A LITLE NOTE TO THE NIGERIA CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF

Dear General Tukur Buratai,

I read in the Vanguard Newspapers of 20th December 2016 that the Army was contemplating “raising up cattle ranches in such a manner that in almost all divisions and brigades, cattle will be reared.” It was at the commissioning of Mogadishu Cantonment New Mammy Market in Abuja last Tuesday. Consequently, the newspaper reported, that you have sent “officers of the Army to Argentina to look at how cattle were reared.” The Chief of Army Logistics, Major General Patrick Akem, represented you on that occasion. In that speech, you displayed a good knowledge of best practices in beef production when you noted; “Argentina has a population of 41 Million people, but it feeds about 400 million people across the world with its beef.” Kudos to you, our multi-disciplinary General.

I have a few questions for you, General. I am not pulling any punches. How can I dare even if I got high on pot? You have the gun, you remember? These are just questions from a simple minded-Nigerian. To be sure, I am not a threat to you. I am not as popular. Even my mother sometimes doesn’t remember my name. To console me, my friends say it’s because she is a nonagenarian. But I love this country like you do, even if not more. And I am not bragging. It’s the only country I can call my own. All my investments are here. I have a visible source of income and I don’t do government contracts. So, you see, General, I mean well. Can I go on with my questions now? Thank you so very much. 

I would love to start with this line of questions, just for me to be educated. Who added economic development and agriculture to your portfolio? If you are such an economic wizard, why have you not plugged the corruption holes in the military and freed up needed funds for meaningful development? I asked these questions because I might have missed the answers to them in the news. By the way, General, have you rooted out BokoHaram in the North East? This is your core competence area; am I right? And have you been able to arrest the reported restiveness of your men in the war front? I am thinking you were emboldened to make a foray into the fields of economic and agricultural developments because of your excellent performance in your primary role. Please educate me. My General, let’s assume for the sake of academic exercise that a ‘stupid’ state governor refused to allocate you land for your cattle ranches or insisted you do not deploy already allocated land for that purpose. What would you do? Would you bomb the state house and whip the recalcitrant governor into compliance? I am sure you are aware we are no longer in the military regime even though a General is our President. ThisGeneral that is our president today traveled round the country to beg for our votes. Correct me if I am wrong, General; are you aware that the National Grazing Bill was defeated on the Senate floor because the Upper House was convinced such ventures fell under the purview of the states and not that of the Federal government? Take this as breaking news, General. Armed Fulani herdsmen have killed many villagers and sacked many communities without being brought to face the law, leading many to conclude there is a military complicity. My dear General, would your pet project not be an attempt tobring through the backdoor the war that the herdsmen lost at the Senate? Would it not give credence to the complicity theory? Forgive my stupidity, General, but I have to ask this line of questions. What is it about cattle ranches and herdsmen? Is cattle-rearing the choicest profession in Nigeria? Why does the issue of cattle ranches and grazing fields keep rearing up its head? Is it just about meat or is there something you are not telling us?I need your help here to assist me unravel the mystery, so I can explain to my mother the rationale behind your project. 

My dear General. I have some experience in entrepreneurship to offer some suggestions if you insist on showing off your economic and agricultural prowess. Of course, you don’t have to take them. But history would judge you rightly or wrongly for whatever actions you take on this issue. I should go on? Okay, thanks. I would advise that you open businesses that benefit and draw manpower exclusively from the local community in which your formation is located. This would make for good military-community partnership and develop local economy. All would hail you for your service. You might even be dragged into the 2019 race by happy and prosperous communities from across the nation. Think of that prospect, General. So, what should you do? You could sell gariin Ijebuland, yam in Tivland, oporoko in Iboland and kunu in Hausaland. Did that sound good? And by the way, General, I have access to a large expanse of land, should you want to grow cassava in Abeokuta. Isn’t that neat? 

I am not big enough to caution you. But if you are as humble as I am made to know; this probably wouldn’t offend you. Please leave the contentious ranches alone. It's a hot potato. It's a divisive project. The last time I checked, you were heading a national army that existed to defend the territorial integrity and the unity of the nation called Nigeria.

The Club Of The Imperfect

Imperfection? I know I am imperfect. Because my imperfection screams to the high heavens. What I am not sure of is if I should I let you know I am imperfect. I fear that you might take advantage of my weakness.  I am in a dilemma. May be I should continue to pretend to be perfect. Or, better still, live in denial until I am deluded to believe that I am. Whatever! What I know is that I shall continue to do all I can to protect myself from imperfect men like me pretending to be perfect. Come to think of it: are we not all masquerades? Don't we all wear masks, pretending to be who we are not in order to take advantage of others? May be that's the way it has been, it is, and shall ever be. May be. May be not.

In my confused state, I hear the Lord say to me:

"The arrogance of man is punctured by his imperfection. Imperfection is not a crime. It's a fact of the human nature. You are limited in knowledge, time and space. Not recognizing your fraility is self-deception. The claim to perfection is the all-time worst lie. Accepting the fact frees you from pretentions, hypocrisy and pride. He who has accepted his imperfection has nailed judgmental spirit. He will be a true friend and be surrounded by true friends. In humility he will accept his faults. With patience, he will work on his fraility. In submission, he will relate to me."

Then, I rise with joy. So, it's not ignoble to be imperfect? Henceforth, I shall celebrate my imperfection as I celebrate yours, so that together we can walk in humility before God and before each other. Wouldn't it be appropriate to welcome you to the noble club of the imperfect?

How Do You Spell GREED?

We see greed from different eyeglasses. We spell it as it fits our perceptions of life. It is easy to excuse greed, calling it: 'working smart' or 'just being creative'. We can even exalt it to the level of 'righteous strife'. But the truth will always be that the greedy ones live a sub-optimal life and put the rest of humanity at risk. Has anyone wondered why God made all of His creation interdependent and not independent? Man needs oxygen from plants. Plants need carbon dioxide from man. The ecosystem, I believe, is God's way of reminding us that we need and exist for each other. The poor needs the rich; and the poor is a project divinely handed out to the rich. To acquire far beyond your needs is not ingenuous; it is greed. To take advantage of others in your inordinate desire to advance yourself is not smartness; it is greed. To seek for  more power and fame at the expense of others, is not survival; it is greed.

Does GREED mean being complacent and non-adventurous? Far from it. To aspire is divine. To advance is God-ordained. But to attempt to live by preventing other people from living their own lives, is evil. Our destinies are intertwined. No man TRULY succeeds at the expense of a fellow man.

GREED is a heart issue. Once you have a disquiet in your heart about a deal, stand back to think. Are you about to destroy others in order to climb the success ladder? Let the greedy ones realize that we have only one world. And this one world survives and progresses when the inhabitants - out of the fear of God and respect for humanity, break away from the grip of GREED.

So, tell me: how do you spell GREED?

Falling Foward

No one likes the experience of falling. The looks on the face of a fallen man speak volumes. He is totally disoriented and embarrassed. Because a fall cuts him off guard and exposes him to shame. It is unsettling, to say the least.

But fall, we must. And more depressingly, should. With the right perspectives, a fall is an opportunity to take a time out to reassess our priorities and strategies. It is an uncomfortable stop to regain strength for the long and wearied journey ahead. It is a life's classroom where we unlearn, learn and relearn. So, a fall is not bad in itself. It's the label we give it that determines the good or the ill that a fall brings on the table.

I have learned to smile as I fall, believing that only the best can come out of it. And I am not so much in a hurry to get up. I will stay on the ground for as long as it is necessary. So that by the time I rise from the fall, I am really standing strong, ready for the adventure of life, which may yet include another fall.

I am not afraid of a fall; for I have learned the secret of falling forward. Doesn't the Bible say, "All things work together for good for them that love Him..."?

The Lonely Road

There is so much comfort in staying with the crowd - following their dictates and falling in line with their creed. You are accepted by the group. You are safe. But the moment you step out of the group's boundary, you are on your own. Alone, without a 'valuable' support, you take your first faltering steps away from your comfort zone, into the unsual road to your destinies and relevance. It's a lonely road, filled with uncertainties and discomfort. But it is the only road there is that leads to true happiness and a life of impact. Only an inner strength can keep you passionate and enthusiastic on this road less travelled by men. Only a staying power beyond the ordinary can keep your eyes on the prize.

If you constantly avoid the lonely road, you will be insulated from the shame that comes with staying 'against' the crowd. But you will also neither possss the joy of living your dream nor the glory of a major accomplishment.

Are you on the lonely road?

Will You Please Smile?

You won't or you can't? No. Don't say you can't help it. Of course, you can. It's your call. It's within your power to decide whether to smile or frown. You may have handed that power to the prevailing circumstance. And that's also within your power to do.

Life is tough. And only the tough survive it. One of the toughest things in the world is to smile at a situation that seeks to pull you down or already has your back on the floor. A reason why such smiles are rare is because they come from the inside. The heart sings a song and the face echoes it in a smile. The heart says, "Is that all of you've got? Bring it on. I am winning this through Christ that strengthens me." And the face resonates this hope with a smile. The heart accepts the challenge as a way of life and as an invitation to growth and advancement, so it says, "You are here again. Welcome. By the time you were gone, I would be better and stronger." And this revelation light lightens up your face.

Is your inside well informed to engage the outer challenge? Therein lies your secret weapon. Therein lies your smile. The face is just the receiver and not the generator of smiles.

Will you please smile?