The present situation of the country; where did we go wrong.

A while ago,  I saw a quote by my friend and colleague Mr. Possible and the quote goes thus ÷
"Not every pain heals with time, not every hurt heals with care.. sometimes, just sometimes, the best times bring back the worst memories"
Destiny Possible Osayi
(2016).

Sometime in 2014 to be precise a group of girls were adopted from a school in Northern Nigeria Chibok (to be apt) and up until now some of them are still held captive. In this write-up I would focus on the ones that "escaped" from the adopters.
It is expected that when one escapes or is free from captivity, joy should fill the heart of such a one but this is not so in respect of one of the escapee; a young lady.
After coming back to civilisation, she was initially happy and glad to be back but soon after, she began to hint that she missed her husband who she was forcefully married off to by the gang of adopters. The hearing of this bizarre statement frightened people and some even claimed she had been bedeviled.
Relating this to Mr. Possibles quote, she is having to some extent the best time of this period of her life, but the memories of her forced husband lingers on in her mind with each passing day. She may have had the worst time of her life while in captivity but her disposition towards her "husband" is still positive thereby bringing back some of the worst memories in her life right in the middle of her best times.
Situations like this happen every day in different scales, many persons still thinking of their lost loved ones who died as a result of the "religious war" going on in Nigeria even when they have been compensated by the government and are seemingly ok they remember the memories which they shared with their loved ones and it brings back bitter sensation right in the middle of their jubilation.
  As much as possible we must do our best individually and collectively to make people feel secure and loved even though the country at this point in time is experiencing crisis in every sense of the word.

Da Jandy.

Tales from the past (Fiction)

Today was Friday and I alongside uche just returned from our visit to our friends house where we went to indulge in PlayStation 2. Our intention was to pass the back door and enter into our house because we sneaked out to play game so we didn't want anyone to be aware of our return.. as we crept slowly towards the back door, we heard a voice "EKENE AND UCHENA.. BOTH OF YOU COME HERE".. the fright that gripped both of us was out of this world knowing fully well that the voice was grandpa's and we had just been "caught in the act". We decided to "play deaf" and walk back to follow the main entrance but papa was quite ready to discipline us (Spare the rod and spoil the child was papas watch word especially to "little demons like myself and Uche"). Grandpa got up from where he was sitting and followed us till he nabbed us by the shirt and that was when we knew we were in for it. As an aside, I must say at this point that grandpa had earlier on given us task to accomplish before he left for his age group meeting in company of his friend. We were very much aware of this but since he went for age group meeting, knowing fully well that the meetings take donkey years to arrive at a conclusion, we decided to save the task for a later time and instead go out to fraternise with our friend. Grand pa nabbed us and sought to find out the candid reason why we did not play by the rules(finishing the task before going to play) this time.... we knew what grandpa would do if we didn't give any reply at all. Uche looked at me with the gaze of "guy give papa a reply oo" I knew that look and so decided to play along but today was not my day because the moment I opened my mouth to speak, no words came out. Grandpa was tired of waiting for an answer and so decided to punish us without mercy. After serving the punishment, it was time for dinner and grandma was back from the market. Grandpa briefed her on our misdemeanors and we weren't aware of this fact until we got to the dinning table and we were literally "shutout" from partaking in supper. Myself and Uche looked at grandma to come to our rescue as she had hitherto done on previous occasions. Instead of that to happen, we were chastised further by our grandma telling us that we were no longer babies but young men who should be responsible and trusted to carryout task without any hitch. Every other person ate and went to bed except both of us, we were made to sleep on empty stomachs after playing throughout the afternoon. At about 11pm that day grandma came to our room and woke us up to come and eat as a matter of fact we were so glad. She sat besides us and admonished us throughout the meal to be good boys who would one day grow up to be fathers. That singular episode gave me particularly a broader view of life. Moral lessons÷ 1. We should always keep to time in our dealings.
2. We must not take anyone for granted.
3. We should be trustworthy at all times.
4. We should show good example to everyone we come across.
5. We should always work before we crave for rest (play).
   Da Jandy.

The Political Mumbo Jumbo in Nigerian politicking; Edo State as a Case Study. By; Da Jandy.

It is stale news that the gubernatorial election in Edo state is around the corner. The singular knowledge of this fact tends to frighten the political parties involved. Most especially the two prominent parties which are "All Progressive Congress(APC)" the ruling party and the strongest opposition party "Peoples Democratic Party(PDP)".
The main aim of this write-up is to beam a search light into the politicking and convictions of Edo people,  and highlight major criteria with which the candidates should be adjudged and subsequently voted for.
In lue of the upcoming elections, various allegations both true and false have been going around so as to limit the trust which the masses repose on the flag bearers of both of the aforementioned parties. Let it be noted at this juncture that the use of the words "FLAG BEARERS OF BOTH PARTIES" is clearly stressed.
 Some quarters have alleged that a particular candidate "stole" from the coffers of the state treasury while serving in a political capacity, others have accused another candidate of not being "qualified" academically and politically to pilot the affairs of Edo State. Some of these allegations might be true but the issue is that the extent of the truism of these allegations cannot be validated totally and this tends to create a distrust amongst the masses about both candidates. This singular issue has caused a deviation from the real aim of political campaign which is to sell the manifesto of candidates vying for political post to the masses who would either buy the ideas of the candidates or not, rather what we now have is the "state" of a STATE torn between itself supporting various candidates based on sentiments, pity, and party affiliations. This ordinarily should not be so. People should not be "bedeviled" by sentimental stands which they take blindly because what ever decisions we take on September 10th 2016 would either Favour us or hunt us for the next four years.
On the basis of this, it is my earnest plea and chastisement to the People of EDO STATE to calm down and weigh both candidates, find out what they actually have to offer and finally make our choices based on such criteria.
 I must tell you.... Then and only Then would we finally have a government that is "by the people, from the people, and for the people"

Reminiscence of Demostarz13 days by Dee Adebayo

I was listening to Joshua's (da Jandy's) "children,leaders of tomorrow"...and a flood of memories came rushing back... memories from a few years back... in one big secondary school somewhere in the university of Benin. . a group of teenagers were in the arts... it was a class full of different characters but one thing bonded all of them and that was their passion for the arts... they were all talented young men and women.... singers.... speakers ..writers... beautiful people owho had a common dream... to read law 😊 so today I remember all of them..... Abolagba Joshua 'Da Jandy' who was fond of warming my hands then... always cold... seat mate for two years... he could tease the hell out of me.. he also used to tell me of how we will be seat mates wen we get to the faculty of law... or how he was going to blow so big... and I was going to hear his songs one day... I am hearing it all right and I miss u... I remember small Aliu Jennifer, she was of course a friend... I remember you with that small mirror of yours, rubbing white powder and repairing ur lipgloss, the only makeup we could own as of then... always beautiful.. miss u girl... then osaruese Rhoda... the girl with "huge" assets... beautiful to the core too although we used to clash back then.. I remember you laughing and me shouting "rodent!!!!! stop it ooo"...miss you too.. Asije Ohita, seat mate for a year, fragile yet strong.. I remember you today rapping... spitting those words out with ferocity... miss u too... Remember Sede gracious, my partner in crime when it came to reading those yeye novels and with one powerful voice... madam, you are highly missed too... Orhue Enodiana, another partner in novel reading.. I remember you with your large skirt.. powerful voice too... miss you.. Can I ever forget Efe Eseka..bestie that year that year.. intelligent with a tint of stubbornness... smallie... you are missed... Ifidon... tall, quiet and mysterious even up till date.. Mr politician.. missing u bad bad... Oriakhi Lisa... you and makeup ehn!!!!! I remember you and Joshua always fighting.. Khai.miss you love... Abu praise... our dear quarrel settler, she was like our mature class mate.. true definition of black is gold.miss u hun..,Emmanuel..."can't spell your surname again oo".. tall,dark and well built even at that our young age... I wonder how you look like now..i miss you too.. can't exactly remember everyone as I am sleeping and typing but I truthfully miss you all... you know what my last memory of us all... "all of us, sitting in our various seats... Joshua and I.... ohita and praise... Rhoda and Jennifer... lisa rubbing lipstick sitting on the seat that Joshua abandoned for her.. Ifidon in one place like that talking with Emmanuel... Orhue reading a novel... Efe thinking of one joke like that to say.. all of us on our 'low cuts'... dressed in our pink and purple uniforms, white socks and brown shoes... and everyone suddenly laughing at one funny thing Efe has said" happy that we were together in the Arts... SSS1B ND SS2F.... life might have separated us but I remember you all fondly and all I can say... je vous aime ( I love you all)

By: Dee Adebayo

The Prevalent issue of lack of respect amongst youths in contemporary times.

Many a time Elders most especially African parents often stress the need for children and youths alike to cultivate the habitual nature of respecting and greeting elders. This attitude was hitherto adhered to strictly but in the 21st century, this culture of respect for elders began to dwindle drastically. A number of reasons have been put forward as to the cause of this negative trend. These include;
1. Failure on the part of Parents to instill the "greeting culture" into their children.
2. Exposure to such trend through the availability of western movies in which children show little or no respect to their elders.
3. The African Children themselves claiming that the "greeting culture" is old fashioned.
4. Some Elders don't respond when they are greeted.
These and many more are the reasons given as an explanation of the ill manner portrayed by youngsters today.
Not too long ago I was driving into my school compound through the main gate in company of a youngster. I greeted the security officer who gave me a gate pass and to my dismay he didn't reply. I felt bad (I must confess) but I drove past him and continued my journey. The youngster accompanying me saw the look on my face and putting "1 and 2" together he figured out that the reason why I was not all smiling was due to the fact that I was snubbed at the gate a while ago. Having known me for a while and my constant adjudication for people to always greet elders, he began to put forward reasons why he ordinarily does not greet some certain people and this included the "snubbing ish". After much haggle we finally settled the issue by me telling him to keep on greeting elders because it's the right thing to do at all times and it also has its reward.
  So many other persons have various painful experiences while trying to exchange pleasantries with elders and getting snubbed. These persons sometimes resolve to keep their cool and continue to greet but this is not admissible to all due to the fact that we all have our "elastic limits" by which when stretched beyond limit, may snap and give room to a cantankerous situation.
  In suggesting a solution, when we are faced with such situations, we should try as much as possible to "play the fool" and move past the scene at that particular time;
reason being that it takes absolutely nothing to greet a person and even if they snub us,  it equally takes absolute nothing from us to go our way without creating a scene that would either make us suffer grievous bodily or emotional harm.
Finally as a concluding sentence, I would say that it pays to be respectful at all times because by so doing, people have received unmerited favours from others.
Da Jandy