Lagos Pipeline

Another pipeline explosion and scores dead. The pain of fathers, mothers, children, lost in such painful circumstances is heart wrenching. In a country so desperately poor, people choose to risk life and limb, some for about five thousand naira (about 20 pounds).

Just a few days before this explosion, a young friend I know gushed about a distant relative of theirs who had 'made it big' siphoning fuel from deliberately broken pipelines. She seemed quite pleased for him and added a comment alluding to the fact that, while Baba and his cohorts steal in Abuja, at least the said relative was getting his share of the national cake. I had to point out the irony of it all to her by letting her see there was nothing to celebrate from stealing. Putting it in such stark terms made her quite uncomfortable and I was glad. It's sad that the desperate poverty that surrounds us lead people to such activities. Celebrating illegal activities (419 inclusive) is so wrong and until we get back to who we were a few generations ago, abhorring stealing and esteeming not thieves, but those whose moral compass has remained steady, we contribute to a problem so ingrained, I despair for us as a country.

Merry Christmas

What a welcome to Naija, Port Harcourt to be specific. First a bomb goes off on some Shell Residential club car park and I hear there's been another since then. Then on the national front, Yar'adua and Mr Goodluck have been selected to hold the reins; woe is me. All of a sudden my sense of optimism dims and I have to face the stark reality that it will be business as usual and it will take more than mere dreams to tackle the problem of Naija. Oh.

But I have course to smile. When I had my son, my 18yr old cousin came to stay with me to help look after him. From day one, I had to work on her self confidence regarding education because she had stopped at primary 5. Well, six years later, she's not only passed JAMB, she's has now been admitted to University. I'd like to pat myself on the back, but all the kudos goes to her. She started from JSS2 and we had to get private tutoring to help her along. She fell in love with Math when another cousin came for a visit during the holidays. We had already been abroad a few years while she continued schooling in Nigeria when she called me and said she wanted to sit for her WAEC in SS2. She did and passed! She's an inspiration and I'm glad I told myself as a little girl that no-one who comes to help me out in my home would be given anything in half measures. I'm glad I didn't treat her as just another maid (a common Naija problem) but loved her as a sister.

I had a most wonderful Christmas day surrounded by my beautiful sisters in law, a loving mother in law and a father in law who takes away some of the pain of not having a dad (We lost him a few years ago). All the drama of having so much family around and screeching cousins and having to serve as judge and jury every few minutes to the little ones was well worth the trip. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

I'll do the other leg of the reunions with a visit to my own family on new year's day. Can't wait!

May kindness surround you in the coming year.

Yo! home to Naija

I'm off to Naija and really looking forward to the trip. I'll try to post from time to time, as internet connection permits.

A Closed Mind

I was having a chat with a friend the other day. We mentioned the subject of the violence in Iraq and I expressed my dismay at the way the Sunni's and the Shiites were inflicting terrible casualty on one another. Her answer left me speechless. She said most people who were knowledgeable on the subject of Islam know that the Shiites don't really worship God. She's Muslim. That she put it so matter of factly left me quite cold. I know I should have pursued the conversation further but I'm usually careful not to discuss religion.

The simplicity of her point of view also made me reflect on my own position on issues of faith. Do I also, as a Christian, start from the foundation of the rightness of my religion? I would hope not. Well maybe I do but to the point that I'd justify and understand the death of others who don't share my faith? I most certainly do not. Maybe it's Christianiy, I know the choice belongs to everyone, to believe or not believe.

When we look at conflicts in different parts of the world, viewing issues through the prism of a closed mind creates a block to understanding and the possibility of harmonious relations. As for me, her attitude has made me decide to be even more tolerant of others. Hindu's, Bhuddhists, Atheists, Muslims etc. The key to this is choice. Just because you were born or have gone through a period of revelation resulting on your current faith does not mean you should look from a position of arrogance at others. And yes, I know we'll probably continue the conversation one day. And yes, I know I'm classed as unbelieving...

Caveat: Not all Muslims think like this and yes some Christians can be as bad