5 Reasons to avoid coronavirus

So you want to go that party, that beach, that bar and the government keeps saying not to. You feel they have an agenda and the virus is way overblown in the media. This post explains why it is wiser to lay low for now and adopt facemasks and social distancing. Though these changes may not be comfortable, they may be necessary to help control the pandemic.

 

There is quite a lot that we still don’t know about the coronavirus. However, whenever taking a trip down to my social media pages, I come across a lot of confident messages of people who feel they are exempt from the illness. Some feel they are in too good of physical and emotional shape to catch this virus, others feel their spirituality will ward it off; however from what is known, none of these factors determines who is exempt from COVID-19 or not.

 

1. There is no cure

 

The most obvious reason to take precaution from catching this illness is that it has no cure yet. It is extremely difficult to discover drugs that act against viruses because of many reasons. They are extremely small and can only be observed under very specialized microscopes, they mutate easily and can sometimes adapt to tolerate drugs that affect them; they do not have many traditional features of living organisms so it is difficult to find what makes them tick.

 

One solution to prevent viral infections over the years has been vaccines. A vaccine is a weakened form of a virus which when given to a person can give their immune system the upper edge to fight full blown infections. Many vaccines are currently being worked on for the coronavirus, but it can take years of testing before a suitable vaccine is found as it is still a dangerous option if not efficiently tested. Even in patients who have defeated the virus once, it is unsure how long the immunity lasts. Some patients have been discovered to be sick from the virus more than once.

 

Asymptomatic status may be a hopeful position to have. But not showing symptoms of the illness, does not mean it did not affect your body. Damage has been discovered in some asymptomatic patients upon further inspection, and even healthy healthcare workers have been dying from COVID-19 due to constant exposure.

 

However, the healthcare system is getting better at diagnosing and treating the virus as the days go by. Some drugs have been found that help patients including remdesivir and dexamethasone, but these still require more testing. It would be wiser to stay safe till a reliable treatment has been determined. Less pressure on health centres would also help improve outcomes in the meantime.

 

 

2. It spreads really fast

 

The coronavirus seems to have the perfect balance of infectiousness and fatality to help it spread so fast. It has been estimated to spread faster than the flu. Because COVID-19 does not manifest so quickly, it gives it the opportunity to spread faster; and because it is a respiratory illness, it spreads easily via coughing, sneezing and even talking, breathing. This is why social distancing and facemasks have been prescribed for everyone. As of the time of writing this, the virus has seen 10 million confirmed cases worldwide with about half a million deaths. The number infected does not even account for up to 1 per cent of the world population, so the numbers could get pretty bad if it continues to spread.

 

 

3. It can cause multi-organ damage

 

Apart from being a virus that primarily affects and replicates in the lungs, COVID-19 has been shown to cause damage in other organs of affected patients. It causes damage to the heart and kidneys, with some patients needing to have kidney dialysis and lung transplants after recovering. As if that’s not bad enough, it seems the virus causes neurological damage as well; with such symptoms as loss of senses of taste and smell, confusion, aggression and forgetfulness, fatigue. It has a unique set of delirium it causes, scientists are beginning to call “covid brain”. Even worse, it has been known to cause more severe damage, such as strokes and seizures from causing increased blood clots in the system. It has also been found to cause diabetes in some patients, strangely enough. It is worth repeating that this virus does not bode well for people with underlying symptoms, those with compromised immune systems and the elderly.

 

 

4. It may affect the immune system

 

Recent studies are beginning to show that not only does the coronavirus affect multiple organs, it may have an effect on the immune system as well, lowering the body’s threshold to withstand disease in general.

 

 

5. Autoimmune responses

 

It turns out that it’s not enough that your immune system is effective against COVID-19, it is possible for the immune system to go into overdrive to defeat the illness, wildly attacking healthy cells and causing problems of its own. Scientists call this a cytokine storm, where the body’s cell defence cannot tell when to regulate their response and end up causing more damage than the virus itself.

 

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CORONAVIRUS IS NOT A JOKE BUT NIGERIA’S CASE IS DIFFERENT

 When health minister Dr. Osagie Ohanire brazenly declared in January that Nigeria could respond to the novel coronavirus without issue, I could not comprehend the statement. I was amazed that a highly placed medical professional would downplay such a serious issue at such a critical time. My worries were confirmed when Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed added that flights would not be banned especially to China; at that point I resigned my fate and prepared for the worst.

 

My reason for this article is to explain as simply as possible what COVID-19 entails and why we will possibly be feeling the effects for a long time. On my Twitter page I try my best to debunk many rumours on this disease, mostly receiving a barrage of insults for my trouble, the most recent being for my stance on the Madagascar made herbal tonic, Covid-Organics. I have kept a tab on the progression of this disease from the onset and with my training as a Health professional I cannot sit idly by in the sight of misinformation on this serious matter.

 

COVID-19 at its simplest explanation is a deadly cold. Many of us can understand how quickly a cold spreads from person to person. The ability of the common cold to spread is mostly ignored in this country because it hardly requires any treatment. Both illnesses have many of the same features; they both can be spread through the air and on surfaces, you are more likely to catch it if you are in close contact with an infected person. Just breathing can send the virus into the air around you and most importantly, you do not have to show symptoms before you can spread it. Worst of all, we do not yet know if after surviving it once, you can still catch it again.

 

It is this last statement that gives me much disdain to see even educated Nigerians flout social distancing measures. The cloth masks we wear proudly are not enough to contain the virus alone. The virus particle is small enough to pass through the material freely and wearing it is only a precaution from spreading droplets when you cough or sneeze. So without social distancing, the cloth mask is essentially useless, it does not confer any protective ability.

 

The very untimely lockdown measures pronounced on the 29^th of March may have helped to curb the situation a little had they been strictly adhered to. What the government seemingly failed to consider was just how high the poverty rate in the country was and how it would lambast their efforts. A large majority of Nigerians need to leave their homes constantly if they are to have hope of seeing a single daily meal. Palliatives distributed during that period were largely ineffective, and according to a report by the ANEEJ, were not even done in good faith. To compound the matter, the activities of government officials sent signals to the public that the illness was a ruse; case in point being the burial practices of the late Abba Kyari which saw the social distancing policy rubbished in public by its own makers. Mr Kyari himself had already earlier risked the safety of several top ranking officials in refusing to isolate upon his return from a trip abroad, resulting in a series of unfortunate affairs.

 

The coronavirus pandemic has an almost karmic notation in Nigeria in that it exposes and punishes the series of bad decisions that have been made, especially by Nigerian leadership, from inception to date. A poor education sector ensures that pleas for Social distancing and Stay at Home will fall on deaf ears, a poor healthcare system ensures that preventable deaths even from sicknesses unrelated to COVID-19 will continue and an almost nonexistent welfare system ensures that what little palliatives that are not diverted will ultimately not satiate citizens.

 

It would seem everyone’s fate has been left in the hands of their immune system, seeing as the lockdown was eased. President Buhari’s speech on May 4 denotes that this was more due to economic than health considerations. Ultimately, the citizens are on their own once again. My appeal to Nigerians would be to at least consider the health of the elderly and those that are compromised as they will be hit hardest by this disease. NCDC figures are most likely understated, seeing as test kits are in low supply and death waves are already sweeping certain regions of the country. However one piece of advice from the NCDC needs to be adhered to for us to see this through; we need to take responsibility.

 

A deeper look into Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction”

As at the time of writing this, Quentin Tarantino’s latest movie “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” has won two Oscars. Congratulations to him.

Pulp Fiction is a critically acclaimed and cult hit movie of the 90s, a film by Quentin Tarantino, a film enthusiast (nerd) who once worked at a video store. The movie came with an unusual style of storytelling for its time, which revolutionized the movie industry. On the surface, Pulp Fiction seems a rather frivolous story on the lives of gangsters and drug addicts, made for shock value, but on deeper exploration, I discovered a bed of underlying themes that elevated the movie to the classic status it is perceived as today. I will give an exposition on those themes as I discovered them on watching this movie.

 

 

By the end of the 80s Hollywood action blockbusters had taken a formulaic tone, with muscled strongmen overcoming seemingly impossible odds to defeat armies of bad guys and win the hearts of gorgeous women in the process. But as with every cultural shift comes an innovator of entropy. Quentin Tarantino had watched many of these movies before, and having identified many of these repetitions himself, decided to take matters into his own hands and elevate the industry. One of the unique traits the film shares is the non-chronological timeline which explored events in the movie universe not as they happened, but according to the importance the scenes had to the story being told. The second was an attempt to humanize stereotypical antagonists, who in other movies would have been portrayed as either outlaws or uninspiring criminal schemers. Without further ado, here are some of the discoveries I found interesting while watching this movie.

 

1. Racism and Police brutality

In as much as the movie glorifies in some ways, racial epithets and slangs; the story itself tells a subtle tale of the prevalence of racism throughout.  In the movie’s second scene where Vincent Vega (John Travolta) is telling Jules Winfield (Samuel L. Jackson) stories about his stay in Amsterdam, he mentions a couple of benefits the city system had for rogues like them. Jules, a black character, expresses interest in all of them. But it is only when he learns that the Police in Amsterdam do not have the right to search civilians, even when they carry drugs, that he states “That’s it; I’m going.” Jules as a character does not show any interest in doing drugs throughout the movie, unlike Vega, therefore it can be surmised that his major appeal in going to Amsterdam would be to escape police brutality, which was and remains a problem in the American society today.

 

 

A second subtle nod at the movie showing the effects of racism on society was in the “Bonnie situation” scene where the “Wolf” character (Harvey Keitel) is attempting to cover up the mess caused by Marvin’s death in the back of the car. When Jules and Vincent are done cleaning the car and have gotten cleaned up themselves, the wolf gives a specific order as to how they will leave Jimmy’s premises. He orders Vincent to ride in his car and follow him, while he rides the tainted car, but most importantly he tells Jules to ride in the passenger seat with him in the tainted car. This is important to note for two reasons. One, because it is implied that it would be safer for them to avoid any suspicion if Jules did not drive any of the cars at all and two, it would be wiser for him to drive as a passenger to the Wolf, who was white and happened to be in a Tuxedo. This was done to highlight the prevalence of racial profiling by the police.

A third nod at this theme would be at the pawn shop where criminal kingpin Marcellus Wallace (Ving Rhames) was sexually molested by Zed (Peter Greene). Where Zed had an opportunity to choose his first victim between Butch, who was white, and Marcellus, who was black, he goes into an unnecessary drawn out “eenie meenie miny mo” picking game, done entirely to humiliate Marcellus. It should also be noted that Zed had a sheriff badge on, so therefore was depicted to work in law enforcement, another nod at police brutality. Quentin Tarantino enjoys telling tales of redemption, evidenced by movies like Django unchained and Kill Bill. Marcellus taking his “power back” from Zed by unceremoniously shooting his crotch, was his shot at redemption, a scene mirrored in Django unchained as well.

 

2. Relationships

 

 

Pulp Fiction also tells a story on the importance of maintaining loving relationships and their protective power. From the very first scene we see a couple (Pumpkin and Honey Bunny) plotting to rob a restaurant together, to which later on, Honey Bunny (Amanda Plummer) attempts to protect Pumpkin (Tim Roth) when Jules overpowers him.

In the scene where Jules interrogates Brett, he boldly proclaims that he loves hamburgers, but he can’t usually have them because his girlfriend is vegetarian.

Jimmy (Quentin Tarantino) proclaims his love for his wife multiple times when Jules and Vincent arrive at his apartment, and gets a new bedroom set for his troubles.

The Wolf is shown in a fatherly role grooming his daughter to take over his business and even introduces her to his clients.

Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis) is seen in a relationship where he forgives his partner even when she places him in mortal danger and is redeemed at the end of the story.

On the flipside, the movie also does well to show the devastating effects of relationships that are based on fear and intimidation. Marcellus Wallace’s wife Mia (Uma Thurman) is a case in point. “If Marcellus knew about this incident, I’d be in as much trouble as you.” she declares, having just escaped death due to drug abuse. Mia feels so excited and comfortable when taken for an outing by Marcellus’ henchman Vincent, depicted by a beautiful dance scene at Jackrabbit slims, the sharing of a $5 milkshake and the uncomfortable silence they share when they get back to the apartment. In many ways, Vincent “revives” Mia’s heart, not just with the shot of adrenaline he administers to her when she passes out, but also by making her feel what it is to be loved again.

 

3. Beliefs and Spirituality

 

 

Tarantino tells a brilliant story about the importance of cultural beliefs in human lives and how they affect our daily decisions. He also decries the loss of spirituality and self-reflection in modern day society and how it leads to death of the soul. In the movie, the most valuable item is a black suitcase with something inside it emitting a golden glow. It is never determined what it is, but the number lock to open it is “666”; which is widely believed to be the mark of the devil. Indeed, the suitcase becomes a gateway to greed and evokes a hypnotised look from whoever sees its contents. As much as everyone who sees the contents of the suitcase wants it for themselves, Jules Winfield shows great resolve in wanting it returned to its rightful owner. He is the one character that is least enamored by the box’s contents because he has refused to let go of his spirituality.

In the world of Pulp fiction, the universe gives man signs every day to change their ways and it is up to us to pay attention to them or not. From the beginning of the movie, Jules Winfield and Vincent Vega survive a near death experience when an entire cache of bullets is fired directly at them but neither of them is hit. Jules immediately insists on the event being a “fucking miracle” and takes it as a sign to quit his line of work, while Vincent, a skeptic, chooses to wave it off as a freak occurrence. Jules explains it best in the last scene when he says:

“Whether or not what we experienced was an according-to-Hoyle miracle is insignificant. But what is significant is, I felt the touch of God. God got involved.”

Vincent Vega is subsequently killed following his decision to continue as a henchman, in a scene which mirrors that of the near-death experience he had survived. Jules however continues his “prophetic” role, winning his first converts: Pumpkin and Honey Bunny.

Another instance of the movie where beliefs are explored are in the story of Butch Coolidge and his watch that had been passed down for generations from his great grandfather. Butch risks his life to retrieve the watch when it is forgotten at his apartment, thereby carrying on the family tradition.

A more subtle nod at the importance of beliefs is the “Tony Rocky Horror” story of a man being killed by Marcellus for giving Mia a “foot massage”. Mia clears up this story to Vincent saying

“Only thing Antwan ever touched of mine was my hand when he shook it…”

Vincent also insists on shaking Mia’s hand before leaving her apartment, in a scene that foreshadows his death.

 

 

Do you have any realisations from Pulp Fiction? Feel free to mention them in the comments.

WHY ELECTORAL REFORM IS THE ONLY THING YOU SHOULD HOPE FOR IN 2023

I see a lot of naivety, especially on social media, with Nigerian citizens placing their hopes for electing the candidate of their choice in the 2023 elections; especially considering the recent election processes in Kogi and Bayelsa states. It seems that many are not aware of the dynamics surrounding the current electoral process. It is no secret that the country has been riddled with a series of inadequate elections, to the point that former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua famously proclaimed that the election that produced his tenure was fraudulent and worked to improve the process. In this piece, I will try to convince you on why electoral reform is the most important topic to be discussed right now, and why all news of popular candidature and prophecy are distractions. The question that is frequently asked among Nigerian voters is, who do we elect in 2023? The question that remains to be asked is, does my vote really count?

 

The 2019 General Elections

I remember the spectacle that was the announcements of the results of the 2019 elections. Selected university professors stepped onto the stage of the National Collation Center in Abuja with long sheets of paper, calling out seemingly carefully curated numbers to party representatives as well as local and international media. I remember friends, family, and colleagues glued to their screens eager to discover the state by state voting numbers. As history has taught us, few people look beyond the spectacle and it shows. Throughout the readings, it remained ignored that the number of votes in a majority of regions surpassed the number of accredited voters registered in those areas. It is a situation that is yet to be addressed today.

It has become increasingly evident that the involvement of technology in those elections was nothing more than a smokescreen to conceal the fact that the elections were wholly manual in nature. Seeing as the electoral reform bill proposed by the senate at the time was not passed, the elections followed the 2015 manuscript. The card reader, having been previously announced by INEC to be the only means by which one was eligible to cast their vote, was rendered useless when in a court case involving Atiku Abubakar, INEC declared that “there was no server”; whereas thousands of youth corpers nationwide had been trained to transmit the election results of their polling units to a central server after collation. That single statement made by INEC rendered all technology used redundant, resulting in the shocking nature of election-related court rulings today, such as more recently the ousting of Emeka Ihedioha as Governor of Imo state.  It should also be noted that almost 200 billion naira was budgeted, with 30 billion set aside for technology for those elections. It was the most expensive we had ever witnessed. One would ask, what was the point of using technology at all? And why couldn’t the manual election materials be properly accounted for?

 

The Nigerian Electoral Landscape

I am of the opinion that lack of unity by citizens is the major cause of electoral mishaps in the country. Each election is marred by biases of tribalistic, religious and financial interests. The lack of education showed by a majority of citizens is glaring in this aspect as well. It is in this confusion that the people fail to consider if they truly are the holders of their mandate. Seemingly, the violence that marred the 2019 elections, especially in states like Rivers, where there was heavy military involvement, are forgotten; and with the way citizens have carried on with proposing candidature for 2023, one would think that the problems have disappeared. The 2019 elections were marred with bombings and killings, evidence of vote-buying and rigging and in the aftermath today and the growing distrust, one thing is becoming evidently clear: whoever holds the election result sheet holds the election itself.

 

The Need for Transparency in elections

Ultimately the mistrust between the voter and the voted will cause problems for any administration because how do you lead people who are not certain they chose you in the first place? This is the current situation with the “Biafra” movement in the Southeast, where youths took to the streets to threaten people from casting their votes. The number of parties that participated in the 2019 elections was ridiculous, with numerous parties declaring their support for opposing candidates at will, affecting candidates such as Donald Duke of the SDP and Oby Ezekwesili of the ACPN. President Buhari had a whopping number of 12 candidates declare support for him just 2 days to the elections. The lack of transparency is actively causing friction between the ruling class and the citizens and it does not bode well for anyone.

It is only with free and fair elections that citizens will have the confidence to work for a better society as their involvement is assured. It also determines their level of respect for the leader. And with technology, this process can be made easier, but first, there has to be a dedication to the ideal of transparent elections and for those involved to see the benefits for everyone.

 

PS. My name is OB Keeng. I’m a Creative Writer and Musician. This is where I share my weird thoughts with the world.

 

FEAR NOT THE CORONAVIRUS

I remember the last virus scare Nigeria had which was the Ebola Virus and the fear that scare produced. Citizens bathed in ‘saltwater’ solutions created from table salt and hot water to try and ‘protect’ themselves from the illness which ironically resulted in wounds and deaths from hypertension. Unfortunately, a new scare is upon us – the Coronavirus. Originating in Wuhan, Hubei. China in December 2019, the virus has already spread to 21 countries. Panic is beginning to build, seeing as we do a lot of business with China, many fear we may have the virus in our shores already. As of the moment I write this, 9,822 people have been confirmed with the virus with 214 people losing their lives due to it.

In order to do my best to prevent panic and fear, I will give my opinions on the virus as a health specialist and the most reasonable ways to protect yourself.  Here is a clearer picture of what is going on in as simple terms as possible.

How Viruses work

Viruses are tiny organisms just like you and me trying to survive. Unfortunately, they need animal hosts to reproduce and spread. A virus is an especially worrying group of organisms because they usually need your immune system to fight them off. Other sicknesses caused by bacteria and parasites can mostly be cured by drugs that can attack the organism itself, an example being the malaria drugs have a component in them (Artemisinin) that is toxic to the malaria parasite. Drugs for viruses however are intended to improve the immune system of the patient to fight them off. An example of a virus is the chickenpox, which has to go its course before it is eventually subdued by the person’s defense system. The vaccine for the Poliovirus contains weakened poliovirus cells for your body to fight off easily and retain the memory of the battle for later fights.

Why I am describing this in detail is that in the event of any ensuing panic, people may try to prescribe all sorts of remedies to you as protective medicines in order to make money. It is important to know that this strain of Coronavirus has little information on it as it is. The Centre for Disease Control is currently working on research to develop a vaccine for it.

What’s special about the Coronavirus?

It is also worthy to note that the name ‘Coronavirus’ is not specific to one organism, but rather an entire family of viruses that cause respiratory (breathing) illnesses like pneumonia and even the common cold. The particular strain of the virus being spread now is the Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) and it is particularly virulent for some reason. The virus can be passed on both by humans and animals like cows, pigs and chickens.

 

How to protect yourself?

The measures you can take at this time are mostly preventive. Recognise the symptoms of the Coronavirus which are coughing, difficulty in breathing and fever. That being said, try your best to avoid contact with anyone showing such symptoms as the virus can spread when droplets are released in the air. If you are showing such symptoms, it is highly important that you check yourself to a medical facility as well. When coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue and discard properly after.

Many of you may be tempted to don face masks which in theory seem most effective, but however the Center for Disease Control has noted that they are not necessary and may pose risks when putting taking them off .

Also, general hygiene is quite important in prevention. Wash hands with soap frequently or use alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Try your best to avoid touching your mucous membranes with your fingers. By mucous membranes I mean inner parts of the nose, eyes and lips or mouth, this is in case you may have come in contact with the infection through contact like a handshake or hug or touching an infected object. Keep your physical and mental health up, eat healthy and avoid much stress. Most importantly do not panic.

DEBUNKING THE MYTHS ABOUT OMOYELE SOWORE

 

DEBUNKING THE MYTHS ABOUT OMOYELE SOWORE

 

I write this piece to correct some popular fallacies about Omoyele Sowore. For some of you that may not know him, Sowore is a presidential aspirant who ran for the AAC political party in the recently concluded 2019 Nigerian General Elections. Many of you know that I have always held a neutral stance on Nigerian politics due to its particularly messy nature, but Sowore’s campaign stood out enough to gain my attention and support, mainly due to his Personal History, his utter fearlessness at speaking the truth, his wildly ambitious ideas and the fact that his campaign was completely crowdfunded – a feat unheard of in Nigerian politics.

As evidenced by the election results, many Nigerians did not share my enthusiasm, however the point of this post is not to win you over or castigate your decisions (or indecisions), but rather to correct some erroneous notions being peddled about the candidate. As is custom with politics, smear campaigns usually trail the character of every popular candidate pre and post-election. Announcing candidature for such a prestigious public office as the presidency will most likely get you attacked by rivals and the insecure. Especially in the context of the social media age, where people spread fantastic and unlikely stories online for clout and monetary gain. The point of this post is to sieve through all the propaganda and present the facts about Sowore. This write-up is for the inquisitive and those getting acquainted with the Nigerian political landscape.

First off, I would like to say that most of the criticism I have heard about Sowore has seemed purely subjective. When asked, people tend to cite his proud manner, saying it borders on arrogance rather than confidence, or his aggressiveness during arguments. Sometimes it’s his hairstyle or conservative style of clothing which are all products of his Personal Beliefs or previous histories of oppression by the military for his activism, which tend to change a person’s outlook on life. Secondly, I am quite aware that I could be wrong in my assumptions as it does require a certain hunger for power to aspire for the presidency anyway. I will try to be as objective as possible.

 

1. SOWORE IS A WEED SMOKER

I had to start with the most entertaining of the presumptions. Funny as this sounds, the allegation that Sowore smokes weed (Cannabis/Marijuana) trailed his campaign the most; especially among the youths. Some claimed that he was so enamoured with the drug that his sole purpose for contesting was to get it legalized. Even though he had personally denied the claims on numerous interviews.

The major reasons for this allegation against him were twofold:
First, Sowore had envisioned the rising demand for Marijuana especially considering its recent legalization in developed countries such as Canada and parts of the USA. Therefore, he included sales of the controversial drug for foreign exchange as part of his campaign promises. Unfortunately for him, the morality of his ambitions became questionable to Nigeria’s highly religious and suspicious citizens. Although currently, the exportation of Marijuana is being considered by the Ondo state government Exportation of the drug has however been accepted by countries like Uganda and promises high revenue streams for the nation.

Secondly, Sowore has always been vocal about his respect for Nigerian Afrobeat Legend, Fela Kuti. Fela was known for his revolutionary music that addressed themes of political oppression, military suppression and cultural identity in Nigeria. Unfortunately, Fela was also an ardent and outspoken weed smoker, a fact which many Nigerians felt was Sowore’s main regard for the late superstar. It should be said that Fela’s sons, Femi and Seun Kuti, openly endorsed Sowore as their candidate for the 2019 elections.

 

2. AMAECHI USED THE AAC TO CAUSE HAVOC IN THE RIVERS STATE GOVERNORSHIP ELECTIONS

One of the more character damaging accusations, Sowore has been accused by the public of conniving with Former Rivers state Governor, Rotimi Amaechi to disrupt activities during the just concluded elections. The story goes that Amaechi wanted control of the state over his rival, now Gov. Nyesom Wike, but since his party, the APC, was not eligible for the elections, he enlisted the AAC Governorship candidate as his protégé and directed military powers to the state to ensure victory.

Not only is there the lack of evidence to corroborate this story, both Sowore and the AAC released statements denouncing any alliance with the APC once Amaechi declared his support for their candidate. These announcements went wholly ignored however, and the narrative continued. I also found it particularly concerning that Sowore and his party bore the brunt of the blame for the Violence that occurred, but Amaechi and the APC who were presumed to have orchestrated these acts are not questioned. Why blame Sowore and not the actual causes?

I have a theory that Nigerians have grown wary of trusting politicians, due to being failed so much in the past, that they are constantly on the lookout for signs of disappointment. It was a recurrent theme during the elections to hear quotes like “The Devil you know is better than the Angel you don’t know.” Or “We don’t need a saint to rule us.” Or “Anybody can talk big and get away with it, just look at Oshiomole.” Secondly, I imagine people felt safer attacking Sowore for their problems because there would be no fear of reprisal. He seemed the best conduit to channel frustrations to, given his controversial stances and lack of military might.

 

3. THE THIRD FORCE SAGA

Very often the question is brought up, “Why won’t Sowore join hands with other young candidates?” and yet he is also touted as a “Third Force Candidate”. Well, there is a reason for both. First of all, Sowore long denied being a part of the Third Force. And on the subject of Coalitions, he never joined one either.

The story of the PACT (Presidential Aspirants Coming Together) coalition gives some insight into the type of character that Sowore is. Stubborn, no doubt, but principled. It goes that deliberations were made for the younger candidates to join forces to be able to compete against the political giants that are the PDP and APC. Of the candidates being considered were presidential aspirants Sowore, Fela Durotoye and Kingsley Moghalu. At the coalition meeting, Sowore suggested that each candidate campaigned with their individual parties first, to gauge their strengths. His idea was shot down, as the others wanted a consensus candidate immediately. Sowore then announced his unwillingness to participate, saying that a straw poll was not strong enough to determine the ideal presidential candidate. Fela Durotoye was then elected over Kingsley Moghalu as the consensus candidate in a process refereed by Oby Ezekwesili. Unfortunately, this decision did not hold very long, as evidenced by the fact that Fela Durotoye, Kingsley Moghalu AND Oby Ezekwesili all ran for the Presidential elections. The aftermath of this was that Mrs Ezekwesili’s party declared for the APC for some reason, while both Fela Durotoye and Kingsley Moghalu announced their withdrawal from partisan politics following their respective losses.
Sowore has always held strong that his reason for participation in politics are purely ideological and he would not dilute the message he is trying to convey by joining coalitions, even though it may result in election losses.

 

4. SOWORE DID NOT DO A PROPER CAMPAIGN + STOLE ELECTION MONEY

Nigerian elections post-military rule have been characterized by big money spending and budgets running into billions of Nigeria. So, when Omoyele Sowore decided to run for President with a budget of about 150 million Naira, wholly crowdfunded and with support from friends, under his own registered political party, it was alleged that his ambitions bordered on cajoling the Nigerian public.

So, when Sowore boldly announced in early 2019 that he had conducted campaigns in 34 states across the Federation, many Nigerians scoffed at him and with good reason too. With such a meager budget (as opposed to his competition), Sowore’s physical campaigns were limited to Town Hall meetings and street rallies, a huge contrast to the large stadium gatherings that characterized the APC and PDP campaigns. Where Sowore felt he must have put in the most work in answering his critics and settling public queries, he just did not have enough reach as the major opponents. He chose to focus on quality, rather than quantity. His rallies were not displayed on popular media and Television either, as he did not hold much sway there, but evidence of his campaign travels is littered on Social Media, especially Facebook and Youtube.

Sowore however, did argue that of all the Presidential Candidates, he campaigned the most. He made multiple appearances on AIT, Channels TV, Arise TV, TVC, Wazobia TV, even venturing to the BBC and BBC Pidgin. His interview with the NTA was marred by Technical difficulties which elicited cries of ‘sabotage’ from his fanbase. He was excluded from the popular BON/Channels debate although he was voted third in the polls to make an appearance. He gave talks on multiple radio stations as well. Sowore was also the only candidate to give a breakdown of his campaign finances and spending to the public for scrutiny. He made it an almost daily habit to announce the identities of his donors on Facebook and Youtube in the months leading to the elections.

 

5. SAHARA REPORTERS IS A PROPAGANDA MACHINE

Sowore’s publishing firm has always been a hotbed of controversy in Nigeria, first for the fact that it is based in America, it was seen to have some foreign influence. It was also alleged that his media machine was used in the outing of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015. Also, its brand of Citizen-Based Journalism has been deemed as dictatorial, with many claims about politicians that have been vehemently denied, but hardly disproven.

Sowore has denied being influenced by foreign agents in running his publishing house. Because the paper holds nothing back when giving its reports, it has been deemed anarchist in its operations, even though many of its stories are backed with evidence. The media house is largely seen as an extension of the man himself, rather than an independent business. As a result, many of the paper’s claims have gone uninvestigated, except when “politically expedient” as Sowore claims. The most recent citation is the accusation of the Former Chief Justice of Nigeria of corruption, a claim Sahara Reporters made months earlier.

 

Hopefully, I have done some justice to clearing some Misinformation about the candidate that is Omoyele Sowore. If you have any other allegations you feel I may have missed, or claims I made that you feel are wrong, please feel free to address them in the Comments Section below.

 

PS. My name is OB Keeng. I’m a Creative Writer and Musician. This is where I share my weird thoughts with the world.

LET US LEGALISE CORRUPTION

Let Us Legalise Corruption

 

Much ado about corruption. Stopping it was almost the entire manifesto of our current president. It has a broad definition which is pretty much the opposite of integrity. In our country it means when a government official embezzles cash or makes decisions that favour them personally and disfavour the nation.

But is corruption really that bad tho? In my discussions with friends, acquaintances and random strangers I have discovered that some people believe corruption helps drive the economy. Some say it helps keep the money in circulation. We like to cite the prosperity of the United States of America as an example of why corruption isn’t that bad. Some people say hey fuck it, we’re corrupt, let’s own it. When a family member is in public office and they don’t enrich themselves they are seen as fools. When a family member is in office and they don’t use the opportunity to employ their family members they’re seen as evil. Even the comedian Basketmouth stated the best model of leadership to be that of “You chop, I chop.”

In this post, I am going to try to give reasons why corruption is bad for the economy. I am going to speak in layman terms too, because one, I’m not an economist by profession, two, I love telling stories and giving analogies and three, I look forward to a lot of outrage in my comments section. Okay, here we go.

As I mentioned in an older post, Nigerians have a warped view of money. The paper ‘Money’ as we know it is really a store of value; it is not valuable in itself. It has to be managed too, that is why the Central Bank can’t just decide to flood the country with naira notes. If they do, there will be inflation. If they don’t supply enough notes, there will also be inflation. There is already inflation. Many people are not aware that it costs us to mint said notes. Which is why it should be an offence to deface naira notes; and why it was distasteful the way we rejected coins, which last longer and are much more cost effective.

The world is global now, and countries interact with themselves like people these days. Ignorance can’t be afforded now because it costs us. Strong economies are built on their volume of trade and income streams. What determines the value of your currency is basically a question of “how useful is your money?” The richest countries in the world are those that provide the most value.

For example, the USA which we try so much to emulate, has so many income streams from so many different parts of the world. Their entertainment sector alone sees a lot of viewers and customers from foreign nations. While the ‘Black Panther’ movie had us making Wakanda signs and adorning native dresses, the producers made $1.4 billion globally from a budget of $200 million. This is just one example from one sector. Hell the website I’m using right now is an American creation. You’re boosting their economy right now just by reading this. The USA has many other products which are exported to our country for cash and other resources. That’s value.

Countries like Saudi Arabia provide value by having a massive store of oil reserves which they provide to other countries. India is making leaps in Medicine and industrialization. China is a country that has seemed to master the Industrialisation complex and is a technology world giant. They provide value by sending us pretty much all the electronics we use.

So the real question becomes what value does Nigeria provide to the outside world?

A knee jerk response would be “hey! crude oil” as even the government has complained that we are operating a mono economy. But that’s where the corruption comes in. Nigeria does not refine her own crude. So what we have now is this weird arrangement where crude oil is exported, refined, then re-imported to us for a fee, costing us employment opportunities, development of our industries and many other big words I’m too pissed to mention right now. As a kid, I read how crude oil is distilled in secondary school chemistry textbooks, but at some point in our history, it became less of a priority for us, I guess.

There are a lot of national advancements I heard of as a kid that seem like folk tales now. I heard Nigeria milled steel at some point in Ajaokuta, I heard $1 was equal to 1 naira in ancient times, I heard the Nigerian football team was once 5^th in the FIFA rankings, I heard coal was once mined in Enugu, I heard of a rich culture and tradition, I heard we once used coins as legal tender and they were called kobo, I heard that fuel once sold for 5 naira to a litre, but I can barely remember what a 5 naira note looks like anyways. Nigeria is just 58 years old, but it all seems to have happened so long ago.

Now, we have developed a culture of consumerism to the point that we import what we can easily produce. One reason is we were too late to hop on the technology train. The second is corruption. Our best and brightest brains are exported to foreign countries where their talents are better appreciated, while we wallow in mediocrity. It is because of corruption that the best football players may never see the green of a national team jersey, that is if the funds for the jerseys have not been diverted to private pockets. It is still because of corruption that a Nigerian tailoring company may never be considered to manufacture said jerseys…

Our last Olympic football team was sponsored almost in its entirety by the generous Nigerian soccer legend, John Mikel Obi. Despite the Nigerian team arriving the country 2 hours to the start of their tournament, the nation went on to win bronze. One world cup tournament later, Mikel’s parents were kidnapped and held for ransom during the world’s premiere footballing tournament. Mikel was forced to keep a straight face and play like nothing was wrong while he was dying inside.

In a corrupt system, the value of money gradually becomes useless. That is evident and we are the evidence. It becomes a game of who can cheat the other the most, and all products and services are watered down to their barest element and drained of quality. Transactions are carried out without trust, which means less reliance on trade, which means less transactions. We have heard many cases of corrupt individuals diverting money overseas, or even digging giant pits in their own homes to store money. This drives currency out of circulation and kills its value, because it’s not in use. It would be much better if it was reinvested in the country, but then the environment isn’t too safe for investment is it? due to, again, corruption. It has even reached a point where borrowed money cannot be accounted for, driving the nation further into debt.

I have no doubt that the Nigerian story will be one for the history books. It reads like a biblical tale of woe. Like a manual of 101 things to avoid when starting your nation. One of the many reminders of the cruelty of humanity. I do hope we get it right one day. Till then, I remain focused on survival and enlightenment.

 

 

PS. My name is OB Keeng. I’m a Creative Writer and Musician. This is where I share my weird thoughts with the world.

THE BATMAN – JOKER RELATIONSHIP

The Batman – Joker relationship…

 

This post is an attempt to breakdown the mindsets of two of the most exciting, most intense, most ridiculously dressed antagonists in the history of modern cinema: The Batman and the Joker. These two have been popular a long time, and ever since The Dark Knight their fame has skyrocketed to nuclear status, yet their relationship remains as complex as ever.

As I type this, filming is underway on the latest Batman inspired movie and it features Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker. I’m really excited to see his rendition of the madman. He’s such a seasoned actor who has played crazy in many movies before (Gladiator anyone?) so he has the experience.

Now I understand that a lot of people are very invested in these characters, so I want to state early that this is a personal interpretation. Also, some of the events I describe may not be “canon” to you, as there are hundreds of reading material on the Batman, some contradicting each other. Let’s just have some fun with the fact that these are fictional characters. Basically, this entire paragraph is an attempt to ward off attacks from “DC fanboys” 😊 OK let’s do this.

 

Just taking a selfie with my bestie

 

To many people, the Batman is your basic superhero story where the good guy faces the bad guys and comes out on top; albeit with a darker Instagram filter. But what makes Batman so unique is that behind this beloved tale is a very harrowing treatise on human psychology. Almost every character in the franchise is a victim of a very troubled past and it shows…

 

The Batman

 

People love the Batman for many reasons. He fights injustice at great personal risk to himself and little to no reward. He is a relatable orphan boy who is trying to make the best of his life and situation. He is so good at what he does that his enemies revere him and actual superpowered beings fear him. He has so much personal discipline that he can stand toe to toe with superhumans, aliens, gods, demons, clowns and still come out on top. In some story arcs, even Wonderwoman falls in love with him, yet he refuses her advances, maybe because a simple hug from her could paralyse him? Nope, just personal discipline.

He is founder and leader of the Justice League. He is rich as fukkkkkk and gets to use a variety of cool gadgets. He appeals to people of all ages so he’s a marketer’s dream. So it can be funny to think that behind all of this is a scared little boy who believes that by fighting criminals, he is avenging the death of his parents.

Batman’s origin story has been treated to exhaustion, but it is very important to his character. As a young boy at age 10 Bruce Wayne and his parents were leaving a theatre when his parents were shot and killed before his very eyes by an unknown robber (I’ll tell you his name, just Chill). Little did that robber know that he had just given rise to the greatest menace that his kind would ever have to face: the Batman.

As a child, Bruce Wayne was very prone to fears and anxieties. It is known that he harboured a fear for bats which carried well into his adulthood, inspiring his Batman persona. As the Batman, he tries to impose his childhood fears on the criminals he faces in Gotham city. He seeks to inspire in them the very same fears he felt as a young boy as punishment for taking his parents from him. He does this by trying to be the biggest, scariest bat of them all.

Another widely known principle of the Batman is that he does not kill (in cold blood). As noble as this must seem for such a relentless vigilante, the reason is far more basic than moral. Killing would be a cruel reminder of the trauma he felt when watching his parents die, so he can’t bring himself to do it. I believe that by killing he would be doing unspeakable harm to his parents’ memories which would further his descent into madness.

Batman is just as crazy, if not crazier than the villains he faces. The major reason he is able to retain some semblance of sanity is due to the influence of his butler, Alfred. Alfred Pennyworth was entrusted with the care of Bruce from the moment his parents died and he took up the position wholeheartedly. As a result, Bruce retained a strong father figure in Alfred.

As you may have noticed, many of Batman’s mannerisms mirror those of Alfred himself: his cold dry wit is Batman’s preferred source of humour. His ability to slink from room to room unnoticed; his quiet nature, all mirrored by the caped crusader. For all of Alfred’s complaints that Bruce Wayne chooses to remain single, he never noticed that it may be as a result of his personal influence, being a single man himself and choosing to remain one since Bruce was placed in his care.

 

 

The Joker ;D

 

Dangerous and philosophical in his crazy, the Joker is the undisputed bastion of evil in the Batman universe. Few would forget Heath Ledger’s award-winning rendition of the Joker prior to his untimely death. The Joker’s MO is to revel in destruction.

His origin stories are vague and left to interpretation. One widely accepted theory is that he was a failed comedian who opted for a life of crime and ended up losing his pregnant wife and getting horribly disfigured in the process. Some even posit that there are multiple Jokers. But whatever incarnation of the Joker you may choose to accept, it is clear that they have one thing in common – a terrible past.

Whenever the Joker tries to make mention of his past, whether real or imagined it is always negative, so even as much as he tries to forget, the traumatizing nature of it will always set in. He is a character that has chosen to mask his pain in laughter, be it physical or emotional pain. He laughs when he is in a dangerous situation that he can’t escape, he laughs when being physically beaten, he even seems to take joy in the suffering of others. He tries to rationalize the trauma of his past by believing that life is meaningless and he enforces this by causing mayhem. In this way, he is not your average criminal, as money and power are secondary to his goals.

***

It is only after the examination of both characters, the Batman and the Joker, that you can appreciate the uniqueness of their relationship. They are two people operating on two opposite ends of a spectrum of ideology and they fascinate each other. Both men believe that their way of handling their past trauma is the “right” way and refuse to be convinced otherwise. They are each other’s most convincing arguments.

It is the major reason they refuse to kill each other because since they are so equally driven and equally matched, either one needs the other to see their viewpoint. If Batman can get the Joker to change his ways, it validates his life purpose, if the Joker can get the Batman to abandon his ideals, him lashing out at society is not in vain. They exist to prove each other wrong. Have you ever wondered why many of their iconic battles take place in rooms filled with mirrors?

The overarching theme of the Batman is a philosophical one. You can choose to be a victim of your past or you can choose to take action, but then, how much of the past is within your control to make amends and then, what actions are truly justified to take?

 

Also, I find it funny that the Joker (disfigured murderer in makeup) can keep a long-term relationship where the Batman (Handsome billionaire) can’t.

 

 

PS. My name is OB Keeng. I’m a Creative Writer and Musician. This is where I share my weird thoughts with the world.

MONEY IS KILLING NIGERIANS

I credit Henry David Thoreau for the critical structure of this essay

MONEY IS KILLING NIGERIANS

I do not think that I will be alone in saying that I am quite enamored by the concept of money. Whether it’s the printed pieces of paper that seem to dictate the daily lives of the people, or the bank account numbers that seemingly determine self-worth, it is a system of value that nobody really chooses but everyone agrees on.

A “poor” man is seen as a person who does not have money in “adequate” amounts; and this adequacy is defined by how he compares with his peers. In an attempt to garner more money the “poor” man must undertake a series of risky, monotonous or otherwise soul-crushing tasks; tasks which are rarely natural to the human condition in order to survive. Tasks that only result in more tasks, making him/her even more subservient to the circumstances that they had tried to escape in the process.

Ever since the discovery of oil, “urbanization” and subsequent westernization, Nigerians have developed a warped sense of money. Instead of money being a tool to develop and improve life, foster trade and innovation, instead it has become a goal to be attained; and because of this, money that is meant to simplify life has been made to compound it.

The “poor” man that grows his own food and makes his own shelter is now a villager, a relic of an old age and not worthy of any respect. If he cannot escape his circumstance he is seen as spiritually deficient. As he cannot put his experiences to paper he is deemed an illiterate. But the “rich” man is wise. The “rich” man who attains foreign appliances which he cannot produce nor maintain, the “rich” man who has lost all semblance of bodily fitness, who actively spends on products designed to destroy his body and soul.

Money has become a god in itself, and its ways are mysterious indeed. In its poetic beauty it is no respecter of persons. It may choose to bless the short or the tall, the book-smart or the street-smart, the fit or the unfit, the hardworking or the lazy. Money can bless a generation and curse another within the same family. It can strengthen a tribe or it can destroy it. It can motivate a nation or it can demoralize it.

Pray tell, the use of acquiring a multi-million naira vehicle, if there are no roads for it to ply? It would seem that the nation has imported its stock of appliances in excess that there is not enough electricity generated to utilize them… We are an island of consumers. There is little incentive to produce anything of value; even the humble toothpick is imported from overseas, as well as the noble straw. I still find it hard to place where the lack of support for local business stems from. Is it out of hatred for our fellow man? Or the fear that he might rise above us? Could it stem from a lack of trust in his abilities or his intentions? We seem to crave foreign intervention for issues we could handle perfectly ourselves. We seek to “escape” to foreign lands with less natural resources and harsher climates than our own for some semblance of sanity. We go where we are not needed nor wanted to find what we destroyed.

We rejected coins because notes were easier to handle (which is the most logical conclusion from that debacle). When the people don’t like something, they don’t like something. We chose inflation instead. And yet the notes we clung on to we crumple and deface on a daily basis. Where a coin could have lasted a decade, a note can only last a year.

I find it ironic that the learned politician, who fearfully stashes away large sums of money in his sewage pit, cutting it off from circulation and ventilation, thereby driving down its value both literally and economically, is more respected than the internet fraudster; the G man who through ingenuity and skill, plays on the greed of his victims and injects foreign currency into the economy.

Our priorities are long lost.

But why do I write all this? Let it be known, humble reader, that this is no call to pacifism; for there is nothing more dangerous to the human condition. After all, this is the realm of power, and the violent take it by force and whatnot. But if this is our true nature and this is how things are meant to be… why then do the people complain. I do tire of the incessant complaining. The “poor” man complains vehemently about his condition as does the “rich” man. If there is one thing that will unify the nation it is lamentation and apportioning blame to anyone other than ourselves. Gathered around a newspaper stand the herd argue bitterly over the many transgressions of the shepherd, blaming him for all their ills. At political gatherings the shepherd berates the herd for not toiling hard enough in the sun, as he fears for his security and seeks protection with the wolves.

Best not to further dampen your spirits by entertaining fantasies of what could have been. Best to adapt and overcome. Celebrate the scavenger and learn his ways. Give us Barabbas and keep your Messiahs. We refuse to yield.

 

PS. My name is OB Keeng. I’m a Creative Writer and Musician. This is where I share my weird thoughts with the world.

KIDS, STOP LISTENING TO ADULTS!

LESSON 1: PHONES & THE INTERNET

When I was younger it was bad manners to bring a cellphone to class. In fact, ANY electronics you brought to class was considered “contraband” and seized immediately. So the Game Boys, Nokias, Motorolas, CDs of any kind, even digital watches that beeped too loud, all found their way to the headmaster’s drawer till further notice (i.e. whenever you grew the balls to ask for them back).

Back then, those who risked bringing any contraband to class were the “bad boys”, the “bad girls”, the kids to stay away from. If you were caught using you were just as culpable, even if the device wasn’t yours. Your parents were called. It was intense. The tears, the corporal punishment, the shame, all because Batman’s punches from level 6 were a little too loud in Math class.

SO YOU CAN IMAGINE MY SURPRISE when I visited said class recently. Now at a legal age to get wasted on alcohol, talk less of carrying a phone to class. The guards looked at me funny when I said I came for ‘Nostalgia’ which is understandable I guess…

EVERY KID had an iPad and a phone. Not only was it not contraband, it was actually mandatory to have one. They used iPads DURING class as an alternative to books. There were actual classes dedicated to surfing the internet responsibly, I STILL saw kids playing Batman behind the desk mind you, but this time it’s cool. It’s learning.

When I say “Kids Stop Listening to Adults!” I’m not kidding. Every adult advised against having a phone as a kid. Worst of all Parents, for the child’s “protection”. Can’t be too hard on them though, considering that mobile use in my country started in 2001, and even then the internet wasn’t really a thing till around 2007. But now…

There’s an actual economy dedicated to phone use, internet use, electronic management. Companies pay for people to handle twitter accounts for them now, there’s courses for Social Media Metric Analysis. App development has become a 9 to 5. In fact , my country’s most popular blogger, Linda Ikeji, is worth 12 million dollars and an employer of labour. She runs a gossip blog; make of that what you will.

So imagine the possibilities if you had allowed yourself get a headstart in that market as a kid.

 

LESSON 2: VIDEO GAMES

“Stop playing video games so much” seems like pretty good advice on the surface, especially when barking from the lips of an adult you are dependent upon. Now take those negative affirmations, crank up the volume to 200% and place them in the early 2000s, when the Playstation one had just started to become a thing in my country. A kid that played video games was one that wasted his life, his potential and his eyes. I had friends whose consoles were actually thrown in the trash for insubordination.

NOW FAST FORWARD TO THE PRESENT…

As at the time of this post the person with the most subscriptions on Youtube is a young man from Sweden called Pewdiepie. A silly name to adopt right? Pewdiepie is worth 20 million dollars and has over 18 billion views and counting. What did he do to get so successful you ask?

At the age of 25, Pewdiepie had made 7.4 million dollars by FILMING HIMSELF PLAYING VIDEO GAMES. He had dropped out of school to develop his Youtube account, which pissed off his Parents as you would imagine. I expect they’re okay with it now. The gaming companies certainly are: they pay him to advertise their consoles and programs on his website. Amazingly, Pewdiepie is not the only one to have gained success doing Video Game Commentary, an entire host of others have made 10 million dollars and above from it: ElRubiusOMG (27.4 million subscribers), Fernanfloo (26.4 million subscribers), JuegaGerman (24.6 million subscribers) just to name a few of these rich nerds 🙂

An entire market has been created for Video game players now, known as E SPORTS. These are video game competitions that offer up to 5 million dollars in winnings per competition. The Video Game Industry now supports a variety of businesses, Commentators, Analysts, Game developers, Models, Musicians, Actors and Voice Actors, even Game Testers. Amazing isn’t it?

 

LESSON 3: MUSIC

I could write an entire novel on how much Parents did not wish for their kids to become musicians as a kid. Then I could release a book series explaining with examples how wrong they’ve been proven. As part of the “Stay in School Mantra” that was wildly popular in the late 90’s for some reason, any kids that wished to venture into music were labeled delinquents, unserious and lacking motivations.

Musicians were nothing to aspire to become, which seems quite funny now seeing as there’s SO MUCH MUSIC in our daily life that it has become impossible to ignore. Musicians smoked weed on television, flaunted their sexual exploits, dressed in suggestive and revealing displays. Musicians were seen as drug abusers, sex offenders, even spiritually and mentally disturbed individuals. While some of this might hold true (indeed it does in some cases), it seems wholly irrelevant now…

BECAUSE NOWADAYS

Larger than life Musical Characters are actually marketed TO children, so all the tattoed, drug using, sexual imagery is cool now for kids. “Parental Advisory Explicit Content” is just a label put on albums to avoid trouble. Kids are finally free to listen to who they want and aspire to become. Music has been so accepted culturally that it affects almost everything related to lifestyle. Clothing, Hair Care and Beauty products, the automobile industry, language… Musicians receive endorsements from MacDonalds, Burger King, Adidas, Nike, Louis Vuitton, Ferrari, Mercedes, you get the picture.

Not only are musicians no longer pariahs, they are actually revered now. The weirder the better: Piercings, Tattooes, Prison convictions, Coloured hair, all displays for value as a creative artiste. We now live in a wonderful time where rappers receive keys to the city, perform at government functions and for government officials and schools…

A rapper known as Kendrick Lamar won the Pulitzer Prize for Music recently… damn, as a kid it was wrong to even use the F word. What a time to be alive.

 

LESSON 4: FOOTBALL (SOCCER)

Hate it or Love it, Football is the most popular sport in the world, played in over 200 countries. A single football match can see up to 70,000 travelling fans. In the English Premier League (My Country’s favourite), the cheapest matchday ticket costs more than 30 pounds.

In the wake of the recently concluded World Cup, I’m going to run some random statistics about Football’s International Association, FIFA. FIFA is a Non-Profit Organisation by the way…

FIFA’s revenue from 2015-2018 totals about 5.65 billion dollars. In 2017 alone it stood at 734 million dollars. FOX currently holds the rights to televise the 2022 World cup, but it wasn’t cheap, they paid 400 million dollars for it. FIFA made 527 million during the 2014 World Cup from the sale of TICKETS. They made 1.45 billion dollars from marketing rights for the 2015-2018 cycle. I’m going to stop here for now…

IT WOULD SEEM
…ludicrous from outside observation that so much can be generated from two teams of 11 players each kicking a leather ball around. Funny enough, even today kids are discouraged from choosing Football as a profession in my country. The sport is so loved, universally watched, has sprung a plethora of betting websites, yet hardly supported by the Government. But I digress…

KIDS STOP LISTENING TO ADULTS!

Not to say that your parents don’t want the best for you. They really do. But the thing is, a parent will most likely act on certain impulses when it comes to their children. The Impulse to keep their kids protected from any harm is one; Some Parents want to see kids continue their Legacy, rather than build their own. Worst of all, growing up makes you Jaded, Cynical and less open to exploring new opportunities; so some Parents don’t want their kids taking unnecessary risks. But…

DO WHAT YOU LIKE

…as a Kid you have no such fears. That’s the beauty of it. You can develop an interest in almost anything. As long as it’s productive, do it. Cultivate your talents. Explore your environment. You never know, that thing you discuss with your friends on the playground could be the next big thing…

 

PS. My name is OB Keeng. I’m a Creative Writer and Musician. This is where I share my weird thoughts with the world.