Serendipity

Image:Timeintheword.org   Not too long ago, a conversation on a podcast trended on social media. Women in entertainment were being dissected for having lifestyles beyond their incomes. A few female stars with commendable work ethic and multiple streams of ‘legit’ income were acknowledged for being on the straight and narrow. The guest male thespian on the podcast spoke about being irked seeing his female colleague rolling up on set in a whip that was way beyond his own reach. This was unsettling for him as they were supposed to be in a similar income bracket. The prognosis from the men on the show was that such ladies must be involved in seemingly inappropriate activities such as bedding wealthy men to fund their extravagant lifestyles.    On this same podcast, females that were part of a popular reality TV show were accused of lacking substance and only coming on the show to advertise themselves to their potential monied benefactors. One of the hosts had earlier spil...

Photo:fahrenheitmagazine.com   I once opined that Africans should be careful seeking validation from foreign standard keepers; I argued that we should develop our own high value reward systems instead. I also do remember quite vividly in 2008, during the first ever MTV Africa Music Awards –aka the MAMAs – as Trevor Nelson unveiled Fela as the recipient of the ‘Legend Award’. In his remarks, Trevor had said something along the lines of it practically being a given that this honour for the inaugural edition should go to Fela; arguably the biggest artistic legend to come out of Africa. I hadn’t given the matter any much thought since then until I came across Seth Godin’s take on Fela’s nomination and possible induction into the Rock and Roll hall of fame. Perhaps because of my disposition, I had not been that excited about the prospect of Fela’s inclusion. Fela was to me and I want to believe for many Africans, the greatest musical legend ever. Seth argued for greater diversit...

Image: Sunnewsonline I was one of those people that campaigned vigorously for President Buhari in the build up to the 2015 elections. I had one main reason; I was tired of the ineptitude and corruption that held sway with blatant disregard in the Jonathan administration. I like many Nigerians at the time wanted Buhari to tackle corruption. I had no delusions of grandeur that Buhari was going to do wonders for our economy or transform Nigeria into a land flowing with milk and honey. The man in my mind had just the one mandate; fight corruption. And then possibly pave way for a younger more charismatic candidate beaming at the seams with progressive ideas; and one who would finally be able to settle down to the business of building a Nigeria of our dreams without the encumbrance and bottle necks of deep seated venality. The argument about Buhari’s performance thus far has left Nigerians divided, (not that we were running out of reasons to be) but irrespective of what side of th...

Image: Crossed Flagpins I remember the first time Venezuela ever came to my consciousness in a significant way. It was during my teen years, following the Miss World pageants; there had been a lot of winners from South America generally but particularly Venezuela. Venezuela holds the Guinness world record for being the only country to win back to back titles in the Miss Universe pageants in 2008 and 2009. Venezuela also ranks right on top in terms of the number of International beauty pageants it has won. Here is a country that could legitimately lay claim to having the most beautiful women in the world. The former Spanish colony also boasts the largest oil reserves in the world, is a founding member of the global oil cartel, Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and has consistently been one of the world’s foremost oil exporters. I want that to really sink in, ‘largest proven oil reserves’, founding member of OPEC (and why not, it has the largest freaking oil reser...

Image: Lifewater I was awoken in the middle of the night by hurried footsteps and muffled sounds It was people fleeing their homes; lives they had built with love and sweat I saw devastated towns and heard agonising shrieks Frail hopes and splintered dreams  The soil was drenched in crimson Which vile poison has consumed men’s hearts?  So potent, only a drop sullies the mind and skews right judgement. This has to be a bad dream, I thought to myself, this infernal scene unfolding could not be real But I could smell the fear in the air, I could feel the resentment that pervaded the land Young and old bewildered, in a frantic effort to gather fragments of our lost humanity This was no dream, this was youth being decimated, ideals trampled underfoot and ambition crushed haplessly   How have we become encumbered in this hateful cycle of malevolence? What will stem this unholy tide of wickedness? Is there solace for the grieving? On ...