A people without a destination needs no direction, they see every wave is a weapon of mass distraction. When a country cannot maximize modernization, cruel crimes will be its symbol of civilisation.
“Soro soke” is our new national salutation, Our society now craves socioeconomic sanitation. Madmen in uniform requires total rehabilitation. Arrogant ancestors in agbada should go into extinction.
When money becomes a man’s sole motivation, timeless treasures become his timely temptation. He uses brutality to build a faulty foundation on which he constructs castles of corruption.
When rodents rule over a resourceful nation, they ravage lives without fear of retribution. In a bid to manipulate and win general elections; they trade the fortune of the unborn generation.
It’s time to crush cocoons and form a coalition to drive the change we desire with determination. Police officers should enforce laws with caution. Human rights should be given optimum attention.
Public office should not be a juicy junction where the elite derive economic domination. It’s time to speak up for our nation’s liberation from the claws of cluelessness and corruption.
In the brewery of brutality they were crushed and killed. By custodians of criminality innocent bloods were spilled.
Silenced by trigger happy cops, yet their peace is loud and clear. It roars and rages from rooftops to fight police fierceness and fear.
In the sanctuary of our streets a million-candle sparkles. Timeless tales told with tweets as every timeline twinkles.
Every candle screams in silence “justice must prevail”. Politicians can’t preen in pretence while heroes travail.
The end of bad governance is here, It’s happening right now. The end of police brutality is here, It’s happening right now!
#EndSARS protests in Nigeria took a different and emotional twist today, Friday October 16, as protesters all across the nation and in Diaspora holds a candle night in remembrance of all victims of Extra-judiciary killings and police brutality.
Recall that the protest started as a critical response to incessant police brutality and extrajudicial killings by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit of the Nigerian Police Force which was disbanded by the Inspector-general of police, Mohammed Adamu who later, announced the establishment of Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) to replace SARS.
Feminist Coalition, a group of young Nigerian feminists formed in July 2020 with a mission to champion equality for women in Nigerian society has been at the forefront of the protests, mobilizing resources, raising awareness, coordination protests and so on.
The names of some of the victims published by Feminist coalition
The names of some of the victims published by Feminist coalition
In a world of pressure and pain, We need doses of healing and hope. In a world of struggles and strain, We need doses of courage to cope.
In a world of flame, fury and flood, We need doses of rest and restoration. In a world of bullets, bars and blood, We need doses of and affection.
In a world of fears and frustration, We need doses of hug and handshakes. In a world of death and destruction, We need doses affection and all it takes.
It is believed that hugs may not only have healing powers, but actually help protect against stress and negative emotions caused by interpersonal conflict.
When people continually commit to interpersonal touch such as hugs and handshakes, it oftentimes improve their sense of wellbeing and leads to healthy relationships.
Today, lend a hand of healing and hope to someone in distress. Save a soul, someone needs your touch to survive and thrive.
If you can’t use your hands, use your head, if you can’t use your head, use your heart, we all have what it takes to make the world a better place. Cognition, compassion and character count!
There are times we feel hurt, hopeless and helpless. Life throws bricks at us to break our hearts and fight our faith. In stormy seasons like this, our strength and skills seem worthless. We tend to believe that it’s either prayers are not working or God is not listening.
I have been through such situations in recent times, I was tempted to ask, “where is God?” I stopped breathing for days. I couldn’t feel myself, God seems so distant, I drowned in feelings of defeat, disappointments, denial and delay that I was dealing with.
In stretching my faith, I prayed, praised, worshipped, cried and pleaded but things appeared to get more out of my control. In all of these, a still small voice kept on telling me that I was not buried to die but ‘buried to bloom‘.
Image credit: hylo.de
I began to ruminate of the lives of Bible characters such as Joseph, David, Job, Esther and Jesus. These great characters faced tough situations that made it look like they were forgotten and forsaken, but God -the ever faithful One came through for them.
When you feel buried, broken or battered by the battles of life. When you feel stranded, stuck and surrounded by the storm of life. Don’t feel dismayed or despondent, God may be using the storm to strengthen you. He sometimes uses battles to build, bless and beautify our lives.
Dear broken heart, I may not know what you are going through but I know that tough times are temporary seasons that come with a lesson and a blessing. Here are some ways to hold on and stay strong in the storm.
Find support from genuine and godly friends and family.
Study God’s word, study plans on ‘hope’ would help.
Pray even when you don’t feel like, ask friend a to join you in prayers.
Listen to songs and sermons that will stir up your faith
Discard depressing thoughts and materials.
Take a break from social media (platforms) or anything that may fuel frustration.
Talk to Godand talk to people who can help.
Listen and be on the look out, God is with you and He is whispering words of faith to you.
Feel free to say these poetic prayers.
Dear God, Help me to see your hand when life’s flame floods my eyes. Help me to daily understand that You are wonderful and wise.
Dear God, Help me to walk in wisdom to know what’s perfect to do. Help me to flow in freedom to lead a life that’s true.
Dear God, Let me not turn to sin for relief no matter how tough life gets. Save me from gloom and grief no matter how sorrow besets.
Dear God, Help me to know that I am not buried in darkness to die. Help to know that I am favoured, fortified and free to fly.
Finally, here is an admonition to everyone going through troubles. “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” 2 Corinthians 4:17
Amid global panic, pandemic and pandemonium, I have come to realize that we need more than hand sanitizers, we need sanity. Hand sanitizers can eliminate germs from our hands but what can eliminate fear and frustration from our hearts? Face mask has proven to be effective in preventing the spread of virus, but without ‘faith-mask’, a lot of folks may continue to struggle with depression, despair, fear, grief, and anxiety.
The scourge of Covid-19 has rendered world powers clueless and powerless. People all over the world still look up to the government, scientists and medical practitioners to proffer solution. However, there are certain things that requires more supernatural support and human effort.
Some of us wonder why God would allow the whole world to be groaning and grieving this much. Why would a good God permit bad things to happen? The question I ask myself is, why would a good man allow his wife to get pregnant, even though the woman will go through a season of discomfort and the terrible pain of child labour?
This pandemic has made some to lose their faith and love their fears. If you don’t have any iota of faith in a God that you cannot see, why do you fear a virus that you cannot see?
I have met quite a few people who say that prayer is pointless in situations such as this global pandemonium. Action is required, and I agree. I think that prayer has never been the solution to any problem. However, the lack of prayer has been the source of many problems.
Prayerlessness is not only a pathway to powerlessness, but it’s the catalyst of cluelessness.
Prayer doesn’t necessarily change the mind of God, but it puts us in a position to access the storehouse of God and also enjoy His peace even in the storm. God already has a plan and purpose for everything happening in our world. He is not trying to figure out how to help us.
He doesn’t need us to tell Him what to do, but He only wants to know if we would factor Him into our fears, failures, floods, flames, and frustrations. Our trust in God is a fragrance that invites Him into our situation. Faith promotes peace, progress, and prosperity. Fear, on the other hand, fuels frustration.
Faith Boosters and Fear Busters
Let me share with you ten faith boosters that have always helped me.
Don’t look forward to the light at the end of the tunnel, there is light within the tunnel, and it’s in you. Find your spark, speak your light into existence.
Don’t declare defeat when the battle is still on. No matter what you are going through, tell yourself that it is not over until God takes over. The presence of pain is not the absence of gain.
Don’t be an instrument of torment to yourself or the people around you. Encourage yourself. The fact that you are still breathing is a sign that God has bigger and better plans for you.
Don’t magnify your mess. Gold is not found in clean and comfortable places. We get buried sometimes because we are treasures. Life uses pains to refine and rebrand us.
Don’t contemplate suicide. Speak out. Help is always available. Rock bottom is not a burial ground but a good place to bounce back to grace.
Be positive in a positive way. Renew your heart with good and godly materials. Don’t just seek motivation, find revelation. What you know is more important than what you feel.
Be sensitive: life is always speaking. Storms have a voice. Don’t be distracted by delay, denial, or discouragement. Be vigilant to new visions if you desire positive change.
Be confident: bravery is an antidote to slavery. Cowardice has a way of making potential champions act like a chicken. Failure is not the opposite of failure but an opportunity to succeed. Face your fears and forge forward.
Be positioned for possibility. Life will not always give you what you deserve but what you demand. Don’t wait for things to happen. Make things happen. Take bold steps, even if they do not make sense at first.
Be prayerful: God has a pivotal role to play in our journey to survival, success, and significance. Those who deploy the drone of prayers see situations clearly and capture opportunities faster. Don’t be robbed of your peace and progress just because you refuse to include God in the equation.
I have been there before, the valley of death where you get burnt without smelling like smoke; no scar or bruises to show that you are burning down emotionally.
I was depressed for many years, and I can tell the taste of hopelessness especially when it is cooked with fear, failures and frustration. Many years in the dungeon of deep depression, far beyond feeling, I came face-to-face with a force that turns physical giants to emotional ants.
Depression defies definition, it goes beyond expression. Don’t try to define it.
No one snaps out of depression. Yet, no matter how cancerous it may be, it is fixable. Unlike sadness, depression is not a symptom, it’s a systemic disorder that defies physical strength, social status and intelligence.
It’s a heated hole that needs to filled and chilled with love and medical attention as the case may be. Depressed individuals need more than healing, they need to find the meaning of their miseries, and that meaning can be found in the dictionary of love, care and proper attention.
According to mayorclinic.org, depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest and can interfere with human’s daily functioning. In as much as this definition may not fully capture what depression is all about, it indicates that depression is a disorder.
You can’t tell a depressed person to just snap out of it, but you can help them walk out of it. I will like to share certain facts that you need to know about depression and how to walk out of it. Let’s go on a poetic cruise.
Depression is difficult to define, It’s surely beyond not feeling fine. A depressed person feels nothing But weeps within about everything.
Depression has deep dimensions, it goes beyond facial expressions. A depressed man can still smile while his faith gets more fragile.
Depression clearly isn’t sadness, It’s the grave of guts and gladness. A depressed man isn’t really weak, He is tired of trying not to be weak.
Depression is pain without purpose, It’s a thorn that reeks just like a rose. A depressed man basks in bitterness Yet swims in the stream of sweetness.
Depression is beyond what and why. Do you ask onions why people cry? Depression is a system, not a symptom. Dealing with it requires great wisdom.
Depression is beyond being emotional, To get better requires being intentional. Despair has an end, don’t quit trying, That death-voice in your head is lying…
Depression is more like a secret storm, It makes a strong man live like a worm. Despair doesn’t kill, helplessness does. Seek help, speak out, silence that buzz.
How and Where To Get Help
Help is always available but you must be willing to either be reachable or be vulnerable. Get access to the right people or give access to the right people Here are a few other tips.
If depression is a disorder, then it means the disrupted order needs to be restored. In the beginning of creation, the earth was without form and void, darkness covered the whole earth – depression look-alike. But God commanded light and order into the void and dark world. Turning to God in prayer will set the foundation for healing. However, healing from depression is a process that requires human connection and attention. Below are a few tips that can help:
It seems every girl has a sour story to tell, some are yet to heal from the fire and fury of rape. Their scars are scary though unseen, their injuries get fuelled by injustice and stigmatization. Is there a sanctuary for assaulted souls?
When I was eight years old, my oldest brother sexually assaulted me for two years. I didn’t like it, but I didn’t do anything to stop it because it was all I knew. One day before my mom left, I asked her not to go because I didn’t want to be alone with him in the house. She asked why and I finally told her. His defense was that it wasn’t just one-sided, but I didn’t know what else to do but let him do it. Things got awkward after that, but now he doesn’t even speak with us, has a wife and kid and is just fine, I suppose… (Story of an eighteen years old lady, culled from http://www.takebackthenight.org)
Rape is a forbidden fruit that has many seeds, and one of them is ignorance. A man who knows better will do better. So let me remind all men why rape is not just a grievous sin but an act of ingratitude to women.
There are some things a boy needs to learn before he becomes a man so that he won’t become a mindless and mannerless man. Also, there are some things a man needs to learn so that he won’t act a wild man. Justice begins within. I really don’t like protests, so I am not going to wait for people to start protesting for justice again, let me speak to the soul of our men, may be I can prevent anotherr protest. Shall I?
A lady is cruising around the corner, but you spotted a net to score a goal, forgetting that she’s a sister with a soul. She’s not a prey, God is her sole owner.
A woman’s womb is man’s first fortress She bleeds and grieves to bestow life. Yet you wrecked her haven with strife O rapist, you merit to drown in distress!
A real man cultivates a budding flower, He sees every woman as God’s package. His rod is not a weapon of wreckage… Only madmen violates a divine tower.
You put the blame on her skimpy skirt, But her body is none of your business. Look and leave, your royal badness, Who rapes you for an unbuttoned shirt?
Every woman is a mobile miracle, She is a gallery of undeniable attraction. Even if some blatantly brew distraction, Must you dive into the river of ridicule?
Don’t trick or taunt her to feed your ego. Without consent, sex is a poor pleasure, and it bestows misery beyond measure. Tame your tool, be your own superhero.
