Have a splendid holiday!
Short Story: The Slip | By: Victor Olugbemiro
Saturday morning. Tranquil. Me, in bed. Lounging. Music in the background. Inhale. Exhale. This moment should be frozen. Savoured. My neighbour doesn’t think so. I open on the eighth knock. She knows I’m in. I see her lips move, her voice a meaningless echo in my head. It takes a while for some words to register.
I do not belabour my mind to connect them. Her voice drones on. Incessant. I’m getting antsy. Too polite to slam the door in her face, I nod in a way that suggests comprehension. She stops talking. I assume she’s done. As the door slams, the word ‘rude’ filters in. Too bad. I am half-way across the living room already.
Ah, music. Soothing. I drift to sleep. Short-lived though. Somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind, I sense a presence. I open first one eye, then the other. Emem is smiling at me. She has a key. How come? I don’t return the smile.
‘You look cute in your sleep.’ I don’t reply. She wants something, as usual. I close my eyes in a vain attempt to sleep. Her lips touch mine. Soft. Intoxicating. I remember how she got the key.
The end is clear. She will leave with something I don’t want to give. I resign myself to fate. I cannot match her energy today. Physically. Mentally. She knows. Clothes rustle. She is topless now. My eyes remain shut. Images from the last time still linger.
There is a knock on the door. I open my eyes. She grabs my shirt and rushes out. I hear Chidinma’s voice. So much for tranquil. I dress up hurriedly. Grab my wallet. Toss my phone into the wardrobe. The high pitch of their voices has assumed alarming proportions. They don’t hear me slip out.
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Victor Olugbemiro loves literature, music and photography,
among several other interests. He currently teaches in Lagos .
Twitter: @oluvickie
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Are you a writer? Interested in sharing your short stories on this
platform? Be our guest on our Short Story Fridays segment.
Email: ololade.olatunji@yahoo/ gmail.com
Did Alao-Akala overstep his boundaries with this poster?
The Oyo State gubernatorial candidate of the Labour party, Adebayo Alao-Akala incurred the wrath of the All Progressives Congress party yesterday after posters bearing pictures of the former governor and the President-Elect, Muhammadu Buhari with the caption “Sai Buhari, Sai Akala” surfaced in Ibadan.
The Director of Publicity and Strategy of the Oyo State chapter of the APC, Olawale Sadare condemned the move and described it as a shameful act and desperation taken too far. He added that the party is confident that the incumbent Governor, Abiola Ajimobi will win a second term in office in the state.
“Not a few people found it unbelievable to see the picture of the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, on Alao-Akala’s campaign posters. Since Wednesday evening when those disgusting posters were sighted in parts of Ibadan, a good number of concerned citizens have been expressing their amazement at the development.
“Meanwhile, the ruling APC in the state view the action of the sponsors of such obnoxious campaign materials as a desperation taken too far. It is indeed another in the series of grand delusion which most members of the opposition have been feeding the public with in their bid to hijack power and return the state to the era of bad governance, official corruption and impunity.” He said
Treat yourself to an unforgettable Easter experience. Pick a ticket to see Saro The Musical 2
Easter is around the corner and you know what? We found one great way to make the holiday an unforgettable one. Pick a ticket to see Saro The Musical 2.
A Bolanle Austen production, the musical play which returned to the stage on April 1st, 2015 continues today with 2 shows at 3pm and 7pm again.
The stellar cast of the highly entertaining show include Gideon Okeke, Bimbo Manuel, Dolapo Oni, Lami phillips, Patrick Diabuah, Adejoke Laoye, Paolo Sisiano and many more.
The musical play is here all weekend to deliver on a promise of the highest quality entertainment, bringing along it’s awesomely talented 100-person cast and crew who will be delivering another unmatched theatrical event.
12 more shows are scheduled over the weekend. Get your tickets at the venue or call 09035500000.
Show Schedule:
Thursday April 2-3 and 7pm
Good Friday April 3-3pm and 7pm
Saturday April 5-3pm and 7pm
Easter Monday- April 6-1pm, 4pm and 7pm.
Now That Nigeria Has Decided, What Exactly Is Buhari Promising?
As the President-Elect, General Muhammadu Buhari prepares to assume office next month, the All Progressives Congress party has outlined their agenda for the country; their plans to tackle challenges and bring the desired change. Below is a press statement from Buhari’s campaign organization
The spontaneous outpouring of emotions and celebrations that characterized the pronouncement of Muhammedu Buhari as the President-elect of Nigeria in major cities and towns across the country was clear evidence that the people wanted change.
The campaign theme of the Buhari-Osinbajo ticket resonated clearly amongst a nation that successfully transitioned from the erstwhile Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which had ruled Nigeria since 1999 to the All Progressives Party (APC) by a clear majority of almost 3 Million Votes.
More importantly, it also marked the first time that the world’s most populous black country would unseat an incumbent president. Furthermore, it is the first time the so called progressives in the country will take control of the federal government. While the euphoria is clearly palpable within the citizens, the prognosis for the country is actually dim.
Insecurity had become rife – the kidnapping of 276 girls by the terrorist group Boko Haram has entered its 10th Month, and the economy is in doldrums, characterized by the freefall of the Naira in the past months. News of Buhari’s election put the Naira in a rebound and the stocks gained almost 6.5% to wipe out months of decline.
So what exactly is Buhari promising? As a former ruler, he was known for his intransigent stand on Corruption – a bane in Nigerian society; and that was a banner issue for him during the campaign. As Buhari said, “If we don’t kill corruption, corruption will kill us”; many expect the new government to thus put a halt to the culture of graft and public funds looting that has created a gulf between the super wealthy and the very poor.
Despite Nigeria’s Oil riches, the country still suffers from abject poverty – Nigeria is home to about 110 million poor – which makes the country home to the largest number of poor people in Africa!
Buhari has pledged to tackle poverty by creating jobs and setting up social welfare schemes that cater to the poorest Nigerians. One of these schemes is a Conditional Cash Transfer that pays between N5000- N7500 monthly to 25 Million of the poorest Nigerians as long as they send their children to school and get them immunized. This program will be phased over the four year the sure of the administration.
Another program is to provide a free meal a day to children in all public primary schools in the country. This program is expected to:
– Reduce the number of out of school children in Nigeria ( the highest in the world) which currently stands at about 10.3 million.
– Improve the academic performances of the students as the will now be guaranteed at least one balanced diet a day.
– Stimulate the agricultural industry due to the massive demand this program will have on the sector.
They also intend to institute a National Health Insurance Scheme that will make basic health care services available to the people. To partake in the scheme NIGERIANS will be expected to pay between $3-$5 as yearly contribution.
Buhari’s running mate and Vice President-elect Yemi Osinbajo is a Professor of Law who has served as Attorney General in Nigeria’s commercial capital – Lagos State. Many are thus encouraged that the Rule of Law will take centre stage in a country where the rich can flout it with impunity.
His antecedents suggests that this tandem are equipped with the capacity and political will to begin to right the ship that is Nigeria and effect the necessary stimulus that will bring Nigerian reality closer to the potential she doubtless promises.
If that happens, there’ll be more dancing in the streets.
"We've reached another milestone, we must quickly move on to others." Mrs Buhari writes Nigerians
Mrs Aisha Buhari, the wife of the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari has appealed to Nigerians to throw their support behind her husband as his journey to leadership starts in earnest. Find her letter below.
My fellow Nigerians,
Today, your voices are loud and clear. Today, the choices made by you all on Saturday and Sunday have just been confirmed by the electoral commission. The message is clear: CHANGE. You took all sorts of inconveniences: Some of you trekked for miles, stood for hours, and waited till the end of the counting before going home. Many of you even waited throughout the night to ensure you cast your votes.
For your sacrifice, your patience, your determination to be part of the democratic process from start to finish, you, my fellow Nigerians, are the real heroes of the last few days. You have stood firm, you have endured, in order to see the Nigeria of your dreams, in order to have a chance at a better future for your children, and in order to state your displeasure about the direction in which this country is going.
And that is what this election is about. You. All of you. Now, no one can treat your complaints in a nonchalant manner. No one can neglect you for years, only to try to correct mistakes in a few weeks because of re-election. You have spoken, and your wishes are clear.
I want to thank you all for supporting my husband on this journey towards a better nation. We have now reached another milestone, and we must quickly move on to others. To be successful, he needs your support. He cannot lead Nigeria alone. We have challenging times ahead as we try to right some of the wrongs in our country, and only by sticking together on this journey, will we be triumphant.
I also want to take this opportunity to appeal to supporters of the PDP, to accept the results in good faith as the will of the people. Nigeria is greater than any of us, and we must not, by our words and deeds in public or private, put the existence of this nation at risk, or cause harm to any of its citizens.
Now is the time to truly begin the process of healing this nation. Now is the time to stop dividing Nigeria by ethnicity or religion. Now is the time for this country to truly begin to work for all.
Once again, thank you all. I look forward to continuing this journey together.
God bless you, and God bless Nigeria.
Patience Jonathan seeks support for General Buhari’s wife
Dame Patience Jonathan, wife of President Goodluck Jonathan in a congratulatory message to Hajia Aisha Buhari, wife of the President-elect on her husband’s victory at the presidential election also urged Nigerian women to support the soon-to-be First Lady.
A statement released by her media aide, Ayo Adewuyi reads,
“The First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan (Mama Peace) has congratulated the wife of the President-elect, Hajia Aisha Buhari on the election of her husband, General Muhammadu Buhari.
“The First Lady appeals to the Nigerian women to work with Hajia Aisha Buhari and give her the maximum support to make her succeed in her new assignment. The First Lady (Mama Peace) wishes her well in her new task.”
Gani Adams commends General Buhari's resilience
The Oodua Peoples Congress National Coordinator, Gani Adams, and one of those who led protests against General Muhammadu Buhari has also extended his congratulations to the President-elect following the latter’s victory in the just-concluded Presidential poll.
“I wish to send my congratulations to the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, on his success in the recently-concluded presidential election. By his resounding success in the election across the country, General Buhari has proved that he is the choice of the people.
“I commend his resilience and tenacity over the years which have seen him equal the record of great leaders like Abraham Lincoln of the USA. His victory is a lesson to all of us that we can be what we want to be if we are patient and persistent in our legitimate pursuits in life.
“His speeches before, during and after the election are also commendable because they went a long way in dousing the tension in the country. This actually shows that the ‘Peoples General’ as he is fondly called is indeed a statesman”.
“However, having won the election, I want the president-elect to begin to see himself as the president-elect of all Nigerians and not just that of the All Progressives Congress (APC). For him, it is time to mend whatever differences that may have arisen as a result of the election.
“It is time for all Nigerians, irrespective of political affiliation, to come together to continue to build our nation in a positive way, which of course, should be the focus of the president-elect himself and every other political leader across the various political parties in the country. And for all of us, it is a new dawn in the annals of the country for an opposition party to win in a popular election.”
Read singer, Banky W's thoughts on the Presidential election
It has been quite an interesting time in our Nation’s History. Exhilarating for some, disappointing for others… but interesting nonetheless. The announcement of the 2015 Election results has dominated every news medium, traditional and social media platform in the last few days.
Alongside most Nigerians worldwide, I was glued to my television throughout the process as INEC members slowly read out each result from each state, and then as the Chairman Mr Jega gave the final results and declared the winner
Now that the dust has settled a little, it’s time to share some of my random thoughts on what has just happened and celebrate/highlight some of the key factors.
Here’s to the President-elect, General Muhammudu Buhari.
Congratulations Sir on your victory. Yours is a lesson of perseverance. After contesting and failing in 2003, 2007 and 2011, some would have understandably thrown in the towel on this particular goal. But it’s never failure until you give up, give in and quit trying. There’s a lesson for all of us in this. When you get knocked down, you get back up, dust yourself off, re-strategize, and try again.
That’s precisely what he did, and now he’s the President-Elect. He’s got a tough job ahead of him…the economy is coming upon harsh times; oil prices have crashed and foreign reserves have been depleted. The Unemployment rate and poverty index in Nigeria is at an all time high. General Buhari’s administration have their work cut-out for them, and here’s hoping they hit the ground running.
It’s time to cut the excesses of times past… time to focus on what’s truly important to the Nigerian people, and make significant strides in the right direction. Everything needs improvement. Security, Employment, Power, Education… you name it. Change is what we voted for, and change they must deliver.
Here’s to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Many of us have been vocal critics of the present administration over the past couple of years… but you’ve left a legacy of conducting/overseeing/allowing two free & fair elections to hold in Nigeria. That’s more than any other President can say in our Nation’s history. You’ve also been gracious in defeat, and your move to quickly congratulate the opposition has probably helped ease the atmosphere in these tense times.
That these elections have been MOSTLY violence-free, is no small feat. Your position, that neither you nor any politician’s ambition, is worth the blood of any Nigerian, is noble, applaudable, and appreciated. If you’re going to go out, this is the way to do it.. with your head held high and your dignity intact.
Here’s to Chairman of INEC, Professor Attahiru Muhammudu Jega. You’ve overseen such an intricate, tense, political process and come out mostly spotless. In recent times your job has probably been the most powerful and the most stressful in Nigeria, and yet
you handled your affairs as cool as the other side of the pillow.
Never once losing your temper, never once succumbing to pressure or drama, never once letting people see you sweat. Your attitude, manner, and competence in dealing with highly sensitive tasks and times, is one that is exemplary to all Nigerians. This is how to become a living legend. Our hope, however, is that INEC will improve upon this exercise and learn some very necessary lessons.
The process to collate, calculate and announce results took entirely too long. It’s 2015… we can’t at this point, be that adverse to the use of excel sheets and calculators. Too much time passed between when votes were cast and when the results were announced that could be interpreted as an avenue for rigging to occur.
The situation and allegations in States such as Rivers, and some areas in the North and East, should also be looked into for the purpose of eliminating any areas of malpractice in the future.
Here’s to the young people that were actively involved in the political process this time around. It was encouraging to see more of us participate. For instance, one of the parties used peers of mine like Adebola Williams and Chude Jideonwo (and their media platforms) to handle their PR and campaign activities with great success; while other parties used spokespeople who some say may
have done more harm than good.
Sites like LindaIkeji’s blog, Bella Naija, and YNaija, were just as, if not more important to candidates and voters, than traditional newspapers and media. This shows the innate tremendous power and influence that young people and our platforms have. Don’t be surprised when you see some of these young people being appointed in strategic powerful positions in the near future.
Here’s to the Nigerian People. This 2015 Election marks the first time in our history, that an incumbent President has been voted out of power. That in and of itself is a mark of a true democracy, and
a sign that power still belongs to the people.
My hope is that this will serve notice to the incoming administration at the Federal, State and Local levels. Gone are the days when our leaders can do whatever they like, and expect to remain in power with little to no backlash.
Gone are the days when no matter how bad your actions are, or how bad a state we find ourselves in, we just say “it’s Naija” and “God dey”. The time has come where we must now hold our leaders accountable for the offices we have elected them into, and this election was the first step in that direction.
We must pay attention… we must care. Not just about the office of the President, but the Governors, Senators, House of Reps, and Local Government positions. This is the only way we will see Nigeria truly change for the better. If we the people, just… care, again.
Now is the time to keep track of campaign promises that were made and see if they’re delivered on. The reason Nigeria keeps recycling. the same problems and issues with no end insight, decade after decade, is because of failed leadership and citizen apathy. Our leaders were corrupt and we just didn’t care. Let’s hope that change, indeed, has come.
To those of us that voted, whether your candidate won or lost, thank you for playing a very significant and important role in our Nation’s Democracy and History. Thank you for letting your voice be heard.
Thank you for braving the inconvenient, tense, and sometimes harsh, conditions to make sure you voted and that those votes were counted. We laughed together and we fought; we stood in line together under the burning sun, then the rain, then the sun again; we discussed and we argued… but we voted.
Nigeria has a current population of about 182+ Million people; only 29+ million of which voted in the recent elections. The winner of the elections had 15+ million votes. That means, only 8% of our
population chose the direction of our country for the next 4 years. That’s not good enough.
I was watching the elections coverage, and it was sad to see that state by state, the eligible, registered voter turnout was less than 50%. That’s not good enough. Some people will say that we voted along tribal lines; I say that most young people, who do not have the tribal prejudices that older generations have, simply didn’t show up.
Time and again, I’d be among groups of young people and ask who has picked up their PVC. 9 times out of 10, I’d be the only one. We have to do better. We seem
to be content with tweeting, and instagram-ing, and arguing and pointing fingers… but when it comes to the most basic of our civic responsibilities… when it comes to actually playing a part in bringing about a better Nigeria that we all seek, we’re nowhere to be found. Social Media activism is simply not enough.
Some young people tried, but were frustrated by the inefficiencies in the PVC collection process. My heart goes out to you if you truly tried, but for some reason couldn’t get your card. Others were just “too busy” to go through what was required. To these ones, I say this: We saw pictures of Billionaires such as Aliko Dangote and Wale Tinubu voting. You are not busier than Dangote. If these ones could put their affairs on hold to register and vote, then clearly, we all need to get our priorities straight.
Some may say that elections here are rigged… well, you make it incredibly easy for someone to rig elections by not showing up. All the unused ballot papers can very easily be stamped for whoever they feel like. It becomes increasingly hard to rig when we show up en-masse.
I pray, and work towards the day, when all the young people who are eligible, actually care enough to get up, go out and register to vote… and in that day, when we all actually do vote, we will truly be in charge of our Nation’s destiny. We’ll see a Nigeria that has a chance to cast away the burdens, problems and prejudices of times past, and finally live up to our potential.
– Banky Wellington
PS: Here’s to General Buhari’s daughter, Zahra… in the immortal
words of FahlzTheBadGuy… ‘Ello Bae
Angel Di Maria tops shirt sales in England. See top 10 list
Manchester United winger, Angel Di Maria has emerged the player who sells the most shirts in the Premier League, a.
ccording to sales figures from SportsDirect.com.
The ex Real Madrid star has sold three times as many as Arsenal player, Alexis Sanchez who occupies the second spot.
Five of the top 10 sellers are from Manchester United players.
MOST POPULAR SHIRTS
(1) Di Maria 9.59%
(2) Alexis 3.80%
(3) Diego Costa 2.27%
(4) De Gea 2.16%
(5) Hazard 2.10%
(6) Rooney 2.09%
(7) Falcao 1.99%
(8) Gerrard 1.76%
(9) Kun Aguero 1.46%
(10) V. Persie 1.20%