Is anything wrong with FIFA?

Former Secretary General of FIFA, Jerome Valche has been sacked shortly after Sepp Blatter's ban.

Is FIFA just full of corrupt people? Are the rules too strict? Hmmmn! Maybe

Looking at it from a balanced point of view. Who is to blame?

Is it FIFA's inability to monitor or hire responsible personnel OR their lack of capacity to manage the World's most renowned sport

Share your thoughts!

21 TRUTHS ABOUT ME

I have attended a lot of birthday celebrations, probably more than my age mates whether it’s an indoor family party or an elaborate event, whether it’s a kids party or an adult get together or whether the celebrant is 50, 70, 40, 1, 5, 18 or 21 years old.

I was once at a birthday party, the celebrant was 21 and someone at the party told me that 21 is the age of maturity. I beg to differ

I don’t know if I am mature or if I am qualified to be in the league of mature people (if such an association exists) but I do know that I am a good person.

On my birthday eve, I couldn’t sleep not because I was looking out for who will be the first person to wish me a happy birthday on social media neither was I imagining what could be referred to as the perfect birthday gift but I was disturbed by how maturity could be ascribed to an age.

Let me lighten the mood, you decide if I am mature or not.

Here are 21 things about me

1.       I am a workaholic

I tend to overdo things. My mum thinks I don’t rest, she believes that I may be stressed out. She might be right. Could you believe I started typing this on birthday eve when everyone else was sleeping and completed it today?

2.       I am a sapiosexual being

I don’t use people but I surround myself with intelligent people. I might be attracted to smart ladies, not quite. Smart and pretty, that’s my type

3.       I love food

Rice, Chicken, Pasta, Pounded Yam, Eggs, Sausages … Name it, I love them all. As awkward as it may seem, I don’t like honey.

4.       I cry

You might call me emotional, but if I get really disappointed, I CRY

5.       I am addicted to American TV series

Well, I just love watching them

6.       I talk too fast and can hardly whisper

While in a conversation, I usually have too many things in my head and want to say them all at once and this makes me talk too fast.  I am outspoken, I find it very difficult to whisper.

7.       I am "Jack of all trade"

I am good at many things but great at few things. I believe my life will take a drastic turn (for good)

8.       My voice is very deceptive

I don’t know how to control it but I have various voice types: baby voice, on-air voice, people say I have a feminine voice and I currently learning British accent.

9.       I laugh a lot (it’s healthy)

10.   I’m terrible at sports

I am fairly good at games but I don’t excel when it comes to actual sporting activity

11.   I hate my complexion

I really dark in complexion, people call me all sort of names: Blackie, Ghanaian, Black Heritage, Dudu Osun (a black soap). Bleaching is not an option, I am African.

12.   I look younger than my age

Some people think I am still in high school, they are very surprised when I tell them my age

13.   I love pictures

Capture the world in a picture (nature, technology, wildlife) and I appreciate it. That’s why I love Instagram

14.   I help people

If I am in a position to help, I’ll help with pleasure

15.   I am a good cook

Believe it or not, I cook for the house sometimes, but I burnt a lot of food in the learning process. I might be the one to cook my birthday meal.

16.   I daydream a lot

I allow my mind to roam.

17.   I hate it when I’m late

Who doesn’t hate being late?

18.   I can’t stand the sight of blood

I knew Medicine will never be my profession. I always knew

19.   I take a lot of risk

We all have to take risk to get what we want

20.   I am a bit scruffy

I am working on it

21.   I upset my friends

I tell them the point blank truth which does not end in handshakes and hugs. They get upset and I later find a way to apologise

So am I mature? The truth is that I don’t care, I have a good heart and that’s what matters

     

      P.S: The information given above is true and cannot be used to measure maturity, if you skipped the preamble, you won’t understand.

It’s my birthday, wish me a happy birthday by making a comment.

Thanks.

Skip the protocol (My convocation story)

After four years of tirelessly studying at the university, I recently (June 26, 2015) graduated with a degree in Mass Communication.

Yes! Thanks for all the congratulatory messages in advance. I am sincerely grateful.

Prior to the convocation ceremony, my grandmother travelled from Osun to Lagos, just to be physically present at the event, there were also a lot of items to be bought which later began to stress me out. Finding quality materials at malls was really breath-taking, all in the name of a celebration.

Later on, the entire convocation process and protocol started to make me nauseate as I just felt like collecting my certificate and saying goodbyes.

Unfortunately for me it was a week-long event which consisted of a convocation lecture, a hooding ceremony, a long clearance process, the convocation ceremony proper, an alumni investiture and a thanksgiving ceremony ( well .... that's all I can remember.)

Your guess is as good as mine, I was totally exhausted.

After the convocation ceremony, while family and friends present were eating and chatting. I got irritated as I was supposed to smile for hundreds of pictures (not an exaggeration). After taking a few, I couldn't fake it anymore, I was frowning, not because I was not happy but I did not see any need for all these.

My mum and some others yelled saying "Smile now, today is your day"

I am not saying there should be no celebration. There should be a gallant celebration but in cases where the celebration starts to make the celebrant weary. Hmmmn!
(coughs)

All I propose is to stick to the basics and skip the protocol.

Thanks.

WHAT IS LOVE?

When I was about 7 years of age, I considered the word “love” as an overused one, almost everyone I knew said “I love you”; in movies, I constantly heard the phrase “I love you”.

I heard it so much that it began to lose meaning. When anyone said the word “love”, I always nodded in confusion and when the love term was directed at me, I ignorantly said “Thank You”. As I grew older, I definitely became wiser but I couldn’t fully decipher the meaning of the word – “love”

Two months before my 10^th birthday, I gained admission into a secondary school (Grade 7) and I was given a long array of academic books to purchase, books ranging from maths to science, general studies and yes, English!

Among the English books for purchase was the English Dictionary. I was simply overjoyed, I had been trying to convince my parents to get me a dictionary, simply because one word had made me confused. I was scared of asking my parents or my teacher, to tell me the meaning of love, I thought they would think of me differently, they would feel I was corrupt.

Two days later, my mum came in with three nylons, all containing books, I remember running to meet her, almost hitting her and carrying all the nylons from her. 

Mum wondered where I got such strength from, truth be told they were really heavy but I didn’t care all I knew was that I was getting answers to long-standing questions. Ignoring other books, I reached out for the dictionary, reciting the alphabets “JKL”. I opened it to letter “L” and my eyes quickly caught the word “Love”. What could I say, I was utterly disappointed.

The dictionary defined love as a deep feeling of deep affection, you have for someone or something.

Don’t forget at that time I was 9 going on 10. This revelation got me thinking “Who do I love?” At that time the answer was simple – My family

Years have passed and things have changed, people now say “I’m falling in love with you” or “We fell in love”. This made me think, is love something you fall into, like a ditch

Love in my own terms should be likened to that feeling that stems from the family, based on care for others, laughter and the communal feeling of togetherness. Love should grow, it should not be something you fall into and it neither should not be instantaneous.

Once again, I ask what is Love?

MY THOUGHTS ON SCARCITY

With the current fuel scarcity pervading my country (Nigeria), I pondered on a lot of thoughts which was partially triggered by my imagination as well as a movie I once saw.

In the movie, humans were programmed in such a manner that once a person was 25 years of age, such a person had a year to live, and that amount of time was also to be used as a medium of exchange.

A cup of coffee could be 3 minutes while a loaf of bread could be 5. The wealthy could accumulate large amount of money or time as the case may be, while the poor run around with some few minutes or hours looking for some casual work to do to earn them some time. Some sell their properties, because if they clock out, they die.

The fuel situation as well as the movie made me further think, what if air was scarce, and what if water was scarce; what if smiles and laughter costs money, what if a 100 words spoken cost a dollar, would you be mute?

We know the drill, when things are scarce they become expensive, as the rich will be willing to buy at almost any cost making the masses suffer, bus fares are higher than usual, the cost of goods and services are more expensive.

Yesterday, the pepper seller said 6 tomatoes were now 200 naira instead of the normal 70 naira, when I asked her why the tomatoes were so expensive, she said “Don’t you know diesel is expensive”. 

Diesel and Tomatoes, How?

 I laughed uncontrollably but that didn’t change the price of the tomatoes.

Now I strongly assert and join others to say

“For what we freely receive, Heavenly father, make us truly grateful”. 

ABOUT VALENTINE

Flowers, cards, gifts, balloons, chocolates and cakes are everywhere.

Smiles, warm hugs, and everyone seems to be really excited. Oh! Happy day.

“I love you” must have been the most said word, everyone fully recognizes this day. A day fully acknowledged worldwide just to show love. Hmmn! emotional. Considering it’s a much-anticipated period for all lovers, couples and everyone in a relationship.

Bringing a new dimension to things, what exactly happens before, during and after the 14th of February?

BEFORE

Shortly after the New Year buzz is over, merchants collaborating with media publicists spread the word about the season of love that apparently comes once in a year and make catchy messages about gifts available for sale in limited offers.

Relationships still go on smoothly, although comprising of breakups here and there, semiotics and facial expressions are evident in the relationships especially amongst the female counterpart; the ladies make efforts to indirectly ask their man how Valentine is going to be celebrated and then the guys begin to plan on how best to make the day worthwhile or somewhat perfect.

DURING

Malls, eateries, cinemas, fun centres are filled to capacity as couples or should I say the males are trying to show love to the females. Yes! the efforts of the merchants are not in any way close to being in vain as numerous exotic gifts have been purchased all in the process of trying to express love.

moments are shared with that special one, moments that should not be forgotten in a hurry, not because of the gifts but because of the time spent with that one you truly care about, whatever is being shared, whatever is being discussed and whatsoever is being done on February 14 is to be entirely focused on the theme of love.

AFTER

Memories still fill the heart of the “loved” and the news of the creative ways people expressed their love spreads so swiftly sometimes leading to envy. 

Then things almost go back to normal or even worse as those wise people who spent all they had or even run into debt to buy gifts for their beloved, engage in borrowing or start striving to get back on their knees financially. Everyone returns to his or her usual schedules, whether it is a busy one or not.

There is scarcely any moment to show love once again (birthdays, maybe!)and we wait till the next 14th of February.

With all sincerity, should love be constricted to one day?

I NEED A FRIEND

I love my life

I love nature, love my family

I do everything with such joy and delight

I love to smile

Once again, I love my life

I have a lot of friends

Scratch that, I have a friend

Not particularly a friend but I see her as one

MY MUM!

I need a friend

Someone I talk to, laugh and play with

Only that part of my life had a bit of blemish

However, I still loved it

My mum knew of this situation

She always encouraged me to reach out to others

Make friends, have better and intimate relationships

She felt that my scale of success

Was dependent on my network of friends

I knew she was right

The next day was the beginning of another school week

I had to make this happen

I could not wait for this day

And when it came …

I set out early, happy, and ready

Ready for a new experience

Probably a life-changing one

I was at school by 7am

This was rather quite early

Only few teachers had arrived

So I waited, waited for someone

Someone I could talk to

Someone to connect with

Few minutes later, I saw a boy walking swiftly

The time had come to make friends

Judging from his looks, he was about my age

I approached him quite scared

“Hi, my name is Dave and you are” I said

“Timothy” he said as he continued to walk by

He was obviously rushing to finish up his homework

I would definitely meet other friends, I thought to myself

However, I was wrong, that was probably the nicest response

Moments later, a girl came up

Introducing myself like I did earlier

“How can I help you?” she replied

With a smile on my face, I responded

“I just want to be your friend.”

As if I was a jungle monster

She ran away as fast as her legs could possibly carry her

She kept on running even after she had climbed the stairs

A boy who I had always seen around school came

He was slightly taller than I was

And he really looked like a nerd

Full hair, glasses, he just looked like them

“Eureka!” I said to myself

With so much joy, I introduced myself like I had done earlier

Told him of my intention to be his friend

He stared at me for a few seconds

Then he began to laugh, he really laughed so hard

Expecting an instant YES

Well nothing close to that

After he was done laughing, he answered

“Your friend, you do not deserve a friend and

No one would ever want to be your friend

So do not bother trying.”

He left and continued to laugh

That was it I give up

I went to the school hall and sat at a corner

Looking at the wall clock, it was 7:45 am

45 minutes of trying and failing

It was this time that most people resumed

As I could hear people talking and laughing as they entered

At that very moment, I began to cry, cry uncontrollably

What can I possibly do?

We all know that humans are social beings and life would be boring if we live a life of solitude. God knew all these that is why he said it is not good for a man to be alone and he decided to send him a companion.

The value of friends cannot be overemphasized, good friends especially. Without doubt, there are still many people out there that have no friends and very few acquaintances. What could be wrong? These people are normal, bright, smart, promising and possess everything anybody could want in a friend. Could it be low self-esteem, fear, what exactly could make them have little or no friends?

Guess they have one problem, blending in

The environment you find yourself in might not be as friendly as you wanted or expected. However, here are some ways to blend in and make friends

1.       Your dressing matters:

The overused saying that the way you are dressed is the way you are addressed is a 120% true. In my own opinion, dressing is a crucial role when making friends. You need not dress gorgeously to attract or make friends. Dressing in a responsible and smart manner is enough to boost your confidence and make it easy to blend in and make friends.

 

2.       Be confident:

To sum up enough courage to walk up to people and attempt to create friendships could be an uphill task. It requires a lot of courage to command the respect you truly deserve. Such confidence would make people want to listen to you, confidence not only in your speech but also in your poise, carriage, gesture. Confidence also goes to the extent of being comfortable when talking to your soon-to- be friend.

3.       Understand them:

A proper fore-knowledge of the people around you could give you a specific edge that will make them want to be your friend. Proffering solutions to their problems instead of putting yourself first would be a good way to speed up the “friend making” process.

Appearance, confidence and understanding are the major factors undermined in making friends and building relationships.

Don’t just dress well but dress smartly, be courageous and show it, a high self-esteem is crucial and not forgetting that a knowledge could help a great deal.