Adieu great men! By Isaacola AA

I am still trying to convince myself the death of Prophet TO Obadare, the renowned television evangelist when we were growing up and now its been reported that the renowned Professor Chinua Achebe is dead!

Oh death oh death
Why are u taking
The good ones among us
Why are taking men of integrity

Oh why oh why!
Why are you leaving
The dredge amongst us
To live to ripe old age

We can't question 'u
But we do know
These are one of the
Finest this land has produced

Your works and words live on
Men of timber and "gedu"
We salute your works n worth
Nigeria we hail thee


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Police Brutality by Isaacola AA

I just couldn't hold my peace seeing the way men of the Nigeria Police Force treat fellow human beings like animals, with total disregard for their safety and life. It is curious and animalistic.

The manner in which they are taking laws into their own hands makes me wonder if they were created to protect the lives of the citizenry or they are meant to kill us at the slightest provocation.

If the zeal at which the Men in Black are rigorously pursuing the okada ban is the same way they pursue the cases of armed robbery and reckless driving in Lagos, then reprieve would have come our way in Lagos.

That said, I will chronicle some of the excesses I have witnessed from them:

1. This morning around few minutes after 5am along Old Akute road, station Bus stop at Iju, they pursued three okada men with three different Hilux vans, running the okada men down with no thoughts of their safety pricking their minds. This happened within a street and not highway as you would expect.

As if that wasn't enough, two of the policemen, with emotions flaring up, beat up the okada man mercilessly with belt and the butt of their guns. It got so messy that other policemen had to intervene before the okada man and his bike were arrested for offense not documented.

2. Just yesterday (13th march 2013) in Oshodi under bridge, touts and policemen jumped out of their hiding and pounced on Okada men; wrestling the okada from its rider at gun point around 6pm. It was a sorry sight seeing these poor boys pummeled by several touts and policemen combined. It is a common sight in Oshodi to see the police colluding with touts to seize okada from unsuspecting riders. Absurd in my opinion. Two wrongs can never make a right.

3. I boarded an okada from Oshodi to Agege in January this year; the other passenger was a police officer -though not on uniform that particular day- which gave me a measure of confidence. We were stopped and the officer brought out his identity card, we were released immediately but before moving again a police officer jumped out of his hiding (possibly high on drug or alcohol) and used the tip of his gun on me! The okada man and the officer on bike had to beg me. Alas! what was the dazed and haggard looking man doing with a gun in the first place! I suffered abrasion on my rib and peeled skin on my hand and side. Imagine if the gun was corked?

For goodness sake, why was the man using a gun to harass a moving okada? That tells us a lot about the premium placed on human life by those who are paid and charged to protect our lives. The other time, its was quoted by CNN that people killed by JTF and co were more than the total number of people killed by the dreaded Boko Haram! That's saddening if true.

The manner in which the police, especially in Lagos, go about selective implementation of the so called traffic law speak volumes about the psyche of our security forces. Any law that cannot benefit their pockets is as good as useless to them.

I have traveled out of this shore and I know the way human beings are treated in saner climes. If the police are so keen on implementing these laws, why are we still seeing trailers moving during the day? Why do we still see rickety buses and cars on our road? Most of police cars and buses are worse in comparison to the so called rickety ones; what have they done about that?

In conclusion, the Lagos state government should see into the proper implementation of this so called draconian law. Some of the route okada are banned from speak evil to high heaven. If presidential pardon can be given to Alams , I think the okada men deserve a state pardon too, at least on some of the routes since what is good for the goose is also good for the gander.

A grand thief got a presidential pardon and hard working youths and men can't have a reprieve to fend for their families - even if it's not total?

We need to, as a matter of urgency, retrain our security forces on how to deal with the challenges of the moment reasonably and in strict accordance to laid down laws.

I'm @newnaija on twitter
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Identity crisis by Isaacola AA

Identity is the state of having unique identifying characteristics held by no other person or thing. Collins dictionary

Identity is the state or fact of remaining the same one or ones, as under varying aspects or condition. Dictionary.com
Who am I? What do I really want to be and who do I really want to be? These are the questions that rack the mind of every young person male or female. It is a question almost as old as man himself. What image of myself do I really want to portray to the outside world? Um identity crisis.

As I was growing up then, wearing beard is the sign of maturity and every young boy crave the need to grow beard albeit it's not yet time. We go to all length to induce the growth by rubbing spirit and using needles to prick the lower jaw severally because someone said it was the quickest way of growing it. Now, we are tired of shaving the so called beard we so eagerly crave for then! The ladies with pimpled infested face are termed matured then, now they will go all length to us foundation and mascara to conceal anything looking like spot or wrinkle on the face.

I remember then also, fat ladies were the in-thing. A musician even sang to praise "orobo" then to high heavens. Now the opposite is the case. Now fat ladies go to all length to shed the excess baggage called fat now: they endure difficult and different exercise, use herbal therapy and even undergo many plastic surgeries all in the name of shedding excess weight called fat. What do we really want in life?

The tall ones wanted to be short, the short ones wanted to be tall and all our precious energy is expended on what I would have love to be without appreciating who we are indeed. The whites sunbathing to get a tan while the dark skinned ones are toning the outer layer of the skin to be lighter! Impossible to please we are!

The guys are dressing like the ladies while the ladies are dressing like the guys! What do we really want out of life! We are confused completely about almost everything we are. It is even more difficult when it come to the ladies; should they be addressed as Mrs, Miss or Ms? It is just too difficult this day. Guys now wear makeup, earring and all manner of hairdo that hitherto are exclusive to the ladies while the ladies Sag their jeans, wear all manners of tattoo in all manner of place that cannot be mention. It is difficult now telling if someone is a he or a she. Why are we so confused.

Every young one go through this phase but you are never to stay there. It is supposed to be a passing phase not a bus stop. This is actually the time we are supposed to carve a niche for ourselves by discovering who you are and what you are created to be and do. Discover what you have passion for and you can do without being paid for and develop your talent and do something with it. That is the area you will excel if cultivated and develop properly. As I conclude let this joke of mine stick to your subconscious mind "if you are taller than me, you are too tall and if you are shorter than me, you are too short, I am just perfect for what am created to do.

You can reach Isaacola AA on twitter@newnaija and @TT007newnaija
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone provided by Airtel Nigeria.