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Showing posts with label Nigerians in Diasporas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nigerians in Diasporas. Show all posts

NIGERIA: "Of Geography and Destiny"

NIGERIA: "Of Geography and Destiny"

 AS WHOLLY WRITTEN BY Kelechi Deca:

"Of Geography and Destiny"
----------------------------

"My dad didn't have nothing. He didn't have a house. He didn't have a car. No, he didn't. Not one in his name. … all he had was us. We basically are his legacy."


--- Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Antetokounmpo brothers (Giannis Antetokounmpo, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, and Kostas Antetokounmpo ) are first trio of brothers to win NBA titles.



And like the four Basketball playing Antetokounmpo brothers, there are also the four Ogwumike sisters making waves in Women Basketball. Nigeria invited three out of the four sisters for the Olympics. That would have been another shot at history to have three sisters play in one team at an Olympic game.

Unfortunately, the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) upheld the earlier decision by FIBA that Nneka Ogwumike, who was the WNBA MVP in 2016, has played for the United States team as an American citizen for too long, thus is not allowed to change status and play for Nigeria.

This left Nigeria with the services of only Chiney and Erica Ogwumike. Chiney was granted the ability to play with Nigeria as a naturalized player. She had asked the CAS to have that changed to giving her status as a Nigerian—the same as her sister Erica who is also on the Nigerian roster—since each country is only allowed one naturalized player.

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

Where am I going with all these?

Geography is opportunity and opportunity is destiny, thus Geography is destiny.

There are dreams that are too big to manifest in certain environments, and some environments are certified dream killers. Even Biblical scholars can attest to this fact as God always inputs Geography in the manifestation of certain callings.


If Charles and Veronica Adetokunbo hadn't done Plan B, by escaping Lagos to Athens in 1991, there wouldn't have been the name Antetokounmpo not to talk of their four sons making waves globally in Basketball. Because of the uncertainty of their Plan B, they left their first son Francis with his grandparents.



For the Ogwumike sisters, we know the answers.

Nigeria has always been a country of great potentials since I was a kid. We keep celebrating the potential instead of harnessing them.


Three years ago, I wrote that if God caused a reincarnation of Serena Williams to be born in Nigeria with objective to become another Tennis star, our dearth of requisite infrastructure will frustrate such divine mission.


Imagine a country of 200 million but not up to 10 Olympic standard functional Tennis Courts.

But it has not always been this bad. Growing up I still remember Tennis events such as The Lord Rumens Classics, Ogun Green Courts, Ogbe Hard Courts, Kaduna Clay Courts, Kano Dallas Hard Court, John Player Clay Court and later Okada Tennis Championships which were among the Challenger series in Nigeria. Until Nigeria happened to them all.

We even had a David Imonitie who played qualifying rounds of Wimbledon and a Nduka Odizor who even got to the round of 16 at Wimbledon after which he ranked 64 in the World.



How one of the most populated country in the world does not have a thriving sports industry beats human compression. Sports should be the lowest hanging fruits to uplift thousands from poverty and create massive employments across board. But which sports can we say we're managing well?

200 million people, only football. When there are more others we can focus and invest in to give wings to myriads of talents all over the place. Yet we can't manage football well.


You may come here to remind me about environmental possibilism. I agree, but even at that, the environment still limits available choices an individual has.


For example, you can't become a top star in Cricket in Nigeria, you may achieve that in India, Pakistan, South Africa or West Indies. But you can become a football star in Nigeria. Yet there are places you can become a star in any sporting event under the Sun because of the environment.


So while reminding me of environmental possibilism, do not forget that geographical determinism still has the edge. You can't talk about utilisation of possibilities and at same time disregarding very excruciatingly limited choices.


The highest level of environmental possibilism we have been having is the sparks of individual brilliance that shine from time to time in virtually every areas of endeavour. But no society grows with just sparks when there should be geoup brilliance to create much needed lift effect for greater communal impact.


Environments do constrain ambition.

Even our Lord Jesus acknowledged the fact that an environment can even frustrate God's plan. Remember when he blasted them of "making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”


Sorry, I forgot that I promised myself to stay clear of Nigerian issues?"

 AS WHOLLY WRITTEN BY Kelechi Deca:

"Of Geography and Destiny"
----------------------------

"My dad didn't have nothing. He didn't have a house. He didn't have a car. No, he didn't. Not one in his name. … all he had was us. We basically are his legacy."


--- Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Antetokounmpo brothers (Giannis Antetokounmpo, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, and Kostas Antetokounmpo ) are first trio of brothers to win NBA titles.



And like the four Basketball playing Antetokounmpo brothers, there are also the four Ogwumike sisters making waves in Women Basketball. Nigeria invited three out of the four sisters for the Olympics. That would have been another shot at history to have three sisters play in one team at an Olympic game.

Unfortunately, the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) upheld the earlier decision by FIBA that Nneka Ogwumike, who was the WNBA MVP in 2016, has played for the United States team as an American citizen for too long, thus is not allowed to change status and play for Nigeria.

This left Nigeria with the services of only Chiney and Erica Ogwumike. Chiney was granted the ability to play with Nigeria as a naturalized player. She had asked the CAS to have that changed to giving her status as a Nigerian—the same as her sister Erica who is also on the Nigerian roster—since each country is only allowed one naturalized player.

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

Where am I going with all these?

Geography is opportunity and opportunity is destiny, thus Geography is destiny.

There are dreams that are too big to manifest in certain environments, and some environments are certified dream killers. Even Biblical scholars can attest to this fact as God always inputs Geography in the manifestation of certain callings.


If Charles and Veronica Adetokunbo hadn't done Plan B, by escaping Lagos to Athens in 1991, there wouldn't have been the name Antetokounmpo not to talk of their four sons making waves globally in Basketball. Because of the uncertainty of their Plan B, they left their first son Francis with his grandparents.



For the Ogwumike sisters, we know the answers.

Nigeria has always been a country of great potentials since I was a kid. We keep celebrating the potential instead of harnessing them.


Three years ago, I wrote that if God caused a reincarnation of Serena Williams to be born in Nigeria with objective to become another Tennis star, our dearth of requisite infrastructure will frustrate such divine mission.


Imagine a country of 200 million but not up to 10 Olympic standard functional Tennis Courts.

But it has not always been this bad. Growing up I still remember Tennis events such as The Lord Rumens Classics, Ogun Green Courts, Ogbe Hard Courts, Kaduna Clay Courts, Kano Dallas Hard Court, John Player Clay Court and later Okada Tennis Championships which were among the Challenger series in Nigeria. Until Nigeria happened to them all.

We even had a David Imonitie who played qualifying rounds of Wimbledon and a Nduka Odizor who even got to the round of 16 at Wimbledon after which he ranked 64 in the World.



How one of the most populated country in the world does not have a thriving sports industry beats human compression. Sports should be the lowest hanging fruits to uplift thousands from poverty and create massive employments across board. But which sports can we say we're managing well?

200 million people, only football. When there are more others we can focus and invest in to give wings to myriads of talents all over the place. Yet we can't manage football well.


You may come here to remind me about environmental possibilism. I agree, but even at that, the environment still limits available choices an individual has.


For example, you can't become a top star in Cricket in Nigeria, you may achieve that in India, Pakistan, South Africa or West Indies. But you can become a football star in Nigeria. Yet there are places you can become a star in any sporting event under the Sun because of the environment.


So while reminding me of environmental possibilism, do not forget that geographical determinism still has the edge. You can't talk about utilisation of possibilities and at same time disregarding very excruciatingly limited choices.


The highest level of environmental possibilism we have been having is the sparks of individual brilliance that shine from time to time in virtually every areas of endeavour. But no society grows with just sparks when there should be geoup brilliance to create much needed lift effect for greater communal impact.


Environments do constrain ambition.

Even our Lord Jesus acknowledged the fact that an environment can even frustrate God's plan. Remember when he blasted them of "making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”


Sorry, I forgot that I promised myself to stay clear of Nigerian issues?"

Insecurity: Nigerians should borrow a leaf from Israel, rise to the occasion, and right the wrong

Insecurity: Nigerians should borrow a leaf from Israel, rise to the occasion, and right the wrong

Israel's Iron Dome

Israel is a nuclear-armed state with sophisticated weapons capable of taking on their neighbors.


It is not because they don't trust the God of Israel to protect them, but they know that the God of Israel won't do their duties for them.


Israel has a thriving economy with high standards of living for the citizens. 


It is not that they don't trust the God of Israel that provided their ancestors with Manna in the wilderness, but they understand that God won't plant rice and harvest it for them.

They have to do it themselves. 


Israel is not leaving the Gaza border in the hands of God and do nothing.


No, they built an 'Iron Dome' that intercepts rockets fired into Israeli territory by the Palestinian militant Hammas. 

Isreal has the best medical practice and hospitals in the world. They won the highest noble prize in science and research for humanity. 


It is not that they don't have confidence in the God of Moses and Elijah, but they understand that the God of Israel gave them wisdom and knowledge to act decisively. 


Dear Nigerian leaders, if there’s one, stop fooling around and hiding behind empty religion to cover up your incompetence. 


Your country is burning, people are dying, being murdered by militants. 


Kidnapping and banditry is the order of the day. 


People are living in fear everyday. 

.Yet, we hear you use words like, "It is in the hands of God" 


"Southwest is in the hands of God" 


"Nigeria is in the hands of God" 


How daft that is when you know that God has given you the power to take control of things. 


The money to equip the Army, Police and other security agencies to get a grip on this situation is not in the hands of God, it is in your hands.


Use it!


The money to rebuild roads, secure our borders, improve Healthcare and increase life expectancy is not in the hands of God, it is in your hands.


Use it!


For years, we've been sold this lie and fooled around, playing vain religion with people's lives. 


We can't go on like this. 


Borrow a leaf from Israel.


They have a job to do.


They do their part and God does His part. 


Do your part and get to work. 


Stop fooling around and playing with religion. 


The country is boiling while the leaders act as if they are in a coma!


Power is not conventionally given, rise to the occasion, get it and right the wrong.


##Copied

Israel's Iron Dome

Israel is a nuclear-armed state with sophisticated weapons capable of taking on their neighbors.


It is not because they don't trust the God of Israel to protect them, but they know that the God of Israel won't do their duties for them.


Israel has a thriving economy with high standards of living for the citizens. 


It is not that they don't trust the God of Israel that provided their ancestors with Manna in the wilderness, but they understand that God won't plant rice and harvest it for them.

They have to do it themselves. 


Israel is not leaving the Gaza border in the hands of God and do nothing.


No, they built an 'Iron Dome' that intercepts rockets fired into Israeli territory by the Palestinian militant Hammas. 

Isreal has the best medical practice and hospitals in the world. They won the highest noble prize in science and research for humanity. 


It is not that they don't have confidence in the God of Moses and Elijah, but they understand that the God of Israel gave them wisdom and knowledge to act decisively. 


Dear Nigerian leaders, if there’s one, stop fooling around and hiding behind empty religion to cover up your incompetence. 


Your country is burning, people are dying, being murdered by militants. 


Kidnapping and banditry is the order of the day. 


People are living in fear everyday. 

.Yet, we hear you use words like, "It is in the hands of God" 


"Southwest is in the hands of God" 


"Nigeria is in the hands of God" 


How daft that is when you know that God has given you the power to take control of things. 


The money to equip the Army, Police and other security agencies to get a grip on this situation is not in the hands of God, it is in your hands.


Use it!


The money to rebuild roads, secure our borders, improve Healthcare and increase life expectancy is not in the hands of God, it is in your hands.


Use it!


For years, we've been sold this lie and fooled around, playing vain religion with people's lives. 


We can't go on like this. 


Borrow a leaf from Israel.


They have a job to do.


They do their part and God does His part. 


Do your part and get to work. 


Stop fooling around and playing with religion. 


The country is boiling while the leaders act as if they are in a coma!


Power is not conventionally given, rise to the occasion, get it and right the wrong.


##Copied

Concerned Nigerians in Diaspora to the Buhari led FG: Nothing Must Happen to Mr. Omoyele Sowore

Concerned Nigerians in Diaspora to the Buhari led FG: Nothing Must Happen to Mr. Omoyele Sowore


A group of concerned Nigerians in  Diaspora have called on the federal government of Nigeria that nothing must happen to the publisher of Sahara Reporters and AAC presidential candidate in the 2019 general election, Mr Omoyele Sowore.

The concerned diasporians in their press statement on Thursday specifically called on Nigerian President Major General Muhammed Buhari, his Chief-of-Staff Prof Ibrahim Gambari, AbubakarMalami, SAN who is the Attorney General of the Federation,  Governor of Central Bank Godwin Emefiele and the Security Service Chiefs who have all been fingered to be part of the plot to attack, arrest and assassinate the Activist.

Read the full statement below 👇👇

Concerned Nigerians in Diaspora

Subject: 

Press Release: Nothing Must Happen to Mr. Omoyele Sowore 


We are a group of concerned Nigerians living in diaspora.


It has come to our notice that there are certain plots underway to forcefully take Mr. Omoyele Sowore again in order to harm him and/or stage his assassination under some unscrupulously disguised scenes. 


We have followed with keen interest, recent events and developments at home (Nigeria) particularly the agitations of citizens demanding that their fundamental human rights be respected by the various agencies of Government.


We have also studied the circumstances and debates around a recent peaceful #EndSARS protests, which was disrupted unfortunately, by a dispatch team of military men who moved to the scene on orders of the Nigerian State to shoot at an open assembly of peaceful and unarmed protesters. We are also monitoring proceedings of the various judicial panels of inquiry instituted by the State Governments in respect of the widely condemned police atrocities against citizens of our country.


Worrisomely, we have learned that many promoters of the #EndSARS civil protests are now being hounded and intimidated by the Nigerian Government through its various agencies; the Immigration and Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) seizing passports and profiling citizens not to leave the country; the security agencies trailing and arresting protesters; the DIA and SSS freezing accounts through the CBN and courts among others - even while a panel that is expected to heal the wounds of victims of police brutality is supposedly ongoing. This is a case of adding insult to injuries. 


But what is more disturbing now, and for which we now have decided to write in respect of all the ongoings, is the alleged plot to forcefully take Sowore and possibly assassinate him. 


It has become urgent that we sound this very important note of serious advice to the Nigerian Government; that NOTHING MUST HAPPEN TO SOWORE!


We observed footages of how men of the Nigerian Police Force on surreptitious orders opened fire on him and others who visited front of the National Assembly to make a peaceful symbolic protest of writing #EndSARS on the ground so the demand of Nigerian youths yearning for a better police-citizens relationship can gain emphases with their representatives at the National Assembly.


We also recall how men of the SSS laid siege on the court premises during his recent trial that is now abandoned by the Government. Sowore was forcefully taken again on the day and returned to detention. 


We want to warn that the Nigerian Government of President Mohammad Buhari must ensure to do everything possible to protect the life of Mr. Omoyele Sowore. 


We identify with pain that Mr. Sowore has been restricted to Abuja for more than a year already, through onerous bail conditions from a court trial that has not proven any wrongdoing on him till date. 


We hereby demand that the charges be dropped for want of proof and the bail veils lifted forthwith, as it is causing unwarranted and needless discomfort for his family, away from whom he had been taken and held without any rational cause. 


We are hereby drawing further international watches on this case, as it must not become another State murder. 


The following names are on our lists, should anything happen to Mr. Omoyele Sowore:


 - General Muhammed Buhari

 - Prof Ibrahim Gambari (Chief-of-Staff)

 - Abubakar Malami, SAN (Attorney General of the Federation)

 - Godwin Emefiele (Governor, Central Bank) and 

 - The Security Service Chiefs


A group of concerned Nigerians in  Diaspora have called on the federal government of Nigeria that nothing must happen to the publisher of Sahara Reporters and AAC presidential candidate in the 2019 general election, Mr Omoyele Sowore.

The concerned diasporians in their press statement on Thursday specifically called on Nigerian President Major General Muhammed Buhari, his Chief-of-Staff Prof Ibrahim Gambari, AbubakarMalami, SAN who is the Attorney General of the Federation,  Governor of Central Bank Godwin Emefiele and the Security Service Chiefs who have all been fingered to be part of the plot to attack, arrest and assassinate the Activist.

Read the full statement below 👇👇

Concerned Nigerians in Diaspora

Subject: 

Press Release: Nothing Must Happen to Mr. Omoyele Sowore 


We are a group of concerned Nigerians living in diaspora.


It has come to our notice that there are certain plots underway to forcefully take Mr. Omoyele Sowore again in order to harm him and/or stage his assassination under some unscrupulously disguised scenes. 


We have followed with keen interest, recent events and developments at home (Nigeria) particularly the agitations of citizens demanding that their fundamental human rights be respected by the various agencies of Government.


We have also studied the circumstances and debates around a recent peaceful #EndSARS protests, which was disrupted unfortunately, by a dispatch team of military men who moved to the scene on orders of the Nigerian State to shoot at an open assembly of peaceful and unarmed protesters. We are also monitoring proceedings of the various judicial panels of inquiry instituted by the State Governments in respect of the widely condemned police atrocities against citizens of our country.


Worrisomely, we have learned that many promoters of the #EndSARS civil protests are now being hounded and intimidated by the Nigerian Government through its various agencies; the Immigration and Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) seizing passports and profiling citizens not to leave the country; the security agencies trailing and arresting protesters; the DIA and SSS freezing accounts through the CBN and courts among others - even while a panel that is expected to heal the wounds of victims of police brutality is supposedly ongoing. This is a case of adding insult to injuries. 


But what is more disturbing now, and for which we now have decided to write in respect of all the ongoings, is the alleged plot to forcefully take Sowore and possibly assassinate him. 


It has become urgent that we sound this very important note of serious advice to the Nigerian Government; that NOTHING MUST HAPPEN TO SOWORE!


We observed footages of how men of the Nigerian Police Force on surreptitious orders opened fire on him and others who visited front of the National Assembly to make a peaceful symbolic protest of writing #EndSARS on the ground so the demand of Nigerian youths yearning for a better police-citizens relationship can gain emphases with their representatives at the National Assembly.


We also recall how men of the SSS laid siege on the court premises during his recent trial that is now abandoned by the Government. Sowore was forcefully taken again on the day and returned to detention. 


We want to warn that the Nigerian Government of President Mohammad Buhari must ensure to do everything possible to protect the life of Mr. Omoyele Sowore. 


We identify with pain that Mr. Sowore has been restricted to Abuja for more than a year already, through onerous bail conditions from a court trial that has not proven any wrongdoing on him till date. 


We hereby demand that the charges be dropped for want of proof and the bail veils lifted forthwith, as it is causing unwarranted and needless discomfort for his family, away from whom he had been taken and held without any rational cause. 


We are hereby drawing further international watches on this case, as it must not become another State murder. 


The following names are on our lists, should anything happen to Mr. Omoyele Sowore:


 - General Muhammed Buhari

 - Prof Ibrahim Gambari (Chief-of-Staff)

 - Abubakar Malami, SAN (Attorney General of the Federation)

 - Godwin Emefiele (Governor, Central Bank) and 

 - The Security Service Chiefs

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