Saturday, September 1, 2012

The Future I Desire....Featured Author: Ochanya Amuta


Due to laxity, I feel or should I say I fear that I would lose it all. If the birds in their nature are certain that every day comes with benefits and challenges; how much more I with the certainty of salvation fear the greatness of my great tomorrow.
The fate of uncertainty almost beclouded my sense of possibility and the grace on an envious tomorrow. However, I am built to discover and understand that the wind that blows the rain to shower is meant to grow my seedlings and I am sure of my roof tomorrow.
It was the rat that advised me and said where you ate yesterday might be your trap today. As such, I knew that in fulfilling my desires of yester years, daily discoveries as regards my future is inevitable. I refer to the future where beggars would ride on horses and princes beg bread.
If the Almighty book refers you to learn from the ant, it therefore concludes this article that the future I desire is a makeup of how well I maximize the advice of today and manage the criticism of tomorrow.
My future is bright and I must get there!!!

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Intense Amnesia

Recently while reading a piece of information, I stumbled upon the National Coat of Arms with its shield, the eagle, the horses, rivers Niger and river Benue and then most importantly the motto: "Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress". As I stare at our coat of arms i say to myself that it is actually one of quality with its various components and meanings having deep significance. It was at that point that I realized that Nigeria has suffered from an acute loss of memory. How is it possible that we forget the tenets upon which this nation was founded and yet we expect to survive, thrive and prosper? The moment we let unity suffer a blow, the moment we began to let doubt take a foothold; it was in that moment, at that point that we began to sacrifice our great country on the altar of forgetfulness and neglect. How dare we ignore and then forget what our founding fathers envisioned and fought for - That our unity, our togetherness and unflinching belief in the future of our country would bring us to a state of peace and continuous progress. We've forgotten, this is why this two terms 'Peace and Progress' remain mere adjectives which are hardly applicable in the Nigerian Situation except when we speak them in faith. This is why at this time when the whole-nation state of Nigeria yearns for a revolution, for the emergence and manifestation of a committed set of redeemers that I pursue an awakening. The surgeons and specialists must stimulate the sleeping minds of the Nigerian citizens. Unity (a collective sense of purpose) and Faith (an unflinching belief in the future of our great country) are the starting point of the list of factors that will lead to the emergence of a great nation. WE must make our diversity work for us, for with God nothing is impossible! They say Nigerians continue to smile in the midst of the sufferings, we must bring that sort of tenacity to developing our nation; we must believe even when all avenues to engender belief seem like they are gone----- Unity and Faith are two factors we cannot afford to overlook!

Monday, June 4, 2012

Through It All....

These are trying times for Nigeria and Nigerians. So many lives have been lost, so many destinies, so many seeds of greatness dug out before their maturity. To those who have lost a dear one in these tragedies my heart goes out to you; I cannot say I understand because I don't really think I will be able to. But through it all I would say hold on tight to hope; cry, mourn but do not mourn as those who have no hope. God is bringing us through it all.....and when we look back on the history of this great country in a few years to come we would see these events as part of those that opened our eyes to wisdom, led us back to the ancient paths which we forsook and in all built us up. To those who mourn, I mourn with you and I am continuing in prayer with you....Stand Strong!

Saturday, March 3, 2012

The Change We Want, The Change We Desire, The Change We Must Have

Image Source: Brainleadersandlearners.com
I am writing another piece on "change", "change" but as I think on the subject matter, I ask myself: We've all being talking about change, but where is the change? I ask myself: Am I just doodling or do my words (do our words) have any impact, WHERE IS THE CHANGE?? But as I think some more I realize that I cannot afford to stop writing, I cannot afford to stop talking about this change. Martin Luther King Jr. fought to vanquish racism and restore the dignity of the black man in the United States and it is reported that he gave about 350 speeches in his lifetime. I happen to have seen a compilation of Martin Luther King's speeches and writings in the bookstore one day and I cannot help but think: "That book is almost as big as my Development Economics textbook (if not bigger)! I cannot afford to stop writing and talking about this change which I want to see; my words have great power and eventually will have the desired effect! You can't afford to stop talking and writing about this change. Together we are gonna make it happen, Stay Connected!!

The Bravery Of Our Fathers

Image source: Saharareporters.com

I picked this up while surfing the net of late. Its called Obafemi Awolowo's Allocutus from Dawodu.com. The words reached deep down and connected with my soul, especially the paths I highlighted. I believe its a message for the now irrespective of the circumstances in which the speech was given.... reminisce and meditate on these words; contact something!





 In "Adventures in Power Book One: My March through Prison" by
Obafemi Awolowo [Macmillan Nigeria Publishers, 1985]; pp. 198 ff.

I must say, and this may have to be taken up with a higher tribunal,
that I do not agree with your Lordship's verdict, and the premises on
which it is based.
For upwards of 30 years, I have been in politics in Nigeria; during
this period I have operated in various important theatres in the life
of this great Federation. I have, with others, fought against
British imperialism with all my might, and with all the talents that
it pleased God to give me.

Together with other nationalists, some of whom are with me and many
of whom are not with me here, we have successfully thrown out British
imperialism and enthroned Africans in positions which, 20 or more
years ago, they never dreamt of occupying.

I have been an unyielding advocate of a Federal Constitution forNigeria. I have all along, with other leaders of this country, been
a very active and constructive participant in all the constitutional
conferences which have taken place since 1953, and which have
culminated not only in the attainment of independence but in the
production of a Constitution of which Nigerians are very proud.

This Constitution is now being gradually violated.

I have also fought against anything which savours of injustice. It
is thus an irony of history that, as one of the architects ofNigeria's independence, I have spent almost half of Nigeria's three
years of independence under one form of confinement or another.
Since 1957 I have fought, as your Lordship remarked, with vigour
against the feudal system in the Northern Region and for its
eradication. I have also fought to prevent the spread of this evil
political system to other parts of Nigeria.
During the same period I have strongly advocated the breaking up of
Northern Region into more states in order to have true federation in
Nigeria, to preclude the permanent subservience of the people of
Nigeria to the autocratic ruling caste in the North, and to preserve
peace and unity in the country.
In short, I have always fought for what I believe, without relenting
and regardless of consequences to myself. I have no doubt, and I say
this without any spirit of immodesty, that in the course of my
political career, I have rendered services to this country which
historians and the coming generations will certainly regard as
imperishable.
Naturally, Sir, in the course of my long, turbulent and active
political life, I have attracted to myself a sizeable crop of
detractors and political adversaries. Similarly, I have in the
course of this long career seen both triumphs and set-backs; and I
have met them with equal mind.

Peter, not Peter the Apostle, but Peter the hero of Hugh Walpole's
novel entitled "Fortitude" said: "It isn't life that matters but the
courage you bring to it."
After life had done terrible things to Peter he heard a voice that
said to him, among other things, "Blessed be all sorrow, hardships
and endurance that demand courage. Blessed be these things: for of
these things cometh the making of a man."

In the words of Peter, therefore, my Lord, I declare (not that I have
heard a voice): Blessed be your verdict; and I say in advance,
blessed be the sentence which your Lordship may pass on me.

I personally welcome any sentence you may impose upon me. At this
moment my only concern is not for myself, but that my imprisonment
might do harm to Nigeria for three reasons.
First, the invaluable services which I have hitherto rendered and
which I can still render will be lost to the country – at least for a
season.

Second, there might be a heightening of the present tension which has
lasted 15 months, and has done incalculable injuries to the economy
of the country.

Thirdly, for some time to come, the present twilight of democracy,
individual freedom and the rule of law, will change or might change
into utter darkness. But after darkness – and this is a commonplace –comes a glorious dawn.
It is, therefore, with a brave heart, with confident hope, and with
faith in my unalterable destiny, that I go from this twilight into
the darkness, unshaken in my trust in the Providence of God that a
glorious dawn will come on the morrow.

My adversaries might say who am I to think that if I am imprisoned
the country might suffer? What if I died?

The point, of course, is that I am still alive and will not die in
prison. Furthermore, the spirit of man knows no barrier, never dies,
and can be projected to any part of the world.


This being so I am confident that the ideals of social justice and
individual liberty which I hold dear will continue to be projected
beyond the prison walls and bars until they are realized in our
lifetime.


In this connection, I must stress that in this very court room,
indeed in this dock and in the entire Federation of Nigeria, the
spirit of a new Nigeria is already active and at work. This spirit,
working through constitutional means which I have spent the whole of
my lifetime to advocate, is sure to prevail, before very long, to the
delight, freedom and prosperity of all and sundry.

Friday, February 24, 2012

The Coin......(featured Writer: Ochy Amuta)



Every coin has two sides;  the head and the tail.... once the coin is tossed what ever comes up is what is declared................ Permit me to relate this to a life of chance.  Sometimes i choose to think that this is how people of this generation live:'whatever tomorrow offers......, we embrace' mentality.


the demand side of life :
there is no such thing as............
............has never existed before....
i am the only one going through this.....
nobody can just understand.......
the earth has been unfair........
i have no friends...........
betrayal has been  my middle name and loneliness, my surname...
in fact, i'm all alone

the supply side of life :
i have everything i want
i can always rise after i fall
i'm not alone in this boat
the strength that functions in my within and reflects on my outside is supernatural
everything favors me
people  love me
i'm not in this alone...........

for every question that seems like an unanswered question,  have you taken out time to think and ask the author of wisdom for the answer...
remember; he makes all things beautiful in his time and the time to favor you is now.....

get tired of the rig marolliing feeling
get tired of self pity..........
get tired of living a life of uncertainty......

embrace hope and keep confessing what your creator says and disregard what other creations say......
                 i think its time to look inwards............