Which way Naija???

 They say you never leave your country even when you’ve physically left it.  As you may have guessed by now, talking about Nigeria and its myriad issues constitutes a significant portion of the entries here.

It’s inescapable.

I’m just tired of it all. I mean, in the past, it’s never been roses and sunshine…things have always been difficult and scrappy but what ‘s been going on for the past two or three months have hit new levels of low.

The news from back home has been consistently negative and at this point, a lot of people are seriously amazed that everything hasn’t descended into full blown anarchy.

WHAT IN THE FUCK’S NAME IS WRONG WITH OUR LEADERS???

First of all, this election cycle seemed to have made every of them mad. The tribalism, bigotry and foolishness on display by politicians and their followers has been, for lack of a more profound word, astounding. You have Tinubu and his band of merry men with their rabid tribalism on display, running up and down the place claiming to want it mainly because it’s “His turn”… you have Atiku and his own band of supporters trying to guilt trip other party-leaning voters into voting for PDP because “the most important thing is to vote APC out” and apparently for them, Atiku is the only one with a realistic chance of doing so….There’s the covert tribalism of Kwankwaso and cohort on display claiming to be the choice of the North and then there’s the popular choice Peter Obi who is obviously the most competent of the lot but who would have an obscenely difficult task of convincing people of this.

To be honest, It’s obvious that Obi’s followers (especially online)have been very vocal and intrusive on others with their choice but again the fact of the matter remains clear to rational-minded people that he is the best choice for President and if I was there, He'd have my vote without question..

It’s not rocket science but apparently, when it comes to Nigeria and it’s own brand of things, nothing is ever as easy as it seems.

To complicate matters further, the economy has nosedived into lower depths…Buhari, arguably one of the most Inept leaders we’ve ever had the misfortune of producing, went ahead in his own stubborn mule-headed wisdom to order a change of the major currency notes and fixed deadlines to do so before the end of February!!!

Now, everyone had to find ways to return their old bank notes to the banks and get the new ones. Sounds simple right?? WRONG!!

Not only do the banks not have enough quantities of the new notes, but they all claim the CBN (on Buhari’s orders) have not made the process seamless even for them and consequently, there has been a MASSIVE shortage of cash everywhere in the country because asides the fact that you can hardly transact anything with the old notes, you also have nowhere to get the new ones.

Mon Dieu!!!

Of course black markets for Naira notes have sprung up everywhere. Ladies and gentlemen… Nigerians are now transacting and buying their own currency with THEIR OWN FUCKING CURRENCY!!

The absurdity of the whole thing would be funny if you scripted it into a movie.

Of course, the effects would be felt in all sectors of the economy.. Transportation fares doubled, there was a massive fuel scarcity which further caused it’s own brand of chaos, banks were being attacked by desperate people who were stranded without having access to their money, Foodstuff prices tripled in cost NEPA with their own wahala was as inefficient as ever and to add the final insult, like a cherry on top, mother Nature sent a crazy heatwave in the middle of what is supposed to be harmattan period.

SIGH.

It hurts further when you’re abroad and constantly see systems in action working smoothly and seamlessly to make life easy for people and even though things aren’t perfect here…. Quality of life and living here is so good, that it makes you want to weep for Nigeria.

I call my mom and listen to her groan about the fact that she’s not had light for a while, cannot buy fuel and has been using firewood to cook because of her inability to get gas and I want to grind my teeth in frustration.

Mahn, I’m just tired.

 

Baba God, biko chook hand here o…because things have reached boiling point and everywhere has reached “twenty-hungry” (according to Lolo).

See it, Say it, Sorted.

London can be such a lovely place.

One very good thing about here is the transportation system. I know it’s not supposed to be something to gush about but like everything else, compared to insane Eko where I’m coming from….it’s positively glorious.

The bus routes are detailed and run on time, the buses themselves are beautiful, mostly double-decker contraptions with great features onboard such as induction loops, stop bells, voice prompts, disabled seating and so much more. It makes life so much easier to plan and move around. Moreso, when there are actually apps that can predict bus times and availability with great accuracy, there are street tools to report issues and the bus stops are well maintained.

The trains are my favorite part of London transport. The train stations here are honestly marvelously designed works of engineering. Most of them go so deep underground that most times cell receptions are unavailable. Tap in and out devices, Escalators, Signboards, signposts and billboards all make things seamless. The ease of directions and navigation is unmatched and as long as you’re able to read signs and have a good sense of basic directions, you should be okay. (I personally feel the English are obsessed with making sure you don’t get lost) Sometimes I think of all the crisscrossed routes and honestly marvel at how they’ve been able to achieve all this.

Travelling on London trains can be an experience. My current fave is the Jubilee line and it’s been something I tell you. It can get rowdy, especially during rush hours but the experience of everyone going their separate ways but huddled together so closely and in sometimes very close proximity is very ironic. Generally though, people are always polite and mostly well-mannered. I’m sure there are lots of stories about the tube and trains but my experience has been quite good.

The stations P.A system announcements are always fun to hear…especially their famous safety slogan "See it, Say it, Sorted" and also when you hear an obviously Nigerian voice blurting out “The train is now about to leave…Mind the closing doors…mind the closing doors”.😄😄

Its humbling to recall that other countries have even better facilities. I’ve been to Dubai and their own train stations and experience was out of this world. Makes you want to weep for Nigeria.

 

God dey.

School Boy

 So we’ve gradually settled to Life in London and all things considered, to the glory of Chineke, it’s not been too bad.

And yes, I’ve become a student once again. Of course, getting a master’s degree through the school route, being the obvious pathway for us to come over to the UK was a foregone conclusion and I initially had so many reservations about going back to school after so many years away.

However, it’s been a pleasant surprise to find that I still have the knack for it. (Blows trumpet!). Without being too modest, I know that we have very good brains in the family and it’s been showing ever since I renewed acquaintance with the classroom.

At the time of this post, we’ve just concluded our first term and the results have been released. Unsurprisingly, I did very well in all modules for the term. My school (University of East London) is quite a fascinating place. The facilities are top-notch (Well, at least to my deprived experience) and it’s been an eye-opener to see how things can and should be run when it comes to the education sector.

I’m actually in love with the school library on Stratford campus. It’s such a cool place and I think I do some of my best studying, writing, and reading here. Unfortunately, there are some dodgy lecturers…(unsurprisingly from Nigeria) who haven’t added positively to the overall experience but generally, lectures, seminars, and all other activities have been going quite well.

My class is mostly made up of Indian students and I’m seeing a whole new side of studying with them. Not to put too fine a point on profiling, but a lot of them are pretty unserious with classwork. However, there are a few who redeem the bunch and I’m guessing it’s the same with every other nationality in the class.

Generally speaking, it’s not been as easy as I’m making it sound.. there’s a whole lot of studying, lectures, seminars, group work and assignments to get through. Some of the lecturers here have been outstanding. Shout out to Mazi Boocock and Mazi Hepzibar..who went over and beyond for us during the first term. They are brilliant teachers.

Hopefully, my course of study: Human Resource Management should be able to help net a good job after all the stress, so here’s a toast and prayers to educational achievements and success in future endeavors.

 

Wish me luck!!