Darasimi Oshodi, Author at TalkAfrique

September 12, 2014September 12, 2014

Madison Robinson, the 16-Year-Old Founder of FishFlops

Madison Robinson’s story is the type of story I like to spread. Such stories inspire others and can galvanise us to action. She is only fifteen years old but she owns her own flourishing business. She is also a philanthropist.

She has created a flip-flop business which she calls FishFlops. Maddies’ FishFlops are beautiful flip-flops, which demonstrate her love of ocean animals and beach. A news article reveals that more than 30 stores placed orders the first time the flip flops were exhibited at a trade show and that so far, no store has rejected them when they have been approached to sell them.

Maddies’ parents and friends have been her major source of encouragement. She disclosed this in an interview: “When I was 8 years old I was drawing and coloring and looked over at my many pair of flip-flops in my room. I thought I would draw some of my favorite ocean creatures on an outline of a flip-flop. I decided to call them FishFlops® and I showed my dad. He was so excited… my family and friends thought the FishFlops® were really neat and they said they would buy them. My family and friends encouraged me to keep on creating.” Continue reading “Madison Robinson, the 16-Year-Old Founder of FishFlops”

September 2, 2014

Stealing Is Not Corruption: Why Nigeria Is a Case Study in Absurdity (Part Two)

By Darasimi Oshodi

In my last post, I started giving reasons why I think Nigeria is a case study in absurdity. The first reason I gave was the way our politicians change parties without caution. They even seem to get a kick out of their actions. I cited the examples of Nuhu Ribadu, Atiku Abubakar, Femi Fani-Kayode, Rotimi Amaechi and many others. I mentioned the governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko and likened him to Nicolas Anelka due to the way he has been hopping from one party to another. And to justify this name I gave him, the governor last week decamped again. He has returned to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In a related development, former governor of Plateau State, Joshua Dariye has revealed he is also returning to PDP. With the rate at which defections are taking place now in Nigeria, it seems the political transfer window is now open and the political clubs with the biggest offers are likely to sign on new players for the 2015 political season. Didn’t our president go for medicals in Germany recently? I am not insinuating that he wants to transfer to another political club but maybe his current club wants to be sure of his fitness in order to avoid a very costly mistake it made some seasons, sorry, years, ago when it fielded an obviously physically unfit person as its presidential candidate.

In this post I will be exemplifying another phenomenon which makes our country a case study in absurdity. A senior friend had suggested that instead of ‘absurdity’ in the title of the last post I should have used ‘wrong norm’. His argument was that I can only call a situation ‘absurd’ if I can provide counterfactual evidences. He posited that what we have in Nigeria is the acceptance of wrong norms. That is, we have come to acknowledge the wrong norms as right. So anyone who attempts to observe the right norms will be seen as the abnormal person. But I am sticking to ‘absurd’ in the title of this post because it’s a continuation of the last post. So my second reason for saying Nigeria is a case study in absurdity is because in Nigeria we celebrate questionable characters, corruption and criminality. I present below instances to substantiate my assertion. Continue reading “Stealing Is Not Corruption: Why Nigeria Is a Case Study in Absurdity (Part Two)”

August 23, 2014August 23, 2014

Like Nuhu Ribadu Like Christiano Ronaldo: Why Nigeria Is a Case Study in Absurdity (Part One)

By Darasimi Oshodi

Could it have ever occurred to Hillary Clinton to defect from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party when she lost her presidential bid to Barack Obama? I am almost certain it couldn’t because theirs is a rational society where decisions are taken based on principles. So, former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, recently defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC), the party that emerged from the merger among some political parties including the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) which fielded him as its presidential candidate in the last presidential election in Nigeria and some Nigerians are still reacting to his action. While the legality of Ribadu’s action is not in question, I am not totally sure about the morality.

When a senior colleague asked me what my take on the defection was, I told him I had come to a point where I didn’t allow anything to surprise me about Nigeria’s politics. Yes, I don’t allow anything to surprise me again in this nation just like I cannot be surprised by developments in the football transfer market. The day David Beckham left Manchester United – despite the circumstances that surrounded his exit – was the day I ceased to allow myself to be surprised by football transfers. So as a fan of Arsenal FC, I was not surprised when the legendary Thierry Henry left Arsenal for FC Barcelona or when the hugely talented Cesc Fabregas left the club, also for Barcelona. But I must confess that though I still have huge respects for Henry, it is not the same about Fabregas. I still admire Cesc though because of his undeniable talent but within me, I am wishing that he does not ‘click’ at Chelsea FC. Continue reading “Like Nuhu Ribadu Like Christiano Ronaldo: Why Nigeria Is a Case Study in Absurdity (Part One)”

August 23, 2014August 23, 2014

21 Reasons Why the Government Must #BringBackOurGirls Now! by Darasimi Oshodi

Darasimi Oshodi

Four over months now, more than a hundred schoolgirls have been abducted from a school in Chibok, Borno State and there are no signs of them returning anytime soon. Some parents of the girls have died, with other apparently going through untold pains but the government seems to be at a loss as to how to secure the freedom of the innocent girls. What the girls are going through in captivity is best imagined. The deprivations they must be experiencing and the reality of being forcefully separated from their loved ones must be overwhelming for the girls and this is the reason I am giving 21 reasons why the government must #BringBackOurGirls NOW:

It is long overdue.
The girls have done nothing wrong by going to school.
The girls’ morale would have been totally destroyed
The girls may become brainwashed and dangerous to the society.
The temptation to abuse or rape the girls by the abductors increases every day.
It will show that the government still places some value on human lives.
It will demonstrate that the government is still in charge of every part of Nigeria.
The parents of these girls have been through serious emotional turmoil and psychological stress.
The parents of the girls (and even the girls) can enjoy sound sleep.
Girls in the northern part of Nigeria will not be afraid to go to school.
Failure to secure their release will have negative consequences for the Peoples Democratic Party.
It will save the president’s face a little in the forthcoming presidential election.
It will send a strong signal to Boko Haram that they can’t get away with abductions.
Everyone who has been involved in the agitation for the release of the girls will be able to divert their time and energy to thinking about ways to move our country forward.
It will restore our pride before the international community.
Government will stop spending money on efforts geared towards securing the release of the girls.
Malala’s visit to Nigeria would have been a success.
The First Lady’s tears would not be in vain.
The president and his wife will no longer be bound by their promise not to sleep until the girls are found.
Government spokespersons will have no reasons to misinform Nigerians about the girls’ situation.
Law enforcement officers will no longer have a crisis of conscience since they will no longer be asked to arrest innocent #BringBackOurGirls campaigners.

Continue reading “21 Reasons Why the Government Must #BringBackOurGirls Now! by Darasimi Oshodi”

August 23, 2014August 23, 2014

Random Musings about Nigeria and Nigerians – Darasimi Oshodi

By Darasimi Oshodi

This piece is an attempt to write down some of my thoughts on some things I have noticed in my environment. The two sections are from two different trains of thought and that is why I have demarcated them. Enjoy the read.

I have come to the categorical conclusion that Nigerians are hard-working. We are industrious. We want to make honest living. We want to work for our money. Our youths are not the lazy type some adults have been portraying them to be. Anytime I see people hawking, especially in traffic, I usually shake my head and mutter to myself: Nigerians are hardworking. Or how do you explain the actions of men and women, boys and girls who run after vehicles, risking their lives or limbs just to make end meet? Have you noticed that some of them hawk only foams and nothing more? Foams, yes. Foams cut neatly for domestic use. How do you explain what makes a person trek long distances with a heavy load on their head, back or shoulder just to eke out a living? Have you seen old men (and women) with bent back going to or coming back from their farms? Have you seen pregnant women sweating under a sweltering sun just to fend for themselves and their families? To me, all these are demonstrations of Nigerians’ willingness to do something that will bring money into their pockets instead of resorting to crime or begging.

But I usually wonder at how they are able to sustain themselves from their earnings. How much will selling foams only fetch the seller? How much? Yet, you see these people outside everyday going about their businesses. Who then says Nigerians are lazy? I dare say that the number of those people who are ready to sweat for their money is more than those of people who are involved in crimes like cyber fraud, armed robbery, etc. My country men are honest. They are industrious. We are not loafers or idlers. We are a diligent, productive and energetic set of people who expect the government to do its part by providing basic amenities like constant electricity, potable water, good roads, security and so on for us so that we can enjoy our beautiful nation. We expect the government to give our children good schools, support our farmers, encourage SMEs and do all the other things responsible governments do for their citizens. When this will be? When will our government become responsive to our needs? The truth is that I do not know. Continue reading “Random Musings about Nigeria and Nigerians – Darasimi Oshodi”

August 4, 2014

Deadlier than HIV: Hepatitis B – by Darasimi Oshodi

by Darasimi Oshodi

The World Hepatitis Day was recently observed. So this post is my own way of contributing to the sensitisation on Hepatitis.

The First Service in my church on Sunday is tagged ‘Empowerment Service’, where issues like entrepreneurship, academics, health, wealth, purpose, etc., are addressed. At one of our services, a medical doctor, spoke on the deadliness of Hepatitis infection and its prevalence in Nigeria. A staggering revelation the speaker made was that Hepatitis infection is deadlier than HIV and costlier to manage. Hepatitis B, he said, is incurable while Hepatitis C can be treated but can you imagine spending 30,000 naira per week on treatment for 48 consecutive weeks? That should be around 200 dollars per week. Please try to calculate what that amounts to. How many people in Nigeria can afford such a treatment? It is however surprising to know that vaccination for this disease is not supposed to be more than 1000 naira (that should be around 7 dollars) and I want to hazard a guess that many people are not aware of this. What is painful about this disease is the fact it is prevalent in Nigeria and many people are ignorant about it. How many Nigerians have died from Hepatitis infection with the death attributed to something else? Continue reading “Deadlier than HIV: Hepatitis B – by Darasimi Oshodi”

August 4, 2014

Cliff Young

Darasimi Oshodi

I came across the story of Cliff Young and I was wowed. I just couldn’t resist the urge to share it with others. So please enjoy his story.

In 1983 when Cliff stepped to the line ready to run the Westfield Sydney to Melbourne Ultra Marathon no one took him seriously. He didn’t look like he was ready to complete a 5K let alone the 544 mile race from Sidney to Melbourne. He was a side show clown for the media to dramatize; a satirical distraction from the real competitors who took training and racing seriously. In 1983, a man named Cliff Young showed up at the start of this race. Cliff was 61 years old and wore overalls and work boots. To everyone’s shock, Cliff wasn’t a spectator. He picked up his race number and joined the other runners. He was told that he was crazy and could not finish the race. He explained to them that he grew up on a 2,000-acre farm, with thousands of sheep. His family could afford neither horses nor tractors so, when the storms came, his job was to round up the sheep. Sometimes, he said, it would take two or three days of running. “It took a long time, but I’d always catch them. I believe I can run this race,” he said.

When the gun went off, Cliff immediately fell to the very back of the pack. Soon even the back of the pack disappeared ahead of him. But a 61 year old toothless farmer, racing in overalls and galoshes, was still compelling television so the cameras continued to cover his journey. Calls reportedly came into the station begging for race officials to make him stop. Many spectators believed he would certainly die before he made it even half way to Melbourne. After 18 hours of running, the leaders stopped for some rest. The conventional wisdom was that running 18 hours straight and then sleeping for 6 was the best recipe for success over this distance. The first night of the race Cliff did not sleep. Continue reading “Cliff Young”

July 31, 2014

Two Things You Can Still Do This Year, by Darasimi Oshodi

by Darasimi Oshodi

Sometime ago, I took my wife to the hospital for treatment of cough and catarrh. It was our first time of visiting that hospital to see a doctor so we had to obtain a new patient’s card. We paid for the card without stress but it was not the same with obtaining the card. Since my wife was not feeling too well, I had to help her obtain the card while she sat down. The queue that confronted me where I was to obtain the card was scary but I did not have any option but to fall in line if I wanted to get the card. There were about five disorderly lines (the disorderliness actually accounts for why I cannot be exact about the number of lines) being attended to by two persons – the number later increased to three.

While waiting to be attended to, I observed something: some people who just joined the queue were attended to before those they met on the line. A man who was behind me found his way to the front and he was attended to before me. My first reaction to the man’s attitude was to wonder at his impatience and disregard for order. But it didn’t take me long to come to terms with what I concluded was the reality of life. I thought to myself that there was no need to blame him because his action only exemplified that life will hand to you what you demand of it and not necessarily what you deserve. In life, some people wait for a good fortune to drop on their laps like ripe mangoes while others go about life with such a determination to make life give them what they want. This does not mean I support disorderliness. In fact, I am a firm believer in the first come, first served principle.

Another observation I made while waiting to get the card was that patients who knew hospital officials enlisted the support of such officials to help them get whatever they wanted quickly. This also did not anger me because I have come to realise that relationships can help you get ahead in life or take you where your knowledge or status may not take you. These patients who knew hospital officials were only enjoying the benefits of the relationships they had developed. And I am not one to blame the hospital officials for calling in favours in their workplace. Where else would they call in such favours if not in their workplace? Continue reading “Two Things You Can Still Do This Year, by Darasimi Oshodi”