ATTENTION PLEASE!

ASSALLAMU ALAIKUM.

O Muslims! We are about to receive a new Hijri year and it is not from the Sunnah to celebrate it or to congratulate one another on its advent. For the Muslims, the passage of years does not constitute a real cause of happiness; rather, what counts is the amount of time spent in obedience to Allaah during these years. The years that have passed will be considered as successful if they were spent in obedience to Allaah and miserable if they were spent in disobedience of Allaah. Therefore, the most evil person is he who has lived a long life and has committed evil deeds throughout. It is a must that we receive our days, months and years while in obedience to Allaah. We must bring ourselves to account, redeem ourselves from our bad deeds and duly perform our responsibilities towards our wives, children and relatives.

Contributed by: Lawan Muhammad Dunoma

The Beauty of Mathematics

Its been sometime now from the day i wrote last on this blog, i have been down with a terrible break bone fever, but am fine now thanks be to Allah. I came across this amazing mathematical trick or what do i even call it, anyway you just have to read on to find out what its about. Enjoy.....

Absolutely amazing!

Beauty of Mathematics !!!!!!!

1 x 8 + 1 = 9
12 x 8 + 2 = 98
123 x 8 + 3 = 987
1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876
12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765
123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654
1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543
12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432
123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321


1 x 9 + 2 = 11
12 x 9 + 3 = 111
123 x 9 + 4 = 1111
1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111
12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111
123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111
1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111
12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111
123456789 x 9 +10= 1111111111


9 x 9 + 7 = 88
98 x 9 + 6 = 888
987 x 9 + 5 = 8888
9876 x 9 + 4 = 88888
98765 x 9 + 3 = 888888
987654 x 9 + 2 = 8888888
9876543 x 9 + 1 = 88888888
98765432 x 9 + 0 = 888888888

Brilliant, isn't it?

And look at this symmetry:

1 x 1 = 1
11 x 11 = 121
111 x 111 = 12321
1111 x 1111 = 1234321
11111 x 11111 = 123454321
111111 x 111111 = 12345654321
1111111 x 1111111 = 1234567654321
11111111 x 11111111 = 123456787654321
111111111 x 111111111 = 12345678987654321



Now, take a look at this...


101%



From a strictly mathematical viewpoint:



What Equals 100%?
What does it mean to give MORE than 100%?

Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%?

We have all been in situations where someone wants you to
GIVE OVER 100%.

How about ACHIEVING 101%?


What equals 100% in life?


Here's a little mathematical formula that might help
answer these questions:


If:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Is represented as:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.


If:


H-A-R-D-W-O- R- K

8+1+18+4+23+ 15+18+11 = 98%


And:

K-N-O-W-L-E- D-G-E

11+14+15+23+ 12+5+4+7+ 5 = 96%


But:

A-T-T-I-T-U- D-E

1+20+20+9+20+ 21+4+5 = 100%



THEN, look how far the love of God will take you:



L-O-V-E-O-F- G-O-D

12+15+22+5+15+ 6+7+15+4 = 101%


Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that:

While Hard Work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will
get you there, It's the Love of God that will put you over the top!

Have a nice day & God bless!!

Mystery woman

Mystery woman,
O my mystery angel,
I crave for your sweet voice and tender touch
In the lonely days I stay alone,
Wondering what your name is,
To hear you whisper it into my ears,
To know who belongs to my fantasy world,
To know who I'm talking to in my dreams,
Or who I'm swooning about,

Mystery woman,
The one I dream about,
Daydreaming, sleep walking,
Wondering how our paths crossed,

Mystery woman,
The thoughts of you keep me deciding on what to say,
I write this short poem for you my mystery woman,
but words won’t bring you to me
Life brings life,
But when will we talk again.
In my dreams, and lonely nights……..

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Hi i got this email from an Uncle which i find to be very important to share with you all, don't worry it is not long, so be patient and read it. It is also very important and you might use the knowledge one day so check it out:


STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters... S.T.R ..
My friend sent this to me and encouraged me to post it and spread the word. I agree. If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks.

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:
During a party, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine and just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. (they offered to call ambulance)

They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food - while she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00pm , Ingrid passed away.)
She had suffered a stroke at the party . Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today.


Some don't die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead. It only takes a minute to read this...

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally! He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Remember the '3' steps, STR . Read and Learn!
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster.
The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.
Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions :

S * Ask the individual to SMILE ..
T * = TALK. Ask the person to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (eg 'It is sunny out today').
R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS .

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call the ambulance and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

NOTE : Another 'sign' of a stroke is
1. Ask the person to 'stick' out their tongue.
2. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke.

See, i told you it wouldnt take you long to read this, anyway prevention is always better than cure. This piece of knowledge will inshALLAH help save a life someday.

QUR'AN AND MORDERN SCIENCE

Consider the following Qur’anic verse:

“Do not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one Unit of Creation), before We clove them asunder? We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?” [Al-Qur’aan 21:30]

Only after advances have been made in science, do we now know that cytoplasm, the basic substance of the cell is made up of 80% water. Modern research has also revealed that most organisms consist of 50% to 90% water and that every living entity requires water for its existence. Was it possible 14 centuries ago for any human-being to guess that every living being was made of water? Moreover would such a guess be conceivable by a human being in the deserts of Arabia where there has always been scarcity of water? The following verse refers to the creation of animals from water: “And Allah has created Every animal from water.” [Al-Qur’an 24:45]
(Posted by: Lawan Muhammad Dunoma)

A BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY IN DESPAIR

I had a dream, a dream of a fantasy land, a nation, full of bliss and happiness

I had a dream, a dream so sweet; a mirage or just another illusion in a night sleep.

I had a dream last night of a great country, with all the blessings of the lord
I suddenly woke up to find out that it was all a dream, disappointed, disgusted and depressed, I wish it wasn’t just a dream,

But I had hopes that today, the sun would be shinning and the sky will be blue.

As I stepped outside my little apartment, rain fell upon my head.
A sign of hope, luck or simply a warning sign to go back to my dream?

My car wouldn't start so I walked instead.
Walking alone along a lonely path,

I dropped my head in disgust and asked the Lord for one request.
"Lord, why is it that things don’t go well in my country?" He gently replied,
"Dear child it is because your nation doesn’t thank me for all the blessings I have endowed upon it."

“I wake it up every morning and enabled it to see the sun again. While other nations are burning,
I gave your people shelter, protected their families, and even let you get independence from the whites.

I blessed you far greater than any country around you.
But you were too busy to thank me,

you don’t go to war because I maintained your peace,
you have money in oil but what do you do with it?
Despite that I still maintained your wealth.

You have resources on your shores and knowledge to build on it,
You have plenty of food to eat, and what did you do?

You ignored me and went about your tasks. But when you
wanted something you never hesitated to ask.

You prayed to me to take away a tyrant as a leader but never bothered to pray to me to give you a better person to lead you.

I was there when you needed me, and that wasn't too long ago,
But when things started going your way, it was me you did not know.

As if that weren't enough, I provided your favorite luxuries,
This was something I didn't have to do, they weren't even necessities.

And when it was time to get on your knees and show your gratitude,
You decided that after all the blessing I have given you, you weren't in the mood.

So I decided to give you just a little test,
To show you how it would feel to stop being blessed.
I cursed you with tyrants among yourselves to lead you to an eternal doom………………,”

Suddenly I began to realize what the Lord was saying
And when I got home, I fell to my knees and started praying.

He said, "My child, you have learned and you know I do forgive,
But remember to remember this day as long as you shall live.

Remember to pass the message of love and compassion to your brothers and sisters
Remember to have faith in your lord and ask of him for guidance and protection even when in your comfort zone

I love filling the life of my creatures with joy and love, and your pain I'll alleviate it, but
Just a simple thank you would show how much you appreciate it."

Solitude

In my solitude. . .
At times I retreat to my "shell,"
Clinging to the security of being alone.

In my solitude. . .
I may attempt to merge with my surroundings--
To be ignored, unnoticed, a silent voice rarely heard.

In my solitude. . .
I can feel completely alone and sometimes safe,
Although surrounded by people.

In my solitude . . .
I'm perceived as having a padlocked soul--
And few try to gain entry into my realm.

In my solitude . . .
Few will dare venture to really know me--
To hear my quiet voice or to really try to understand who I am.

In my solitude . . .
I can have a myriad of words to say,
Yet, my sealed lips will not release them.

In my solitude . . .
The words I do speak will at times be jumbled or misunderstood,
And I'll feel worse for having spoken them.

In my solitude . . .
I will be viewed as "quite" and unfriendly,
Labeled by the presumption of a turbulent world.

Yet, despite my solitude . . .
I will at times emerge from my "shell,"
And you may catch a glimpse of who I am.

And despite my solitude . . .
I may put on a good "front,"
Disguising my innermost insecurities.

Despite my solitude . . .
A select few will manage to penetrate these "walls,"
With the sharing of time and the evolving of trust.

Despite my solitude…..
I know I will accomplish my goals,
With the innermost convictions that I hold.

Despite my solitude…
I know the world will bow to me,
Whether it likes it or not.

My solitude . . .
Frequently unrecognized, seldom understood--
A shackle, a haven, a veil or a time bomb waiting to explode!

WHY YOU SHOULD LOVE AND RESPECT YOUR PARENTS!

It is rather very unfortunate and dis hearting that most of us today disrespect, neglect, ignore and even abuse our parents. Because of that i would like to draw the attention of each and everyone of us to read this article. It is very long, i know! But please be patient and read it because Allah has commanded us to treat our parents well, and He has linked this to the command to worship Him and the prohibition of associating anything in worship with Him, this should tell you how serious and important our parent are to us. The rights of the mother in this regard have been emphasized more than those of the father and the reason for that are endless.

Allah says:“Worship none but Allah (Alone) and be dutiful and good to parents…” [al-Baqarah 2:83].

Ibn ‘Abbas said: “This means treating them with respect and kindness, and lowering the wing of humility to them, not answering them harshly or glaring at them, not raising one's voice to them, but being as humble towards them as a slave towards his master.”

Allah also says: “And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, not shout at them, but address them in terms of honour. And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say: ‘My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was small.’” [al-Isra’ 17:23-24].

Al-Baghawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “This means not saying anything that may contain the slightest hint of irritation. [The word ‘uff’ in the aayah, translated here as ‘a word of disrespect’] comes from the word ‘aff’, which is similar to the word ‘taff’; both words refer to the dirt that collects under fingernails, and [in Arabic] when one is annoyed and fed up with something, one says ‘uff!’ to it.” or shit, tsa etc. Most of us forget the harsh pains we have caused our parents from the moment our mothers conceived our pregnancy to the very last day we will spend with them on earth. It is usually a never ending state of prayer and worries for them no matter how old we grow. My mom still struggles to keep her tears from flowing down when ever i have to leave home for school and i am very sure, that is the same with all parents out there.

Abu Baddaah al-Tajeebi said: “I said to Sa’eed ibn al-Musayyab: ‘I understood everything in the Qur’an about respecting one’s parents, apart from the aayah “But address them in terms of honour” [al-Isra’ 17:23]. What are these terms of honour [al-qawl al-kareem]?’

Ibn al-Musayyab said: ‘It is the way in which a slave who has done wrong approaches a harsh and strict master.’”

Makhool said: “Respecting one’s parents is an expiation for major sins.”

For those of us that are harsh and rude to our parent especially the mothers, you have to be patient with your mother and put up with the harsh treatment on her part, which at times maybe upsetting to you. Each parent can sometimes be too cautions and might irritate some of us, but thats only because they love us. Like my mom worries to much that she discourages me from telling her my problems. But by treating her with respect and dealing with her kindly, you will earn her good pleasure and love. Try to avoid things that will provoke her and make her angry, even if they are in your interests, without causing harm to yourself.

Your mother’s rights over you, and your rights over her

1 – The mother’s rights over her child

The mother has many major rights over her child. These rights are innumerable, but i can mention a few of the following:

(a) Love and respect, as much as possible, because she is the most deserving of people of her son’s good companionship.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “A man came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said,

‘O Messenger of Allah, who among the people is most deserving of my good companionship?’ He said, ‘Your mother.’ The man asked, ‘Then who?’ He said, ‘Your mother.’ He asked, then who?’ He said, ‘Your mother.’ He asked, ‘Then who?’ He said, ‘Your father.’”

She is the one who made her womb a vessel for you and nourished you from her breast. You have no option but to love her. The fitrah (natural inclination of man) calls you to love her. Love between mothers and children and children and mothers is something that Allah has instilled even in animals, so it is even more befitting for the children of human beings, and for Muslims in particular.

(b) Taking care of her and looking after her affairs if she needs that; this is a debt that rests on the child’s shoulders. Did she not take care of him when he was a child and stay up with him at night and bear it all with patience?

Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And We have enjoined on man to be dutiful and kind to his parents. His mother bears him with hardship. And she brings him forth with hardship…” [al-Ahqaaf 46:15]

This even take precedence over jihad if there is a conflict between the two.

‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: “A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and asked him for permission to participate in jihad. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to him, ‘Are your parents alive?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘Then your jihad is with them.’” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2842; Muslim, 2549)

(c) Not offending them or saying or doing anything that they dislike.

Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “say not to them a word of disrespect” [al-Israa’ 17:23]

If Allah has forbidden us even to say “uff” [paraphrased as “a word of disrespect” in the translation of the meaning of the aayah] to our parents, then how about someone who hits them?!

(d) Spending on her if she is in need and does not have a husband who can spend on her or if her husband is poor; for the righteous, spending on one’s mother and feeding her is more precious than feeding their own children!

Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

“Three men went out walking and rain began to fall on them. They entered a cave in a mountain, then a rock fell (blocking the entrance to the cave). They said to one another, Pray to Allah by virtue of the best deeds that you have done. One of them said, O Allah, my parents were elderly and I used to go out and tend to my flocks, then I would milk them and bring the milk to my parents for them to drink from it, then I would give some to my children. One night I came home late and found them sleeping. I did not want to wake them, and the children were crying at my feet. I kept waiting and the children kept crying until dawn broke. O Allah, if You knew that I did that for Your sake, then open a way for us through which we can see the sky. So a way was opened for them…” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2102; Muslim, 2743)!

(e) Obeying her when she tells you to do something good. But if she tells you to do something bad, such as shirk, then there should be no obedience to any created being if it involves disobedience to the Creator.

Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “But if they (both) strive with you to make you join in worship with Me others that of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not; but behave with them in the world kindly” [Luqmaan 31:15]

(f) After one’s mother dies, it is Sunnah to fulfil any vows that she had made, and to give charity and perform Hajj and ‘Umrah on her behalf.

It was reported from Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that a woman from Juhaynah came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said:

“My mother vowed to go for Hajj, but she died before she did so. Can I perform Hajj on her behalf?” He said, “Yes, perform Hajj on her behalf. Do you not think that if your mother owed a debt that you would pay it off for her? Fulfil her debt to Allah, for Allah is more deserving that what is owed to Him should be paid.” (narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1754).

(g) After she dies, it is also Sunnah to honour her by maintaining ties with those whom she used to keep in touch with, such as her relatives and friends.

It was narrated from ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Umar that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

“The best of righteous deeds is for a man to keep in touch with his father’s friends after he dies.” (Narrated by Muslim, 2552).

2 – Your rights over your mother

(a) That she should take care of you when you are a child, breastfeeding and nurturing you. This is a well-known aspect of human nature that has been handed down from the beginning of creation.

Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“The mothers shall give suck to their children for two whole years, (that is) for those (parents) who desire to complete the term of suckling” [al-Baqarah 2:233]

(b) She should bring you up in a righteous manner, for she will be responsible for that before Allah on the Day of Resurrection. You are part of her “flock” and she is your “shepherd”.

It was reported that ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Umar said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say

: ‘Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock. The imaam is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock. A man is the shepherd of his family and is responsible for his flock. A woman is the shepherd of her husband’s house and is responsible for her flock. A servant is the shepherd of his master’s wealth and is responsible for his flock.’ I think that he said, ‘A man is the shepherd of his father’s wealth and is responsible for his flock. Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock.’” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 853; Muslim, 1829)

With regard to her interfering with such matters as when you go out of the house or come in, or your going out in the evening with your friends: both parents have to watch their children with regard to this, so as to keep control of things and not let their children be led astray by bad company. In most cases, when young people are corrupted it is because of bad company. Concerning this matter, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

“A man will follow the way of his close friend, so let each of you look to who his close friends are.”

(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2387; Abu Dawood, 4833. This hadeeth was classed as hasan by al-Tirmidhi and as Sahih by al-Nawawi, as stated in Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi, 7/42).

Parents also have to watch when their child goes out and when he comes in, because they should not give him free rein, especially if he is not righteous.

You have to acknowledge their status and respect them and offer them good companionship, even if they give you a hard time with regard to things that Allah has made permissible for you. Allah has commanded us to treat our parents well even if they are kuffar who call you to shirk, so how about if they are calling us to something which they sincerely believe to be good? Even if sometimes it causes you some difficulty with regard to something that is permissible for you, the best thing to do is to obey them and do what they want. Even though you do not have to do this, it is a kind of sacrifice and giving them preference, because they are the most deserving of being given good treatment. In the Qur’an, Allah has mentioned obedience to parents immediately after worship of Him, in order to demonstrate the high status afforded obedience to parents.

4 – Your father has the final say concerning everything that comes under his responsibility. For example, he is the one who decides in which school a child who is dependent on him will study. The father also has the final say concerning anything to do with his property, such as your using his car, taking his money, etc.

With regard to a son who is grown up and independent, he makes his own decisions concerning things that Allah has permitted. It is prescribed for him to please his father so long as that does not conflict with his obedience towards Allah. The son must continue to respect his father no matter how old he gets, because this has to do with honouring one’s parents and treating them kindly. It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar said:

“I never climbed onto the roof of a house in which my father was.”

If a father tells a child to do something good, or to stop doing something that is permissible, he should obey him so long as that will not cause the son any harm.


The IMPORTANCE OF HONOURING ONE'S PARENTS IN ISLAM

The importance of honouring one’s parents is:

Firstly: it is obedience to Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And We have enjoined on man to be good and dutiful to his parents” [al-‘Ankaboot 29:8]

“And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them but address them in terms of honour. And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say: ‘My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was young’” [al-Israa’ 17:23]

In al-Sahihayn it is reported that Ibn ‘Abbaas said:

“The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was asked which deed is the best? He said, ‘Faith in Allah and His Messenger, then honouring one’s parents…’”

And there are many other Aayat and Mutawaatir Ahaadeeth which say similar things.

Secondly: obeying and honouring one’s parents is a means of entering Paradise, as it was reported in Sahih Muslim from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said

: “He is doomed, he is doomed, he is doomed.” It was said, “Who, O Messenger of Allah?” He said, “The person whose parents, one or both of them, reach old age during his lifetime but he does not enter Paradise.” (Sahih Muslim, 4627).

Thirdly: Respecting and honouring them brings friendship and love.

Fourthly: respecting and obeying them is a way of showing gratitude to them because they are the ones who brought you into this world. You should also show gratitude towards them for bringing you up and taking care of you when you were young. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And We have enjoined on man (to be dutiful and good) to his parents” [Luqmaan 31:14]

Fifthly: if a person honours his parents this may be the cause of his own children honouring him. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Is there any reward for good other than good?’ [al-Rahmaan 55:60]

And Allah knows best.

Du’aa’ for guidance of your mother

The best thing for you to do is to pray for guidance for your parents and your siblings. This is what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did, as is reported in a number of ahadith, such as the following:

Abu Hurayrah said:

“I was calling my mother to Islam, when she was still a mushrik. One day I called her to Islam and she said something about the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that upset me. I came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), weeping, and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I was calling my mother to Islam and she refused. Today I called her and she said something about you that upset me. Pray to Allah to guide the mother of Abu Hurayrah.’

So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘O Allah, guide the mother of Abu Hurayrah.’ I left, feeling hopeful because of the Prophet’s prayer. When I got home, as I came near to the door I saw it was ajar. My mother heard my footsteps and said, ‘Stay where you are, Abu Hurayrah!’ I could hear the sound of water. She washed herself, got dressed and put on her khimar (head covering). Then she opened the door and said, ‘O Abu Hurayrah, I bear witness that there is no god except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.’

I went back to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), weeping with joy, and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, good news! Allah has answered your prayer and has guided the mother of Abu Hurayrah.’ He praised and thanked Allah, and said, ‘That is good.’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, pray to Allah to make my mother and me dear to His believing slaves, and to make them dear to us.’

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, ‘O Allah, make this slave of Yours (meaning Abu Hurayrah) and his mother dear to Your believing slaves, and make the believers dear to them.’ There is no believer who hears of me or sees me, but he loves me.” (Reported by al-Bukhari, 4546).

I hope and pray that this article as long written as it is will have a lasting and meaningful impact on us and how we relate with our parents. I also dedicate this article to my loving parents for the struggles, pains and the endless effort they put in raising an imperfect and sometimes difficult child as i am.

Why you should be selfish when choosing your friends.

Selfish or selfishness is a word most people like to be hypocritical about, we all hate to be called selfish while denying the fact that we all are selfish in one way or the other. Selfishness is a natural and human attribute we all possess, well of course like foolishness and kindness some of us take it to the very extreme. People only identify selfishness when they are at the receiving end, you never hear anyone talking about selfishness when he or she is the culprit. I am selfish and I do not hesitate in telling anyone that cares to know, well certainly I am selfish in the healthy way, like not compromising my precious time and pleasure for someone else benefit (I only believe in mutual benefit not the other way round), or booking that hotspot in the restaurant for my date.

But there is obviously one thing I am most selfish about, well maybe not “most selfish” about, that’s my choice of friends and associates.

Ok now let’s try and think about everything we own in our lives, whether it’s the people, the reputation, the job, the career or the fortune…etc. Now ask yourself, did all these things just end up in front of you without a certain degree of your choice? Of course not, everything in your life came to you because at some point in your life you made a selfish decision and chose to have it, whether that decision or choice has turned out to be positive or negative. Like for instance if you have a job you hate, it could be because at some point in your life you decided not to go to school and study or when you were in school didn’t bother to study hard, it could also be because you chose to work by taking the job rather than do a business or stay at home and sleep. It all involves selfish choices we make. Anyone with a "fish brain" knows that there are certainly some things in life that we have to choose very carefully, such as careers, partners, clubs etc and other things we don’t have to spend too much time on like the brand of you PC for instance. Some people don’t even care about the choice of the car they drive or their bank or insurance company, which is cool with me but am sure those people would now have a second thought after the recent financial crisis that is sending shivers in the spine of everyone particularly Wall Street.
The point am trying to make is that we all make choices and selfish choices most of the time, so why can’t we be selfish when choosing our friends who are one of the most important things in our lives? If we can be careful in choosing the brand of cigarettes we smoke or the shopping mall we shop at, then we should equally be picky about selecting our friends, maybe like the way my lovely mom selects vegetables and cloths in the market. Friends are our backbone, our secret weapons and our secret line of defense, they are usually the ones we let our guards down with and to whom we expose our weaknesses, even though I think we should never expose our weaknesses to nobody, perhaps that’s why my dad doesn’t have much "friends" except for family and a few associates.

Let’s look at a typical scenario of foolishness we usually make; you meet a guy or girl at a friend’s house or in any other social gathering, you start doing things together, you know, guy things like going to watch the game together, arguing about which soccer team is the best between Arsenal and Man U or Chelsea (when they all suck :p), or going to the club to pick a few girls for the night, or for the girls like gossip about the hot guy you saw at the mall, you know the usual things. You think you know this guy or girl so you foolishly start telling them some intimate and private things like how you bribe your dean to change your results, how you cheat on your gf or what you ATM pin number is (sounds really stupid isn’t it?). But what do you really know about this guy or girl that you should be telling them your secrets? Come to think of this, if not for our foolishness and weak heart, there won’t be spies and secret agents in the world even James Bond will be out of job.

Just because you had a couple of fun with some random dude or chick, you shared some jokes and laughs, he bought you some wraps of weed to get high or she offered to spend the night at your place…..so what?! What’s the big deal with that?! Does a little human bonding mean you should automatically open up, and give your trust away? Come on people!, I should hit you across the head now if you even have to think about it.

What is a friend? A lot of people have different definitions of what a friend is, but as far as I am concerned a friend is such like anything else, a commodity to be used when the need arises. Period! We have friends because when we need something, they are available to provide a service, whether it's to talk to us and motivate us when we feel down, to provide us with some advice or to simply accompany us to the soccer game so that we can have someone around to enjoy the game with. Friends are there because we are selfish, self-absorbed people, who don't like to do things ourselves, friends are there because “we need” them. It’s “we” not “they”, because nobody hangs around with a friend that they don’t benefit from.

Please don’t make me hate you by being hypocritical about the definition of a friend, because I have heard people saying that a friend is someone we care about, trust for, blah, blah, blah. You care for your friends because they know everything about you or because they represent an asset in your life. Without these two things, your caring level drops fast. In life, we don't make friends, we make contacts and contracts that’s why we hear politicians saying in politics there is no permanent friend or enemy, there is only temporary interest. People become friends because they represent a certain interest to one another not necessary temporarily as in the case of politic, it could be for a life time.The minute we realize whether consciously or unconsciously that a certain somebody is in one way or the other an asset in our lives that’s the very minute we decide to make them our friends, and the very moment their value depreciate so is the level of our friendship. Don’t be surprised if your friends ditch you when you don’t have any worth in their lives, it’s not their fault most people would do the same, you included. If you are still deceiving yourself that you are different, perhaps more “human” than I sound, ask yourself why you don’t have a lunatic or a known armed robber as a friend, except of course you are one yourself.

Now, I may be saying all these, but I'm also human myself, I’ve also made some terrible choices in life and have had some very bad friends, and despite everything I've said I cannot guarantee myself that I might not make some more mistakes in the choice of friends, I have come to realize that nobody can do anything alone. At a certain point in our lives, we all need friends both good and bad, I once told my friend that even a hooker can be your friend as long as you know how to use people. With that in mind, you have to realize that you must be very careful about choosing the select few (and privileged in my case :-) ), people that you can say are your good friends . You can have a million friends, but it takes a very few to be called close and good friends, to be on the safe side make your mom or dad your best friends.

A friend of mine recently got admitted into rehab. I can guarantee you that if he had listen to my advice and was half as smart as I am :-), he wouldn't be in rehab, but in my mind, he will always be a close friend. This is not because I really care much about him at the moment, but because when I was a stupid teenager, we did some things that let's just say my parents especially my mom would frown upon.

I definitely can't be there to tell you which morons don't deserve your friendship and which do, but I can tell you to be very careful before you let your guard down and trust another, because trust is a very powerful and dangerous thing.

==To all my friends out there, i love you all so much and really appreciate your existence in my life,i can't imagine how life would have been without some of you, don't get me wrong with this write up, am only expressing myself AGAIN==

Desperate Woman=Undateable Women

A close friend of mine recently had some crises with his girl friend that I very much admire and decided to date her friend for a while to “teach his girl a lesson”. Like I said I quite admire his girl friend and the idea of him dating someone else sounded like a good one to me and a stupid one on his part. He told me about the “new” girl with much excitement as he was speaking but I found a familiar pattern in the girl he was describing to me and I instantly categorized her as an “undateable” girl. I advised him to go for someone else as this “new” girl is simply desperate and undateable or better still try to sort things out with his girl friend. He asked me to explain to him why I said his new target is a desperate and undateable girl which of course I did and also promised him that I will write an article on desperate women, (not desperate housewives yet) to share with other people.
The desperate woman as the word desperate suggest is characteristically a woman unable to keep her cool and wait for her man, thus makes frantic efforts to prey on men who are unaware of her desperation. She is also unable to keep a man committed, and she turns men off with her frantic desire for a serious commitment. Sound like anyone you know? I bet it does.
There are thus many signs that suggest a woman or a girl (whichever way that suits you) is desperate. I'm sure after you finish reading this you will find out that even your girlfriend well maybe boyfriend is a desperate partner. It is rather impossible to maintain a healthy relationship with a desperate woman, which makes them undateable. Usually her urge for a serious and committed relationship coupled with her self-imposed deadlines—such the need to get married or the need to get you to commit into the relationship—eliminates any hope for a normal relationship. I have compiled a list of signs she might show to prove that she is desperate and undateable, this article is however not intended to hurt anyone or aimed at anyone in particular neither is it to discourage or insult the judgement of my good friend as he tries to fly free into a new nest. Below are some of the signs I have compiled of a desperate and undateable woman from experience and several other source of information.

-A woman that is almost always in one relationship or the other;

Just like a man, you can tell a lot about a woman from her relationship history and a long history isn’t usually that interesting to hear about. A desperate woman’s past is usually one continuous series of relationships. She is usually never single for long because she can’t stand being single. In addition to this, each one of her former boyfriend is very different from the other. A relationship history like this is a warning bell, you should move on in your search if a woman doesn’t seem to have any particular type; it only indicates that this woman is not interested in looking for that certain someone so much as she’s looking for that certain anyone. My advice is that if you smell a rat and suspect something fishy find out about her relationship history either from her or from mutual acquaintances so as not to fall for her never ending traps.

-She's too organized, maybe a micro manager

There is definitely nothing wrong with being organized but when a woman has everything planned: this weekend, next weekend, the color of her future bridesmaids’ dresses, the names of her hypothetical children, everything planned to detail, then of course she might be a desperate one. A desperate woman has excessively detailed plans, and if you are foolish enough not to see that, she will soon incorporate you into those plans with alarming speed. Have you ever met a woman who two weeks after you have met her she's already saying: "I love you and I can’t live without you". After three dates, she wants you to meet all her friends and maybe her parents. The desperate woman is usually on a time line and, as a result, she tries to impose a serious commitment prematurely, acting as if the two of you have been together for years, even if you've only been on a couple of dates.

Certainly this kind of women are undateable, well maybe it’s just a coincidence that I have a cat and am single, then again, maybe it’s not. Sometimes pets indicate desperation. Make no mistake, I am not out to accuse pet lovers of social desperation and there is no reason to freak out just because your girl friend or boy friend has a pet or two. The key of course is to watch their interactions with the pets. An obsessive behavior might indicate a desperate need for affection, the question you should be asking yourself is; are her pets substitute for people? (Well I guess mine is :-)) Take my advice: The first time she refers to her pets as "children," leave the room immediately she is desperate.


-She's an excessive pushover

At the beginning of things, it might seem cool; she wants whatever you want. She thinks whatever you think; you have the same idols and role models etc. Soon though, you'll realize that she's just playing at compatibility in an attempt to deceive and convince either you or herself that the two of you are meant to be together. Trust me, while it might seem cool for a week or two, you don't really want to date someone without opinions, without interests and without an identity. A perfect example is like…………….ok let’s not go into that, I promised at the beginning not to mention names or refer to anyone so I guess I better keep to my words before someone sue me for inflammatory remarks.
So now maybe unfortunately for you, you are in a relationship with a desperate woman. You foolishly thought all that obsessive, clingy, panicky behavior was just part of the charm right? What a fool, but don’t worry, it’s certainly isn’t too late, of course I won’t write on signs without giving my own opinion on how to separate yourself from that undateable woman of the desperate specie.

First things first, suck it up and break it off. Don't bother yourself manufacturing an excuse. Just politely tell her you're not ready for a serious commitment and apologize for being in the relationship in the first place. Well you know how girls are; she might try to play around with your emotions by yelling, and crying telling you how much she loves you and all that. She might plead and beg you to stay. However, you have to be tough and be a man by take a firm position, a straight face and an upright posture might help if you feel weakened. But don’t forget that these are all signs that you're making the right decision and also remember that she's desperate.
Now after this what’s next? Am sure you will ask. Well the next step is what I’d like to call damage control. See your break up like that of two powerful nations, say Russia and US. As soon as all diplomatic relations have been ended (the relationship in your own case), employ your propaganda machinery sort of your CNN and start circulating your version of the story, don’t give her any breathing space or she will get back at you were it will hurt you the most. Get in touch with your mutual friends (your United Kingdom, it certainly will help even more if you have a Tony Blair in charge) and use your initial contacts to set up future plans. A desperate woman is like a wounded lioness she can’t hunt, she needs the pack to survive and thus will try to attach herself to your social circle, using your friends to get back at you or together with you. Of course you will want your people to form a barricade not a bridge, so I’ll leave you to take over from here.
On a final piece of advice, you should understand that a desperate woman will remain desperate even after you’ve broken up, that’s for sure! Their pattern of action is to try and contact you and will likely want you to get back together. Remember this is a woman who specialise in neediness. That’s why you need to cut off all contacts, forget about being nice and diplomatic, it won’t help you here. Just go cold turkey. Avoid taking her calls and make sure you don’t see her at least for a while. She’s proven herself to be clingy; don’t give her a chance to cling. Got it? Good! Now go find yourself a nice girl that is right for you.
Now like I told my good friend, whether that girl is a desperado or not, I don’t really know and certainly not in any position to say nor am I here to judge, BUT definitely a girl or woman that exhibits the sign I have just mention is not normal. Well of course you can also relate it to the guys. Maybe I should write about the desperate man. How does that sound?

= = = I dedicate this article to my close friend and business partner, C-boy for his confidence in soul searching and quest in avoiding the desperate woman. = = =

“THE PRESIDENT THE WORLD NEEDS”

I wrote this article some months back when the US presidential primaries/convention was yet to be held and when i was still a bit naive and supported Barack Obama. For the record, i still think he is a great guy like most people say, but if i was an American citizen (whether black or white),he certainly wont be the candidate i would vote for. I would rather vote for...........anyway it doesn't even matter.
Enjoy reading....


A few days ago while sitting alone after a long day at school, thinking of how to get my mind off the academic stress and routine, I came across an article on Barack Hussein Obama, the democratic candidate for the President of the “united” states of America, the article was about his vision for a new United State of America (my emphasis on United). Originally I had wanted to write an article on President Umar Musa Yar’adua and the burdens of his “legitimate” government. It would have basically been an article attacking the government of President Yar’adua concerning issues on the war against corruption and electoral fraud. I had planned to write it in an interesting way, but at some point I felt it was rather too negative and harsh, maybe because of my frustration on how corruption still pays in Nigeria and how glorified corrupt individuals are in the country. Well for now I have decided to look into the bigger picture, to write something about the next world “leader” which normally should not be of much concern to me. By the way who says the world needs a president anyway? Notwithstanding, I might still go back to continue with my article on President Yar’adua’s administration.
Many people are likely to disagree with me on the choice and content of this article for different reasons and of course for genuine reasons in most cases but because of the increasing influence and power of the US government in the day to day affairs of the rest of us (I mean the rest of the world), I think we will only be doing justice to ourselves if we put some interest in who becomes the next president of the United States of America. For obvious reasons, the race to the white house is more interesting and entertaining this time around. More and more Americans are beginning to put in some interest in politics and more people from the outside world are watching with keen interest. With the way things have been over the last 8years of President Bush administration, politics in Washington is no more left in the hands of politicians, people now seem to be calling for a change, the world is shouting for a change too at least the Iraqis will tell you that. This is because, whoever is likely to be the next US president and by extension the next Chief inspector general of the world will have to be a better and more articulate person than George Bush. A lot of people will agree with me that today Washington has become the world’s police station and the inhabitant of the white house is the World’s inspector general of Police. Forget about the economic crises in American today and the fall in the value of the US currency, the bitter fact still remains that, America controls either directly or indirectly 40 percent of the World. At least that is how it seems to be. Well for those who are just awake to current affairs, the battle for the white house has now been narrowed down to Senator Hilary Clinton, Senator Barack Obama and John McCain. Hilary Clinton obviously does not need much introduction; at least the name Clinton should give most people a hint, yes! She is the former first lady. John McCain is one person I honestly see as possibly becoming the next president because I see he has what it takes (hold your horses, do not throw away the article, I will justify my claims). Certainly it would be a living nightmare to have a John McCain as the next US president but I definitely see the possibility, well this is simply because I see the guy as being shrewd, even mean, enough to take over the reins where George W. Bush will leave off, you can tell from his face that he will be another war president and that is exactly what the cooperate lobbyist want. War means money to them, and peace is certainly a threat to their investments. However, Barack Obama is a candidate I so much admire; I will be very economical with the truth if I say that I would not want to be a politician like him. He certainly is everything he is said to be; smart, articulate, inspiring, appealing, energetic and very determined to the course he believes in. He is also a tough and focus candidate as he puts it in his own words: “I try to explain to people that I may be skinny, but I am tough”. Obama’s appearance in his many elections campaigns around the US has been exciting and mind-blowing. Even his most dedicated critics agree that the guy is smart and articulate, he certainly represent the modern leader, well dressed in his suits, tall and handsome like a Hollywood star; the manner and confidence he exhibits in his speech is well collected and articulate. Even under intense pressure, his arcane sense of humour shows through the crowd like a bright new star that he is. Yet as perfect as Obama seems, he is not the likely person I see clinching victory come November this year. If it where my choice to decide who the next “world leader” should be, I would certainly go for an Obama.
The big question now is what kind of a president does “the world” needs? Definitely someone smart and intelligent (as we have seen what daft and dull leaders can do), excellent speeches, a good and clean heart, and an innocent personality would be just enough, an articulate mind would certainly be an icing to the cake. For the benefit of doubt, this is the type of leader the “world” needs. Forget about skin pigmentation or historic background, Barack Obama is the man we need. And oh I wish we could get our way this time around! Unfortunately, the factors and players in the American politics do not consider any of this. For those that think political mafias and barons only exist in third world countries would have to explain how a father made up his mind to install his partially retarded son as a president of the country regarded as “mother of democracy” so as to create and continue the Bush dynasty. Of course we now know how easy it is to rally the corporate America behind a project Bush. Or if you are in doubt, and then look into the strategy adopted by the Bush administration to bring fear and terror unto the doorstep of each and every American for the sake of a second term? In fact these people are so powerful that getting a third term through a McCain or Hilary Clinton would simply be a fiat acompli. A sealed deal waiting to be delivered, but some people will still argue that America is going through an Economic crisis where thousands of people are losing jobs and industries closing up, and thus Americans are up and ready for a change. Well the theoretical and real factors/issues that would then determine who Americans will vote for in November are the failing economy, the strengthening of America’s position as the World’s military and political power, the war in Iraq, and of course the war on terror among others.
Certainly with these factors on ground, the US does not need a Mr. Nice guy; it certainly does not need a Mr. Harvard either. What it needs is a cunning and shrewd president, a president that will look into our faces and lie without even noticing our existence. A president that will be cunning and smart (not book smart) enough to convince the world that he/she is a god sent angel sent from heaven to save the world from “terrorist”, while carrying out the most evil and inhumane jobs that will be required for the cooperate America to regain its lost territories, dominate the world and bring about a new world order! America will “need” a president that will continue the war on terror, either in the same manner George Bush has carried his, or in a more intelligent and cunning manner, while parading him/herself as a vanguard for peace and unity.
American “needs” a president that will understand the need for America to rein supreme in world politics, and to bring about A NEW WORLD ORDER! In all this, I see Hilary Clinton or John McCain to be the next president but certainly not Barack Hussein Obama, our choice!

LEADERSHIP AND THE CHALLENGES FACING OUR GENERATION

This is a speech i gave at the 1st Zaria Old Boys Association gathering on Leadership and the challenges facing our generation.




PROTOCOL

GOOD DAY TO YOU ALL.
Please permit me to start by expressing my profound gratitude to those present here in our midst that have found time from there tight and busy schedule to be with us as we mark the birth of the first Zaria Academy Old Boys Association gathering. I thank you for the honor and privilege of addressing you. It is indeed a great privilege for me to address you and an opportunity to be in your midst and to speak of issues which continue to agitate the minds of all of us. I also want to quickly thank the Executive members of the ZAOBA for the visionary step they have taken to bring this great gathering into reality.

As I look across this room, today, I am instantly reminded, in all humility, of the great opportunities before us and our dear country, well as the enormous challenges we face in the difficult task of being the future leaders of our great country. As complex as these issue may seem, as difficult and as numerous as they may appear, as controversial and as they sometimes are. I am comfortable and convinced by the very fact that this is the proper audience with enlightened minds and perhaps the “best and brightest” of our generation to deliberate and come up with positive solutions. Please where my views or perceptions of these issues are not in accord with yours, I crave your indulgence and mercy not to be angry or sentimental but rather be passionate, considerate and objective, for I am full of confidence that in the eventual differences, we are in unity in the objective struggle and commitment towards a good, focused and progressive leadership in our motherland Nigeria. Our cultural and ethical diversities has train us to take sides. Whichever side we are, the attainment of good and progressive leadership in Nigeria should be our ultimate objective.

There has never been a time in modern Nigerian history when the issues of leaders and quality leadership have been so important than now. The need for a Nigerian leadership that has the competence to comprehend the threats, challenges and opportunities of globalization, the imperative of democratization and good governance, the vision of a preferred future and the capacity and commitment to realize it, is clearly crucial. In light of the enormous problems and challenges facing Nigeria today, the current generation of Nigeria leaders has been subjected to severe criticism. It can not however be said that they have bluntly failed us as citizens and the country at large. To do so would be both unrealistic and unjust. Some of our leaders today respond to the problems confronting the nation in the best possible way they can while others pay no regards to them. There have indeed been successes and failures.

Time changes, opportunity come and go so is the case of effective leadership. Perhaps you would permit me to borrow a phrase from the great literature icon; Shakespeare as he puts it in his own words: “Time and Tide waits for no man”. Each situation and a problem is a combination of continuity and change. The current generation of Nigerian leaders have to a very large extend failed to respond effectively and positively to the challenges of change. For various reason our leaders today lack the capacity to fully comprehend the long-term implications of the domestic and global changes, the problems facing us and the competence to provide sustainable solutions. More unfortunately or even disheartening is the fact that they have failed to create conducive environment that would enable the continuous evolution of succeeding generations of young Nigerian leaders with competence, integrity, vision and commitment to the course of service. My great audiences don’t be discouraged by these facts.

Today we live in a world of continuous changes. Change is a fact of life. But changes create fears and insecurity as well as challenges and possibilities. What has distinguished the successful countries from those that failed is the mere existence of leaders with the capability to anticipate changes and to respond to them positively. Looking back, we can see that the successful countries have been those whose leaders had the capabilities to identify or anticipate important changes in the global market-place of goods, services and ideas and also responding to them timely and effectively.

The problems confronting our country today are complex and deep-rooted to history. And that is why today the outside world views Nigeria as a poor and under-developed country primarily because our leaders have failed to respond effectively and timely to changes, challenges and opportunities in the domestic and global market-place. Nigeria is where it is today because not just the leaders but we also as citizens have lacked the requisite capabilities, the political will, or both to effectively respond to the changes, challenges and opportunities that have confronted the country in the course of modern evolution. This may not be unconnected to our cultural and religious sentiments of blind respect to leaders irrespective of there performance and moral standards. A pity indeed!

The present negative image of Nigeria as a country in deep troubles of corruption and lack of public accountability and of Nigerians portrayed as a people unable to solve their problems is unhealthy and damaging. Though thanks to the courageous work of a controversial man who I have great respect for. Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, who has over the years tried so hard to redeem the international image of our nation.

My dear audience, it is not my intention to keep you this long just to listen to my not so long speech, the fact is a lot is at stake for our country to move forward, I will not do justice to my conscious if I continue to keep these facts to myself. It is time we start talking! Like I have mentioned earlier in my speech, I am greatly honored and highly privileged to stand before such a gathering of intellects and highly educated young men that I consider the best and brightest of our generation. I have so much confidence that with our generation of future Nigerian leaders that is better educated, well conversant with domestic issues and understand the threats, challenges and opportunities posed by globalization there is great hope for our tomorrow. I also want us to acknowledge the critical importance of freedom, democracy, strong civil societies, good governance, accountability and transparency in our quest for a better tomorrow.

To me the struggle for national and human liberation are historical facts to be acknowledged but the consequences of the failure of the current and some past generation of leaders to deliver to their promise is something we all have experienced. We are understandably angry, impatient and frustrated. I AM UNDERSTANDABLY ANGRY, IMPATIENT AND FRUSTRATED! I believe that we have a better sense of what needs to be done to prepare for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.

Let’s keep the hope alive and work for the unity, progress and continuity of the entity called Nigeria. “The struggle continues and Victory is certain”

Thank you very much for your patience and attention.

ONCE UPON A VISION.......

This is an article i wrote a few months ago which was published in a few national online news portals that i want to share with visitors of my blog, because of the importance of the issues i addressed in the article.
I hope you will enjoy reading it.....


It is said that the future belongs to those who see possibilities before they become obvious, perhaps this should normally be applicable to an individual or a small group of people who are likely to hold the most rigid beliefs about what the future might be as a result of ignorance or simply the fear of the unknown or to say it straight those who hold the natural fear of change. This should never be the case for a country that has considerably gone through the highs and the very lows of development since its attainment of independence or of a country arguably blessed with the most enlightened and visionary men of modern history. Nigeria like most other developing and developed countries has the vision of becoming one of the 20 greatest economies of the world at least the 20th by the year 2020. This vision has come to be known as the "vision 2020". The issues I would like to address though I may likely sound pessimistic are not parallel to our great vision 2020 but in fact the essential "ingredients" if you will agree with me, towards attaining the goals of vision 2020.

One fundamental thing that has continued to baffle my mind is the manner and confidence in which our leaders talk, shout and sing of the vision 2020, and the preparedness they show towards the glorious year 2020 which we all eagerly await. At least to see our very own country standing high and "rubbing shoulders” with great economies like that of China, US, Germany, France, England or even our sister in independence, Malaysia so to say. These are just some of the countries that are regarded to have great economies or fast growing economies as in the case of Malaysia that is just 3years ahead of us in independence. Oh yes! 3years is “just" because many of us can barely remember what we did at age 3. But again there is one obvious thing our leaders/ advocates of vision 2020 have failed to understand, see, or realize in our match to the year 2020. This is something that is very common among developed countries and the fast developing countries, this is something that has radically changed the way we live, work, play, communicate and even earn a living. This is something that has today made the transfer of information from one corner of the world to the other possible in a matter of seconds and with just the push of a button, it is not merely the computer we use at home and offices as some might be quick to say but what we have come to know and call the Information and communication technology (ICT) age. ICT is no doubt a force to be reckoned with, a force that has opened up and is opening up endless opportunities for developed countries and the developing countries. The future with ICT is a future with endless opportunities and possibilities. We are today a witness to the undeniable increasing importance of knowledge. But what we do not seem to witness is that knowledge is an important resource that would drive the growth and development of economies. This is true because as it is continuously becoming obvious, day after day, knowledge is gradually replacing the traditional land and labor in economics as the important factor in the whole process of production. What we ought to understand is that knowledge is a productive factor that is becoming the key to productive competitive strength which Nigeria obviously has in abundance and of economic achievement. It is today being used as the primary industry that supplies the economy with the essential and central resource for production. Those sincerely advocating for vision 2020 if there really are, should understand that it is now the era of knowledge, and this means that different set of rules, focus and direction has to be followed. From economics to physics, as the days pass by, a new paradigm shift is taking place. It can then be argued that the economics of Adam Smith is today being replaced by that of Paul Romer, and that the science of Isaac Newton are now being replaced by that of Albert Einstein, and that the views of other great scientist like Charles Darwin are also being replaced by that of Stuart Kauffman.

So what should all this simply tell us? That the battles of yesterday are different from those of today and that those of tomorrow will certainly be different from those of today, well, that is only to be understood by those who even bother to prepare. Thus, when we analyze this, we will see that, we cannot fight the battles of today with yesterday’s weapons. Similarly, the battles of tomorrow can not be fought with the weapons of today, even in practical military warfare. Again for Nigeria to really actualize the vision 2020, if it is really a sincere and collective vision, then we must prepare and arm ourselves with the requisite skills and expertise to survive and prosper in this knowledge era. If we are really serious about our "collective" vision 2020, then we must not be passive onlookers. Otherwise, this new knowledge era would pass us by like a lighting strike. We most and I quote, "most be part of this transformation brought about by advancement in ICT". This is because it will not only help Nigeria in moving to realize its dream of becoming one of the most developed countries by the year 2020 but will also determine the possibilities of actualizing such a dream. Though with the current focus of the government in control, one would only wish that considerable amount of attention should have been focused on certain areas of the economy such as the Advancement in communication technology, tourism, energy generation which the president once called a national emergency and other relevant areas of the economy in order to
fully arm and prepare ourselves for the glorious year 2020. But rather, focus is being channeled at some other areas, which I obviously would not call irrelevant, but not essential in wining the race to year 2020. This only makes us a country fighting the battles of today with the weapons of yesterday, and fully arming ourselves for the battles of tomorrow with the weapons of today.
Similarly, let me try and analyze for instance the importance of the telecommunication industry in our match towards actualizing the vision 2020. Perhaps many observers will agree with me that there is no industry which is as furiously science-and-technology-driven as the telecommunication industry. So fast has technology grown and expanded that even the telecom’s people and people in related and unrelated telecom industry are quite breathless in trying to apply the technological capabilities and potentials of the ever evolving and revolving technological industry. In developed and fast developing countries, wireless is everything; it has virtually replaced, outdoes, and out priced cables. This is so because of the obvious reasons of efficiency, speed and low cost of maintenance. Wireless has no doubt taken over even before cables have been fully utilized. Technology is really pushing the world faster than the world can even utilize it. And it seem like Nigeria is not even in the starting line up.
Again so fast is the speed of technological improvements that today, applications may become obsolete and outdated in a matter of few month. This means that unless and until a country understand or at least prepares for the continuous change and improvement in technology, and until it accepts to follow its path, there is every possibility that its people are likely to be outdated in every aspect of life and human development. It is true that some little steps are being taken towards improving the telecommunication industry for example, and by improvement I mean, both in the service being offered by telecom companies and in the regulations being imposed on them. The quality of transmission has so far improved though not to a satisfactory level. I can still remember when I have to shout into the mouthpiece when making long distance call; I mean call from Abuja to Katisna. The service was so bad then that I regarded a call from Abuja to katisna as a long distance call. But another problem we still face is that today the transmission is "so good" that we can not attempt to make a single call without getting a "network busy" notification, until after several redialing before the call might finally get through. This might sound flimsy; it is important to note that a country planning to have one of the best economies by 2020, should not still be stuck and choked up with little transmission problems like this, at least not at this time. Though the telecom industry is largely driven by the private sector of the economy, the government still has a very important and crucial role to play in ensuring that while its poor and helpless citizens are being ripped off, excellent services must be provided to complement the high tariffs, since price control is difficult to implement in the telecom industry for obvious reasons. But then, if still the government is not sure of how to handle and tackle these problems, how then can we hope to compare ourselves by year 2020 with even South Africa, let alone the rest of the world out there. In the same vain, we can not always be deterred or pessimistic about the possibilities of actualizing vision 2020, though the facts on ground are too obvious to support our pessimism. It is still very much realistic and a lot of us are optimistic that it will be a dream comes true, that is only if we can wake up from our slumber and "smell the coffee".

When I am talking about the digital divide in Nigeria, then it is no doubt synonymous with the knowledge divide. This is true because, When countries developed, they move into a higher level of knowledge, its people become more enlighten and more innovative ideas flow out. Today prosperous economies are essentially, knowledge based economies. We I talk about knowledge-based economy, I am really taking about information sharing. I do strongly believe that for any country to move strong into this new era of knowledge based economy, then, technology should never be a privilege, or accessible only to the urban areas, or private
schools even rich countries. Everyone, whether the rich or poor, privileged or unprivileged, those in private or public school must be able to access and share this knowledge. The use of information technology must be freely democratized.
However, while prescribing technology as a means to bridge our country's "digital divide" one must remember that technology simply provides the means. As such it is a means to an end. The important thing when dealing with technology is the application of the data and information that can be accessed. Handling data and information is a different skill. It requires wild imaginations and innovations. It is not just the question of doing what other countries are doing or what have been leant from others. It is about applying data and information to do old things and to devise new ways so that greater efficiency and productivity can be achieved. Being in the IT field I am always so amazed that someone else's application or innovation is so simple that one should have thought of it. Take for example the idea of creating a search engine like google.com, or of youtube.com and a host of others. Thus the idea of selling goods and service via the internet was still a dream 20years ago. But today, it is not just someone’s dream come true but a new trend and a way of living. Based on this issues, I believe the government of Umaru Musa Yar'adua can and should play a meaningful role in narrowing the current digital divide by committing funds, resources and computer and internet training to all educational institutions and government agencies without leaving the less privileged, before we continue to fall further behind in technology and knowledge wealth. I do understand that there have been ongoing activities and technical cooperation programs being implemented in some states and ministries. But so far noting positive and commendable has come out of those activities and programs, maybe because they lack sincerity of purpose. But nevertheless, I hope greater focus will be directed towards addressing the issues of digital divide, unless if we intend to remain the way we are today, and possibly never actualize the vision 2020.......The struggle continues and victory is certain....... Inshallah!

Now who is Abdulhafiz Musa Abdullah?
Simple, like one of his role models, the former prime minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohammad, Abdulhafiz is a visionary young man, unlike many people, he has the ability to see the Big picture. He can paint a picture but he is not an artist; he can anticipate trends and the opportunities embedded in such trends but he is not a clairvoyant. His thoughts have no limits and he does not believe in the impossible. He has a "can-do" attitude where his dreams can become true.
As a visionary, he can see with his eyes closed. Unlike some people who go through the days of their lives with glorious dreams and never having the guts to act on such dreams and make them happen, he is the opposite. This article is a testimony of such vision. Would he face critics for writing such an article? Definitely! Would he be misunderstood? Yes! Will he make mistakes and wrong perceptions? Certainly, but neither would dampen his enthusiasm as he struggles to see a greater and more productive Nigeria.

Why I Hate Lazy People

Now it’s time I get really nasty, I want to talk about those lazy good for noting idiots. I sure we all know some of them, maybe you are one of them, the type of people who don’t have any real ambition in their lives but like to prove otherwise. I am talking about those drug addicts who go about wasting their parents hard earn money, those street beggars popularly known as almajirai in Nigeria, the yahoo boys who go about destroying the image of our great country and the worst among them the stupid politicians who continue to suck our country dry. Lazy people are the enemies of our progress, the people who will stop us from achieving anything as a nation and even stop us from evolving as a species if allowed to breed. (Let’s exterminate them!!!)
These lazy people are like rotten eggs; leave one rotten egg next to a fresh one and before you know it, the fresh one will become rotten too. Laziness is a disease that needs an urgent cure, a serious one, more serious and deadlier than AIDS. It is fast growing in our society that even those that are not lazy are gradually becoming lazy.
What happened to the days when people had to work hard to earn a decent livelihood? Back in those days, our forefathers have to walk miles carrying cutlasses and hoes to go to the farm and farm what they will bring back home for dinner. What happened to those hard working civil servant who devote their entire lives working for the government and earning a decent livelihood from their salaries. Now we have fat and obese politician who get paid just for sleeping in the national or state assemblies or some executive office. What the hell happened?!
I’ll tell you exactly what happened.
Those fools that parade themselves as politicians and “leaders” are the symbolic demise of our society and root cause of all these laziness. Imagine our “president” who by the way is terminally sick and ill can’t even get a proper health care in the country, with all the resources at our disposal has to frequently go to some other country to get treated, and to make things worse for himself he lied in the name of God claiming he went there for the lesser hajj when he knows his handlers are not good at concealing secrets (I only hope and sincerely pray that he gets cured of whatever his sickness and illness is, Nigerian is more important to me than his health that’s why we need him strong and healthy). Everything is messed up in the country and nobody seems to care.
Coming back to the root cause of all these laziness and its effect, I’ll like to talk about those lunatics, not the drugs dealers of course, am talking about the politicians who steal the resources that are meant to be used for building schools, hospitals, roads and all other basic amenities every reasonable country should have (you can image how backward we are, if at this time we are still crying about the basic needs of the citizens), who instead of discharging their duties as expected of them use it to breed drug addicts and glorified prostitutes in their homes. Am not saying that all those drug addict and glorified prostitutes you find on the streets or in our tertiary universities are children of politician nor am I saying all children of politician are bad, certainly not, the point am trying to make is that most of them are a product of useless families and stolen wealth (there are of course a few exceptions).
Propaganda from these stupid and lazy politicians has infiltrated the media. Yes, I am now talking about you lazy clowns in the media who spend weeks to write a 500-word article that is full of nonsense. By the way what do you even write about? “Yar’adua is sick again”, “EFCC is set to arrest more ex-governors”, “Crises in the senate over 2008 budget” etc…..bullshit! Get off your lazy asses, you ignorant idiots and write something worth reading. I don’t have a fancy English background or a degree in English or journalism and yet I pump out my writings in less than a day.
Moving on to those yahoo boys craps and their laziness, it’s always annoying and frustrating whenever I login to my email hoping to read something good, instead I keep on seeing these poorly written distress letters from either some bank manger or some company director in far away Burkina Faso, Mali (of all places), Ghana or south African about some dead guy who died in a plane crash and left some few million dollars in their banks and no next of keen to claim the funds, (Stupid right?!) Now they want me to help them secure a transfer and all that crap. Am sure most of us have received those kinds of emails. My first question is what sort of a fool falls for these kinds of emails?! Definitely a lazy one, Secondly yahoo boys please cant you do something better than that? I mean if you are that lazy and want to make easy money please email me and I will give you a better Idea. By the way those useless white guys you see on crime and investigation channel or BBC who claim that some Nigeria guy has scammed them are idiots, lazy and greedy! It’s only a lazy and greedy person that falls for these things. Except for the fact that government agencies are not sincere these people should be arrested too for trying to collaborate with criminals to steal a dead man’s money.
Now it’s one thing to be lazy, but to be open and straight about it is totally a different ball game. It’s also another thing to pretend and hide the fact that you are lazy. Almajiri’s or homeless people are lazy and worthless in the society, but at least they’re honest about it (by the way am not talking about the disabled ones; the blind, crippled or the very poor and old, those are suppose o be taken care of by the government, that’s what is done in civilized nations). The only thing I respect about Almajirai is their honesty in showing that they are lazy and hopeless. Every night they spend on the street begging, they are broadcasting to the world how lazy they are. All you sentimental idiots who think I’m inhumane and evil for calling them homeless and lazy should follow them around for 24 hours and see how useless they’ve made themselves and how they negatively affect the economy of the country.
But at least Almajirai get punished for being lazy. Every day they sleep under the bridge or out cold on the streets, they beg for food, and they end up rotting in their own filth. Unfortunately, there is a smarter breed of lazy people who know the rules of life and somehow manage to live the good life through their laziness. Yes politicians and yahoo boys included.
These group of people are those people I’d like to call the “pretenders”, there are like corruption in Nigeria, they are everywhere. The “pretenders” are the lazy people who do just enough to hide their laziness. I know a couple of these guys (I just don’t want to write their name, not that am scared to), they are everywhere particularly in Northern Nigeria. These are people that completely sit down and depend on their hard working relatives. Their mode of operation is simple, they go to their hard working brother, sister, sometimes just a mere blood relation and gossip, telling useless stories and back stabbing others just for a mere chicken change. The most unfortunate thing is that, the hard working ones are the ones encouraging and promoting this kind of laziness by listening to these morons and tipping them for the gossips they brought. Unknown to those that sponsor them by tipping them for the gossips, these pretenders are always on the move, and will not stop until they go to each and every house that they expect to get tipped, while taking and spreading different version and remixing the gossips to suit their masters. Their ambitions almost always evaporate faster than that of a hooker when she gets paid before the sex. The more you pay them, the more gossips you get.
The good news is that no matter how smart a lazy dirt think he or she is, whether the yahoo boys, the drug addicts, the politician, the almajirai (homeless street beggars) or the pretenders, things eventually catch up with them. Sure a pretender like a politician can make lots of money, make a nice living and have a beautiful home with flashy cars, he’ll however never earn my respect or that of real people, except of course those hardworking politician who are few and have my respect.
The path of success for a lazy person will always be rough even though it might seem smooth. You need to be an honest, clean minded and focused to attain real greatness in any society, that’s why only those who are hard working become legends and eventually great. Even though in Nigeria it’s not exactly like that, but at the end of the day, the determined and self motivated people (certainly not always, but most of the time) get ahead of the lazy pretenders. In progressive nations unlike in Nigeria, it’s the go-getters that make up the 1% of the population and control the other 99%.
The question am sure most people would have in their mind is what can we do about these laziness that is retarding our growth and progress? Simple, let’s do the exact opposite of the lazy people. Why did I say that? Because having the drive, patriotism, ambition, goals and the desire to work in order to execute things with 100% effort will allow us to move forward as individuals and as a nation, so that one day we might have the power or money to either make some tough decision like jailing or exterminate this lazy people or flush them out of the country like Fidel Castrol did in Cuba.
If you hate lazy people as much as I do, don’t wait for things to happen or change tomorrow, change them now. Our destiny is in our hands, whatever we decide to do let’s do it now to make things better before these lazy people find a way to shut us up……….. I propose we over throw the government. Who is with me?!

Why you should be single

Ok let’s face the facts first, except you are an abnormal human being or you have some sexual disorder or maybe you are naturally created to be “unique”, we all need a partner, that someone in our lives that we trust, love and care for in a romantic way. Like they say beside (or is it behind) every successful man is a woman. Most people psychologically tend to feel and believe that they cannot live without a man or a woman in their lives which of course is somewhat true. But I am of a slightly different opinion and am going to try and convince you to be on my side, well am certainly not saying that I don’t need that someone in my life nor am I trying to prove that you don’t need a partner either, of course we do.

I was recently asked by a “concerned” friend about what are my reasons for being single? I jokily responded by telling her that all the gurls aren’t attracted to a guy like me (I hope it doesn’t turn out to be true ….), she was however of the opinion that it has to be my fault, she taught I was smart, handsome, ambitious and all the flattering words you can think of. For a minute I thought she was right but of course didn’t let the flattering get into my head.

Yeah I am single, so should you be, committed to no one in particular, able to hang around and have as much fun as I want to, and able to sleep until noon with no one underfoot to tell me to do otherwise. It’s a great life and why shouldn’t it be?

Fortunately for most of us, these days there is no real social pressure to be in a relation, plan to get married or even get married. I have also found out like most of us have the moment I set my foot in the university that one can easily get laid without saying the “fatihah” or “I do”, Alhamdulillah I still haven’t fallen into the temptation trap. This is the world I have found myself in and most people now wait until much later in life to tie the knot, but so what?

Still, that nagging question keeps popping into my head. Do I need a girlfriend? Should I ransom my freedom? Should I embark on the great search for my soul mate and willingly kiss my single days goodbye forever?

While I am still yet to answer these questions and only I can answer them, here are a few reasons why I am still single (at least for the time being) and why you should break up with that idiot you call a bf or that nagging b***h you call a gf and enjoy your freedom.

If you most know……….

• I am taking my time to find the right gurl

Perhaps the most important reason to me for staying single is that I can afford to wait for the true soul mate (that’s if one even exist) to pop into the scene. I am taking my time to casually and gracefully wade through the barracuda-infested waters of the dating pool and confidently set my hook for the prize catch.

In other words, by holding out for Miss Right (instead of Miss Always Right or Miss Right Now), I am trying to avoid the mistake of a lifetime and be in a relationship for love -- and not out of desperation like most folks are. (I know at least five people that are in desperate relationship at the moment, trust me, they always confide in me when things go wrong).

It’s sad to say, but I have seen so many gurls get hitched for the wrong reasons, like they’ve reached a certain age sometimes as young as just 17, all their friends are in one relationship or the other, some even married, these poor gurls have been unsuccessful at the “art of dating” and this stupid guy shows up first......., BOOM! She is interested, only to bite her finger later in regret.
Fortunately for me, this reason for staying single allows me to take my time and play the singles dating game (yeah of course there is a singles dating game), and increase my odds of beating the heart break statistics. Maybe you should also take a minute and consider this too.

Next……

• My cherished freedom of doing what I want, when and how I want it done.

I feel like the world is my oyster (so should you), I can pick up a crazy idea to do what I want or go where I want at anytime or day without a second opinion that has to be taken as the first and important one (if you get what I mean). It’s also cool to not have anyone around to nag at me to do this or that, or worst still to go shopping, (I really don’t have any problem with spending, but I rather go buying than “shopping”).
I am absolutely free to hang out with my buddies, play with my cat (and she is really adorable), read as much and write what I want to. I have plenty of time for my personal interest and hobbies. And best of all is I have the luxury of being all by myself.

Moving on…….

• I get to focus more on my dreams and ambitions

My important reason for staying single at the moment is that I get to enjoy the opportunity of building and actualising my dreams without getting drained by the tons of energy a relationship entails, maybe you should also consider this, instead of the few hours or minutes you have to yourself now to plan your dreams and ambitions because she’s always there, if not physically but electronically there (which is even more annoying by the way) think of the tones of time you would have had if he or she wasn’t in your life. I remain free to put in long hours to write, do my research on weekends or do whatever else I have to do to be productive or at least feel contend. Again I get to be as much obsessed with my passion in politics, writing and money making as I can which I doubt would be possible with someone around my neck.

Am still not done……

• Opportunity and ability to build and accumulate wealth.

Staying single means a lot, it means I am not forced into buying those expensive accessories, perfumes, jewelleries, compulsory gifts etc...(So that my gf can impress her friends with the huge price tags), or any of the other bloodsucking financial drains that relationships entails. (Now take a minute and calculate how much money u’v spent that could have been used for something more worthwhile on that retarded moron you call a bf or that gurl u call a gf that u can’t even show off to ur parents )

Plus I don’t have to restock her shoe collection or wad rope with more and more and more……cloths that gf’s demand (at least not for now). Come to think of it, relationships are like purchasing a car and having to pay for fuelling, maintenance, road tax and all the expenses you can possibly think of.

By staying single, I am not legally, socially or psychologically obligated to anyone but myself. (I sound like a selfish moron don’t I?). But let’s face it; once you agree to go into that relationship or even think of saying “I do”, she has you by the balls forever manh! Guys and gurls, reason with me for a second, those of you that are deceiving yourself being in that miserable relationship or marriage, think of the money that instead of letting her/ him dictate to you how and when to spend, use it and invest in that all important singles cruises or that wild night out (for those that are on the wild side of life), or maybe investing to buy that cool outfit, car or even a house; that’s if you’re a made man/ woman.

I bet you get my point, moving on……..

• Being single gives me the opportunity to enjoy serenity

I love peace and quiet, maybe that’s why I get along well with my cat more than some human beings. When you don’t live with a woman or a man, you are not subjected to that never-ending mood swings and emotional storms. For me I don’t have anyone blaming me for everything that she screws up in her life, and of course no fights. But if you “really” want to have a guy or gurls around depending on what your sexual orientation is (by the way am not here to teach morality today, I will discuss that some other day, I assume we all know the right things to do and should be guided by our religion and moral conscience), as long as you keep it causal, if he/she get too uppity, simply walk away free and clear. (Trust me, it’s that simple).

Just a minute, am almost done……..

• When your single, you don’t have to compromise

If there is anything that retards success and progress, then it has to be compromises especially those unnecessary compromises. Being single means I don’t have to constantly find a “middle ground”—meaning doing what she wants me to do whether I like it or not (in most cases we don’t even like it). This include being forced to go to the mall and spend 5 hours only to come out with a few shopping bags (mind you that’s what I call “shopping”, it’s definitely not buying where you go straight to the shop and straight to the point) or suffer the torture of having dinner with her friends and not being allowed to “admire” or “appreciate” one of them, worst still, you can’t even get their numbers.

Ok people, let me be serious, while marriages and relationships do certainly provide certain benefits and am not totally oppose to it, am not even oppose to it as long as you are happy. Being single keeps the door open for many options and opportunities in your life (see it like being in the real world and not his or her world), However my advice is this; there isn’t anything fantastic with being in a relationship most of the time, it’s mostly a miserable life people put themselves through, it’s just kallon ki tsan rogo ne (a mirage). Similarly don’t kill yourself or destroy your precious life simply because you want to fit in, or you want to do it because everyone else is doing it, worst still don’t kill yourself because you found out that he or she is cheating on you, SHIT HAPPENS, get over it, that’s life, move on, there is a great life out there for you without that fool you call a partner. And for those that are still single and living a fantastic life, my advice to you is this; your freedom is more important than anything, so never surrender it lightly or without a fight, even if you think you have met the right person of your dreams.

So guys/gurls think twice (maybe three times) before you say YES (or however it is you accept him/her as a partner in a relationship). If you are still not sure about it however, here’s one last piece of advice from me, take charge of your life, and make the best out of it…….

.