BYE BYE MUBARAK

I rejoice with the people of Egypt! The will of the people prevailed after blood, sorrow and tears.  Hosni  Mubarak's decision to finally vacate his position as President of Egypt came as a relief. Been watching events unfold as pro-Mubarak and anti-Mubarak groups slugged it out for weeks on the streets of Cairo, making the country ungovernable.

What I found interesting was the relentless determination of  Egyptians to effect a change in power; enough to sacrifice their lives for a bright future. I salute the tenancity of the human spirit, good will always overcome evil. The overwhelming support from protesters all over the world is a clear signal that change is inevitable and  we must lend our voices when the need arises. The will of the people cannot be suppressed. The courage to protest against poverty, freedom, unemployment and a bleak future must be applauded.

The truth is Mubarak did not fulfil his promises and stayed for too long . 30 years is just too long and does not make sense. This is a wake-up call to sit-tight African leaders who never learn from history but prefer to be disgraced out of office than leave when their time is up.

Our power can only be exercised when we vote for individuals who are ready to serve and not be served. We must also be ready to exercise that power to vote out individuals who have nothing to offer.

Leadership demands that followers hold leaders accountable. Change is inevitable and Nigeria will be no exception!

CENTRAL BANK PALAVA

Lagos is the most exciting city to live and its unpredictable nature gives it a buzz that is endearing and maddening at the same time. Glad January finally ended.

Did you happen to visit any of the banks on Monday 31st? You needed to have witnessed the mad rush by customers trying to update their account records to meet the CBN deadline which ended same day. Some banks could not carry out normal banking services; it was complaints galore from customers who besieged their premises, queuing endlessly.

Usually it's best to avoid going to the bank at the end of the month; you either experience a system downtime or bring your mattress and if you are unlucky to visit any bank that pays public service salaries over the counter, then its double jeopardy for you.

What truly amazes me is the last minute rush by customers to the banks; it's a well-known fact that we tend to do things at the last minute. What will be critical to the exercise is the ability of the banks to process the deluge of documents they now possess. Some banks are notorious for their civil service approach to processing customer transactions.

We just have to wait to see the outcome. But the good news is some banks will finally get the opportunity to close down inactive accounts. I think many people have accounts they never use and I’m guilty too!

I came across the Nigerian Idols show recently and was blown away by the sheer talent of the competitors. It was quite exciting to see young people strut their stuff with passion. Only bit that I found distracting was the comments by the female judge, Yinka. She just does not know when to keep quiet! I really found a lot of her comments distasteful. Dr Sid, the guest judge and Jeffrey did a much better job.

JANUARY BLUES

This blog is a reflection of my thoughts and views on issues that affect me and the subjects I care about. I hope you find it interesting.  I hope Getting back into shape was a priority this January and the onslaught of the cold harmattan winds in Lagos put paid to any early morning walk. Not that am an early bird, I opted for walks in the evening and it’s been great so far. You need to be mindful of relatively safe areas with street lighting.

No doubt the benefits of exercise are enormous and I do feel different; have more stamina and my thighs don’t feel so wobbly. My butt seems firmer and under control and my skin actually glows! Not sure about the tummy though, but my clothes don’t cling so tight anymore. Only bit that I don’t look forward to is driving myself home afterwards.

Count my vote in for a ban to women driving after the age of 35. It diminishes your sex drive and take it from me, I know! Lagos is the worst place to drive and its toll on the legs and body generally is killing and if properly researched, will be found to be one of the leading causes of stress that kills young people these days.

The decision to drive myself is based on two things; my old banger needs tender loving touch and requires a great distance from thieving mechanics. Parting with the odd 30k monthly for a driver to wreck my car is a not an attractive option at the moment.

So because I am self employed, my working hours are flexible. It has not always been like that, I did have a driver but after I got tired of his obnoxious and rude responses anytime he is corrected which ended with him getting a well deserved slap; I figure it’s time to review strategy before I turn a monster.

 How come one is so broke in January and though it’s been an interesting month so far but not having enough money to spend can be rattling and no one is interested in paying for anything, not even buying. All I hear is bear with me, don’t have money, will consider it later. I did consider paid employment for a while and ran away from the office to avoid paying suppliers who just never stop coming. It was the constant encouragement from my partner that gave me hope. His mantra is all businesses go through bad patches and we just have to keep working to make it.

E go better! We must make money this year! This year is our year! All confessions of faith to keep me on the go! Gradually the enthusiasm of seeing another year fades, and the reality of my sorry financial state hit me; I withdrew the little savings in my accounts to zero. My valiant attempt to empty funds in a dormant account backfired as the bank wanted me to deposit more money before I withdrew. Needless to say, they won’t be seeing me for a long time but who knows!

I finally started fasting today and it’s was difficult not reaching out for my morning ritual of toast with butter and jam with a cup of tea.  The worst temptation happened early in the morning at work when our food supplier delivered fresh, hot spring rolls and samosa. What bad timing. The willpower to reject them was purely by the grace of God!

I love food and I know it was a battle surviving the next four days eating only once a day, but am determined, so help me God to carry out this fast. I definitely need spiritual intervention and it’s the beginning of the year. So what better way to start it than to seek the face of God in my affairs?

Did I mention the fast commenced two weeks earlier and I kept giving one excuse on why I could not start; the thought of giving up on my favourite food was daunting. The worst part was the guilt I felt anytime I ate at home where all my siblings were observing the fast. I felt like temptation messing up their willpower.

Anyway I eventually started and it was not fun but I did it and believe blessings will come with it.

INEC is not in the good books of parents right now. The unwise decision to close schools for 3 weeks to allow voters register for upcoming elections is a definite thumb down. Now that the children have been dumped on us impromptu, keeping them out of mischief has been a herculean task and imagine all the food they gobble daily; it’s definitely a bad month for parents. All they want to do is eat, play and watch television. We were so happy to dump them at school after all the expenses for the Christmas holidays only to be faced with the thankless task of looking for ways to keep them busy and getting them out of trouble for 3 weeks!.

So what have you been up to lately? Share any amusing stories and do have a break!