Prevention is Better Than Cure.

The best way to grow up with the littlest amount of pains is to learn from the experiences of those who have “been there, done that" in life. Being ahead of you, some of them have once fallen into “pits” of ignorance, wrong choices and despairs. Learning from their experiences will save you from falling into the same "pits".

A Set of Twins With Two Fathers.

The New Jersey Law Journal reported on Thursday that a New Jersey woman got the shock of her life when she discovered that her 2-year-old twins have two different fathers. The mother (identified as “T.M.” in court documents) got the news last winter when she received the results of a paternity test mandated by a family court as part of her application for public assistance.

The order was made so as to establish the paternity of the twins (in order to make the twins' "father" pay child support). DNA test results however revealed that the woman had two sexual partners who are now separately responsible for the kids' paternity.

This is grossly absurd. But then, what else really is new in America when it comes to sex? A couple of years back, a young woman appeared on “The Maury Show” to know the father of her new baby. The man she suspected was invited to the show for a DNA test which proved that he was not the father. Then, she brought another man who was found to be free from the paternity as well. After the eighth man was also cleared, the show host was livid with anger as he asked her “Just how many men did you sleep with within the same period of a menstrual cycle?” I lost interest in the case after the woman brought the 12th man from her neighborhood. Alas, even that one was cleared by DNA.

One thing I keep finding painful in stories such as these though is the unfairness of the women involved to the children born out of such sexual recklessness. The hapless kids could have been spared all the nonsense if only their mothers were not so dumb as to engage in unprotected sex. When a woman spreads her itchy legs wide open while shutting off her brain, this is what happens.

Yoruba Liberalism and the Reactionary Igbo.

Poor Oba of Lagos! He was simply unlucky to have inadvertently made a statement that got exploited to turn him into a whipping boy at the hands of a people who always hide behind every excuse to heap insults upon the Yoruba race.

Ironically, this singular issue would “unite” me with some “Internet Tigers” of old who were my major adversaries in those days of Nigerian-oriented websites such as the Nigeria World, Lagos Forum, Kwenu, Nigerians in America and Gamji. Those were the good, old days of internet “combats” among Nigerian columnists in the period between the late 1990s and the early 2000s. In the past few days, the arguments that took place between me and those guys via e-mails were reminiscent of our past encounters.

The Yoruba people are very well-known for their liberalism which sometimes, can be on the extreme side. At the beginning of the civil war (for those of us who were around) the Yoruba initially chose to be neutral. In fact, some notable Yoruba sons such as Wole Soyinka, Fela Kuti, his brother (Beko) and Tai Solarin put their lives and freedoms in jeopardy by publicly expressing solidarity with and sympathy for the seceding Igbos, some of whom were allowed to move about discreetly all over Lagos. But how did the Igbo reward us? They bombed Casino Cinema at Yaba where several innocent people, especially women and children, were murdered in cold blood. The same Biafrans went on to make an attempted incursion into Yoruba land through Ore town. This act of treachery prompted the great Awo to declare that we “Go On With One Nigeria!” (Gowon). This rallying call would lead thousands of young Yoruba men to enlist in the army, forming the core of 3rd Marine Commando.

At the end of the civil war, only the Yoruba people welcomed the ex-Biafrans back with open arms. It was only in Yoruba land that no case of “Abandoned Property” was recorded as it happened in Port Harcourt and elsewhere across the nation. In our then Ebute-Metta neighborhood, for instance, several houses belonging to Igbo owners were duly returned to them by the Yoruba friends in whose hands they were entrusted. Many of us can still remember vividly how the returning Igbo were given accommodations and allowed to settle in Lagos Island, Makoko, Amuwo-Odofin, Iganmu, Amukoko and other parts of Lagos. It was in those places they sold all kinds of stuff such as chewing sticks and roamed about as “London tailors” (ejika ni shop). Yoruba people went out of their ways to make them comfortable. But what did we get in return? All of a sudden (as in the story of an Arab and a camel) the Igbo have since been claiming that Lagos is a “no-man’s land”. They have also resorted to peddling an abominable tale that Lagos State was developed by them. One can only wonder why they don’t deem it fit to first go develop their terribly impoverished states in line with the adage of “charities begin at home”.

When Asiwaju Tinubu became the state’s governor, he exhibited the typical Yoruba liberal attitude by appointing some Igbo individuals to important positions, including that of a Commissioner. This has not been reciprocated by any Igbo State governor till date. Instead of an appreciation, these unprecedented gestures have been seen by the Igbo as entitlements in a “no-man’s land”. The same Igbo finally over-reached themselves by resolving to collectively vote against the APC at the last elections. Unwittingly, it was a crazy gamble as they “cut their nose to spite their face”.

Now that Ambode of APC has won the governorship election in Lagos State, it’s a clear evidence that the spiteful Igbo had rendered themselves politically redundant at both the national and state levels. In the new dispensation therefore, it’s absolutely unnecessary for Lagos State government to “allocate” a commissioner’s spot or any other public position to the Igbo community. If this nonsense must continue, then similar slots have to be given to the Hausa, the Edo, the Calabar and other sojourners in the state.

Annual Medical Exams: Prevention is Better Than Cure.

As I do every year, I have just undergone my annual medical exams for 2015. In the process, I went through a battery of tests for prostate, colon, liver and heart cancers. In addition, a sample of my blood was taken for various tests on my blood pressure, cholesterol level, diabetes, cancer and several other ailments.

The objectives of these tests are to prevent, detect and promptly treat possible discovery of a disease or ailment. Incidentally, there are some diseases that are best treated through an early detection and prevention. A lot of women have lost their lives to breast cancer, cervical cancer and related diseases. In the same vein, too many men have died unnecessarily from prostate cancer, colon cancer and some other diseases. All of these deaths could have been prevented through early detection of diseases. And this can only be done merely by undergoing annual or periodical medical examinations.

I am therefore appealing to men and women (especially those in their 40s and above) to act on this issue as a matter of urgency. "A stitch in time saves nine". Make an arrangement to see your doctor or health care professional as soon as possible.

My Husband Doesn’t Know I’m Really a Man.

As usual, I was listening to the Steve Harvey Radio Show this morning when it came to the segment of “Strawberry Letter” which often sounds incredible but absolutely true. The letter read this way:

“Steve I have been married for 2 years and my husband is ready to start a family. My problem is…I was born a man. I had a sex operation before I met my husband…so, he doesn’t know. I’m afraid to lose him if I tell him. Steve what do I do?”

In his response, Steve Harvey admitted that he knew nothing about sex change. He however advised the wo(man) to simply find a way to make the husband divorce her. As far as Steve was concern, if the wo(man) should dare tell the husband the truth, she would have to become a man all over again in view of what a typical man would do upon hearing such an ugly, disgusting truth.

My personal reaction as I listened to this letter was that of “what else is new?” In this society, it's quite normal for a man to meet a woman, both fall in love with each other and before anyone can say “lovey-dovey”, the two are standing before a Justice of the Peace, mumbling "I do”. In the United States, most couples don’t bother to meet each other’s families. Yet, it’s considered rude for one partner to ask about the other party’s age. Asking for her/his birth certificate or some childhood photographs is off limits. In fact, it’s worse when one partner seems too inquisitive about the other person’s background. And that’s why the institution of marriage is being subjected to a lot of abuses every second in God’s own country.



In the above picture, adopted from a BBC Documentary titled "Sex Change Soldier", Ian Hamilton is a Captain of the Parachute Regiment and one of the most highly decorated officers ... in the British Army. He has served in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq. But in 2007 Ian became the first officer and the first paratrooper in the history of the Armed Forces to undergo a sex-change operation.

Stevie Wonder Welcomes Another Bundle of "Joy".

Legendary soul singer, Stevie Wonder was reported to have got a very special “Christmas present”. He and his girlfriend, Tomeeka Robyn Bracy, welcome a new baby, their second child.

According to reports, the soul singer already had eight children with five different women before this new baby. Stevie Wonder’s kids range in age from 12 months to 39 years. For a man who is considered to be financially comfortable, no eye-brows would have been raised except that, among other things, he is 64 years old!

As for the "baby mama", would she have ever thought of having children for such an old man if the man had not been a rich celebrity? At such an advanced age, what tangible role of fatherhood is the singer going to play in the life of that baby, other than to expose the child to a future laden with social and moral potholes? By the time the child grows to become 18, the father will be 82 years old and that is if the man is lucky to still be alive by then. This is very unfair to the poor child!

One can still remember the unpleasant situations that characterized the home-front of another legendary soul singer, James Brown upon his demise. Long after the man was buried, his body had to be exhumed upon a court order and subsequently, his legs were hacked off for a DNA test as part of a paternity suit. He was treated like a dead stray dog. What were (are) some men (and women) thinking? As they recklessly go about creating social problems, don’t they ever bother to think about the future consequences of their actions, especially long after they are gone?

The Ugly Sides of Social Media.

Social media have contributed immensely to the improvement of communication and social relationships among people across the global community. However, there is a prevailing sad, ugly trend whereby a whole lot of people are surrendering their entire existence to the many social media in the cyberspace.



For such people therefore, the economic law of diminishing returns have set in. Worse, too many individuals have unwittingly become emotionally dependent on the people they meet on social media. And it's from such people they seek the validation and determination of their self-worth. The multiplying effects of this reckless and dangerous trend are especially manifesting in the lives of many teenagers and young adults who depend on total strangers for the maintenance of their self-esteems. Consequently, some of them have ended up becoming victims of scams, statutory rapes, cyber-bullying, manic depressions, suicides and murders.

SONY Pictures and its Peculiar Mess.

What a peculiar type of mess this is for SONY Pictures! In the aftermath of the leakage of her very crude and ignorant remarks about President Obama and some black movie stars, Sony Pictures co-chairman, Amy Pascal has begun a "healing process" by reaching out to some black leaders.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the woman said she “want to accept responsibility for these stupid, callous remarks."

In the leaked email exchanges between her and a producer (Scott Rudin) the duo mocked movies that featured black actors and joked about the president's possible interest in them. Examples of such movies the two "messed up" in their e-mails were DJango and 12 Miles.

What a time for a scandal like this to come up! Hackers or no hackers, this woman did demonstrate a lack of character and discretion. Someone at her level of corporate ladder should have known better than to “run her mouth” so recklessly. Sometimes, I wonder how some of these so-called corporate top shots got to their leadership positions. And now Amy Pascal thinks all she needs to sweep the stinks under the carpet is merely by reaching out to Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson?

93 Year-old Woman Denied Funeral Because She “Owed” Back Tithes.

In Texas, a 93-year-old woman (Olivia Blair) had been attending a church for about 50 years. She is now dead but her pastor refused to allow her funeral service in the church. Why so? The pastor said the old woman “owed” some back tithes!

According to the church’s pastor, the other “sins” committed by the deceased was that she “...had not paid her dues, and she had not attended the church in recent years.”

But when contacted by KRIV FOX 26, the dead woman’s daughter retorted that “For the last two years, my mother has been in either a nursing home or she’s been in a hospital. And the last few months, she was in a coma!”

Now, what manner of a shameless pastor would ignore a sick, old church member for so long and then turned around to condemn the poor woman for not paying tithes in her period of agony and anguish?

X                                                                                          X                                                                              X

And in a related incident, a pastor (in a different American church) has directed members of his church to stop practicing cremation because according to him, “When Jesus comes back, how do you expect him to be going around searching for the remains of your loved ones that have been cremated and whose ashes have been scattered all over the ocean and some other places?...”

And this guy is supposed to be a "Man of God"?

Chris Rock as a Drop-out.

“I dropped out in the tenth grade to work at 'Red Lobsters'. And trust me…to drop out in the tenth grade is the dumbest thing to do. You might as well drop out in the second grade. In fact, the guy who drops out in the second grade is more qualified to do a job than the one that drops out in the tenth grade. This is because the person that drops out in the second grade will have eight years of more experience than the guy that wastes time waiting all those years to drop out.” – Chris Rock.

The Lesson Here is that it's DUMB to drop out of school. For every drop-out like Chris Rock that became a celebrity, millions of other drop-outs are languishing in illiteracy, ignorance and dead-end jobs.

The Richard Branson’s Space Tourism.

The Yoruba people in my ancestral homeland have a saying: “When some people are comfortably well-fed, they will start looking for a sharp instrument to pry open their stomachs.”

This is precisely what Richard Branson’s space tourism is doing by providing space trips to some stinking-rich, bored-stiff individuals. These guys are paying bundles of money to go on space trips. However, it’s not just the huge amount of money that is at stake on this silly, ego-boosting trips to space. Lives of the money-rich-road guys and those of their pilots are also on the line.

Last Friday morning, one of such space tourism rockets (a Virgin Galactic) exploded above the Mojave Desert during a test flight. The accident killed one pilot while seriously injuring the other even as he managed to parachute to the ground.

Hear Richard Branson on the ill-fated rocket that crashed last Friday: “We would love to finish what we started some years ago … I think millions of people would one day love the chance to go to space.”

Yeah right! But only those who are rich and dumb at the same time will contemplate a trip to "the space" in those funny-looking things called rockets. This is especially stupid when there are lots of very beautiful tourist attractions all over the world. Yes, there are risks even on regular human habitations across the world. But they are absolutely little when compared to the per-second risks of deaths in the large expanse of clouds in the outer space.



 

Marriage as a Ship.

“Marriage is very much like a commercial ship. 

As the ship sets sail, 

in all its magnificence and majestic splendor, 

it projects a confident, promising aura 

that dazzles the multitudes of spectators. 

Yet, neither the crew nor the teeming crowd 

can foresee what lies ahead in the obscure distance. 

Will the ship go on sailing 

from one adventurous journey to another? 

Or, like the unfortunate Titanic, 

will it collide with an iceberg 

and sink on its very first journey?”

– A short excerpt from The Price of Ignorance by Femi Olawole. http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002BM0TJ2

When Knowledge Overcomes Myth.

SOLOMON DURU WAS employed as a private teacher to take Julie in Mathematics. A young university graduate in his late twenties, Solomon, as he was often called, was scheduled to come in every Saturday afternoon to prepare the seventeen year-old girl for her forthcoming West African School Certificate examinations.

   As she stepped into the living room, the young man noted that Julie wore no bra under her shirt. The skirt, on the other hand, was the briefest she had ever put on her body. It barely concealed any underwear she might have on her. And as soon as she sat down opposite him, Solomon’s guess was confirmed. 

   The girl wore no underwear.  

“For heaven’s sake Julie…” he protested, his body already at the peak of arousal. “Why are you dressed so provocatively?”

“Hey, mister teacher...do you mind?” a smiling Julie retorted seductively as she stood up.

   Now, she beckoned to the mesmerized man.

   “Come, Mr. Duru…there is something I’ll like to show you.”

   Consumed by his own insane desire, Solomon stood up like a robot to follow her. It was inside her room that he realized her objective was in consonance with his desire after all.

   Smiling coyly, she began to undress. To be very sure, he waited till she had discarded her shirt before he commenced to remove his own clothes.

   Soon, they were in bed, where they both fumbled and wobbled awkwardly for some minutes without any progress.

   Suddenly, Julie shrieked in agony. A few seconds afterwards, the painful, crushing exercise was over. Completely disappointed, a tearful Julie could not hide her disgust.

   “Is that all?” she sneered.

“Eh…that’s all…for now.” an embarrassed Solomon stuttered in feeble explanation. “But, if you can just wait for a few more minutes…”

    Hissing amidst uncontrollable rage, Julie sprang up from the bed to dress up. Then she saw the bloodstains on the bed sheet. But as she made to scream in panic, Solomon quickly explained the source of the bloodstains, attributing it to her broken hymen.

   Shortly afterwards, the two were out of the room. For the day, however, the Mathematics lesson was out of the agenda. An apparently ruffled Solomon loitered awkwardly around the teenager in the living room for a while before leaving for home.

   In the meantime, Julie lay crumpled on a settee like a piece of used clothe, wondering if what she experienced was the sex she had heard so much about. She had imagined and expected a glorious trip to a land of erotic pleasure. But all she got was a brutal, crushing torment in the hands of an inexperienced man who went about the exercise like a beast in heat.

   Julie throbbed with some pain on the settee for a while before scrambling up towards her room. There, the girl lay restlessly in bed as she gritted her teeth in reaction to the irritatingly throbbing pain in her groin.

   “So, that was sex?” she soliloquized in anger. ”Jesus…no, it was absolute rubbish.”

Excerpts from the book, The Price of Ignorance; http://www.amazon.com/The-Price-Ignorance-Femi-Olawole/dp/0615842968

Fumbling & Wobbling Into Maturity.

“On the subject of sex, many youngsters are so ignorant that they can only fumble and wobble into maturity. Most parents, on the other hand, are either playing “the ostrich” or (and) playing the role of a moral judge. To these parents, the mere sight or mention of a condom to their kids by anyone (even on the TV) is enough to send the parents into fits of rage and righteous indignation.” - The Price of Ignorance.

Parenting With Patience.

“It’s very important for every parent to have, at least, the patience to provide a basic understanding of the fast-evolving human physiology to their kids. In the 21st Century, there are several preteen girls (as tenderly young as eight years old) who have begun to menstruate. Many of these girls, with their male counterparts, are already experiencing raging hormones that baffle them. But how many parents are up to the task of providing these confused kids with appropriate education and guidance?” Femi Olawole – Author of The Price of Ignorance.

Pro-Sex-Education.

“There are two different types of extremities in the handling of sexual exposures in the global community. One the one hand, there are nations, mostly in the Third World, and to some extent, the United States under a Republican leadership, where rigid demands for total abstinence are made. The situation is worse in Middle-eastern authoritarian societies where posturing political and religious leaders are not only demanding for total sexual abstinence but also have often relied on draconian laws to discourage female teenagers and single young adults from premarital sex. And, on the other hand, are some nations in the Western Hemisphere, where kids even as young as 12 are simply left to their devices. Young people are left to take sides with either Pro-life or Pro-Choice. No one bothers to introduce them to a 'middle-of-the road school of thought' such as Pro-sex-education by which they will be equipped with appropriate knowledge about safe sex, among other things.” Femi Olawole – Author of The Price of Ignorance. 

Coming Soon.

The transformation of a writing project from a manuscript into a published book is similar to a pregnant woman having a baby. The immediate hours after the painstakingly-written book “pops out”, the author begins to experience a sense of relief, exhilaration and excitement. With the exception of the throbbing in the head, just like the type usually felt by women between their legs shortly after a baby is born, a feel of euphoria suddenly descends on the author.

This is precisely what and how I feel right now.

A couple of hours ago, I was informed that my book, The Price of Ignorance will be available for sale in about 5 days.

An African literature set in Nigeria, the most populous black nation on earth; The Price of Ignorance is the story of suave, young urban professionals who pay dearly for failing to know the difference between having fun and living recklessly. It’s a tale of friendship, love, recklessness and betrayal. And it’s a lesson in forgiveness.

And unlike most books that fall under the rubric of African literature, The Price of Ignorance presents a total picture of an African society with emphasis on celebrating the dynamic cultures, awesome traditions, values and love for education in spite of our human foibles.