WORKSHOP vs WORKCHOP

With my little exposure to the corporate world, I arrived at this title. Workshop or workchop; I am sure the essence of some words are losing value so fast and lots of funds get sunk into this white Elephant project.

Workshop is defined as a seminar, discussion group, that emphasizes exchange of ideas and the demonstration and application of techniques, skills etc. A theater workshop; opera workshop. In this context, we can really imagine how much organizations are expected to benefit when such events are put together but the result is contrary.

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JUSTIFIED QUALIFICATION vs UN-DEFENDABLE QUALIFICATION

Idun nyin,

That’s what Ibibio people in Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria say which means “My People.” So, I am asking my very dear people, how are you at this season of the year? 2014 is winding up and we all anticipate 2015 which is an election year in Nigeria. At the time of writing, election primaries are being rounded off gradually with intrigue of who would hold a political office for 2015. Whatever, it is my desire is that none of us will be missing pre and post-elections.

Let’s think together today around qualification with lots of certificates and justifying the certificates. Some decades ago when my grandparents and a few opportune people were students; they became teachers after completing Standard 6. In our days, Standard 6 can be likened to Primary 6. The question that comes to mind is, “what was the content of their curriculum that made them have the ability to teach immediately after Standard 6?”

Afterwards, the need to become trained at the Teachers Training College to become a Grade 3 teacher; it proceeded to Grade 2, later on Nigerian Certificate of Education. However, I found out that some of those who went through this mode of education can speak better English; write perfectly and likewise teach satisfactorily. Contrary, today’s graduate can neither speak good English nor write correct sentences. What is the cause of this; justified qualification or un-defendable qualification.

Justified Qualification is a situation when educated people justify the certificate they have obtained. Such people might not be very certified but their output in life is worth that of a professor. Those who justify their qualifications usually become champions in all areas of human endeavor; they are peer leaders; they are people who others hold in high esteem and their words become wise sayings.

Un-defendable qualification is the unfortunate inability of a person to justify his certificates. Imagine, hearing a first class graduate, especially in the humanities, who is unable to speak correct English. One would endlessly contest how he made it the result. The Yoruba would say, “A ki fi ni joye awodi, ko ma le gbe ediye” meaning one should not be a hawk that cannot pick up a hen.

I want to challenge you on two things; firstly justify the certificates that you have with you; at the workplace and everywhere you are confronted about it. Secondly, maximize the certificate; if you have a certificate ensure that it gets you the very best available for your personal growth. There are people who never had the opportunity of amassing certificates but they became the pride of their community through writing and other arts.

I will close this discussion by inspiring you with the life of Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey-Fabiyi; he became a Music Maestro and based on his experience; he was made a Professor of Music at Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ogun State, Nigeria.

Make the best use of your “little” certificate and not just accumulating it. May your certificates be profitable and your endeavor be rewarding.

Cheers!

Olu

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POVERTY MENTALITY vs COMFORT MENTALITY

Ache Olum,

As characteristic of this weekly writing to showcase Nigerian languages; the aforementioned greetings means, My People, Idoma language from Benue state of Nigeria. Hope the mood is right for Christmas? There is no need carrying unsettled scores into the New Year. Let’s start to make peace with everyone.

Today, we are looking at something that has to do with our finances. Many financial decisions are product of perception. As a young dude, I saw a lot of men who did not buy a car to convey their families from one place to another. They believed that after completion of a house; they can now own a car. They see a car as luxurious. They have completed their house and they now have fleets of cars.

Poverty mentality is the frugal spending of a person who believes so much in saving than in spending all he earns. In the words of financial experts, it is advised that a minimum of 10% of one’s income should be saved but according to the way in which people live their lives; a penny is hardly left after collection of their stipend because dependents have queued up before they get the money. Poverty mentality is seen in people who cut their coat according to their cloth. They do not attempt to go beyond their means.

Comfortable mentality is usually exhibited by young people who eat “beans cake” with all they earn at the onset of life. For those who believe in maximization, they get the luxurious gadgets; they compete with one another; they want to be updated; they are do not want to be told of how new experiences feel, they also want to experience it.

These mentalities are good but one must be careful not to overrun oneself in a competition that is not visible. Why do you think low-income earners achieve feats? They are wise with every kobo earned. They go one step at a time; they are not hasty in obtaining items. Many things are left till it’s comfortable to acquire.

Many times, those with poverty mentality achieve feats while those who thought comfort for immediate gratification is ideal for them. Regardless of the amount you earn, you can still make profit from it; as small as it is, some of your contemporaries have multiplied it.

Go multiply the little you have; it would later be comfortable when you deal your comfort.

Let’s hope for a beautiful year ahead filled with maximization.

Cheers!

Olu

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RAW MATERIAL vs FINISHED PRODUCT

En le fa,

This is a greeting from Yoruba speakers of Kwara State; the fa is an idiosyncrasy from that region of the country. Without wasting time (words), let’s look at something of interest for manufacturers, builders etc.

Raw Material is the unprocessed form of an item. Raw materials are typical independent. However when mixed with other raw materials, it turns into a finished product. I will give examples, in the production of a car, separate independent items are brought together; the body, the engine, the tyres and others. There is none of these items that can be used separately until it is all fused into one.

Be that as it may, raw materials are not fascinating ab initio until they get the right touch. Another example is a stock pile of cement bags; metal rods; electrical cables and others. They do not fit till they are all used in the construction of a house.

A finished product is the final end of combined raw materials to produce either a house, a car any even edible items. An example of an edible finished product is palm oil. Palm oil is still being produced in a crude way but it is not edible until the production process is completed.

Finished product is good for the sight; appreciated but let us have it in mind that it was once raw till it was processed with other materials. A man who is made once struggled; a beautiful ornament was once heated with fire; a proud mother was once deformed with pregnancy.

The process involved in the eventual emergence of a finished product is what many people abhor. Be the raw material that cooperates with others and also be an attractive finished product after proper preparation.

Have a nice week.

Cheers!

Olu

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RAISED BY ONE vs RAISED BY ALL

Hello Friends,

It is another season of the year when we all want to clear our tables for new tasks in the New Year. This season is full of visits, gifts, fun and travels. All I wish you is a memorable season filled with divine blessings.

I have come to you with a Yoruba proverb that goes thus; Oju kan ni bimo, igba oju ni wo, this means a children is born by a person but raised by many. There are scenarios that adequately depict the meaning of the proverb. The person raised by many might be an orphan or single parent. However, the list is inexhaustible. For example, at the inception of Western education in Nigeria; it could be a relative who is resident in the city that would adopt someone from his hamlet. This aided the acceptance and growth of education.

Raised by One is a situation in which one is raised by relatives both nuclear and extended. This type of raising is based on the experience and exposure of the people nurturing the child in question. There are some parents who enforce choice of career, mostly patterned after their profession, on their children. Also, they stretch themselves to ensure that a better tomorrow is built for the child.

Raised by All is a phenomenon in which many people are involved in the nurturing of a child. Such people might not be blood-related but everyone strives to ensure that such a child becomes successful. When one is raised by all, there are also limitations about financial support because many times, those people have their challenges as well. However, it is definite that they would ensure the best moral development of the child beyond what the direct parents would provide. There is a collaborating proverb about the moral training that, “Omo ti won o ba konile, ita ni won ti n ko” meaning a child without moral home training would be trained by outsiders.

I am an advocate of both schools of thought; a parent might not have enough time to give the moral upbringing to a child. Also, neighbours and acquaintances cannot give the financial support for the child but integrating the two schools of raising gives advantages in the areas of thought, reasoning, ability to take decision, give the best academically and raising a well-informed child.

As you end this year, be opened to being raised by both your immediate relatives and the community at large.

Season’s Greetings!

Cheers!

Olu

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CARELESSLY HANDLED vs JEALOUSLY GUARDED

Hello friends,

It is a wonderful week for me and I am sure it will be for you as well. I am currently under drilling but that has not stopped my ink from writing this every week. Hope you had a great weekend of full. Last weekend was the celebration of the death of a greet Yoruba novelist, Pa TAA Ladele but for those of us who are still alive; the challenge is what would we leave for posterity?

I am writing this week based on two Yoruba proverbs which would help us a lot to know how to handle our loved ones especially. We usually take our loved ones for granted; we get so familiar with them till we lose them. However, what you do not value can be someone else’s treasure. Let’s ruminate together on this, Carelessly Handled versus Jealously Guarded.

Carelessly Handled is a situation when your loved one becomes your next door neighbor that you do not accord any special treatment or respect. People usually do not see this as a disadvantage in a relationship. This is one of the things that burns out the energy that should be invested in a relationship; communication dwindles, love wanes and a lot of issues. The Yoruba proverb that supports this discussion is: “Oun a ba fisile lenu ewure n to” literary meaning whatever is left carelessly is available for the goat to chew.

Jealously guarded is a phenomenon in which the spouses protect one another. This cuts across all areas of their relationship; protection from the in-laws, protecting from the children knowing the flaws of either of them, protection of the interest of each other, protecting from all depressing state, protecting in times of errors as well.  The Yoruba proverb that gives a support to this is; “oun a ba fi pamo ni niyi” meaning worthy items is safely kept.

Jealously guard all items that is worthy to you. It would cost a little to do that than to carelessly handle and attempting to recover. Information should be carefully handled also; know those who you divulge personal details with, if you tell a gossip, you will find yourself to blame.

I implore you to jealously guard everything than handling it carelessly thereafter seeking for recovery.

Enjoy the rest of the week.

Olu

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REPRODUCTION vs REALISM

Hello Comrades,

I hope your month has been running  smoothly? I am hopeful that this month will continue to yeild good fruits for us all. Let’s be optimistic, we have great heights to mount and great feats to add to our caps.

Let’s think from the viewpoint of a driver today,  I remember then, when I was growing up, one of the popular vehicle brands in Nigeria, Peugeot, has just an external mirror. At some point, other brands added the second mirror which further beautified cars making it look like two ears. When one is driving, he learns about how to use the mirror because it aids your decision making. In fact, caveat exists on a mirror saying, objects are closer than they appear in the mirror. As a driver myself, I learnt a simple lesson which I intend to share with you.

Reproduction is when the mirror shows you what is behind as you drive. With what is viewed, you resolve either to change your lane, overtake a vehicle etc.  However, one would see that certain objects, when very close to a car, are not seen through the mirror. This is limiting! Accidents have happened when such decisions are made haphazardly, especially when the driver of the other vehicle is on top speed.

Realism is the actual result of your decision. Every decision comes with a consequence. Realism is clearer and not blur like what has been reproduced. A realist does not hypnotise; he is factual to a fault. A realist does avoid sharp mistakes by double checking; doing such, takes away some embarrassments.

Realism is what you see with your sight and not what you imagine; it is not assumed; it is not hearsay. Realism is the outcome that you grapple with after you make a decision. You cannot afford to depend on reflections, you don’t complain if all reproduced images fades off. Be true to yourself!

Let’s keep realism at heart and not overbear reproduced images.

Have a great week.

Best regards,

Olutayo

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CUSTOMER SATISFACTION vs CUSTOMER STARVATION

Imoni me,

I am excited to speak to you in Urhobo language of Delta State, South-Southern Nigeria, all I have said is my people. I have always reiterated it that Nigeria is richly blessed in her diversity. It is quite unfortunate that our people have through greed devoured this nation. May the Lord rescue our nation. I remember studying about corruption over the weekend and it seems this nation’s wheel of progress is entangled in it.

I would want to say that the discussion of today can be broken into many parts but let’s study it in bit. Then, this situation might be peculiar to Nigeria, if you are not within this locale, you might not understand what I am saying but I know you would be able to apply it to other areas of life.

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Paid Job vs Personal Job

Hello Comrades,

It is a blessing coming your way again today. I hope you are fine and the family is alright. I an anticipating a nice weekend when I would be with the writing community again. I must confess, I usually look forward to it often.

Today, we would be looking at the word that everyone who leaves school looks forward to, “job”. Some have rightly defined it again using collar, either white or blue, to depict the type of job that one does; some use the word “career”. However, whichever one you call it; it is a means of livelihood. Let’s just see the differences.

Paid job is a scenario when you are waiting to receive a pay cheque at the end of every month. As the Yoruba saying goes, “oga ta, oga o ta, owo alaaru a pe” meaning either the boss makes profit or not; the wages of the worker would be complete.
There are different ways in which people do their paid job; challantly, non challantly etc. People get easily frustrated with paid jobs and they cannot just pull out bacause they have a family to cater for.Paid job is done within some stipulate hours and the staff delivers his service as required within that time. In fact, paid job is done more often that not grudgingly.

Personal job is the tasking job ever on earth. Many people doing personal job explains that they were the CEO, Secretary, Accountant, Gate-man, Cleaner etc before getting to a point where they can actually employ others. Personal job could stress seriously when thinking of funds to keep the business afloat, pay staff, pay rent, pay for utility, pay for fuel, maintain fleets of cars etc. Personal job call for constant training to avoid being cheated by others. The owners also roll up their sleeves; they resume early, close late. It could also be a challenge making others to visualize just like the owner. Personal jobs grow overtime. Personal jobs of many centuries have been listed on stock exchange and now tagged, “multinationals.”

You might not be able to transfer a paid job to your child but children manage personal job; you might be limited in training with paid job but personal job requires series of training. Paid job might guarantee some level of comfort, personal job could create a wealthy ancestry. Paid job might limit the height of attainment but personal job do open up opportunities of partnership for success.

We all have a choice to keep to our comfort zone by being on a paid job while personal job take us to heights that we have not envisaged. Personal job is a translation of your dream while paid job is enhancing others dream. Keep a tab on your personal aspirations as you are in paid employment.

Let’s not give up in reaching for the stars.

Have a nice week ahead.

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NUCLEAR FAMILY vs BUILDING FAMILIES

Hello Friends,

It is a great morning and also an opportunity saying something to you again on this platform. I am delighted to inform you that we might be tweaking this writings a little because the idea is that it should have a complete circle, which is 52 weeks. Subsequently, as the Spirit leads, we would give you something inspirational afterwards.

There are people raised in either a nuclear or polygamous families. After they attain certain level of independence from the direct control of their families; they now run into series of attributes that is not in tandem with the family that they evolved from. Some of these include; competitive nurturing of children with their other siblings; hiding all information about themselves and wards. They won’t offer support to the children of others because they want superior set of children. Fortunately, everyone will become successful in different fields of life and they cannot relate as relatives because of the wrong mindset implanted into them by their parents. Let’s think together about Nuclear Families versus building Families.

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IMMEDIATELY FORGOTTEN vs FOREVER REMEMBERED

Hello friends,

It is an opportunity to reach out to you today. Hope you had a restful holiday (for those in Nigeria). If you are on Hajj, like Adewaleola Salami, I wish you a safe return home from the holy land. I had a swell time, reaching out to families that I have not seen in a long while. It is refreshing to keep the bond and stressful moving round.

Let’s discuss today in few words, Immediately Forgotten versus Forever Remembered. There are people that one meets and they create lasting impression on one. Irrespective of being alive or dead, they remain on the lips of those who had contact with them, their sayings are engraved in the heart and their deeds can be enumerated. This is all derived from the impact they have made in people’s lives. Are you positively impacting on those that you come across daily?

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KOBO vs NAIRA

Ufan mi,

That’s simply “My friends” in Efik language of Cross River State, Nigeria. Hope you had a nice weekend? It is my pleasure to welcome you to another episode of our weekly motivational Versus Series. We are getting close to celebrating a year of writing this series as this is the 47^th edition. We might need to tweak after the first year evaluation. So get ready, your feedback is highly important.

Today, we would be talking in financial terms. Fortunately and unfortunately for me, I do not like Mathematics as a young lad but when you add the naira sign, I comprehend it fast.

Some weeks, the water pumping machine within my premises broke down. Some of my neighbours felt that the machine had served for five years as such; it is due for replacement while some neighbours differed saying that we can fix the machine. The machine was fixed and it went back finally two weeks afterwards. We were back to square one, alas, “kobo wise, naira foolish,” the Nigerian equivalent of English saying, “penny wise, pound foolish”.

Kobo is that little fund that seems minute but matters when accumulated. In the Yoruba parlance, it is said to be, “eesun teretere ni dibu” which means, ‘small drops makes the mighty ocean’. Kobo mindset makes one feel he has conserved funds. Some ways in which we exhibit the kobo-mentality is when we fix a worn-out item, buying a fairly-used or second-hand item. This eventually runs in thousands of naira at the end of the day and it cost more than the purchasing a brand new item.

Naira is the huge amount expended to procure a particular item. Many of the needed new things that are purchased are usually tagged expensive but the value will be gotten over time. Naira is that hugged amount that is spent an item while one is sure of maintaining distance from a plumber or any other emergency repair service as the case maybe.

Remember, whatever you gain at the corner will be lost at the bend. Make optimal use of your limited funds by not spending wasteful when you actually want to be thrift. Go for the best at once and not keep buying inferior products over and over.

Have a thriving week.

Best regards,

Olu

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BAKING vs ICING

Hello Associates,

It is a good day to come your way again. I hope you had a great weekend? Work is going on smoothly and it’s all good news around you. That is what we pray for, that we might continually be bombarded by good news.

Today, we are learning from the world of the bakers. It is a simple lesson that we would arrive at, however, we must know that it is one of the fundamental things that we must have at heart when we are doing things.

There are different methods of baking a cake; an electric oven, a charcoal oven while some even use the stove to bake after ingredients might have been mixed. These ingredients determine the taste of the cake, however, after baking, what distinguishes the cake, aside the taste, is the look of the cake. The finishing process is crucial to the sustenance of the business. Let’s read together, baking vs icing.

Baking is a situation when you put the ingredients together. As for people, the time of baking can either mean the time of preparation or the time of re-building. There are people who were prepared in adversity while there are people who get rebuilt during trying times. Baking is just the raw, rough and wrought product.

Icing is the time of restructuring the raw product. This can be described in writing as, “dotting the I and crossing the t”. It is very essential to editing the raw product to make it acceptable to everybody. I was once guilt of not editing my work after writing, as such, my writing was tainted with little errors that could have been avoided if edited. I learnt to edit my works after writing in the hard way. I had better write-ups afterwards.

Irrespective of the great ingredients that make you up after baking, you have to learn to add the icing to beautify it. The icing would ensure it is attractive and acceptable to all. The icing will enrich the value at which it would be purchased. The icing would recommend your work to others. The gains of having the icing on the cake outweigh just baking the cake. Icing is the highpoint of baking. Icing could be academic, certification, finesse etc.

Get the necessary icing on your cake this new week.

Cheers!

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PRELIMINARY vs PENALTY

Ikot nyin,

I hope you are not perplexed! It simply means “My people” in Efik language from Cross River State, Nigeria. I hope the month of September has been going on smoothly? As for me, it has been a pleasant month. This month has a peculiar history in the world; World Trade Centre in the United States was attached some years ago and we, as a family, suffered the dead of one of our mothers. Remember, in Africa, we uphold family ties.

Let’s do something modest today again. Cars owners in Nigeria, especially, do forget when their various licenses would expire. The time when all documents are complete is when a car is newly purchased, subsequently, the renewal becomes a burden. Many of these documents do not expire on the same day as such one might run into any of the road and traffic regulatory agencies and therefore get penalized. Let’s consider Preliminary versus penalty.

Preliminary is a situation when you have gone ahead of time to prepare all that is needed to make your vehicle roadworthy, insuring your house against hazards, living life responsibility to reduce the damage done to ozone layer and importantly, body organs. Other ways of getting prepared is constant academic improvement and certifications among others. Preliminary work is usually easy, cost-effective and strategic. It safeguards regret and depression.

Penalty is when the strong arm of the law catches up with one or the repercussion of reality comes. Many organizations have suffered immensely from fire accident and they could not recover from it because all their machines are not insured. Many cars have been impounded by road and traffic regulatory agencies for not having the right licenses. Many people had died as a result of illicit use of drugs or are spending huge funds on medical treatment to stay alive. It is noteworthy that penalty fee outweigh the preliminary cost.

Why spend good money on penalty when you can rightly prepare? Why pay charges when you can pay the actual fee? Why drive around panicking when you can actually be poised? Why treat sickness when you can really be healthy? The questions are endless but it is the same coin with different sides. Get prepared or get penalized.

I wish you a lovely week ahead.

Stay prepared,

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ADOPTION BY PROXY vs BIOLOGICAL BY DISTANCE

Hello People,

A great greeting to you as a new month is starting. I would also encourage you to be determined for the best. This year is gradually running to a close, if your appraisal is done now, would you be above average? If not, kindly step up your game. Like the saying in Yoruba language, “Orun to wa loke to aso gbe” meaning, the sun above, can still dry the clothes.

We are looking at something interesting today. A young man left the hinterland for Lagos, Nigeria, in search of greener pastures, to live with his siblings. He met an old man, whose children had left the country for greener pastures, as well, in European countries. He became the backbone of the old man who introduced him to all his children and in turn, made them know that he had adopted for himself a son. The young man was delighted in helping the old man, while the old man expended the last of his energy in advising the young man. Fortunately, the young man’s parents had also younger people, within the community, helping them in their house chores. This made us arrive at the discussion, Adoption by Proxy vs Biological by Distance.

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BIG FISH IN A SMALL POND vs SMALL FISH IN A BIG POND

Owhiome,

I am delighted to reflect the multilingual status of Nigeria on this platform. Today, I said My People in Esan language of Edo State, Nigeria. I had a very engaging weekend with various activities; I joined a family in the christening of a new baby girl and also an exercise session in which we walked for two hours.

The vast body of water has a tale for all of us. Waters are in various categories namely; streams, rivers, lake, dam, lagoon and ocean. Some people had also classified various organizations into such. There are organizations that are very small, they are typically group under the Micro-Small and Medium Scale Industry (MSMEs); some are national companies, example Transcorp, Nigeria while some are multinationals, example are Oil and Gas companies.

The mode of operation of companies makes it categorized. There are companies that are sole big fish. These companies have the competitive advantage in just a particular field or location. The owners of these companies might be everything: secretary, accountant, marketing officer, business analyst and the human resources personnel or have few employees with fantastic titles. Truthfully, the owners are the CEO but it has a minimal sphere of influence and projection beyond the immediate environment of operation. As such, senior officers in these companies are the big fishes in small ponds. Small pond is restricting in terms of growth.

In the big pond, many of the fishes are relatively small. In such companies, some staffs are “forgotten” in specific roles amongst others. The small fishes scenario, allows for career progression, greater recognition is accorded to the company, policies are made & implemented, in-depth trainings are done from time to time. 

In the big pond scenario, fantastic titles are for top professional; such titles are acquired over the years.

As it is known that small bodies of water flow into larger bodies; a small company can decide to partner with bigger companies. For example, a small firm in West Africa can increase its global relevance by being part of an international company.

Whatever little that you do, you can make it flow into global relevance. The doors in this era of globalization are readily available. The question is, “Will you avail yourself the opportunity of becoming a part of a big pond which allows you to grow proportionately with size of the pond?”

Have a grand week.

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MASS IMPUNITY vs POLITICAL IMPUNITY

E n le o,

This means, hello there. Yes, I am delighted to welcome you to another week. May it be a new week that would propel us to greater heights. Our discussion today is peculiar to Nigeria and some African countries. If you are a Nigerian, please do not get offended but see it as a call to re-orienting ourselves. It is quite easy to say that we are not whites but we need to know that behaving in a globally accepted way should be a target for us.

If you are walk down the streets of Lagos, Nigeria, you can find people urinating anywhere despite the attempt made by government to stop this act. Pedestrians would prefer to cross the road than using the pedestrian bridge. Drivers driving against traffic, drivers also ignoring the traffic light among others. One needs to stop and ponder if people want to do things in the ethical way. In the same light, one keeps hearing of political office holders who are guilty of financial impropriety and they are community leaders. The simple thing that comes to mind is, are they not ashamed of these doings?

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PATIENCE vs TIMELINESS

Hello Friends,

Welcome to another great week. None of us knows what the week has for us but we sure believe that it will be goodies that will last a lifetime. My desire is that no evil sickness will come near our household. However, we also need to do things rightly. Let us not be like the proverbial, Folorunsho who climb a palm tree with the banana’s strap.

I have a story to tell you. Supo left his house for the airport unfortunately, the vehicle broke down. He made spirited effort to get to the airport and Debisi, the airline counter supervisor told him that he had missed the flight. He made a call to Sope who works in the technical unit of the airline, who in turn called, Soji. Due to the nature of Sope’s work, he could not leave his beat. Supo was told to wait for Soji at the boarding gate but Soji could not come out for close to two hours, Supo was agitated, he was on an official assignment and he had no gut to call the office to tell them the state of things.

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SUPERIORITY STRUGGLE vs ACKNOWLEDGED SUPERIORITY

Eyin temi,

As traditional of me, I am saying in Yoruba language, My People. I hope you enjoyed your weekend? Mine was full of activities with my family and friends. It’s always great having time out with them regardless of the adjoining challenges which still makes us know that we are men. I see the fun associated with it then the pain.

When I was younger, I had some big brothers that  usually call by name. At some point, even when I was corrected and told to call them “brother” as we do in Yoruba culture to show respect. It is rebuffed. As time evolve, nobody called my attention to it again; I succumbed and since then, I added the appellation, “brother” with all pleasure.  Let’s do today’s discussion, superiority struggle versus superiority discovered.

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SHORT TERM REQUIREMENTS vs LONG TERM REGULATIONS

Hello friends,

Here we are again for another edition of our regular weekly versus series. Holidays have started, I hope parents are finding it pleasurable and students relaxed. Hope you had a restful weekend? May all your endeavour this week lead to great success.

In Lagos, Nigeria,there are vehicles that ply short distances, the drivers and owners hardly worry about renewing the documents of the vehicles. All they essentially need is fuel to power their engines and earn a living. Also, there are vehicles that ply other routes within the state and they can be sanctioned for what those vehicles within the areas are exempted from by some agency of the state government. Ultimately, there are vehicles that travel out of the state that need to confront to the regulations of federal agencies. There are short term requirements and long term regulations.

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STRUGGLE FOR RELEVANCE vs OPTIMUM RELEVANCE

Mavor,

This is a question in Urhobo language, South-South area of Nigeria meaning, How are you? I am grateful that I am alive to see another new week.  Hope your weekend was fine? I am not taking for granted the opportunity to write to you regularly. Without wasting time, let’s advance to today’s main discourse.

A young man came to Lagos, Nigeria to learn a distinct vocation which is not available in his country home. He stayed back to practice and see if he could break into the congested environment where the same skill is in abundance. He tried for many years to make ends meet but he realized that he was struggling to emerge due to the existing competition. For all the years, traffic was offensive to him; payment of his annual rent was not easy among other factors. There came a day when he realized that he had dissipated much energy on making it in the midst of competition than relocating to where he would be needed. Are you struggling for relevance or you are having optimum relevance?

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FINALITY vs INFINITY

Saanu Janmo,

It is an opportunity greeting you in Hausa language today. I hope you are fine and you had a great weekend.  May your strength be renewed for this week’s tasks. I appreciate all the comments that I have received online through linkedin and my blog, I look forward to receiving more comments for this will help focus and direct my writings.

There is someone who had made up his mind about the brand of vehicle that he preferred above others (I would not mention any brand name to avoid free advertising) it was a policy statement, he had driven three different models of this brand till a point when he had a choice to pick an official car either his choice brand or another brand. He was dissatisfied with the latest model of his choice brand; as such he went for the other brand which he had always condemned. Let’s now read, Finality of decision versus Infinity of choices.

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ANIMAL INSTINCT vs HUMAN REASONING

Your Excellency,

I decided to address you as such because it takes a great mind and a great personality not to get tired of my endless weekly writings. I am glad to share my thoughts and view with you today. I pray that it will be a great week for us this new week.

It is a known truth that lazy people are usually referred to the ant to consider its ways. How the ants gather during the dry season and remains in the hole throughout the raining season. However, there is a difference between animal instinct and human reasoning.

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Parent vs Spouse

Hello friends,

I am glad to write to you again today. I have been challenged and I have been encouraged since I started writing to you weekly. For all these responses, I am grateful.

I am looking at something that is very personal and controversial today. I remember the story of an old man who said, “I am grateful to my wife, she has been my only companion in the journey of about 60 years. My parents journeyed with me to certain extent in life, my siblings were with me till some point but the large chunk of my life has been spent with my wife. My own children have also left me to start their families and the genealogy continues.”

There is a song from the prominent Yoruba singer by Ebenezer Obey, that says, “ohun ti obi lese, Iyawo o lese yen, ohun ti Iyawo lese obi o le se yen” meaning what a wife can do parents cannot do it and what parents can do, the wife cannot do it. With this, let’s read together parent versus spouse.

Parents are those who biologically brought us into the world. Parents are levelers, there is no man on earth who never had a parent: either living or dead, either responsible or irresponsible. The child firstly comes in touch with a nuclear family. The family determines the level of affection of each child. As it is usually said, the girl child is attracted to the father while the son loves the mother; however the reverse is the case in some families. The child’s love for the parents remains till it is time to get married.

Spouse is the person that boy or girl decides to marry as maturity sets in for the child. The man is the usual initiator of the process and when the lady agrees, at the point of marriage, they become spouses.

As it is known, the love of the child towards the parents should be transferred to the spouse. The transfer might not be easy but it should be learnt, cultivated and adopted.  There should not be comparison between the parent and the spouse. Your parents have their standard and you have the opportunity of setting new standard for your children. You can adopt some good policies of your parents and you can eschew the ones you do not like.

The final thing that must be realized is that you have longer years to live with your spouse than your parents, so learn the ways of your spouse and not judge him by the way of your parents. The crack-up that one has with one’s spouse is more turbulent than the one with one’s parents but when things finally settle, you will enjoy it. Your spouse will be with you for the longer part of life than your parents. Keep it in mind that one’s parent differs from one’s spouse.

May you enjoy your life with your parents and with your spouse happily thereafter.

Cheers!

Best wishes this week.

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DONATING vs FATHERING

Hello All,

Congratulations to all men who are opportuned to see the 2015 edition of the Fathers Day. The category of men include: the bachelors, expectant fathers, fathers, grandfathers and widowers. I am happy to be a part of these men and I know you will agree with me that I am going to write something that will prick us all. Let’s read: Donating vs Fathering.

When a man approaches a lady for a relationship; his love for her might be 80% while that of the lady is 20%. When the relationship starts, the lady’s love rises to 80% while that of the man goes as low as 20%. This accounts for many things that happens subsequently.

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STARING FROM THE SHOULDERS vs SITTING ON THE SHOULDERS

Good Morning,

I am writing with joy to you today. I hope I am neither boring you nor clogging your box? Hope you have been enjoying your world cup matches and I hope the matches has been entertaining and not frustrating. Today is a good day to look at what we have neglected these days.

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LONE WALK vs TEAMWORK

E nle ni beun,

This is a Yoruba expression meaning hello over there. It is my joy welcoming you to this new week. May it continually be well with us. May the peace of God reside with all of us. I am glad to be with you again and I hope there is something meaningful that we would learn today. The world cup is starting this week; let’s look at something relating to football. Let’s look at lone walk vs Teamwork.

In a game of football, when all the players decide to cooperate and they move towards the goalpost of their opponents, what is fundamental is the number of goals and not the number of dribbling. If the players want to make name independently; they do not make accurate passes or they are making short passes. They are heading for failure.

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HURTING RESPONSE vs WATCHFUL RESPONSE

Greetings All,

It is an opportunity reaching you in this month of June. How good is it to be in the middle of the year. Like I asked last week, what is your mid-year appraisal like? Keep your focus right and do not just do things arbitrarily, ensure you hit the mark at all times.

What are we discussing today? Hurting response versus watchful response. Has this ever happened to you? A friend would start a discussion with you saying, my neighbour has a particular challenge, I don’t know what to tell him, what’s your advise? Then you come up with condemnations of the particular deed before saying any useful thing.

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BURDEN vs DELEGATION

Saanu Janmo,

I want to start on a language note today, like a typical Hausa man would say, Hello All. I am sending my wishes for a lovely day and a week full of giant strides. June is almost here. What is our mid-year appraisal going to look like? Don’t give up, keep at it!

This week, we would be discussing something we know very well. I once remembered hearing that a Manager was taken off a team because he does not know how to manage people. If he assigns a task to those that he oversees, he often does it himself. It came to a point when he was overburdened that others were redundant and the task was killing him. We need not overburden ourselves; the antidote is learning how to delegate.

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PICKING UP A HABIT vs BREAKING THE HABIT

Una Good Morning,

With this pidgin greeting do I come to you this great Monday morning. Hope you had a nice weekend? Well, activities that I had to battle with for the weekend was overwhelming but I thank God; I am refreshed for the new week.

I have a friend who was introduced to smoking when he was waiting to be admitted to a tertiary institution of learning. He had the opportunity of mingling with the wrong set of young men and he started smoking. At a point, he wanted to break the habit, he struggled for three months and he did not smoke. He longed for it, he returned and in fact, the number of stick he consumes daily increased. Today, we are taking about the word, habit. So simple but let us look at the two sides of this word.

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FANTASIES vs REALITIES

Hello friends,

Here we are again at our weekly pond of sharing with one another. It is a delight to be your host on this platform. I hope you are not getting tired of me neither am I clogging your box?

Today is the 5^th day in the 5^th month of the year. I pray that you will rejoice in this new week and you will not disappoint God and humanity. May your good deeds this week evoke great remembrance for you always.

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BATTLE vs WAR

Hello Sirs and Mas,

It is the 1^st day in May, people had devised an acronym for the month, MIRACLES AWAITS YOU. You will receive miracles all the days in this month in Jesus’ name. (Amen)

I am coming a little late this week because of some commitments. I just learnt something different  in a detailed way during this week and I feel it would be useful for us. I have been told this statement before, “learn to lose the battle and win the war”. Let’s examine, war versus battle today.

Battle, in this sense, is not with lethal weapons but let’s see it in the perspective of the journey of life, which is a struggle. It is a struggle to emerge as the best in the midst of rivals. It is a stumbling block to get a job after writing a test and attending the interview, it is a struggle to satisfy your employer, it is a struggle to change your spouse, it is a struggle to impress your peers. The battle of life is all about a barrier to a dream. For example, you will be challenged as you manage to combine schooling with working, your will have frictions because of it. If you drop out, you have lost the battle.

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BEING IN TOUCH vs FINDING THE TOUCH

Hello friends,

It is a pleasure welcoming you to our usual stable of discussion every week. How was your Easter holiday? I hope you did not wear yourself out for the rest of the week. Like I once said on twitter, weekend gets more stressful if not managed cautiously.

I am coming to you with a phrase today; being in touch vs finding the touch. I hope no one will make fun of me! Why did I say so, people who know me very well would attribute it to nature but I believe it is cheap to learn the former than the latter. Let’s get into business.

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LOYALTY vs DISLOYALTY

Ndi Nkem,

You should be used to this now; I am simply saying my people in Igbo language. It is an opportunity to use this medium to showcase the heterogeneous nature of Nigeria. However, I know that we have readers from other continents.

Let’s go together on our trip for today. We would be considering loyalty vs disloyalty.

Loyalty has the following synonyms- faithfulness, fidelity, allegiance, trustworthiness, dependability and reliability. It is such a simple word that is heavily loaded. In fact, what is firstly expected of a military officer is to be loyal to the nation. Brands have evolved to a point in which people even get loyal to them; some people cannot drive any other brand of vehicle aside the one they are accustomed to; some people cannot take another milk asides the one they are used to; some people cannot use another telecommunication network because they are satisfied with the services of a particular network.

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ARMY vs POLICE

Ndi Obodoanyi,

Don’t get scared. It is my people in the Aniocha language of Delta State of Nigeria. Welcome to a new month and a new quarter in 2014. My own challenge at the turn of a new day, week, month, quarter and a new year is, “What have I achieved?” Let’s not waste time, life is all about time, and as a proper Igbo man would tell you, “Mai broad, time na money!”

Today’s discussion is from the Nigerian view, I know that I might draw some comments from the global community but I will be working from the context closest to me. We would all benefit if we open our heart to it: Army vs Police.

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BEFORE vs AFTER

Hello Folks,

It is an opportunity coming to you again through this medium. It was a great weekend of personally induced stress for me. Nonetheless, I look forward to a very rewarding week. I will implore you to attempt to make someone happy this week in your own little way.

This week, we would be working on a simple thing that we know very well. It is Before vs After.

Before, as we all know, is the event that precedes the current experience. Before happens to be the past that can be shared. Before is captured in many ways:  pictures, books, videos and even in memory. Before helps to appreciate the new situation one is in; before also could come in many ways: marital, health, academics and many more.

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Reality Show Winners vs Brand Ambassadors

Hello People of Substance,

It is a great opportunity coming your way this day. Thank God for a nice weekend. It was very relaxing for me, I decided to stay indoors and get refreshed for a new week. Thanks to PHCN- for not giving me electricity to enjoy it to the fullest.

As we do weekly, today, we would be considering. Reality Show Winners versus Brand Ambassadors.

Reality Show Winners are those who participate in a competition which is usually 10 weeks long. They are usually in search of fame, they want to express their themselves through their talents. I have been an audience to many reality shows and I have tried to watch the progression of many winners after their emergence but the challenge is, many of them do not go so far. However, some of them are doing very well.

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