew you would need all the support you could get. You barely can stomach suffering, and I wanted it all to be easier for you. Be a man, my son!'

What else could I say? Thank You, Yahweh, for loving me.

'E don sign am say we go make am; Baba God don sign am say we go do am-o; na wa destiny, make dem no tink am.'

You see a glimmer? Then maybe I see a ray!