OH WHAT A TIME TO BE A NIGERIAN!

Peter denied being disciple of  Christ because the situation at that time was terrible and he felt playing safe was the best for him...oh what a time to be Christ's disciple! Perhaps, the situation at hand in our dear country is more scary than it was for Peter. We are getting ripped apart and nearly everyone felt more comfortable to associate with one's surname than bearing national image. Truly things are changing 'unfavourably'.

Where do we start from? The Politicians are milking us dry, the corruption in the land could make you feel they're Pharisee that Christ condemned. Economy is going down the cliff if not already in it. Naira was 0.765 to a US dollar when I was born and as of today it is 480 to one US dollar. Just like a Football commentator would like to say it; Oh what are you doing Nigeria! Businesses are shutting down, I wonder what Mark Zuckerberg would have thought when he was at the arrival wing of Murtala Mohammed international airport. The last time I checked, the escalator was not working. What really is our problem? What is wrong with being black?

Oh God of creation, direct our noble cause. The question is what is our noble cause? Stealing? "Mindlessness or directionlessness"? As Hon. Patrick would have it said; We have not really defined our noble cause or our perplexed situation that has birthed us, recession has really made us to lose focus on what our noble causes are. Oh what a time to be a Nigerian! Help our youth the truth to know. The youths are not really ready to know but to wail on Facebook that a youth like them turned to a business empire. We have become guests of honour at a pity party. So how do we move from here?

There's an interesting story in the bible. Governor Nehemiah was narrating how they fought recession and was able to build the wall of Jerusalem by attributing their success to one thing: 'so we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, FOR THE PEOPLE WORKED WITH ALL THEIR HEART. Neh 4:6'. At the last verse of the chapter he said, 'Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the Guards with me took off our clothes...even when he went for water'. That is our duty at this time, oh what a time to be a Nigerian.

We must be ready to work with all our heart. Tough times need tough decisions to make things right. Recession time is not time to sell assets but time to build, time to communicate positively, time not to play politics with our development as political parties are doing. We need to work with all our heart and do away with nepotism, not being divided along ethnicity nor religion. If you bomb any national asset in your locality because you are upset or felt cheated, nobody would suffer more for it than your kids you would later raise in that environment. We have to be wise how we handle situation. Let us help our economy and not rely solely on government.

We need to be more compatriot and work with all our heart. We have everything at our disposal to effect the turnaround we desire. We will work with all our heart and generation yet unborn will bless our memories for creating a beautiful, prosperous nation for them. HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY NIGERIA.


ODUNMORAYO OLALEKAN MATTHEW
AUTHOR AND SPEECH WRITER

MORNING NUGGETS

Do not live based on the judgment of people, but live based on your conscience and personal approval.

The worst step ever taken is sitting without making a move.

The business of a man is not what he has, but the impact he has made in the society.

Age is a barrier when you make it a barrier.

Can you ever go a bit further than I can go for you? If yes, then I will overtake you, if no, I will not go further.

ECONOMIC RECESSION IS A DECOY, USE THE TERM "ECONOMIC CRISIS"

To a layman, production  and consumption of goods are natural and this process keeps up without verifying the needful, if it is seen in quantity or reduction, so far it is available. For the experts, it is seen from an economic point of view which is the state of a country or region in terms of the production and consumption of goods, services and supply of money. Nigerians have lately been acquainted with the term economic recession,  and may be confusing to an ordinary man on the street, and here is the reason for the bisection and dissection.  An economic recession is as a result of decline in gross domestic products for two or more consecutive quarters, and GDP is referred to as the market value of all goods and services produced within a given period of time. An economic downturn is as related to recession as a twin, and it suggests that the rate of economic growth is slowing down and possibly entering into recession. This is a reason we have to jettison the term recession popularised recently,  because in all, downturn and recession form a junk of crisis, so why not address the Nigerian present state as facing economic crisis.

The economic crisis currently facing Nigeria is beyond a political affair, but the intervention of economic experts is needed to put a lasting rest to what has come to bring slavery back in form of foreign assistance. A widely known and accepted fact is that Nigeria is one of the endowed countries in the world in terms of natural resources and this has not proven the country to be one of the most policy executors in the world. From a critical angle, politics has sunk deeper into the country that attention has gradually been drifted away from addressing economic matters to worries about who created the crisis scenario and whose administration it escalated.

The Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari is currently agitating for emergency power to falsify the rise of economic crisis, but some policy makers elected as National Assembly legislators are of the belief that it is an avenue for the president to become a dictator by usurping their powers and taking the country back to military era where democracy will no longer have its place. The request for the emergency power is partly linked to the emergency power Act of 1961, but in this case, economy is affected as against political motive of 1961. On the other hand, could it be that the fears of some legislators that are delaying the passing of the bill could be likened to fear of guilt as most will be denied of unnecessary gains that come out of projects awarded? The president has power in his own right to make policies, so far he passes through the right procedure as enunciated by some National Assembly members, and hence the cause of their worries over the recent agitation.

In all of these fiascos, citizens are equally tainted to have ignored their line of duty as they form part of the alliance that sabotage the economy of the country. We all know that oil forms the strongest part of Nigeria livelihood, and it has drastically degenerated in value as a matter of lack of maintenance and vandalism of pipelines by some citizens.

In actuality, where are the farms that produced agricultural products those days? The farms that produced our cotton, grains, and other farm products, all gone and farmers have become urban settlers, even mechanised farming is of a low range. Oil spillage has caused decrease in fishes in the rivers, and deforestation has gained prominence like a king in the jungle.

At this juncture, we all know that Nigeria can rise again if we are all ready to dip our hands in the economy to loosen and tighten some bolts that are necessary. From a policy perspective, we need economic development which is an effort to improve the economic wellbeing and quality of life for our country by creating and retaining jobs and supporting or growing incomes and tax base. Our gross domestic products must rise, by avoiding monopoly, monopsony and oligopoly. Increase in production of locally made products must skyrocket so that prices of goods and services are moderated though not totally deflated, but disinflated in the bit to increase the value of  Nigerian currency. The National Assembly should work towards passing the emergency power bill if it is considered as the only way to make standing policies, and if not, the National Assembly should not hesitate to grant any bill that intends to improve the economic state of the country, and above all, corruption must stop!

IS MY BODY AND PREGNANCY FOR THE WORLD OR FOR MY HUSBAND?

We are all aware that two breasts, baby bump, and vagina are the private things covered under the maternity gown, so why expose them for us to see, and this is where dignity comes in. In Nigeria today the new trend of showing off the baby bump by pregnant women has fiercely increased, and this is not a thing done with clothing anymore, but nude. At a time I sat in a garden and examined critically if the women that expose their nudity have husbands in existence, but so many times you see the husbands encouraging the wives by taking those pictures with them which means that the husbands are most times in support of the act.

If we are going by Nigeria's culture and religion, I cannot agree that this trend has once existed in any culture or religion which simply means that over accommodation of foreign values has diminished our inbuilt wiring that we no longer consider what is private as one, but as public. The breast, baby bump, and vagina of a woman ought to be considered as private parts,  and also not neglecting that a woman's body is officially and strictly meant for her husband and not the public. The last time I remember, you were joined in holy matrimony with your husband and not the world, so why are you showing off your lifetime assets to some men that would abuse it?

When I was younger,  I used to live in a world where so many rules were given to pregnant women. They must not move in the afternoon, they must avoid some unnecessary walks, they must cover their nakedness, they must be careful, amongst so many other rules, but these days, pregnancy is the whole world affair, because we can no more differentiate between a husband's property and a public property. I see that even the husbands in support of it are myopic of certain instances like; your wife could be likened to a prostitute by men like you, your wife could turn to a pornography for men that masturbate, your wife could be seen by your religious leaders which totally diminishes her value, your wife' s picture could be seen by your family which could make them hate her, your wife could be seen by you friends who were salivating to have sex with her and a good opportunity to know her private ability

Yes, we cannot be forever young, and by the time we reach our old age past could hunt us. We cannot be forever young, because when we are meant to be chosen in some key public offices, our way of life might be tagged immoral. When a mad woman pulls off her clothes, we run because we don't want to be hurt by her, but when a sane person pulls off her clothes with a belly full of tomorrow's future, we wait and view the sizes over and over because it says alot. We can have pre~birth pictures, but going nude is absolutely not a good story for the baby to be told. If our generation continues this exposure, I can imagine a world going nude like some insane bodies able to be compared to some patients at "yaba left". Over accommodation of foreign values has made us weak that we don't think if our cultural values are still in existence and this might cost us our future as gays are celebrated today by causing diseases to spread in our world.

WHY DO SOME LADIES LOOK LIKE MASQUERADES WHILE SOME FLOURISH?

Her sight captivated me as I turned to my left hand side in a public transport, a beauty to behold, and her lovely smile said alot about her. I wondered where she was coming from and also heading towards, but all I noticed was a set face looking straight with confidence. I was not comfortable sitting beside a queen without having a conversation with her, so I looked to my right hand side checking if a third party was aware of my discomfort, but guess what, I saw a masquerade in form of a lady. A scary figure with her threatening face and I said to myself, why do we have queens and masquerades in form of ladies?

As the driver drove some kilometres, the bus conductor started with the collection of our transport fare, and there I was tempted to pay for three, yeah, I and the two ladies at the left hand and right hand side. The lady at the left hand side already spread her hand towards the conductor, but I told her not to mind, I paid for the two of us and this avenue gave us a free wave to discuss at length.

My question was; tell me the secret behind your beauty? And she replied saying; I am not so beautiful, but I got the secret at my finger tips, things that can make a woman look beautiful without much stress. I looked at the other lady and her awkward adjustment on the seat gave me a clue that she was sniffing to listen to our conversation. I pressed on more to discuss with her, but she insisted that the secret will be told some minutes before we alight from the bus. I enjoyed the conversation just because her face stood like a tv set showing an award winning soap opera.

Few minutes later before the time we were about to alight from the bus, I reminded her of the little secret she promised to share. I was expecting an array of discourse, but it was so simple she said, just FLAWLESS BY SONYA is the secret of my beauty, the kit is affordable and lasting for a woman that wants to feel elegant. I rushed to ask about how to get the product, yeah I am a man but my intention was not to ask lady left hand out, but to help my wife seated at the right hand side( the scary woman is my wife), and she said; Sonya kit is not sold everywhere but a contact number would help get whatever I wanted and she gave me this; (07062279940). The lady right hand side had a deep breath because all that was on her mind was that her husband's eyes caught another woman. Women,  looking beautiful is as good as anything when you want to arrest your man. if I was a flirt, I would have followed lady sonya home. Get SONYA KIT NOW!

MONDAY NUGGETS

"My new world is yet to be built, says the lazy"

"Sometimes I wonder how we live in a third world country with some G~wagons in some houses, and no plate of food in some homes"

"My little experience might not just be little if I capitalise on making it a bigger dream"

"Procrastination is not only a thief of time, it is a reflection of a coward not ready to take a move because of failure"

"Whenever you keep up with some celebrities, are you getting trained through their skills or merely tapping the showbiz world?"

"Do you have an idea of what constraints are? Challenges that pose threats to your uplift, so deal with them"

"It is not a bizzare to wake up without a clue of how your day should go, but it is disastrous if a day passes without any productive achievement"

"The more you fantasise, the more you feel you are there, and the more you face the reality, the more you take a step"

"A plate of rice and a full bowl of soup cannot fill you up all your life, so why eat alone when you know that some are after the grains that drop from your table?"

"My time is designed in such a way that I only have the clue on how it works for me"

"I want to know how big your house is and how large your grave will be"

"Learn to be wise, not only when they end up hurting you, but when you sight that their loyalty is questionable"

BE WISE I SAY...

"When stars meet superstars, they turn to fans"

"The people you refer to as animals today could turn out to be humans tomorrow. The poor could get rich tomorrow, never underestimate"

"Be careful when you offend the younger ones, because your ego might take over you to seek for their help when they turn out to be great people"

"The length of your cloth does not tell how religious you are, but the largeness of your heart will definitely tell"

"My word might not travel far, but my hand written piece may travel farther, the pen is mightier than a sword"

"Can you dance to a song without a rhythm, can you write with a pen in the air?"

"If you keep walking in circles all your life, one day you will die in circles because that is where you limit yourself"

"If I cry all my life, my tears cannot turn to a river, so why worry over less productive things"

"How far can a generation care for a property, how mortal is our souls that we won't give up one day #vanity"

"The cheapest product can only be bought by those who value it, the less privileged can only be cared for by those who cherish them"

MY BUSINESS IS CRASHING, PLEASE HELP!

Harold S. Geneen says;" In a business world, everyone is paid in two coins: cash and experience. Take the experience first, and the cash will come later". We all have dreams, a vision we are willing to turn into a reality. An idea that brings a bag full of currency notes to our door step, or did I hear someone saying business is meant to be a charity? The looming days of your crash is nigh if your idea of starting a business is for charity. Charity is allowed, but that can only come from your own private purse, and not the business that aims to sustain your life till generations take over. 

In starting and sustaining a business, your hooves have to be strong enough to keep your goal which simply means that your experience must have been an oasis of knowledge combined with wisdom in starting your prospective business. 

 Some guides are designed to help those that detect that challenges are close to them in actualizing their dreams in the business world and wish to tackle such challenges. 

HAVE YOU DONE A RESEARCH ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS IDEA? 

Research is key in anything one is venturing into. Having a dream is a great idea, but seeing how, when, if the dream will be achievable is also a plus. Research on your market, your competitors, your customers, your prospective environment and everything that surrounds your new idea. Check the businesses that have similar idea as yours, their failure and what makes them thrive. 

HAVE A BUSINESS PLAN:

There is no conservative way of drawing your business plan, just be liberal and get more knowledge on how to go about it.  A business plan can be said to be a formal statement of business goals, reasons they are attainable, and plans for reaching them. It may as well contain background information about the organisation or team attempting to reach those goals. Aristotle Onassis says; " The secret of business is to know something nobody else knows".  You can always get this during your research and inculcate it in your business plan. 

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT: 

Ideas generation is the first to start a business, then funding is a cogent part that determines if a business will be actualized and if it will travel far. In a business, making money is great, but a skill to know the management of cash flow, expenses and other financial matters is germane. Although experts recommend at least six months worth of cash on hand, they also say business owners should assume they will not make a penny for a year. Reason you have to accumulate some cash at hand inorder not to go bankrupt. 

ARE YOU A GOOD LEADER?

Management of a business is an important aspect in determining how far a business can go. A poor management skill could end a business within a twinkle of an eye, so leadership qualities shouldn't be ignored while operating a business. " One of the test of leadership is the ability to recognise a problem before it becomes an emergency" says Arnold H. Glasow. This is the more reason you have to train and know more about your business to give you more confidence. Your staff welfare is as good as the success of your business, because a well motivated staff will always deliver with a heart full of good outcome. 

UNDERSTAND YOUR CUSTOMERS AND COMPETITORS; 

This is where your brand comes into play. Jeff Bezos says; " A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You learn reputation by trying to do hard things". Your brand should stand out than your competitors' and this will make your uniqueness a great patronage for your customers. Learn from the mistakes of your competitors to further the satisfaction of your customers. "There is only one boss. The customer, and he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else"says; Sam Walton

OVER EXPANSION:

Do not be deceived by the evenly patronage of customers, hence your motivation in expanding rapidly without putting some vital things into consideration. Ensure your first start up is stable, and avoid a case where you can no longer effectively manage the expansion.

"If you don't drive your business, you will be driven out of business" B.C Forbes

and Colin Powell says; " There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure". Learn, relearn and unlearn to sustain your business.