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NIGERIA: Is Our Military Ready To Fight BOKO HAR...: NIGERIA: Is Our Military Ready To Fight BOKO HARAM? Over the years, Boko Haram insurgence has been under abeyan...

geophilworld: BOKO HARAM: Is This Year’s Children’s Day WorthCel...

geophilworld: BOKO HARAM: Is This Year’s Children’s Day WorthCel...: BOKO HARAM: Is This Year’s Children’s Day Worth Celebrating? Children’s Day is a day set aside in honour of children all over the world...

BOKO HARAM: Is This Year’s Children’s Day Worth Celebrating?

Children’s Day is a day set aside in honour of children all over the world, but it is celebrated on different dates globally.

It was first proclaimed in 1925 by the World Conference for the wellbeing of children, after which it was universally established in 1954 by the United Nations General Assembly to encourage all countries to institute a date, although, the universal Children’s Day is celebrated annually on November 20 by the United Nations.

 

In Nigeria, Children’s Day is celebrated on May 27 annually, and is set aside as a public holiday for primary and secondary school children. Children from various schools are selected for a march past parade competition. Parents and other Non Governmental Organizations, organize parties for children in a bid to give them a sense of belonging.

Today marks the 43^rd day since over 200 female students of Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State were abducted by the Boko Haram insurgents. The abductors have held the girls hostage since they were whisked off at 11:45pm April 14, 2014, to an unknown location.

The leader of the Islamic sect, Abubakar Shekau, who spoke sometimes ago, stated that the girls were captured because they were seeking western education. To him, western education is sin; hence, it is to be forbidden. He further said, women are to marry and not to be in schools.

After foreign governments offered assistance to rescue the kidnapped girls from their abductors, Abubakar Shekau came out in a video clip on May 12, 2014, demanding an exchange of the Chibok girls for members of his group in the custody of Nigeria’s security agencies. About 100 girls in a video released by the sect were seen reciting the Quran. The girls have been converted to Islam contrary to their religious beliefs, which is at variance with the rights of a child.

Obviously, these girls are not safe; they have become endangered. You’ll not be wrong if you assert that the Nigerian military is lethargic in the search for the missing girls.

With the spate of things going on in the north-eastern part of the country, our children are not safe. Fear has gripped every parent up to the point that none of them wants their children engaged in any social event. This is in accordance with the Nigerian Union of Teacher’s (NUT) declaration that all primary and secondary schools in the country be closed as at May 22, 2014, in protest against the abduction of the Chibok girls and the murder of 173 teachers.

Is this year’s children’s day worth celebrating? It is supposed to be a day where children all over the world would be aware of the vulnerability of their counterparts to violence, exploitation and discrimination. Children in some troubled parts of the world are recruited as child soldiers.

Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the UN, led the initiative for the education of children, stating that every child must be able to attend school and improve on the skills acquired in schools.

Of a truth, the essence of the celebration is to promote mutual understanding among children, and the initiation of actions towards enhancing the welfare of the Nigerian children.

Our children are the leaders of tomorrow.

Let us protect them.  

NIGERIA: Is Our Military Ready To Fight BOKO HARAM?

Over the years, Boko Haram insurgence has been under abeyance until after the April, 2011 general election in which some Nigerian youth under the aegis of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) were murdered in cold blood.

This group is hostile to the young democracy we are nurturing, and has an ultimate objective of destabilizing the country. This vicious group has attacked schools, places of worship, slaughtered students in their dormitories, destroyed villages and government infrastructures, thus, affecting the economic and social life of the Nigerian people.

So far, more than 12,000 lives have been lost in the process with more than 8,000 persons injured or maimed. One of the most recent terrorists attack was unleashed on the innocent students of Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, where over 200 girls were abducted, and up till now, the girls are still languishing in the den of these insurgents.

The insurgency which was formerly localized in the north-eastern part of Nigeria, has evolved into global terrorism, of which we must all join hands together in eradicating it.

Every Nigerian is optimistic towards the rescue of the kidnapped school girls following international governments that have offered assistance to the Nigerian government.

Without mincing words, Jonathan has a good heart and is committed to the rescue of the abducted girls and the subsequent return to their delirious families.

Controversial Islamic scholar and leader of Shiite Muslim Group, Sheik Ibrahim El-Zakzaky has alleged that Abubakar Shekau, leader of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, was being shielded by the Nigerian military. He said “ Abubakar Shekau is presently being kept safe in a military camp.” If it is true that the military is shielding this most wanted person in the world, what then is the need for foreign intervention?

The Nigerian military has always given us high hopes that the issue of insurgency in the country will soon be a thing of the past.

As much as they are working assiduously, there are saboteurs among them who are indiscreet on the intelligence gathering of the military, and as such, attempts to rescue the girls is proving abortive.

Does it mean we no longer have men of integrity in the military? Where are we going from here? Such military personnel should be court-martialed.

Some military officers have come out to say that the military is poorly funded. Of a truth, one of the problems of the Nigerian government has been misappropriation of funds, but if the whole fund budgeted for the fiscal year is allocated to the military, saboteurs will do a different thing. Little wonder the foreign military have come out to say that the Nigerian military is hampering the hunt of the insurgents.

It is 42 days now since these girls were abducted from the comfort of their dormitory. If the international community is clamouring for the release of the abducted girls, how much more we the affected nation would do if we put aside ethnic and religious sentiments, and fight against our common enemy.

I am very optimistic that the Nigerian military will win this war against the insurgents.

Let’s join hands together to save our nation.

Key words:

Global terrorism, indiscreet, court-martial, saboteurs, integrity.  

PERSONAL HYGIENE

Many years ago while I was in primary school, I met a couple of friends with various characters; some were hilarious, introverts, mesoverts, and the likes. I fell into the group of the introverts – very quiet and would hardly talk; simply because I was always shy when I see girls come around.

One of our virtues then was quietness. Those of us who had it were respected by our teachers as good pupils of the class. Little did we know that in a way it was bad. One of my friends then who hardly talked, would always come to me for chatting, but I would decline because his uniform was most often dirty (sorry if you are offended)

When this friend opened his mouth, there would be an offensive odour. Hmm! For me not to create any scene, I would rather keep quiet and allow him to do the talking, until a point would reach when I could no longer bear the stench. The next I did was to leave. O my friend!

Getting to secondary school, I also met different kinds of people, one of whom is Demola – a chatterbox, who will always argue his way through any discussion. I expected him to be a Barrister (but he is not). As I grew older, I noticed that when I kept quiet over a long period of time, on opening it, I would perceive an offensive odour (laughs). Am I now like my friend? God help me!

I knew if continued with that, no descent girl would talk to me, so I became cautious of myself and would spend five to ten minutes brushing, so that when I smell or laugh, my white teeth would be conspicuous.

During my undergraduate days at school, I had several occasions to talk to some group of students, giving me an impression that I must always keep clean. I took up the challenge to always brush my teeth twice a day. Today I meet with people for mentorship, and must not look offensive before them.

Did you know that when you sleep your mouth which is shut does not allow for the replacement of warm air with cooler or fresh air? During this time, saliva is not made.

Saliva has enzymes which start the digestion process, of which it helps to pick up odours from the food we have eaten within several hours.

It may interest you to know that odours are strongest from carbohydrates and less from proteins; whereas in fatty foods, they are non-existent. The bacteria in the mouth usually react with the decaying food and drinks, which in effect can culminate in a foul odour.

Bad breath can be caused by a number of factors like diseases of the teeth, gum and mouth – basically bacteria. Garlic and onion can also cause bad breath – Halitosis.

Did you know that as senescence sets in, the tissues of the mouth produce less saliva, thus, resulting in dry mouth? Even snoring and mouth breathing while sleeping can make the mouth dry.

Personal hygiene is one of the most effective ways to protect yourself and others from illness. Mouth washes and sprays will go a long way to giving us good breath. With any of these, you can talk to anybody without being afraid.

SELF LIMITING BELIEF

It is said that Philosophers are great thinkers; and a Philosopher is one who studies Philosophy. Does this mean that you cannot think of great things if you never studied Philosophy? No!

The computer system in use today is a function of the human brain, which has a central processing unit called the CEREBRUM. This is where higher mental functions like imagination, reasoning, assimilation, invention, etc, are carried out.

Many great thinkers like John Stuart Mill, Immanuel Kant, Niccolo Machiavelli, and many others, had one thing or the other which they contributed to humanity.

Firstly, what do you think of yourself? Who do you think you are? What do you think you can do? Do you know you were born great? Do you believe Jack is better than you are? Do you think you can be among the policy-makers in your organization or do you accept to remain at the lower level? Why don’t you think of becoming the best or the first? What can you do that will benefit mankind?

The first step to change is that you must change the way you think about yourself, though, it may be difficult to replace the old way of thinking with a new approach. Many today believe they can’t face challenges. Little do they know that these challenges come in different forms and at different times, everywhere – home, office, neighbourhood and even in places of worship.

These challenges will always come, but you need to be proactive; always think of possible solutions. For instance, terrorists are who they are today because they always fill their minds with the ‘I can Do’ spirit (please I’m not encouraging terrorism)

What do you fill your mind with? Your actions are subject to your mental inputs. You cannot give what you don’t have.

V. in one of his books The Mafia Manager said “choose the time of the day or night when your energies are highest and let your mind roam.”

If you believe you were born poor, you will remain poor. If you are for mediocrity, you will remain a mediocre. If yours is to arise from obscurity into limelight, then you need to acquaint yourself with the necessary tools, skills or techniques to reaching the centre of public attention. In other words, state to yourself what you would be, then, do what is necessary.

In our country today, technical education is not being given the necessary attention. Our graduates do not have hands-on experience, and as such, they make themselves unemployable.

How we think about what counts as real, affects the way we interact and think, hence, fill your mind with positive thoughts.

Don’t limit yourself.