Introducing the Apes Obey! Series

Heysh-O-Bay

We had a few things to move and though we had not perfected lifting techniques we had a rallying call to get hands under, the knees bent and ready to heave and lift.

Heysh-O-Bay! We all said and the goods moved, possibly of their own volition, but this a corruption of something that was common place some 86 years ago when in fact that rallying call was given by our colonial masters – then, it was derogatively – Apes Obey!

Not knowing the etymology; the phrase is in common use today just as many other observations would not have left a writer out of sorts today either.

That morning quote

Just over a week ago Chxta posted an excerpt from The Dual Mandate in British Tropical Africa (See References for all attributions) by the Lord Lugard [Source: Frederick Lugard: Biography and Much More from Answers.com], the first Governor General of Nigeria, since then I have agonised about how to write about the views expressed then and comparing those with situations and events in contemporary Nigeria.

I have had some difficulty obtaining a full attributable source for the excerpts that I would write about, but as soon as I get the full details, I would post the information and update this blog.

Lord Frederick John Dealty Lugard

Lord Lugard was probably the greatest protagonist of British colonial rule, having lived and held office in Nigeria, Hong Kong and Nyasaland, he probably possessed the wealth of knowledge and experience to express views which today might appear blatantly racist and politically incorrect.

The Dual Mandate with regards to colonial Africa “stemmed from a doctrine that a colonial power had a double responsibility, on the one hand to the colonial peoples under its rule and on the other hand to the outside world. To the colonial peoples it owed material and moral advancement leading ultimately to self-government. To the outside world it had the obligation to see that the natural resources of its colonies were developed and that they found their way on to the world market” [Source: Dual mandate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia].

A new blog series

The excerpt lifted from Chxta’s World appears below and it would form the basis of a number of blogs to be written with the view of highlighting how the sense of history has been lost, how observations made 86 years ago still find true, how we need to view these old assessments which are very much like report cards and work to improve, ditching the bad elements.

Without malice, controversy or prejudice, the blogs would be named after that marshalling call, the call to duty, the view people had of us because they did not believe we could organise ourselves properly without their guiding hand, the view that still dogs many in their everyday lives today.

It would be called the Apes Obey! Series – I would take a phrase out of the excerpt and develop it around a contemporary event in Nigeria and see how it all pans out, the beginning of discourse or a readiness for battle - Who knows?

A character assessment

This is the excerpt I have talked about.

In character and temperament, the typical African of this race-type is a happy, thriftless, excitable person; lacking in self control, discipline, and foresight; naturally courteous and polite, full of personal vanity, with little sense of veracity, fond of music and loving weapons as an oriental loves jewellery.

His thoughts are concentrated on the events and feelings of the moment, and he suffers little from the apprehension for the future or grief for the past; his mind is far nearer to the animal world than that of the European or Asiatic, and exhibits something of the animals’ placidity and want of desire to rise beyond the State he has reached.

Through the ages the African appears to have evolved no organized religious creed, and though some tribes appear to believe in a deity, the religious sense seldom rises above pantheistic animalism and seems more often to take the form of a vague dread of the supernatural.

He lacks the power of organization, and is conspicuously deficient in the management and control alike of men or business; he loves the display of power, but fails to realize its responsibility; he will work hard with a less incentive than most races.

He has the courage of the fighting animal, an instinct rather than a moral virtue; in brief, the virtues and defects of this race-type are those of attractive children, whose confidence when it is won is given ungrudgingly as to an older and wiser superior and without envy.

Perhaps the two traits which have impressed me as those most characteristic of the African native are his lack of apprehension and his lack of ability to visualize the future.

References for editions of The Dual Mandate in British Tropical Africa

First Edition (1922) [Source: Lugard Frederick John Dealtry Lugard 1st Baron: Free Encyclopedia Articles at Questia.com Online Library]

Third Edition (1926) W. Blackwood and Sons – Out of Print – ASIN B00089EJBO [Source: Amazon.com]

Fourth Edition (1929) W. Blackwood – ASIN B00088N5OW [Source: Amazon.com]

Routledge First Edition (1965) Routledge - ISBN-10: 0714616907; ISBN-13: 978-0714616902 [Source: Amazon.com]

Links to the Apes Obey! Series

Apes Obey! Vague dread of the supernatural

Apes Obey! Lacks the power of organisation

Apes Obey! Instinct rather than moral virtue

Apes Obey! Seldom rises above pantheistic animism

Apes Obey! With very little sense of veracity

Apes Obey! Lack of apprehension

The testimony, an ordeal

I have got questions

I received this in an email this afternoon and it was quite a compelling read if not also quite worrisome.

I cannot attest to the veracity of the tale, if true, it would have been an ordeal and to have someone return to tell the tale means one should be aware of some rather nefarious and supranormal activity going on where there seems to be victims who do not return.

I however have questions, many questions.

• This testimony which talks of God’s power appears to devolve to the father and mother of the church at the most critical moments of this ordeal, is this how it works now?
• Does this kind of thing really happen in Nigeria? I have heard many stories like this, usually only as a testimony in church.
• How can the law be brought to bear on this kind of activity which involves other human beings kidnapping people for some atrocious spiritual activity?

The man who gave the testimony supplied his complete details which I have not placed in this posting.

The Testimony

I give this testimony to the glory of God and for these 3 reasons

To proof that God answer prayers.

The word of God is power

There is reward for dedicated service that comes from a sincere heart.

On Friday the 25th day of May 2007, as I drive through Gowon Estate, just after RCCG (Dominion Parish) to the left, I was about to make a call when I sited a team of police men (6 of them) on check point duty.

I stopped the car just some meters from them, turn off the engine and started calling. I was just dialing the number when one of them came from the passenger's side to accuse me of making phone call while driving. I told him I wasn't and that this is the reason why I parked the car. He accused me of lying. This got me angry and I stepped out of the car, close the door and both of us started arguing.

I stood by the driver's side of the car raging and ranting and telling the police man what I feel about the police operation. One of them, a corporal came from behind me and touched my shoulder saying "we are not fighting now". Immediately, I became weak. As much as I tried talking, my mouth was not responding. By this time, I looked around and noticed what these police men were doing, but I could do nothing about the situation.

After a while I was instructed to enter the car and drive. By this time, 5 vehicles were already arrested, 1 jeep and 4 cars (my car inclusive). A lady (one of the captives) was asked to sit in the front seat of my car, while the two police men sat at the backseat of the car. Again, I wanted to complain but again the police man touched my shoulder. This he kept doing anytime he observes I was trying to come out of his hold.

This continued until we got to Ayobo road. Between Abesan Estate gate and Ayobo road junction, I knew I was driving but remembered nothing. Then when I saw a small Canaan land bus approaching, I was coming out of their grip and the man behind me touched me again so I drove past the bus. My car stopped twice. The first time I started it and we continued, as we approached the bridge along Ayobo - Ota road, the car stopped for the second time. As I tried starting the car, that was the last thing I knew.

By the time I regained consciousness, I saw myself in a thick forest with a lot of people sitting down on the ground. We were close to 2000. There was no house, no light, just people. The boy to my left introduced himself as Jonathan and his younger brother John. He said he noticed I was praying while unconscious until I became conscious. He enquired the church I attend and I said Winner's chapel. He said he worship at RCCG in Lokoja, Kogi State . He said he was taking his brother to Osun State University to sit for the entrance examination before they found themselves in this place.

Then he brought out his handset and I collected it. I noticed there was a bar of signal on it. So I was able to call my wife secretly and inform her of what was happening. I called back the second time and specifically instructed her to go and inform our father in the Lord, Bishop Oyedepo and also Pastor Victor (the Music director) and that what I need now is prayers. I told her that this is not time to start crying.

We were at this location from the day I made the call (which I later learnt was Monday 28th May, 2007) for about six days. Doughnut, meat-pie, sachet water, juice were given to those who have gained full consciousness. I refused to take any of the things they brought and also instructed the two brothers and another man with whom I pray not to.

While there, I remembered this was my 10th year as an in-house consultant to the ministry. I then reminded God that this not the

reward of service. I also reminded him of my service in church, with the choir and then I said, NO WAY, I CAN'T END UP LIKE THIS. The 4th day after I made the call, they brought bottled juice and because we were famished, I asked my prayer partners to take it. I prayed over it nullifying every power inside. I pleaded the blood of Jesus over it, and then we took the juice.

On the 5th day after I made the call, they came for me. It has become a routine. Every 40 to 50 minutes, they come to pick between 70 to 100 people and none ever returned. But I told the other three with whom I pray, "see ya, and I followed them." I was priviledged to be amongst the people in front. We trekked for close to 45 minutes. It was as if we were going down a slope through a tunnel, with a wall of earth/grass on both sides. Then, we arrived in front of a gate under the ground. The gate was opened to reveal a neatly painted building, well lit. The painting was hypnotic. The doors, ceiling, wall and floor of the

building has the same colour.

Together with 15 others, I was ushered into the first room. I was the seventh person. While others moved along the long unending corridor. By now, the only thing that kept replaying itself on my mind was mummy Oyedepo's audio book, "RESCUED FROM DESTRUCTION" which I was privileged to edit. It started from the very beginning as soon as I stepped into the underground building.

In the room, there was this non reflective mirror on the wall and one after the other, we were instructed to step in front of the mirror. As each person steps in front of the mirror, in 3 to 4 seconds, his or her image appears and the next thing is we hear the person's name. The only thing I can't tell is who was calling the names. Then the person's image on the mirror will be covered with blood. The person will then be directed to go through another door, different from the door we came in from. What happens next I do not know.

When it was my turn, I stepped forward and positioned myself like others. I stood in front of the mirror for about 4 minutes but my image did not appear in the mirror. After sometime, it appeared and I saw my self inside the mirror. I must state here that I was not scared at all. What kept ringing in my ears was mama's voice reading the audio version of her book.

Then, after another 3 minutes of my image appearing, mummy Oyedepo's voice sounded loud and clear that even the captors heard it, "GOD IS TOO FAITHFUL TO FAIL, HE IS DEPENDABLE, HE IS MORE THAN ENOUGH." The voice came three times and then, the mirror cracked into bits and pieces and dropped in a heap on the floor like a broken wind screen.

Immediately, there was confusion. The remaining 8 people behind me were moved out of the room and I was left there alone weak in the flesh but with mummy's voice still sounding strong in my spirit man.

After a while 5 of our captors into the room and one of them started asking, who are you? What is your name? From where are you? Who is your father? To all these questions, I gave no answer. I was just starring. They all went out again and later one of them came back to take me into another room. This time, the new room was empty. No chair, no bed, nothing, just me.

I was in this room for a long time. No food, no water, no sun, no moon, no star, no time, just me. So I cannot say for how long I remained in the room. Then, one day, I was just staring at the other end of the room when I saw something like dew, like a smoke and Bishop Oyedepo stepped out of it. He then said: "Peter, have you seen mummy?" I said no daddy. He then said, mummy (Rev, Mrs. Oyedepo) is looking for you, she has an assignment for you. Then he gave me the instruction saying; "MAKE SURE YOU SEE HER". He said this 3 times and each time I replied, yes daddy. Then he disappeared. By this time my strength returned and I was fully conscious.

Not quiet 5 minutes after my encounter with papa, the door to the room I was flung open and standing right in front of me was a huge man, fair in complexion, has a bald head, with beards. With him were between 15 and 20 people. All of them wore red gowns.

I was on my feet as soon as the door opened. And a question and answer session started:

MAN: who are you?

ME: and I boldly declared, I am a child of God

MAN: All of us are children of God

ME: There are some that are more real than others

MAN: What is your name?

ME: I am a child of God

MAN: From where?

ME: Canaan Land

MAN: Where?

ME: Ota.

Then he said,

MAN: A man came to warn me that if I don't let you go, In seven days, who is this man?

ME: He is my father

MAN: What is his name?

ME: BISHOP DAVID OYEDEPO

At this point, the man turned to his men and said, "I instructed you people to mind the kind of people you bring here. Take this man away from this place and return anything you took from him. He said "I don't want anyone disturbing our operation here".

He was about leaving when I said, I am not the only person, we are 4. He then asked where are the rest and I replied I don't know. He then instructed them to release the 4 of us.

As God will have it, as I stepped out of the room, coming into the underground building are the 3 boys I left outside. I identified them and they were brought to me.

The next thing I knew again was I saw us outside the thick forest in the cold. How we got there is still a mystery. What happened between the time I identified them and the time we got to that position, I do not know. I then asked my partners to start reciting psalm 23, while I recited psalm 91. Our hands were tied together behind us before we were left in the middle of the thick forest.

As we continued in our recitations, I felt a little light shine on my face from afar. I stood my ground and asked my friends to continue. Then a voice sounded in Yoruba language "WHO ARE THOSE?" We did not answer. The light came nearer and asked the question the second time. The 4th boy with us then started running away, leaving only 3 of us. Again, the question was asked the 3rd time and by this time, it was very close to me so I opened my eyes and saw a figure dressed like a hunter in front of me. He then said in Yoruba language "OH THIS PEOPLE AGAIN?"

He loosened the rope on our hands, and asked us to follow him. When we tried calling on the boy that ran off, the hunter said we should leave him alone.

So, the hunter from that day led us through the forest for 6 nights. As much as I tried to see his face, I could not. He smelt like incense and his voice was like someone inside a tunnel. He only came at night and when it is dawn, he points to the right where a hut awaits us. The 2nd night, he prepared sandals made of leaf and roots for us. By the 3rd night, the 3rd boy was so weak and hungry that he could hardly move. Then the boy said, "I am hungry" the hunter replied us saying, "YOU DID NOT ASK".

On saying this, he reached inside his bag and brought out a warm piece of roasted yam for each of us. On the 4th and 5th nights, he gave us mouth burning piece of yam each time. So we continued until we got to the main road on the 6th night and the hunter pointed to the left and said "this way is to Ibadan " and pointing to the right side he said, "this way is to Akure". He then pointed to his left for the first time in 6 days and asked us to remain in the hut until the next morning. I made sure the strange hunters' instructions were carried out to the letter.

I had started off into the hut when I remembered the piece of yam for that night. I turned round to request and alas, the hunter had disappeared. We turn on the hand set to discover network, so I was able to call my wife, though we did not know our location then.

By the next morning, we found out hat turning to the right the signal on the hand set increases, we proceeded towards that direction until we arrived at EKEJI-ILE, OSUN STATE . We went to Ayo Babalola University , told them our story and they assisted us.

I bless the name of the Lord for confirming the words of His servant in my life and for the fulfillment of prophecies from the mouth of His servant. Glory to God.

That Thabo Mbeki Collective

Unable to minister to health

The news of the sacking of the South African Deputy Health Minister Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge with immediate effect last week by President Thabo Mbeki was received with alarm and sadness, but the reasons for her sacking are quite instructive and interesting.

Apparently, the minister had gone to an AIDS conference in Spain with her consultant son without the express permission of the President and he was no more going to countenance a situation where she exhibited the “inability to work as part of a collective” in cabinet.

One does not have to introduce Dr. Beetroot, the Health Minister Dr. Manto Tshabalala-Msimang whose inability to understand the demographic crisis of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in her country where 25% are purported to have succumbed to the disease is expressed in her recommending herbal remedies like garlic, beetroot and the African potato for therapeutic management of HIV/AIDS.

Accumulated ignorance of health

However, we should not forget that President Mbeki still has problems with the accepted body of knowledge about HIV/AIDS and the science that underpins most of that knowledge – indeed there is an economy dimension to how that disease can be managed, but those who are infected and affected need treatment now.

It took a global outcry as well as derisive appraisals of South African health policy before things started to move in the direction of the proper management of the disease with drug therapies and other initiatives, many of which were spearheaded by the Deputy Health Minister.

Her inability to work as part of that obdurate collective is commendable, because that collective once had a chairman of the South African National AIDS Council who became the Vice-President of South Africa under Thabo Mbeki say that he had a shower to wash himself clean after knowing having sex with an infected partner.

Mountain climbing a mole hill

Such crass ignorance beggars belief as there would now be no serious driver for these initiatives having sacked a minister for what would have been an error of judgement when other ministers thrive in the cabinet by long-standing affiliation to the president rather than competence, probity and worthwhile activity.

Mrs. Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge has obviously refused to be subsumed into the group think that assumes all is well when nothing is. She supported a damning report about conditions in the maternity wards of Frere Hospital which both her boss and the president desperately tried to debunk.

Detached, oblivious and complacent

However, what makes this even the more instructive is the way Thabo Mbeki’s friendship with Robert Mugabe, along with his complacency and the condoning of the nonsense going on in Zimbabwe is allowing the situation to deteriorate into complete anarchy. There is nothing on this earth that can support Robert Mugabe continuing to hold sway over his country with despotic megalomania, not even in the name of quiet diplomacy or the African liberation movement of old.

Mr. Mbeki is of the view that the UK is to blame for the problems in Zimbabwe and that is disingenuous to the extreme. In fact, what this simply tells us is about leaders in Africa who are seeking African solutions to African problems they have not even begun to understand in any sense.

Expect nothing

If people who are supposed to wield such great influence allow intemperance to dissent to cloud the greater vision of bringing working solutions to the people, we have much to despair about Africa and it is a shame.

It would appear African ministers are only supposed to warm seats and go to international conferences to make Africa a laughing stock and subject us to ridicule, the moment you master your brief to start changing things for the better, the sooner you would be out of a job, because we are never expected to expect anything of our ministers.

Mr. Mbeki however is caught in the limbo between staid Western conservative and African freedom fighter – he is neither and in trying to be either or both we are left with the schizophrenia of leadership and even I would not want to be in the collective where Mr. Mbeki is top-dog.

The flaw of the covenant

Bringing reason to bear

Rarely, does one find oneself so utterly impressed by the legal exposition of a matter of contemporary import as one that I read this evening.

Funmi Iyanda, the broadcaster, columnist, journalist and articulate blogger based in Nigeria leads the home end of reason against the developing assault on the female populace of Nigeria by male chauvinistic pigs masquerading as the law, the rule, the norm and the sanction for a harmonious society.

These are exemplified in assailing ladies in seemingly “indecent” states of dress on the streets of Lagos, the barring of ladies from church for wearing trousers and other supposedly “uncomely” wear, the compulsory testing for pregnancy where a positive result prevents an academically capable student from graduation and the attribution of HIV/AIDS testing mainly to sexual immorality.

Many have debunked these splenetic acts of unwarranted prejudice and malicious abuse of authority in the name of the law, religion and upholding societal morals.

In fact, it is sad, that many have been cajoled and subsumed into accepting the unacceptable as those in authority exceed the limits of rationality in what is becoming an embarrassing ego rush that should elicit a complete U-turn very soon.

Bringing the law to bear

Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, a renowned civil rights lawyer with a knack for well-structured legal arguments that completely ridicules indefensible bigoted and prejudicial edicts, comes to the rescue with this opinion piece at allAfrica.com with the title Nigeria: In the Name of the Father?

This is a must-read, and as Funmi Iyanda says in her blog, when the rational speak up, we have hope that things would definitely turn out right.

In all that this learned gentleman expounded with global case law, putative references in the Nigerian constitution and other treaties or agreements Nigeria is signatory to; he contends that a university cannot operate under the premise that “clearly discriminates against women, feeds public prejudice and discrimination against women and persons living with HIV-AIDS, fulfills no rational public policy or purpose, and is plainly egregious in its illegality.”

That is a very strong rebuke which goes on appeal to the Christian compassion of organisations that portend to lift society, that they should know “People who are living with HIV must be treated with compassion and understanding. They must not be condemned to 'economic death' by the denial of equal opportunity. The same must be said for single mothers.”

This, if anything should bring the Covenant University to repentance involving their reflecting on these atrocious playground rules and tempering them with the rational set of values expected of a university of excellence – For which I would gladly join the chorus that ends this sorry saga with - Amen!

Thanks to Funmi Iyanda for the link that inspired this blog.

Surrendering her serpent seed

A fashion for churchianity

A lot of blog traffic has been generated on the women’s wear debate going on in Nigeria. Funmi Iyanda talked of her experiences, Chippla’s World covered the matter and various other blogs have put in their tuppence worth.

I really have striven to keep my peace on this matter because I thought all that could be opined on this matter had been said till I read a comment on a blog by “My Pen and My Paper”, something about “unless a woman has to repent and surrender her serpent seed” by one michellamarie (address unknown) – Errr! Serpent seed? This is well beyond me.

Now, that blog does have all sorts of opinions and women's wear in church, prejudiced and myopic as they seem because of some preconceived mindset as to what a wife should wear or what a mother should wear, beyond that, people are beginning to externalise spirituality as if clothes decide whether the Holy Spirit would to use one person over another.

The ascendancy of Churchianity over Christianity is becoming a worrisome development.

Dress the world from church

The whole argument that women entice men to lasciviousness and immorality is beyond the pale, the men are either weak-willed or not disciplined in their spiritual upbringing, it is the work of church to teach people how to deal with temptation when they encounter such.

Attendance at church hardly takes 24 hours of a 128 hour week, how do you protect these men from the sights and sounds they encounter on the streets?

The temple should and must also have an open door policy to all those who desire to visit to worship, it is, I believe the work of the Holy Ghost to convict of sin, especially, if He is allowed to do His work without being constrained by the teaching of traditions of men for doctrines of God.

Secular and smart

Amazingly, I find that secular establishments are better equipped for dress code imposition; I have been to restaurants or formal settings where a dinner jacket or a black tie is required. Rather than being turned back, the maître d' would discretely take the person aside and offer suitable dressing to accommodate the guest.

Nobody, I think should be turned away from church; rather, the zealous ushers and Keepers of the Modicum of Church Dress should after their subjective assessment of the poor spirituality of their quarry offer tagged laboratory coats in the garish colours to those who have sincerely come to worship and forgotten how to appear “decent”, then coral then to a section of the church where they can in purity of heart serve their God whilst being subjects of human ridicule, if that helps elevate the worship of the more properly dressed.

Losing our religion and keeping fashion

There is no doubt that there is need for church discipline, but who paid the greater price, the annoyed leader of the church who hates to see various states of undress or the lord of the leader who died on the cross for the naked and the overly dressed?

Trousers in themselves are just symbolic, well tailored and fitting trousers should be acceptable anywhere, the issue of them being men’s clothes rather than for ladies, borders on the hypocritical.

As Chippla rightly noted, these 3,000 year old laws of Judaism being applied to modern times is as selective as any would get because the selfsame chapter that rules against cross-gender wear also says people should not wear clothes of mixed materials. Leviticus 19:19 & Deuteronomy 22.

You only have to check the source material of the underwear, the shirt, the trousers, the socks and how all of them are mixed in different grades to provide different qualities.

In cultures where both men and women wear the same clothes like using wrappers and the difference is the way the wrapper is tied or held, this whole matter begins to border on pedantry.

Then, after some evangelistic success, would churches forcibly clothe the natives in strange apparel to promote seeming decency?

Leather and fur from the God Collection

It just does not add up, in the end, if we must be so fundamental about dress, maybe we should go back to Genesis where after Adam and Eve fell, God made coats of skins for them and clothed them. Genesis 3:21

Nothing said that this was some fashion statement or that there was any difference between what Eve wore and what Adam had – the only danger might be the church would be picketed by PETA when in fact the church has only opted for the prime example of the Creator, clothes of leather and fur, some circles might even find that quite kinky.

Basically, we should be smarter about this matter and more resourceful about tackling it, if it is so much a big issue for some, so far, it has been overrun with absurdity and unseemly publicity; the pastors might weather this storm but have done no good in proclaiming the gospel.

As for serpent seeds – I am not qualified to take on such a deep theological analysis or preposterous falacy.

References

Deuteronomy 22

Leviticus 19

Genesis 3

Viva Sierra-Leone

So similar so different

A land of people similar to mine, a history of independence not too different by 7 months, civil wars fought and done, natural resources as abundant as a curse.

Elections – free, fair and credible being one of the poorest countries in the world, their faith in universal suffrage should put us all to shame.

Sierra-Leone has just successfully conducted democratic elections; Nigeria must now have run out of excuses about how they conducted theirs.

The prosperity of Sierra-Leone beckons and may those who serve in rulership be emboldened to change their country for the better.

A sense of detachment

Questions of home and away

Going to Warsaw left me in the throes of deep introspection, as I walked up the Royal Route after purchasing an umbrella to shield me from the percentage likelihood of rain that had been forecast for today.

I had just witnessed the military parade rehearsal that took place outside my hotel for the national day which would be Wednesday. There was no goose-stepping but I could have sworn that the way the arms of the macho men swung and the gait which represented taking marching orders would not have gone amiss on a supermodel’s catwalk.

I am no expert in things military and hereby apologise if the depiction of my observations comes across as insulting, I liked the marches, the martial music and very well imbibed the sense of the occasion – these were proud Polish men.

So, returning to the topic of the brain drain, at times I felt I could persuade a lot more people to leave Poland for Western Europe, but then I also felt that many are probably happy to stay in the motherland, patriotic and proud in service of their nation and probably calling those who left traitors even though the ones in Diaspora could return with wads of cash but a sense of detachment from events back home.

That sense of detachment suddenly overwhelmed me as I had a quick peek at pampered class travel to Nigeria after almost two decades.

Then I wondered what one would be doing there, how one would be received, whether it is safe to contemplate or one was just getting delusionary.

I have no answers, but seeing the Poles at home and those abroad, the Nigerian situation does become quite interesting.

As Cheta stated in a comment about the Polish brain drain; if Poland does manage to survive this hit and recover, it can be instructive for Nigeria. For now, my view is, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala sets the standard for returnees and it was not a pleasant experience after a while, unfortunately.

Should I have another look at those air fares or let indecision feed on my introspection as another decade rolls by?