BASTARDIZATION OF CHARITIES IN NIGERIA

Image courtesy of sufenwang.com

If you take a look as the amount of Nigerians seeking to ’blow’ just from owning and starting up charitable organizations and NGOs in Nigeria, you would be amazed at how degraded the term charitable organizations has become in the country.

Businessdictionary.com defines a charitable organization as an incorporated or non-incorporated tax exempt body which (1) is created and operated for charitable purposes, (2) employs all its resources to those charitable activities that are under its direct control, (3) does not distribute any part of the income generated for the benefit of any trustee, trustor, member, or other private individual, and (4) does not contribute to or associates with political organizations.

The above definition shows that the aim of charities is mainly philanthropy and every other form of giving back to society but down here, the reverse is the case – taking from the society in the guise of NGO, foundations and those other fancy names they give to these money making ventures nonprofit organizations. A critical look on some of these supposed charities or NGOs would reveal that they are not different from most for-profit organizations; they appear on the surface as a group established for humanitarian, religious or philanthropic causes but underneath, the ‘business’ goes on.

In a January 2012 article on Thisday newspaper titled Sustaining NGOs for Effective Service Delivery, Amaka Eze wrote, “As good as the concept of NGOs seems to be, some individuals however see the platform as a meal ticket and way out of poverty, thus use funds and grants from donor agencies to build personal houses, buy exotic cars, while those for whom the monies were donated are allowed to wallow in abject poverty.”

Someone was talking to me about trying to “help” a female friend (he was also interested in dating her) and he used these words, “Imagine the girl I was trying to help better her life. I was talking to her about looking for a name, starting up an NGO after which I’d introduce her to one or two people and from there, things would be better but she is misbehaving.” From every indication, “things would be better” as used by this young man could pass for: she’d make money, fame etc . There are a lot of Nigerians who are like this young man, they see starting up charities as a form of business venture – an escape from being broke or a source of income. From politicians who start or own them just to garner votes during elections, as objects of campaign, as tools to harness theft and misappropriation of public funds to celebrities who own them just to stay in the news, sometimes without even being concerned with the activities of the organizations for instance, every year, new queens emerge (as either Miss Nigeria or one of the other Misses in the numerous pageantries available today) and part of their projects is establishing charities that would cater a particular humanitarian need in the society but the twist is this: most of these charities either ceases to exist or become non-operational after a while or would only exist for the duration of the supposed queen’s reign. Why start it in the first place?!

Charitable organizations has been toyed with, misused and abused in Nigeria. In other parts of the world, there are charity regulators ie a group that sees that these charities are managed effectively and operated within their legal framework but I doubt if there is any like that here in the country because I’m yet to see or hear of any.

To ensure proper practice and regulation in the Third sector, a body should be created solely for seeing to the establishment and regulations of these charities (if none is in existence already)and if there is a regulating body, I think they are not just doing their job as it should be done because if handled properly, they (Charities or NGO’s) contribute to the nation’s economy and therefore shouldn’t be left for those who have decided to make money from any possible means or who see every single venture as a tool for their political antics.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Follow me on Twitter: @victorikeji

IMO WOMEN ARE PROMISCUOUS AND OTHER LIES...

The statement 'Imo women are promiscuous' is one of those lies that have been told severally that it begin to seem true and cool to say or use. That one girl/woman is doesn't mean all of them is or that it runs in their blood like some people had suggested. It is just like saying 'yoruba women are party-freaks' when I know of some that would not attend the periodical 'owambe' for a whole year.

This brings to mind other clichès like "Nigerians are 419ners and cyber criminals" "Calabar people are sex freaks" "Benin is the hub of witchcraft in Nigeria" etc

What these lies does is, it takes charge of our perceptions consciously or subconsciously and then forms our judgment of the said people, race or country and when this happens, it affects how these people are being related or interacted with.

Some very quick examples, businesses or transactions that have Nigeria on it or are operated by Nigerians are always suspected to be fraudulent even if they are genuine. Most websites are inaccessible to Nigerians for fear of breaching its security or swindling its users. Each time a Calabar person (a word commonly use to refer to people from Akwa Ibom and Cross-river states in Nigeria) is spotted, it is assumed that he/she would be a pro or love to do it not minding the fact that a good number of them don't even have an inkling for sex. We always hear words like ‘benin witch’ and other stereotypical words that tends to associate Benin city or its people with the practice of witchcraft even when a good number of these people has never had anything to do with such practices.

Back to the statement "Imo women are promiscuous", this has stereotype written all over it because anybody can be; only that people always seem to notice it when an imo person is involved. At one particular time, the statement almost took its toll on me as I joined the bandwagon and the bandwagon effect was almost shaping my perception of all imo people especially the women until I met more of them, got to interact with and even stayed a long while with them.

The statement remains a fallacy of hasty generalization and should best be discontinued so that the younger generation whose minds are very receptive wouldn't have a one sided cum biased mindset about this group of people which would in turn affect the way they relate with or perceive imo people. The long term effect of this stereotype could be a comformation of the affected people to that which they are been identified with. There could also be problems in relationships involving the said people as they sometimes would lack the trust of the person they are in a relationship with because of a belief that they are promiscuous.

Just a few questions to clear the air on this one, is promiscuity hereditary or carried in the gene? If my father and two other friends that happen to be from Anambra supports Barcelona, does it automatically make me a Barca fan? If there are a few headless matchstick in a matchbox, does it mean that all the matchsticks in the box are headless?

Let’s put on our thinking caps and stop these unnecessary stereotypes!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twitter: @victorikeji

8 Types of People You May Likely Find In Nigerian Universities

Throughout the 4 years spent in the University or what my American friends would call college, I met, got acquainted to, made friends with and observed several individuals. I kind of classified them into ten and below is an attempt to describe these people. Mind you, the names used are not real but fictional. 

JACK THE BOOKWORM: This guy or type of people reads everything that has to do with his or their academic work to the extent that they use them in everyday conversation sometimes even knowing some concepts more than their lecturers. Their favourite 'fun spot' is usually the library, stadium or one of those other isolated places. They usually have that nickname - 'First Class' although many of them end up not graduating with a First class degree. They are usually ignorant of happenings around them or even some occurrences around school because of their sometimes 'withdrawn' nature. Ask them something like 'who were the people protesting on campus the other day?' And you get a reply along the lines of, 'I don't know, how does that add to my GP?'

JULIE THE MARKETER: Julie has the hustling spirit and this is how she likes to describe it but in the real sense, she is a 'runz gal'. Marketing in this contest refers to 'showcasing' her 'wares' and getting paid for them. The nature of her job(s) makes travelling a compulsory hobby sometimes as she is always on the go. She is hardly found on campus or in class because of the demanding nature of this job. She is classy and would appear in expensive wears, jewelries and phones, all thanks to her wealthy clientele. Some individuals in this class are smart and could write and speak legibly, others are outright dumb, couldn't even spell their names but only know one thing - money.

ALEXANDER THE TERRIBLE: He was probably 'blended' in his first or second year on campus and is then termed a 'strong man'. He is rarely found in class except during certain practical classes or on exams day. He appears innocent sometimes and is unnecessarily humble as it is common for him to refer to you as 'Boss' or 'Sir'. People who know him treats him with respect just to avoid getting themselves into trouble with him and he always have his way with 'Jew men'. He could be seen sometimes with a bag hanging across his shoulder - a bag you dare not touch or try to open. Alexander may not be caught smoking in public but he sure is a smoker and spends a lot of time hanging out with the boys at the bar, exchanging banters in between bottles or discussing 'business' in hushed tones.

MATERIALISTIC NONSO: He/she is that boy or girl that would rocks the latest fashion or uses that phone that is in vogue. This 'shiny' individual would spend money trying to look like those models on some music videos or even the celebrity themselves all thanks to the plethora of uncles, aunties, brothers, sisters, cousins etc that they would 'tax' before returning to school even after their parents must have given them their allowances. He/she is probably from a 'humble' home but when you get to see this person in school, you'd think that the father owns an oil bloc due to their flashy appearance. Nonso would lie about everything starting from what his/her father does for a living down to why they are not attending a university abroad or a private university.

KALU THE ENTREPRENEUR: This guy has 'business' written over him, from the way he talks, reasons, down to his views about life. You shouldn't be surprised if rumours starts flying around about him owning a space at that market close to the school. Kalu, who maybe one of those people whose parents would rather starve to ensure that he remains in school sees making-money-while-in-school as the perfect getaway from frustration and inadequate funding. He sometimes drops out of school in pursuit of happiness or finishes and then faces business squarely.

UCHE THE APOSTLE: Uche could be a boy or girl or to be more specific, that brother or  sister. If you happen to be his/her roommate, be ready to get to know Jesus personally. If there is something you feel he needs to know ASAP and his number seem not to be available or his cell is turned off, just try to locate him first at the school's Gethsamane (usually a place , not necessarily a church where students gather to pray sometimes) or in any other place(s) where brethren meet. Uche eats, reads and sleeps the bible sometimes even forgetting about his/her coursework till exams day. Uche stays in the hostel or have an apartment offcampus but a greater part of his/her day is spent attending one fellowship meeting or the other. Although he may not be in your faculty but don't be surprised to find him in front of your class one early morning just before lecture commences trying to tell the whole class a thing or two about Jesus Christ.

JOHN THE CLASS CLOWN: Every class in every department in every faculty in the University has this particular guy. He cracks everybody up with either his speech, body movement or the way he answers question in class. Most people see him as unserious but he could be one of those people that exams haven't really favoured and so they sought solace in making others smile.

PATRICK THE RANDOM GUY: He is what some people call the unusual everyday guy. He attends class just like every other person, submits assignments and writes exams just like every other student. He is usually not involved in things like politics or sports in the department but he could be found among the observing crowd. He appears simple and does not court attention. He is the best person to ask for any information concerning the department or faculty because he can be found everywhere as long as there are people there and it has to do with the department or faculty.

Bottom line is: God creates people with different characters and personalities and then have them placed at different parts of the country/world but the university brings them together. The university affords you with the opportunity to learn from this vast array of individuals.

Seize the opportunity!

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Twitter: @victorikeji

CANDID RANTS ON HOMOSEXUALITY AND GAY TREATMENT IN NIGERIA

Ade and Mike have been great buddies since their high school days. Both are in their late 20's, living together in the US and are known homosexuals. Ade's family reunion that is scheduled to hold in Nigeria happens to be a problem for the two of them because they stand the risk of serving jail term or even getting lynched by a mob for their sexual preference.

The Nigerian government signed the anti-gay rights bill into law and this law could be summarised as follows: That anyone found/caught carrying out homosexual acts would be liable to 14 years in prison and also that any person that supports or is a member of gay organisations, associations or club is liable to 10 years in prison. The law became effective this year and since then there have raids in which gay people are apprehended mostly in the Northern part of the country. There have also been cases of suspected gay people being lynched. I saw a clip sometime last year in which three University students suspected to be lesbians were stripped and forced to perform sexual acts on themselves in public. The International community have frowned at this step taken by the Nigerian government while there are even rumours of some countries threatening to stop giving aids to Nigeria. Many Nigerians are of the opinion that homosexuality is unafrican or to be specific 'unnigerian' and some religions frown at it and that is why gay people in this part of the world seems to be ill-treated. 

A couple of weeks back, former boxing champion Evander Holyfield stated that being gay is not normal and can be fixed and a greater number of the American population started sounding their trumpet of criticism. As criticisms keep pouring in and as more world citizens continue to add their voice to the subject, I think this is like a clarion call to behavioural scientists to conduct experiments on the possibility of psychotherapy as a means of checking homosexuality. Some Nigerians believe that homosexuality is more spiritual than physical, although I am not disputing their view, I believe homosexuality is more behavioural than spiritual. They shouldn't be locked up like the Nigerian government is doing at the moment or lynched as have been witnessed in some areas but rather they should be HELPED. 

Homosexuality is not a medical condition or like some would say 'I was born this way'. No, not that at all. I believe it is more of a mindset thing, more like an experiment carried out by a young child or an adolescent which later turns into a habit and then is forming or has formed the person's character. Someone argued that just like alcohol and drug addicts undergo rehabilitation and become free, gay people should be rehabilitated too.(The prison could be said to be a form of rehabilitation but I don't think the same could be said of Nigerian prisons) As dumb or silly as that argument is to some, I believe there is an iota of truth in it and that just like Holyfield opined, it can be fixed. I am of the opinion that if those 'gay moments' are noticed in a child early, some form of psychotherapy put in place, it could be checked and then maybe the child would grow up to be 'normal'

Let's put a stop to gay lynching and imprisonment and look at the possibility of psychotherapy as a means of helping this set of people.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twitter: @victorikeji

OF PARTISAN POLITICS, GRANDFATHERS IN POWER AND EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP

 By Ikeji, Victor C.

It was Simon Kolawole -The journalist- who said "The Old PDP and The New PDP are just a committee of friends probably fighting over who took the large chunk of meat from the table while they were eating.". He went further to state that "we shouldn't take sides when these people are fighting because they are all the same, fighting for their own share of the National cake and not concerned about me and you". 

This brought to my mind the issue of partisan politics here in Nigeria whereby everyone is concerned about winning primaries for their parties and going on to win the election against other parties after which they start siphoning off funds to pay of debts incurred during election campaigns or settling their political 'Godfathers' who fought tooth and nail to place them in that position. It doesn't just stop there as they would now go on to fill their own pockets and that of family members, relatives and even in-laws leaving the problem that is supposed to be solved unattended to. Surprisingly, after appointing and putting their cohorts into different positions and implementing policies that would make it seem like they are actually trying to solve the problem, they continue ripping the country of its resources and funds. As if that is not enough, they come back for a second term with the same 'nutella coated' promises they used during the elections in their first term or sometimes slightly modifying it so as to have us (who does nothing but take sides during their battles with other parties) to vote for them.

We seem to be carried away with the style of politics being carried out by these 'over-experienced', self-glorifying, 'recycled' buffoons which is why you have young and intelligent minds carrying the tag 'Political analyst' on TV discussing or sometimes even taking sides with these parties who have done nothing but loot the Nation's treasury and stripped it of its resources. The sometimes biased media had even turned these 'old thieves' into celebrities as it is uncommon to always find 'the XYZ led faction or ABC led faction' on the cover of Dailies and News headlines on Television. The younger generation now enjoys discussing politics and holding debates about 'their' parties. A young man once said while we were discussing governance 'Take a look at my party and the strategies they've put in place plus the Candidates they would be bringing forth come 2015 and you'd see that there is hope for this country.' This individual is only concerned about selling the Idea that 'his' party is the best and should be voted in come 2015 probably because of what he stands to gain afterwards.

We are a Nation under siege by these Grandfathers who have nothing to offer but employ some of their old and outdated tricks to stay in power. It is said that you can't use the same technique which have not solved a problem over and over and expect a positive result. This is applicable to the Nigerian situation whereby some people have been in power for so long, yet nothing seem to have changed and they are still being recycled with every election. The former Vice president of World bank -Oby Ezekwesili while speaking at an event was asked by a young adult 'Ma, if given a chance to go back into power, what would you change?' Her reply was 'After serving for 5years, I think I have had enough service of the Country, we need the younger ones like you in power' I was thrilled by her response and the next thing that came to mind was the politicians who are still clamouring for political offices after serving for about half of the country's age or even more.

Instead of taking sides or voting for 'our' parties during elections, I think we should concentrate on doing away with these aged fellows who had done nothing but worsen our problem and breed a new crop of young leaders who are passionate for change and would champion the course of good governance and effective leadership which would bring about the desired change and development that we as a Country had been deprived of over the years.

________________________________________

Twitter: @victorikeji

THE PROBLEM WITH ONLINE SHOPPING IN NIGERIA

"They are all fraudulent. Online shopping in Nigeria is the fastest way to loose your money."

"Ordered for a wristwatch from an online store on Valentine's day. Called them that morning to confirm my order. They confirmed it. Waited all day for the watch, no delivery.
They called me two days later to come downstairs and pick up my order. I asked the delivery man to go to hell"

"Rule number 1 in Nigeria is never pay for what you haven't seen. Take this advice to the grave with you."

The aforementioned statements are among several made by some Nigerians when asked about their Online shopping experience. These problems I believe are not just peculiar to Online stores in Nigeria as some of them in other countries which we perceive as 'developed' also have had or is still having similar problems.

Online shopping is exciting/fun as you look through products you want, add them to your virtual cart, make payments with your MasterCard or ATM cards and have the items delivered to your doorstep. Its stress and hassle free save for the problems associated with them atimes. In Nigeria, there are several Online stores including the well known Jumia and Konga, but their services can't be compared with that of Amazon, eBay and their likes because these ones have been around for a while. The major problem with online shopping in Nigeria is delivery and trust. The problem of delivery is as a result of some of these stores dealing on several category of products. Mind you, some of these stores rely on sub retail physical stores and when the demand is too much for a particular product, there is the issue of late delivery.

Also, the 'yahoo boys' and 'scammers' have made online transaction a no go area for Nigerians as most people have a problem with revealing their account details or ATM card PINs online owing to their past bitter experiences. This lack of trust on the part of Nigerians is still why most people would prefer to stick with the traditional means of shopping rather than shop online.

The problem of delivery I think would be a thing of the past soon because of the huge investments being made on some of these Online stores which I think would make service delivery more efficient and reliable but the trust issue would linger for a while not until the activities of the so called 'yahoo boys' are reduced to the barest minimum by our Graft agencies with the help of the Government.

PS: What are the other problems you think are associated with online shopping in Nigeria? The comment box is there for your usage.

Twitter: @victorikeji

ZERO MAINTENANCE CULTURE IN NIGERIA

The other day, sixteen(16) abandoned planes were marked for destruction cum sent to a steel company for recycling. That got me thinking 'what if the Eiffel Tower was in Nigeria, probably it would have be...en dismantled and sent to a steel company for recycling by now'. Over the years, our lack of maintenance culture had led to us loosing Billions of Naira and yet we still have that proverbial 'Do away with the old wife as soon as you get a new wife' attitude. The state of our refineries is nothing to write home about as importation of refined petroleum products is now the norm in a country that is one of the major exporters of oil in the world. The problem? -Lack of maintenance culture. In his book 'The Rules of Life', Richard Templar opines "Sometimes we need an old-fashioned approach of time and attention and finding out. Like our grandparents, who didn't throw things away[or abandon them] and get a new one when something had stopped working -they patiently sat down and tried to sort out what it is that had gone wrong and if there was a way to put it right again".
Our General Hospitals could be likened to a hospital ran by a Doctor who just saved some little money working with the Government and decided to go into private practice. They are understaffed, lack functional pharmacies and proper lighting and this is supposed to be a government controlled institution. I saw pictures and read about the Police College at Ikeja, Lagos state and I felt really sorry for the country and that is still due the Government's lackadaisical attitude. How would one expect an excellent output or effort from a policeman who was trained in such an unkempt, dilapidated, smelly, rat-infested place called a police college. The numerous potholes we complain of on our roads have also found their way to our runways. A visit to any of the local airport in the country would prove this fact yet we have a functional Government. Growing up, I used to hear about NITEL, NRC, NIGERWAX and other Government owned or controlled companies but now the adjective -'Defunct' is what you would find before them each time they are mentioned or appear on the Dailies owing to embezzlement of funds meant to foster the growth of these industries or institutions. Privatisation is now the order of the day because most of our corrupt officials see that as an avenue to get richer and this is because most of these privately owned companies are owned by them and are being run by their agents yet we are complaining of not progressing. How would we progress when the country's wealth rests in the hands of few people.
Around the country, you could tell if an institution is government controlled or owned by the shape in which it is in or the nature of its maintenance. I wonder what would have become of countries like the USA, Britain, France, South Africa, Germany, China etc if their government's attitude towards maintenance is like that of Nigeria. Can you compare a public school in the US with one here in the country? Or a General Hospital here in the Country with one in South Africa? These questions are left for you -the readers to answer.
Our neighbouring country -Ghana is a testimony of how a proper maintenance culture could turn a country around for better. Malaysia collected oil palm seeds from Nigeria sometime ago, today they remain one of the major exporters of Oil palm but where is Nigeria? yet we have a working Agricultural sector.
Until the Government of Nigeria sees the need to ensure a proper maintenance culture in its institutions, industries, ministries etc, the country would remain stagnant and the only notable progress we would be recording would be those that are mentioned when the president makes a nationwide broadcast.

Follow me on twitter: @victorikeji

COHABITATION IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES: The Undergraduate 'nna anyi' syndrome

The first time this was mentioned to some university students, they reeled out laughter at that coinage because some experienced and could attest to it. In university campuses across Nigeria, it is a common phenomenon for male students to rent off-campus apartments just for comfort and “a bit of privacy” as one of my classmates would say. Living in those houses alone i...s now a thing of the past as some students wants to experiment marital life before leaving campus and getting married proper. This led to the term “undergraduate nna anyi” which represents a male student living in his rented apartment with his girlfriend. This “couple life” as it is being referred to in some schools makes the male student assume the role of a husband and his girlfriend- the wife. This relationship has every attribute of a real marriage except that it must be devoid of pregnancy and the consent of the parents of both parties. The “undergraduate nna anyi” who relies on his parents for money, becomes the breadwinner as he provides money for food, sight-seeing during weekends and most often provides the female student with money for her upkeep. The female student on the other hand cooks, cleans up the house and satisfies her man’s sexual appetite. In some of these relationships, the female student’s accommodation fee is used for household expenses or in some cases, the proud-but-hungry boyfriend asks the girlfriend to look good with it (i.e. buy clothes and beauty accessories). This two are known by neighbors and people living around as they are seen going to and coming back from school together almost every day. For some, the only time they remember that they are actually students is when examinations come knocking as they spend a better part of the semester practicing family life. It is not uncommon to find most “undergraduate nna anyi’s” sleeping during lectures due to the vigils they keep at night. These male students tell every form of lies to their parents in other to get money for themselves and the demanding relationship and the female student doesn’t have this knowledge. At times of lack, maybe when the money they expect is not forthcoming or when they must have exhausted their allowances before time, these male students are seen running from one friend to another trying to borrow money just to please their girlfriends because as we all know, women have affinity for cash. The relationship as enjoyable as it seems from the outside, has dire consequences as some results in pregnancy which in turn leads to one or the two students dropping out of school or in more serious but rare cases death of either the boy or girl as a result of sexual marathons as had been witnessed in some university campuses. Most often, the male student squanders their school fees in the process which kicks off their problems in school as some are seen spending 6, 7 or more years for a 4year academic program. My advice to those who are thinking of engaging in the so called couple life is this: “not all that glitters is gold”. And for those who are already in it and think they are enjoying it- “the end justifies the means. 

Follow me on Twitter: @victorikeji