If I were president of Naija

Esco had this Q&A on his blog and it really had me thinking. If I were president of Naija for a day...I honestly would not be able to get a lot done for only 1 day. But...

☮ I would sincerely apologize to Nigerians for failing them all this while and for betraying their trust in me and my predecessors.

☮ Sharia law would have to be second to federal law, so no child brides. And Senator Yerima must be investigated and suspended from senatorial activities for marrying that little girl. 

✆ I would include some definitions into the constitution:

1. A minor is a human being under the age of 18
2. A civil servant is one who is employed by the federal or state government and that includes but is not limited to: president, vice president, ministers, governors, senators, representatives, local chairmen/chairwomen, aides, and federal workers.
3. A sexual assault is any sexual act committed without consent

✆ I would propose a bill changing some aspects of the constitution.

1. To put a cap on the salary and allowances of civil servants and elected officials. Honestly, I would follow the US's, Canada's or Germany's model in this regard. And since I have only 24 hours, I would call our Naija professors who studied these countries and our legislators to provide advice and consultation on these amendments. 
2. There would be some serious jail time for those who are found of guilty of sexual assault and even more jail time when it concerns minors. 

✆ The police department must have a sexual assault division--detectives who investigate crimes involving sexual assault. Hmm...we're going to need psychiatrists and psychologists in that department. These people must be vetted properly because Naija does not seem to understand sexual assault.

✆ I would look to see if we have a Department of Records, if not create one. Again, I will look to our Naija professors as consultants. This department must be independent of the executive branch. They do not answer to the president, governors, senators or representatives--kinda like the supreme court. Paper and electronic records. We do have a National Archives of Nigeria.

✆ Set up a website titled "Careers in the Nigerian Public Service" that posts available government jobs. This must be run by the federal government, the website will have a .gov extension and this will fall under the Minister of Labor. Include a slot for internships and volunteer programs for secondary school students and university students. Hmm...Naija has NELEX but it's not for govt jobs. 

✆ Set up a website titled "Nigerian Federal Government Contracts" that posts available government contracts. It must also be run by the federal govt, with a .gov extension and under the Ministry of Labor.

✆ Contract ideas:

Roads _________ Public Transportation _________ Sewage and Water Systems _________

Electricity (solar, wind, oil, natural gas) _________ Public Housing and Safety _________ Farming

Record databases _________ Product Safety _________ Maps _________ Oil Refineries

Ratings board for entertainment (g, pg, pg-18, x) _________ Education (more Naija languages)

Publishing: Govt publications free to public: constitution booklet for adults and children (explanation at a primary 3 level)

Radio programs funded by govt _________  Food and Water Regulation _________ Pollution

TV programs for kids (tales by moonlight, Naija's history, legal education, Naija society)

Textile Factories _________ Emergency Services (police, hospital) _________ Health Insurance

Free Museums (history, cultural, political, arts) _________ Construction _________ Education

Hold a meeting with finance-related professors and the heads of these departments to reduce inflation.

✘ I would ban the white wigs lawyers and judges wear to court--that colonial ish needs to go. 

✘ Any civil servant (president, vp, governor, senator, representative, local chairman) who is found guilty of any felony (embezzlement or money-laundering) forfeits their pension.

- Any foreign company looking to operate in Naija must have a certain amount of Nigerian workers (perhaps 50-60 percent...we can model this after other nations).

- Have 2 national TV stations that televises the events in the senate house and the representative house. Hmmm...this will have to be a govt contract for a private company.

- Revisit the contracts on federal roads with the Minister of Transportation

--try to have more women in govt positions

--call press conferences for every single thing that plans to be done and when it is done.

--have coffee on standby, I can sleep after the day is over.

Mubi 40

According to Ibrahim Janet Tarfa, a Higher National Diploma II (HND II) student of the Polytechnic, who witnessed the killings, the operations last for over two hours.

“The next thing we started hearing was gun shots. Despite our shouting and crying for two hours, the operation lasted for two hours in the students village and nobody come to our rescue.” 
Mubi Massacre


A man who claimed to be a senior member of the Islamic sec, told PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday that his group had nothing to do with the killings.

"We have no business with students or student politics. If students are our target we would have killed them randomly on sight and in their school and not sneak on them in the creeping darkness in an area occupied by both students and residents," he said.

Boko Haram Denies Mubi Massacre

I know about the ALUU 4
I am aware of the Dana Air crash victims
I remember the victims of the Ikeja military cantonment bombing
I follow the kidnappings of Nigerians and followers
I see the innocent people murdered in peaceful protest

That Boko Haram can have principles but Nigerians cannot is astounding. The part that got me was "we would have killed them randomly...and not sneak on them in the creeping darkness..."

If your own home grown terrorist can publicly say something like this, then Naija has failed.

Jungle Justice PSA

Bovi is a Naija comedian and he has become one of my favorites with this public service announcement. When I first saw the video I was actually very scared that this was going to be another lynching and I really was close to tears when I saw the tire...Bovi go kill person with hypertension o

The PSA actually covers why we as a society need to get rid of jungle justice. It can stand as a Naija film on its own sef. The PSA mentioned the law (which is rarely mentioned or even respected in Naija). When people call ole! make una hand am to the police, dem go hand am to the law and na the law go deal with am. Granted Naija's legal system has a ways to go but if we can at least allow others to exercise their right to a trial instead of being the judge, jury and executioner, Naija would be a bit well off.

And then, we can tackle our legal system. Hopefully this PSA makes it on the radio and on the television channels.

ALUU 4

Four University of Port Harcourt students named Ugonna, Ilyod, Tekana and Chidiaka were this morning beaten to death by indegenes of Aluu community for allegedly stealing phones and laptops in an off campus hostel...

Instead of calling the police and getting them arrested, people of this community beat these students who were not even armed until they stopped breathing. Then they took pictures, filmed it and spread it around. This happened today in PH. We are gradually losing our humanity in this country. The boys were all in their early 20s. I hope some people get arrested for this. 
Source, and another

When I say Nigeria is mental, people think I'm cursing the nation. Nigeria is not cursed, its people are just mental. There are so many psychological problems in that nation that one could write volumes of books.

I detest jungle justice. I remember writing about a young man who was beaten, burnt and murdered by a mob over a necklace. I don't even care what the crime is, I really don't. But in all the cases, the victim is poor--and I stand by that statement. Why don't the people storm to the local chairman or governor's house and put a tire on his/her head and burn them? Because those folks aren't poor. Granted that Nigerians are fed up. But, nothing and absolutely nothing excuses this mob mentality, this absolute disregard for life.

I am disgusted, I am appalled and I just can't with this country. And we just celebrated 52 years of independence recently and already, we're back to such evil. This is not even animalistic, animals don't do this. This is just Nigerians, pure Nigerians.

I can't even begin to fathom what was going through those poor young men's minds, or their parents when they see the video--trust Naija, there is a video. If it's not a rape that is being videotaped, it's a woman being stripped naked or it's a murder being committed. Just when I think the country is moving forward, it takes the greatest leap backwards.

lagos na wa o

100-year-old Mushin market demolished

The market that has been in existence for over one hundred years was yesterday demolished by the Lagos state government via the Mushin Local Council. The government is planning to build an ultra-modern market in its place.

The traders at the Mushin Ajina market, who were given two weeks notice in early September to vacate the market, protested for several weeks because they knew they may not be able to afford rent for the new market structure.
Source

I am not quite sure how to feel about this. This is a 100-year-old market, that is a century's worth of history. I would rather the place was upgraded, not demolished. At least have some remnant of its history. Take photographs to put in a museum or something to preserve this history. Demolishing the market is just too much.

Also, will the former occupants be able to afford this "ultra-modern market". That market was their livelihood and would that be affected by this demolition? Also, how can people protest for several weeks (more than two) if they were given a two-weeks notice to vacate. That means, this has been brewing for a while.

Look Lagos and Fashola and co, people like you. People defend every single thing you do, even this one. You have overstepped in others (Traffic law, abandoning pregnant woman law, beautification law) but this takes the cake. I used to live across from Mushin market and that place was significant. I just really hope these people know what they are doing.

dem dey vex

For those who dey vex say Rick Ross no need visit Naija or shoot the video in the 'bad' places:

1. Get over yourself

2. You are not that special, calm your tits

3. He didn't have to go to Naija to shoot his video? Then, Naija artists don't have to go abroad to shoot their videos. Abeg, park well: Wizkid, Psquare--who did that Onyinye video with Rick Ross

4. Blame the leaders not Rick Ross. Blame your local govt chairman, your representatives, your senators, your governors and your president, in that specific order.

5. This is how most Nigerians live, open your eyes and go learn. Take a bus, abi na taxi or have your driver drive you, to Obalende or Mushin-Olosha.

6. As per "it makes us look like uncivilized savages and villagers"--> and there is evidence to prove otherwise? We have looters: Ibori, Alamieyeseigha (in drag or not), Farouk Lawan (with the audio); pedophiles sitting Senator Ahmed Yerima; murderers and folks who can't respect human decency Bishop David Oyedepo's winch-slapping, and the sponsors of the anti-gay bill.

7. He was not exploiting anything, he showed how people lived

8. "The lyrics and/or video portray ignorance" Neither does. You actually have to live in Naija to know that the lyrics and the video do not portray ignorance. Just show it to someone living in the slums sef.

9. With respect to "giving the whole world the wrong impression about Nigeria and Africa" --> oh please, was he lying? What impression do you think the world has of Naija anyway? An anti-gay haven for pedophiles, the land of jungle justice or an ineffective nation that must endure the bombings of Boko Haram.

10. You want people to see the rich parts yet there are more people starving.

11. Abeg, the Nigerians who know the truth are not outraged by this. They are glad this part of Naija is shown.

12. If it hurts that much, it's the truth. Change it.

you took the words outta my mouth

Can't Hold Me Back Video

I found this commentary by By Tosin Adeda on notjustok very interesting. His arguments are quite strong…
“…That aside, I have some questions for those who feel insulted by the video being shot in the slums. Are the visuals of the video that of Nigeria or not? Is Nigeria a developed country? What does the average Nigerian worth? How much does the average Nigerian spend in a day? Is Nigeria a paradise for majority of Nigerians? Those people in the slums, are they lesser Nigerians than you are? Are you really offended because u feel bad for them or because of your own ego? Do you care about those particular set of people? Why do you have a problem with the whole world seeing how majority of Nigerians live? . . Answer those questions in your minds, they are rhetorical. …. Do you know the joy and happiness those people in the slums felt? Do you know what is means to be rejected by the govt of your own country, and left to live in permanent misery and poverty? Only to be remembered by a foreigner, who went ahead to shoot a video so that the we all can see their plight. Y’all should be ashamed of yourselves, for feeling offended over the joy of Nigerians who got remembered for once in a very long while…”

Anti - stereotype September 24, 2012 at 2:03 PM

We know, no society is perfect, and every corner of the world you go to, you will find the good, the bad, the broken and the ugly. The problem with Nigeria is, and I’m sorry to say, the good represents a very very small minority. Chimamanda that you mention, was raised in a middle class home, so technically, she wasnt exposed, or she was shielded, if i can say that to the world that Rick Ross potrayed. it just really sickens me, when people from the middle class, go gung ho on issues of Nigeria’s image. Go to the slums, and ask them what they feel about their condition. It is easy to sit down in the comfort of our homes, and discuss stereotypes. These bad images are not just fictitious pictures. This is exactly how these people live, this is their reality, and why should it be swept under the carpet, all in the name of we dont want to be stereotyped. Come off it. You go tell people suffering, that sorry o, we dont want to potray the hell you live in, because it will affect the image of Nigeria. Wetin concern the little boy living in a gutter about the image of Nigeria. How do we fight for these people, how do we protect and defend the helpless, and down trodden. Who is going to do it? The middle class has carefully bonded with the rich over time, because they want to belong, and feel like they too have a class, forgetting that, push comes to shove, the rich bond together and leave you the middle class standing in the dust. It is evident all over the world now, despite the recession, with the middle class shrinking, and people losing their jobs and homes, the rich has gotten richer in this recession. The poor people middle class people used to look their nose down on, they r now at the same level. He that is dwon needs no fear no fall, so please dont come here with your write up, and talk about stereotypes. What do you, or chimamanda herself know about suffering. What gives you the right to feel outraged, or affronted, that someone recorded the truth as it is. Only the rich and the middle class are concerned about image, that is the truth. The poor man on the street doesnt give a damn, and when we all give a damn about the real issues, forgetting stereotypes, image or what some ignorant foreginer (who has never suffered in his life because his country works) thinks, then things will change, and that image we r so worried about will change, because people wont help but notice

a single story abi?

The truth, they say, is hard to bear.

I guess several blogs have brainwashed people into thinking Naija is all roses. Look, Naija is a mess. I love that country, I will always do, but you gotta be honest. The country is a mess. BN shows us weddings and fancy photos and it grants us a small time away from the mess, but it’s still a mess. I like these videos. They tell the truth about our country, the same way Fela, Sound Sultan, Eedris Abdulkareem, Trybesmen, Kush, and others have been saying. These artists have sang these songs and made these videos but somehow it has not gotten through. No one wants to do anything about it, or no one knows what to do about it. You have a government (Fashola, I’m looking at you) whose head is so far up its ass it doesn't know what to do with itself.

I was born in Mushin. I lived in Mushin. I have been to Ajegunle. I have been fortunate not to experience poverty but I do know it exists. These scenes exist. If you have such a big problem with foreigners telling your stories for you, tell them yourself. I am tired of hearing only party songs and seeing videos that show such a tiny populace of Nigeria. I am tired of pedophiles (Senator Ahmad Sani Yerima) who get to abuse children and not enough noise is made. But when there’s a party or some mediocre musician does something, it makes front news. I want Nigerians to care more. I don’t listen to Rick Ross but this video is familiar to me because I have seen it in Lagos. I applaud Rick Ross for this video, it is different from what Naija artists make nowadays; it is authentic. I see the video as a real part of Naija, the part no one wants to acknowledge or talk about or even fix.

I disagree about the video being a single story. Ross showed what he saw on his way to the concert, which took place at Victoria Island. The thing is that he showed both sides of Naija, the ‘bad’ part and the good part and the ‘bad’ part dominated the video. The slums dominated the video because there are more slums than there are non-slums in Naija, and that is the uncomfortable truth. This was not a single story. He did not go under the bridges, and let’s not kid ourselves into believing people don’t live there or have families there.

This video is the gritty Naija I have not seen any contemporary Naija artist do, save for Tha Suspect's Twale. Naija has more 'bad parts' than good parts. The video was and is the truth and if folks are upset then it is DEFINITELY the truth. People want to hide the fact that there are more poor people than rich in Naija. Nigerians need to wake up.

This video:
- is daily life for majority of nigerians
- depicts the life of many nigerians
- is the most humane video I've seen of Naija, BBC's Welcome to Lagos was 'worse'
- shows a truth many Naija artists nowadays ignore
- is shockingly realistic
- is an uncomfortable truth

But let’s not stop there. If we are to prevent this single story phenomenon, let’s call out our own artists when they make videos only in the good parts of Naija because that is also a single story. Let’s call out Psquare, Wizkid, DBanj and whomever else when they show the club scenes with the Brazilian hair and summer collections wears because that is also a single story. Let’s call out our filmmakers when they make movies about places majority of nigerians will never go, unless to hawk goods because that is a single story. Let’s call our own people out when they do the same thing and not just harp on the foreigners who show us what our house is truly like. We should also not accept single stories because they paint Naija in a good light.

How about we actually take a stand against what is shown rather than take a stand against the messenger.

Fortunately, youtube has both the ‘good parts of Africa/Naija’ and the ‘bad parts of Africa/Naija’. If anyone believes this video shows all of nigeria or that nigerians live on trees can go do their own research. Whomever finds the video stereotypical can wallow in ignorance or do research: google is their friend, Tumblr and Youtube can join in.

Rick Ross - Hold Me Back Analysis

Rick Ross was invited to Naija for the Summer Jam fest which took place at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos because apparently nigerians not only do summer, they have winter and fall sef. While in Naija, he made an alternate video to his song "Hold Me Back". Keep in mind that there is a US version of the song already and BET banned it. That's just the saddest thing ever, it's a black video about black people and it's getting banned on a black network...Jim Crow much?

Back to the Naija version, Rick Ross gave Nigerians a history lesson. That has not been done, and I stand by this statement, since Fela and since Sound Sultan's GenGen. I have not seen or heard a Naija artist, music video, public service announcement or film that references, much less talk about, Biafra. He gave a history lesson on Biafra, our very own civil war which is not taught in schools mind you, and we see General Gowon.
Sidenote: He is so polished and sounds supremely official. You just cannot compare that air of authority to any Naija politician of today, and he did not need big grammar.

The video goes on to show how people live in Nigeria. You see the taxi drivers, the market seller, the okada riders, the police with the AK-47 (I cannot defend that), the police officer directing traffic, the child hawkers, the film seller, the gala seller, the touts/area boys, the crowded city, religion (which is front and center in Naija), beggars and the piles of refuse.

"These niggas wanna hold me back/These hoes wanna hold me back" refers to the nigerian people and who or what they protest (when they get their courage back) such as the government, poverty, lack of jobs, lack of security, corrupt politicians, corrupt cops, sex-for-grades teachers, etc.

The woman at 1:13 stirring the boiling pot of water with her bare hands, chai!

There is a play or demonstration or skit of what I believe are militants. They are celebrating their culture with dancing while defending what is theirs--the black gold aka oil.

While on the yacht, you see a sad, perhaps hungry kid. The contrast between wealth and poverty, and especially their close proximity in Naija is apalling.

There is a scene where someone on a boat or yacht gives some kids money and they wade in water to get it. Guess what? This is what happens not just in Naija but everywhere around the world. Give me money and see whether I no go take am.

Now this video is told as a narrative. Rick Ross is going to a concert in Lagos (the one he was invited to, meaning people paid and donned Gucci and Brazilian weave for it) and on his way there he captures this scenes of Naija. Ross walked through the slums on his own feet and he makes his way out of the slums (probably after shuffering and shmiling in go-slow) and arrives at the concert, the one majority of Nigerians cannot afford. Which begs a crucial question: nigerians how can you ignore, neglect and abandon your fellow nigerians who are in poverty and pay an exorbitant amount to import a foreign artist for a 'Summer Jam'? Shey na rice una tink say una dey import?

In all the images of the slums, the people's faces are not monotonous. Their faces are of hope, excitement, disinterest, anger and indifference. They are living their lives, they're human.

The video ends with football, a source of pride for Nigerians especially with the late Rashidi Yekini's goal during the 1994 Summer Olympics in the US. There is another poignant scene with the Nigerian flag and a group of men surrounding the flag. This is still in the slums and there is one man in particular who is pointing at the flag as if to say, "this is our Naija".

Fabricate 'bout your fortune, all my fabric's imported

Prosecutor Princess

from seobyunlover @ Livejournal

I had begun this kdrama a while back but I never finished it. My resolve the previous summer is to finish dramas I had begun.

This kdrama is awesome. The characters are deliciously complex, the score was beautiful, the cinematography was amazing, and save for the fans swooning for the male lead whom I didn't consider all that, I loved it. Every single character is written and portrayed like a real person, there is no typecast which makes me happy.

The prosecutor princess finds a shocking truth about her father and her curiosity gets the better of her. There are none of the kdrama cliches here, everything flows so seamlessly. Her character is faced with serious betrayal. The man she fell for was only using her to get his revenge. The man she had trusted all her life lied to her. Her character goes through so much but the essence of her character is not lost. She wants to know the truth and she does not let her love for her father or this new guy colour that.

The father in this drama would have to be my favorite character. Never have I seen any television program, Asian or otherwise, delve into a father's love for his daughter. She is his only child but the moment where he is faced with the truth, his concern goes to his daughter. He made some mistakes, he admits that, but his concern remains with his daughter. I have never seen an actor portray such a character in such an amazing way. It was simply beautiful.

The mother is so much like her daughter and I thank the writers and directors for keeping that similarity. The mother has to deal with this side of her husband she knew nothing about but she is not leaving him. She realizes her daughter's happiness, perhaps true happiness for the first time, but she maintains that "family comes first."

The guy is a seriously focused character. His father died in prison, sentenced for a crime he did not commit, and his mother died in a car accident while they were living in America. His life is sad but he is consumed by revenge. So consumed that he did not realize that the people he were after were people. He ends up falling for the prosecutor princess and revealing the truth about what happened that night. His character was the saddest of all, not because he lost his family, but because he could not forgive. He spent fifteen years pursuing revenge only to be left with an empty feeling.

The other members of the cast were funny as well from the head prosecutor to other members of the team. The Prosecutor Princess was a princess, her attire was far too flamboyant for a prosecutor and she received the customary slack for this. But I liked the work relation between her and her peers.

I especially loved the stylist for the show, especially the shoes. I love shoes, every single kind from sneakers to heels to sandals to boots. I like walking around barefoot but I love the feeling of shoes on my feet. And the shoes in this drama were spectacular. And back to the drama, it is different. Nothing is predictable and I love that. The characters are far from ordinary, the writing is lovely, the chemistry is like a hydrogen bond, there was no good guy/bad guy, it was complex and yet so simple. I loved it, I did.

Kamsahmnida.

Jin

The medical field and the legal field are two fascinating fields for me. I do not know which to choose and I am quite content with playing around academically, taking varied courses of course.

When I read that Jin was about a present-day doctor going back in the past to the Joseon era, I was seriously interested. I wish I could see something like this in Naija films, even US sef. I learned that there was a Japanese version, and I plan to watch that soon. So, I delved into Dr. Jin.

After being exposed to ER, House, Scrubs and Grey's Anatomy, I am familiar with fictional medical shows, particularly the makeup for the blood and gore. I was not grossed out by the surgery in Jin, although it seemed like everyone needed some form of brain surgery, and neither was I too impressed. It did not look real but the actors were believable and I could let the unimpressive makeup go. Besides, I was watching the drama to see what how he would get his tools and how he would make medicine.

Soju, a strong liquor, made for a good disinfectant, which is scary considering the heavy drinking culture in South Korea. Jin was able to work with a blacksmith to create tools and it was impressive to see materials made for scenes. 

But...the characters. Dear goodness the characters. 

Jin went back in time and met guy and girl. Girl looks like his current girlfriend, who is in the hospital following an accident, and guy would be the father of the next king. Jin is drawn to the girl because he feels he should protect this obvious ancestor of his girlfriend's. Girl is basically betrothed to this guy, her brother's best friend/brother, who cannot tell that she's just not into him. He pines and pines while being the bastard son of his family. Everyone makes a point to call him the bastard son, it's like his first name. Together they deal with politics and corruption all to protect their nation.

One female would not stop crying. It was a running joke among viki commentators that it was in her contract to cry every 5 minutes. As an actress Park Min Young is solid. She is a good actress but I fear she is being typecast. She was in City Hunter and she annoyed me in that role as well. Now City Hunter did not rely too much on the "love rhombus" (stolen from a viki commentator, thanks :D) between Park Min Young and Lee Minho's characters, but her character was known for getting in the way of the action scenes. It was embarrassing to watch as a female, and it is why I absolutely love Girl K, absolutely, hands down, forever will...even if Han Groo (and I still know her name without google) decides to play some stereotypical female roles. She was a BAMF (Bad-Ass-Mother-Fucker) and it was oh so refreshing to see. In Jin, Park Min Young was not entirely annoying, no that position was held by the main character, Jin. He had the most hilarious fainting spells, and he does not listen. He also feels that it is his responsibility to protect Girl. He saves her brother's life by operating on him and she's intrigued by the idea of being a doctor. She wanted to be a doctor and she achieved that. She makes her own decisions but the men, rather man, in her life just cannot stand that she will not listen to him because....drumroll...she may die. Yes, her character was just oh darn special that she had to live under his thumb or face the natural life cycle of death.

The gisaeng, Choon Hong played by Lee So Yeong, was fabulous. Gisaengs are female entertainers and they were privy to everything that went on especially on the political scale. Now she tells Jin to not go about changing history. Guess what he does? Invent penicillin and calls it...penicillin. Sorry Fleming, South Korea got it first sahn. Let's just apply some logic in this. I know, I know, there is no logic in kdramaland, same as no side vision or cell phones when your loved one runs away. Penicillin was a BAMF, it cured everything. Until some microorganisms started getting resistant and then it proved fruitless. Now penicillin was made decades after Jin supposedly made his and everyone wanted a piece. In addition to robbing Fleming of his achievement, sorry Alex, he singlehandedly sped up the resistance of microorganisms to penicillin. That is bad. That is worse than Sena and her boo's plotting in Rooftop prince. That is worse than all the evil mothers in kdramas put together. It means that in the 21st century, MRSA would be the least of our problems. But fortunately there is no logic in kdramaland and the future only has a few cases of penicillin-resistant microorganisms. 

And the operating rooms...I was hoping for a greater emphasis on cleanliness. I am surprised no surgery got infected with the amount of wading in and out and constant interruptions "touch him/her and I will kill you". Speaking of threats, so many folks were offering their lives to the Queen Dowager (oldest woman in the royal family) to prove their loyalty. You have no idea how many times I shouted at the poor woman to do it. Come on, off with his head, you know you want to say it. 

from Linda Ikeji's blog

This is the story

Best response: http://lindaikeji.blogspot.com/2012/09/dear-lib-readers-i-need-your-advice.html

That some people found this story cute is highly disturbing. Maybe this is the 14.1 percent of Lagosians that suffer some form of mental illness or other. The man took advantage of a woman and that is adorable? that is sweet? And of course, there just had to be that Naija male possessiveness there, that she belongs to him. Oh dear me. Of course she belongs to you. Because you are a male, a Nigerian male at that, she should succumb to your powers of persuasion and her refusal warrants her beheading. 

Mr Dauda (aka NACKSON)
let the lady go. In the first case, you didn't realise, while you took advantage of her desperation,that she probably had a descent boy friend, who decided not to deflower her all these years before you showed up. You don't know if she still values her relationship, in-fact you know nothing about her. The truth is the feeling you have is not love, it is POWER. You just discovered that if you have money, in Nigeria, you can take advantage of the vulnerable; this is what has been happening in Nigeria from the beginning of time, so don't try to be self righteous. 
All you want is another piece of the pie, until you get tired and then go for another pie. Let her go and promise your self not not to take advantage of another woman again! 
On the other hand, if you choose to be very stupid, you will go after her, she will date you- you might even decide to marry her. Then later on in life, after a loveless marriage, you will realise you never loved her, and she only wanted financial security. 
On the other hand, she might even never forget, and in time, gradually make your life a living hell. YES she is a matured adult, but if given a choice of not losing her job, she would have gone against her principle by allowing person she never knew sleep with her. Welcome to the world of CASANOVAS, I really hope you wouldn't graduate to start sleeping with married women.
Finally, You claim to be 28, and yet you behave like a child who doesn't have a mind of his own. you claim to be a DMD, but I reckon you can't even make good corporate decisions your self; instead you value the opinions of you friends more than even your conviction or principle. You are giving me the impression that if told to rape a woman by your pears, you would do it without asking to save face- please have a mind of your own, and don't use this forum to air your disgustingly dirty laundry.

Its men like you who ruin the lives of girls. Men like You Mr Man. As old as you are? you still get peer pressured by your mates? As old and wealthy as you are, you cant make decisions with you 'Deputy CEO'd' brain? Please allow the innocent girl. Allow her go please, drown yourself in guilt. Ensure your friends pick out a girlfriend for you okay? because if they don't, you will end up lonely without friends and you wouldn't be seen as a Lagos big boy anymore. Okay? and that will lead to you becoming poor right? right! you don't want that do you? And also, randomly walk into banks, who knows? you may find another marketer who in a bid to reach their monthly target would be willing to sell off their most treasured asset. That way, you can brag to your group of 'Big Boys'. You would like that wouldn't you? As geek as you claim, your 28 year old brain cant tell you wrong from right. Men like you disgust me.

Nigerians sha

I am Nigerian
I watch Asian dramas (2019 update: mainly Korean dramas)
I watch Naija movies and I used to watch soap operas while in Nigeria. 

I was born in Mushin, on Onanuga Street
Then we moved to Kelani Street, still in Mushin
I lived opposite Mushin Olosha market.

I have seen a burnt body in the street 
A policemen once directed traffic, allowing my mum and me to cross the busy street.

The Nigeria I know is not glamorous. It is busy and bustling. It is not pretty but it is real and gritty and genuine. I know that blogs like Bella Naija offer a more glamorous view of Nigeria but it hurts me. I liken it to a feeling of whitewashing. There is poverty in Nigeria. When a foreign body provides a statistic like "Nigerians living in poverty rises to nearly 61%" Nigerians are quick to say it's a foreign body, it's all to tarnish the name of the country. Anyway, Nigeria's own National Bureau of Statistics says 112.519 million Nigerians live in relative poverty conditions.

Apart from the relative poverty index, other poverty measurement standards are absolute measure, which puts the country’s poverty rate at 99.284 million or 60.9 per cent; the dollar per day measure, which puts the poverty rate at 61.2 per cent; and the subjective poverty measure, which puts the poverty level at 93.9 per cent.

Naija's own artists have tackled this problem: 

Fela Anikulapo Kuti - Every Single DAMN Song 

Nneka - Every single song

Eedris Abdulkareem - Jagajaga, Naija My Country

Sound Sultan - Mathematics/Jagbajantis, Gengen, Craze World

Trybesmen - Plenty Nonsense 

Kush - Let's live together

Onyeka Onwenu - Peace Song, One Love

Daddy Showkey - Fire

Femi Kuti

Lagbaja - Gra Gra, Suuru Lere

Kandy Sea - No One Knows Tomorrow 

Maintain - Alo, Efon

MI - Crowd Mentality

Now Rick Ross tackled it and I love it. See this is the Nigeria I grew up in. I saw these things all the time, the pile of refuse, the stench of the refuse. The smell of a burnt rubber stays with me today. I saw people like these all the time. I saw hawkers and little children and beggars. I lived around poor people. I was fortunate to have parents who made sure we had a roof over our heads and food every single night. We lived in a face-me-I-face-you, then a bungalow and now I think they are in a house. My point is this was my reality, my Lagos and my Nigeria. So yes it hurts me when Bella Naija try to erase these things with their haute couture and African designers including Summer and Spring in their collection. 

I understand that people do not want to hear sad news all the time. I get that. The artists above also made light-hearted music, in fact the songs above have an appealing beat without the message drowning you in sorrow. I am tired of Nigerian artists ignoring where they came from. I am tired of the awards celebrating the same mediocre people, and yes P-Square and D'Banj and Wizkid count as mediocre. So yes, I like Fazebook Babes because it shows Nigerians as they are, quick to ignore their own problems while chasing some societal status. I am tired of the issue of poverty not being discussed enough. I am tired of a mediocre government who sacks the few doctors it has, cuts off the livelihood of okada riders, passes ridiculous traffic laws, and fines owners/renters N250,000 or a six-month imprisonment for failure to beautify their properties

But condemnation for the law came from all quarters. More worrisome is that violation of the laws attracts between N30,000 and N50,000 fines or imprisonment up to three years. The motorcycle riders stated that the law would prevent them from plying about 475 routes in the state, a factor they said would seriously affect their income. Such was the discountenance of the motorcycle riders to the traffic law that they instituted a case against its implementation.
Even motorists described the law as extortive and unworkable. The law forbids them to make phone calls, eat, count money or engage in “other dangerous activities,” while on the wheel. As for pedestrians, they are forbidden to cross the expressways.

It seems Nigerians, Lagosians in particular, love dressing up messes. Rather than sweep the dirt and clean the grime, they adorn it with fancy clothes and spray the stench with perfume. It sickens me when Lagos is hailed as some great state when it is far from where it should be. Perhaps we need more Rick Ross showing us just what is wrong with us. We never do listen when our own say it. Or Fashola can simply imprison people for disobeying an ill-advised law.

Eedris Abdulkareem "Baba"

I'm surprised at how people are translating this. "Baba" is not a jab at Obasanjo. Rather it is a jab at the leaders of Naija and the state of the country. It calls out the leaders of Naija for failing to do their job. And it speaks back to them when they try to silence his criticism: "I call you jagajaga and you curse me". "Baba" is reminiscent of "Naija my country". The message is that he loves Nigeria but why oh why are things still the same 10 years later.

 I applaud Eedris for what he does. He serves as a voice for the streets and you don't have a lot of that anymore. Asa, Nneka, Sound Sultan and MI still do that but Eedris can relate to the people. He has tackled corruption and failing the people (Jajajaja), leaving Nigeria for "better shores" (Come Back Home), and sexual harassment (Mr. Lecturer). The four dabble in societal issues and I must applaud Omawumi for addressing sexual harassment (Na Who I Go Ask). He does not make club bangers, his songs have depth and meaning to them.  His songs have a societal message and he's passionate about that. PSquare and DBanj make club bangers and they do that well. I like all 3 but there is music and there's music. DBanj is doing well for himself and so is PSquare but I won't say they are opening any doors. The doors were already opened by Fela, Trybesmen, Eedris and several other whose names I can't remember for the life of me.

Eedris is angry the same way Nigerians are angry, and I think he has a healthy avenue for his anger and his frustrations, and his music does that beautifully. Eedris is talking about what he had to go through and it was rough. Based on the part about 50-cent, he had to endure the same thing many Nigerians endure abroad, but he endured that at home opposite a foreign artist. He, among other artists, paved the way for today's artists and he doesn't want the title of an "artiste" dragged in the mud. Eedris is talking about what all Nigerians talk about on the blogs and forums. This time he's targeting the artistes who should be for the people who are instead for the politicians, or so the people. Now Eedris is angry because according to him, DBanj is tarnishing the name of an artiste and he is rightly upset.  He is also upset at the politicians who are not doing what they should be doing. This is what Sound Sultan used to do, except he did not talk about it, he only sang about it. These videos sound like a documentary but the way the clips are edited sans questions and background information doesn't help.

Eedris actually gives DBanj a very good piece of advice, "make your money wisely". He's not hating, he just wants them to be true to where they came from. A lot of people were upset and rightly so when the ad for Goodluck came out and when the subsidy protests happened earlier in the year. Artistes, especially those who claim to be students of Fela, have always been critical of government officials. So for DBanj to do an ad for Goodluck is contrary to what Fela would have done. I like DBanj but him claiming to be a student of Fela was a no-no. It's something else to be inspired by his music or use his beats but DBanj is no student of Fela. Folks lambasted a lot of artistes who did not speak out during the subsidy protests, and I remember the Sahara intervew (bless that woman's strength to endure his silliness) and that's what Eedris is doing here. Now I have one question as to when this interview was done and why it was uploaded a week ago. I  think this interview was done around the time of the subsidy protest but why is it uploaded now?

Something good

I love mathematics especially when used in algorithms.

See, I knew that I could not be the only Nigerian who enjoyed Korean dramas (kdramas). I'm not THAT special. So I turned to google, whose tab-icon I do not find particularly appealing. The white g on blue background is just not working for me for some reason.

I was watching an episode of "A Gentleman's Dignity" on Viki, one of my favorite sites to watch my Kdramas. Mysoju, ma binu, you were and will forever be my first--actually Crunchyroll was but you still hold a place in my heart. I do not remember the episode but in the comments, someone had posted that the female's lead "wahala" was too much and out came the love. The Nigerians recognized that pidgin word and the other Africans also picked up on it. It was such a beautiful moment for Nigerians to claim one another even though the comments were not in real-time. From the Nigerians came the other Africans, next came the Islanders and the other non-Korean nationalities. It was a beautiful moment, so beautiful I had completely missed the gazing into nothingness the characters were portraying, so I rewound.

And today, I found another Nigerian who enjoys kdramas and kpop: Radio Palava. My summer is officially complete. I got over my fear of roller coasters (no be me and you go enter the Intimidator, lai lai), improved my swimming, sent in my DACA application and learned to bake bread. Wetin man fi want XD?

JYJ, an inspiration

I spent the last couple of days getting caught up on kpop, particularly DBSK/TVXQ and JYJ and I have found a new respect for the trio. JYJ is made up of Kim JaeJoong, Micky Yoochun, and Xiah Junsu. There was a lawsuit against their former management company SMEntertainment and the details of that can be heard in their music essay "Untitled"

I have yet to see a musician who has worked as hard as these trio, save for Michael Jackson. Their dedication and perseverance in the face of lawsuits, breaking up, horrible working conditions with mere hours of sleep and sesaeng fans (stalkers) is amazing and endearing. They encourage me not to quit and my life is nowhere as hectic as theirs. I can only go so many days without my nine hours of sleep and even then I am neither a morning person nor a people person. 

I applaud them for daring to do that which no one else has done, confronting the bully that is SM Entertainment. I was in tears while reading the stories, thanks to SeoulBeats, Soompi, and allkpop. I have so much more respect for these guys and that has grown so much after listening to their music and watching their creative talents. Junsu's "Tarantallegra" is marvelously symbolic and just very impressive. 

Now I see the musician, not just the idol. I really do hope they have a psychologist and a physician on retainer. Their body and mind has been through so much more than the average person and I fear for their mental health. I am a Naija babe and I love my Naija acts but those guys are not on this level, not yet--and I don't even understand Korean. That says something. Lagbaja, Nneka, Sound Sultan, Asa and perhaps sometimes MI do give me good music but the video is not so noteworthy. I'm not dissing my Naija musicians, just amp it up a little. 

JYJ is slowly shedding that idol image and moving onto the musician stage. Now if only SM would stop with the bitch moves and cut their losses and move on. It seems they do not realize that the harder they make it for JYJ, the greater their popularity. I am proud of these young men and I wish them successes in the future.

KDrama: Fashion King

From Left to Right: Yoo Ah In, Shin Se Kyung, Lee Je Hoon, Kwon Yu Ri

--KimchiDrama

I actually liked this drama, I really did mainly because I could relate to the characters in a way--all of them. This was not a drama about love, but about a passion for fashion and success. And I welcomed that. It was also a fairly realistic drama, one of the most realistic KDramas I have ever seen. It shows people exactly how they are.We do not want to change. The actors were great. That I must say. The drama started out okay, it was crazy in all sense of the word, but I had hoped for it. Then the writing seemed to take a turn for the worse. There were a lot of loose ends and it was as if the writers were not paying attention to the characters they created. The beginning was crazy, "Rolex" will forever hold a different meaning for me, but the ending was something else. 

Young Gul played by Yoo Ah In 
He worked hard to get where he was. His mother abandoned him, his dad dropped out of the picture, his sister fell ill and died due to lack of money. His story is sad but he builds a clothing business and makes a name for himself. He meets a former childhood mate, Ga Young, (not "friend" as they had only met once/twice) and he aggressively pursues success. There is the antagonist Jae Hyuk who really cannot stand Young Gul and does everything to make this life hell. Young Gul becomes immensely successful but he was consumed by revenge. His character is something out of a Shakespeare play. His character is the "revenge is the ultimate downfall" or "money is the root of all evil." 

Lee Ga Young played by Shin Se Kyung 
There is no character development on her part, at all. Not once. She remains the same pushover. Even Iago's wife in Othello had some spunk compared to her. Now she is an orphan. Her parents died in a car accident and her mother's business partner makes her her live-in slave. This character is weak because her circumstance has made her weak. For me, this is the first KDrama character where the writers actually go into why she is weak and I can relate to her. But she remains weak. She meets Young Gul who is her savior; he gives her a home and allows her to design to her heart's content. Then she meets Jae Hyuk and while she clearly states that she loves Young Gul, she finds herself with Jae Hyuk. The former provides security and stability, the latter provides a rare opportunity to grow and develop her talents. It is the classic "eat your cake and have it too." 

Jae Hyuk played by Lee Je Hoon 
This guy wants what he cannot have, simple. This is why I did not like his character. He is a spoiled kid, who is in need of a serious therapist. His father hits him, with available objects, and his mother dotes on him too much while remaining oblivious to his suffering. He in turn abuses others, from his secretary to his ex-girlfriend/current girlfriend, to Young Gul and to Ga Young. For some reason, viewers loved this guy. Yet, he is the one who leaves his current girlfriend Anna, whom he had to woo back, in order to pursue another girl in another country, on another continent. He cannot stand up to his dad, or protect his then-girlfriend from his parents yet he wants to bring in a spineless girl. His character is sad and pathetic, but his money and status clouds all that. I label him "things are not at they seem." 

Anna played by Kwon Yu Ri 
This character leaves her work in the US for a job in Korea because her former boyfriend promises to do better. Now she loves him and while his parents gave her hell before, she decides to brace it. But his eyes are on Ga Young and he reneges on his promise to be there for her. Granted she is not as good a designer as Ga Young, she is a good businesswoman. With no comfort from Jae Hyuk, she seeks a friend in Young Gul. Young Gul likes her but she refused him, so they become drinking buddies. She is jealous of Ga Young and she wants her boyfriend to be monogamous. Eventually she breaks up with Jae Hyuk and moves into Young Gul's company where she is better utilized. Her character is strong but she struggles to find where she belongs. She does not belong in Jae Hyuk's world anymore and he hurt her, and she keeps looking for someone to accept her and love her. I label her "trying to find oneself." 

The drama does something so well that I rarely see in dramas or tv shows except on the Cable networks: SHOWTIME, Starz, HBO, etc. The characters are complex and the villains are also complex. There is absolutely no typecast here. The actors did a terrific job portraying these characters.Young Gul seems like the good guy but he also strays when he makes money. The writers explain why he does not open himself to others easily--his upbringing.Ga Young is weak but she does go after what she wants: her life at Young Gul's shop, her work at Jae Hyuk's company, and both guys breaking their necks for her. The writer also explains why she is so weak and indecisive. She was an orphan at a young age and she was practically a slave to the "weird bangs lady."Jae Hyuk is crazy because he is constantly being beaten by his father and he cannot separate his emotions from business. Anna is the way she is because she did not have a normal family; and apparently none of the characters did, and her hubby hurt her--badly.

The ending was not well thought out, although I believe the writer/director were aiming for a Shakespearan tragedy. But they missed the mark. Young Gul is in financial trouble and he leaves Korea for New York, USA. He leaves his girlfriend, Ga Young, behind. Time passes and he sends her a letter and ticket for New York, Jae Hyuk (the guy who does not understand the word NO) intercepts the message and brings the girl to New York. Ga Young things Young Gul abandoned her (this character has serious and realistic abandonment issues) and sticks with Jae Hyuk. It is inferred that the two are together. Life does not give pretty endings but it would have been fitting for both Ga Young and Young Gul to be together. It just would have. 

And I think this drama goes the easy route: the rich kid gets his way and wins the girl. Young Gul has been consistent in saying no to Jae Hyuk and saying yes to Young Gul but now she switches? That did not make sense. Their relationship was as clear as day. Oh and Young Gul somehow manages to call her and they did not talk it out. Instead, he gets shot by some random guy while on the phone with her but she does not hear the gunshot. The ending was bizarre and odd and just way out on left field. The writers and directors did not employ the KDrama cliches here, and I appreciated that, but they used it in the end which was pointless. Why have the guts to go a different path only to go back to it. I like the cliches though, especially when it is interpreted differently, but it was refreshing to not see a lot of them in this drama. However, the ending seemed to satisfy the viewers who wanted the rich kid with the poor girl. I would have wanted to see a more realistic ending: Jae Hyuk in therapy, Young Gul and Ga Young starting over in New York, far away from crazy Jae Hyuk, and Anna standing on her own. I'll chalk this up to a slightly bad Shakespeare rendition. Also, the fashion was not that great.

Rooftop Prince: SeNa

--SMTOWN-B2ST-INFINITE SUBS

I watched Rooftop Prince at about the same time I watched Fashion King. I preferred Fashion King over Rooftop Prince, even with its crazy ending. 

Unlike most of the viewers, I thought Sena with how evil she was, was the saddest character. She was as sad as Jae Hyuk in Fashion King, and thankfully both characters were just as complex (Jae Hyuk wins in complexity). The saddest part for me was when Sena's real mum meets her adoptive mum (her aunt) and the adoptive mum made her favorite dishes and the floodgates open when she burned herself trying to carry a hot pot. That moment hit a nerve because it was absolutely realistic. Sena never really liked her "mum" and she was not a caring daughter. Yet her "mum" gave her everything a mum could--Sena's foods cooked in that picky manner, and as much love as a mum could give. Sena did not return the favor but the "mum" was her mum.

Sena played by Jung Yoo Mi

"mum" played by Song Ok Sook

Biological mum played by Na Young Hee

From Left to Right: Choi Woo Shik, Jung Suk Won, Lee Min Ho

KDRAMA SUMMER VIEWING CHALLENGE

I love villainous characters and Fashion King, so far, is the only one to give me a good one. I do not like typecast roles, they are simple and boring. My favorite characters would have to be the "Power Rangers," the King's 3 men,  and the antagonist SeNa. The Power Rangers are hilarious and adorable while SeNa is just beautiful to watch, her acting is just amazing.

Green Ranger (the smart one) played by Lee Min Ho

Yellow Ranger (the adorable one) played by Choi Woo Shik

Blue Ranger (the bodyguard) played by Jung Suk Won

King played by Micky Yoochun

I do not pay attention to main characters unless they stand out, exceptions: Hyun Bin, Kim Sung Ah, Lee Seung Ki among others. The main characters in this drama are actually pretty good but the "loveness" of it all is just not my cup of tea. I do have to say that Micky Yoochun did exceptionally well here.

I like Sena because she was such a bad character (in the literal meaning and the Michael Jackson meaning) and played by a really good actress. I wanted a reason behind why she hated her sister but the writers/directors never gave one. Something must have spurred that hate. In the past it was because her family put her aside for the Crown Princess (which does serious damage to a kid's psyche). But in the present, there is nothing concrete. Other than her real mother abandoning her with her aunt, which could explain why she was never close to her adoptive mother.

What I really really really loved about this drama is that for once, the characters had common sense--the main male lead that is. The King, along with his Power Rangers, had to solve a mystery and they were pretty smart. It is pretty rare to find a drama where the lead characters apply real life common sense so that was refreshing to watch. Also, this drama did the time travel bit excellently. I watched Secret Garden and the body switching was so underplayed and underutilized but in this one, the writers got it oh-so-right.

The drama was definitely about love but I liked the mystery aspect of it as well. Oh and the power rangers and the food---KDrama and food is something else. And those rangers were absolutely darling.

DBSK-TVXQ-JYJ

I applaud celebrities. I love my privacy and for them to be so open to put themselves on such a platform is scary to me. I am a fan of korean pop and korean drama. I used to watch this channel called Arirang and I was introduced to DBSK/TVXQ, Shinee, FT Island, Shinee, Super Junior, SNSD, Girls Generation, etc.

Now DBSK/TVXQ was and is my first Korean boy band, actually they are all full grown men now. But they were my first. They began in South Korea, and Wikipedia help me out here:

TVXQ, an acronym for Tong Vfang Xien Qi, is a South Korean pop group formed in 2003 under SM Entertainment. In South Korea they are known as Dong Bang Shin Ki often abbreviated as DBSK; and in Japan as Tohoshinki. Their name translates to "The Rising Gods of the East".

U-Know Yunho

Max Changmin

Hero JaeJoong

Micky Yoochun

Xiah Junsu

Credit: LiveJournal users: mytsubasa, ibleedyunho, YONGYONG

Now this group is amazing. Their first video I saw was Mirotic and this was when I missed artists who actually danced, not gyrated. So they filled that niche beautifully and I have loved them (and the kpop that followed) since. The language is beautiful, I'm learning a few words here and there, their dancing is amazing to watch, the choreography is awesome and the video and the concept is stunning. This is what I want from my Naija stars but no, they're all autotuned-I-got-money-and-non-Naija-girls.

And those bodies, it's icing on the cake.

They are all so so beautiful, and they are dedicated. They are now venturing into acting and some of them have found quite a niche for it. Yunho was in Heading to the Ground and I would've loved Junsu to make a cameo since he loves soccer (me gusta!). His most recent work, till date, is Poseidon. Changmin was in Paradise Ranch. JaeJoong was in Protect the Boss and Time Slip Dr. Jin. Micky was in Sungkyunkwan Scandal, Miss Ripley and Rooftop Prince. Junsu had a cameo as himself on Scent of a Woman. And when they are not acting, they lend their voices to soundtracks. 

And the point of this is that sniffle my first kpop group, my very first foray into South Korean music and drama sniffle, splitting up. I keep replaying Mirotic and watching in amazement at their chemistry. I keep watching their performances on variety shows and I just cannot come to terms with their disbandment. In all fairness, I do support their move. Apparently, they were under some, Wikipedia and a notice:

The Seoul Central District Court in October 2009 ruled in favor of JYJ affirming their right to independently engage in entertainment activities and granted JYJ's injunction suspending the JYJ-SM contract; its ruling emphatically pointed out it was a "subjugating contract" with terms that are grossly incompatible with Korean labor and contract law.

JaeJoong, Yoochun and Junsu formed JYJ while Yunho and Changmin remained as TVXQ members. I will continue to support all of them because I love them all. They all have talent and I hope to see more of them. I will miss seeing them as one but I want them to continue making good music because they are seriously talented chincha! And if they will keep bringing things like these out:

 

FIGHTING OPPAS!