14.09.14- RIGHT AT MY DOORSTEP

Every year, I look forward to the beginning of 'my new year'- 14.09. This particular year, I was prepared to celebrate against all odds. The previous day, I insisted that Dr. Prasad remove my wires, splint and bandages as I wanted to groove as usual and take my beautiful snapshots, the bandages wouldn't do my pictures justice.
Attribute 1: I love taking pictures, I could have only one smile, one outfit and one pose- I will still take 20 snapshots
Against his wish and medical intelligence, he indulged me because I wouldn't take no for an answer
Attribute 2: Uche is a go-getter,  what she wants, she gets.
Sunday came, my triad -church- orphanage- home. That's as far as my birthdays go. Armed with Google map, a constant friend in a distant land, we set out to find an orphanage within the environs of Mulund, eventually, I and my P.A (aka travel companion) decided on one, we hopped on a rickshaw  (keke) and cruised a distance of about 38 kilometers till we arrived at our choice place. We didn't forget our cake,biscuits, drinks and sweets. That was all we could afford, nothing was too little or too big for the children we wanted to share the day with (or so we thought), I really looked forward to cutting the cake with them. We were received albeit poorly, we were also not allowed to go near the residents of the home cos we were strangers (and Nigerians). There was no going back, we had already dropped our packages with them. I hung my head in disappointment,  my day was ruined as far as I know.

As a jolly good fellow he always is, my travel buddy urged me to cheer up as and jolly with him, we had an extra cake and a bottle of wine tucked up in our room. The rickshaw came to a halt, the lights flashed on their faces, there they were, the little children begging on the streets of Mumbai, their homeless mothers who groomed them to the life they knew, they were there all along, I saw them everyday, I passed them by as I searched for a fancy orphanage. They were right at my doorstep all along, yet I didn't deem them worthy to celebrate with. I had felt enough disappointment for one birthday, all I could feel was shame. Why did I overlook them? As they scampered around us with their hands open, tears rolled down my face, I held as many as I could in a hug, we emptied our pockets, shared the sweets we kept for ourselves with them. The smile on their faces made my day. I couldn't have wished for a better birthday, this was it. The highlight of my day.

Often times, we wait for big breaks to do big things, but it doesn't have to be so. Glenn Campbell says we should "Try a little kindness" the little you have is enough to get you across the "narrow minded streets". Charity begins at home. I learnt this lesson 2 years ago, and since then, I move about shining my light so brightly for all to see.

Happy Birthday to me
Many happy returns to QUEEN IVORY

….For a bag of rice

The issue of suitability and unsuitability of leaders has gone on since the history of man, even David with all the love and admiration, with the massive votes that got him into power( 1 Sam 18:7), he wasn’t immune to hate speeches by his followers (1 Sam 30:6), no be today the matter start. But unlike then, today we have democracy, we have the social media, we have the ‘people power’……..

In the right situation of things, every individual is represented in the Government, yes you are, Democracy- Government of the people, for the people, by the people, was structured in a way that everyone has a mouth to speak, or rather a mouthpiece, we have been given our birthright, our views ought to be aired in the upper chambers. That is why we have people speaking for us.

Our prophets and high priests before our leaders are our representatives- House of Assembly, House of Representatives. These people were chosen by us to speak our minds. Government doesn’t start from the top, it starts from the grassroots and works its way up. It shouldn’t be a top-down process, but a bottom- up process. That is why our representatives are chosen from amongst us, not from elsewhere. The people still have the power, or do they?

What happened to this power? like Esau- has it been sold? Where was the mistake made, where did we go wrong? Right in every action or inaction. Choosing of people who should represent us isn’t taken as serious as it is, I don’t know how people decide on who to vote, but I will rather sit down and eat my Jollof rice with a bottle of coke on election day than go to cast a vote that will hunt me for the next 4 years. That is why the complaints of many Imolites fail to get to me as it ought to. I am the proud daughter of a farmer, so I am yet to lack food. Back to the point. If a leader isn’t like me, then I’ll rather not vote (just kidding). If he can’t stand up for himself, if he lacks integrity, if he is greedy and insatiable, if he isn’t selfless, if he hasn’t been seen tending to the lowliest of people among his grassroots, then he has no business on the corridors of power. He will only scramble for the national cake, while he is at it, he won’t be able to stand up to say the mind of his people. My point – every position is important, choose wisely.

Our representatives are yet to know the power they wield. They should control how it goes. If Mr. Governor isn’t doing well, they should shake him till he does well, if Mr. President is sleeping, they ought to shake him till he wakes up. They should be the ones shaking things, the Reps have more power. I am led to believe that they are afraid of losing monetary benefit, but who cares. The fear of impeachment should be the beginning of wisdom.

Who says we have to endure hardship and bullying for the next four years. It is true that a tenure can last up to 4 years, but that isn’t the minimum. It can as well be one month if need be. What happened to our impeachment rights?  Have we given them out for food during the elections in order to starve at times like this?, Our representatives should wake up to the aroma of the coffee. The People Power still exists and it should be used accordingly.

It is our choice to suffer for the next 4 years or stand up to our rights. Till then, Like Bobby Ngwu will rightly say “ I am left with no option than to take up my back position as a wailing wailer.”