Author: Oludotun Babayemi

I work on for profit or not - for - profit projects as a Project Planner, Grant Writer and Information Manager.11 years ago, I started Cloneshouse Nigeria, 10 years ago, I started Follow The Money, with a Colleague in 2012, a citizen-led movement that promotes social accountability in rural communities, which a year after, got registered legally as Connected Development [CODE]. In the past 7 years, I have evaluated projects on Water, Power, Education, Health, Disaster Risk in Nigeria, and West Africa countries with the United Nations and the Japan International Corporation Agency. Education and Fellowships include Stanford University, USA; Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria; School of Data, Open Knowledge International, UK; USAID - Crisismappers. I Tweet @dotunbabayemi and am an email away at oludotunbabayemi@gmail.com

IT SECURITY AND NIGERIA

Over the course of several centuries, the Industrial Revolution saw the development of new manufacturing processes that changed much of the world’s economy and ways of doing business. Whereas it took centuries to develop new business manufacturing processes of the Industrial Revolution, a new revolution, what I call the Information Technology Revolution, has occurred over the past 35 years, and it has literally changed the face of the world, Nigeria inclusive. This great change in business and economic focus took years to develop and is still being perfected till this very day.

This revolution has brought us such great things as the personal computer, software for the personal computer, computer networking, Automated Teller Machine (ATM) Cards, Mobile Phones, computerized medical equipment and, of course, the Internet.It is quite interesting to know that about 30% of Nigerians do use this technology.The technology revolution has brought us huge intangibles as well, such as productivity,quality, larger profit margins, vast new markets to increase sales, and efficiency. These intangibles have been the driving force to make the technology revolution the most important revolution during the existence of man.

If Nigerians are to truly reap the benefits of the latest technologies-The use of mobile phones, the internet, ATM cards, Social Media such as facebook, twitter, flickr and a whole lot,they have to be educated and trained as to the appropriate ways of dealing with the dark side of information technology terror. In simple terms,all users have to learn the safe practices for their gadgets, their business networks, and the Internet. The security basics of “what to do” and “what not to do” become the front-line defense for most businesses. Much reason why Cloneshouse Nigeria has taught it well in using this medium to get across to Nigerians, intimating them on dos and donts of their IT gadgets.

TALKING ABOUT A REVOLUTION

In the African society, there has been much belief that people with disabilities are neglects in the environment, but the signs of our times keep changing as CoCaCola Nigeria, honors special people amongst us that participated in the just concluded 2008 Beijing Paralympics.

The presentation was held on December 7, during the lightening of Africa’s tallest Christmas tree. The event presented an opportunity to celebrate opportunity and positivity.The Nigeria’s Paralympics gold medalists at the 2008 games, Iyizi Eucharia Njideka, Ray Ishaku, and Lucy Ogechukwu Ejike,were honoured at the two-hour lighting ceremony. The arena erupted in thunderous ovation when these three were called to the stage and became the first recipients of Coca-Cola Nigeria’s Live Positively Awards.

A cue should be taken by this bold step taken by CocaCola, Nigeria by government parastatals and other private bodies. Recognitions and Awards will motivate the special people around us, thus helping them to engage in reputable and professional careers, consequently becoming respected people in the Society.

Leadership as it has been addressed several times still remains our problem in Africa. We must move to the next level of motivating special people amongst us and this is calling our leaders to action, not only them but people that have found themselves in a more privileged position. Perhaps, Nigeria is written amongst those awarded gold medals in the 2008 Olympics. When there is proper motivation, then there is a will to achieve a goal.


WHEN THE SCOURGE IS OVER!!!

Today, the world raises awareness for the AIDS/HIV epidemic, a very important date to keep tabs on,consequently, it will augur well to justify the presence of this deadly virus, that has taken away about 25million people from the surface of the earth since it was discovered in 1981.Much has been done and much has been said; Government policies has been thrown at stopping this virus, and international organizations are not sleeping in abating the consequences of HIV.It is pertinent to know that about 47million are been infected by this HIV Virus, about the population of South Africa. Looking at this figure, it seems a little number of people is living with HIV.If this is the population, isn’t this smaller part of the human race that should be taken care of in no time?

The number of anti-retroviral drugs that flies around officially are increasing everyday, but it seems this virus keep doubling the numbers.However,scientist have not relent in their quest to find a lasting solution to this epidemic, with stem cell research increasing and been approved by government of some countries, really the curing days might be near.

Coming down to Africa, the disease seem to be a plague, not much surprised because developing countries will be caught in a web of crisis, the HIV demise being one in a million.Nevertheless, not much of the leaders of these countries are acquainted with these issues, and if the few that are feel less concerned and doesn’t take it as a priority. By 2015, when the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations is planned to be ending, am sure not much of African countries will meet up. It is just the bitter truth.
Not quite long ago, last month to be precise, the British government announced a grant of a 100million pounds to fight the HIV/AIDS scourge in Nigeria. One will like to ask how much Nigerians live with aids and that If the whole Nigerian population is about 150million, it thus means that these outrageous amounts could provide the whole citizen a retroviral drug. I hope my thoughts won’t fail me.
Moreover, the campaign on using condoms has made people become more promiscuous; since they no there is a protection durex, they use it at anytime. Its quite dishappening seeing the rate of vulnerability rise in our society.Perhaps, abstainance should be upheld in every way and much enlightenment needs to go into this. If you don’t work around it, you can never get it. Good morals should be taught and not the use of preventive methods.Proactiveness means abstinence.

By and large, the international organizations have tried a whole lot, from the United Nations to the World Health Organization and some Non –Governmental Organisation.But much is still to be done especially in developing economies like Africa. Leaders should be enlightened and checked to deliver justifiable services to the grassroot.Much of paperwork is seen, but not much gets down here. It’s pretty sad. Maybe we’ll get there. One day, Am sure!

THE REAL ONE’S AMONGST US
As the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities in Nigeria starts their national convention on Sunday, November 23, planning to raise issues that affect them as a citizen and a call on government to take action on their plights, the drums should seem loud in the ears of those at the helm of affairs that people with disabilities are also concerned about leadership and sustainable development in their society.
As part of their agitation, they will be intimating the federal government of Nigeria about the United Nations Convention on Rights of persons with Disabilities. It should be noted that the United Nations presented a white people calling on government of countries to respect the rights of people with disabilities, but this still remain a far cry from the government of Nigeria’s activities. Disabled people are still been marginalized in the society.Moreover, in some work places, people with disability are refused to take up non hazardous jobs to their health, and those that have these jobs amongst them are been threatened at work place. It’s quite displeasing that banks in Nigeria have not made passage into banks accessible for transactions by disabled people.Nevertheless, this association might be the mouth piece for the disabled people, it should not stop there, it is pertinent for them to intervene and alleviate the suffering of people with disabilities by agitating for the basic needs of people with disabilities in Nigeria. Education is prior, as such, the Nigerian government should be able to provide schools for the less privileged, it could be formal or informal education centre’s because that will be the sit of knowledge, consequently, we’ll start to see less privileged people pulling out of the streets and getting their brains working for them.
The truth about this is just that nobody is taking into cognizance the plight of the privileged people in Nigeria, and there are some development which can be tapped into by less privileged and disabled people; Associations should wake up, and reach out to private bodies which could complement them with their social responsibilities, with infrastructures that will impact knowledge into people with disabilities.Perhaps, the world will be a better place if we all can live in a society where the other man is not been deprived but given hope to and empowered.

HUMANITARIAN APPEAL FOR AFRICA

In a quest to alleviate poverty and meet up with the Millennium Developmental Goals, the United Nations on November 20, in a meeting with donors, civil society groups and non-governmental organizations in Geneva, appealed for a 7billion dollar humanitarian aid in 2009.

It was said that part of the fund will be directed to feed 2.3 million people affected by conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where recently there has been an intense fighting that has escalated to displacing people from their homes and a serious epidemic looms. Moreover, 4.5 million people of Darfur in Sudan too will be enjoying a life-saving help from the United Nations, these amounts to 4.5% of the total population of Sudan. Not only that, the fund will be use to provide protection and assistance to about 1million of refugees and displaced people in Eastern Chad.Water,medicines,shelter and emergency schooling will also be provided to 3million conflict-affected Somalis.

Outrightly, it has been said that aids to Africa keep increasing every year from international organisations, multinationals, and charity foundations but development are not feasible in this part of the world. A question that leaders in Africa should begin to ponder about; afterall, there is the infant African Union that seems to create policies for good leadership in Africa. Much more, is the amount of human crisis that is been felt in Africa.

If the UN claims not to deal with government of countries, they should be able to do proper auditing of all these aids and grants that come into Africa every now and then. Is it that the NGO’s are mismanaging the funds or is it a question of attitude towards implementing these figures seen on the pages of our papers everyday? One must ask “which way Africa?”-leadership or International organisations.Perhaps,it tends towards the attitude and vision that is out of place in our leadership.Therefore,if Somalia,DRC,Sudan and Chad are to be benefiting from these largesse, there should be proper monitoring of these funds to achieve the goals it was meant for.

NIGERIA:THE PAST,PRESENT AND THE FUTURE I
Unconsciously,sometimes in the 80’s I was dropped on the edge of a fertile land,in the thick of the tropics,and the son of man never knew what is called jack;Growing up amidst different kind of people speaking different languages,and coming up with diverse way of addressing issues.Moving on and learning how to survive in this sensitive environment.For the little have heard and known,this area is filled with complex issues that you cant just attribute faults to a single person,tribe,peer or sect.
At 48,the country has really gone through thin and thick,and I belive that is how it should be for a country that is hoping to achieve a whole lot.Over time,Nigeria has moved from a bouyant economy,in the 60’s and 70’s to a vulnerable one in the 80’s and 90’s and presently in the new millenium,it is struggling with the ruins and infections of the 80’s and 90’s.However,it might not be quite dishappening for me that Nigeria is still struggling to become one of the developed countries in this millenium.Basically,there are still some fundamental issue we have to think about and solve within ourselves-all the regions taking into consideration.We need to re-orientate each person that is a citizen of this country that change comes from each mind and from every home.we can never be like the United States or any of the other G8 countries in fifteen years from now(except for a Creator’s Hand).
In Nigeria,and most African countries,we have been battling with the issues of credible leaders,and is that an unending issue?maybe not,if everyone in his/her closet stand up for a change in his community,gradually,mindset will begin to change,and we might be thinking of producing a credible and loyal leader that’s going to move the ship with a perfect vision.Presently,the country might be going through series of privatization,monetization,policies and a whole lot,but priorities might have been missing.
Nevertheless,the country must progress and its quite pertinent at this time for NOA,the Nigerian Orientation Agency to keep hammering on the unity of the Nigerian nation,because in that lies our strength.The country might have moved from a groundnut producing era,to cocoa production and now the ever demanding crude oil era.It should be said that some countries progress without Oil,Groundnut,and Cocoa but they are living comfortably.It isn’t neccessary for someone to ride four jeeps,own several houses,throw parties and lavish the Naira,but on applause should be a decent style of living that doesnt spend ridiculously.If the Nigerian population is about 140million now,then we must really be on our toes because we are almost half the population of the United states,and the fact is that our resources can’t accomodate us,that we should be looking at now.
Maybe there is a shortcut,probably through the revenue allocation revision,which I dont see as a solution,the fact still remains that our mindset must change about the polity.It hasn’t been that bad for the country,and we can always move away from where we are now.I believe!

SIX FEET UNDER

The rehearsal space at the Adrenalin Square in Southern Hormoneme was adorned with nothing but the awards this young man has won; while wondering why he could have gotten such a large audience to see his performance, I was caught up by Sushino, the fairy, who took me into the performance hall. The foundations of the wall of the hall were garnished with amethyst and Topaz. What a place to be! Before I knew what was happening, it was Elvis Presley that was standing before me, unbelievable! After performing his 1968’s “Live a Little, Love a little”, the crowd was thrilled. I had to rush to the backstage, slipped a note to Sam Philips, his producer, who gave me a pass.

Zincfinger: How has it been like getting yourself restricted to some new faces?
Elvis: Actually, it’s been fate and I’m getting on well
Zincfinger: Knew you must have gotten to see your identical twin brother, what was the feeling like?
Elvis: It seems the world is coming back to me again.
Zincfinger: Is there any recent song you wish you had written?
Elvis: It could have been Mase’s Welcome Back
Zincfinger: Which day would you have said was the memorable during your life, six feet up?
Elvis: The Elvis Presley day, August 13, 1956 that was declared in my hometown of Tupelo, Mississippi on the occasion of my first return performance since winning second prize for singing “Old Shep” at the Mississippi-Alabama fair.
Zincfinger: Can you please tell us those you’ve missed up there
Elvis: Carl Perkins, Johnny cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison
Zincfinger: who pisses you around here?
Elvis: Bob Dylan, The Beatles and Tupac Shakur
Zincfinger: Whose show would you have loved to attend if you a given a chance to be in the world up there?
Elvis: Jimmy Buffet and Ashley Simpson
Zincfinger: You were in the movie industry for a while, which of the movies would you have loved to be featured in?
Elvis: Being on the Soul Plane, of course
Zincfinger: Theories and rumours concerning your exile still continue as a stable of the tabloid journalism; could you please clear the air about this issue?
Elvis: I felt going on exile, because the crowns we wear six feet up, must also be won around here, which is quite important…maybe sometimes I would come around.

IRRESISTIBLE FORCES

Mrs Dominguez Carlo, dressed in a Calico, met her in Bilbao; she was drowning in her sorrow, because she got her heart blown by a desperado, a gigolo that couldn’t bring her to Eldora do. Invitro could only be her ipso facto! Can we say she’s callow, No! She’s just making her debut. There could be a review, but don’t think there will ensue a clue; this is no voodoo, she’s getting blue, may result into a flu, I’ll advice you get it on the nine o clock news, you need a guru to solve your puzzle, I’m sure twenty million bachelors will be on the queue, really? Atimes you feel like getting crucified because your money can’t get you satisfied. This is no more classified; its intensified and magnified that you might turn to the most glorified who can get this situation nullified.

Get back to your first heartthrob, he sobs around town, he says relationship sucks! Remember when I use to hang around the streets daily, I met this foxy named Angela bailey, her attitude almost got my life shady. She’s lazy and hangs around alleys frenzy. Read in the Rollingstone she hangs around with so many. Dirty, her life was so dreary, this piece is getting heavy. Every 60seconds she wants to go merry, that even the powers of Jumanji can’t make her holy; she smells of corvosieurs like a ’03 biz buggy, naughty! She’s exactly the same girl on Obie. Sorry shorty, I’ll appreciate my own Goldie than your disenfranchised “pony”.

Your progesterone is putting you down so nasty, you walk around like the Diablo Pirelli, silly! What differentiates you from a pygmy, you journey from the streets of Miami to the whole cemetery, and Machiavelli must have laid you so easily! Lewinsky, please save the soul of this girly, forgotten, you could be related to this issue. Like, my world could become chilly, but I pledge, I’ll resist lyrically, unleash all chicks that go phoney. Please change your ways and be diligent and righteous, I still reign in my territory like the Sultan of Brunei

Razzmatazz of the twin towers brought us into searching for the Alqueda’s, invaders who jagged their ass into carcass, Baghdad and Basra besieged by war martyrs, warfare that brought scars into the life of some Chinese and Honk Kong pals.
Second verse invaded by the so called SARS virus that has turned houses into bars like you have been under arrest by the “SARS”. Maybe these world powers will still move to the Mars, please stop the class, the mars is not made for their ass, let every country burn and destroy their weapons of mass destructions and distractions.

For those who wont let us be, I’m the MVP, chilling on a 512MB, unleashing all the bees that sting the deeds of these countries, lets build bridges that link two cities and not tomahawks that hit citizens, diseases with no vaccines. Victims of these circumstances, your voices are heard in this world of ours, everyone knows his hours in numbers; forgive us and never hesitate to pray for us, we are changing this course to bring an end to the curse on these four walls.


BALLADS OF THE DEPRESSED
Fishing in troubled waters, like they want to break into carcass, you work like jackass, breaking borders like its smugglers, living your life like a hustler. Dude, live your life like it has no shallows, stop chasing after shadows, the world is full of callow, schmucks that live their life with flukes of swizz, streets engaged in ballads. Youngsters hold the world as but the world, don’t let these words get you dud, get your heads lurked on to the great deeds of the aged that was showered with applaud, that did justice to the fantasy of the horrid.

Cocooned in this violent act, you are chuffed like it’s not going to end; sometimes you hurl at the hungry soul “everything is sweet”. Why don’t you grit your teeth and get lit to make it, many beautiful houses out there are not homes, they could be filled with palpitations of fiddlesticks, bricks that cant be sustained by their foundations. Don’t take this as a jive; it’s just a vibe for you to jive with like it is from the heavenly seats.
People that do live for greatness could get downtrodden by their loneliness. Foxy Chickens lead their soul to blind alleys of unseemliness. Engaged in this phantom with great finesse and gradually encroaching into the world of the finest madness. This is for the second state of mind, Cloud cuckoo land hooking you up with looks you cant find, you try and make them grind and they exclaim you are too kind, take a look at their time of resurgence to life, is it not heading you to a forever strife? Call your soul back to order and revive.

Although they may be the salt of this so called world, don’t easily take heed to the power of their word, it might get you dud or lured, don’t fall to their tricks, they can get you proud, laud you and pollute the cloud around you, they make it loud like it’s the United States-Iraqi war sound. This madness can get you brown, bring you down and make you frown and sometimes, may turn you into a clown.

HELLO, MEDULLA!
Thirty seconds into the soul of the outrageous anonymous, narrow bridges were clause, forces of violence and delinquency envisage the wind that blows around us, environment becomes shady with junkies, thoughts of shaking the whole world hangs on its power of telekinesis; believes in terrorizing folks, your hypothesis are very ridiculous, you want to make the whole world yours, little wonders why your creator couldn’t have made you with paws and furs like lions in the animal kingdom.

You assume this world is like a dome, where you get souls bored with your unwholesome chromosome; the whole colours in this world. You would ever prefer to reside in your home, delirious when the inhabitants are pleased; your molars become visible when they are enraged, becomes wider with cogitations of massacres, his appalling atrocities still lingers bringing to memory the Adolph Hitler’s, jitters runs down the spine of your ancestors because your conscience is almost heading for the rocks.

You think you are a sybarite, try and live your life right, its not by your might, its getting tight but this is not a fight, or a spite, even the Carbon dioxide traces back its own route, photosynthesis and respiration makes it true, go back to your roots and call a truce, envisage you are on a throne right now, make the whole nation clown because they think its going to happen now.

Nobody wants your kind of crown, your mysterious acts still rings in the hearts of many like it’s a penny pincher; you’ve made people poorer, mourners of strangers endangered by the triggers of snipers, craters that bring forth haters stickers.

Sand dunes isn’t formed in a day, before you get old and become grey, remember the potter owns the clay, get yourself under the sunrays, checkout the way its glory shines till it gets you lay, then the moon takes over like its noon.Don’t get yourself loon, this is just a boon, although the tidal waves passes its shores a times, the sun and moon sticks to their times, and the creation of the world still primes. For really, this soul demands attention, reaction that will hit the whole nation, recreation of a thalamus that needs reincarnation.