LET CHILDREN ENJOY THE FAIRYTALE

Age Appropriate Movies...

It was a Wednesday evening and a friend who was visiting me at my office strong armed me into going to see a movie with her at the cinema. Anyone who is an Abuja resident understands the rush, traffic and crowd that pile up to the cinema on Wednesday, mostly because the cost of viewing movies is slashed by 50% and you get free popcorn and a soda.  Much as I loathed the crowd on such days, I decided to do a little movie schedule search online before we left. I wanted to check to see the movies showing that week, the time, running time, and watch the attached short movie teasers. We decided on seeing the movie “Jupiter Ascending”. I found it was a sci-fi movie showing at 7:05pm about whimsical beings, with the different planets of the universe battling for supremacy and ultimately romance between a human female and a winged extra-terrestrial male. 

The movie seemed to suit our moods and so we began the painstaking traffic laden journey to the cinema complex. After battling it out on the road, we arrived the ticketing stand at 7:00, bought two tickets and all but dashed through the popcorn vending point and into the theatre. By the time we found a seat and settled in it was 7:13pm. Thank God for small miracles that cinemas in Nigeria always start a little late and almost always lead off with previews. I bet they put into cognizance our tendency for using the “African Time” excuse of always getting to places later than stated. 

Thirty minutes into the movie a family walked into the theatre with two children. One looked about 3 years old and the other, maybe 8 years old. At first I thought their entry distracting as they made huge shadow-like reflections on the white projected wall of the cinema and I had to duck this way and that way in an attempt to be able to see the screen. While they looked around for a seat, they chose the row right in front of us and settled in. just as I was silently cursing my ill luck of sitting behind whiny and fidgety kids, the characters in the movie were engrossed in an intense lip lock and were all gooey eyed and just then a host of scary evil villains attack them. And immediately my eyes darted to the kids seated in front when I could almost hear one of them flinch. And all of a sudden I began feeling bad for them.

I remember as kids, we had to struggle to sneak into the sitting room, and then hide behind sofas as the adults watched videos like Nneka the snake girl, Ayamatanga and Anaconda. And when i got to watch Michael Jackson’s Thriller video for the first time, despite the fact that I hid my eyes behind my palms, I remember still getting really scared. And I remember having bad dreams at night for years because of the scenes I had watched. So I worried for these children who were more or less seeing a movie that wasn’t age appropriate. And then my worry switched to anger for the adults who brought them in. Did they not read the age rating? And if they had somehow missed that, what about the cinema security? Didn’t they see them walk in? 

I itched to lean over and ask the parents why they chose an inappropriate movie to bring their kids to, but with the way modern Nigeria doesn’t take too well with any kind of criticism, I decided to mind my business. But since then my palms had been itching to pen something down about this, perhaps parents will learn to pay more attention to the 'Parental Guidance' and age ratings of movies.

It is quite simple, if a movie specifies the age restriction for viewers, it is best we obey it. I for one am still scarred by some unpleasant scenes I saw as a child and these thoughts sneak up on me at unplanned moments, seizing me with fear. And I am an adult, so you can imagine what that may do to kids. Allow children to be children, let them enjoy the fairy tale of life before they are forcefully tossed into living the harsh reality of life. Let them enjoy their innocence while they still have it.

Let them gobble up the simplicity of Spongebob, or the dreamy princess life of Snow White and Cinderella. And then gently introduce them with sound teaching and guidance the ways to go about life. Don't let movies be their first teacher before you get the chance to put them through yourself.

As a famous Vin Diesel quote says... 

"Protect your innocence... 
Our innocence allows us 
to do what the practical mind prohibits"

SOULS THAT NEVER GROW OLD

I read with so much mirth today’s newspaper which had a picture of the “Stiletto race” in India sponsored by the women fashion brand- Elle, to mark the International Women’s Day celebration. It wasn’t so much the funny shot of a lady tipping over in her high heeled shoes but yet remained persistent in reaching the finish line that caught my attention. It was however the subliminal message of women as resilient, valiant, strong and determined to achieve life’s goals amidst hardship that registered with me.

The picture uniquely captured the very essence and soul of a true woman. She is expected to work like a horse, while still looking impeccable and well put together. The imagery of using stilettos to race I believe might have been to show that as uncomfortable as high heels are, a woman wears it as though it was all effortless. She straightens her back, squares her chin and carries herself through this difficult life while looking graceful.

This got me to thinking about the rather ever youthful mindset of women. Though we deal with a myriad of things in the course of our lives, we never seem to tire of giving love nor do we become soulless. And in the grand scheme of things, no matter how much we lose, we are always looking for someone or something to give love to. It’s our blessing and our curse.

Women nurture, birth, cater to, love, feed, and in all these, we do it with a smile. It’s as though we have a will of steel. Being called the fairer sex, I believe has more to do with our ability to show and give love more than the assumption that we are by virtue of their physical composition, weaker than our male counterparts.

Therefore, I dedicate this piece to all women in the world, especially those who have seen so much bitterness, sadness, loss and pain and still yet retained their joy.  In a world that is constantly trying to put women down, segregate, oppress, plunder and pillage its fairer sex, I send this out as a shout of encouragement to all who still stand strong.

To my grandmothers, Dah and Mama Kafanchan who is always full of life and still imitates the way I danced as a kid, I celebrate your joie de vivre today and always. 

To my mother, Momma Jates who’s my pillar and chief disciplinarian, you are loved beyond measure. 

To my aunties, sisters and cousins who have all played pivotal roles in my life, may the Lord’s mercies be upon you all. 

To my friends, who have become sisters, you make the world go round.

Happy International Women’s Day to me and to all women in the world… God bless

Picture after the cut....

 Photo credit: Google 

                       USA today

GROWING DISENCHANTMENT OF YOUTHS FOR TEACHING

My favorite teacher in secondary school was Miss Jillian who taught me Literature-in-English. Before she began taking my class, I performed so poorly in the subject that I thought it was the hardest possible thing to decipher. It was rocket science to me. Then she came, like a rainbow cast over a dingy dark cloud. She unearthed the intricacies of literary texts and by the time she left, I could tear apart any literary piece, be it Poem, Prose, Drama and spoken word, critique it and put it back together again.

It had more to do with her cool, calming demeanor, her vast and deep knowledge of the subject and above all, her ability to breakdown complex material and teach it until it enters the densest of heads. She was a miracle for my class and but for her intervention when she did, a lot of the students in my class, and myself in particular would have been lost as communicators or lawyers today.

When I got to the University, I had an equally amazing lecturer. Mr. Jimoh. He knew his stuff and whenever he stepped into the class we paid rapt attention. He would move fluidly from one topic to another with clear precision. He taught us so well that we even went out of our way to personally research topics in the outline so when it was time to take it in class we were more informed and could contribute to the discourse.

I think his proficiency must have been noticed and groomed by the faculty board because he was always chosen to take the difficult courses. In fact, He even made me put to sleep my fear of statistics. By the end of every semester, it wasn’t hard to see that his courses had the highest percentage of excellence among the students. He worked us hard and with persistence and with something akin to the gentle hand of a father. He was literally one in a million of all teachers I had come across.

However, the same cannot be said for many teachers. During my days in school, there were some teachers and lecturers who used terror as a teaching tool. They threatened us into attending class, wielded a dangling axe above our heads to enforcing excellence and appear with a bitter attitude every day to class. Making students despise the course even as much as they despised the teacher. And that always tells on the performance of the student when they rank low. With such brutes as these, little wonder the increased apathy of youths for the teaching profession.

Or those teachers who always have so many stories to tell about their lives. Instead of getting a shrink on whom they should unload their burdens, they use the entire class hour to keep the students abreast of what is going on in their personal lives, totally neglecting the job they were assigned to do.

Of course it is preposterous to ask a teacher to cuddle a student into learning something, that’s the role of parents not theirs. However, you must first know your subject well and then hone skills that make it possible to transfer this knowledge to your underlings.

And what about their remuneration? But a pittance. It is so bad that even those who start off with glowing aspirations of doing their best at impacting knowledge to others become disillusioned and begin to lag at their jobs until all motivation is gone and there is nothing left but a bitter impassionate teacher who just wants to drone on and on in class, leave and await the monthly pay slip. And when it is delayed they are only just so eager to carry out those long industrial actions that lead to strikes that drag into many months.

I know one hard working teacher who has taught for 33 years and yet collects a monthly salary less than what many young people with 5 years’ experience at other ministries receive. She is set to retire in 2 years and yet doesn’t foresee a fat gratuity.

Not surprise there that many young people do not envision themselves becoming teachers but are more enthralled by the glamor of other professions. In fact, the few who do, only do so because they lack something else to do. So they fall back to the teaching career as a plan B, sometimes C or even D. And at that, they aren’t motivated to put in their best. Half the time they skip work so they can engage in other jobs or businesses that allow them glean a bit of money to complement what little they receive as salary.

Teachers are essential to us. Most of us will be nothing without our teachers who invested their time to tutor us.

Dedicated to Jimoh Ibrahim and Jillian Jackden… Most amazing teachers I know.

CC: those teachers who were nothing but angels

Today Would Have Been The Big Day...The Moment ‪#‎NigeriaDecides‬

NIGERIA’S POLITICAL LANDSCAPE  VIS A VIS THE 2015 GENERAL ELECTION POLLS

As Nigerians prepare for the 2015 general elections, the political landscape is rife with uncertainty, jingoism, scandalous accusations, blatant lies and unachievable promises among others. While stalwarts of the two top political parties’ war against each other, the Nigerian populace watches, dismayed at the obvious lack of decorum and decency expressed by politicians.

Many factors will determine a successful conduct and acceptable results of the general elections. This includes, objectivity and neutrality in the presentation of national matters as well as the perceived positive influence that each party hopes to bring to the benefit of Nigerians. Not forgetting the matter of tackling insecurity to allow for a successful electoral round.

To say there is a total lack of objectivity and neutrality is saying the least. It is no longer a hidden matter that both the PDP and the APC are aiming for each other’s jugular as they strive to convince Nigerians that they are better off giving their votes to them. Their warring has exposed to media watchers the disregard politicians have for the art of true democracy. And the media reporters, columnist and pundits aren’t much different from the politicians. Though it is expected that the media are to remain objective between two warring parties, it is obvious that the Nigerian media have taken partisan sides to the ongoing verbal contest between the PDP and the APC.

Though that should be expected as most Nigerian media proprietors have shown and expressed their political views in the past, it is not hard to imagine that their faithful employees seek to report stories that will gain them favour in the eyes of their principals. Not forgetting the huge geographical dichotomy of their readership and the flowing of adverts from those most favored. It is therefore not hard to see that papers such as DailyTrust, Vanguard and Leadership show sympathy to the course of the Arewa people in general and to the All Progressive Congress (APC) political party in particular. Whereas papers like Thisday and Businessday though attempt vigorously to display objectivity, still come off as supporters of the ruling PDP, probably unbeknownst to them.

The adverts that run in the media are appalling representations of the levels that politicking causes people to stoop to. Bringing to fore the belief that indeed “politics is a dirty game”. The name calling, backstabbing, allegiance switching, embittered antics pulled by those who have lost in the primaries, those just generally disenchanted with the government of President Goodluck Jonathan and the stoic supporters of the PDP who reject the APC and all it stands for. This makes it hard for any media watcher to determine what party expresses more bitterness against the other.

While I am wont to say the PDP have said and portrayed some rather derogatory and pejorative views against the opposition party and against its presidential candidate- General Muhammadu Buhari; the APC can’t be fully absolved of blame either.

Where the PDP keep hammering on the educational qualification or lack of as the case may be of the APC Presidential candidate, as well as dragging his dictatorial and familial history into murky waters, the APC have taken to destroying the administrative achievements of the PDP through President GEJ.

The positions of the Elder statesmen, Council of State and other respected Opinion Leaders have further caused more disruption than good in this election period.  With people like IBB constantly contradicting himself in whom he pledges allegiance to. Or Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, a supposed leader in the ruling PDP and expected godfather of President Jonathan, is seen to now be pitching his tent with the opposition. While also brandishing the GEJ led government with unflattering comments in the media.

While I am in no doubt that these politicians raise some pertinent issues in their campaigns, about the economy, social, cultural and political developments, it is clear to me that neither party shows a full and clear determination to attend to the issues that concerns the common man.

The PDP enjoy showcasing the vast infrastructural developments it has recorded in the length and breadth of the nation, such as the road, rail and airports creation, schools and hospitals established as well as its attempt at job creations and the power sector. The APC, on the other hand is apt and with good reason at denigrating such efforts, while expounding on the corruption and looting and incompetency that trail the GEJ led political party. 

While the APC is eager to point to Nigerians the shortcomings of the present government, they haven’t clearly expressed their plans towards steering the country in the right direction. That change is good and should be embraced; one must stop to ask what sort of wind of change they are bringing with them, after all it is said that ‘not every change is good’. Especially with the alluded "Extremism" that seems to dog the APC presidential candidate and try as he may, it seems he can't shake the suspicions loose.

While these are viable points to be raised at such a  time when Nigerians are more informed and have better understanding of how much their votes are worth, another important point begs to be mentioned; the violence that this election and its outcome portends for the country. With the ever increasing activities of the Boko Haram in the North East, especially their concerted efforts to take Maiduguri, the state capital of Borno and the only town in Borno that seems to be enjoying military presence. This therefore means that the military stationed in such volatile areas cannot be redeployed to polling stations else the insurgents may find an entrance into the town and capture it.

Not forgetting the finger pointing of the APC against the PDP, accusing them- all be it indirectly- of orchestrating the insurgency or at least displaying a lackluster effort at overcoming the menace. Then there are the inciting statements politicians and their overzealous supporters have made concerning their acceptance or lack of for the results of the elections. With Niger Delta ex-militants promising to raise hell if GEJ is voted out, and Northerners promising to defend themselves if such a war was to be launched.

Besides the issue of insecurity, there is the matter of the Permanent Voters Card (PVC) and its availability to all registered voters in the country. Though with the elections shifted 6 weeks farther hither, there still abounds many an outcry as to the true capability of the INEC staff to deliver true to their responsibilities. Their responsibility being to distribute PVCs accordingly and without bias to all registered voters, to provide for the timely delivery of all sensitive and non-sensitive election materials and to provide professionalism in the discharge of their duties throughout the election period and beyond.

Though INEC Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega and his staff assure Nigerians of their readiness, many are doubtful of such promise and think Jega just might be in over his head with this gargantuan idea of the PVC system of balloting.

With the international community and media watching keenly at this year’s polls, it has proved to be the tightest and most highly competitive election this nation has experienced in a long time. And while we too look on, we hope that whoever ascends to the Presidential villa, come May 29^th 2015, comes ready to fold up his sleeves, dig into the grime cut out for him and work hard to deliver on the mandate of the Nigerian people.