I came across a very interesting article on Sahara Reporters website about a group called ChangeNigeria. The first time I heard about this group was a few weeks ago on the same website where a lone man was seen outside a United Kingdom court holding placards during an Ibori trial. I was very touched by this man who paid his way from Canada to the United Kingdom just to prove his point and initiate change. He was meant to be joined by other Nigerians living in the UK but they all absconded.

The latest of the protests was better attended and was targeted at Nigerian banks purported to be the laundering agents for our myriads of corrupt politicians. The salient point being stressed by this group is that it is not possible for our national wealth to get to European and American banks without the help of the local banks. It is so disgraceful that till today; a lot of our treasury find its way out of the shore of the country in large droves. Just a few days ago, the man in charge of monitoring such movements in the EFCC was suspended for his involvement in the inglorious deals. I hope he will be properly charged to court and given the correct sentence instead of the kangaroo sentences they mete to high profile thieves in Nigeria like Tafa Balogun.

Those countries we look up to as being very clean did not become so because the citizens were created by God to be very honest but mainly because they have foolproof system that is not easy to break. Their banking and financial systems are very tight and do not easily allow money movement the way our own banks do. Many Nigerian banks made their money from these clandestine activities and a particular bank was dubbed as the leader of this gang. The sad part of it all is that we worship the CEOs of these banks like gods and shower them with national honors.

I am sure of some things in life. A yoruba proverb says that if the God of this earth do not apprehend you, the one in heaven is watching. The state of our infrastructures are very bad – hospitals, roads, electricity, water supply are all in comatose. Our educational system is not working and yet without blinking – these people buy houses abroad with cash and pay tremendous taxes on same. The blame should be spread on so many strata of our society. The value system, greedy politicians, armed robber banks, etc.

One should also not forget the foreign banks and their lack of conscience when accepting such huge sums of money from the thieves in Nigeria. We would expect that an International organization should exist with the mandate of helping poor African countries to tackle money laundering. The fact is there are existing organs controlling these things including Interpol, but their effectiveness is questionable based on the facts on ground. I believe that a stricter approach should be used to stop this inhumane practice.

When a politician steals – he is not only committing the crime of armed robbery but other heinous crimes like murder. How? Our hospitals are death beds, our roads are death traps. A lot of lives have been cut short due to these reasons and every man/woman who steals from us and prevents the country from moving forward is a murderer in the long run. I just hope someone can analyze this concept to them and believe they get it into their thick skulls.

I will challenge every Nigerian, every African and anyone interested in change to start speaking up. The 2-man demonstration against Nigerian banks in the UK might yield results as some customers who were there when it happened were shocked and decided their days are numbered in the banks. The authorities in the UK might also start investigating them with a view to revoking their license if found guilty. We cannot continue to sit on the fence because we are not affected but looking at it critically – we are all hit by this problems. We drive on the same roads, suffer from using generators, have relatives who are roaming the streets for jobs and if you stay abroad – it is most likely you will come back one day and experience the Nigerian treatment.

Someone analyzed the reason Nigerian banks are trooping abroad to open branches as the need to simplify their money laundering activities. I disagree with this opinion and instead believe it is the time for Nigeria to have global brands but with the latest discoveries that a lot of Nigerian money still land in European bank accounts – are we not supposed to start believing this theory? It is for all of us to decide and take actions. I look forward to a day when a full fledged information about the banks betraying us will be carried out and we will all disgrace them by writing on our Facebook status and other media. Who knows – a lot of us can close our accounts with those banks.

We cannot continue this way. I am so sure that Nigeria will be great!
I am using this opportunity to remind you again that the anticipated series on Mentoring, life/career coaching starts next week. Our first profile is from a wonderful man you will be pleased to meet. Please spread the news.

Our part of the World is in no doubt known for a lot of information hoarding and this ensures that important data is lost forever. Somehow, the supposedly successful man thinks he will be in trouble if he brings a younger man up to his level of expertise. The number of ideas, medicinal recipes and knowledge that is lost daily on our continent is just too much and I keep asking myself why we are so economical with information dissemination?

A lot of young Nigerians are roaming the streets looking for lifelines which they are just not about to get. The same streets of Nigeria produces some men and women who change jobs every year or are running very good businesses today. Have you even asked yourself how the latter group were able to break out of the stereotype mindset of the average Nigerian? I become melancholic sometimes when I see people who have lost hope because of the kind of place they come from or because of the many hurts they have suffered and rejections.

The main purpose of this blog is to touch lives positively by providing life-changing information and lessons. The blog will start focusing on extraordinary Nigerians who were not born with silver spoons in their mouth. They have not benefited from huge government contracts neither involved themselves in illegal get rich schemes but are doing very well with a good purpose for their life.

They are women/men of integrity who are rich in mind and spirit. They might not qualify to be called very rich based on the flawed system we operate in; but they are very rich in knowledge and mind and they are not doing badly at all. We will all learn from these individuals because we can relate to their stories from the kind of environments they grew up and their down to earth nature.

They will be providing us with insights into how they started their careers and advise those wishing to tow same lines. We will also be having life/career building articles from various fields spanning Business, Finance, IT, Telecoms, HR, Agriculture etc. Some of them will share their entrepreneurial journey with us in a refreshing and clear way.

The good news about this series is the fact that it will not only show us about careers and business but also teach us about living purposeful lives and the way to go about it. The next stage of this process will be to assign interested readers of this blog to a mentor in his/her desired field. The gains will be many and I am sure lives will be changed forever by this initiative. Our coaches are women/men with very wonderful stories to tell. So you cannot avoid to miss this.

We will be starting the series next week. The call for those interested in having mentors will be made in a few weeks time after we have learned from various professionals. Please pass the message to your cousins, brothers, sisters, friends and everyone interested in moving to the next level with us. You will do them a favour by ensuring this space is known to them.

Welcome to a really wonderful future.

At the beginning of every year we all do various forecasts of what the new year will look like. The degree of this plan varies with individuals. Some making very elaborate and detailed plans while some just have minimal goals for the year. Some decide to write their plans down on scrap sheets of papers, some in nice jotters, others use spread sheet applications to articulate their thoughts for the new year. I have seen wonderful plans with numerical inputs and definable processes to achieve those goals.

While it is good to do this every single new year; I want to draw attention to something most of us don’t bother to do. I look at a year plan as a project because it has a start and an end date attached to it. Therefore, it is sensible to phase this kind of project and do verifications at every stage. An example is to divide the year into four quarters and ensuring that the milestones attached to every quarter come to pass. The mistake we make is that we write the plans down and think they will run themselves without following up on the activities attached to those deliverable.

Let us say for example that I plan to have a postgraduate school admission in September 2009. It will be foolhardy of me not to break this plan into phases and track the progress. An example is to do the following:

1. January 2009 – Go online and search for Universities offering my course
2. February 2009 – Decide on five Universities and obtain admission requirement. Start making plans for transcripts from alma mater.
3. March 2009 – Narrow the list of Universities to 3. Confirm tuition fees.
4. April 2009 – Apply to the chosen Universities and start evaluating the tuition payment as well as cost of living.
5. May 2009 – Get green light from 1 or 2 of the Universities
6. June 2009 – Final decision on the University of choice. if University is not in your home country, start the process of Study visa.
7. July 2009 – Inform family about decision to go back to school. If working, start thinking about leaving or applying for study leave if available.
8. August 2009 – Tuition fees paid in part. Visa obtained. Last minute preparation.
9. September 2009 – Jet out to a new life

Imagine I have this on ground. I can check if my goal is going as planned or running behind schedule. This plan is not limited to going to school alone but everything we want to achieve in a year. Getting married is a valid application of this principle. Imagine having the following plan for a wedding coming up in October 2009 -
1. January – March 2009: Find out about the culture of the bride’s home town, traditional marriage etc. Talk to a close relative about the bride’s church and the process of counseling/minimum number of months to apply for a wedding in the church. Start a high level budget to get a rough estimate of the kind of finances you will be looking at. Inform your parents and close friends of your plan.

2. April 2009: Analyze your cash flow to see if you are on track based on your estimated budget. If not; start thinking of ways to fund the wedding. Start talking to friends who are married and can give you advise on ways to go about it. You might want to get the buy-in of both families on the date now.

3. May-June 2009: Family Introduction should be happening around this time. Registry wedding process should be started at this time because of notice period.

4. July-August 2009: Most of the plan should have been fleshed by now. Some payments also made. All the vendors should have been selected and part payments made.

5. Sept. 2009: Final preparation and all checklists observed.

6. Oct 2009: Walk down the aisle and go for honeymoon for a duration of 1 year LOL. That is what the bible says

What I have done is called decomposition. You can even decompose lower than I did. The advantage of using this method to plan your year is that you have realistic goals that have time and activity attached to them. This makes it simpler to track the progress and nudge yourself to reality when you are waning. Imagine writing a goal in your diary as – Get married by October 2009 or Go to Grad school in Sept 2009. That is cool but how do you do it? That how is what I have done in the 2 examples above.

It will be painful if we make the same mistakes of not achieving our set goals for next year. That is why we have to start writing the plans down with realistic ways of achieving them. It is not enough to build houses on paper but have a solid process to making the dreams come true. I will give the following tips to ensuring a productive year.

1. Don’t Lop everything together: It is better to you categorize your goals for the year. You might have Education, Personal development, Relationship, Investment, etc as categories. You can then have sub-sections, e.g under Investment – shares, real estate, capital venture, etc. Under personal development – buying books, attending seminars, etc.

2. Be Realistic: If wishes were horses, everyone would ride. It is good to be confident and full of faith but nothing destroys confidence more than wrong expectations. It is thus good to be calculative and know the extent we can go. You cannot plan to invest 100 Million naira next year when you don’t have the ability or plan to make same.

3. Progressive Elaboration: Sometimes you might not have a total picture of your year; but you can always revisit your plans to include new goals. This is important as the plan is flexible and can accommodate changes.

4. Always check performance: I recommend monthly checking of our performance. If I decide to write four certification examinations in 2009; I must have a concrete plan for each. If by March I have not achieved any; that should flag a non-performance and a call to action.

5. Accountability: A good way to ensure those plans come to life is to have friends who are driven and willing to be accountable to each other. You can decided to share some of your plans for the year together and pick a date once in 2 months where you compare notes.

The year 2008 is yet to end. It is not too late to achieve some goals if you keep your mind to it. You can decide to read two good books before December 31 2008. It is also a good time to start planning for a more productive and effective 2009. May God give life to our plans. Amen.

Man as a specie will continue evolving especially in the form of adaptation to his environment. Scientists are quick to talk about homo erectus, homo sapiens, etc but the adaptation I am talking about has to do with the way the male and female species inter-relate and the duties each is expected to perform to keep the right balance in the society.

Since the earliest memory of man; the male specie has the responsibility of protecting and providing for his family. He is expected to wake up early to look for food for his wife and children; this might take the course of gathering food items and killing animals for meat in the primitive times. As the years went by, this expanded to activities like farming, working in mines etc. What I am driving at is that in those early days, the available jobs were those that required a high level of brawn and strength which ensured that only the man could go out to work.

In those days, the wife prays daily for the man to return home every night not only because of her love for him but also because he is the meal ticket of the family. The continued existence and survival of the family unit solely rests on his shoulders. The man should respect the woman as he knows that the duties she performs in the house were of great import. Imagine her cleaning, cooking and taking care of the kids not forgetting the sacrifice of carrying a child for 9 months during pregnancy. I will add that most men did not give women this very earned respect. It was supposed to be a symbiotic relationship with mutual respect for each individual.

Fast forward to the industrial age where the possession of strength is not a qualification for getting a job. A new age where the highest paying jobs require brain and skills. The beginning of this age favored men most likely due to the fact that women were not given the chance to express their talents but as the years pass by – a growing awareness that a woman can do as well as a man if not better changed the whole equation. It is easy to recognize the fact that things have changed but men are still living in denial or maybe fail to understand that the era of gaining a woman’s respect just by feeding them is long gone.

Man is supposed to be a very sensitive being but I guess this change is one that most have not come to understand. The whole essence of manhood has changed but many are still living in the past. This is a big concern as it is a major cause of the high rate of divorce nowadays and the reason so many men and women are not even contemplating marriage. A successful professional woman wonders why she needs a man who will be beating her at home when she has the wherewithal to take care of herself. A young man believes the new emancipation that women are experiencing will make them more arrogant and he is a man who should be the head of his house. Now, couples don’t find it that hard to divorce again as it just doesn’t make sense for a woman to continue enduring the suffering when she won’t miss anything by walking out of the marriage.

How did we get to this stage in the first instance?
Most people have a wrong idea of what marriage is and our societies derived different definitions of this lovely institution that God ordained himself. When a young man of less than 30 years decide to get married, the first thing people ask is why the rush? Why rushing into hell fire? This is very sad as most people actually think that their lives will cease to function at the highest level once they get married. Some are also afraid of losing out of their promiscuous lifestyle when they get married. My answer to them is simple – marriage in the right way ensures a better life for you. The bible says that when a man finds a wife, he finds a good thing and obtains favor in the sight of God. But that is if the wife was found the right way, following God’s rules. I also know that men or women who think they will stop being promiscuous after getting married most likely are deceiving themselves.

It is thus very important to go back to the basics and find out why God wants us to marry, his laws regarding how we treat our spouses. Let us remind ourselves about God’s laws regarding marriage and the roles of men and women in balancing the equation. God’s commission is for the woman to honor and respect her husband while the man must love his wife not just anyhow but the same way Christ loved the church. This is powerful when we realize the extent of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross of Calvary.

Therefore, a man who wants his wife to honor and respect him must go back to God’s laws. He must prepare to love his woman unconditionally as Christ loves us. He must understand that putting food on the table is not the only way to earn this respect though it is his duty as God clearly states that a man who does not provide for his family is worse than an infidel. But we must come to terms with the reality of the 21st century and be open to change. You can no more beat your wife in the morning and think that feeding her or buying her a gift in the evening is enough to calm her down. Christ would not have beaten us, he wouldn’t cheat on us, he wouldn’t disrespect us. God is looking for men who will marry not just because they have to, men who will carry out God’s purpose for marriage, who will continually seek for the improvement of their women, who will love their women and treat them like the Queens they are.

For the young women out there thinking they do not need a man in their life, who have decided to have a child on their own and willingly join the club of single mothers; please look at the developed countries where this practice evolved and see the problems. It is a very known fact that most drug users, gays, lesbians were raised by single parents. We have started seeing the manifestation in Nigeria and the rest of Africa too. South African countries are painfully being destroyed by this phenomenon. A lot of dysfunctional kids who don’t have father figures in their lives are being raised and the world is getting worse for this reason. We all need to understand the impact of not having good family lives on the children and in extension to our communities and the world at large.

My prayers
That men will come to realize the purpose God made them the head of the family unit
That men will follow God’s rules as regards marriage shunning immorality before and after marriage
That men will understand the importance of gaining the respect of their wives though real love
That both men and women will realize they cannot live apart and cultivate the spirit of mutual respect
That Children will be brought up by their moms and dads in the way of God under a loving atmosphere.

I will discuss some ways men can start adapting to the change in future posts. God help us all. Amen.

In military or police operations, the rules of engagement (ROE) determine when, where, and how force shall be used (for example, a submarine of country A cannot open fire on the shipping vessels of country B without an official declaration of war). Such rules are both general and specific, and there have been large variations between cultures throughout history. The rules may be made public, as in a martial law or curfew situation, but are typically only fully known to the force that intends to use them – From www.wikipedia.com

I am not going to write on ROE based on the definition above nor the popular movie starring Samuel L Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones but generally on the simple rules that can guide us in living to the optimum in life. As Africans, we were most likely born into a lot of prejudices but it is time to correct that in our generation and those coming behind us. It is time to awaken to the responsibility of taking our continent to the peak of its potentials and declare our tiredness of the static form of energy we are so used to.

1. The importance of starting, not minding how small: I have watched coming to America, the popular film by Eddie Murphy not less than 12 times since the early 90s but it took me till 2000 or thereabout to notice that there was a very popular extra in the cast of that movie. He acted in just one scene as an armed robber and his role was over in about 2-3 minutes. This man went ahead to get major roles and became one of the best known actors in Hollywood. His name is Samuel L. Jackson. I wonder why many of us despise small beginnings and always want to start big even without adequate preparations. I wish we will learn from humble men who started small and learned to rise from those experiences.

2. Understand the law of Inertia:

Newton’s first law of motion states that – An object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an external force.

This is a law that is very easy to practice and so common in the lives of many in our society today. There are two dimensions to it. Those who never started anything thus remaining in their green state. The second state points to those who started something and are comfortable with the height reached. Most people are in either of both states which is very obvious especially with the level of development we see around here in Africa. To be an inventor, great writer, Nobel Laurette, Industrialist, etc – you must be able to overcome Inertia and push to greater heights always. No man comfortable with his present accomplishment will ever progress without seeking for higher stakes.

3. The gains of constant improvement: In my first point, I mentioned the man Samuel L. Jackson and how he moved from being an extra in a film that got great reviews in the late 80′s to one of the best actors ever to grace the big screens. But I must say that not all extras become big stars! It is not a general attribute but a personal choice borne out of hard work, dedication and commitment.

4. You are what you think: The mind is a very powerful tool that shapes our life, the way we live, our belief system, goals and achievements. People tend to think when they use their mouth to confess negativity; they are humble. Whatever we sow in our thought process will be reaped at a later date; hence the importance of thinking positively and shaping our world in a good way. Everything that came to be in this world is a product of thought. The nuclear bombs that can destroy the world are a product of thoughts and the same nuclear power could be used for positive purposes like electricity generation – another product of thought. I know a lot of final year students of Universities who allow their thoughts to conquer them by believing they will also look for jobs for years like the brother or sister they knew who graduated years ago and most times, this comes to pass. When we realize the power we have to change our circumstances, I am sure our lives and the world in general will be a better place.

5. You are the only limitation to what you can achieve: I have a philosophy in life. I believe that every rich family did not start by being rich but a certain patriarch or matriarch decided to be different and put his/her family in the path of wealth. This means that the fact that one was born into a poor family is a chance to start a dynasty and be referred to as the harbinger of greatness for one’s family/community. It is therefore a big fallacy to think that only the rich families will continue to be rich and the poor will definitely get poorer. The Abiola family’s riches do not date back to many generations ago but started with the man M.K.O Abiola himself. Most of the World’s richest men cannot go back many generations ago in their wealth chronology but the wealth is due mostly to activities of some years past. Whatever we set our minds to do – we can!

6. Never lose focus: The ability to be consistent is not a very common attribute but one acquired through determination and discipline. The goal is always there to be scored but how many are prepared to stick to the game and ensure that the distractions of this world do not get to them? Not many I believe as we have seen many people start well but fall by the way side. I think this all boils down to preparation and the foundation. In this rule of engagement – focus is very important.

7. The Importance of finishing strong: Men who started well and kept the course most likely finish strong. I remember reading the book – Finishing Strong by Steve Farrah and crying at the end of the book. This is one book that got me thinking about the purpose of life and the stupidity of wasting one’s life with improper behavior and immorality. How many men will be able to look back when they are 50 or 60 and be happy knowing they did not waste their youth on booze, women and wickedness? How many women of same age bracket can actually allow their decisions to become a manual to guide the coming generations? How many of us will be able to stand in front of God at the end of this life’s journey and proudly declare they lived according to his purpose and made sure that humanity was the better for their coming to earth? It is only those men who stick to this rule that finished strong.

8. About being a nice candle: Those who continually seek to improve the lives of people around them end up being celebrated and always come out better than imagined. When people ask me to teach them something in any field; I become challenged and in my bid not to mess up, I realize I had to research the topic and become proficient in the field. I pass on the knowledge but at the same time, what I teach also stick to my memory. That is the process of being a candle, lighting other candles and eliminating darkness. An African proverb that scares me says – A dying old man is like a burning library. That should not be so but it is common in Africa where people die and they take with them a lot of knowledge that were never passed on to the coming generations.

9. About Love: The greatest law Jesus gave unto us is LOVE. He himself demonstrated it when he died for our sins and took away our sins. I wonder why the United Nations was formed when the most important ingredient of love was not sorted out. It is obvious that we can never vow to bomb our fellow men if love exists. We can start small by genuinely loving our family, friends, neighbors and the effect will resonate. To live without love is like not living at all. When we see the big picture and realize that the next person we are about to hurt is our brother or sister; I guess we will have a rethink. Most of the ills in our World can only be eliminated when we see that only love conquers evil.

10. The God factor: No man is good without the God factor. Most of the World’s worst dictators did not start by being bad men but in the quest to express themselves’, they did it the wrong way and sometimes think they are gods. Some even started with the aim of protecting their constituency’s interests but end up destroying the same people they wanted to save. A man is inherently selfish on his own and will only do things in the right perspective when the supreme being provides the motive. We can in the name of civilization decide to leave God out of our lives – but we know where it leads us at the end. Obeying God’s laws protects us from our self-inflicted hurt. Knowing that God exist and we will one day account to him keeps us from destroying ourselves and our world. Africa is ravaged by HIV/AIDS and corruption. Don’t you think that if God’s laws about keeping the bed undefiled are kept, we can eliminate HIV/AIDS? Is it not obvious that if we follow God’s laws, corruption will reduce because it is clear that God hates thieves and murderers? A food for thought.

I originally finished University in January 2001. I said originally because I did not know I was going to stay back for a whole session to do 2 courses. The worst thing I ever imagined, happened to me as it was clear I had an extra year. The painful part was that we lost a year in Ife and so instead of graduating in 99/2000 session; I had to wait till 2001/2002 session which was a big blow to me considering the fact that I had so much planned for the outside world and coupled with the financial state of my family. The events that led to that extra is one I don’t want to put on the Internet now but may come out in a future book as they were not very palatable. I can recollect those events now and be happy because I learned from the setback and I discovered a lot about myself during that extra year in Ife.

When my dad found out about the extra, I envisaged he was going to be mad at me but to my surprise he became very philosophical and said he was very happy it happened. I was disappointed by that line of thought but he clarified it for me by asking if I had ever suffered a setback in my academics. My answer was no and he said that when men go on in life without understanding what it means to falter – it might be dangerous for them. That it is good to learn these lessons early in life and hold on to God so that the future will be better than making the mistakes later in life when the lessons would not matter again. That got me thinking and I decided to make the best use of the situation.

That session was a popular one filled with high profile extras for my friends who ordinarily should not even be part of that phenomenon called ‘extra year’. I eventually stayed with a fellow extra buddy – Niyi whom we go long way back from School of Science Ile-Ife. We have been through a lot together and I consider him more than a friend. So we were together carrying the same burden but with a joint goal of making the best use of the situation. We spent a lot of night toiling, reading and making money on OAU campus. It is of note to mention that we made more money than most of our mates who went for NYSC then. We were involved in Year CD productions, Website designs, Computer Assembly, etc and we lived big. We also paid our school fees and accommodation without collecting money from home and I personally helped my family from those funds we made. He was doing one course – a special elective while I did a course per semester so we had ample time for our runs.

At a point, a friend told me about a job on campus with the Universal Basic Education (UBE). I went with the friend to meet the head of the place and I got the job. I explained to them that I had 3 lectures in a week but they did not mind. That was how I met Prof. Amole and Dr. Mrs Amole of the department of Architecture, OAU Ile-Ife and it was a meeting with destiny as it changed my life and put me on another pedestal. My salary was to be 7,500 naira per month and I still had time for my other runs. The first few weeks, Prof did not know my expertise in computer went beyond the work I was doing for them in tracking the status of the UBE projects on Microsoft Excel and Word. My computer was giving some problems and he kept telling me that a certain man every lecturer in Ife thought was the only one who knew about computers in OAU was going to come and fix it.

One day while he was away; I decided to fix the computer and re-installed the Operating system. When he came back and found out – he was very surprised and asked how I got to know so much about computers. He asked for an invoice as the UBE had to pay for my services but I declined. That was how he took interest in me and started getting me jobs from his friends. I assembled a lot of computers for his friends and helped with some other things. I learned a lot from that couple about hardwork and family life. I remembered they gave me the first opportunity to write a paper in an International journal of a conference that was hosted in Ife. My paper was titled “The development of an e-enabled City”. My paper was accepted and I presented it at the conference marking my first academic paper while doing extra year in the department of Mathematics.

It was in that spirit that I approached Prof about an idea I had for the University’s 40th anniversary in 2002. I envisioned a multimedia CD that would have the history of OAU in a very attractive multimedia format. This CD would have contents like names of all graduates of OAU, landmarks, history, faculties, departments, etc. He got the vision and led me to the head of the 40th anniversary celebrations (Prof Elujoba) who discussed with the Vice-Chancelor (Prof Roger Makanjuola) and it was a hit with him. They requested a proposal from me and I gave it to them in record time. That was how the deal was sealed. It was a dream come true for me not because of the money I was going to make but because a major University like Ife could believe in the dream of a young man like me. At this point, I must remember the commitment of Sola Adebajo nee Sobanjo and Igudia Konyeasua who carried the vision with me when I discussed it with them and whose shoulders the responsibility of ensuring the success of the project weighed on. We eventually produced the CD after I had graduated and the same was sold to all graduates at the next convocation ceremony. The whole process came with a lot of lessons for me in business but that is a matter for another day as I did not make a dime on the project. As I said; it was a fulfilling moment as OAU was the first University in Nigeria to have that kind of CD and I was the first to envision and carry that goal out.

The moral of this is simple … I was disappointed to have to stay back in Ife for a whole year but at the end of it I came out of it a better man, more matured and more learned. My first CV after University was more attractive than some people who graduated years before me as I did a lot during that year. I am tempted to say it was a blessing in disguise. I also know that if we are patient, God will reveal why we had to go through some events in our lives.

I will take a break about the past for now. My blog will go a different route in the coming days. Thanks for following the story.

Continued from the last post.

A lesson I held on to after realizing most of my objectives at such a short period of time is that a man must never rest on his achievements but continually strive to attain greater heights, setting bigger goals. That is the only way to live a life worthy of emulation. My next goal was to tap into the new computer and get everything I can from it. I know that some people will be more interested in playing games on it and just browsing funny websites; I organized with some computer gurus of those days to start a computer training session at a cheap price for our members. Personally, I realized that I had affinity for the computer and the things I can do with it but the association’s computer cannot meet these goals for me. There were too many people to it and with my principled life – I cannot veto the use to myself.

This was the same period I was preparing for my final year project and months prior to this; I told my parents I was going to need 25,000 naira for the expenses. I had plans for this money as I wanted to improve my outlook in school as a President and Union official. I knew I will not finish the money on my project so I decided to buy a Television set, VCD player and rug my corner to befit my status. But I also know that the 25,000 was not going to be easy for my parents to get back then and was worried that I should not be selfish to buy those kind of things with the money. That was when the solution came out – to buy a computer for myself. The thought was crazy at that point because the money was not going to be enough. But God was not through with me yet and the same day I conceived this plan – a miracle happened.

I was just discussing with a friend and he told me had a Motherboard/processor and hard disk he was not using and that I could have it but warned me I was going to pay for it later. I accepted it with thanks. The next day, I saw another friend and after telling him I had 25,000 naira cash and some other changes with a processor/motherboard and hard disk; he told me we will be able to get my computer done and gave me a list of things to buy.

We went to the Computer village in Lagos a few days later and bought everything and returned to Ife late same day. It was with pride, happiness and fulfillment that I assembled my first computer the next day. That was a milestone for me as I lost count of the number of computers I assembled in the coming months that made me good money from customers. And that marked my big entrance into the field of ICT as I started learning all sorts myself without going to any computer school. I learned programming, web development, databases, networking, Linux, etc in the comfort of my room in Adekunle Fajuyi Hall. It was a great time for me as finally I realized something I enjoyed doing without frowning and getting bored. The computer could play music and I was able to watch VCD on it as well .

I also became very happy as most members of my department started getting very computer literate and they could compete with students from Computer Science departments on IT projects. Another good thing that came out of the whole process was the confidence level of our students that sky rocketed and an improvement in the academic performance of our members. We also found out that a lot of our alumni were doing well outside which was a boost to many of us and so a better approach to learning and preparing for the outside world.

I must remember to say that my first Computer has a special place in my heart till today and is stored in my parents’ house in Ibadan till date. I should also not forget to say that my dad gave me 15,000 out of that money and my mum sacrificed the last payment of her gratuity to balance the 10,000 naira. I am happy that I did not buy TV and VCD with the money and I remember telling myself that if I get it right – I would be able to buy a lot of those electronics in future. The dream came true. I actually went to a shop one day not too long ago and bought a big Home theater, another big sound system, a television, a DVD player in just one day. Talking about postponing gratification.

If there is any reason I am putting all these down – it is to inspire people who had backgrounds similar to mine but are limiting what they can achieve in life. There is no excuse for failure and the only limitation we have is self. I will continue writing about my journey starting with another title in the next post. Thank you for following the story.

After reviewing the fact that I was not Assistant Sec Gen of the SUG and that I was a Justice of the Judicial Council which was less time consuming. And looking through my plans and seeing that I would only accomplish them if I was president; I made up my mind at the last minute to become the president of the National Association Of Mathematics Students of Nigeria – NAMSN. That I will say is one of the best decisions I ever made in my life because it brought hope to many and myself inclusive. My choice of career today and my lessons in leadership came from that experience.

The Campaign
In previous years, the president is automatically known from his past activities and commitment to the association. Hence I was the choice but because at that time I did not have interest due to my SUG politics and coupled with the fact that many in the department usually ask me for the best candidate to support during elections; some of my classmates became threatened and wondered why I should be a godfather and not them.
I did not see myself as such but only saw myself as someone bringing fresh air to a department that was known for having very reserved and cautious students. When I eventually decided to run for President after a 400 level student discussed with me about my dreams for the department – I gave in. My initial thought was that I could help whoever became president to realise the goals but I was reminded that might not be possible. A friend of mine decided to run against me evidently supported by some of our classmates. The first thing I did was to write out my plans for the association and used them to campaign.

My Plan
1. To organize the best freshers welcome party in my tenure with a view to making our new students feel welcomed unlike in my own time.
2. To make the best set of souvenirs in the campus for those who pay annual dues. This was to include Prospectus that has never been done before.
3. To start a computer room with our own computers and get connected to the Internet.
4. To continually organize tutorials within the department with the end result of improved academic performance.
5. To bring in professionals for seminars aimed at giving our students an understanding about the viability of Mathematics as a course in the outside world.
6. To make Maths department a jewel in the OAU community where our students are respected
7. To organize the best dinner ever in the history of the department at the tail end of my tenure.

The Election
Many did not believe those plans would ever work especially the computer room thing. Some laughed at me and called me Joseph but I continued preaching the message. The more I repeated the goals, the more I believed in them. The elections came and it was very tough. When the ballots were being counted; at a point I congratulated my opponent and told him he has my supports. I did not know that God was intent on making me the change agent for a lot of people and I did win at last. I won with only 6 votes. The electoral committee chairman made a very strange decision to hand over the ballot papers to me which revealed who voted for me and who did not. I found out that out of about 12 votes from my own 300 level classmates (My association had 3 departments – Mathematics in Faculty of Science, Education Mathematics and Computer Science/Mathematics) – I had 3 votes, my opponent had 7 votes and 2 declined to vote for either of us. Interestingly, I had support from 100 level, 200 level and 400 level students even though I had exams on the election day while my opponent was busy wooing voters at the polling booths.
I made a decision not to any extent use the information of who voted against me to spite anyone but actually empathized with them accepting the fact that I was becoming very popular and they were all older than me. That was how I was sworn in as the President and immediately wrote a letter congratulating my opponent on the good race. He told me later that he was surprised and that I was the best person for the job for doing that.

The Promise
I was now faced with making sure all my promises were kept. Membership of the association was low – just about 150 member from 100 Level to final year. Annual due was about 250 naira which means the best we can get was about 37,500 Naira. How on earth would I be able to accomplish all those goals with this amount. Souvenirs alone was going to cost 20,000 naira. Freshers welcome party almost the same. A computer as at year 2000 at the lowest would cost 75,000 naira. But I knew that God was still there and I was not going to be ashamed. After my swearing, I asked God what I was going to do and he showed me. I wrote a passionate letter to my HOD – Prof Obilade appealing for help. I told him the goal of the association computer room and the benefit it will have on the students. I asked if they can allow us to collect 20 naira each from students registering for Maths courses from other departments. That was a tall order and the reason being that OAU students union frowns against such practices. My letter touched them and they decided to accept but with 2 caveats. We will bear any brunt from the students union and I am responsible for the funds to be used for the purpose it is meant for or I stand to get some disciplinary actions. I accepted responsibilities and that was it.
I then had a meeting with my new executives who were all in my class meaning most of them might be part of those who don’t want me as President . I gave them a moving speech about how we will leave our names in the sands of time and noticed some were still skeptical. But that day, I gave them a taste of my leadership style. We were going for 2nd semester break and will come back to welcome new students and give them packages. The association did not have money to make those souvenirs and I gave them a proposal. We made a list of everything in the package and told each person to take an item. The person will use his/her money to make those items and bring it to school immediately we resume for the new session. The incentive was that we will pay a 20% interest for those items meaning each of them will make money. They just looked at me and conceded I was the right man for the job as they did not think of that and the result was massive — we had all our packages ready from the blast of the new session and they were the best set ever with prospectus. This ensured my first goals were fulfilled and they were also happy.

20 naira palaver
And indeed we started collecting the 20 naira dues. The first few days were without incidences until the SUG was informed. That was the day I understood why I had to involve myself in SUG politics because as soon as they came – it was me they saw. They were surprised and one of them told me he wasn’t happy that a union officer who is supposed to keep the law is breaking it. I told him we are not breaking any law and explained to him that students use our library to read and the money will be used for something that will positively impact the campus. They left saying it is because of me and I was happy they respected my decisions but we reached a compromise to stop after a few days which we did. At the same time; I was discussing with someone to purchase the computer for us. One would think that our members at this point will believe we can do it, but some were just set in their unbelief.

And it came to pass
It was a memorable day for me as the computer landed first in my room as we did not have a secured library ready. News filtered out and many came to see for themselves. It turned out to be true at last. We moved the computer to the library and secured it. The next day I was summoned to see the new HOD – Professor Aregbesola. He was surprised that I kept my promise and asked how he can help us further. I told him we need all the help we can get from the department. He immediately helped us to get connected to the Internet by giving us a letter to the University ISP. That was how we became the first departmental association in the whole of Obafemi Awolowo University to have a computer room and connected to the Internet. That was in year 2000.
We had a launching ceremony/freshers welcome party and it went very well. Lecturers donated about 30,000 naira to us that day as they were very surprised. That night marked the first freshers welcome party in the department where everyone grooved and grooved till late.

Looking back at those days; I just confirm how important it is to ensure dreams come true. My next post will detail the after effect of these achievements on my life as well as others in my department and beyond.

One of the greatest limitations we have in Africa is our ability to be planners and not following through with executing the plans. Yeah, I had lofty plans and I made sure they were carried out to the letter. I was like the youngest in my class and some of my class mates were 7 years older than me but I knew that if my plans were going to come through then I must have a big influence on them and other students in the department and even beyond.

That was when I started getting interested in leadership in the correct way unlike the way politicians practice it. That marked my introduction into the political class of Great Ife. My decisions were based on my values, ideologies and spiritual convictions. I decided I was not going to be like those guys in the violent political movements in Great Ife. I also decided to show them that clean guys can do politics and play it well without resorting to their own ways. My first port of call was at a meeting of the Civil Liberties Organization (CLO) but after a few weeks, I realized they were all members of a popular political party on Campus called Pacesetters. My political ideology then was that no political movement in Ife was clean, so I stopped attending the CLO meetings. Somehow, my talents showed faster than imagined and I became very confident about myself and what I had to offer. Speaking in front of people became very easy and the articulation was precise .

The SUG elections were coming up and nominations started flowing in. I was in 300 levels and I was advised to seek elections into the Central Executive Council. I thought about it very well and at the end of the day; I conceded. It was one of the most memorable events in my life because I went from an unknown entity in one day to a relatively popular face. That election year was a good one for the Pacesetters as people wanted DSM out. At a point, some Pacesetters wanted me to join them but I was set on being an independent candidate. I contested for the post of Assistant Secretary General and at the end of the day lost to the Pacesetter candidate narrowly, coming second out of 5 candidates and winning some major faculties. That marked my big entrance into the political class because no one thought that a skinny young man from the faculty of Science could do so well against established political parties like DSM, etc. Many thought I was going to come last.

The Student Representative Council which is the legislative arm of the Student Union recognised the feat and for that year ensured I did not lose — I was nominated into the Judicial Council of the Student Union which is the Judicial and 3rd arm of government. I thus became Justice Ayobami Oladejo. My performance at the Judicial Council were notable and a terrain normally reserved for Law Students became a place I conquered. I dealt a lot with Interlocutory injunctions, motion exparte etc .

At this time; I was Secretary General of the my departmental association and many thought I will go ahead to become the president. The elections were near and I thought I did not want it because I was holding a Student Union position. That was when my plans came back to me. I now have some influence and confidence – but would that be enough to carry out those plans? See the plans again.

1. I will ensure my department becomes attractive and respected.
2. I will become a role model.
3. I will encourage my mates and those coming behind to have a high opinion of themselves
4. I will encourage the use of IT to open up a career option they can easily fit in.
5. in doing all these; I will become a leader and put my life on the track to success.

Now my next post will detail how it was done. Keep reading.

My first degree was in Mathematics meaning I have a BSc in Mathematics. My dad has always been in support of decisions I take and he has this unwavering belief in me that sometimes scare me. Some of his friends were very angry with him for allowing his brilliant son to study a course that will lead him to be a teacher in future. The same feeling followed me around in Ife as many share the same thoughts. My opinion then was that I will never be poor so if I love to teach then I will be a rich teacher.
The lecturers in our department did not help matters too as they were not helpful in shaping our thoughts. One would expect them to show us how lucky we were to get admitted into a department like Mathematics but they scared us more by giving us statistics of failure rate in the department and that started from our freshers welcome party. Our seniors in the department were worse culprits as they did not bother to dispel the insinuations and neither did they even understand what they could do with their lives outside the University. Such was the kind of department I was and it was a shame because students of the department I wanted to be (Elect/Elect) were holding their heads up anywhere they went.
Sincerely, my plan was to spend one year in Maths and cross. I even did another JAMB just to ensure I don’t remain in the department after one year. But God knows all and by the time I was in 300 Level … I resigned to fate. By this time, we were less than 10 in my class as the failure rates were predicted rightly. Some also changed courses but the majority actually failed and the reasons were not far fetched. Morale were always low and most if the students don’t understand why they had to work hard because of the uncertainty outside. Hence, they channel their energies to finding ways to change or start afresh in another department/university.
In my 300 Level, I made some personal decisions.
1. I will ensure my department becomes attractive and respected.
2. I will become a role model.
3. I will encourage my mates and those coming behind to have a high opinion of themselves
4. I will encourage the use of IT to open up a career option they can easily fit in.
5. in doing all these; I will become a leader and put my life on the track to success.

In my next post. I will discuss how the goals became plans and then realities.