In Dubai for the week

The Burj Khalifa

Landed in Dubai on the 26th.

Basically it is a lazy trip financed by my mother, I always wanted to visit Dubai but it was not on my list of 2012 must visit. Mum just called me up one day and said, she was in the airport seeing off her sister-in-law going off to Dubai. The next thing I heard, would you like to visit the country and the awoof loving me said yes immediately.

I must say even though Dubai is really beautiful, it lacks the wow effect of Kuala Lumpur in my mind. The magnificent architectures is what Dubai has going for it. So far, I have been to the Mall of the Emirates, spent just 5 minutes there, hooked up with my friend and we left. Dubai Mall which is besides the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, The gate of the Burj Al-arab(the only 7 star hotel in the world), you are not allowed in without reservation. The Atlantis resort. My host and her friends took me to the cinema last night and we watched the Journey 2.  Tomorrow, I am off to for the Desert Safari and the beach.

Thinking Dubai would be hot, I came with only a pair of jeans. The black jacket, I came with was because it is cold in Hyderabad and I left for the airport directly from work. Dubai is terribly cold, even the weather in Hyderabad is better. My jacket is more or less useless but better than, having no jacket at all. Even with the Sun during the day, it is cold.

Nice to run into these boys again

At the Radisson Royal Hotel, seeing off one of the guys to the airport

 ♥ Lara  from Dubai

Occupy Nigeria: so is this the way forward?

 I am numb and speechless. I have never believed in the credibility of the NLC/TUC, but I sure did not expect them to go down so cheaply. Over 16 lives has been lost to this struggle, they were wasted for their parents. All for what, N44 reduction, still I am speechless not for lack of what to say but because the words are stuck in my mouth with no direction.  This piece better still says a little of the thoughts running in my head.

This piece was shared by an old secondary school mate of mine by name Ayorinde Ade-Bello...
----------------

In the past few days I have expressed the opinions of others including these next words credited to Fela Durotoye. FD has surpassed everyone in "mirroring" my sentiments and I strongly believe that we need and have what it takes to make this possible at ALL costs. I have placed the points I want to emphasize in separate paragraphs.

You will not understand till you read to the very end. Here goes..........

I am so angry that precious lives have been lost as ordinary citizens protested against an unjust policy that was clearly not thought-through and yet, our President describes these fallen heroes as the "adverse effects" of the protest. I am angry that our President made so many open-ended promises without clear deliverables or deadlines and thought we would be gullible and simple-minded enough to say OK. I am so angry that in a hard-earned democratic dispensation, our elected officials went into the barracks and cantonments to invite the very same soldiers (who we fought to return to the barracks) unto the streets against unarmed protesters while armed bandits, militants and terrorists express themselves freely without being muzzled by the military might of our government. But then I am also very sad because I've watched this charade play out itself many times before (without the novelty of the military and the militants.) Like I articulated in my facebook message (of January 5, 2012,) on this issue of fuel subsidy removal, this script has been acted out too many times for us to have forgotten how the charade ends. Act 1 Scene 1: Government (hints but) suddenly announces the increase in the pump price of petroleum products. Act 1 Scene 2: The people are angry about Government feeble excuses and explanations asking people to pay more because they can't confront the corrupt system that makes it unsustainable to keep fuel prices low . Act 2 Scene 1: Organised labour and trade union sense that it is time to bring out the capes and harken to the people's cry for super-heroes. You know the rest of the story... don't you? Government gets a court injuction restraining labour from embarking on a strike. Labour disobeys the unjust injunctions and go out to exercise their constitutional rights to call an unemployed populace to mass action. The youth, the homeless, the poor and the unemployed come out en-mass and protest. Labour makes public declarations of the position of the people. Government invites labour to closed door meetings.

Something (we call negotiation) happens behind the closed doors. Labour emerges from closed door meetings and declares a deadlock.

Govt goes ahead to REDUCE but NOT REVERSE pump price.

Labour suspends strike.

Employers are happy to get their staff back to work.

Everybody gets back on the Rat Race (All motion, No Movement...I think the better way to put it is win-win!!! The only people that lose and suffer are the poor and unemployed who we all said would lose more if we continue the struggle against pump price increments.

We never go 'backward' to collect our stolen funds from the corrupt officials and the cabals well known to the government. Rather, we choose to go 'forward' to rob our poor, feeble and voiceless forever and forget them until its time to bring them out to 'negotiate' another unjust policy.

So we are back to where it all began... ASUU continues its strike and no one notices the degenerating young minds wasting away in our homes and on our streets.

LASU school fees still increased by 900% and admission now costing 250,000 Naira for newly admitted students seeking an education to prepare their minds for the future.

The Nigerian Medical Association and doctors must now return back to their death centers (oops.. I meant health centers) and continue to watch helplessly as hopeless patients die from preventable systemic decay rather than the diseases that brought them to the hospital.

Some of us will now go back to the LEKKI TOLL GATES and continue to pay toll, since we now have protest-fatigue. In any case, no one remembers why we were fighting against the unjust tolling of a road that was built by LKJakande with tax payers money and now refurbished by concessionaires. What's the big deal? Let the government continue to collect our taxes to build other roads and we continue to pay tolls to drive on our own (sorry...LCC's) road.

Really...I am sad and angry because after all said and done, nothing has changed... Except for the price of fuel from 65 to 97Naira per liter.

Still no refineries, no good roads, no power, no portable water, corrupt officials still in office as they continue 'partnering' with their cabals. Investigations without conclusion. Accusations without prosecution. And the world keeps going round and round. So when is real change going to come?

As I stated in my earlier message on Jan 5, 2012, the change we need is not just policy. It is in the quality of mind and persons at policy making positions. Without a doubt, our change will come the day our Brightest and Best minds silently RESOLVE that Enough is Enough of mediocrity in policy-making positions and begin to prepare to occupy positions (and not just parks) through the electoral process.

So how will we effectively deliver sustainable desired-change?

WE NEED A CRITICAL MASS OF NEW NIGERIANS TO TAKE HOLD OF EVERY LEVEL OF POLICY MAKING POSITIONS BY 2015.

Not a few good men and women whose voices will get drowned in the cacophony of mediocrity. Let our brightest and best brains begin serious preparations NOW.

Don't wait till 2014 to decide you want to make a change by running for office in 2015. It will be too late if you don't start NOW!!!!

As we keep up the pressure for good governance, let another set of emerging leaders (with a heart for the nation and a love for the people) arise and begin to prepare for 2015.

We must encourage, train, mentor and empower the right people to go where few dare.

I have committed my life to raise and prepare as many exemplary leaders of excellence to take over the various policy making positions at all levels of governance (federal, state and local)- executive and legislative. This is only the beginning of a long and arduous journey.

The real Nigerian spring is going to be in April 2015. Until we change the quality of people in policy-making positions, we won't yet have real and lasting victory. Don't get it twisted...

The 2015 elections is going to be the opportunity for the real Nigerian Spring. The real question is ...Will we be ready to bring the real change we've always desired with the same zeal and fervor as we show now?

Please don't let today's passion die tomorrow.

The struggle continues today, tomorrow and forever. We WILL deliver the future!

(My opinion) - I know this struggle may last today and tomorrow, I desperately hope it does not last forever. My children must not meet this struggle.

I will not go and seek refuge in another's land. I will pray, act and empower others, (the illiterates and learned alike) do all that I can. We can make it happen, individually and collectively, 2015 is realistic, it can signal the beginning of change.

Till then, I will OCCUPY NIGERIA!!!
--------------------
♥ Lara  from Incredible India

Occupy Nigeria: Which way my country?

So the strike continues tomorrow. The Federal Govt. has refused to hear the voice of the masses. They are accusing the Opposition of inciting the masses to protest. Can someone please teach President Jonathan, the basic of the Democracy. What is the relevance of the opposition, if not to oppose autocratic policies of the ruling Party. I hear He has ordered the arrest of  Femi Falana, Tunde Bakare, Dino Melaye And Shehu Sanni (Not sure how true this is)

The American Embassy has advised its citizens and get ready for evacuation if strike persists till Friday 20th of January, is our Nation on the verge of a Civil War as predicted by Prof Wole. Soyinka?.

Does the President think, Nigerians are so stupid and docile. What GEJ and his Cabal fail to realise is that everyone has a breaking point no matter how resilient a person might be. Nigerians have gotten to that breaking point. We are tired of suffering and smiling. Like I have always told some friends, Nigeria is a time bomb waiting to explode, the subsidy removal was just the catalyst.

Now we need to demand good governance, basic infrastructure, security (most importantly), cut in Government waste, accountability of every Public Office holder. I am appalled by the Nigerian 2012 budget.

I bet before this year 90% of Nigerians never knew or bother to know the contents of Nigerian Budget. I for one have never bothered to know beyond the figures they quote in the media. Thanks to the social media, most of us are now aware of the wastefulness of our Government.

I have read tweet and arguments of Pro-Subsidy supporters and I just shake my head at the stupidity of most of them.

I am happy that Nigerians have decided to give up the siddon look attitude we have always been known for and decided to change the future of our Land. I am glad, Nigerians have looked beyond the ethinic and religious differences and decided to fight for the future of our children. Thank you, everyone who has taken to the streets to protest for the future of our land. Thank you, everyone who cannot make it to the streets but are supporting the protest through the social media and their own best possible.

We need to teach our government that we know exactly what democracy is about and even though most of our votes are rigged, democracy still remains for the people and by the people.

I fell in love with Aduke's voice the first time, I listed to her song 'lekeleke'...I must say she is good and this song is so on point.

♥ Lara  from Incredible India

Xenophobia: The Fear and hatred of Nigerians

I remember listening to this song in August and starting this post then, but I got carried away by Ramadhan then. This post has been lying in my drafts ever since.

I really would not have been remembered this post or this video, but lately I have observed a lot of Nigerian dissing by other African countries especially the Eastern Africans. Yesterday I got into an FB fight  with some dumbminded Ugandan. Generally, I stay off FB fights, I don't even bother to comment on some of the crap I see on that network. I don't even know what entered my head. This idiot is also an intern with TCS but he is in Mumbai. Once he posted a link of the Nigerian police arresting a goat on the program's Group, one of his country man cautioned him so no one even made an issue on the matter. He obviously does not know we are with the same company because I saw his tweets accusing the dude with the post for telling on him about his nationality. What he does not know is that his friend is my flatmate and even though I do not interact with most of them, I know all the African interns in TCS. My flatmate told me not to waste my energy on him as he particularly hates Africa and I guess he believes India is his gateway to a brilliant future.

Like, they don't even hide their open hatred for Nigerians, they are the ones quick to assume and accuse Nigerians of every crime ever committed by a black man. These Nigerians, Those Nigerians, The Nigerians...all these you hear from Black, Non-Nigerians. I am just sick and tired of all their accusations. The other day, one of the interns from Benin Republic said all the crimes in his beloved country were all committed by Nigerians. I partially blame Nollywood for this nonsense. I mean these people watch the Nigerian movies more than we do. They expect us to be ritualist, scam them and thanks to movies like blackberry babes, some of them believe the girls are all the same.

People have always asked me why I particularly stick to only Nigerians in this country, it is for reasons like this. Most of them ignorantly make statements which are so far from true. I have told them that while they sit, point fingers and hate on Nigerians, We continue to move on and grow.

I am more at risk of xenophobia from a fellow African who is also black due to my nationality than racism due to the colour of my skin.

♥ Lara  from Incredible India