200 Level – Room 295, Obafemi Awolowo Hall

The moment I resumed 200 level; I knew it was going to be one enduring session because I left home without any hope of an accommodation and my parents were not buoyant enough to provide money for me to buy such expensive bed spaces. Also, the general financial state of the family was very grim at that time; hence normal upkeep was going to be another uphill task. It was with such relief that the same Bro Kayode I mentioned in the first part of this series offered to to squat me (As we called it then) in his room – 295 Awo Annex. It was a kind gesture because later two of his brothers came to Ife – one to study a short time computer diploma course and the other for JAMB lesson. So, you can imagine four of us in that tiny space.

My room mates in 200 level were diverse. Binuyo Kayode who was my senior in the department, family friend and my ‘landlord’; Binuyo Michael. his brother, my classmates from School of Science, Ile-Ife; Binuyo Busola, their younger brother. Bode Okegbade – who we still maintain contacts till today and who later sold me parts of the hardware used for my first computer. He was attending Deeper life then and he was a very good room mate and by the way, he was the first person I knew who used to play Fela’s music . Segun Madamidola studied accounting, a very quiet fellow and a cool guy. In those days, one babe that is now a regular face in the Yoruba Nollywood scene used to visit him. I hope he will get to read this. Ezimokhai is from Auchi, Edo state, a perfect gentleman who I respect so much. He is a doctor and I am wondering where he is right now. I remember that afternoon when his dad came to visit him and I also remember how shocked we all were when news came that the man died.

Peter Akindeju – Ondo man and my fellowship mate. We agreed on things but I remember we also argued a lot. Baba Ilaje was another wonderful character, a Geology student who was elderly and took his books with seriousness. The other bedspace was occupied by some Muslim brothers who were executives of the MSS in those days. Good news was that it was a peaceful room with everyone respecting the faiths of the others. The room brings so much memories as that session marked my most painful in OAU as regards my financial well being. Looking back today – I can ask myself how I survived with my integrity still intact. There were times when I had tests and exams and no food to eat but now I understand that God was developing a MAN and preparing me for the challenges of the future.

I also wonder how with my very few shirts, trousers and a pair of shoes – I managed to exude confidence in the sight of people and no one really noticed I lacked things. I still paid my offering and tithe in fellowship and contributed to special projects. Most of my friends till today don’t remember that phase of my life in Ife because they always saw a vibrant me. Room 295 was a room where I was not judged by what I did not have and I thank those room mates who made it easy for me to express myself. It was there when I was with Bro Kayode who was President of my departmental association that I understood I could lead. He and his friends encouraged me to run for Secretary General of the association and I got it. I wondered what they saw in me then, only God knows. As usual, I thank all members of Room 295 Awo Annex in the 97/98 session and I pray that the almighty will continue to bless and nourish them. Amen.

Room 261, Adekunle Fajuyi Hall – 300 Level
I will say that this room was the beginning of a good life for me on OAU campus. For the first time – I had a space to myself. That room is linked to Niyi Oladeji again as I bought it from him but at the official price. His brother was doing his Post Graduate and had a room in PG hall and so I advised him to stay with the brother and let me pay for his own space in Fajuyi Hall. It worked out and so I got the space. Fine, I also had to squat a part one student out of respect for my wonderful guardian whom I will write about in a wonderful story dated back to my 100 level days. I cannot forget my room mates – Dayo Adetutu (Elvis D); a man who is much older than me. I was in 300 level and he was in 500 and his final year but he was so relaxed with me and we became good friends. It was his heroics combined with Yomi’s from my 100 level room that ensured my victory in the Faculty of Agric during the SUG election in 98/99 session despite the backstabbing I got from people I called friends/fellowship members from the same faculty. I was his best man when he got married in March 2008.

Joseph Ejuetueyin was in my faculty and same level. He is a man after God’s heart and I respect his affinity for the word of God and his plainness. We discussed all sorts of things – from spiritual to politics and even babes. He is that down to earth. We are still friends till date. Femi came from the same neighborhood in Lagos as Joseph and they stayed together. He was also a very nice guy and I still remember his love for a classmate that turned sour – I still remember the name of the lady but I won’t mention it here and if you are reading this Femi — her name starts with A and ends with an A. LOL.
Lekan Babalola aka Fragle was the first guy who impressed me with labels. He had baffs men …. some for class and some for fellowship runs as he would say. He was also into perfumes and deodorants. This young man introduced me to contemporary christian musicians like Kirk Franklin, Mary Mary etc and I got hooked on his many collections. He can be very frank but I like that in him. Niyi Osunbade, a prince of Igbon land in Oyo State is a lesson in humility. Despite his princely background; he was one of the boys throughout. I visited him in their mansion in Ogbomoso years later and he was a good host. If I see him now – I would have asked where Joy is?

My first entrepreneurial journey started from this room. In collaboration with Niyi Oladeji, I started a small provision store in the room and it was a good business as guys around our room preferred to buy from me than go to the buttery. The money I used for my SUG campaign came from this venture lol. I also got the boldness to go into politics from this same room and it was generally a very good session for me compared to the previous ones. It was also the room I could have died in if not for God’s love and mercies. One night, I had a dream where God warned me to leave the school next day because it was about to burn. The night I left was to be a date Great Ife and Nigeria would never forget – July 10, 1999. A post is coming that would pay justice to this encounter.

To all my room mates in 98/99 session. I salute you all and I wish for you God’s love and favour in all you do. You guys were/are the bomb.

No representation or under-representation

There are many UN agencies and the common trend is that some parts of the world are always marginalized, either through under-representation or by no representation. The UN Security Council is one of the most important organs of the United Nations, but it is a sad fact that Africa has no permanent member. When a very important security matter affecting the world is discussed in that forum, Africa which has a strategic role to play (12% of the total world population) is left out, making no contribution to the subject matter.

It will be good if an African country becomes a permanent member. The United Nations should also make a conscious effort to involve young people in decision making. There is no doubt that the young generation has more energy and ideas in them to make the world a better place. And to prevent a generational gap, the older generation should work with young people in matters that will affect them now and later. Gender issues are also very important. The United Nations should make it a point of duty to involve more women, especially from third-world countries in its programmes.

Hence, all UN development-focused conferences and programme should be all encompassing with relevant global stakeholders duly represented and given a chance to contribute. It will also be good if the UN adopts current trends in technology in getting feedback from all over the world i.e not all conferences should be physical. Using the powers of the Internet can bring down costs and also allow more participants contribute to discussions, this will ensure that people who would not have been able to participate will be given a chance to do so though email, newsgroups and e-groups.

Information and Communication Technology for Development.

The United Nations has recognized ICT as a veritable tool for development. ICT has made the world to become a true global village. The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is meant to discuss ways to harness the potentials of ICT in developing the world. ICT ensures many channels of information dissemination, through mobile phones, emails, the World Wide Web, News groups, e.t.c.
Many developing countries have abundance of natural resources like petroleum, diamond and gold, yet they are very poor and the citizens languish in poverty.

The reason is very simple; the wealth of a country can no longer be measured by the abundance of its natural resources but by the quality of its citizenry. An absolute way of getting access to Information is the Internet which is still a luxury in most under-developed countries. For the under-developed world to start thinking of reaching the height of their developed counterparts, they need to embrace the power and wonder of Information and Communications Technologies. I am positive that ICT will transform the physical and psychological well-being of the under-developed worlds and bring them up-to-speed with the developed world.

ICT has helped in various fields of human endeavors like Agriculture (GIS), education (e-learning), health and in providing job opportunities for citizens. . Access to these ICT tools is very small in underdeveloped countries and the United Nations will do well to find ways of correcting this. Beyond WSIS and other UN programs to promote the use of ICT, I will like the UN to think of helping rural people have access to ICT since there are more under-developed countries than developed ones. The UN should also encourage countries to adopt and implement a national ICT policy that will help them in harnessing ICT potentials.

Conclusion

There is no doubt that many lives have been touched by the noble aims and objectives of the United Nations. In closing, I wish to make the following recommendations-
• All countries must have ICT parks where young people are taught basic and advanced ICT skills.
• The scum of Internet scam must be taken seriously by the UN. A good way of fighting this trend is by disseminating information on truthful ways of making money on the Internet.
• The UN should advocate that Youths in all countries of the world go through a form of citizenship and leadership training before or after their tertiary education.
• The UN and religious groups should work closely on the prevention of HIV/AIDS and other health-related problems because the latter have strong influence over their congregations.
There is no greater goal than craving a world that is united and peaceful. Long live the United Nations and may its goals be achieved.

The End.

Hello People. I was just digging through my archives and discovered this paper I wrote in 2005. It is really amusing as it brought back memories and confirmed my stand on matters then are still relevant today. It was the year the UN became 60 years old and I made some salient points including the Iraq war. This is the first part. Happy reading!

“Your old men shall dream dreams and your young men shall see visions” .

I am not being religious by quoting from the bible, but that is the unavoidable reality on ground. It is very easy to see that young people have a great deposit of ideas and activity embedded in them through a very natural process that is not easy to explain. But we live in a world where the voice of the youth is not respected because of a fixed and archaic perception of the older generation. I remember a friend who attended a conference and wanted to make a very important contribution. A man sitting beside him advised him to keep quiet, reminding him that – “Young people know nothing apart from sex and women”.

It is interesting to discover that two years after this incidence, this same young man is a consultant to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). But this young man is just one out of billions of other young people all over the world. Governments, United Nations and other organizations have always found it difficult to integrate youth into their decision making process. There is a particular saying that goes thus – “Youths are the future of a nation”. I totally disagree with this notion by saying that Youths are the deciding present factor of a nation. A cursory look at any society shows that the most productive sector of the population is the young people and if a country is in chaos, youth restiveness is often found to be a contributing factor. It is unjust to leave young people out when deciding matters that will determine the present and the future.

As a young person, I am not wholly happy with the structure and operation of the United Nations. No doubt, the UN in its 60 years of existence has been able to achieve some of its aims and objectives but I believe more could have been done. The United Nations is supposed to be the umbrella under which all countries in the world meets and have a brotherly union. The world has seen its fair share of wars and genocides.

Is the UN really powerful enough?

Sometimes I look at the UN as a powerless giant. This is hard to say but someone has to say it. I believe that the charter that established the UN gave it influence to mediate and advise any country that is trying to go into unreasonable wars and other ill-fated projects like Nuclear weapons. To protect the sanctity of the UN, no country should be perceived as above the law, but this is not the case. There are at least two countries as at now, who at various times made decisions without considering the stand of the United Nations.
A very vivid example is the second gulf war on Iraq by the United States of America. The United Nations was still in the process of inspecting Iraq for evidence of weapons of mass destruction and was imploring the US to wait for the outcome. We all know that the US got impatient and together with the United Kingdom invaded Iraq against the will of the UN. It is still unclear if that war was successful because of the high number of civilian and coalition forces casualties recorded.
If the United Nations is really respected, the US would not have gone ahead with that invasion; that leaves us to ask that if Switzerland wants to invade Senegal because of the same accusations levied against Iraq, would the United Nations have been able to persuade Switzerland to change its mind. I am sure the answer will be yes, thus we live in an animal farm with the rule changed to “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others” . If the United Nations wants the kind of relevance that it merits, there has to be a conscious effort by the so-called world powers to respect her, after all, the UN is their initiative.

All talks and documents, little action:

I have attended a few United Nations organized conferences and must say that I always marvel at the kind of intellectual discourse that emanate from such deliberations. Very inspiring documents are also written after the end of the meetings that contains the resolutions. Delegates are accommodated at good hotels, paid daily subsistence allowance and even per diems. These conferences are aimed at finding solutions to a lot of abnormalities like poverty, HIV/AIDS, wars, illiteracy, e.t.c.
The sad thing is that after spending so much money to bring all these intellectuals together to forge a way forward, little is heard about the contents of the resolutions. Most of these things are never implemented; rather they are put away in archives. An example is the UN World Program of Action for Youth document. This document contains so much hope for young people but we have not really seen the effects. We all know that more than any other part of the world, developing countries need actions from these documents because these countries have the big share of all health and socio-economic problems.
The United Nations should endeavor to make sure that as they poll resources together and proffer solutions to these societal menaces, they should also find ways of implementing these policies and most importantly make sure the grassroots’ communities benefits.

Will the Rich continue getting Richer and the Poor get poorer?

One sure way of making the world truly united is closing the economic gap between the developed countries of the world and the undeveloped countries. There is so much poverty in most of these underdeveloped countries and with poverty come a lot of other problems. It is also a fact that most disaster and volatile countries of the world are underdeveloped. If we truly want a peaceful world, the United Nations should be more practical in helping these countries to develop. We are not talking about giving fish to them, but rather teaching them to fish. Hence all these temporary aids and loans will not help but further aggravate their problems.
Most developed countries are making a lot of money from debt servicing by poor countries. While we might claim bad leadership as the greatest dearth to development in these countries, the other very important factor is their indebtedness to the developed countries and the World Bank. If the UN is really sincere and willing to help these countries out of their shackles, it will be to seek debt forgiveness for them but tied to certain conditions which the countries must fulfill.
They must have proper democratic system of government, abide with the UN anti-corruption and transparency stance, and have a thorough budgeting and auditing systems, a viable economic empowerment scheme as well as a good track record of human rights system. Two major problems would have been solved – Bad leadership and poverty. Any attempt to deviate from these norms should lead to revoking the debt forgiveness.
It is by implementing these kinds of radical policies that the economical gap will start reducing and the United Nations would assume its proper place as the truly unifying umbrella of the world.

(To be Continued)

There are events and people in our past that contributed to our growth and development. I remember today the guys I stayed with during my OAU days from 100 level upwards. I remember the jokes we shared, the wisdom learned, the close shaves with death, yes all that happened. I will start today with my rooms in 100 level as I stayed in 2 different rooms that memorable session.

It was room 356, Obafemi Awolowo Hall Annex – the most radical and interesting hall in Great Ife. I stayed with a family friend called Bro Kayode. I can still play back my first night in the room and the ecstasy that engulfed me in the moment of realization that I was a confirmed undergraduate. That night was also symbolic as I was initiated into the mad life of Awo hall. I woke up with a start at about 12 midnight when I was hearing all sorts of animals in my sleep but I realized it was not a dream and then confirmed the sounds from goats, cows, cocks and even lions were real. I asked one of the guys who was awake if there was a zoo near Awo hall and he laughed his head off and thereafter explained to me that they are students doing ‘ARO’. That was so hilarious and I knew I was in for a great time.

I did not stay long in that room due to a reason that will me a major subject for a future post because it signaled my involvement with cult boys in OAU and my subsequent meeting with the person I describe as my guardian in school. The story also leads to another event that shook OAU and Nigeria to its root in July 1999 but let me stick to the purpose of this post for now. At this period in 1997, we had a closure and the school authority decided that 100 level students should resume first. That was when I met guys like Sola Akinmoladun, Yomi, Tope, etc. They were very nice to me and I still hold them with the highest regard to this day.

I left the room in that same first semester and moved to Angola Hall room K1. It was a good opportunity to stay with my friends – Niyi Oladeji and Dele Alawonde welcomed me with open arms and did not make me feel as if I was squatting with them. Here I met wonderful guys – Wale Titiloye, Wole Ola, Abdul, Obakperoro Ekpekurede, Rababs, Lanre, etc. All of them are colorful characters with different personalities. Dele, Niyi and I attended the same Senior Secondary schools hence we were classmates from SS1-3 and we got admission to OAU into the same faculty. Looking back now – I realized that the moral and spiritual traits exhibited by them were very good for me. Oba was also a very good Christian and a jacker. I have not seen anyone who studied as much as he did in those days. Wale is a very brilliant guy and we discovered we were in Loyola together though he was my senior by one year. He introduced me to the game of chess and it took some effort to leave the game when it started getting addictive for me. Wole was the domestic champion and someone I respected so much because of his calmness and cooking precision of white amala and egusi soup (lol), he was also in Loyola College in Wale’s set.

When I remember Rabab aka Rababue — I just start laughing no matter where I am. Rababs has tribal marks; an honor that was bestowed upon him when he was born because they claim he looked like his grandfather. A particular lady used to visit our room who had tribal marks too. One day we suggested Rabab should hook up with her and his answer was one of the most hilarious I have ever heard in my life. He claimed that their kids will come into this world with tribal marks ..hahahahahah.

It was generally a good room with occasional fightings and once there was even a religious war and then I realized that the occupants on one side of the room were all Muslims and the other had all Christians. If I remember very well – the problem started when some lecturers decided not to allow ladies covered with purdah to sit for their exams unless they can remove the veil and identify themselves. There was a brief riot and the remnant of it was fought in individual rooms to either support the lecturers or castigate them. But that did not happen a lot and we went along very well.

I also remember that this room was where I almost died due to reasons beyond me and the same room where I found salvation and escaped at a close call. These personalities are important to me as some were not that lucky and stayed with those who negatively impacted them. Wherever you might all be my room mates – In Nigeria and overseas, I wish you all a greater life than you are all living now. I pray that the almighty will bless you abundantly and ensure a greater future for you. Thanks for being parts of my life.

NB: The other rooms will follow later.

There are many things that baffle me about the human race – but a particular one never ceases to amaze me anytime. It is Christmas, the purported birthday of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ who came to this world to give us hope and paid the maximum price for our redemption. What baffles me about Christmas is not in Christ’s coming in itself because I fully understand why he had to come but the way we celebrate it. I have never hidden the fact that I don’t believe that his birthday is not December 25 though I won’t start a campaign to prove that as the date is not a route to salvation. Knowing him is more important than starting a theological war that might never be won. But what amazes me is that the World celebrates Christmas every year with the greatest percentage not even understanding the principal of the subject – Christ himself.

I become so emotional when people prepare so much for the celebration all over the world with glamor and fanfare. Some even borrow money to go for vacations and the period is always synonymous with a lot of spending. Financial experts at this period are always advising people to take it easy on their spending and try to remember that there is a new year approaching steadily. My emotional outburst is not only tied to the fact that a lot of unnecessary spending spree occurs but that the main lesson of Christ’s coming and its import is eroding per year. In Europe and America; the shopping frenzy at this point is unparalleled and most people tie Xmas to vacations, snows, Santa and feasts which are very good but is that the main essence of Christmas? I say no.

The pace might be slower this year due to the World economic crunch which is not about to end. The government of Las Vegas in the United States is very unhappy because the state boasts of very big tourist earning every December but this year might not be as profitable as the previous years. I also notice that film makers release Xmas films each year but the themes of those films range from passionate romantic to even absurd fairy tales which promotes other gods!
I think we can start re-assessing the way we celebrate Xmas by looking at the following -

1. Broadcast the Real Essence

While it is great to have a well deserved break as well as feasts and fun at Christmas; it is important to let people understand the real reason we celebrate Jesus Christ. I am looking forward to spending many of this season with my wife and kids in the years to come. I have decided to ensure they realize the reason for the season and take the other activities as perks and not the main thing. Parents will do well to let their wards get the message right from when they are very small instead of them growing up thinking that Father Xmas or Santa is the real figure to celebrate.

2. Make him happy

Yeah. I wonder if my father will be happy if we celebrate his birthday for him without being good children to him. Good children as in being obedient, showing him care and love. Isn’t it amusing when people become so drunk on Christmas day and they think they are celebrating Christmas? I wonder how Christ feels looking at the warped idea of celebrating him that the World has adopted.

3. Make others happy

Christ came into this world to give us salvation and rescue us from eternal damnation. This means that this season should be a time of sacrifice for others especially the downtrodden in our society. It should be a period when you put others first and give to the poor. I also guess that before you spend so lavishly on expensive Christmas shopping, vacation and feasts – shouldn’t some percentage go to the needy? I guess it is an individual question.

4. A time to spread the good news

What better season than now to tell people about Jesus Christ. We will be doing ourselves a favour by carrying out our Lord’s instruction about the great commission. These days; it is getting harder to preach because everyone finds it fashionable to claim ‘born again’. The message in this season is a refreshing one and can be shared with anybody regardless of status and religious inclination. We will only have to be diligent and dig into his word so we can personally review our knowledge of the reason he came into this world.

5. Knowing the essence prepares you for the next year

A very important thing that most of us fail to notice is the proximity of Christmas time to the end of the year and the beginning of another. If we decide to be closer to God and be still at this period; we have the advantage of listening better to his review of our year and the eventual downloading of his plans for us in the new year. Most people are so bothered about the things that don’t matter and are so excited and jumpy that they miss the message for the new year. Those who will impact their world in 2009 recognize this fact and are willing to have peace and stillness.

All said – I wish you all a wonderful Xmas celebration and I pray that God himself will reveal his heart to us as we approach 2009. I also pray that he will make us see the reasons to be closer to him and not follow the world into oblivion. Amen.

NB: I know most of us are privy to the shame that was meted out to the supposedly most powerful man on earth – the President of the United States of America – George W. Bush. I will soon write an expose on his tenure and the lessons learned from this man from a very powerful dynasty in America. Meanwhile – I hope you are enjoying the Mentoring/Career Coaching series. Many more to come. Cheers.

Today – I am happy to present a young man with a large heart to you. He is a man of high integrity, drive and a very passionate one at that. He is my very good friend and a confidant – one of those people I can vouch for no matter what. We share very similar ideals about values, family, career and giving back. He is a lesson in sacrifice and many can attest to the fact that he has contributed to their lives. His career has been a very interesting one – having worked his way from obscure companies to the big ones. Presently he is the manager in charge of planning ZAIN Nigeria’s Value Added Services as well as General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) from the Technical perspective as well as business justifications. My friend is married to my friend (figure it out) and they are a testimony to the fact that not all marriages suck. Bayodele can only go one way —- UP! Happy reading!

Hello Mr Olotu. Can we meet you?

My name is Bayodele Abimbola Olotu, born in the mid-late seventies at Ikere-Ekiti in what was then Ondo State. My parents were/are teachers and I have what can best be called a lower middle class background. I am happily married to Temitope, who I have clearly identified as the main proof of the fact that God is rather partial to me. I have a lovely baby daughter – Darasimi.

Thank you. I know you grew up in Akure but please let us into your years growing up. From Primary to Secondary School.

I attended St Peters Primary School, FUTA Staff School and Federal Government College, Idoani.

What about University and courses/certifications thereafter?

I am an alumnus of OAU, Ile-Ife. I am Microsoft Certified and a PMP among other things.

What is the biggest lesson you have learned about education from primary till date?

There is always something new to learn. I learnt to read wide and converse with those who are ahead. This broadens your scope and enriches your vision. However, you have to define what you will focus on and build expertise in – when push comes to shove no one needs a General Practitioner/Counsel/Manager.

Some people tend to think University is only for books. Can you share with us the effect of extra-curricular activities in Ife on your personal growth?

My dad, who is practically my wisest counselor, told me that in the olden days the Yorubas pray for your head, feet and chest. Your head symbolizes destiny; your feet will take you there, and your chest determines your friends/associations. I knew of the firt two but the third was new – and so true.
In Ife I met and thankfully chose good friends. I attended the ECU and served in various capacities including Drama, Organising, Small Business Management, etc. I also served as PRO of my Departmental Association.
These taught me faster than any lecture room about the challenges of life and the place of personal drive and innovation. I also learnt to give and assist others. Today, I happily support others’ vision and derive joy in being a positive influence. I have lost count of the number of ‘small jobs’ that I got through friends – and my last 2 main jobs were via same.

You studied Mechanical Engineering in the University, how come you always wanted a career in ICT?

Well…did I always? I wanted to attend Ife and study Engineering …the tougher the better as I had a knack for not reading much but doing well in Idoani. Ife cut me to size – First I came in for Chemistry and 100L cut me to size, and after changing to Mech I enjoyed life better but had to play catch up. I am very practical so lots of the ‘forces’, ‘moments’, ‘torque’ that was only on paper nearly did me in. I stuck to it but was more interested in Drama and later, computing. These were more real to me at the time.

You managed Shekinah Ventures in OAU and did it very well- what lessons came from that experience?

Shekinah was into computing, internet services and photography. From part IV to my extra semester, this small cubicle shaped my life. There, I learnt computing, ran a business, cut my first deals, understood coordination and how to manage employees, etc.
I learnt to take opportunities as they don’t last forever. I learnt to believe God to grow a business. I learnt that ideas actually ruled the world. I also learnt a bitter one – that businesses don’t exist in a vacuum and when in a tough position, having a great Christian in authority who doesn’t understand people and politics can be a total liability.

What is the importance of starting something in life no matter how small?

I cannot over-emphasize it. You don’t know yourself until you face the odds and DO SOMETHING.

We will love to hear about your first post-NYSC job in Lagos

Ah! Datasphir. Midway into NYSC I started buying Guardian. I didn’t have Lagos connections and could not stand to be unemployed, so my applications flew fast and furious. One day I got called for a test – I’d applied as a Linux Admin and instead got taken as a web apps developer. This was where I saw Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP in action and learnt advocacy with the Nigerian Linux Users Group, rolling into UNILAG, LASU, NTA etc. I moved on after a year, but this was the real school that I attended.
Salary wasn’t great but did I learn a lot? Definitely!

Tell us about your Huawei days including how you got the job

Sheriff and I worked together in Datasphir before he moved to Huawei as a Software & Solutions [IN&VAS] Engineer. He told me when the next batch came out; I applied and got in.
There I learnt SS7, NGN and Telecomms from scratch. It was a puzzling, funny, tough, paradoxical, fantastic experience. I mean, these guys literally throw the book at you. I think if they paid more and kept their guys happier, fewer guys would exchange the jump-about work of an equipment vendor for a static desk in some telco.

What does your present job in ZAIN entail?

I am involved in Technical Planning for Value Added Services & GPRS. It involves quite some platforms and services and interfaces with Switching, BSCs, Charging, Mediation etc, so I have to know about those. As a business it also involves product development/management, contracts, financial processes, security etc. So I know something about those too. Full deets are at www.linkedin.com/pub/2/b26/669

Interesting – please share with us the necessary ingredients for a successful Telecoms career

I would say curiosity and the willingness to learn new things and not repeat mistakes. A relevant degree is a big plus as well, but this is dependent on what you want to do. There are PR/sales/marketing/etc functions in telecoms, and in the next few years these would be the majority.

As a man with many talents – highly technical and an array of skills ranging from product and project management to processes; how can one get to learn all these?

Keep reading, keep improving, keep learning. No one is too small to learn from. A book or two to ground you on telecoms end to end [yep even the aspects that aren’t your specialty] would surely help.

Some people are interested in Project Management – can you describe the job of a Project Manager to them?

I think www.pmi.org will do a better job.
However suffice to say that Project Management is a coordinating activity that requires a variety of competencies which are necessary in order to deliver time-bound objectives at the right cost/quality.

You are one of those who practically learned ICT skills on their own – how can one do this?

I think all that is required is access to a computer. You start from what is closest to you and take it from there. After getting a general understanding you choose what looks best to you to pursue, and give it all you have. ICT is fun; you shouldn’t have to be bored doing it. A small employment could accelerate things too. I agree with Segun that schools are for those who don’t have access to computers constantly.

Some people would look at you and think your parents must have known people in high places for you to be where you are. Any advice for them?

My parents know the Lord – for which reason I am blessed. They have also helped lots of folks and I attribute much of the grace that their children enjoy to this. As per people in high places, nah.

What is your favorite quote?
Dem plenty. But I particularly like these two – ‘God hasn’t failed in 6000 years; He’s not about to start now’, and ‘The sky is big enough for every bird to fly’.

What are the values that guide your life?

Hardwork, Fairness, a fun-loving nature and Personal Responsibility.

You are married with a daughter. Does that slow your career growth?

No. in fact a smile from her is good for erasing the pressures of the day. I now think a little bit more responsibly and take slightly fewer risks though – I think.

What kind of books do you read?

I read novels to relax, technical books and nowadays, business/strategy/project books.

What do you do for leisure?

I read, browse the ‘Net, visit and spend time with my two girlfriends [Tope & Dara]. Lately I have been doing some community service via free CAPM Trainings in my church.

A young person is in a Secondary school and she wants an ICT career. Please give her a candid advice on the way forward.

First she needs to get her Maths and Physics right. Then she should work on getting computer literate – holiday classes are great for that.

Final advice to young people who don’t understand that anyone can reach their goals.

Go and read ‘The Audacity of Hope’, and every back-issue of the New York Times that you can find online. If a man who would have been a slave free of charge 200yrs ago, whose father didn’t even wait to bring up, who lived in Indonesia and Hawaii, who was the only black man in the Senate, whose opponents all discounted because of every reason you care to name, who has no family tree/landmark legislation/foundation/illustrious relative to boast of, can rule America and inspire the whole world, then your dream to be a success isn’t too great, is it?

Thank you very much sir

Same to you.

Hello my people. I know most of you enjoyed the Sallah break but some of us worked through it because we stay in countries where only Christian holidays are recognized. No problem sha – Xmas is very much around the corner. The Career/Mentoring series have been getting a good following and as promised – the plan is to make a call for those interested in having any of our coaches as mentors. Staying tuned also ensures access to some life changing career articles that will come up. You might be wondering if our coaches will only come from the Telecoms sector. Most of them are but we will be seeing profiles from young people making changes in other industries, watch out. Today I want to go on a lighter note but with lessons from a folktale. Growing up came with a lot of these stories and they had huge lessons in management and life but most of us might not realize it then. The folktale in focus today is a very interesting one filled with exciting lessons. Happy reading.

There was a famine in the animal kingdom. This famine had lasted so long that any existing source of food had been completely depleted. The animals knew they had to do something real quick or they would all die off one by one. They called a meeting where every animal was in attendance and they determined that they had to do something drastic. It was decided that the mothers would be sacrificed to ensure the continuation of the animal races. They would eat their mothers.

The dog who had been at the meeting decided to hide his mother. He was not going to sacrifice his mother, so he hid her in the sky. Everyday, he would go to a particular spot where he sang a song asking his mother to drop a rope.

Dog would sing:

Iya Iya ta’kun wa le o
Alu jon jonki jon
Gbogbo araye pa yeye re je
Alu jon jonki jon
Aja gbe ti re o d’orun
Alu jon jonki jon
Iya Iya ta’kun wa le o
Alu jon jonki jon

Mother Mother send down your rope
[Chorus]
All have killed and eaten their mothers
[Chorus]
Dog has taken his mother to the sky
[Chorus]
Mother Mother send down your rope
[Chorus]

His mother would drop a rope and the dog would climb to the sky where his mother would have a feast waiting for him. One day as the dog was singing for his mother to drop the rope, the tortoise was passing by and he hid himself to observe what was going on. He heard the song dog was singing, then he saw a rope being dropped from the sky with which the dog climbed to the sky.

The following day, the tortoise went to the same spot and disguising his voice like the dog’s, he sang the song he had heard the dog sing the day before. A rope dropped from the sky and the tortoise began to climb this rope. At this same time, the dog was just approaching the same spot and he saw the tortoise climbing to the sky. The dog immediately started to sing to his mother. This time, he sang that he was not the one climbing the rope and his mother should cut the rope. Dog’s mother got a pair of scissors and cut the rope sending the tortoise crashing to the ground. This caused tortoise shell to break into several pieces. He managed to glue these pieces together but that is how the tortoise ended up with the rough shell we know today.

Lessons Learned

1. Drastic actions turn into foolish decisions
The animals did not properly analyze the decision they made concerning the famine to see if that was the only sensible option they had. I think they were so numbed by their hunger to even accommodate another solution which might be longer in executing but in the long term ultimately provide the best form of reprieve. It is a lesson in understanding that finding a solution should be done before the situation deteriorate to a desperate level.

2. Love conquers all things
The dog was obviously very hungry like the other animals but he had one thing the others lacked – LOVE. He did not forget the sacrifices made by his mother in bringing him to the world and the care she provided for him up till that time. Many of us are faced everyday with situations that can benefit us but destroy others – what will our decisions be when faced with those life altering situations? That is the mark of real men and women and what stands them apart from the crowd. The dog loves his mother so much that he was not willing to follow the crowd. What a big lesson from a loyal being!

3. Learn to explore uncharted territories
Our lives will always be filled with challenges but we must find creative ways of getting out of them. We cannot afford to be one-faced and accept conventional ways of solving problems; there is a need to chart new courses and territories. The dog knew there must be another way that will ensure a lasting solution for him and he found one.

4. Is it fair to all?
This is a question that is close to the heart of good project managers when negotiating during procurement processes. The goal of negotiation is not to win but provide a common ground for both parties to bring about a win-win situation. The dog wanted to stop his hunger but at the same time; he does not want to kill his innocent mother. It is his ability to be fair that brought about his creativity otherwise he would have gone for the solution that pays only him.

5. Cheating will only destroy you
Mr. Tortoise who apparently was part of the myopic mother-eating group decided to check out the dog’s secret and he did find it. Going ahead to cheat only ended up in a disaster for him. All those in this habit might enjoy it for long but one day their acts betray them.

Our folktales are filled with great lessons of life and I will bring them in future posts again. Next week is the time to meet another Coach who is truly a Coach. Enjoy the rest of the week.

Once upon a time in Vmobile Nigeria (Now ZAIN Nigeria); three young men resumed at a particular department in Technical and were referred to as the 3 Musketeers. Yes – 3 musketeers because they all came from IT backgrounds but in a short period became very successful at their new Telecom jobs and rose to be the team leaders of their respective units at a record time. Today – I interviewed one of the 3 musketeers who is a Messaging Specialist and one with a very great story. This young man exudes confidence and has successfully proved bookmakers wrong by conquering the Telecoms industry from a Biochemistry background. His story once again confirm that we can do anything if we put our minds to it. Happy reading!

Profile

Oluwasegun is a Prince from the Kosoko royal house of Lagos. He is a graduate of Biochemistry from the Lagos State University, Ojo. From biochemistry Segun diversified into ICT in the early 2000 (a step I call an ordination of God) and started his first job as a graduate trainee with Crystal Network and later became Ag Head of support. In Crystal Netwok, I learned all the basis of ICT, networking, wireless, windows and unix server adminstration etc.. Since then he has moved to become a telecoms professional with specialties in messaging systems. Currently he works as an Integration Engineer with Airwide Solutions a reknowed global messaging telecoms vendor in the UK operation. Before now he has worked with Zain Nigeria as an Interactive and Messaging Support Specialist and Negris group as System and Network Administrator. Currently I am also writing out my mine as regards careers in a blog called Career Clinic (http://segun-kosoko.blogspot.com/). Segun loves the art or Arts&Entertainment and he has being privileged to perform in some stage plays. He has also written some plays which have being performed. I am a lover of God and have a great passion for his work. I am married to a pretty darmsel called Oluwaseyi. I have three sisters and my parents are still very much alive.

Can we meet you sir?

My name is Oluwasegun Olojo-Kosoko. I am a Nigerian married to a beautiful, young and intelligent lady – Oluwaseyi. I am from Lagos State.

Please describe your educational journey from Primary to Tertiary

Primary was Tunwase Nursery/Primary School, Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja. Set ’90
Secondary was Loyola College, Ibadan. set ’96
Tertiary was The Leading African State University, some people call it Lagos State University, LASU, Ojo. set ’02
Also have one small certificate from Wits Buisness School of Witwatersrand University in south Africa. Set YTP ’07

Any lessons from your Loyola College days?

Hmmmm….Loyola College. I would say I learned life in Loyola. I say this because my Christian walk started out while I was in Loyola (I got born again in Loyola). Loyola also taught me how to be independent.

What about your University days, are there impacts from then that gave you directions for today?

Major impact I would say was shaping my destiny and being able to impact my world. Being a student of LASU to me meant being able to face life realities on your own. With a course like Biochemistry and a bleak career future. Then all you had to leave on was just the word and promises of God. Learning this early in life gave me directions for my today

Were you involved in any developmental activities in your University days?

Yes. First was representing my level in the Internet committee for Biochemistry department (then I was in year 2), Was also vice-chairman electoral committee for my departments in 2000/2001, was member Student union editorial committee at a point. I was responsible for the building of the animal research lab for biochemistry.

Tell us about your volunteer experience in University

The most interesting was the animal research lab. At a point when people who were doing projects required to use the animal house or the research lab they would come and get the keys from me, so one day someone came to meet me asking for Mr Segun (as if I was a lecturer or graduate assistant) and I was with my friends. Everyone started laughing and making jest that I would be retained as a lecturer. But in fairness, at every point it was interesting, because it’s good to serve. I get happy when I see people get satisfied or when they get what they are looking for.

Did you choose to study Biochemistry and why?

I did and I did not. I said I did because I filled it in. I did not because I actually wanted to study medicine. The reason I did was because its the closest to Medicine. Even though I don’t think I remember a cycle again… I don’t think I choose wrongly.

Describe your first contact with a computer

First contact was in primary school, which is the normal computer class… like 5 people to one computer … you eventually don’t do anything. . But then it was not really a contact. The next I can remember again was in a friend’s house in 1997. He had a computer with internet in his house …. it was a Compaq 386 window 98 OS……I was looking fascinated about his speed of typing and then the internet. Same day I opened an email address, Then I used to leave Alagbado to Surulere then to use his computer in his house. Now we both lol about it. Then my major contact with a computer system was when I started my first job in 2002. I opened up the case and started guessing which was the hard drive, memory and then processor.

When did you decide that ICT was the way for you?

I can’t say vividly. I would just say God ordered my steps. I can’t remember asking myself if I wanted to do ICT. It started with a passion for the internet and things of ICT. Then also from a brother who kind of mentored me at that time. Then he was serving with an ICT company and I was doing my IT in LUTH. We go to work together and return together. While I wait for him in his office I hear lots of stuff and then get excited with the kind of job he was doing. Then, with time God ordered my step and here I am today in ICT. All this was between 1999 and 2002

Share your experience at your first job with us – your learning curve, experiences, salary, etc

ISSUES. This interview will not contain it o. Well it started out in Crystal Network in 2002, 5months after my final exams as a Biochemist. I applied in January to an ICT company since I knew my set was not going to meet the National Youth Service Corp camp in February, I was called to resume in July with a salary pack of N6,000/month. I was excited and started. I was living in Iba estate and the office was in Ikeja, It cost me on a monthly basis N5,000 for transportation. It was not easy but I had to put through. I remember my 1st month salary was sowed/given as a seed in my church. Three months after it got increased to N16,000. .. yes…its a testimony. That is for the salary part.
The learning curve was painful. Sleepless night in the office and running errands for my superiors. I had a notebook (I wish I can still find it) I always write anything my superiors do in my presence. When alone, I try them and master them. I can remember running errands from Lagos to Abeokuta. All I went to do was give my senior colleagues a connector which they forgot in the office. Or when I go to site with any of them, I carry the tools and then they use it and give back to me. Then if you ask a question it was as if you wanted to know too much or too fast. So I always made sure I was watching and did not care about what they said. I remember my HOD saying to me while configuring a router that I should shut up that I came here to learn. It was said in a Nigerian language called Yoruba. “daka sebi o wa ko ise ni”.
The experience was fantastic. It’s the basis of all I know now. If I had not had to opportunity to install or configure a Linux server then, I would have probably not being able to do anything today.

Has your Biochemistry degree ever put you at disadvantage in the ICT industry?

NO, people hardly believe I studied Biochemistry. In fact I say it has always being an advantage.

What about your second job, any lessons from that for us?

My Second job was with an Oil and gas company as a Network/System Administrator. I got fed up of it under 4months. Reason being there were no major challenges. There were some battles with Exchange server and Active directory but I was able to surmount them as the network was not a very large one, about 200 users. I got fed up because there was nothing and nobody challenging me.

I believe your foray into Telecoms was a turning point in your ICT career. Can you describe how you got the job?

I will like to say at this point that relationship matters a lot. Never burn a bridge or break one, for you might need that path someday. My foray to telecoms was just another step God ordered and thinking back am so grateful to him. it started by a friend telling me to send my CV to one of his friend who works with then vmobile that they are looking for a Linux administrator (he could not apply because he does not know Linux… same Linux I learnt from a N6,000 job I would have declined). A friend I initially did not want to warm up.
I did as he said, then the meticulous friend of his sent me back a reply that my CV is not standard (a CV I use to pride in). I edited and sent back to him and did not even blink. Weeks after i got a call for an interview. At the interview I was the 14th and last person for that day. It was the most difficult interview I ever attended. In the interview was Segun Ajayi, Adebayo Juba and Ibidapo Ilawo (Stone). Months after I got a call for my letter of employment. Why I was chosen, I don’t know. I wish to find out someday. I thought I was coming into an IT department to support Linux servers like I know them, not knowing I was coming into telecoms. Like I said earlier… my life course as being ordered by God… I know nothing about it.

Tell us about the Certifications you hold?

E neva plenty, MCP, ITIL, PRINCE2. I failed my CCNA and did not try it again. If we should list that of Telecom vendors, that one plenty small. From, Ericsson to Airwide, ATOS to CaTs.

Are certifications very necessary for a successful ICT career?

No I would say, what matters most is experiential knowledge. Certifications can just be an added advantage to stand as an edge during selections process. But what sells you is your experience and not your Certificate. I have attended so many interviews in Nigeria and also I would say globally, I have not being asked which certificate do you have. The most important question is can you do this? Have you done it before? How do you do it in a scenario such as this? etc… The answers are from experience and not from ‘pali’.

About your degree again – did you have to attend computer schools to get to this level?

No o! Computer school ke? No computer school can give you all I said above. In fairness I consider it a waste of time for a graduate. But please if you don’t have access to a computer, try find a computer school. You only find computer schools in developing countries… I say it’s a disease of the illiterate. Forgive my language am not being derogatory here.

So what do you do presently?

I work for a Telecoms vendor in the UK as a Delivery Engineer. In layman terms as an Integration Engineer. Delivery in the sense of Project Delivery. (we all don’t like the name)..lol

What are your values?

My values are simple;
Do to others what you want others to do to you for What a man sow, that he shall reap
Faith and positive thinking
Love
Respect man
Fear God
In these 5 you would find grace to live.
Tell us about your believes and God?
Wow!!… Am a strong believer of God and in the resurrection power of his son which is unto mankind’s salvation for them that believe…….and in his second coming.
I see myself as worshiper of God and I consciously live it.

What is your opinion about nurturing relationships and the effect on career progression?

Your relationship would make or destroy you. Never burn a bridge. Every relationship should be nurtured because it can be a potential assistance for your career path. You need only one person to get you through your choice of career. If that relationship is being destroyed, you will remain un-fulfilled for a long time or for life if care is not taken.

How can a young person interested in following this career path with a seemingly non-ICT related degree start her/his journey?
Determination and Passion is the word.

You run a blog aimed at helping young people to represent themselves well on their CV. Please tell us about it and the URL
http://segun-kosoko.blogspot.com/

Parting words to our audience
Leave things that can’t be changed and focus on things that can be changed.
Don’t dwell on Yesterday for its gone forever, Today is here make use of it, for your Tomorrow which is coming.
Be the change you want to see in the world.

Ibidapo Ilawole popularly known as Daddy Stone by his many admirers is a man of many wonderful parts. He is married with a beautiful daughter. He exemplifies the word humility to a fault even when we all know the depth he possesses. His profile is a very intimidating one that most of us look up to and his ability to inspire and lead is very awesome. His meritorious career has spanned many years and took him through IT companies, a top bank in Nigeria, Econet/Vmobile Nigeria, Cingular Wireless in the United States, Ericsson Consultant for Telma in Madagascar and Mcel Mozambique.
He is any Engineer’s dream and a mentor for many young Engineers he has impacted throughout his career.
I am a testimony of his leadership and inspirational sides as he was my boss in Vmobile Nigeria where he introduced me into the Telecoms world. He did not only impact a good work culture into me but his impeccable and cultured lifestyle was a big lesson for me. He opens the floor of this series because I see in him a manager of men, talented individual and someone who through hardwork and dedication turned his life around. I am quite sure you will learn a thing or two from this gentleman. As promised – you will have the opportunity to ask him questions through a medium to be communicated soon. Happy reading!

Let us meet you sir:

My name is Ibidapo Olaniyi Ilawole or Stone as most people call me

What do you do?

I work as a Telecommunications Engineer

Educational journey from primary to Post-Secondary:

Fountain Nursery & Pry School,
Ansar-ud-deen college isolo,
C.A.C Grammar school Akure
Oyemekun Grammar school Akure
C.M.S Grammar school Lagos (A Levels)

Can you describe your Secondary school years for us?

Very interesting haven spent the early part of it in Lagos before moving to Akure and meeting new people and making new friends.
It also allowed me to have a round view of what it meant to be a day student and also a boarding student (border as it is called)
It was full of adventure fun and it actually marked a turning point in making a decision for me.

What about University?

I attended the University of Lagos Akoka and studied Electrical Engineering both at BSC and MSC levels

What lessons did you take from your Secondary and University days that is shaping your life today?

Hmmmn like I said earlier, my secondary school marked a decision making point in my life.
Failure would always come if we do not prepare, I learnt the need to prepare with a focused mind towards a target

At what point did u know that IT/Telecoms career was your choice?

Hmmmmn interesting, now let’s see. That would be around the early eighties when I started watching documentaries on Arthur C. Clarke on communication satellites. It always fascinated me to see people could talk without any visible medium

Please tell us about your first job – when, what you were doing and your first salary and what happened next?

My first job was after NYSC was at Image Technologies (Bull Computers) located at 89a Ajose Adeogun street V.I.
Was employed as a Computer Hardware Engineer and the company specifically made sure the put the title “Trainee Hardware Engineer” on our complimentary cards which we saw as not too cool so we used tipex to blur out the Trainee part.. hehe.
As regards salary .. hehe I was paid N80,000 per annum and when you are shuttling between Mile 2 and V/I it puts a big strain on your pocket (1994/95) nevertheless life still continued.
It took me to quite a number of places in Nigeria, Kaduna,Port Harcourt, Ogun state, Niger State and Ibadan in Oyo state.

It was basically working on DPX 20/IBM AIX servers and also DPS6000 minicomputers and peripherals.
I left the company after working for one year on the day of the christmas party.

How many countries have you worked in?

Just four countries so far namely Nigeria, USA,Madagascar and Mozambique.

When did you realise it is possible for Nigerians to work as expatriates outside Nigeria?

Always known that since way back but I guess the main thing is to be able to have good skills to be able to sell to the world a large.
Nigeria in terms of development is more of a late starter and there are quite a number of technologies that should have arrived in the country long ago but due to the political instability experienced over a long period of time and lack of exposure of Nigerians at that time.

Tell us about your experience consulting for the largest GSM company in the united States:

Well it was great and one thing I have found out is that people tend to localize on a particular skill set rather than try to become a Jack of all trade and not mastering any.
It affords you the opportunity to interact and also learn a lot of new technologies.
The sheer size of the networks in the United States is intimidating compared to the one box systems in various countries in Africa.
You would be really challenged and also motivated to be part of a team that appreciates your inputs and also willing to learn and share from you.

What is the greatest motivation you have that set you apart?

Well my greatest motivation Jah.
Be it as it may seem .. Jah means God to the Rastafarians. Mind you, Rasta is not a religion, on the contrary.
It is a way of life, a lot of people always have that mis-overstanding
God inspired me thru music and specifically thru reggae music.
You need to really sit down and remove all ism and skism and listen to reggae and you would appreciate that the message is so powerful and vibrant.

Can you tell us the importance of hardwork and dedication as prerequisites for success?

Hardwork!! Hmmmmn, I think it is important for human beings.
Anything in life requires dedication, perseverance and follow thru.

How did you learn so much about Unix when it was still so new in Nigeria?

Well if u say so much it depends on the aspect of Unix you are talking about.
I think everything in life is just a matter of familiarity.

Describe your journey into becoming one of the foremost GPRS Engineers in Africa:

I would say I am just a normal individual and do not see myself as described.

When people see your accomplishments and CV, they are bound to be intimidated. Can you allay their fears and tell them you are just human and advise them on steps to take?

Hey!!! like I said earlier , I am just a individual who is trying to be myself.
Confront your fears and overcome them.
Just an easy going fellow with an intrinsic mind of been myself and probably expressing myself in a very quiet manner.

What kind of degree can someone have to get into Telecommunications, especially the data world?

Well electronics or electrical or computer science/engineering not to say that with strong interest, if you studied other things and you are willing you can still make a difference.

Do you have to go to computer schools for this?

No you don’t have to go to computer Schools; experience they say is the best tutor.

Can you describe a day in your life from waking up to going to bed?

Hehee Ayobami na wa for you o!
My normal life on a daily basis, putting everything before Jah as you wake in the morning having a clear idea of what you intend doing and keeping track of the things laid out for the day.
Assessing what I did or did not accomplish at the end of the day and thanking the Most High Jah at the end of the day once again.

Tell us about your thoughts on perseverance:

Perseverance is very key for any human being. It is one of the key components that propels human beings.
The thought of it keeps dreams alive.
If there is no thought of it in you as a person, it creates a vacuum and there is no drive to move on.
Like my lecturer Dr Mowete would say
If I do not know something, I would ask from you,
If you teach me and I don’t understand, I would ask you again even if you laugh at me.
If I don’t understand again I would ask you again.
But once I master it, I would not come back to you and you would not laugh at me again.
A lot of people are afraid of people laughing at them so they never persevere.
People would laugh at you and say things but the key fact is to be guided and very focused, God willing you will reach your destination.

Some people burn bridges where they work. Any advice for them?

That is pretty simple. They are making the world a pretty smaller place for themselves.
When you burn bridges you cannot go back there.
What goes around comes around.
Life is like a beautiful ship but beware of her propellers.

Apart from your adept technical skills, what other factors contributed to your growth?

My Mother

What do you enjoy doing?

Listening to music, meeting people and clean environment

There are a lot of young people with no dreams or those limiting their potentials. What advice do you have for them?

Every human being has a purpose in life and until you discover who you are.
The discovery period varies for every human being but parental guidance plays a key role in the lives of young individuals.
Bob Marley and his music was a great impact

What is your secret?

Secret ? No secret. But if you are talking about my life so far. It’s obvious ..Jah is my strength

Final advice to young people who desire to tow your career line

Nothing is impossible with hard work, motivation and dedication and above all God’s infinite mercy and direction.
Don’t give up the fight.

Yesterday night was a very emotional one for me watching CNN Hero of the year broadcast. I was moved to tears but most importantly very inspired by the lives of those wonderful men and women who define the real essence of living – unconditional giving! The stories reeled with unselfishness and the rare gift of improving humanity through uncommon sacrifices.

A story that pricked me hard was that of Phymean Noun – A Cambodian woman. Having herself grown up in the very poor suburbs of Cambodia – she struggled going through high school and understood the liberating effect of education on a life. She decided to give back to the society by helping poor kids growing up on trash picking get a life. She is providing free education as well as job training for these kids. The touching part was when one of the kids on the refuse dumps was asked about his ambition in life and the answer came automatically – I don’t know. But fast forward to those who are getting education in her school – they want to be teachers, doctors and complete their degrees; goals they did not have while on the dumps.

Another touching story came from Africa – Yohannes Gebregeorgis. He is an Ethiopian who emigrated to the United States many years ago and fell in love with books and reading. He became a Children librarian and was more fascinated at the opportunities that can come about when a country’s future is secured by educating its young ones. He returned to Ethiopia some years ago to start his pet project – Ethiopia Reads. This NGO has established many libraries across the country and also run a mobile donkey-drawn library. His aim is to promote reading culture in young Ethiopians. This is a laudable goal and a very important one at that due to the fact that education liberates the mind.

A man who combines philanthropy with a sense of godliness is David Puckett. His whole essence smells of an ambition to help others and laced with purposeful living. When he speaks, you can discern his humility, courage and his love for God’s work. He is giving hope to people who have been condemned to the wheel chair or their bed when they cannot afford one. He makes artificial limbs in the USA and travels down to Mexico to administer same for the needy at no cost. The highlight was seeing the face of a Septuagenarian who had never walked before as he took his first steps.

An unconventional way of touching lives also came to light yesterday in Anne Mahlum who started a running club in Philadelphia USA. This running club is for those without hope – drug addicts, poor people, etc. She started this thinking that by running, they can form a brotherhood with the aim of bringing about a togetherness. The effort is paying off and many are embracing this unconventional method of doing good. This young woman has further convinced me that no good is small at all; what matters is the thought behind it.

The other CNN heroes also have very inspiring stories to tell and I am glad I watched it. I am greatly challenged and will ensure that my purpose of coming to this world is achieved. That any life I can touch will be touched, all my actions will be channeled at giving hope to the hopeless in society without thinking of any gains. I am so happy I watched this with my love – my partner in this race and once again I confirmed that we share similar believes and values. I watched her reactions to those wonderful stories and saw a young woman who will do all to help the needy and make a change in this World. To read more on the CNN heroes – visit www.cnn.com/heroes

Everyone can make a difference no matter how small it might be. It is a challenge to rise up to the occasion and stop being passive. There are too many people suffering and looking for a break. Too many lives growing in the wrong way. Your contributions don’t necessarily have to be monetary but might just be giving your time, knowledge, advice to shape a life. Why not take this challenge and decide to reshape a life around you.

As I said – we will start a series to help young people understand their purpose in life especially with career, business and life coaching. But many other things will be done starting from this space. As we start the last month of the year 2008 – please reflect on the things you have done to make a better world. Also think of how you can contribute to humanity in the coming year if you have not started before. As the world marks AIDS day – let us remember that the only safe sex is one done God’s way – in marriage and faithfully. The world will be a better place when we decide to obey his commandments.

See you at the top and expect the first series this week.