EVERYWHERE STEW

 

I was thinking this morning..... as the first half of the year ends today, I reflect on a number of recent incidents. Tomato, the edible berry of the plant Solanum lycopersicum, has, from time immemorial, been an indispensable ingredient in making our Nigerian stew. It is also a basic ingredient in a large variety of raw, cooked, or processed foods, including our signature Nigerian jollof rice.

In recent weeks, however, tomatoes have become like gold. Scarce, expensive and out of the reach of ordinary citizens. In order to keep enjoying our traditional rice and stew, Nigerians have creatively resorted to cucumber and watermelon stews. The truth be told, without fresh tomatoes, stew no fit be stew.

'Everywhere Stew' is a deliciously inane Nigeria phrase that means something that is masterfully prepared and high quality. For lovers and fans of Nigerian music star, David Adedeji Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, you will no doubt agree that his June 25th glamorous wedding tagged Chivido'24 cannot be more succinctly described than to say 'Everywhere Stew.' There is only one thing that made it happen. Tomatoes were not in short supply. Without tomatoes, everywhere can not stew.

Ironically and sadly, on the same day everywhere was stewing at Harbour Point in VI, Lagos, just a stone throw away, 45 year old Nick Imudia, the former chief executive officer of Konga and CEO of D.light, a leading innovator in residential solar energy solutions, was tired of life and decided to end it by jumping from his residential storey building at Lekki. Nick had all the money to buy tomatoes, but he couldn't make everywhere stew.

Just like stew without fresh tomatoes is putty, living without the tomatoes of life is torture. While some may rely on money to buy the tomatoes for their stew, others simply just sow the tomatoes they need. Self-love, peace, and a renewed mind are the tomatoes of the stew of life. Cultivate the tomatoes of life and then you will be sure everywhere will be stew around you. No wonder Romans 12:2 says, 'And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.'

My prayer for you is that as we get into the second half of this year, everywhere will be stew around you. You will not lack physical tomatoes nor the tomatoes of life.

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

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

GOD, I NEED YOUR FEVER

 

I was thinking this morning..... I, again, remember my childhood days in Warri. While my most fond memories are those of fun playing games with sardine keys, rubber seeds, and bottle caps (table soccer), there were sour memories that I would rather not remember. One of such were times I came down with a fever. To me, coming down with a fever was triple jeopardy. You suffer from high temperature and body pain and then contend with the very bitter taste of chloroquin. Finally, there is the torture from the body itch as side effects of the chloroquin. Argrrrr! Merely thinking of being feverish in those days gives me the creeps.

Though that feeling had slowly bleached out like a coloured cloth in the desert sun, I still don't like the thought of having a fever. Hence, my surprise at seeing an inscription on a motor bike saying, 'God, I need your fever.' Really? Does God have a fever He gives to people? Thinking deeply about it, I realised it was a challenge of grammar. What the writer had in mind was 'God, I need your favour.'

I am not sure if excessive favour can lead to fever, but I know that no one prays for fever. It is, however, possible to receive a fever instead of a favour if your endeavour is laced with terror. For instance, when you scam people during the week and go to church on Sunday, lift up unholy hands and then pray for favour. No. No. No. Instead of favour, you will receive a fever.

Yesterday, I attended the wedding ceremony of my colleague in Warri. As the couple posed for photographs, I could feel the chemistry between them and confident they both would enjoy favour. If you are lucky to have a God-fearing and responsible spouse, you will have favour. God help you if you land a 'soyoyo.' Fever shall be your portion.

Proverbs 18:22 says, "Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD." There are many praying for favour but receiving fever. My prayer for you is that instead of fever, you shall receive favour. God no go shame us.

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

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

WHERE ARE THE FATHERS?

 

I was thinking this morning.... We grew up in the Ogboru neighbourhood of Warri. An area where vices were prevalent. As young boys, we were highly impressionable and easily influenced by the grown-up jagudas and bomas. It was at this crucial phase of my life that my dad gathered us one evening and said 'Study hard and come top of your class (First to Third) and you will get a packet of Cabin biscuits and a tin of Corned Beef.' That challenge set my feet on the right pedestal, unlike so many other boys who were positively challenged.

I was reflecting on this experience when I received a call from a scammer. The second in one week. While a number of young people are profiting from the 'Attention Industry' known as Social media, the majority are wasting their lives away. Young men are perfecting scamming techniques while girls are shamelessly exposing their flesh to the world or engaged in electronic hook-up. Yet, statistics say there are 1.5 billion fathers in the world. Really?

Walk to the streets, and you will be shocked by how gangs, drugs, immorality, and sports betting have imprisoned the destinies of the youths. Yet, statistics say there are 1.5 billion fathers. Abeg, where are the fathers? Visit the home of an average street child, and you will see a single mother struggling to care for her children or an emotionally absent father. Yet, statistics say there are 1.5 billion fathers. Abegi!

A father is a shining light and a beacon to his children, steering them to becoming morally, spiritually, and emotionally stable adults. There might be 1.5 billion men that have impregnated women, but definitely not 1.5 billion fathers. You hear so much about social media influencers, but people forget that the most important influencer in the family is the man. If he successfully influences the children to greatness, then he is a father, otherwise, he is just a man.

As we celebrate another Fathers Day, I challenge all men to reflect on whether they are true fathers. An emotionally absent father is as bad a case as a physically absent one. Proverbs 23:24 says, "The father of a righteous son will rejoice greatly, and one who fathers a wise son will delight in him." Don’t withhold your love, affection and approval from your children. Be a true father.

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Fathers Day!

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

PARABLE OF THE 24 PATELS

I was thinking this morning.... It was a joyous occasion of the graduation of a member of my kin. The faculty had just a few Africans, amongst other nationals. As we sat eagerly listening to the roll call by the Ceremonial Marshall, one after the other, the proud graduands walked across the stage to receive their degrees from the University Chancellor.

It was a normal roll call until it got to M.Sc in Computer Science. The Marshall called out PATEL, Darshit Champakbhai, attracting pockets of applause from the hall. Next was PATEL, Dev Utkarsh. More applause followed and then PATEL, Devanshi Dineshbhai. At this point, I got curious at how a single family will have three persons obtain same degree from Computer Science at the same time. But then, I was dead wrong. The roll call of the PATELS had only just begun. It continued from one PATEL to another. At the last count, 24 graduands with surname PATEL had walked across the stage.

O boy! Na who be this PATEL sef? How can one family have 24 members graduate with M.Sc in Computer Science on same day from the same school? What are the odds? What does the PATELS know about Computer Science that the rest of us don't. But then, I was told none of the PATELS were related. The surname Patel is of Indian origin derived from the Gujarati word "pat" or "patlikh" and means "village chief" or "farmer." On that day, 24 village indians surnamed PATEL bagged M.Sc in Computer Science. The farmers and village chiefs had transformed into techies.

The unrelated 24 PATELS got me thinking. Don't let the circumstance of your birth determine the outcome of your life. You may have been born a farmer, but you can walk the stage of life and become a techie like the 24 PATELS. I have always said that the fact that apple and pine-apple have the same surname does not mean they belong to the same family. That we are all called Nigerians does not imply I belong to the same mould as most of the criminals we call leaders. Just like the 24 PATELS are different, I am a peculiar person (1st Peter 2:9). Dare to be different.

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

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

WE HAIL O!

 

I was thinking this morning... It started as far back as 1987. I had just resumed as a fresh Warri boy at the university. Strolling around the hostel each evening was an opportunity to run into old friends and make new ones.

It was on one of those casual strolling that I ran into an old classmate from Hussey College, Warri. Unaware that he had also gained admission into Uniben and having not seen him in a while, it wasn't just a pleasant reunion. It was an epic one. My correct Warri friend made a show that had stuck with me for 37 years. On sighting me, he froze for a bit and shouted, 'Wemo.' Before I could call his name and shake or hug him, he started running and at the same time shouting 'Wemooooo.' As everyone turned, wondering what was going on, he r,eversed at a distance and started running back, this time pointing at me and shouting 'abeg, abeg make una help me hail this my guy ooo.' Such was the hailing of waffarians back then.

Many may have heard the word 'hail' but haven't taken the time to check out its definition. According to the Oxford English dictionary,  to 'Hail' means to acclaim enthusiastically as being a specified thing. It is not hailing, if the acclamation is not effusive. Observe typical waffarians greet and you will appreciate what hailing is.

This thought was what prompted my confusion when PBAT signed the bill to revert back to the old national anthem 'Nigeria, We Hail Thee.' I am so used to hailing in high spirits. I wanted to sing 'Nigeria, we hail thee', when I remembered we are a nation blessed with abundance of human and mineral resources but seems to struggle under the curse of bad leadership. My spirit dropped. Oh, Nigeria, how can I hail thee in low spirit.

I shrugged off the low spirit, determined to embark on my high energy hailing like I was used to in Warri. But then I saw a morally bankrupt society where politicians that stole billions pass a law that petty thieves be killed. Oh my dear Nigeria, how can I hail thee like a waffarian?

Like in Psalms 137:4, I was thinking 'How can I sing the Lord's song in a strange land?' But thank God for the next verse that says, 'I will never forget my nation.' Truly, Nigeria, I hail thee. In other words, hailings in waffi style.

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

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