what time can do

Hello beautiful people. How is your day going? It's raining heavily here and its kind of making me feel dull. I wrote what you are about to read with a heavy heart because those precious souls are not talked about anymore and we need to keep talking until they return. so please, read this with the pictures of those precious souls in your mind and please share. let's help the world keep talking about them. Have a beautiful week and I hope you say a word or more of prayers to God on behalf of those children this week.

It seems like we no longer care.

We have stopped matching and campaigning.

We have stopped holding signs that show #bringbackourgirls

We have stopped putting the hash tag on our twitter pages.

We have reduced the way we write and talk about it

It seems we are no longer putting pressure on the government to bring back our precious souls

We have reduced/stopped gathering together to pray for the safe return of our girls.

World cup has taken over.

Our support for Nigeria took over until they sent us home

But we quickly found another country to support

We have stopped showing support and can you blame us?

It’s what time does.

Time makes the pain reduce

We move on because time is not really on our side and we have to keep playing the game life occupies us with

But does time mean anything to the relatives of those precious souls?

Does time lessen the pain they feel everyday?

Afterall, what true parent (abiamo toto) can sleep when the child is not sleeping,

Not to talk of when they don’t know the whereabout of their child

Time also did something.

While waiting for a time to come when they will be re-united with their daughters,

Some parents have been sent to their early grave.

Time has made us stop drawing the attention of the world to the evil perpetrated by Boko Haram

Afterall, the story is even looking shady.

We are asking questions that threaten the validity of the report of the missing girls

But has time stopped Boko Haram?

Will time stop them?

Time will only stop them if we don’t allow it stop us.

If we don’t allow it make us forget those girls need us.

Our future lies in the wellbeing of this country.

Even if we run to another country, home is still home.

And our home is being threatened.

Our future appears bleak and with each passing day, bleak it shall continue to be until we do something.

Until we stop getting tired because we are not seeing results.

Until we remain dogged and keep working until our change comes.

Live your life

Be happy afterall this life is all you’ve got.

Move on but please don’t forget.

While partying, while laughing with friends and loved ones.

Remember! Please remember.

Remember the precious souls whose whereabout we can’t verify.

The precious souls whose futures hang in the balance.

Remember the relatives of the victims of Boko Haram who for now, don’t know how to move on.

It’s not happening at your side now doesn’t mean it might not happen at your side.

Only time will tell that.

But, don’t let time dictate to you

Right now! This very minute; take advantage of time and pray.

Take advantage of time and put back those hash tags

Take advantage of time and appeal to the government through your writing, songs, art, actions,

To please do something because all our lives hang in the balance.

Government, please take advantage of time and devise effective plans and work towards stopping the complete death of Nigeria

Because Nigeria is already dying.

Her people are living in fear.

A lot of her people are living on less than a dollar a day though she is a rich nation.

Her government is more interested in politicking.

Her government is actually against the people instead of being for the people.

Time will reduce the pain we feel now in later years.

That’s only if we take advantage of the time now and stop more havoc from being done in later years.

A big shout out to Nifemi Aina a.k.a Bomy. a. k.a idi. a.k.a Chinese babe. Yayyy! she might finally start having small sense. Happy birthday sweetheart. from all of us at Mateyscott blog and yes all of us is me, myself and I but that will soon change.

Omo kekere ana. Bomy right, Mayowa left.

she is now doing shakara. Don't forget I know you well madam.

 

WHY I LIKE Boko Haram.

Hello darlings. How has the week been? Thank you for the clicks to read stuff on this blog. The numbers of views are quite encouraging but, i will like us to do more. So please, share the link to the blog with friends and enemies lol. You can subscribe to receive posts by putting your mail in the box at the top right corner. Thank you and you can use the comment box to express you, share your ideas with me and the likes. okay, enjoy the article and don't forget to share.

I was checking out some stuff on Linda Ikeji’s blog and I came across a news or gossip (call it whatever you will) about Atiku’son graduation. There were funny and ludicrous comments but the one that had my attention was ‘#DIVIDENIGERIA PLEASEEEEE’ that was written by someone. I was appalled. I mean, Nigeria is already having enough troubles as it is and I would expect you to be sensible enough to call for unity instead of division. Boko Haram is a threat in and of itself and that should be one of our primary focuses.

I HATE everything Boko Haram stands for. They are evil and stand for that. They stand for death, instability, fear and all other terrible things we can think of. YET, I LIKE WHAT THEY CAN DO FOR NIGERIA. 

Before you stone me, let's look at this scenario…

We live in a city that used to be so beautiful although it had issues and there wasn’t 100% peace but, most could still breathe and feel safe. Then we wake up one morning and it's totally different. People are killed like chickens and initially, we believed it was for some twisted religious reasons and it was something we could control. Years went by and they seem uncontrollable. They are attacking us and our innocent children. They are destroying our properties and they are making us live in fear. These invaders who have external supports and as some have speculated,have internal support as well threaten our authority, our rights and much worse, our very existence. Now, what do you think we can do? Any reasonable person will say it's time to set aside personal and political differences and come together to fight as one right? Because our strength lies in being one and we can only be each other’s angels against this people that stand for all the devil stands for right? Remember, ‘THE THIEF COMETH ONLY TO KILL, MAIM AND TO DESTROY… (JOHN 10:10)'

I will like to believe these Boko Haram members are human beings that had a bright and promising future ahead of them but, decided to rebel and go against all we stand for as a nation and people and their rebellion isn’t a subtle one; it’s the type that brings tears to most of our faces BUT, THEY CAN ALSO STAND FOR PROGRESS IF WE CHOOSE TO SEE IT THAT WAY. Nigeria has lost her way but, I believe the need to fight BOKO HARAM and stop them from perpetrating more evil can help us find our way again. THEY CAN HELP US TO REFLECT AND RE-THINK. RE-STRATEGISE AND DROP SOMETHINGS WE DO WHILE WE START DOING THE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE.

LET ME TELL YOU WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO SIT DOWN TO THINK ABOUT…

Education is at the top of my list because I believe just like Nelson Mandela did that, ‘Education is the most powerful tool to change the world’. Imagine what good can be done if we are all educated. If we don’t drop out of school because we are tired of endless strikes and our lecturers fail us and make us repeat a year because we decide to think outside the box and not copy and paste their words or the textbook on our exam sheets. Imagine how confident most of us will be to go out to the world and be what we are capable of being because we have been told by our teachers right from primary school that we matter, our opinion matter and we can succeed if we choose to. That we are not dumb just because we don’t understand a mathematical equation but they take time out to teach us and correct us in love, patience and they give us their best even when we frustrate them. Lack of education not only formal but also informal is part of our problems. If the right morals are being instilled in us and we see those that are teaching us also doing the right thing, don’t you think we will have less ignorant and destructive younger generation? I like to believe if those Boko Haram members (especially the young ones), were properly educated might not have added to the population of Boko Haram. If properly told Islam doesn’t stand for war but peace, they won’t be ignorant enough to have their brain WASHED WITH THE IDEA THAT THEY ARE AMBASSADORS OF ALLAH ON EARTH AND THEY WILL BE REWARDED IN ACCORDANCE TO THE NUMBER OF INNOCENT SOULS THEY WASTE.

I was sad when I heard about the millions of people that went for the Immigration interview, jobs that less than four hundred people had a chance of getting. Why is that so? Because there are no jobs anywhere. The economy has really dwindled. It's scary how one of the richest countries with too many un-maximised potentials, have a lot of it's population living on less than one dollar a day. Okay, so let's assume the Boko Haram members are educated but what happens after graduating from university and you are unable to find employment? Won't you think you wasted your years in university and won't you automatically think your many plans for the future have been rubbished? We all know ‘an idle mind is the devil’s workshop’ and that’s exactly what they are doing. They are puppets for the works of the devil here on earth. So what are we going to do to reduce the rate of unproductive wandering? 

POLITICS is very interesting and dangerous but, there are times we don’t need politicians so blinded by the need to be elected at all costs (including doing rituals. How else can we explain the Ibadan ritualistic killings?). But, we need people that will set aside their need to amass wealth and actually do what we ask them to. If the youths that rose up for example, and went to vote for this person that promised them so much while campaigning; He told them of the changes he will make to their community and promised them of a better future if only they will vote for him suddenly realizes they have been deceived after the politician has been voted in. The politician changes his number and the home address is changed. You wait for four years and nothing has been done in your community, isn’t it possible for you to one day wake up and decide to fight that politician? You decide to revenge because you honestly don’t have anything to do with your time. Then you meet people (old Boko Haram members) beckoning to you to come and have your revenge with their help. They even make it more inviting by truly accepting you and fulfilling whatever promises they make to you. The promises your politicians failed woefully at keeping. What do you say politicians? Isn’t it time to think about the impacts your actions and inactions are having?

 

I was listening to news some weeks ago and I could not believe my ears when I heard a politician who belongs to the APC party blame the current happenings in Nigeria on the PDP regime. He mentioned that’s why an APC person should be voted in next. I was flabbergasted. Are you being serious? Apportioning blame and politicking are the smartest things to do right? Using this as a card against your opponent though millions of Nigerians can no longer sleep with two eyes closed is the next course of action right? UNBELIEVABLE!!! Really, isn’t it time to look beyond politics and look at those mothers crying for their girls to be returned back to them?

PARTS OF OUR FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AS CITIZENS OF NIGERIA ARE ‘RIGHT TO LIFE’ AND ‘RIGHT TO SECURITY’ BUT, THOSE TWO HAVE BEEN GREATLY THREATENED.Boko Haram is now a nation, a treacherous one that is the number one enemy of Nigeria. Police, what are you doing? Why are you more concerned about collecting bribes and chasing after meaningless things while you hide when it’s time to face Goliath? Aren’t you and the Army supposed to be our David?  Isn’t it time to start seeing the importance of your job instead of harassing citizens? The Police force and Army, perhaps you are really working, perhaps you are not but either way, don’t you think it's time for you to brighten the corner you occupy and go all in to ensure we don’t die before we die? I understand there is only so much you can do. After all you can't go there and fight them with nothing. Even David had stones apart from the presence of God.

Let me ask you this: isn’t it a shame that Boko Haram has better weapons and a more sophisticated means of operation than the armed forces and security agents do? How else do they get food to the bush? How were they able to escape with the Chibok girls though their truck broke down? Yes, we have been told they have global partners helping them fight a cause that our everything have become the means to whatever end they want to achieve. But isn’t it a greater shame for Nigerians to also be sponsoring them? It's like paying a thief to rob your house and kill your family in the process. What happened to the billions of naira that was allocated for security? Why are the armed forces complaining of not being paid? Let me ask you though, must you be paid money before you rise up and fight against the people that threaten the future of your children and loved ones? 

There is time for everything right? We all know Nigeria is belly deep in corruption and that might take years to totally eradicate but for now, isn’t it time to set aside corruption because this time, more than ever before, we are in trouble and lives are really at stake? What will become of our future if the very government that is meant to put an end to the incessant madness of Boko Haram is more interested in playing politics, trying to control themselves to show who the boss is and making their pockets fatter while not giving their best? If you are giving your best, then I apologize but we need to see the results your best is producing.

I can’t help but think of where we have gone wrong as a nation and people. Isn’t it disturbing that we have such dedicated Boko Haram members that are  wrongly courageous enough to go on suicide missions and our police and army are running away? Why do they believe so much in their leaders and why do they have so much sense of loyalty? A leader dies today and another rises up to continue fighting their twisted cause with much determination… Religion surely can't be the only reason for this or am I wrong? I know conditioning can be very strong and through their training, they have been conditioned to be like that but, why have we never thought of conditioning our armed forces and citizens to be so loyal and be courageous enough to fight when the need arises like now? Why are we being conditioned to accept and encourage bribery and corruption? Why are we being conditioned to only pray and not work? Why do our leaders oppose each other so much rather than come together to work? why is there never continuity of progress? 

I do know this, Boko Haram are courageous people but also very weak. Their courage has been swallowed by their weakness. For the younger ones joining them because of revenge, lack of employment and the likes, they are weak for not opposing nonsense and standing up and wading their way through corruption, incompetence and the many challenges we have to cause a positive change and be moral leaders that many of us can truly follow. They are weak for not being innovative and creative enough to start something.They are weak for fighting citizens and children that can’t fight for themselves. They are weak for causing a negative change in the history of Nigeria.

Boko Haram is telling us it's time to work…

So to the current president, it's time to go fearless and teach your people to also be through your actions. It's time to wipe the tears of those mothers and #bringbackourgirls. It's time to command your troop as the commander in chief of the armed forces to tighten security.

It's time to create employment and eradicate poverty. It's time to support the young Nigerians dream and not discard it.

To teachers, it's time to go all in and give your best to your students. Help them to know the future of this country lies in their hands but, they can only believe it if you believe it.

It's time to put an end to strikes and pay lecturers as they should be paid. It's time to improve the standard of education and stop employing incompetent teachers for the job. Teachers who themselves are not properly educated and can't speak good english; teachers that studied english but are made to teach maths.

They are telling us to start looking beyond religion, political party, tribe and stand as a formidable force to ensure Nigeria's walls are not attacked again. Leaders should be chosen based on competence and not tribe or ethnicity. So for the next Election, don't say its an Hausa's man's turn but look for that person that will truly bring progress and development to Nigeria. That person that will truly lead like Obafemi Awolowo did.

To the next president or leaders, it’s time to be challenged for the journey ahead. It's time to be competent and work to make sure nothing like this happens again.

Politicians, it's time to stop seeing politics as just a game because it really isn't. You are responsible to the people who voted you in, the people you made so much promises to. It's time for you to really start working. Even if you want to amass wealth, let your people see you are working. Let the lives of your people be made easier because you are in power. 

To the security agents and government as a whole, it’s time to be pro-active and understand the importance of your job. Yes, our eyes can’t be everywhere but we can try to make sure something like Jos bombing doesn’t happen again. We shouldn’t allow things escalate before we start working.

To the citizens, in our own little way, let's love and work together to ensure the peace of this nation.  Get rid of tribal and religious divides. I know due to social contract, we have relinquished a lot of control to the government but, we are all responsible for Nigeria. So in our own little way, let's brighten our corner and be security conscious. 

To Boko Haram, it’s really time to release our girls and stop this madness.

                                                                           To the world, Adios!!

#BRINGBACKOURGIRLS

Hello guys! I was overwhelmed with emotions as I was writing this story. I cannot begin to imagine what the parents, relatives, close friends of these precious souls are feeling. I only pray that God restore their joy to them. Please, if you can influence the government or you are working close to the president and you happen to read this, please help do something. Help urge the government to take up this matter with a sense of urgency because these precious souls need to be brought back to us.

Thank you to the many Nigerians that have through their actions, words, tweets, rallies done something to create a global awareness for the missing Chibok girls. Incase any member of Boko Haram is reading this, we plead that you please bring back our precious souls. It is cowardice to go after defenseless children that have done nothing to you. I pray and desperately hope these children will not be psychologically traumatized when they are returned back to us. 
 Please read and share the story. Let's work hand in hand to bring back these girls. Thank you :)

She woke up in the night on instinct to check on Aramide. She looked at her husband as he snored lightly and smiled. She stood staring at him for a while amazed at how after twenty years of marriage and a lot of family battles; she still wakes up beside him with more passion and love than she had when they just got married. He was the one that stood firmly beside her when his family members tried to get rid of her because she was having a delay in giving birth. She kissed him on the forehead as he stirred, turned to the other side and continued snoring lightly.

She closed the door gently after her careful not to wake him up. It was a Saturday morning and he really needed to rest ‘cause of the stress of the week. She went to Aramide’s room and found her sleeping peacefully with a smile on her face. She wondered why her daughter always has a smile on her face even when she is crying. The whole family finds her amusing and her friends can’t seem to get enough of her daughter. She smiles, looks up to heaven and says a silent ‘thank you’ to God for the gift of life, love and family. Though it’s just the three of them, she was more than contented and didn’t mind the whispers from her mother-in-law who feels the big house they live in should be filled with the cries of a lot of babies.

                              ******

She finally stood up at 1:00am after tossing from one side to the other. She couldn’t sleep. She looked at her husband snoring lightly beside her and she detested him in that moment. ‘How was he able to sleep soundly? What kind of a father sleeps when his house is on fire?’ she hissed loudly not caring if she wakes him up and left the room to Aramide’s room. She looked at the bed and smiled. Then she started laughing hysterically and finally, she sank to the floor and started sobbing loudly. ‘I waited for this for ten years God. Why would you take her now?’ she screamed and that woke her husband up. He came running to her side afraid something might have happened to her. He found her in their daughter’s room on the floor holding the teddy bear that belonged to their daughter. He put his hands on her shoulder but she pushed it away. ‘What kind of a person are you? You were able to sleep Ayomide. Who sleeps when his only daughter is missing? I know… I know. You can always start another family right? I’m the one with the damaged womb. So you can always give birth to more children. How am I even sure you don’t have children with another woman? That mother of yours could have brought a girl to you. I’m sure she is happy now. My Aramide is gone.’ She stomped out of the room leaving him with tears in his eyes. ‘Does she really think I don’t miss my princess too?’ He sat down on their daughter’s bed and just stared at the family picture on Aramide’s bed side drawer.

He smiles as he remembers the struggle they had to go through before they could take that picture. Aramide was six months old when they went to the studio to take that picture. She was such a playful baby she could not stand still as the photographer tried to take the picture. He can remember his wife getting frustrated as she tried all she could to make her sit still. She handed her over to him out of frustration and was already going to call off the photo shoot. It wasn’t her fault. Aramide refused to sleep the night before and that meant his wife didn’t sleep as well. He carried Aramide and started throwing her up the way she liked. Her giggles and bright smile were captured by the photographer without them knowing. She finally sat for a few seconds for the family picture to be taken before she continued playing again. The picture of both of them hangs at the entrance of the house and he stares at the picture most days. What joy he felt being a father and watching his daughter grow up from that agile baby to a sharp mouth intelligent ten years old. Those ten years have been the best years of his life. ‘Are the best years of my life over?’ he thinks to himself as he allows the stinging tears in his eyes fall freely.

The country has not been the same. Nothing good is reported perhaps except one celebrity get married or another acquiring a new car or changing girlfriends. Other than that, news hasn’t been the same. Nigeria has become a living hell for most people. People are dying anyhow. Most blame it on the incompetencies of the government and he agrees. Most nights, his wife weeps beside him as they watch the news together. ‘Is this the country Aramide will grow up in? What will become of our baby girl?’ she once asked him with teary eyes. He muttered something and turned his face from hers afraid his fear will show brightly through his eyes. Eniola called him from work one day and started crying on the phone; ‘There was another bomb blast in Abuja. Ayomide, it’s close to where Demola, my brother works. What if…’ she could not complete the words before she started crying again. He held the phone to his ear wishing he had something soothing to say. ‘This country has failed us Ayomide. My daughter will grow up here, in a country that has failed her. Children like her are being given to shameless men as brides. Because of lack of employment, millions are going for a job that about 5oo hundred people will be employed for. Funds meant for the security of all of us are being stolen and some idiots are being paid to report lies. To tell us the president is doing a good job and should be allowed to continue. They are telling us they are working to get rid of these Boko Haram people with no conscience. Everything is going wrong yet, some people are throwing lavish parties like the affairs of this nation do not concern them. Ayomide, are we going to just fold our hands, do nothing and allow our daughter live in hell?’ she asked him after her friend told her of her cousin that was killed in the north by Boko Haram. That night, they watched Aramide sleep peacefully on their bed determined to keep her safe for as long as they lived. If only they knew, they wouldn’t have let Aramide go to school that Wednesday.

The day started like most days of the week. Aramide cried that she didn’t want to go to school when her mum went to wake her up by six to get ready for school. Aramide had just started going to secondary school two months before. Her parents didn’t want her to go to a boarding school because they wanted her close especially with everything that was going on in the country and the way people are being kidnapped and killed like pests regardless of age. Aramide, a very bright girl whose extraordinaire performance after just about two months in JJS 1 hated mornings. Waking her up to go to school especially on Monday mornings usually required her mother threatening to beat her though she would never do it. Though an only child, they were careful enough not to spoil her silly. 

Aramide kissed her daddy goodbye as he left for work. She got into the car and complained throughout the forty-five minutes ride to her school about her English teacher that spoke poorly and the immature boys in her class. Her mother just smiled to herself proud of her little princess. She dropped her at school and hugged her tight before leaving; promising Aramide the driver will not delay in coming to pick her this time.

‘What do you mean the school was scattered and you didn’t see my daughter?’ Eniola held the driver’s shirt as her husband tried to calm her down. She turned to her husband, ‘Ayomide, shey o gbo nnkan ti o so ni? O ni ko ri Aramide. He said people said the children were carried away by gunmen. Omo mi wa lara won and you want me to calm down?’ she released the driver’s shirt as her husband pulled her into a tight embrace which stifled her tears. They went to the police station after she had calmed down. On getting there, they found a lot of parents they recognized were from Aramide’s school. They were all complaining about the missing children while the police failed miserably at assuring them of their competence to find them.

It’s been three weeks now and the children are yet to be found. The police are giving stupid statistics of how many children are really missing and the president is making empty promises that he will find the children while he sits comfortably in an air conditioned office. She watched the news last week. The first lady was being dramatic and she felt like slapping her. She can still dress well and eat because it’s not her children missing. The police and security agency are showing their lack of competence yet again and only giving stupid press conference about the efforts they are making. All lies!! Her future, her hope is gone and with each passing day, she feels like she is drowning. She had not been able to go to work and it’s a good thing her Boss is an understanding person. Ayomide has employed the service of a private security agency to help find his daughter and has also gone on different Television stations and Radio along with some other parents to appeal to the Boko Haram who are the suspected kidnappers. He wrote an open letter to the president asking him to indeed act like the father of the nation and do something; even if it’s the only thing he can do before leaving office. The general public has been so supportive as most have organized rallies to appeal to the national assembly to take action.

Eniola watched as her husband’s chest rose and fell rhythmically. When she could no longer stand the fact that he was sleeping, she woke him up. ‘What if we never find her?’ she asked him. ‘Hey, don’t think like that. We will find her. I promise you, I will bring our baby back home.’ She stood up from the bed and paced about the room. Then she stopped and looked at him with tears in her eyes…

‘What if we never find her Ayomide? What if we never do? I’m finished. I let my daughter down. I put her in the hands of those bastards. I should have known something was going to happen. I should have listened to her and allowed her sleep. What if we never find my baby? What kind of a mother am I Ayomide? I failed, I failed.’ She fixed her gaze on him and kept muttering ‘I failed’ to herself. ‘You can’t think like that. It’s not your fault. There was no way you could have known…’ she cut him short before he could say more words … ‘But, I should have known Ayomide. I should have protected her with everything I have. Even if we find her, my sweet innocent, full of life baby might never return to me. She is only ten and her childhood has been snatched away from her. The innocence of those children has been taken away. So I might never find Aramide even if she returns to me. Please, please, bring back those girls. Bring back our girls. They did nothing wrong. If you want to attack anyone, attack us. Just bring back our girls.’ Her husband went to her side and held her until she slept off.