“It is very obvious now that if the skills you use at work are not such that in case of retrenchments, you are laid off and can transfer same to a private enterprise started with minimal investments; then you are on a perilous path and you need to wake up and acquire some more skills” – Ayo Oladejo

The New Year is just a few days away and the most important thing to do right now is to sincerely review the outgoing year in a bid to see where and how we can make the new one a better year. My last post talked about the alarming trend of retrenchments going on in the country. For some, it is almost the end of the world but I know that is not right. It is just a rude awakening for us all to note that employers are in the business of making profits and when they sense any threat to that, their survival instincts take over while the emotional one goes to the background. I am going to be sharing tips on how to position ourselves for the next year to reduce heartbreaks and dare employers.

1. No Man Is Indispensable
It is very common for us as men to think that our organizations cannot survive without us. That is a lie from the pit of hell and a way of giving us false hopes and assurances. The worst that will happen is that the company will suffer for a few weeks/months and move on. The first step to real freedom in the corporate world is in knowing that you are not an exclusive club of skills or knowledge. This realization will help us all in giving our best at what we do while also developing ourselves for more exploits.

2. You Are Keeping Your Job Because You Are Still Relevant
Yeah hear. If you have been led to think that your employers love you and that is why you are on the payroll- you need to examine yourself deep down and wake up from the slumber. If they can get a younger man to replace you with more agility and less salary, then you are gone. The era of job security is gone forever unless you are in the civil service and even then you must note it won’t be long before computers replace most of the redundant staff in those establishments. It is important to ask yourself each year how relevant you are to your organization and how you can be more useful for the next year.

3. Review Your Job
I have seen all sorts of resumes in my life and the first thing that strikes me is that after 6 years of working, some people still go about with CVs fit only for a fresh graduate. This can either show poor CV writing skills or to call a spade a spade; a waste of years for the fellow. If your job is so monotonous and unskilled to the level that a sharp secondary school leaver could be trained to take over from you in a few months, then be very afraid. Imagine a job that only requires you to wake up in the morning, not have to think too much, get to work, and close without much tasks to the brain; you have to be very afraid because most likely your organisation would soon decide to employ OND or SSCE holders. We have started seeing this in many organizations especially the banking sector. So if you are stuck in those kind of jobs, start buying good books, read them a lot, determine what career move you want and find a way to get there.

4. Acquire More Skills
I remember my very good friend who was working in a company he did not like. His salary was nothing to write home about but he was determined to further his career. He started saving money to write a very tough IT certification and gain more experience as a Java programmer. He eventually saved enough money from a salary of 22 thousand naira per month and wrote the examination. In a period of 4 months, he got 2 jobs and the last one paid him about 200 thousand naira per month starting salary in 2004. It is a true life story. There are some of his colleagues who didn’t think it urgent to develop themselves and are still stuck in the rat race. You must sit down today and ask yourself a simple question – AM I SKILLFUL? Even if you are, you will be driven to acquire more knowledge and skills. It is the only way to stay competitive and edge out others in the New Year.

5. Stop Complaining and Do Something Useful
I hate sitting down with pessimistic people who are not ready to move on with their lives. They are all around us spreading their woes but unwilling to make the next move. We are not ready to hear those stories next year. Even in the desert lies opportunities but only the willing mind can see them. This is a season to have a positive mentality and move on to do exploit. The secret to getting the best out of our world is to think positively and picture how our lives should be, and then we can do it in the physical. If you already defeated yourself spiritually, expect no victory.

6. Start Thinking Entrepreneurship
Those who hate to be confined to monthly salaries are actually those that organizations spend a lot of money to lure into staying more with them. Let me break this down. Those who are confident enough that they can stand on their own will most likely be high performers in their current jobs. The more they have that mentality, the more they shine and the more they get better offers to keep working for organisations. They are known as intra-preneurs as they keep going the extra miles working as if they own the business they are employed in. These are guys who at a point are offered shares in companies just to tie them down. The other side of the fence is pathetic. They are the ones who are never thinking of starting their own businesses. They want to die in paid employment but they are found out easily and are bundled out early. It is actually scriptural: He who holds on to his life will lose it. He who holds on to paid employment will eventually lose it.

7. Start a Business While Still In Paid Employment
Not all businesses will require your 24-7 attention at the beginning. There are some you can start doing even from now. Identify a need you can fill and get on with it NOW. You must decide in 2010 to write that business plan, talk to potential partners and ensure you don’t fall into the trap of forgetting your goals. Nigeria is a developing country and there are still loads of services enjoyed in developed countries that are still not available in Nigeria. It is time to start looking at such and fill a gap. And yes, it is important to start small before you can attract investors later.

8. It Might Sound Silly, But Please Learn A Vocation
Interior Decoration, Cake Baking and Designing, Photography, etc are vocations that can make you Millions. Some are too myopic to think they are for people with little education but please a lot of very educated tush people are making waves now. There is enough room for more. Aren’t you going to be pleased to have a mechanic garage where the owners are graduates and truly understand cars unlike Wasiu the Mechanic who almost totally destroyed my car? These are subtle opportunities that are being taken for granted by us all. If you must know, I have a professional DSLR camera and would soon go for a course in professional photography. Very soon, I should be making some money from you LOL.

9. Do a Certification or a Higher Degree in 2010
It costs money to make money and that is the simple truth. Careful planning of expenditures in the New Year will ensure you can save money to do an examination, go for training or even a post-graduate degree. The returns always justify the investments at the end of the day. So before you decide on changing your car, buying more electronics that would soon be old model in a few months; please think of setting money aside for personal development in 2010. You will be glad you did.

10. No Better Time to Love God
A conscious decision to stay away from sin and love God in 2010 will result in a lot of favour coming your way. Sometimes we see some people with things falling on the good side for them always and we wonder why. The God factor is very important and even when all is in place, that extra touch from God makes everything simpler. As we go into 2010, let us put our plans into his hands and it will be well with us all. So I am using this opportunity to wish you a Merry Xmas and a very fulfilling and prosperous New Year 2010. Success will come our way in good measure. Amen.

Before I wish you a merry Xmas as is customary at this time of the year; I am asking myself if there is much to be merry about and yes there is. We have to thank God for the gift of life, living and good health. Even if the events of the past few months are not too good to be happy about, we have hope that we will still eat of the good fruit of the land. It is not time to despair or be pulled down, NO it is time to look forward and think ahead.

One of the things that will stand us apart for glory next year is the ability to plan forward. To think of the future in a proactive way; ensuring that our usual fire brigade approaches are not employed for the year 2010. As you might have noticed; pundits have already told us not to expect any miracle in 2010, some have even predicted a harder one than 2009. I pray and hope they are not right as I don’t think our dear country needs such times again.

2009 has broken all the records. Just last week, a record 5000 bank workers lost their jobs. What is distressing is that this huge number is shared only amongst 3 banks, a source of worry since there is a possibility that some other banks would join in this exercise. The banking sector established itself as the top recruiter of new graduates and many can testify that this industry ensured a steady source of employment to the lucky ones. If the same industry is now purging itself of workers and fails to inject new ones; the outlook is very bad.

The man at the helm of affairs at the CBN, Sanusi Lamido has been accused of being behind all things gone wrong in the banking sector including the sack of employees. There have been a lot of speculations and rumours about this being an ethnic war. But the questions remains if the banks were truly in trouble or not or how can a bank that declared Billions of Naira in profit last year suddenly declare a loss this year. This shows the rot has been eating deep and it only took one man to expose all the nonsense going on unabated in our financial institutions. You might ask why he should stir the hornet’s nest, but my friend that is what we really need.

What I don’t like about all these are that only one sector of the economy is being cleaned. That is a wrong way to fix Nigeria. The rot is in every sector of our dear nation. From education, infrastructures, health, sports to others. We have failed in all things and so it is unfair that an industry is taking all the hit. We need a leader who will clean all places; we don’t need just one sub-leader to clean his own side. That is the problem we are facing now. What is going to happen is very obvious. Jobs have been lost, share prices are rock bottom, and the economy is still comatose. We will have more people thinking of other ways to make money to continue their opulence lifestyle. Some will get it clean and some will resort to clandestine ways. The impact of job losses is very big because for every employed soul in Nigeria, there are about 20 dependants or more. So, when a man losses his job, it is not only him that takes the hit but many others around him.

My point is simple; it is unfair to precipitate change in one industry leading to a big Tsunami when a lot of things are still wrong with our polity. Imagine a country where there is no social security, where quality health care is almost non-existent. When major job cuts happen in serious countries; the governments have a way of cushioning the effects to help her citizens adjust to it. There are no such measures in Nigeria. Also, our labour laws are moribund and non-effective. It would be hard for companies to carry out mass sacking like these if we have good labour laws. But well, anything can happen in Nigeria and they get away with it. I wonder what Sanusi’s bosses think of all these now but the main boss is sick and can’t even care about the plight of ordinary Nigerians. If there are more Sanusis, with a bigger Sanusi on top of our affairs as President; I can positively tell you that we won’t be facing such major problems in our country at the moment.

It is worthy of note that job cuts were not the exclusive prerogative of the banking sector in 2009. Other industries had their major share of the pie. An obvious one was in the Telecommunication sector where a particular operator sacked about 600 and outsourced another 700. The smaller industries who act as allies providing services to the banking, Telecoms and Oil sectors have been hit too because everyone is cutting costs. So, in conclusion, it has not been a very rosy year for the employee.

But wait, in the midst of all these some people got promoted, got new jobs and some were sent abroad for lucrative assignments and trainings. That is the irony of life and you wonder why someone is crying and the neighbour is rejoicing at the same time. A lot of people have benefited from the meltdown in one way or the other. Entrepreneurial abilities of otherwise laid back persons have been woken up just because reality is now facing everyone. My next post; which will be up in a few hours will talk of ways to be a part of those who will laugh in 2010. I believe the word of God which says that when others are cast down, we will be lifted up. So, when we talk of outlooks and all that, we must talk about ways of beating the forecasts. Watch Out!

Going from the title of this post; I am sure you would think it is another bashing for Big Brother and other reality TV shows. But I am about to shock you because contrary to what you might think; there is really a good lesson that Africa can learn from these shows if we are ready to look inwards.
When I was growing up in Ibadan, there were various game shows on the first Television station in Africa- NTA Ibadan. The most popular of them was anchored by Yemi Ogunyemi, a very nice show called Embalaya (Eni ba laya) which literarily means Who Has The Guts? People came from far and wide to participate in this game show and won various gifts. What made the show stand out were the ingenuity and the wit of the presenter who also sometimes acted in various plays including the masterpiece from NTA Ibadan that made network service – KOKO CLOSE.
The kiddies were not left out of game shows even back then. I have forgotten the name of one presented by Toyin Adegbola (now known as ashewo to re Mecca). It was showing on BCOS Ibadan and I remember she was still married to the late sports presenter also with BCOS – Tony Adegbola. Other shows evolved later including one for the inner-city Ibadan people (Some call them razz, I don’t) called O’n rosy ni galaxy. Gboyega Lawal still presents this show on Galaxy TV in Ibadan (Touted as the first private TV in Nigeria). Yemi Ogunyemi went on to anchor Royco Ladun many years after Embalaya was rested.

Recently, the popular game shows in Nigeria are mostly those imported from other climes but that does not take the fun away from them. Today is not a bash on the dearth of local content even though I am tempted to go that route but that will be the theme for another day. Hence we have shows like Who Wants To Be a Millionaire, Don’t forget the lyrics, etc. The success of these games shows and the rise of the telecommunication industry in Africa prompted the owners of the brands of reality TV shows and some shrewd business people to focus on Africa. And thus, the Big Brother phenomenon, Idols, Dancing with the Stars, etc were all brought to Africa thanks mostly to MNET Africa.

You still don’t know where I am headed with this, but please relax and enjoy the ride. We all know that we are not a very inspired continent with the ways our political and economic climate remains far from being perfect. Reality TV shows have helped to douse tensions. One finishes and another starts. We are even clamouring for Season 2 of West African Idols. Many of us watch American Idols, South African and all other Idols from all over the world. Now I am about to get to the point.

The organisers of the shows make money from various means including adverts, endorsements and SMS revenues. I am interested in the last part and the reason for this post. Take Big Brother as a good example. The housemates nominate their fellow mates for eviction every week. The nominees are then left in the hands of the voting public to determine if they get evicted or remain in the house. I have been in the Telecoms industry for some time and it is mind boggling the amount of votes weekly from these shows. That is in one network alone meaning that the cumulative votes cast weekly in Nigeria only is massive. We are talking about several Millions of votes. Someone in just one network in Nigeria just reported making 20 Million dollars (not naira) in just 100 days from these premium SMS.

The revenue generated is not my main reason for this post but the massive amounts of votes cast. I am wondering if no one has linked this to our election system in Nigeria and other African countries. How would you feel if I tell you that more votes are cast weekly for big brother housemates in Nigeria than for our national elections? That is the bitter truth and the reality on ground. People find it easier to pick their phones and burn between 50-75 naira several times to save their favourite housemates. In fact, MNET was so pleased with the level of participation from Nigeria that it gave 3 slots to Nigeria for the current season. And it is a fact that the three of them are still in the house while other countries with 2 housemates have lost one or both housemates. Shows we are really keen on saving our compatriots, hmmmm. And we also even save people from other countries when our people are not up for eviction.

Two questions arise here. Is it that Nigerians think it is better to save our Big Brother housemates than in saving Nigeria? Or is this an indication that our electoral system has to wake up and embrace technology in voting? I guess it is for all of us to ponder and think about it. We can no longer sit down and think a miracle can save us. It is time to think and move forward by answering those two questions. The right to vote and be voted for are a fundamental right of human beings. Many died for that right in America and today, a black man is on top of the affairs in the White House. We have that right in Nigeria already but we don’t use it citing violence during elections, rigging etc as our excuses. But we all know that even when we don’t go out to vote, the nonentities are elected, they loot our treasuries and indirectly murder us via our bad roads, health facilities etc.
Out technology elite must also collaborate with the political minded ones to bring innovation to the voting process and push for legislations backing such. But meanwhile, the voters registration would soon commence and I hope you will not be found wanting.
God bless Nigeria, God bless Africa.

The past few weeks were filled with some passionate writings on Nigeria. I guess that is a topic I can never run from as I am a Nigerian – a total one. Today, I am not writing about politics, governance or leadership but about a topic so important that if we trace the root of most societal problems; it comes first. The disintegration of family life is a major cause of a dysfunctional society and a big culprit is infidelity.

A few days ago, I had a very deep conversation with a good friend about marriage and the Nigerian society. It was a revealing one as he confirmed my own fears about the eroding sanctity of the marriage institution. We both concluded that most people get married nowadays more as an obligation than not. It is also very obvious that the rate of infidelity is at its highest now and mostly carried out with impunity. The saddest part is that most marriages are now failing right from the beginning and many are already strangers living in the same house before one year.

My mind wonders to the vows I made on my wedding day. The heavy pronouncements I declared before God and man and I ask myself if we all made that vow. But alas, yes we all did even if you married in the registry. I guess that is why it is hard to do business with most people nowadays even after signing legal documents. If a man can renege on his promises to keep his marriage bed sanctified even when he knows the attendant consequences; then such a man cannot be trusted with great things.

I am not going to be riding a high horse and say that I am immune from temptations, but I have promised God, myself, wife, family and friends to be a good role model. Temptations will surely come, but I am also aware that it takes a willing mind to participate. What I am very unhappy about is that most people nowadays think a man can never do without a fling here and there. That is the most blatant lie from the pit of hell but the reality is dawning on us now from all sides. It is also no more news that even women that used to be the victims are now cheating with great gusto, sometimes dwarfing the achievements of their male counterparts.

Today, I am not going to talk about women. I am going to concentrate my energy on the men who started this trade. This series will not end today, so I have enough space to share my thoughts. One of the hottest topics in magazines is “Why Men Cheat”. Today, I want to come from a fresh angle and talk about – “Why Men Must Not Cheat”.

1. What is Responsibility and Leadership: A lot of times, I have been forced to tell people why I don’t drink. I said forced because I don’t like explaining some deep things with just anybody. I choose my audience very well but I guess that is not good enough and everyone should know. I don’t drink because I see myself as a KING, a leader. The bible made it clear in Proverbs 31:
4It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:

7Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.

So, while I won’t condemn those who love to drink, I don’t have to join them because anyone who has to make important decisions in their daily life ought not to drink. But even when they wake up from their drunken state, the misery continues. Before you think I am digressing, let me link this together. If someone asks me today why I won’t cheat on my wife – my answer is simple – I am a KING. Proverbs 31 also nails it:

3Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.

How many young men have been destroyed because of their lust? How many of our fathers never reached their potentials because of extra marital affairs? I guess we know many big examples. Even many rich men reduced their credibility just because of their lifestyle. Remember the very rich man whose family was thrown into deep problems after his death. The examples abound for many to see but it seems we are just not ready to learn. So, I say today – if you want to be a truly responsible man, who will be influential for life, you cannot afford to cheat. Ask Clinton and you will know the truth.

2. It Destroys Your Home: Well, that is a no brainier. The beginning of every broken marriage is cheating. Women are more liberated nowadays and most won’t tolerate a cheating husband again. There is a strong link between wife bashers and cheaters. Most men who don’t cheat really do not have reasons to beat their wives. Isn’t it easy to see that the reason you beat your wife is because you are irritated with her after coming from the sexy mistress’ abode? Any man who is serious about a New Nigeria would not cheat on his wife because doing it will add to the number of potential dysfunctional children who mostly come from such unions.

3. Your Kids Might Hate You: Children mostly have a big compassion for their mum when they realize that their dad is cheating. They tend to see you as the enemy at a point even if you spoil them with money and other goodies. Wake up man; this is the 21st century where a man’s prowess is not measured by the number of women he can capture. Gone are the days when you can easily do this and get away with it. If you don’t want to be estranged from your kids; please think about it before you start flirting with other women.

4. Your Finances Suffer For it: Interestingly we are in tough times. So if you have excess money, it is wise to keep or invest it for tomorrow. I usually marvel at men who keep two women. Making a woman to be happy involves a lot, so it beats me when someone decides to use his hard earned cash on other babes. For the newly married doing this, remember kids would soon come and more money is needed. For those with kids, isn’t it obvious that you could have spent more on your family than you are already doing. Think about it.

5. Your Achievements Might Be Slowed Down: Whenever I get home each day back from work. I still have to play with my wife and daughter – then decide on which book to read that night to move my career forward. 24 hours then is almost not enough in a day again for all my activities and business. Which gets me thinking of how I would even find time for another woman. And if I find the time as people do; it is very clear some things will be affected.

6. Purpose: Have you even thought of why you are here in this world? Most people don’t and that explains most of our actions. I will pass through this world once and I wish to be remembered for good things. A lot of people will be wounded along the way. Your wife, kids and even the ladies you cheat with. When a man finds his purpose in this world, his perspectives must surely change.

7. Lie Begets Lie: Lies are like a vicious cycle. They never end. You need to propagate new lies everyday to cover your tracks. But one day, it will surely backfire and you are found out. Imagine this – you lied to your wife about staying late at work, yet you are in a hotel in another suburb. If you run into any trouble, then you have got a lot of explanations to make. When you lie today, you will have to lie tomorrow to cover yesterday’s lie. Why would you want to use your precious brain in such a manner? Think about it.

8. You Will Become an Assassin: Maybe this should have been number two. I presently live in a country where the HIV prevalence is MAD. One out of four people you meet is HIV positive. The statistics in Nigeria might not be too far from this but we don’t know as our record system is almost non-existent. Once you cheat on your wife, you have become a potential murderer and your wife should flee from you. I have heard stories of men who infected their wives and are using retroviral drugs without letting them know. If you have not cheated before, this is your chance to avoid this label. If you already did, it is not too late to turn back before you kill.

9. The Most Important Relationship Is Shattered: God actually likened his relationship with us to the relationship between a man and his wife. WOW. That is how sacred the marriage institution is to God. Once a man messes this up, he has cut himself from God. So for those who already enjoy a relationship with God, this is a reminder of the fact you know that you must not even allow yourself to be led astray. If you still don’t know about God, well, I guess the points above are more general and should help you in making the best choice.

I am going to stop here today. Next time, I am going to be writing on practical ways men can overcome the temptations. I welcome suggestions because Iron Sharpeneth Iron. We all have a lot to learn from each other. This might also lead to the formation of group for men who are committed to being faithful to their God and woman. We can be each other’s keepers. The women can also take a cue from here. We will get there. Amen.

October 1 1960 – the union jack was lowered as it leaves us for the final time and the green – white – green of the free nation soared high in the sky. Our nationalists and heroes were finally vindicated and their hopes were raised to the heavens thinking their labours of the past will not be in vain. The road to independence was filled with a lot of struggles especially from the acclaimed group of intellectuals that fought the British to a standstill not necessarily with guns but solid ideologies. Little wonder that the products of the political class that evolved from that time were great men both upstairs and in deeds. Anthony Enahoro, Obafemi Awolowo, Tafawa Balewa, Nnamdi Azikwe, et al till today occupy a fond space in our memories till date.

Our flag represented Agriculture from the green land we are excessively blessed with while the white part connotes the peace and brotherhood expected of us. God bless Pa Akinkunmi for that great representation. Agriculture provided a massive export economy for Nigeria. It is interesting to note that we were not only known for our cocoa in the West but also for the groundnut pyramid in the north as well as rubber from the East. Those were the days of true federalism when each region worked hard to make something good come out of their midst. Obafemi Awolowo was a worthy premier in the west and so was Akintola. Even the regional houses of assembly were a model and competition was fierce for seats in those days.

It is very easy to know that Nigeria’s degradation did not start in one day. It was a gradual decomposition that engulfed us due to a number of factors. Ethnicity was the first culprit in this mess. The first coup by the Nigerian military and the next one which happened within a few months of each other was precipitated by ethnic sentiments. We then welcomed the commercial drilling of crude oil with its attendant big revenue. Our sitting head of state saw too much money and he famously made the statement about us having money but not knowing what to do with it.

This era signalled the beginning of the end of our other thriving export commodities like agriculture and mining. Everyone was interested in the oil boom. The Federal government saw the booty and decided to destroy our federalism by appropriating all the proceeds to the center. That was a milestone in Nigeria’s history. I have noticed a syndrome in the black man and I have been praying to God to heal me and all of us of that disease. We lack the ability to simulate the future. We fail to understand that most of our decisions now even if they are gratifying for us as individuals can destroy a nation. I am quite sure most past heads of state would look back today and realize they started the destruction many years ago.

A country that does not look back to its past can never move forward. Decisions made in those days are the ingredients that contributed to the finished product we have today. It is interesting that 20 years ago, we looked back and said things were not this bad. 10 years ago was the same story. Today we mark the 49th independent anniversary of our nation and the only thing on my mind is that we are just 12 months away from our golden jubilee. And I am wondering what the story will be then.

Look around the country and you are faced with same stories of fading hope and distress. It is getting increasingly bad with each day. Best Ogedegbe, who was the green eagles (as super eagles were called then) first choice goalkeeper when Nigerian won the 1st of its only 2 nations cup died in UCH on Monday. It took an eye problem which he wanted to treat to diagnose a brain tumor. Even if he was diagnosed earlier; are there facilities to treat the man? Do we even have adequate health insurance? No. In a good country, a man of Best’s status does not need the state government to pay his hospital bills because his health insurance covers for it.

I am also angry at the middle class as well as the poor who don’t even know that the key to making Nigeria work lie with them. This group of people will still not come out to register for elections when the time comes. Or some even support the thieves during the elections forgetting that it will still affect them or their kids in the future. When change came to France in the 18th century; it was due to the masses that were suppressed for a long time by the powerful and rich. I sense we are about to come to a point when a collective anger will suffice in Nigeria. We are very close to that point now and I don’t support violence but alternative ways of getting what we want. We can resist rigging by petitioning the INEC from now. By turning out to register and subsequently voting at the elections. 1 Million bad people cannot continue pushing us into abyss – 140 million people can decide to defeat the minority in their dirty game. Yes we can.

If you are one of those who think things have not gone so bad, please look at the sorry state of our sport. We have been relegated to the stands and the football that used to make us happy is also a thing of sadness for us now. It is not that we don’t have good footballers but I think this is a way of telling us that nothing is working in our country and a total overhaul is needed to bring change. And also remember that ASUU is still on strike and Nigeria is hosting the world for the U-17 world cup which might be disrupted by NANS. Can you blame them? No. Isn’t it weird that Mr. President who most likely did not pay a dime throughout his glorious educational pursuit is so insensitive to the plight of the Nigerian students who have to go through under-funded universities?

Nigerians do not need much from their leaders. We only need a human face to the whole episode. We need leaders who are ready to work for progress. We understand that things have gone so bad but we know that the journey to redemption can start today. We need leadership that can put a stop to corruption in every way not just by an anti-corruption agency but via effective means and leadership by example. We don’t need feeble point agenda but a real effort towards changing things around.

Even though the story is not so nice today as we clock 49, but there is hope as we still bask in the euphoria of the achievements of men like Governor Babatunde Raji Fasola in Lagos State. We are also confident that many Nigerian youths are still committed to change and are ready to stake all to achieve a new Nigeria. We will not put our pen and mouth to rest but continually excite our peers and even elders about the need to bring about change. And one day, very soon – change will definitely happen.

I am an incurable optimist when it comes to Nigeria. Somehow, I believe that most of us are good people but normally spiced by bad people as is common with even the so called sane state. But thinking deeply; I guess things are worse than we want to believe. There is an urgent need for re-thinking and if we want to erase the label of a failed state which we carry whether we like it or not, then we need to act.

I am not a believer in staying away from Nigeria and that is because I understand the fact that home is the best. You can never be totally free in another man’s country. For example, I can easily register a company in Nigeria and do business if I have the right conditions (a story for another day). In other countries, I will most likely need to have a local as partner before I can do business even if I don’t need their funds or intellectual contribution. But analysing this, it might actually make more sense to do that than start a business in the Nigeria of today.

Perhaps, the only strong point we have is our huge population that ensures patronage even when giving crap services. The cabals who have decided never to make Nigeria work are relentless in their efforts. It is as if they have sworn to an oath to totally destroy our nation. Funny thing is that these people are led by sheer greed and the drive to secure the future of their children and generations to come. The fool thinks he will be alive tomorrow, he who keeps his life will definitely lose it. But I guess they are not meant to even think.

Our fundamentals are greatly flawed. The purpose of having a system of government is such that confusions do not arise. In Nigeria, our claim is that we practise federalism. But it is obvious that we don’t. Federalism ensures each state has first right to their wealth and governance. The centre is only meant to unite the country and have some common front. The Yorubas know that the meaningful developments in that region till date were accomplished during the Western Regional Government when we had true autonomy. Our Cocoa was enough to build us the UCH , NTA, Liberty Stadium, Cocoa House, University of Ife (Africa’s most beautiful campus) as well as other landmarks. Point to a great edifice we have gained from the flawed logic of federation we have been practising after that. Almost none.

Our politicians are not prepared to do the right things and that is because of their love for money and power. If we start practicing true federalism; their gold pot -Oil will mostly be available to the Niger Delta. But in being greedy and despondent; there arises even worse consequences. I have said that the only real solution to the power problem is to grant each state autonomy to generate power. Nigeria is a very big country and it makes no sense that an agency of government as epileptic as PHCN could solve our problems. Kwara State has played politics to another level and I think other states should ask Bukola Saraki how we was able to convince the Federal Government to implement the Ganmo Power plant which has ensured stable electricity supply for their state. As far as I know, that is the state industries should be moving to now in Nigeria.

It is very clear that some powerful people do not want electricity supply to work in Nigeria. These are the fifth columnists who import diesel and generators. They are the power brokers and are supported by corrupt people in the private sector too. Imagine how much diesel is used by the GSM companies in Nigeria daily to power their base stations. It is also known that top guns of some companies using diesel make a lot of money by inflating the price per litre. Now, will they be happy for normalcy to return? I guess no.

We are a very funny people and we are selective in our remembrance. How can we not understand a simple principle called cause and effect? Coca Cola has only 2 concentrate plants in Africa – one in Nigeria and the other in Swaziland. Swaziland is a country of just about a Million people while Nigeria as more than 140 Million but guess where a plant is closing? Nigeria of course, due to power problems as well as a tense business environment. Now, those thinking of getting jobs should wake up to reality – the jobs will be getting scarce per day. Where is Dunlop, where is Michelin, where are the car factories, even chocolate. They are nowhere to be found. Ghana is claiming them in droves and I won’t be surprised if Coca-Cola moves there. You are jubiliating about the Glo Marine 1; please don’t celebrate yet. Where is the power go with it or it will just run on its own? How will data centres work when there is no electricity?

Must we all lose hope before we know things have totally gone bad? Today I woke up with bad news again. An assistant news editor (Politics) with Guardian News – Bayo Ohu was brutally killed in his home yesterday in Egbeda Lagos. Notice the keyword – politics. 2011 is here, many politicians are embroiled in a lot of saga but they want to be back by all means. The killings have started. How long will this continue and will our children ever be proud of their country? I guess the answers are obvious but it is not a done deal as I know that we are almost nearing the brick wall and then hope arises.

No one person can help us. We cannot get a leader who will be a lone voice in the wilderness leading us to salvation. Every man has to be serious about salvaging Nigeria out of these shackles. We must be prepared to rise up and take action. Look around and count the number of graduates around you looking for jobs. Check your inbox and tell me you have not received an email from Interswitch recently asking you to divulge your ATM details. Tell me you are happy with the noise coming from the numerous I Pass My Neighbour around your house. Tell me the sticky and acidic airs you breathe are good for you. Life expectancy is reducing everyday due to stress level, bad roads and the likes.

You are asking me what we can do. I think it starts from our minds. From the little things we do in our private corners. From the way we treat our colleagues and family. From the little bribe you just collected or paid. And then we graduate to the level of enlightening others to rise for change. Swaying one or two votes in the next elections. Talking to our fathers and mothers, siblings and friends about the need for change. I am doing that. Are you? Change starts with you!

Like most autobiographical work, ‘Gbenga Sesan begins his third book from the beginning – becoming chairman of his university’s Electronic Club in final year, and getting the opportunity through that to contact the revered ‘father of the Internet’, Philip Emeagwali.

The book’s format is simple: speeches and papers he has delivered, but with an introductory two-pager on where he was at the time in his career or life when the specific paper was written or delivered, giving context and soul to the nuggets he is presenting. Very remarkably, most of the work is as relevant in the contemporary as they were in the years – as far as 7 years ago – that he wrote them.

But ‘Gbenga also has no patience for ceremony, and so from the beginning he begins to outline his world view: right from page 2, he tells you that resource control should not be about the resources beneath the soil, but those above it – “intellectual capital”.

The strength of this book comes from the fact that every principle and every point of view that ‘Gbenga espouses is followed by a practical life experience – in essence, ‘Gbenga stands as the physical proof of all that he has written: giving the book immense authority and credibility. When he says in page 35 that “the boundaries that mark the locations of nations are fast blurring as technological innovations turn the whole into a global village,” it is easy to see it because ‘Gbenga’s life and work have managed to defy space, time or place.

Some weeks ago, this reviewer spoke at a conference where ‘Gbenga was also a speaker, and an offhand statement he made in a question to me was striking. “I am cynical about seminars – I know that is strange for some like me to say,” he confessed, “But sometimes it’s like we keep saying the same old things and there is no new impact.”

Indeed, for the cynical, those whom ‘Gbenga reserves unusual derision towards the end of the book (“the Hopeless” he calls them), a man who has travelled to tens of countries, from Switzerland to Morocco, Sri Lanka to Burkina Faso, Austria to the United States, for assorted seminars and conferences has no moral right to say this, but in this one case, Mr. Sesan can, because the crux of his life’s trajectory has been a transformation from gaining knowledge as Nigeria’s youngest IT ambassador to applying that knowledge practically and sharing it strategically to cause verifiable impact. Ajegunle.org and Paradigm Initiative Nigeria are the most visible examples of these. ‘Gbenga’s work, like his ideas, is consistently outcome oriented.

Following that tradition, “In My Own Words” gives practical, well-researched advice on every single issue that the 32-year-old raises. Indeed, right from the first chapter, he begins to submit his ‘key points’ for how Nigeria can harness its e-commerce potentials on every level – from schools to the organised private sector.

‘Gbenga’s case on the urgency of ICT development in Africa is best presented on page 27: “While it took telephony technology 75 years to reach 50 million users worldwide,” he says, “it has taken the World Wide Web only 4 years to hit the same target.”

However, the author mostly answers his questions by bypassing government, constantly choosing to speak in a global context. When he does speak of the Nigerian government for instance, it is to draw a parallel. But one wonders about how effective the concept of a global village really is in local contexts? There is a loud question about how far international engagement can translate into practical international progress, and one wonders why ‘Gbenga doesn’t dwell more on the problems of corruption, the volatility of African politic systems and the direct link of this sum total to poverty and resultant underdevelopment. Only once did the 32 year old refer to the “ill-equipped, ego-centric leaders” (pg. 108). Still, you might disagree with him, but he yet makes a compelling case.

Constantly also, like with the chapter on the digital divide, ‘Gbenga displays an admirable knack for correctly identifying gaps, analysing them – again crisply – and then suggests solutions. He does the same in identifying why it is in the interest of developed nations to give the developing world a fair chance to participate in the New Economy. “Establishing dynamic e-working relations between developing and developed nations,” he says, “would reduce the expense incurred by developed nations on travel, logistics and training.”

Indeed, it is remarkable what the initial workings of this highly talented yet rookie mind was bale to come up with in 2001, when he was only 24. ‘Gbenga was born, like Chinua Achebe said of another writer, almost ready made. Indeed, one can ask how a 32 year old happens to have penned an autobiography, but Mr. Sesan is not one of those you can define with obsolete standards like age.

One gets a glimpse into the young man’s essence in an anecdote in chapter 3, on ‘The Nigerian Youth’s Dream’, of his very first visit to the Senate Committee on Science and Technology. As everyone assumed he would be nervous and tried to calm him down, ‘Gbenga told himself: “If only they knew ho prepared I was; after many years of experience, addressing imaginary audiences behind closed doors. This is the Senate of the Federal Republic of one nation! I have hardly even started.”

‘Gbenga’s initial life disadvantages colour positively his views and his opinions, leading to a convincing thesis on the problems that hinder the continent’s technology growth. “Technology continues to expand exponentially,” he notes with palpable worry on page 37, “but then these people (poor citizens of developing countries) have no access to the basic tools of this dynamic revolution. Unfortunately (and here he stresses the bottom line), they still have to compete in the same global market as the 3G generation from developed nations.” On page 56, he almost screams with agony: “Some young Africans have never touched a computer!”
What is truly remarkable however is that, many years after writing this, ‘Gbenga kept true to his vision and translated work into action when he established Ajegunle.org, for young people from disadvantaged communities.

Gossip can also be gleaned from the book by those who have always wondered how ‘Gbenga came to be one of the most widely travelled professionals in his generation. It evidently started with a May 2002 presentation at the World Summit on the Information Society, put together by the United Nations. It turns out ‘Gbenga wasn’t always this confident; always having the right words. He reveals instead that he was battling a serious inferiority complex, having to watch and learn the protocols and processes that he now commands with enviable ease.

And for those inevitable few who are quick to put it all to fortune, ‘Gbenga has something in response: “When preparation meets opportunity, what follows may look a lot like luck – it is not.”

He has no patience for young people who refuse to be driven. To those who act like they alone face challenges, he says; “what young people need to understand is that they are not alone in the battle against mediocrity and it is in their best interest to fight”, to those who are waiting for things to get better first, he says; “A baby will never walk on its mother’s back” and for those who will say things like “I have no email address”, he reserves scorn: “You are not a valid citizen of the world we live in today!”

There is a special category though that he calls “The Hopeless”. Rather than divide Nigeria along tribal or class lines, the author thinks Nigeria should in fact be categorised in four ways only: the Relieved, the Hopeless, the Returnee and the Strategically Positioned. Those he calls ‘Hopeless’ are those who only see history as an archive of mistakes and are quick to criticise change agents; calling them unrealistic time wasters. The Strategically Positioned, a group to which ‘Gbenga aligns himself, are the ones that effect change, sticking to what they believe – while the rest of the world tags them lucky, or dismiss them as having friends in high places. Again, ‘Gbenga’s life stands to put a lie to this.

He takes the reader on a journey into the mindset with which he began the climb to the top of the food chain. At the age of 14, he says in the chapter on his IT Youth Ambassadorship Service Report, he began to question his existence; ending up with a promise to himself that his purpose in life wouldn’t end at going to school, getting a job, building a family and dying unsung. Though the process to acclaim would not begin until 8 years later, he decided then, sitting at a church meeting listening to a sermon about the bible’s David, that the search for true meaning lies in serving one’s generation.

How to do this? He again uses his personal example. In Chapter 8, whilst he says that “it is impossible to tell you the one ‘secret’ of my transformation,” in the typical ‘Gbenga-esque way, he still tries to help, eventually sharing what he calls the three circles that should define your work: passion, skills and economic value.
The chapters ‘Where do you Stand?’ and ‘I have No Excuse’ deepen the effect of this message, and are ‘Gbenga at his best; eloquently challenging his generation to get up and do something – and from student level to NYSC level, he practically indicated his suggestions for snapping out of lethargy and defeatism. He asks: beyond complaining, “have you stopped for a second to find a way to stand out of the maddening crowd”? If only 1 in 10 University graduates will get jobs, why haven’t you sought for an alternative? “We have no excuse,” he says, “and we need to keep reminding ourselves of this blunt truth.” Every young person should read these homilies.

In terms of structure, this is a 12 chapter book, broken in the middle by pictures. It has a foreword by Prof. Pat Utomi, the author’s personal mission statement written like a poem and a compelling introduction titled, ‘Why I do What I do’.

Now does this book have any weaknesses? Thankfully, it does, proving that ‘Gbenga is after all human. Some of the titles could have been edited further to become book-friendly, as an autobiographical work should be a flowing narrative: ‘The Nigerian Youths’ Dream’ for instance could have been better and more engagingly constructed by an editor.

Also, like many biographies, the author succumbs to the temptation to give ‘votes of thanks’ at every opportunity, something that really couldn’t be helped since these presentations were made at different times. Still, a creative editor could have found a way around it without watering the work’s integrity. For one, the all too frequent, though deserved, references to Philip Emeagwali, could have been minimised, for their deadening repetitiveness. The creative license to deal with one’s original work is after all a wide one.

Another weakness would be a pervading presence of clichés and platitudes every now and then: forgivable since ‘Gbenga is not primarily a writer. Even then, he understands the problem with these, as he sometimes begins his sentences with “I will not waste my time stating the obvious”, even though he goes ahead and does so. But, as anyone who has dealt with international development agencies will tell you, stating the obvious comes with the job description.

Still, phrases like “most populous black nation”, “there’s no nation that can progress without its youth”, “1 minus 2 is impossible until you know the answer”, “lessons of life”, “today is a snapshot, tomorrow is the full length movie”, “water will find its level” and others will grate the nerves of the anal retentive, no matter how necessary they are.

Fortunately, one notices remarkable improvement in ‘Gbenga’s language as he progresses from paper to paper over the years: and as he finally masters the lingo of civil society, he is able to apply his own unique flair to great effect as the last two chapters show.

Also, whatever points knocked off for predictable language are more than balanced out by the crisp, clear language that he employs. ‘Gbenga’s book says what he means, and at the risk of using a cliché, thankfully also means what it says.

And it all boils down to one question, asked in the last chapter: “can our generation inspire visible and sustainable change through leadership?”

However, one can only see the question as rhetoric; because ‘Gbenga not only answers it “in his own words”, but also with his own life.

On page 64, Mr. Sesan repeats his popular story of the first time he stood to make a comment at a public ICT forum. A man sitting beside him promptly advised him to sit down because, according to him, “young men do not know much more than girls and music”. The continent’s experience has shown clearly though that it is men like that who have kept Africa so far behind in the digital race. It is time for people like ‘Gbenga to take over Nigeria.

Ayo’s Note:
A very objective review of a wonderful book. I guess it is not a question of how relevant this book is. So please visit www.gbengasesanspeaks.com to order a copy.

If there is any country that can claim to be very blessed, Nigeria qualifies. No one can dispute the fact that we have a lot to thank God for – natural resources in abundance, great agricultural lands, intelligent citizens, nice climate, etc. But it seems most of these things are more of a curse to us than blessings considering the suffering and total hopelessness exhibited by most of the populace.

Some people tend to think that our problems are ethnic in nature but we all know that each ethnic tribe has fifth columnists who seem to have made up their mind to plunder the Nigerian state to non-existent. It is a very emotional side of me writing this post early on a Monday morning. Events have proven that if we are not careful – the house which has already fallen will totally be annihilated!

When former President Olusegun Obasanjo forced a relatively unknown governor (Outside his Katsina State and environs) on 140 Million people in 2007 to become our President; some of us knew we were heading for the same dance of shame. A lot of people were happy that an incorruptible governor was coming into power but I bet we now know that Nigerians need more than that. A president who comes into office through a flawed electoral process can never rule us with the conscience required of such a leader. It is also a fact that his election came with a price – he dined with the Iboris of this world so how can we prove his innocence?

Let’s look at his performance in more than 26 months in power. Electricity which is the major problem we thought his government was going to solve is worse now. The panels he constituted to probe past power projects are all dead and the noise is no more resounding. Now, his 7 points agenda are more like a puppet show than a reality. We all have doubts that they will ever come true and can you blame a pessimistic Nigerian or a Naija woman/man? Nopes.

Form everything I have seen of this man; he is more stubborn than OBJ and he has proved it because he is tending towards being worse than military heads of state when it comes to human feelings. It is on record that President Umar Musa Yar Adua has not offered the government and people of Lagos State a condolence message after the Atlas Cove Jetty disaster. Something makes me think he shares the thoughts of Jomo Gbomo when he said that the attack was on a Federal Government property and not aimed at Lagos State.

Now to think that the same President wrote a letter to the Lagos State government ordering them to revert back to the 20 local government format says much of the kind of leader or let’s say Boss he is. That was very untimely and it is times like these when he makes such decisions that I question if Mr. Segun Adeniyi is truly his aide or just one of his play things in Aso Rock. When Yar Adua appointed Adeniyi, we were so happy that to some extent; the level of decisions taken at the top would have some sanity but we have been proved wrong on all sides. I remember the cerebral column on the back page of This Day every Thursday that ensured some of us scrambling for a copy of the newspaper. I remember a man we missed when he decided to join government but I also remember we were happy that we are missing him to perform better at a more advanced stage but I guess that was a wish. Don’t get me wrong, we all know Yar Adua might not even listen to people like Adeniyi but then his continuous stay negates the personality we know if his advise is being ignored. I choose to believe that Adeniyi is not happy with most of the decisions or am I wrong?

Just a few days ago, the governors of the Niger Delta region openly dared Yar Adua about the amnesty deal and the quack decision of the FG on PTI Effurun Warri / Kaduna school. One begins to wonder how the mind of our President works? How can he pretend to be committed to the Niger Delta peace process and in the same breath make such blatant decisions? It beats me. Remember also that he calls our bluff at all times. He doesn’t see anything wrong in having his Ministers of finance, Finance Advisers and the CBN all coming from one part of the country.

This is not a Yar Adua bashing exercise. It is actually a bashing exercise for all political post holders who are destroying our nation. The shameless brats who I can liken to the proverbial bastard – the one who uses the left hand to describe his father’s house. I also liken them to murderers, yeah because the blood of those who die on our coffin roads, bad hospitals and even in some cases – poverty will cry on their head.
I think we should be tired of their acts by now when we see a few silver linings like Fashola and the other few fiscally responsible state governors.

Right now, the global economic meltdown is biting deep into our country. Jobs are being lost. None are created. Each successive NYSC set is like an addition of more jobless youths into the polity. The banks that used to be the biggest employers have cut down on their recruitment processes. Telecommunication was seen as an untouchable sector but that has been proved wrong. Oil companies were never big employers of labour and it will get worse now that the Niger Delta agitation is on a higher pedestal with operation Moses (God save us from the plagues). Oil production is down to about a quarter of our capacity and it is all looking very bad.

I am one very optimistic Nigerian but I guess today is a day for telling the truth and preparing our minds for what is to come. I cannot see an end to our travails with the bunch of comic acts who call themselves leaders. Leadership is not a small word that can be used by the jokers we have in power from the ministries to LG to States and federal governments. Though the cloud looks thick but I know that all hope is not lost. It will just need some commitments and hard work from us all.

We have a vibrant generation that can turn things around. The era of sidon look has finished. The countries we used to run to a la United Kingdom, USA, etc are managing their resources now and are giving the good jobs to home boys regardless of the foreigners capabilities and qualifications. Ask our young people who just finished MBAs in top business schools around the world. It used to be a gate for automatic entrance into the wonderful 6-figure dollar salary but now the story has majorly changed as the stimulus package granted to the organizations that used to recruit such talents mandated they recruit Omo-Oniles. So, home will be the best to come back to. Now, can we all afford to leave things the way they are? Where our roads are death traps, health care non-existent? Unemployment rife, strikes everywhere, generator wars? I guess no. We deserve a better Nigeria.

I know you hate politics but love a good life. So, I am imploring that for the first time since you turned 18 – realize you are key to evolving the Nigeria of your dream. I cringe when I think that we might have the same set of politicians coming back in 2011. I am afraid when I think that this looting will continue for decades. And I will blame the young brainy Nigerian who sees no faults in the way things are just because of his/her comfortable salary which is rubbished by the environment he/she passes through everyday and even ‘cos that job is no longer safe.

I am young and I am proudly Nigerian. My parents understand that my age has nothing to do with my sensibility. I can sway them and their friends if I have the right words. I know that the 18-40 age bracket has a lot to do in the next elections starting from when the voters register opens. We need a class action to get things going. There is a group of young people already talking about registering a new political party with sound ideologies. I have committed myself to finish a research I started on how the Republican, Democratic, Labor and Conservative parties evolved which shows them as ideological bodies unlike our own baba-suwe likened parties in Nigeria and most of Africa. If you think you can join me in this research so we can help the party that is going to be registered to have a firm footing and not turn into a joke – mail me : me@ayooladejo.com.

I am going to beg you all. We have a part to play in the national rebirth. I want my kids to comfortably live and enjoy in their country. I want to see my people enjoy a good life. I am tired of the nonsense and I know you are. But can we turn this anger into a productive edge? That is the question raging in my head. If we call you to action, would you answer? Can you stop being pessimistic and see that WE CAN for a moment? If yes, we will know when you answer the clarion call.

How time flies is a very common saying in our World. But can the families of those affected by senseless and wicked sides of humanity ever forget the wounds imposed on them even after decades? I guess no!
I was a 300 level student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife when the unthinkable happened. Today marks the 10th anniversary of that unforgettable incidence that left the whole country gasping for breath.

Now someone might ask if it was so uncommon for cultists to kill Tertiary institution students in Nigeria. The answer is no, it is not uncommon as we have lost what it takes to understand the sanctity of human live. But it was nevertheless uncommon for such an ignominious act to happen in Great Ife. Why? Because Great Ife was a vanguard in the fight against cultism and we prided ourselves as one of the few cult-free campuses in the whole of Nigeria.

But that was our undoing on this historic day. The devil we thought we had caged reared its ugly head and terminated the dreams of a nation. Five wonderful young men were killed in a senseless raid that still baffles me till date. There are different accounts of the motive behind the killings but one thing is clear; it is all a case of man’s wickedness towards man. I always ask myself why a man with blood running in his veins will decide to shoot another but I guess it is futile ‘cos it happens everyday in our world. Sad!

The scenarios painted are still not clear till date. Let me share some of them.

1. A school of thought believes that the attackers were an amalgamation of cultists from other campuses who came to deal with OAU students union leaders for their involvement in chasing cultism out of Nigerian higher institutions. It is believed that the external cultists collaborated with some few OAU based cultists to plan this raid.

2. The second school of thought linked Professor Wale Omole to the mayhem. Omole was rounding up his tenure as the Vice Chancellor of OAU when this happened. It was said that he wanted to deal with the student Union leadership who were always embarrassing him and his style of leadership which was very unpopular with the students. Omole allegedly brought mercenaries from other Universities to carry out the raid.

3. A third school of thought which many might be reading for the first time today came up. Yeah. it was not a very common one back then. It was believed that the President of the Students Union at that time – Lanre Legacy was in trouble. Nigeria was going to host the Under-20 world cup and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) was hell bent on stopping it. Lanre and the NANS president at that time were in the fore-front of leading NANS to disrupt the competition. On the day of the planned rally; they were nowhere to be found and later they persuaded Nigerian students to stop the disruption. It was gathered that they got a heavy beating and Lanre who had a good reputation as a fiery activist was a let down. It was alleged they collected some money from the Local Organizing committee of Nigeria ‘99. Great Ife students were waiting for him to return to Ife to be probed. he came back but almost immediately, the massacre happened. The conspiracy theory was that his political party (DSM) plotted the attacks to get the mind of Great Ife students on another pressing matter and forget the fraud. This account might be far-fetched as it is almost incomprehensible that Legacy could do that.

Now I do not know which of the theories was right and even if any of them could lead us to what happened on July 10 1999 but one thing is clear. Our judicial system as well as security intelligence is nothing to wrote home about. Up till now, the case has no closure and the cultists (Ife based) that were arrested did little to bring justice to the families and friends of the departed souls.

It was an heinous crime as most of the dead were killed in their sleep. Even the animal kingdom respects itself more than this. They mostly kill for food but we are worse. I know the spirit of those young men cut down in their prime will continue to haunt their killers and the system that has not been fair enough to give them justice.

To George Iwilade (Law) aka Afrika, Eviano Ekelemu (Medicine) and the rest who died on July 10, 1999 – I say rest on. Your struggles were not in vain and Great Ife has not suffered such an attack since your ultimate sacrifice. To the University – I wonder if any ceremony is holding at the moment to celebrate these martyrs?
To the students who were there when it happened – it could have been you o. So please do all you can to bring positive change to our nation, so we can become a people with respect for human lives.
To the families of the departed ones – God will continue to give you the fortitude to bear the loss.
To the wounded ones – yeah we cannot forget some were hit by bullets. God will heal you totally.
To the killers and their cohorts – One day you will give accounts, either in this world or in the aftermath.

NB: There are some events leading up to the July 10 attack that will be materials for an upcoming book from me. It will be an expose on how we might have avoided that attack ‘cos the events started from my 100 level in 1997.

The Socio-Cultural Component:
This is a very interesting component of Internet Governance. There are a lot of discrepancies in the way different stakeholders see issues relating to the socio-cultural aspect of the Internet. The two major contenders in this area are the Government and Civil Society. The recurring subject is content control. Government is very passionate about controlling the kind of contents on websites in their countries. An example is a country like France where Nazi materials are banned, the only setback is that the civil society is not wholly comfortable with that and usually emphasizes freedom of expression.

However, there are some contents that are mutually agreed upon by all stakeholders as being illegal such as child pornography, e.t.c. Almost every developed nation has a form of content control or the other, but it is still a dream for most African countries. If the fight against scam and cyber crime will be effective in Africa, then our Governments should realize that there is a need for appropriate legal framework for content control.
Content control will be effectively done if a multi-stakeholder approach is employed at enforcing it. This will require –

• Government filtering of contents using appropriate legislation.
• Private filtering of contents e.g. through embedded scripts in Internet browsers.
• The use of Geo-location software to track users of the Internet and catch offenders.
• Internet service providers can filter contents for their customers.
• Search engines like Google should only bring out accepted output when a search is done. Example is Google in France where if you type Nazi, you will not get any result.

Multilingualism and Cultural Diversity: This is a very important socio-cultural topic in Africa and the rest of the world. There must be a conscious effort to bridge language and cultural barriers in such a way that the issue of Anglophone and Francophone will be forgotten. The division is always very obvious during international meetings and all sorts of misunderstanding ensue in such meetings. If Africa wants to present a common agenda in Tunis 2005, a very proactive solution must be put in place to erase any sentiment and only give Africa its rightful place in world politics.

Local Content: Most Africans are Illiterates and 85% of contents on the Internet are in English, almost the remaining are in French, Portuguese, Arabic and Chinese. That spells a doom for majority of Africans who can at best read and write their native language. We must start developing local contents to help this people and to also show that we are original. If Prof. Phillip Emeagwali is right at the end of the day, then in a few centuries – “Human beings start having IP address and constitute the Internet and not computers anymore; hence emails will cease to exist, but telepathic mails” . This looks a bit crazy, but coming from a man of his reputation, we need to take him seriously. The goal of African governments should be to find ways to get the poorest farmer in a village to appreciate the Internet using his local language.

Education/E-learning: The information superhighway has brought the whole world closer together. It is now very easy to be in touch with a friend in China when you are in Abidjan in a matter of seconds. This has also helped in education dissemination. We now have access to quality teaching materials from leading institutions all over the world and the concept of virtual universities is now a reality. This is an area in which African leaders could leverage on to ensure the development of its citizenry. The concept of e-learning is very important to the development of Africa.

Conclusion:
While the debate for the governance of the Internet is still going on and Africa is clearly not contributing in a very effective manner due to the low level of understanding of the whole concept by its representatives at meetings. It is also very clear that such meetings where Internet Governance is discussed are very costly and cannot be afforded by many Africans. There is no doubt that the Internet is a tool that Africa can use to leap frog (I prefer to use the term Cheetah Pole-Vaulting) its development and relevance in the world economy and politics.
We do not have any excuse to be left out of Internet Governance because it is a clear way to achieve that equality we have always wanted. African Governments must start developing experts in Internet Governance who can successfully ask for positions that will favor our continent on the pathway to continental rebirth.

References
1. Internet Governance: Issues, Actors and Divides by Eduardo Gelbstein and Jovan Kurbalija
2. A summary of NEPAD action plans: NEPAD Secretariat 2004.
3. My search for the holy grail of immortality by Prof. Phillip Emegwali
4. A paper by Meyer & Baber, 1995, p. 248