Some of the students who were lying down used their elbows as support as they took notes and the others who were well positioned on the floor with their backs against the wall (as support for their body frames) were all smiling with the look of contentment as though they do not deserve to have chairs having at least being given classrooms/roofs over their heads.
That was nearly two weeks ago. The pictures were taken and
uploaded on Facebook by a cousin who also teaches in the same school.
Few days after, I read in awe how a social/recreational club members
have concluded plans after a meeting to use the sum of 1billion naira to
rehabilitate facilities to enhance the look of the club centre. How about that
for comparison? That's nearly the same amount that somebody was reported to have spent in building a house just recently (that's a story for another day).
Please don’t get me wrong. I’m a strong advocate for
recreational activities and so not against any form of rehabilitation process
going on in any of them.
Nevertheless, I do not succumb to the fact that in the same
country where some families are said to be living below a dollar, some others would actually
be spending so much on frivolities/show off in the faces of fellow Nigerians who are seriously hungry or have GENUINE challenges or needs.
Before you go on to say” it’s their money so they can do whatever
they deem fit “I’ll like to say that I share that same view. However, in as much
as I share that same view with you, to an extent, one would expect some level of
moderation when it comes to spending sprees in this our environment.
For example, how do you expect your neighbor to be happy with you when he
sees you popping bottles of champagne which (they say) costs 1million naira (per bottle) on social
network while his wife who has been hospitalised (you are aware) needs
the sum of 2million naira to undergo a surgery?
Only yesterday, I heard that Aregbesola the governor of Osun state is soliciting for support from well meaning/ wealthy Nigerians to complement the efforts of government in all sectors towards economic development.
I have always said that "Success is not based on the number of cars, houses or how much you have in your account or how many countries you've been to on vacation. Rather, it is based on how much you are able to positively impart or affect the lives of the people around you" instead of getting things we do not (most of the time) need to impress people who don't give a 'hoot' about you.
Pardon me as I add this funny but true story. A relative was telling me about an empowerment programme she attended sometime this year and some guests speakers/moderators while speaking started talking about how they have made it, how well they have travelled and great people they have met, how much they have made and so on with all the phonetics they could muster as they spoke.
The relative added that at a point, one of the youths stood up and with boldness said to one of the speakers, a lady "excuse me Ma, with all these you have mentioned, who have you been able to help with all you have achieved? Please we do not need any show-off here. Just tell us what we need to know and leave the podium" and then sat back even as the speaker left the podium for the next speaker.
And of course the group of angry unemployed youths who were at the empowerment workshop/programme after much listening, could not bear to listen any further and the consistent question that came from them while the speakers spoke was "who you help" in our local parlance or "who did you help" from those who did not want to go 'local'.
The truth is (take it or leave it) it's only people who are small minded that do all of those 'show-offs' that we see every now and then. Watch the lives of VERY rich, I mean very wealthy individuals like Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Aliko Dangote, to an extent even some of those who are not as wealthy as the aforementioned like Tu Face Idibia, Asa, Femi Kuti, Kate Henshaw, Emem Isong, Funke Akindele and many others too numerous to mention but are doing well in their endeavours yet no 'show-offs' even as a few them are giving back to society through some form of corporate social responsibility project or the other.
A couple of days ago, I stumbled on this quote by Donald Duke, former Governor of Rivers State, on a friend's facebook wall and it made a whole lot of sense. It said "I am not successful if my brother is a failure, but at the same time, I wouldn’t allow his failure to undermine my success. So, my responsibility is to help him, but not indulge him. So, I can’t say I am successful and every Monday, I give him a hundred thousand or five hundred thousand naira. I would help him start something. I will find out where his strengths are".
I hope this write-up reaches/touches you as much as it has to me. Before you go showing off again, take a breather and answer the question "WHO (DID) YOU HELP?',
Only yesterday, I heard that Aregbesola the governor of Osun state is soliciting for support from well meaning/ wealthy Nigerians to complement the efforts of government in all sectors towards economic development.
I have always said that "Success is not based on the number of cars, houses or how much you have in your account or how many countries you've been to on vacation. Rather, it is based on how much you are able to positively impart or affect the lives of the people around you" instead of getting things we do not (most of the time) need to impress people who don't give a 'hoot' about you.
Pardon me as I add this funny but true story. A relative was telling me about an empowerment programme she attended sometime this year and some guests speakers/moderators while speaking started talking about how they have made it, how well they have travelled and great people they have met, how much they have made and so on with all the phonetics they could muster as they spoke.
The relative added that at a point, one of the youths stood up and with boldness said to one of the speakers, a lady "excuse me Ma, with all these you have mentioned, who have you been able to help with all you have achieved? Please we do not need any show-off here. Just tell us what we need to know and leave the podium" and then sat back even as the speaker left the podium for the next speaker.
And of course the group of angry unemployed youths who were at the empowerment workshop/programme after much listening, could not bear to listen any further and the consistent question that came from them while the speakers spoke was "who you help" in our local parlance or "who did you help" from those who did not want to go 'local'.
The truth is (take it or leave it) it's only people who are small minded that do all of those 'show-offs' that we see every now and then. Watch the lives of VERY rich, I mean very wealthy individuals like Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Aliko Dangote, to an extent even some of those who are not as wealthy as the aforementioned like Tu Face Idibia, Asa, Femi Kuti, Kate Henshaw, Emem Isong, Funke Akindele and many others too numerous to mention but are doing well in their endeavours yet no 'show-offs' even as a few them are giving back to society through some form of corporate social responsibility project or the other.
A couple of days ago, I stumbled on this quote by Donald Duke, former Governor of Rivers State, on a friend's facebook wall and it made a whole lot of sense. It said "I am not successful if my brother is a failure, but at the same time, I wouldn’t allow his failure to undermine my success. So, my responsibility is to help him, but not indulge him. So, I can’t say I am successful and every Monday, I give him a hundred thousand or five hundred thousand naira. I would help him start something. I will find out where his strengths are".
I hope this write-up reaches/touches you as much as it has to me. Before you go showing off again, take a breather and answer the question "WHO (DID) YOU HELP?',
Like Bruce Lee said "showing off is the fool's idea of glory"!.
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