We are children of the morning.

The rain was heavy,  the flood,  knee high.  The battlefield was burning. We were running.

The night came with terror. The battle took our hearts.  We were left quivering, bracing up for our death. And there was dessent in our ranks.

The men, looking into the eyes of the high sky beings, asked questions. "You left us to die; you let the plague bleed our children". In their eyes, there were dark rain clouds blinding our hope, as it has been for years.

Years that the night walkers spent, throwing blackened threats to our faces, reveling in the flow of our vulnerable tears. And when our children cried,they said they squealed like cats. Our golden children who came from the shores of the watery gods.

Our brave men fought fiercely, marched through the stony path.  Weighed down by the bodies of our pregnant women, they engaged the  steeled night men in a storm battle. A fierce battle that left them dead in the morning. You can imagine how downcast our spirits got. It was like a mother losing her newborn at birth, after seasons of painful labour.

Oh! Look at us, born free on the eve of the coronation of the the virgin Prince. We should live; we are the rightful heir to the blissful life in the garden of blooming cherries. But, now we are threatened with a life of fear and slavery by the tiny creature of the night.

So, we gathered at the feet of the breathing deities, seeking their face, to end our misery. We called on them even though we had cursed them, earlier. But, our men who cursed them were now dead and we had no shame.

We pleaded, humbled in spirit, bowed of heads. "Let us live again, let us grow crops again, let our women raise children again" we pleaded.

But, the gods only laughed.

They  Laughed at our fearful faces, our streaming eyes. They were amused at our lack of faith. " How are they so fickle?" they asked.

But, their laughter soon got pained, filled with disappointment.

They got sad because we could not see our souls, our steely hearts that could win the war against the forces that besieged us. So they angrily sent us away. "Go find your path" they said to us" their faces, bitter. "Look within, for our guiding hands"

We left as the gate of the temple shot at our faces.

* * *

Come on then, brothers, let us be on our way. Let us go back to the the hearth of our birth where our cords sleep. Let us find shelter in our feeble hands. And eschew anger in our hearts for the gods, for they are full of love for us.

Remember, on our birth, they said to us " go forth and conquer."

They dream of the day when we'll stand on our  green feet unaided. They want to hear our victory song.

So,  sing therefore  with me,  brothers, sing:

We march to the frontline, to fight.
We march to the dark field
to rip our children from the thorny hands
of the storm pirates.

We march

Within us, lies the key to our eternal freedom.
Within us, lies the path  to our healing.

We march.

We are children of the morning
Within us,  lies the power of the gods........

On love and sex.

Sex is very good and pleasurable and sweet thrilling. It can make us go gagger, forgetting ourselves. But, the way we abuse it is wrong.

The way we make it the center stage, the priority; the way we build our lives around it is pathetic and, dangerous. And, if we fail to arrest the situation, we'll lose the most important concept which is love.

There's never been a great man who became great becos of his sexual conquests nor a woman who became great becos of her sexual promiscuity. Bill Gate became great becos of his brain and Celine Dion became great becos of her voice and musical talent.

There's never been a game changing invention or innovation that came through sexual thrill. And our forefathers built this our great world becos they focused their energy on the more important things in life-love, marriage, family.

In their time, love survived without sex and marriages survived alot longer; people stayed married even when the pleasure of sex was long dimnished.
Becos they controlled their cravins, shamful behaviour like infidelity was unheard of. So much unlike thìs our age when married people prefer sexual pleasure to love and children and once the pleasures of sex goes down, our marriages/relationships come apart and as a result, infidelity is rife in our time and is tearing our families and relationships apart.

An example is this: before the invention of the contraceptive pill and the sexual revolution which it helped bring about, marriages were sacred and survived most difficulties it faced. And divorce was quite very low. Relationship s were more valuable; we were a lot happier. But, all that changed with the advent of sexual revolution. And soon, people will prefer to have sex with machines rather than fellow humans. Soon, our sacred institution of marriage and family will become a distant memory.

The greats became great because they had control over their bodies, their cravings and cherrished self mortification. And when they enjoyed sex, they did in the most honorable way, the most dignified manner. So, much unlike us, the present age, who are willing to let our entire existence go in flames just so we could satisfy all our cravings. And how pathetic are we!

Believe me, people, our world, our lives will have greater and bigger, more lasting meaning, if we should exert a greater control over our cravings especially Sexual cravings which is both the most beautiful thing and the most dangerous thing in our lives.

Let us go back to our roots, the way it was in the days when human dignity and LOVE was all that mattered. Days when sex  was secondary and love was primary. Those days when relationships were built on love and sex came as a blessing to that love and we were alot happier.

Diamond Candle

Vast, whose real name is Nwachukwu Ozioko, the lead Singer of the Nigerian HipHop group, 'The Brackets,' grew up in the same street as me.

He was just one of us-boys of slaughter road nsukka, who woke up every morning to go and fetch water at ''work and Pay''  or  bore-hole and on saturdays, to the Timber shed to fetch saw dust used as fuel for cooking. I got to know him through  Ambrose Onah, my clasmate during our confirmatiom cathechism classes and I remember him-Vast, shaking my hand with both of his, as a mark of respect, when I got admission into UNN. But, the last time I saw him in Nsukka amist cheers of ''yori yori'' from all and sundry, especially the numerous Children that hawked one thing or the other, at Enugu road junction, I was too scared to walk up to him and shake his hand.

How could I have mustered the 'liver' to move close,  to greet or shake hands with a celebrity who moved in the company of big shots like Emeka Mama, Dekumzy and Emeka Onyishi- peace mass transit CEO? That was a guy I used to look down on, during the days of our youth, because  I saw him as one of those street kids who did not do well in school.

You see, life is a very long and strange journey. One in which where you have been does not have much influence on where you are going. It is one in which that single diamond candle which your maker put in you when he made you can, one day, in a heart beat, easily calm whatever dusty storm you are passing through or have passed through, and illuminate your way up to the sky, enabling you to be among the stars as one of them. If only you will look-out for it-that Heaven made Candle and light it up.

It doesn't require a University degree for you to do that. It doesn't matter that you were born without a Silver spoon. It does not require that you must be handsome or beautiful, tall or short.
It does not require that you must be brilliant.

This same Vast of a guy attended the worst school in Nsukka (Nru boys). He was born out of wedlock. He was often dirty just like any of us then. He was often in a hurry, running errands for his grandmother who used to fry Akara at Enugu road junction.

Who could've predicted then, that he would be living in Lekky by now? Who could've thought that in less than five years after secondary school during which he spent his free and break periods rapping Tupac to entertain his classmates, that he would be standing on the stage now, with the very best of Nigerian Artists?


I've been listening to their latest Album and the track 'only time' has been on repeat for two days now. In the song, he enjoins anyone, every youth struggling now, to look at them(Brackets) and, their story, and know that there is always light at the end of the tunnel. He sings:
   
 
''I remember when we dey beg for money because 'Happy day' wey we sing no dey bring us money and our producer dey vex with us say him dey invest money but him dey get no return. But, see us today. We be Brackets and we sing song of the year. We feature Psquare and Tuface, MI and Banky....frustration don go away.
My brother, in whatever you do, just dey work hard and pray and surely, one day, God go bless your work...''


There are many more guys like him who made it from no where and ,you, my guys out there, can always look up to them as examples of what your God given talents can do for you. You can name them:

Tuface, Psquare, Mikel Obi, Ronaldinho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Jay Jay(Pa Jay) Okocha, Victor Moses. Just name them. They are so many, more than I can count.


I'm proud to be an Nsukka boy and Am proud of you 'Vast',
Nwachukwu, nwanne Oluchi.

Our country, our land

The country is under siege, my people. There are dark shadows crouching over us,  shrouding our eyes. Yes,  we are at war with our own. And like cannibals, our brothers and sisters have taken up arms against their innocent siblings for no just cause. And our morale is low. Our spirits,  downcast.  Deep down,  we are bleeding.

Our situation is especially tricky and sad because our leaders are making effort , doing  what they can to solve our problems but our own people who should help in nation building are the very ones who are sabotaging our leaders' effort ,  for the selfish reason that they want power. Not just political power but,  religious power as  well.

And so they go about destroying their defenseless siblings in order to make the nation chaotic, so that they would rip power from the hands of those we democratically elected to lead us. And here, I am talking about Boko Haram,  not the North as a whole. As, we all know,  Boko Haram have made it open that their aim is to overthrow the government and subsequently impose sharia.

It has always been the method from the ancient times, that the power hungry employed in order  to seize control of people: create chaos, disorganize the people,  turn them against their leaders and then,  strike at their hearts and rip them out and then,  totally control the people,  the land.

That has been the way of power hungry evil men from the ancient times. The same trick that those who have besieged our country are employing and sadly,  from the way it stands,  it appears they are succeeding, because, we are now, effectively turning against our leaders, and,  ultimately,  we are playing into the hands  of  Boko Haram. And soon,  they will overrun the country if we do not recover our senses,  our patriotism.

There are now senseless and crass demonstrations and march all over the country and, movements all over the media, calling on our 'weak' government to resign. We now think our government weak because some of our people have chosen to sabotage all the government's effort to run the country effectively and that is sad.

A times,  I wonder whether we as a people actually reason properly. I mean,  how would a  right thinking person believe that the government is actually doing nothing about Boko Haram?

Why are we just glibly believing the words of our enemies about our elected leaders? They-our enemies, pull the strings supporting the insurgency in the dark and then come out in the light and say that the government is weak and we sheepishly believe. What can really be more deplorable than this?

If you were the president,  what would you do if the people that are working with you constantly stab at y our back,  taking advantage of the nation's woes to help their own quest for power?  What would you do as the president,  if you send your soldiers to do one thing,  and they go and do another,  because they are also sharing in the beliefs of the enemy?

How would you fight the battle if the people who elected you in power now choose the words of the enemy instead of your own, calling for you to f***ck off because you are 'weak'?

Would you just order the killing of everyone,  even the innocent to show that you are strong? Would you invade Sambisa forest with a brutish force, even though Boko Haram  have threatened to kill those girls if they sense any attempt at rescuing them?

Would you order a brutish destruction of the North just to get at boko Haram,  when even the police action you are undertaking is already being termed 'genocide'  by the same people you are trying to liberate. Let us please, be fair  and considerate.

No true leader ever wins a battle without the support of the people. And in our case,  how can our president fight if all we do is blame him and echo the words of the enemy,  instead of his,  calling him 'weak'  and ineffective,  instead of supporting him?

The thing is: The president is not weak. He is not ineffective.  A look at the other parts of the country,  how peaceful and prosperous they are, will testify to the fact that Jonathan's government is the best we've had. There are medium and large scale indigenous industries springing up everywhere. Our economy is now the best in Africa. Our states are developing faster than ever because the president does not interfere in state affairs.

Because,  these other parts of the country are inhabited by people who actually want peace,  things have gone well with them,  something that can not be said of the North.

I'm not trying to be tribalistic here; I'm only being realistic. How can Jonathan effectively defeat Boko Haram when most of the people inhabiting the besieged states are Boko Haram sympathizers? Indeed,  it will be impossible. Even, the Nigerian army is heavily infested with enemy sympathisers.

So, it's high time we began  to stand behind our president. It's high time we tore down those banners,  reading "Jonathan out," and replace them with ones reading "we are together in this fight and together,  we shall win"

I also plead with our Northern  siblings  to help the president. Instead of accusing him of trying to commit genocide, they should lend their backing and information on how to strike at the heart of the insurgency.

And again,  our dear 'elites'  like Iyabor Obasanjo should lend their help and support  instead of encouraging the people to turn against the government. I was so disappointed when  I  heard that she was sympathising with BH in their 'revolution',  in that open letter of hers which I'm yet  to read,  anyway. I thought that someone with the kind of education she has should be able to understand the difference between  revolution  and what  BH  is doing.

If GEJ steps down now,  tell me,  my people,  what next? Where next do we go?  Do you guys actually know the kind of chaos that would come upon us? Who do you guys think will do it better?

Have you guys ever heard of a leader deserting his people in times of trouble?Aren't you guys the same people who will call him coward if he should resign now with enough money in his pocket and perhaps move out of this country to enjoy his life elsewhere?
Let's stop all these blame game,  hypocrisy and,  self righteousness and embrace reality-that we are at war with the devil and that no president can win a war if he fights alone.

We have to stand together and fight as a single unit or fall as a divided one.

She wanted to be free

I saw something today!

One of my patients, a 15yrs old, previously beautiful girl and the only child of her parents, is currently struggling to survive the complications of a septic abortion she did, in a failed attempt to terminate a 15 weeks pregnancy. And men, what a sorry, tear-inducing figure she is! Pale, frail, sad, cachectic. And full of regrets. And, believe me, I cried today.

She was driven into having sex because she religiously read a feminist blogger who says that girls' sex life is being suppressed by society, parents and tradition and that girls should be free to exploit their sexuality without any 'peevish' family and traditional restrictions.

The blogger also convinced her to follow her feelings, her heart desires, neglecting the words of her parents, and their strict rules on boys.

So, the young girl rebelled on her 'oppressors' and went out to 'live her life the way she wanted'. Armed with adequate knowlege of Condom and contraception, etc, she went her own way, away from 'restrictions', to sexual adventure.

Of course, she ensured to use protection always, as her darling feminist blogger adviced. But, one day, she and her lover became so driven by too strong a passion that the protection failed and, boom! The semen travelled so fast that before she could realize that these protections fail when you need them to stay strong and that those people who encourage her to 'live her life the way she wants' do not, in the least, mean well for her, an embrayo was firmly implanted inside her womb.

She told me, hot tears inuandating her beautiful cheeks: "Doctor, I thought that I was doing the right thing. I thought that my parents were old fashioned and sophocating me. These people made me hate my parents"

Now, the only thing in her mind is

"I should've know that my parents meant well for me and were protecting me. I should've listened to them, knowing they are driven by their love for their only child"

She also told me "Doctor, please, ask my parents to forgive me. Pray for me to be able to forgive myself for hurting the people who love me so dearly, just because I was foolishly doing things 'my wrong way' ".

I just returned from the ward and now in my room, I'm begining to understand something: though we have the freedom to live our lives the way we want, we should bear in mind that our ways are not always right, hence, the need for us to listen to the criticisms of our elders, family, friends and loved ones.

Today's media have sucessfully brain washed our youths into sheepishly believing in individualsm and in that destructive new law of "Do what thou willeth", without telling them the fatal, mortal complications of that way of life. Complications capable of ending lives, in the most brutal fashion.

And, last month, a very famous writer, whom I love so much, INDIRECTLY, suggested we should teach the girls to become sexual beings, the way the boys are because if we don't, then, we are encouraging gender inequality. And, our brain washed masses sheepishly hailed her and swallowed her wrong teaching wholely, without thinking, just because she is a super star.

I wish, this famous person were here in the hospital so, I can show her this helpless girl who might never ever have children anymore because, she wanted to "be a sexual being the way the boys are."

And, please, hear me, I'm NOT encouraging the boys to become sexually promiscous. I'm just saying that we should protect the girl child, raise her to be very careful with her sexuality, irrespective of how the boys behave. Because after all said and done, its the girl who suffers more consequences. Even animals like chicken and goat know this.

It hurts me greatly that these so called famous people who do not have their own children yet, try to paint our parents and traditions as evil, just for making the love driven effort in protecting the girl child, knowing that she has so fragile an anatomy and physiology that her entire life could be destroyed by any little mistake.

I wish this famous feminist who kicked against nature by questioning the society's effort in protecting the girl child, sneering last month "We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings
in the way that boys are", were here to see this little girl whose life has been tainted and threatened all because she wanted to be 'sexually free' like a boy. And, I wonder who told that lie that we raise the boys to become sexual beings.

Note, I'm NOT a preacher, NEITHER am I a born again christian. Infact, I do NOT belong to any religion.

Our story. (for UMSA 011 class)

We climbed the mountains
In slow snowy rain
We stretched our will
To hold the sun.

Past silent flashes of darkness
We soiled our feet and
Grew naked fruits
 We climbed the mountains
In slow snowy rain
We stretched our will
To hold the sun.

Past silent flashes of darkness
We soiled our feet and
Grew naked fruits
Each sunrise,
Built our defiant future.

And, our might grew
With each drop of our tears
With each coming of the night

We took shelter
Under the crimson flame tree
That held glowing birds.
We set out eyes
On the  purple alter
On the radiant saviour
On men who held in their hands
Songs of sorrow and joy....

With fought
With each clatter of breaking
Shadows
Each time, the  slavers came.

Now, the gathering comes to an end
Where the sails start to rise
And, the stars ascend the sky and,
We realise we must not go apart

We must await tomorrow
When onto the  stars sky
Our gazes will be

Above, where Uche and Nilla stand
Amist the stars
Arm in arm
With angels.

We rejoice!


March, 2011.

Just relax. I promise, you will enjoy my blogg.