SAVE IT OR BREAK IT!

The aim of this piece is not to argue the affirmative of agriculture superiority over other fields, no!  Neither is it to blame oil for our economic ruin. It is to bring to the awareness of the individual and society the common cord that bind us. And to also point out that neither is oil a curse nor agriculture crude. Hear me out!
Needless to mention, agriculture is still in its basest form in Nigeria. One would expect that for a discipline that is somewhat the foundation of this country's economic muscle, it would be the primary revenue source, but the reverse is what's seen.

A continuous and consistent decline of development, attention and preference has since be notice. Many blame this on leadership, some believe it is the advent of oil and another group point their finger at the unpreparedness of Nigeria and Nigerians for independence.  1.7%,1.44%and 0.97% were allocated to agriculture in  2013 ,2014, 2015 respectively. you see a sickly decrease in allocation to  agriculture ? This has gone far in cutting down the effectiveness of agricultural research institute. Amount allocated to fertilizer distribution as well as production has also reduced for 2015. The former minister of agriculture  Dr.  Akinwumi adesina has since promised that  agriculture will soon become the mainstay of Nigeria economy . Well, we still await performance.

Various agricultural development programs have been and their failure were almost immediate. The likes of operation feed the nation, green revolution, to mention a few failed almost as fast as the termination of the audacious government that created them.

In Nigeria , there are over 167 million people , 84million hectares of arable land but only less than 10% is cultivated  we are blessed with adequate rainfall rivers and stream we still fight hunger and spend billions on food importation. I think its high time for a break out!

Did you ever watch that blockbuster movie, prison break? Ok, let me tell it. It was about a guy that was falsely accused of murder of the brother to the vice president and he was placed on death row, well he had a younger brother a brilliant structural engineer who believed that his brother Lincoln was innocent. And was determined to break him out.  Now, this is the interesting part! Michael had to go into false river penitentiary to break Lincoln out, and he did!

Crude oil came as a help meet to agriculture. But Nigerians has placed it in the prison of overdependence, behind the bars of greed with political gluttons as warders. It is common to hear nowadays people praying and wishing for the death of oil because of its misuse. Some even call it a curse. Life has been suckled from the veins of oil by punitive rulers with fat straws in both hands. Now oil needs help! Oil needs a brilliant  Michael(Agricultural sector and non-oil sector) to break it out. I heard a man said one time, "oil has been sentenced to death and falsely for that matter. Only agriculture can break it out!". 

I don't subscribe to the argument that oil is at fault. Nigerians have a management problem, not an oil or agriculture problem. One of the major alternatives of every responsible and responsive government should embrace is attention to agriculture and non-oil sector. At a time like, we should all learn to be responsible husbandmen to Nigeria by giving it a vine - agriculture and branches - oil and non-oil sector. As TY Bello rightly sang, "the future is now". Pick your brain and muscles and get to work! 

The future is green; I hope you can see!

pulished in THE AGRICULTURIST MAGAZINE, 2015 edition.

...AND THE CHILD GREW!

When I was much younger, I practically believed everything. OK, maybe not everything, but a lot of funnily crippy stuff. Did you? Well, it's called innocence.

I believed in all darkness had ghost in it. I believed all smiles were real and everybody loved everybody. I believed 'How was your night?' was a harmless question, even though some people prayed some kind of evil befell you while you sleep. I sincerely believed that 'how are you?' genuinely required an answer, until folks turned away almost as quick as they asked. I believed santa claus (father Christmas) actually came from heaven.

Yeah, I believed all that.  

Well, I've grown a bit older and a lot has since changed. My believes too have grown. Apostle Paul said it best, "when I was a child, I behaved like a child. Now that I'm grown, I've put away childish things".

The Bible recorded about Jesus, "...and the child grew!"
I do agree that growth is suppose to be peaceful and fun, but live does not agree.  Innocence has been stolen from most of us. Responsibility has broken some of our backs. A lot of hopes has been dashed. The once beautiful dreams are now nightmares to which we can't seen to wake up from. 

Are you gonna let life win or you will put up a good fight. I'll counsel you take the latter. Life is like Google search engine; type something in, you will always get a hit. There might network itch, result might get modified, you might need to do it again, but you will surely get it right.

A Bishop once preached, "life's not fair, but God is good". Have some faith and just believe.
#GodBeWithYou

AWAKE

Have you ever passed to a brother
The baton of hope amidst gloomy wreck?
Have you ever stuck it out for an elder
Whose bone is as good as sack?
Have you ever responded to a weary crawler
For a second to heal a lack?

Have you ever offered a thing
That both noble and vile didn’t have to pay?
If for one of these pings
You can’t be convicted anyway;
You better wake your heart with a loud ring,
‘Cos you’ve been sleeping for too a long day.

If you’ve ever abounded
Or at one point couldn’t afford a price.
I bet you now understand
The dire need of a saving grace.
So we all can ask with a voice profound
What is life without sacrifice?

MY FRIEND.

So long I stretched forth my hand,
Coldly you tossed it aside.
I’ve tried not to turn my face to the sand
But, different time is set for every man to break inside.

For our friendship, let’s strive to be strong and fond,
And pray love, lest we slide.
So far a journey we’ve managed to come,
Taking for granted the grace that made us friend.

Forgetting the fruit we ate in the hill; the berries and pomes.
Neglecting the swell moments most royals may never find.
My hair’s kinky, wish you were here to help me comb,
Clear my dusty eyes by blowing a soothing wind.

I’m sick of staying away from our friendship
I’m sick of waiting for the right moment.
I wish our callousness a halt.
Old wine is indeed sweeter than all new elements.

I pray love to swallow our faults.
I’ll bless you more often than I lament.


*To all those out there who have felt the blessing of friendship and others who long for it*

NOT BY MUSCLE

I toiled the steep pages of books
But my grade said otherwise
I climbed the highest storey
Yet couldn’t see beyond my nose

I faked a lot of laughs
But could only keep up for so long
I tried to write a symphony
But couldn’t make up the lyrics

I drank the finest of wine
But couldn’t get the taste
I sought wearyingly for answers
But always hit a snag of some kind

So, I fell on my knees
And turned my face to sand
Then I realised,
It is not by muscle
But by GOD.

pulished in REDEEMED CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP EDITORIAL, 2014 edition.

GOD IS ABLE!

I know the world is a pretty though sphere, but not an imoossible one. How did I know? I live here. We have all had our own fair and unfair share of blips and hurdles. Thank God we are still here! Life's sorjourn can be interesting. All we need do is to learn to lean on the one who created it - GOD. This poem says it better.

In dire need of a peace to grab hold?
Want to harness goodwill from this thorny soil of life?
Ever longed that in true love you are enfold?
Is your soul sore tired of earth’s militating strife?

On your next trip to the throne of grace,
Be sure to make bold your request.
It doesn’t help to feel as small as a mouse,
Abba is seated on high to see to end our hefty quest.

Should you faint while waiting on Jehovah?
It helps to lay our doubts on faith’s crucible.
When your heart starts to fail your believe over,
Don’t forget; our GOD is able!

Goodnews is...God is still in the business of laying of weights and and giving rest. Instead of all those grammatically imbedded prayers, why don't  you just say it the way it is? Tell it exactly as it hurts, and God will do what he does best - answer prayers!!
So, as you go out today, don't forget that our God is able!

Happy Sunday!!

ANOTHER MAN

General Buhari and Professor Osibanjo. God bless your term.

Have you met any soldier? I don’t mean it in the soothing figurative sense; I mean the most literal manner! I have! 

They go out every day to fight for the sustenance of our country’s unity and individual peace, even though they might not come back. They are a property of the state. They bleed and sweat so we could sleep, but all they mostly get is mutilation or death.

 I once heard a preacher said, “to appreciate the adults we now see, we must get in touch with the child they once were “. I hope you know that like you, they grew up in our streets! They too played ’ten-ten’, ‘boju-boju’ and monkey-post soccer games. They mischievously maim the nursery school rhymes too. They also sat in those cranky seats in our antiquated classrooms and nurtured a future. Like you, they envisioned a quiet and successful life.  They had plans and hopes...just like us! 

But now, they are soldiers!

Well, unlike you, they no longer need too much use of pen and paper, for they have been replaced with riffles and teargas. Walkie-talkie and pocket knives have since displaced the brightly coloured milkose sweet and speedy biscuits from their pockets. They now dodge bullets on the battlefield, not skip ropes on the playground! They can neither watch the sunset with their beloved nor experience their babies grow. All they carry around are pictures. They’ve lost the right to a civilian court, theirs is a  martial court. The word magazine has a different meaning to them. Yes, they are soldiers!

There was an intense gun-fight between our soldiers and some terrorists in a remote area in Bornu State. I was not there, but another man was there to take and return those bullets.

Folks, today is not the armed force day - do they have one? You might not be fighting, but you can do something for these soldiers. Say a prayer for them, bless their kids, respect their spouses, and give love to their guardians.

I sleep at night knowing that country is defended by another man!

 HAPPY DEMOCRACY DAY!!

GET FOUND!

It’s a noisy evening in the room here in my hostel (it is hall 4, baby). If you were here, you will notice that my roommates are either cooking, sleeping, getting set for night class or making noise like me. Just as quickly as scientist described lightening, an avalanche of memories sweeps through my wandering mind. 

There’s one that seem to have completely seized my head, the childhood game (or should I say play!): Hide-and-Seek. C’mon, tell me you remember! You also remember those folks who hid too well. The unending search for them always brought the fun game to an abrupt end. After what seemed like hours of searching, I’ll usually shout “where you dey? Oya, come out…game up!” I guess you still remember the many argument that greeted their coming out? I once overheard a man saying to a bunch of kids, “hide-and-seek becomes interesting when you GET FOUND! So true!

A girl I love needed some money to enroll for a holiday writing workshop that was hosted by her lifelong literary mentor. The program meant a lot to her. It came to pass, the workshop came to an end and she couldn't attend, so she became depressed. Later in her own words, she said “I didn’t wanna bother anyone” (bother? What are friends & family for?). Some people praised her on what they called maturity. But, her family and friends (me included) said how pissed they were that she didn’t trust them enough to share in her dreams. She played Hide-and-Seek, adult style. According to Robert Fulghum, “Wanting to hide, needing to be sought, confused about being found”.

It come in form of sentences like, “i don’t want to bother anyone”. ”I don’t know how people will see it” “What if?” “What if not?” C’mon brothers and sisters stop hiding too well and GET FOUND! We need each other to survive. The wound you don’t open won’t heal. Don’t worry about folks who might injure it with scorn, others will be there to treat it with the plaster of friendship. Swallow your pride and GET FOUND!

Get in the game. Oh! What fun it is to be found! You keep struggling with that course and a friend has the light…GET FOUND! You are starving and a sister got a table for two…GET FOUND! You are lonely and you could use a friend...GET FOUND! You are broke and a brother got some cash to spare…GET FOUND! Enough tears, enough wishes, enough loneliness, enough reclusion, enough hiding, just GET FOUND!

To everybody who has been hiding too well… GET FOUND and make life interesting!

pulished in LAWSAN EDITORIAL, 2014 edition.

WHO YOU HELP?

If an appraisal
Was done on you
What would we find?
Invaluable or dispensable?
If earth was awarding
Her worthy occupants
What would you get?
Gold or a gallows tree?

You are overwhelmed by faults of cosmos,
That you gat no time for gratitude.
You can't even see
That a sister could use a shoulder.
That a brother yearns for comradeliness.
That our holy posterity needs mentorship.

Do you cause joy
Wherever you go or whenever you go?
Your Kindness to kiths and kin;
Is it a personality or a job?
Your service to humanity;
Is it contingent or eternal?

Pls, borrow a seat
Steal some quiet time
Get to work!
And make sure you have an answer
The next time life or anyone ask
WHO YOU HELP?

MY FAIR LADY

Forgive the silliness
That has curbed me from gratitude
If the mermaid's morphology is even true
They will still be tickled by your prettiness
Your graceful shine
Makes even the sun blush

The stars though so majestic
Cannot afford your competition
For your concave beauty
Is as homely as honey
The serenity of your aura
Can be felt in the taciturnity of the still waters

Words can faintly paint
The lovely alacrity of your person
Your queenly gaits
Make my brethren sweat at the gate
If I could rewind time
I'd know you sooner

Shine on my fair lady
For love is higher than all!


Dedicated to all the ladies out there who anoint our world with their beauty and patience.