THE CATFISH EFFECT

 

I was thinking this morning...... about fishy things. Yesterday 25th June was National Catfish Day. I thought of joining the celebrations with a bowl well-spiced catfish peppersoup, but as I pondered on the dish, my attention was drawn to an interesting fact that Catfish have over 100,000 taste buds. The taste buds are located all over their bodies to help them sense where food is. Because they swim in murky water, their sense of taste serves as tool to find food when they can’t see well.

Wow! As I pondered on this fact, Nigeria politicians and their tendency to jump from one party where there is no longer food to another where there is food, came to mind. They work for AGIP (Any Government In Power). Nigeria politicians are not ordinary politicians, they are 'Catfish Politicians.'

Some people refer to themselves as 'foodie.' They love good food and will not miss on any opportunity to relish an experience. That's okay. However, when you have a friend that shows up at your home only when food is ready, he or she is not just a friend but a 'Catfish friend.'

According to Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Nigeria is the world's largest producer of catfish with the catfish industry worth over N262 billion. As I reflected on our huge consumption of catfish, I began to worry that it may be causing a condition called 'Catfish Effect.' How else do you explain one man stealing over N80 billion of our commonwealth because he was the Accountant General if not because he has taste buds all over his body to smell money? Our politicians are showing the same tendency for legendary avarice.

2023 is an opportunity to deliver our nation from Catfish Politicians but what do we do with regards to the Catfish effect? Maybe we should switch from consumption of catfish to dogfish (a shark) to save ourselves from this disease. Otherwise, 1st Timothy 3:3 admonishes, 'Not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous.'

Stay hopeful. God's got your back.

Happy Sunday.

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey

Fatherless Fathers

 

I was thinking this morning..... As I drove towards an office complex last Friday, the gate was opened by a senior man probably in his late sixties. For some strange reasons, he reminded me of my dad as my mind drifted to the mid eighties. It was a difficult time for my family. My dad worked as a service personnel at an Oil terminal in Delta state. His salary was not enough to feed the family not to mention paying our school fees. Yet, we looked to him to perform the magic.

How can he meet all the needs of the family with his meagre income? To us as children, that was his headache. My dad will leave for his offshore work with empty suitcase but return with a 'provision store.' How? For the 4 weeks my dad will be at work, the meal meant to nourish him and give him strength to do the job, he will exchange for canned/non-perishable foods, so he could take home for his family not to starve. He did not eat his meal because he wanted his children to eat. He sacrificed his needs to fulfil our wants. Real fathers are heroes because their code is family before self.

Real fathers love and care for their wives and mother of their children. I once drove a pregnant woman in labour and her husband to the hospital. As the would-be father used words to sooth the pain of his wife, she snapped and slapped him saying 'No be you do am?' Chai! What fathers go through. After the baby is born, the mother will be given maternity leave but no one thinks of the father. He doesn't even get paternity leave to rest from his labour.

The most heartbreaking of all is that after years of fathers sacrificing their energy and time fending for the family, at retirement most fathers are ignored. While mothers go for 'omugwo' around the nation/world, fathers remain at home with care-givers. They are now fatherless fathers. Oh fathers!

As I remember the role fathers play, I am reminded of the greatest Father of all, our Father in heaven. I couldn't but hum the song of Mosun Olaitan 'Olorun to Tobi Olorun Baba Agba' 🎼🎵🎶

Fathers, stay hopeful. God no go shame us.

Happy Fathers Day.

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey

I WANT TO BE LIKE YOU

 

I was thinking this morning..... A man took his 10 year old son before the mirror, smiled and asked 'Son, what will you like to be when you grow up, a doctor, lawyer, pilot or an engineer?' The little boy stared back at him through the mirror and said 'Dad, I do not want to be any of the above. I want to be like you.'

It’s been said that Nigeria's biggest problem is the political class. They are corrupt, selfish and sometimes wicked, yet their children want to be like them. The children of Abacha, Sule Lamido, El-Rufai, Ibori, Uduaghan, Ganduje, Okowa and Fayose all contested the last primary elections for APC and PDP, just to be like their dads.

I watched Seyi Tinubu running around supporting his father before and during the just concluded APC convention and the viral video of that irresponsible father smoke shisha with his 2 or 3 year old son holding the pipe, I remembered the story of the 10 year old boy that wants to be like his dad.

Do you really want your son or daughter to be like you? I mean, the real you and not the facade most parents put out when they are in public. Whether you like it or not, you are the first role model for your children and they will in some way be like you. If you are not a picture of what you want your children to be, then change today.

Think about Proverbs 22:6.

Stay hopeful. God's got your back.

Happy Sunday.

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey

CHANGING COLOUR

 

I was thinking this morning.... Last week my little niece in Scotland went to school and was told that her teacher called Miss White will be changing color next week. She couldn’t understand what they meant by 'she will be changing colour.' Out of curiosity she asked what that meant and was told that Miss White will be getting married next week and coincidentally her fiancé is called Mr Brown. So she will change from Miss White to Mrs Brown. 😀🤪

While it is true that chameleon changes colour to match its environment, humans can also change colours. How? Someone can turn blue from being cold or not breathing and also turn red when angry or embarrassed.

My niece's experience taught me a fresh lesson about how marriage can metaphorically change one's colour. Many get into marriage as Miss White (known for a particular good behaviour) but completely get influenced by the bad character of the spouse (Mr Brown) and she becomes Mrs Brown.

Some others (Miss White) get into marriage (with Mr Brown) and blend with the spouse. No one overwhelms the other. They both influenced each other and ended up being Mr & Mrs Beige (a mixture of white and brown), with both losing their original identity.

Yet a few 'Miss White' get into marriage with such strong character that Mr Brown drops his name to bear 'White'. Miss White remains who she was before marriage. There is no colour change, if any, it is Mr Brown that changes his colour.

Has marriage changed your colour? If marriage has changed your colour from white to brown or scarlet or even black, it's time to clean up. Isaiah 1:18 says 'though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.' If you must change colour, change to white.

Stay hopeful. God's got your back.

Happy Sunday.

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey