Keep Nigeria Great

   It is good to see that Nigerians are excited about the upcoming elections. From the comments and updates, it seems like people are becoming more aware of their civil rights as the citizens of this great Nation.

    Great nation sounds ironic especially because of the current situation we are in right now. That actually is the reason for this right up. The Baga massacre was a dark, tragic and one of the worst ever experienced in Nigeria and yet, the killing is still going on.

    We have citizens who can barely afford food; fathers who can't take care of their families; people dropping out of school; unemployed graduates all over the place; I could go on and on but you already know the rest.

    The Baga incident should have taught us that the world will only help us if we are willing to help ourselves. So while discouraging election violence; because let's face it, too many of us have died already. This election should be about all of those I mentioned. Tribes and religions will thrive irrespective of the candidates, those of us who have been affected in one way or the other won't.

    Vote into power leaders who will wipe the tears of our loving parents; bring back our girls; stop the killing of our countrymen;  bring our people back home; uphold the unity and restore the greatness of our country. Nigeria has always been a great country. Let's keep it that way please.

Black Friday

Unidentifiable Body parts shattered in pieces and piled up in pick up trucks, people burnt black lined like animals. The body is indeed an empty vessel without the soul. People like me and you laid dead covered in blood fathers, children, grandfathers, uncles lay helpless on the floor of passages, hallways and car parks of hospitals.

   A man from one of the video said over 500 people died from the bomb last, not counting the injured. These are people like me. Fathers like mine. Peoples brothers and uncles. Imagining the pain the victims on the floor were in alone is painful. They laid muted from pain. The pain the dead went through before they passed away! Thought of a needle going through my ears keeps me from getting more piercings. The thought of loosing a member of my family brings me to tears.

    These people humbly went to worship not knowing that everything they did before that time was their last. The cause of all these remains unclear. Is it political? Religious? Tribal? Vengeance? Lots of opinions prevail. I learnt civilisation ends savagery. Ours is a different case. Continuous ending of harmless lives for selfish purposes. 

    And the comments are agonising. Souls being taken, homes being broken and orphans being made constantly aren't conditions to be celebrated. I do not wish any of these on my worst enemy. This is the time to stand together and support the victims of this tragedy. This is the time to speak up as one.

The Day of Tribes

    Imagine a Nigeria where our differences are celebrated. Just like October 1st is Independence Day; a particular day is marked as "unity in diversity day", "cultural day", or something like that. A national holiday to be celebrated by every state. We can all go to the stadium as any of our numerous tribes.

    I will go the 1st time in a Nupe attire. To please my parents of course and also for people know what the nupe attire looks like. I will work majestically😎 in my 2 wrappers and headgear with a huge grin on my face atleast untill I get tired😢

    Another time, I will go as a Tiv woman. God I love their outfit and dance😍. Well, I probably wouldn't break and twist like they do but I'll learn a few words to hammer people when I'm approached😏. And if I end up being approached by someone who speaks fluent Tiv, I will hammer them with my charm😊. They have to show me love, I am dressed as one of them😜.

    I will enter myself into the food contest and cook either Edikang Ikong or moi-moi wrapped with leaves😋. Those can never go wrong unless a Calabar woman participates in the contest😓.

    And oh! I will be around the people of Kebbi, Kogi, Niger and Benue for some fish pepper soup😅.  It will be a perfect replacement for popcorn while I enjoy the Eyo, Akatakpa, Nike, Ijele, Kuti, etc. masquerades display. And the Juju, babalawo or Nigerian magicians perform( I know I wouldn't be a volunteer😁).

    Did I mention that I will watch the Koroso dance by the Hausas👯, hang around the Fulani tent for some Fura da Nono. And oh God! I will definitely be under the Benin tent for some groundnut soup🙅.

    I will go to the Igbo and Yoruba tent to watch the wonder that is their dance. Try on the Igala, Kanuri, Edo and Itsekiri outifit💃. I hope they dash me after I try them on🙏.

    And well, I know I will leave with a bag filled with food and various cultural objects such as carvings and jewelries💅💁. It's not awuf ooo🙈. I will also leave with knowledge and better understanding of numerous tribes👵.

Pray for Nigeria. (Happy Independence Day!).

I woke up this morning and the weather outside was mild and beautiful. The sweet, soft, cold and gentle breeze rocked the leaves and blew joy into the atmosphere. The sky was somewhat grey, looking as though it was going to rain but the clouds weren't heavy. Minutes later it began to drizzle and some peaceful rain followed. Everything about the morning was beautiful and gentle. Glory be to God! Nigeria is 54.

    So I began to pray. I prayed for God to bless my country. Bless the soil, trees, animals, people, etc. every single thing that makes up Nigeria.

    I prayed! I prayed to God to provide Nigeria with better leaders who will exhaust their last energy for Nigeria. Leaders who view every Nigerian as their own.

   I prayed! I prayed for God to bless those who strive for my country, give them strength, will and courage to continue their good work.

    I prayed to God! I begged God to guide our leaders onto the right path and protect us against those that are far gone. 

    I prayed! I prayed that the 2015 elections will be held peacefully and justly and for the best man to win.

    I prayed! I prayed to God to bring back our girls, bring back my sisters and for Him to protect them, grant them patience, endurance and perseverance.

    I prayed! I asked God to defeat the enemies of my great country and expose them. And to grant guidance to those that can be guided.

    I prayed to God! To grant my fellow citizens who died as a result of insurgency, diseases and every other responsibility of the government; heaven. Grant health, endurance and patience to those that are affected one way or another.

    I prayed! I prayed for God to give home to the homeless, voice to the voiceless, health to the sick, wealth to the poor, food to the starving, happiness to the sad and care to the orphan and widow. I prayed to God to provide every Nigerian with anything good they need.

    I prayed! Prayed for peace and stability; honesty amongst the rulers and the ruled.

    I prayed! I prayed for God to expose every hypocrite. For Him to clear the corrupt, the launderer, the criminal, the selfish and the heartless from our path.

    I prayed to God! I keep praying for my blessed country. The land of my ancestors; the land of Queen Amina, Oranmiyan and king Jaja. I asked asked God to protect the home of Azikiwe, Tafawa Balewa and Awolowo.

    I prayed to God to watch over and enrich my fatherland. And most of all, I prayed! I pray! And I will continue to pray for Nigerian unity in Diveristy!

Happy Independence Day my people!!!

Lost virtues by Al-Amin Bugaje

Where is the justice?

When nepotism is surviving

When favoritism is abounding

When autonomy is the principle guiding

When wrongs keep surmounting

When rights are being subverted

Where is the peace?

When hatred dwells in our bosom

When discrimination is termed as awesome

When with everyday comes a new sorrow

When a fight breaks out from a hocus

When harmony seize to exist in our focus

Where is the security?

When where ever you are, you aren't  safe

When your home becomes just another cage

When bombs are a substitute for natural plague

When life is treated like a minimum wage

When peace and justice only exist in a page

When you can't trust even a goddamn sage.

I believe : accepting the immutable and redressing the changeable! By AL-AMIN BUGAJE

It takes a lot of courage to believe

To profess a conviction held deep within

I close my eyes and the breath I feel,

Convinces me that I believe.

That Adam was black 

And racism is still at large.

The inevitable report of an explosive car,

And that people are afraid to go out in the dark.

I believe in the gift of life

In the unending struggle of happy and strife

It takes no much effort to be alive

It takes a deep conviction to live a life

I believe in the power of truth

To never lie even when it doesn't favor you

To give credit where it is due

To accept blame from the lapses ensued

I believe in respecting the old

And catering for the young when it is cold

That a society never succeeds

Where injustice gracefully breeds

I believe in making the plausible best of time

And the prohibition to abstain from wine

In order to get, you have to give

And sometimes it is best if you just forgive

I believe in the reality of the early morning grind

The suffering of my people that I can't feign to be blind

I believe the government is abusing power

And our hearts are so deadened that we can't protest for the lack of power

Sometimes all we can muster is a cry

A silent prayer to follow our sigh

A fake smile is all we can muster

To the harsh reality that life offers

I believe the truth can sometimes be harsh

That my people are intellectually inept and rash

That belief is a thing of the heart

And a fight never gets you that far

I believe that history sometimes forgets

And the real heroes never manifest

It takes courage to call history a lie

And that we are all afraid to die

I believe the sky is not really blue

And love stories are not entirely true

People may greatly differ in what they seek

But the truth... The truth is simply what we believe

If you walk long enough you'll get there

And this adventure, life, is fair

Every effort gets rewarded

And every action is recorded.

True strength is acting weak

And being beaten is a chance to redeem

The best result is between extremes 

And the power to change lies deep within.

I believe in enjoying a good laugh

And comforting a friend when they are sad

In enjoying a simple cup of tea

And cherishing the littlest finest of things

I believe love is the most powerful weapon

But Romeo and Juliet was only a fictional sequel

The greater good seems the driving force withal

But in the end, desire or ambition conquers all.

I believe in a life after death

And an existence before life itself

There is an overall power that sees to our affair

And we are judged accordingly, to what seems fair.

I believe in possibilities that show

There are answers besides a yes and a no.

To all the little things above

I'd say I believe in everything and nothing at all.

BROTHERS BY UMAR ABDULLAHI(Evilgenius)

Of what good are we as brothers,if we can't crave a smile on each other's face?
We can't even stand by each other as stand the pillars of the earth,of
what good are we when we can't support each other?
We seized to laugh with our hearts and close our doors against each
other,the devil laughing hysterically at us until he falls off his
throne.
Now our interests are drifted from collective ones to individual
ones,we are defeated by darkness and yet we don't seek light.
Of what good are we when we can't laugh when our brothers laugh and
grief when they do? Oh my brothers!
All we do now is look for faults in others,criticize them, instead of
picking them up,flying with them.
Once we realize what our brothers mean to us, we ll be unbreakable,
indestructible, together,we defeat the devil and his loyal servants.
I wish not to judge you my brothers but appreciate what you do and get
you on track when you are about to derail.
I pour out my heart to you,not minding what ll happen to me,because I
have found a purpose,to be there for you.