I was already late. So after waiting a while for a taxi and seeing none, I "climbed" on an Okada to the park where I was to join a bus to Owerri. But I couldn’t make it to the park. A series of sporadic and close-sounding gunshots make sure of that! Preferring not to be the subject of a tragedy, i quickly scanned the surroundings for a concrete post or wall. Not finding any, i hugged the murky ground at my feet and with this action went my precious white shirt and my traveling to Owerri that morning. Everything happened in a split second; in emergency mode.
That’s the nature of living in Port Harcourt these days. You can encounter danger in the next minute and equally lose you life if your chi is not awake. The city is now a state (city) of emergency. Though everyone still pretends it’s not. But when I think of it now, I ask myself, when has the city not been tethering on the brink of strife since I grew conscious enough to make my choices. Back then it used to be one of the numerous inter-ethnic conflicts: Andoni –Ogoni, Ijaw – Okirika, Ogoni –Andoni etc.
It’s only enjoying attention because it now involves the kidnapping of expatriates and the direct threatening of governance. When it happened only at the “watersides” – the slums, nobody paid any attention or when attention was paid, it was out of political expediency. Now all those who killed and maimed in the name of ethnic conflict has drank the concoction of penury, vengeance, criminality and of course, courage. They are attacking the larger community. Its just an example of what happens when politics is played with just about everything, from checking religious fanatism to tackling poverty. Peace takes a walk when this happens, and unfortunately with it my precious white shirt. But I am too glad it was only my shirt.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Monday, August 06, 2007
HIV TESTS IN COVENANT UNIVERSITY: THE BURDEN OF JUDGESHIP
HIV TESTS IN COVENANT UNIVERSITY: THE BURDEN OF JUDGESHIP
I’ve been off the blogging circuit for a while and though I’ve been itching to lend my voice to issues, somehow, I’ve been cocooned off by constraints. But when this issue of subjecting would be graduands of Covenant University to compulsory HIV screening before the award of degrees to them came up, it also drove up a couple of latent questions from the depths of my mind.
Not to bore you much, I helped myself to the answer to one of the questions that plagued my mind. It’s about Character. What’s Character? The dictionary says that character is “all the qualities and features that makes a person, a group or a place different from others”. Character is the reason Covenant University is doing what it’s doing. We all know that an awardee has to be found “worthy” in “learning and character” before a degree is awarded him. But that is where my dilemma steps in. What constitutes Character? …all the qualities? Tallness, Thinness, HIV status? What? So my questions began.
Does the health status of anyone contribute to character when viewed in the light of the education environment? If a person is dying, and insists on acquiring formal education, does anybody have the right to deprive them of such? Where the persons health status (You might want to read “HIV status”) does not affect their physical, mental and emotional strengths, does that state of health merit being used as a tool as against such individuals in their pursuit of academic glory?
Who has the absolute right to condemn someone by such standards and thus deprive the person? The Chancellor, Registrar, Senate….? Who? Does it mean that if somebody makes straight As or a First Class, the person would not be given a certificate, just because of their HIV status? Please.
Probably, the University authorities believe that whosoever got the virus had it as a result of the sexual promiscuity while forgetting there are tens of ways through which the virus can be contracted. I ask again, within whose purview does the right to administer spiritual cleansing fall? Chancellor Oyedepo or God through Christ (when you sincerely seek His face). So whats the news that they would not be allowed to graduate except they undergo spiritual cleansing about? To me it sounds like info straight out of Gulu, Uganda (apologies to the people of Gulu ).Christ! Even Christ didn’t discriminate!
A persons HIV status does not stop them from contributing positively to society. Rather by depriving someone who has studied for 4 years of their right to a certificate, you would be encouraging them to become bitter and vengeful. They might even want to spread the virus around in order to spite the earth that treated them badly.
A judge, administrator or someone with the responsibility to make decisions that drastically affect peoples lives has to look at the bigger picture, and in an instance where such a person is a minister, he has to be careful not to sin and be seen to sin! Deprivation of civil liberties under whatever guise is a very sensitive issue especially when such deprivation inspires one to criminality and hate. In more radical societies, The Covenant University authorities could easily be in trouble.
I implore them to show the students all the Love they can and stop this issue about HIV screening before graduation. I wonder what it’s meant to achieve, anyway, because the positive still moves into the wider society, screening or no screening. It’s Ok to screen before you admit, though. That in my opinion can help save the lives of the other students. Somehow.
Mr. Nathaniel (I think that’s his name) the Registrar was on TV last night dousing the flames of this controversial issue, but Sir, am sorry to say this. You did not convince me of the rightness of your cause. And oh, for the denials, there is surely no smoke without fire! My constraints are still here, so I will rest my case for now.
I’ve been off the blogging circuit for a while and though I’ve been itching to lend my voice to issues, somehow, I’ve been cocooned off by constraints. But when this issue of subjecting would be graduands of Covenant University to compulsory HIV screening before the award of degrees to them came up, it also drove up a couple of latent questions from the depths of my mind.
Not to bore you much, I helped myself to the answer to one of the questions that plagued my mind. It’s about Character. What’s Character? The dictionary says that character is “all the qualities and features that makes a person, a group or a place different from others”. Character is the reason Covenant University is doing what it’s doing. We all know that an awardee has to be found “worthy” in “learning and character” before a degree is awarded him. But that is where my dilemma steps in. What constitutes Character? …all the qualities? Tallness, Thinness, HIV status? What? So my questions began.
Does the health status of anyone contribute to character when viewed in the light of the education environment? If a person is dying, and insists on acquiring formal education, does anybody have the right to deprive them of such? Where the persons health status (You might want to read “HIV status”) does not affect their physical, mental and emotional strengths, does that state of health merit being used as a tool as against such individuals in their pursuit of academic glory?
Who has the absolute right to condemn someone by such standards and thus deprive the person? The Chancellor, Registrar, Senate….? Who? Does it mean that if somebody makes straight As or a First Class, the person would not be given a certificate, just because of their HIV status? Please.
Probably, the University authorities believe that whosoever got the virus had it as a result of the sexual promiscuity while forgetting there are tens of ways through which the virus can be contracted. I ask again, within whose purview does the right to administer spiritual cleansing fall? Chancellor Oyedepo or God through Christ (when you sincerely seek His face). So whats the news that they would not be allowed to graduate except they undergo spiritual cleansing about? To me it sounds like info straight out of Gulu, Uganda (apologies to the people of Gulu ).Christ! Even Christ didn’t discriminate!
A persons HIV status does not stop them from contributing positively to society. Rather by depriving someone who has studied for 4 years of their right to a certificate, you would be encouraging them to become bitter and vengeful. They might even want to spread the virus around in order to spite the earth that treated them badly.
A judge, administrator or someone with the responsibility to make decisions that drastically affect peoples lives has to look at the bigger picture, and in an instance where such a person is a minister, he has to be careful not to sin and be seen to sin! Deprivation of civil liberties under whatever guise is a very sensitive issue especially when such deprivation inspires one to criminality and hate. In more radical societies, The Covenant University authorities could easily be in trouble.
I implore them to show the students all the Love they can and stop this issue about HIV screening before graduation. I wonder what it’s meant to achieve, anyway, because the positive still moves into the wider society, screening or no screening. It’s Ok to screen before you admit, though. That in my opinion can help save the lives of the other students. Somehow.
Mr. Nathaniel (I think that’s his name) the Registrar was on TV last night dousing the flames of this controversial issue, but Sir, am sorry to say this. You did not convince me of the rightness of your cause. And oh, for the denials, there is surely no smoke without fire! My constraints are still here, so I will rest my case for now.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Till sometime soon!
Due to some unavoidable circumstances, i'll have to curb what i really love doing-blogging.But i just have to go away for a couple of weeks....and will soon be back as i'm midway into my "unavoidable circumstances". Even when you visit and didn't find a new post, be rest assured i've been reading yours...My dear brothers and sisters, may your toes never break from kicking a**es.Its your duty to speak out. And oh!, may you never tire to commend too.Till sometime soon.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
New Nigerian Anthem
Claws from the Past
Bring it!
What?
We right here
We're not goin anywhere
We right here
This is ours and we don't share
We right here
Bring your crew cuz we don't care
We right here
Uh, uh, uh..
Chorus of Rapstar DMX's song "We right Here".
For sometime now, i've not been frequent on Blogland. I'd say why next time. But i couln't resist sharing the new PDP anthem with us.This is most intended for those who are seeing a new dawn where there is actually none.Its still the reign of the leeches. Doubt it? Read your lecture notes on LEG 101 (Course Title : Politics of (s)election in the 6th Nigerian Senate) .....Obviously,
the leprous claws from the dark not too distant past still pulls the strings. GOD HELP US!
Bring it!
What?
We right here
We're not goin anywhere
We right here
This is ours and we don't share
We right here
Bring your crew cuz we don't care
We right here
Uh, uh, uh..
Chorus of Rapstar DMX's song "We right Here".
For sometime now, i've not been frequent on Blogland. I'd say why next time. But i couln't resist sharing the new PDP anthem with us.This is most intended for those who are seeing a new dawn where there is actually none.Its still the reign of the leeches. Doubt it? Read your lecture notes on LEG 101 (Course Title : Politics of (s)election in the 6th Nigerian Senate) .....Obviously,
the leprous claws from the dark not too distant past still pulls the strings. GOD HELP US!
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Dear Brother!
My dear Brother,
Thanks for the concern. I’m OK now. It’s healthy to be in shock once in a while (there should be a study that affirms that). Just as you insinuated the last time, the deed has been done. The battle lost and maybe the trenches already silting up. Musa Yar’adua has “coasted home to a resounding victory”. By now you must have heard he won with over 60% of the total votes “cast”. The glasses are clinking and you can be sure the growth of pot bellies will witness another astronomical increase. The Nigeria Decides and Elections 2007 reporters are already going back to their routine. I can see them chatting away in excitement. It’s been a unique weekend. The day “we” will hand over to another civilian regime is getting nearer. INEC offices across the land are been swept. Eagle Square too. Life has continued. Though the frame has changed; the picture has refused to be replaced.
Electricity was just restored a few minutes ago and I caught the President on TV congratulating Nigerians for a job well done. We didn’t do no job! We are about to do that by embarking on good old siddon look. I wont have you sitting there thinking I did such a bad job. Jolly good Baba knows who did the job. He said aggrieved politicians should head for the tribunals…but I was waiting to hear where the families of the victims of this election would head to. Well, I don’t really believe the courts would change much. Of course, they wouldn’t want to truncate Nigerian “fledging” democracy (Nobody is using “nascent” now).They would rule in the all-conquering national interest. You know, National Interest is the fluid with which we swallow our bitter pills. The ones the kleptocrats and charlatans gave us.
Last time, we were asked to defend our votes. But we did not vote, so what are we going to defend? It wasn’t our fault Bro, it really wasn’t. The INEC people never came to our area and in places were they came, they came without result sheets. So we really don’t have much to defend, see? Besides they are asking us to defend, defend, defend… but nobody wants to say how the defence would be. I guess nobody fancies a visit from the guys in black, especially now ( in their season of anger).Remember, their colleagues are been targeted everywhere. So, we can only run to the law.Yea, law –abiding citizens. You know we love the law so much. Baba even said we should put our hope in the law. I think the yoke on the law is going to be great in the coming days. We are already praying the load doesn’t give it a K-leg as our Baba is wont to say.
Bro, have you ever voted digitally? Nigerians did in the last elections. It was so exciting. The whole process was “digitally ours” in fact. That EDC and EVC machine was da bomb. With it, 500 registered voters can actually multiply to 10000 when the results are announced. That Iwu surely rocks! Such genius. I heard he’s been held from returning home by handshakes. If you can reach him,…I don’t know….but I heard he recently changed some of his telephone numbers…tell him that one day we would meet him on the other side of the river. We want to congratulate him too. And yes, tell him not to forget to come with his helmet. They say rocks like people who rock. Am not sure, but in case it rocks, the helmet would come in handy. I don’t know how you can reach him now, but if you get the number and a machine picks, start saying you are an Observer from Haiti and that you want to commend……I think he will pick then.
I also heard the results are already out in France. Hah, that Royale woman..Senegalese born Sengolene.... In fact, that Socialist woman tried.They said she came second and is already gathering poll points in the days to the second round..Thats well. She’s already great. For our women here, the prospects are still dim. Of course, unless you are the wife of an Ekaette, Danjuma, Kure, Ali or a girlfriend to any of these names. Screen idols are getting a mention too. Maybe I’ll ask my daughter to be a newscaster. I love them.
We almost saw Iraq here the other day. Someone tried to ram a petrol laden tanker into the Electoral umpire’s office at Abuja but a NEPA pole did us one good this time. It stopped the truck. Maybe we should import these poles for use as accident preventers on our accident-prone highways. I know firm that manufactures that, yea, close to the one that printed our ballot papers. But don’t be excited o.There wasn’t anybody in that truck. I think the plotter or driver or… whoever wasn’t sure his suicide pill wasn’t the adulterated one, so he got faint hearted and put a stone in his stead. Talc, calcium, valium,…the guy wasn’t just sure. I think the NAFDAC woman should look into that aspect of fakery since the elections are now over. Anyway, at least we have an innovation in the country. Rocks now drive trucks. If it’s in Nigeria, its possible; everybody and everything rocks.
Some people are saying other people should take to the streets in protest. Tomorrow, I will be walking the streets. I still don't have that job yet. So I will be knocking on yet some more gates.Yesterday was May Day and we didnt get any may day calls.No protest.Who wan die? The Protest from our stomachs won't allow us to move into the streets.
Ahhh…there it goes again. Another power cut. That will force me to stop here as it is already dark. I will write you some other time, but before I stop I want you to think about this quote; its taken from The Sunday Sun of 22nd April 2007.Its from Ojo Maduekwe PDP’s Scribe to Prince Soyebi , INEC’s REC in Abia State where the PDP lost the gubernatorial election. Hear, “We offered him everything and you said you are born again”.
Soyebi was beaten up by political thugs at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Intl Airport. Guess who launch the first slap.? Onyema Ugochukwu, the defeated PDP candidate in the state.And he wants to be a governor? God Forbid times three.What more can a country stand. Bro, i will write you next time jooo
Take care.
Your Brother.
Atakata Eloo
Thanks for the concern. I’m OK now. It’s healthy to be in shock once in a while (there should be a study that affirms that). Just as you insinuated the last time, the deed has been done. The battle lost and maybe the trenches already silting up. Musa Yar’adua has “coasted home to a resounding victory”. By now you must have heard he won with over 60% of the total votes “cast”. The glasses are clinking and you can be sure the growth of pot bellies will witness another astronomical increase. The Nigeria Decides and Elections 2007 reporters are already going back to their routine. I can see them chatting away in excitement. It’s been a unique weekend. The day “we” will hand over to another civilian regime is getting nearer. INEC offices across the land are been swept. Eagle Square too. Life has continued. Though the frame has changed; the picture has refused to be replaced.
Electricity was just restored a few minutes ago and I caught the President on TV congratulating Nigerians for a job well done. We didn’t do no job! We are about to do that by embarking on good old siddon look. I wont have you sitting there thinking I did such a bad job. Jolly good Baba knows who did the job. He said aggrieved politicians should head for the tribunals…but I was waiting to hear where the families of the victims of this election would head to. Well, I don’t really believe the courts would change much. Of course, they wouldn’t want to truncate Nigerian “fledging” democracy (Nobody is using “nascent” now).They would rule in the all-conquering national interest. You know, National Interest is the fluid with which we swallow our bitter pills. The ones the kleptocrats and charlatans gave us.
Last time, we were asked to defend our votes. But we did not vote, so what are we going to defend? It wasn’t our fault Bro, it really wasn’t. The INEC people never came to our area and in places were they came, they came without result sheets. So we really don’t have much to defend, see? Besides they are asking us to defend, defend, defend… but nobody wants to say how the defence would be. I guess nobody fancies a visit from the guys in black, especially now ( in their season of anger).Remember, their colleagues are been targeted everywhere. So, we can only run to the law.Yea, law –abiding citizens. You know we love the law so much. Baba even said we should put our hope in the law. I think the yoke on the law is going to be great in the coming days. We are already praying the load doesn’t give it a K-leg as our Baba is wont to say.
Bro, have you ever voted digitally? Nigerians did in the last elections. It was so exciting. The whole process was “digitally ours” in fact. That EDC and EVC machine was da bomb. With it, 500 registered voters can actually multiply to 10000 when the results are announced. That Iwu surely rocks! Such genius. I heard he’s been held from returning home by handshakes. If you can reach him,…I don’t know….but I heard he recently changed some of his telephone numbers…tell him that one day we would meet him on the other side of the river. We want to congratulate him too. And yes, tell him not to forget to come with his helmet. They say rocks like people who rock. Am not sure, but in case it rocks, the helmet would come in handy. I don’t know how you can reach him now, but if you get the number and a machine picks, start saying you are an Observer from Haiti and that you want to commend……I think he will pick then.
I also heard the results are already out in France. Hah, that Royale woman..Senegalese born Sengolene.... In fact, that Socialist woman tried.They said she came second and is already gathering poll points in the days to the second round..Thats well. She’s already great. For our women here, the prospects are still dim. Of course, unless you are the wife of an Ekaette, Danjuma, Kure, Ali or a girlfriend to any of these names. Screen idols are getting a mention too. Maybe I’ll ask my daughter to be a newscaster. I love them.
We almost saw Iraq here the other day. Someone tried to ram a petrol laden tanker into the Electoral umpire’s office at Abuja but a NEPA pole did us one good this time. It stopped the truck. Maybe we should import these poles for use as accident preventers on our accident-prone highways. I know firm that manufactures that, yea, close to the one that printed our ballot papers. But don’t be excited o.There wasn’t anybody in that truck. I think the plotter or driver or… whoever wasn’t sure his suicide pill wasn’t the adulterated one, so he got faint hearted and put a stone in his stead. Talc, calcium, valium,…the guy wasn’t just sure. I think the NAFDAC woman should look into that aspect of fakery since the elections are now over. Anyway, at least we have an innovation in the country. Rocks now drive trucks. If it’s in Nigeria, its possible; everybody and everything rocks.
Some people are saying other people should take to the streets in protest. Tomorrow, I will be walking the streets. I still don't have that job yet. So I will be knocking on yet some more gates.Yesterday was May Day and we didnt get any may day calls.No protest.Who wan die? The Protest from our stomachs won't allow us to move into the streets.
Ahhh…there it goes again. Another power cut. That will force me to stop here as it is already dark. I will write you some other time, but before I stop I want you to think about this quote; its taken from The Sunday Sun of 22nd April 2007.Its from Ojo Maduekwe PDP’s Scribe to Prince Soyebi , INEC’s REC in Abia State where the PDP lost the gubernatorial election. Hear, “We offered him everything and you said you are born again”.
Soyebi was beaten up by political thugs at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Intl Airport. Guess who launch the first slap.? Onyema Ugochukwu, the defeated PDP candidate in the state.And he wants to be a governor? God Forbid times three.What more can a country stand. Bro, i will write you next time jooo
Take care.
Your Brother.
Atakata Eloo
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