MMI Holds Book Giving Event

Our Media Mentoring Initiative Project took it to the next level with our book giving event at the Lagos State University School of Communication on Tuesday November 1st, 2011. Yours truly was the MC of the event and it was great fun for me reuniting with my favorite students, many of them have already started great works with the video production skill we shared with them. Find below the press release:

"Achieving professional productivity and self dependence after graduation became the main focus of the day as the Media Mentoring Initiative held its much anticipated Book Presentation event for graduating students of Mass Communication at the Lagos State University, Adebola Adegunwa School of Communication.

Presided over by The Visioner of the mentoring project, Funke-Treasure Durodola (Mrs.) and Professor of Communication Lai Oso who set the tone for an inspiring afternoon with his welcome address, and with tens of the mentored students, faculty lecturers and invited guests in attendance, the event went full gear with a PowerPoint presentation by Mrs. Durodola in which she shared her vision and took guests through the journey of the mentoring project since inception in June 2010.
The initiative has between June 2010 and January 2011 held three (3) intensive training workshops and trained 23 final year students of the university on ‘News and Feature Reporting for Radio and TV’, ‘Programme Production and Story Telling Skills for TV’ with the final one on ‘Effective Internet Skills for Budding Journalists’ held at the Public Affairs Section of the US consulate in Lagos.

The event reached a crescendo with an inspirational speech titled ‘Media Careers and Entrepreneurship – Moving on after graduation’ delivered by invited motivational speaker and Media Marketing Consultant, Charles Onwubiko. The MD/CEO Beacon Media Network and former Group Marketing Manager Silverbird Cinemas Africa also displayed his generosity by offering cash gift to one of the mentees that graduated with First Class honours.

30 copies of the inspirational book ‘Models and Mentors’ written by Uju Onyechere were donated by Chief Sunny Obazu-Ojeagbase, Publisher and Editor of Success Digest. Also given out were copies of Okechukwu Ofili’s ‘How Stupidity Saved My Life’ donated by Dafe Ivwurie, a media consultant and also one of the lead facilitators of the 2nd workshop who seized the opportunity of the event to fulfill his promise made in September 2010 to the mentees.

At the end of the book presentation, the students who were all full of gratitude and kind words for Mrs. Durodola and other facilitators also showed appreciation by presenting her with a plaque on behalf of the Broadcast and Communication Technology Students Association (BACTSA) of the institution “in recognition of her excellence in media mentoring for budding journalist”. In her thank you speech, she challenged the students to see the opportunity she has given them as a challenge to achieve greater things than she has done in the profession as that will be the greatest gift they can give to her.

The biggest winners on the day however are current students of the LASU School of Communication that will now enjoy such training programmes like the MMI in their final year to be funded by the school. This was Professor Lai Oso’s declaration having been inspired by Funke-Treasure’s dynamism and the impact the MMI has made in the life of his students, many of whom are already making their skills count professionally even before proceeding on their compulsory National Youth Service Corp.

Funke-Treasure promises to move on with her vision to develop the skills and employability of young people in the tertiary institutions aspiring to work in the broadcast media and to nurture a new breed of aware, confident and informed media firebrands in the country.

Signed

Keni Akintoye
Business Development/Communication
Debb and Isaac Media Ltd"

Arsenal's Reality Check

I remember when my academic background in core applied sciences reigned supreme in my heart; one of my biggest dreams was to be a physiotherapist and get to work with The Arsenal Football Club of London. Pretty precise you would say, yes that was how much I regarded the club as a teenager but my history is not my focus here now. Last night I saw the biggest defeat in my over 15 years as an Arsenal fan. I have not checked the history books to see if there was any ever worse than this, I doubt it. The joy however is that it came at the right time.

Prior to the game when I saw the line-up, I predicted a 5-1 beating from Manchester United without meaning to be insulting and my brother said it should not be more than 2-0; isn’t it amazing how fans now try to wish for bearable heartbreaks before a match? We are no more the once proud gunners that would believe in victory before every game and even when we are trailing in a game! We now worry when having to play Hull City, Newcastle, Westbrom, Fulham, Birmingham and their likes. Home turf is no more our fortress; average teams now take points from us in front of the home fans! We now have to deal with Chelsea being the best team in London! Well aren’t they? At least for the past six years.

That is what we have all been reduced to as Arsenal fans. We have had so many heartbreaks in many years such that loosing now is no more a reason to be ashamed! Or what do we have to say to the fact that the team that beat us to the Carling Cup (our only hope of a silver ware) last season are now in the Championship?

To the 8-2 mauling, I do not expect any Arsenal fan to have expected too much if you’re a true objective fan. My thrill is that Manchester United did not have to play too well to beat up Arsenal! They didn’t even have to start many of their experienced players! The average age of the Man-U team that beat us was not too far from the team we paraded! No more excuses of “they are young”, “inexperienced” “still learning” “officiating” “being denied a penalty that could have changed the game” and many more we have accepted for years. Yesterday was at least a clean drubbing. How did we get here Mr. Wenger? How could we lose to Man-U of all teams in this manner?

In my heart I ask myself how long it really takes for a young player to develop into a finished product, I ask myself how best they can, is it not by playing and relating with more experienced players in an ambitious club? Would any infant have failed to mature having played alongside greats like Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Rio Ferdinand, Edwin Van der saar, JS Park, Vidic, Patrice Evra, Owen and even Rooney considering how early he started plus many others they have refused to discard? Well, that is except he’s not meant for the game.

Just thinking, if only just a few of these Arsenal players during the so-called “developmental years” had more time with the likes of Gilberto, Robert Pires, Ashley Cole, Fredrik Ljungberg, Thierry Henry and a few others we had to bid farewell to. We cannot forget about Fabregas and Nasri leaving, I do not blame them, they wanted more from their careers and we cannot offer it at the moment.

The difference between the two young teams yesterday was that the Man-U boys were in it to win it, but our boys were there just to survive it. They honestly gave their best; you simply cannot give what you don’t have. Agreed, we had some regulars missing due to injuries and suspensions but isn’t it a problem Mr. Wenger should be worried about when your “key” players pick up unnecessary cards to the detriment of the team? Are they really under control? Or better still, are you really in control?

Common Gunners didn’t you see it coming? On the bright side, we lost but we are not finished, the match is over but the season is not over, we have 35 more games to play! We lost one of the perennial tough games and not another potential 3 pointer, above all for me, Mr. Wenger has been brought back to earth, the Udinese win that could make him think he has a squad has been rubbished, and the transfer window is not closed yet. We need quality replacements!

One thing is for sure though, as I said to some of those self acclaimed fans that have switched camp, Ian Wright had to go, Tony Adams, Patrick Viera too, Henry left, Fabregas has gone, Arsene Wenger that we all wish to hate now will someday leave that position but Arsenal will remain not just a great club but the one in our hearts. This is a phase and every great club has its own, go ask real Barcelona fans (not the ignorant success followers) how long they have had to play second fiddle to the great Real Madrid teams. For Arsenal, this too shall pass.

If you are still whining over it, perhaps you should read My Many Soccer Heartbreaks published in 2009.

I am Nigerian and I also support my hometown club called Shooting Stars of Ibadan, another great club with great history on the continent of Africa. Just like Arsenal, we haven’t won a single trophy for a while and here it’s been for over a decade while our slogan “Up Shooting” has been ridiculed many times. So you see why I am not broken by the embarrassing defeat by Manchester United and I still do not and will never 8-2 be an Arsenal fan. I remain a Gunner and I will always stay Up Shooting!

My favorite quote from a friend this morning, I dedicate it to the brave Arsenal players we have left:

“Look back to get experience, look forward and see hope, look around and see reality, look within and find confidence…where you look determines what you see”

Enjoy your week mates.

Between Tattoos And Tribal Marks

You can tell when someone has a good handwriting by reading the little notes they write even in a hurry, this was the case of the tattoos those days in Africa especially my country Nigeria which I know a lot about. Some of their tattoo makers those days would have done better with two or more lessons in fine arts or technical drawing. I agree, a lot of strange and unpleasant images are displayed as tattoos on young people’s bodies these days that leave much to be desired but so were bad and terrible ones those days too and I ask, who has the moral justification to complain?

I’m not a fan of tattoos but what amazes me is how our elders condemn tattoos just to make the whole idea of it seem 100% demonic! You start to ask yourself what it was called back in their days when on their abdomen, backs and arms they would inscribe all sorts ranging from their full names, parents’ hometown, job specification with images of different animals from crocodile to species of snakes which they claim are symbols of identification in their families! That this generation has been dynamic enough to devise modern techniques and put theirs on more “exciting” parts of the body now makes us all “spoilt”? I don’t get it. The breasts and buttocks for our ladies are the most frowned at but at least some of them give us the pleasure of seeing pleasant images like flowers, the heart, cupids and butterflies, unlike the badly drawn, inartistic tattoos of their time.

Having something to show off is one of the major reasons why ladies “expose” some of their body details, besides being well endowed; having a tattoo is one of them. The low waist pants, alter neck blouses and most especially those ones made to conceal just the nipples are fashion designers’ ways of taking advantage of the fad. So that if you draw the map of Lagos on your breasts, there is enough space to use it to find our way in Lagos, we only need to keep our eyes fixed on your breasts or well…your map. Seriously though, a lady should be more than her tattoos and the “sweet things” the eyes can see because the truth is while they are fun to look at, it most times ends there for attraction based on sexual fantasies ALONE has a way of dying as quickly as it came.

As for tribal marks, it may be strange to know that I do not have much reservation about them, obviously because being from South-West Nigeria, I am used to many people that have it in different shapes and sizes within and outside my family – the good, the bad and the “hugely” ugly, but this is one of those fashion cultures that our generation has refused to accept and has done nothing to reinvent. It is indeed dehumanizing and gradually dying off, thanks to the government of some Nigerian states like Osun, which has passed into law a bill banning the practice.

I laugh when some elders complain about our “spoilt” generation allowing “our culture” of tribal marks die. Perhaps such people will not mind tearing off their children’s faces for family “identification” in this age! I believe if this generation had also found the tribal mark attractive enough to devise new techniques and styles to improve it as in the case of tattoos, we would still have been labeled spoilt for destroying what our forefathers originated. If tribal marks had been upgraded with Adobe Photoshop, CorelDraw and even AutoCAD, would the likes of pele, keke, abaja, and especially the highly disfiguring gombo not have been more pleasant to look at? Maybe that is something to think about but I have found out that most things we do in this generation make no sense to our elders as long as they do not understand them.

I usually believe I will not find it hard to move with trends with the generation coming due to the bridge of technology and better access to global information via new media. I also believe that knowing my child’s personality, temperament and focus will make it easier to understand his decisions even when they seem unorthodox, a simple explanation will do! Well, maybe the long complex, thoroughly scrutinized kind of explanation will be needed but it all boils down to doing my homework while raising him. I once had very long dreadlocks, and I am sure having earned my parents’ trust over the years before growing the dreadlocks was what worked when the chips were down.

While I do not celebrate all the fashion excesses displayed these days by my generation, I think the old folks should also concentrate more on raising good kids than criticizing every new invention they don’t understand. You don’t want to hear my personal stories.

Remind me of this article when I’m older please! I do not see myself hassle my child over things that have to do with trends in his or her time as long as he or she is not making irreversible decisions. In case I derail from these thoughts, please send me a message via whatever means as we can’t be sure if emails wouldn’t be outdated by then but for now my email is here for all.

The Untold Easter Story

That Unforgettable Easter Lesson

When we were young, we looked forward to all festivals and public holidays with high expectations mostly because of those “wackie and die” kind of buffets, the “all play no work” and the rare liberty to “misbehave” and be pardoned. I particularly remember the nights of Boxing Day when it dawns on me that all the fun wouldn’t spill over into the next day and I suddenly start to wish I could press rewind! Trust me; those were all that mattered those days. Easter Monday was always one of my favorites as we also get to go out unlike other holidays when we were always the ones to host lots and lots of people. Having celebrated many festivals in beautiful ways, these days I only see them as time to rest more, spend time with the family and look forward to resuming work! I guess as you grow older you tend to focus more on the reasons for those seasons.

Talking about Easter, the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ bring a lot of lessons for humanity and we can not pretend not to have heard over and over again how Jesus died and “packed” all our sins away and in the process taught us humility by accepting all insults and mockery; forgiveness by praying his father to forgive his persecutors and the need to strengthen our faith when he said “fear not”. Almost everyone even non Christians know these “lessons”; as a matter of fact they have stopped making the kind of impact for which our clergies reel them out every Easter season. I am the wrong guy to analyze what the clergies say and how people respond to God’s word, but I guess I may not have wished for too much if I wish that sermons on such occasions would come as refreshing and liberating as to be obviously practicable.

Like preachers say, when Jesus was being crucified, everything that used to matter stopped to matter, and all that was of this world didn’t matter to him because his mind was focused on going to heaven to give account to his heavenly father – he gave up all he was worth, his miracle working power, his disciples, his family, his pride, his ego, his nakedness and ultimately his life. You must have been told this fact every year and you would gladly nod in approval of it. Truth is that Jesus had something of this world that meant so much to him that he could not let go of, while on the cross. I humbly ask that you please check out John 19:26, 27

“When Jesus therefore saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother “Woman behold your son!” Then He said to the disciple “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home”.

At a time when Peter had shown how erratic he could be, Jesus needed safe hands to care for his mother, remember that one of the direct consequences in the reality of his predicament would mean all friends deserted him, the only man he could trust among the few that stood by him was John his disciple, not even his younger ones or father was deemed fit, that is if they were even there. Obviously, Jesus Christ was not willing to take chances with his sweet mother, even in the condition he found himself.

As I sat legs crossed listening to this sermon on Easter Sunday 2010, the preacher went ahead to ask his congregation rhetorically, “where is your own mother?” For the first time in my adult years I heard an unusual message that moved me to my marrows on Easter Sunday! An important part of the resurrection story that we pay less attention to, or maybe we do pay attention to it but not in the context of its practicability. Not even the numerous Mother’s day sermons have ever taken me this close to seeing how Jesus planned for his mother’s care when he is gone. Like the preacher heard my thoughts, he went further, “what if your mother is dead? Listen, someone must have played the role of a mother in your life!” Now I’m sure someone is also asking what if your mother is a witch and you have been warned to avoid her? Yea right, like I’ve not seen enough of all that in Nollywood movies, lets face it; the least you can do is make a good living condition for her from your distance! At least people live abroad and effectively take care of the home. Caring especially for ones mother isn’t just a cultural or social thing but big time spiritual, if Jesus did it, how much more me? I simply have no excuse.

I’m sure if we were born during Christ’s days on earth, many of us would have said to him “shut up”, and considering the fact that we would have seen him as an illiterate that did not even finish learning carpentry before absconding not caring to note that he wowed scholars at the age of 12. It’s good now to know that Jesus actually “lived” by example on this subject matter and it is easier for me to drive home my points about the need for us to take the care of our mothers now because it is a message from our lord Jesus; we do not have to say to ourselves or our clergies “who are you to tell me that?” as we mostly do when we cannot accept simple but true criticisms.

Twin-X’ 2001 debut hit single “Mother mi” was dedicated to a sweet mum, not as a marketing strategy but simply from the heart and its little wonder that the song started a success story. Churches invited us to perform or well “minister” at special programmes and we would wonder why we enjoyed so much love from the Christian community. The fact that we somehow remained gentle and scandal free may have sold us to them but gradually with our experience with fans in our many travels, we got to see first hand, people’s attachment to their mothers irrespective of religion and culture, which also explains the sentiment a lady enjoys from people the moment she becomes a mother, such that it turns out not to matter at what age she does. Now besides the strength of these timeless sentiments, I’ve also now realized how much of heavenly principles the lyrics of that song are and I will gladly agree when people consider it a gospel song.

I love to say “nothing in this world can make me despise my mama, emi o fe ya alaimo oore si baba to bi mi lomo….” (…and I will not be ungrateful to my father) This has indeed been one of my best Easter moments ever – with or without the plenty chops and it will remain in my heart for ever. May we find the wisdom, grace and all resources to be the best to our mothers. I want to love and care for mine, I want to see her happy and never in tears, I owe this to her and now most definitely to my lord Jesus Christ.

Mama

Search through all eternity subjected to probity
No one can be like mama and papa
Thinking about the edifice they made my life in sacrifice
Struggling in tension under pressure sometimes frustration
Your generosity that made me live in ecstasy
I know the love the world can offer is nothing but fallacy
And I see no one can love me like someone who made me
I look into the mirror of your eyes what do I see
Like a mother to a daughter I see naked passion
Like fire was the vision to build my future
You built my life with passion and filled it up with pleasure
Forever you’re my treasure you’re my greatest possession

The Gospel According to Soccer

It has been a bright sunny friday and I reflect on how my week went, a week in which Valentine was celebrated and I did not even notice the reds on the streets and shops, same week my favourite soccer team Arsenal FC was playing FC Barcelona, setting up the best football can offer by the two best soccer tappers in England and Spain and I dared to miss it! I think of the sacrifice I had to make to face the challenges I had to face, the decisions I had to make and the consequences I had to face. I know that we are usually never alone.

I may have missed the long anticipated match and lost the feeling of the live action but I dare not miss an important lesson it emphasized which reminded me that I was not alone facing my business and now gives me the confidence to look forward to a beautiful weekend and an even better and blissful week afterwards!

For 75mins! Arsenal tirelessly chased breakthrough and still was loosing but in 5mins they got more than just one breakthrough and suddenly for 10mins they were the ones protecting a victory and at 90mins they were celebrating success and being congratulated! The nightmare was over, done and dusted, the game was won and lost!

Perhaps u have a situation that seems to be hopeless or getting worse or even jinxed... There is a God of turn around and as long as he knows u won't try to share his glory with him, he will sort you out if you do not give up first. there is indeed a supernatural power that backs our hard work to produce desired results and i believe in him.

Have you whispered in the dark to him?
You don't need to cry out loud to him
Because he even knows your thoughts
He knows and I know, he answers prayers.

Booda Taaju!

Seems like men’s talk but ladies are welcome, sincere ones though. Guys, this is our familiar terrain. Have you been in that sorry situation where your “kid sister” or “aburo” seem to have struck a romantic chord in you? Or let’s put it this way, have you ever fallen in love with a girl that everyone sees as your kid sister – especially the one that also sees herself as your kid sister even when you’re not in any way related? Just for reasons like you being her senior in school, or “we were neighbors 20 years ago, we attend the same church, I met you through my elder brother/sister” or even reasons as silly as “you and my older brother look alike” or “we are from the same place”. Don’t you sometimes want to say “Hey young lady, I know my kid sister when I see her”?

The definition and depth of incest may vary per culture but asking your friend’s younger sister, your younger sister’s friend, your mum’s friend’s daughter or the girl next door out on a date is definitely not an act in that direction. Please do not get the idea that I am using this medium to encourage you to damn the consequences and start toasting her! I know how you feel for we have all been there at some point and trust me; I know it is not funny. It is easier when there is a little “long time no see” situation, then you suddenly see that “haha the little baby of yesterday has become a lady, where have you been all my life, which school are you now? What are you studying? …Wow, wonderful (even if she studies Traditional Medicine), what a brilliant course, you know I scored A1 in Agric science back in the days, so nice to see you after so many years, so grown up… wow, great, splendid, na wah o, eeya…”

It is really not nice if you do not ask her how Dad and Mum are but you may have blown what you have going in your favor. Reason? She suddenly realizes that you are supposed to be Broda Bonnyface and not the cool dude she can hang out with.

Love is a beautiful thing, it has its bitter-sweet taste and no matter what side of it we experience per time, we still end up needing a little bit of it in our lives. Is there love unacceptable or love unusual? Well, I have no answers for this is not a counseling session. So I cannot say what should be done but I just know what I would do or let’s say what has worked for me. When you start feeling attracted to your “sister”, one of the biggest fears is what if she has a boyfriend and says NO to you. If that happens, you get embarrassed and start feeling she now thinks you are no more worthy of being called “brother”. If you however get lucky and the feeling is mutual, it has its own embarrassment too when you suddenly turn from “brother Taaju” to TJ just a day after she says yes to you but at least you will thank your guts you’re not turning to TJ after she had given you a capital NO.

Ladies, this is my candid feeling, most times real men know when you are down but just forming “hard to get” so just cut d drama and be real. Why do you make things difficult for yourselves and us especially, your big bros? Do you like wahala that much? One thing is sure though, and that is the fact that if a lady acts rude or suddenly becomes impertinent because you express a romantic feeling for her then she is just another girl with a myopic view of life that shouldn’t have been worthy of being “your sister” in the first place and you may be better off just deleting her from your memory and accepting your bad gamble. A mature girl will see such peculiar fate and appreciate it even if the answer is inevitably NO for good reasons, that way the friendship lives on and sometimes gets even better and you become best friends as a result. It is important for us to know there are usually situations when you will have to help such lady conquer the skepticism about what people will say and I don’t think any guy that wants to date his “sister” will not know how to help her up. Patience is the name of the game but she had better be worth the trouble for some people will still see incest.

Now, all success is still subject to your character, you will still be judged practically at some point even if you enjoy the brotherly waiver for a while and it is usually very bad when you cause such relationships to fail as many other relationships suffer with it. So if you are the area brother that has been sexually notorious to the knowledge of all the little girls around or you have sampled all the girls on your street, church choir, youth fellowship and alasalatu, then do not consider yourself part of this, for different is your place among men.

Best of luck to you in this month of love, as you plan to meet her for that showdown talk you’ve kept since her high school days; at least you didn’t get to have it on December 31st! That is so old skool.

Trading Textbooks for Posters

I am glad the whole exaggeration of our 50 year independence anniversary is over since we have crossed into 2011. I got so tired of the whole noise before October 1st 2010, not because I do not think we have reasons to celebrate, I actually do think we have enough reasons to be thankful as a nation but my problem was the jamboree that the anniversary became for the greedy politicians with their preference for useless carnivals and parting with glorified prostitutes when youths were all over the country offering them beautiful ideas and concepts for developmental projects truly worthy of commemorating the anniversary of a supposedly great nation.

The saddest part is that most genuine projects that will truly change people’s lives are usually not the big billions but why would they approve such projects if it is not putting extra box into their pockets? The most irritating yet inveterate occurrence of last year was when every tom, dick and harry claimed all their activities either deliberately or mistakenly was to “commemorate” the “Nigeria at 50” thing, including funerals, dogs giving birth, some hard-to-get girl deciding to say “yes”! Even the lady whose menstrual cycle started on October 1st suddenly started feeling significant! Most Nigerians just allowed themselves to be kept busy with the Nigeria @50 hype such that it took being broke at Christmas for many to realize that their lives did not improve from what it was in 2009.

The funfair is over, 2011 rolls in and I hear our primary and secondary schools will remain closed and our children will be at home until the end of January because the schools will be used as centers for voters’ registration! In simple terms, our education is on hold for politics to thrive, the future of our children traded for the business of our politicians, sad. While I discussed this at the weekend, it was with naked bitterness as I claimed that a true Nigerian parent would rather have the children at home than have them exposed to danger since we all saw 2003 and 2007 but then, who suffers the repercussion? Apparently not the kids in the international British, American, Turkish schools but the children that attend the Nigerian public and private schools.

Why would education matter to them when some of them lack it? Why would they value it when some of them are carrying certificates bought with your money? Why would they bother to train you when they can easily hire an expatriate to “get the job done”? Why will our doctors’ strike threat be taken serious when they can sort themselves out with “better” medical services in India and Saudi Arabia? In 2010, the alibi was the 50th anniversary and our ailing former president, this year, the registration, election, re-election, tribunal or maybe even annulments will be the focus of everyone such that we will only realize nothing has been done throughout the year by December 2011.

Forget about technology and its effect on almost every area of our lives that makes us think we have grown, it is all a mirage! The truth is that we have access to all these things simply because the rest of the world couldn’t have left us behind for the sake of the business of it! We are 200 million people with our own peculiar wannabe attitude, so we are obviously a good market for the exotic cars, electronic gadgets, ipad, iphone, Blackberry and other technological inventions. Left to our leadership and style of governance over the years, we will still be posing with black and white TVs, climbing roofs and trees to turn the antenna.

As I write this I am listening to that great gospel album of the 80s titled “Amona tete mabo”. The singer sang about the situation in Nigeria back then and cried that the almighty might come down and rescue his people, but it is sad that almost three decades after the release of this album, the lyrics still sound like a brand new release, more like a fresh pain of that Lagos State University student who has been in school since 7 years and is yet to graduate. It is unbelievable but just like the music of the legendary Fela Kuti, we can relate with these lyrics on the current situation of our land and what that means is that we have not grown up after 50 years!

I can deal with the greed and the lies and the other regulars in Nigerian politics (besides violence of course) but I just cannot deal with our education system going down the drain everyday with no sign of sensitivity from our government! I ask, are there no other places for us to carry out the voters registration? Have we not done registration before in this country? Is closing down the schools truly our last option? A country that fails to educate his people will only raise more jobless, economically handicapped and intellectually impaired citizens who will believe any twisted teaching and will accept any stipend to fight, kill, burn houses and plant bombs under the guise of spiritual liberation. Nigerians pray because we need God now more than ever.