9ice

Some may love you,
others may not
Some will appreciate you
Others , not so

It's ok.
Love yourself,
be your own best friend 1st and foremost.

You are uniquely made, and beautiful, everytime
Know your identity
Your beauty as a woman, or even as a man, may waver in the eyes of others
but allow it not in self
Self development is an ongoing process
Keep at it x

Ky-Mani Marley - Best Thing

Sunday Musings - As The Clocks Go Forward

As we approach my favourite time of year ( Spring), Its been a quiet Sunday.. marked by the re-emergence of horrible tooth pain!.

It's actually quite hard to concentrate on anything for too long as I'm holding my jaw, berating myself for having let my dentist appointment go in the week. ( because the pain had subsided)




Now it's back with a vengeance, and I'm back on the painkillers.
I've got to get an appointment, how I'll juggle that around work I've no idea, but unless they want me screaming, crying and crawling all over the offices I would suggest some understanding lol.
Clove oil is good to ease pain, so why didn't I get some?
..because it was ok.
the lesson ... should I choose to learn it, is to be prepared.
I'll try the coconut oil again as that's here at least

Such was the pain that I didn't get to the laundromat and my machine simply won't turn, as much as I plead.

Maybe this is how men with a cold feel. :)

Sobs*

Anyway, enough of my whinging.

I have enjoyed the weekend, and caught up on some much needed sleep.

I watched some TV such as the Voice UK, and checked some news.
I was just as embarrassed as Jennifer Hudson seemed to be by her own choice, her face said it all. Either someone was pulling her strings back there or shr just reminded us what it looks like to 'sell out'
Jason Nicholson-Porter - a beautiful voice

I love her, but that was an uneasy watch.

Other shows include Masterchef (great!) come Dine (which I actually have ion in the background now) and dinner date.

I actually wanted to talk about self esteem, and confidence.

but I'll do that in another post as I've pretty much used this space to talk about.. OWWWW

Nicely done

Good Morning

Cant believe the weekend is over already!
I pretty much had 1 days rest, better than nothing I know but I looked outside and there's snow and ice, my machine is on the blink, not spinning, and my week threatens to be a busy one

I miss Abuja too much
on the upside my wisdom tooth pain has eased up significantly!
I ate so many painkillers the day before so maybe that's why.

Onwards and upwards, have a great day

Weekend WOW Factor: Politics and Lies, UK Style

“..Ensure that humanity is served by wealth and not ruled by it.” - Pope Francis, delivered by Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana.

I'm pretty sure I've never quoted a Pope before, and doubt I will again, but... who knows

Today I thought about inequality.
Inequality exists because of us, simply put; me and you.
We create it, and then wonder how we can fix it, never really wanting to fix it, but simply saying so in the knowledge it's possibly the thing which should be said.

Get It?


The Global financial crisis of 2007-2008 which led to the UK banking crisis and the £37 billion bail out of Northern Rock Bank, which then led to the UK Government's hard line commitment to austerity measures, and apparently essential welfare reform

Because.. clearly, the financial crisis had everything to do with benefit claimants, and nothing to do with de-regulation of banks, and greed.
( forgive me a moment while I enjoy my sarcasm)

The demise of our public services are a direct result of the crisis, yet the focus somehow shifted to immigrants - migrants - immigration; solution? = Brexit
We have been sold a lie
Not everyone has bought this lie, but many have.
In fact, we have been sold many lies



One lie was, that the private sector will bridge the gap left by cuts to public services.
10 years on, and we can now look back and see that it has not.
It has not provided the jobs we were told it would, and more importantly, it did not deliver the expertise that existed within the public sector.
How could it?

No, amidst contracts, contractual agreements, outsourcing, and hype, what has occurred has been a steep learning curve for the Private Sector, but in reality, learning was never on the agenda. The agenda was profit.

'If you privatise prison services you will simply get more prisoners.
It becomes no longer about rehabilitation, but a numbers game'.

Politically, I would understand if you called me a socialist.
It's not a dirty word to me, so it's cool.
Hear me out.
In a real practical sense, I have no issue with capitalism.
Lets face it. I am a product of a capitalist society, my fore-parents at one time were products, bought and sold against their will.

I understand trade. I believe in trade, but fair trade. I also believe profit is good.
It's why we do buisness.
But what I argue for is an Ethical Capitalism. The type of capitalism that keeps the souls of folk, in tact. The type of capitalism that does not destroy swathes of communities, exploit developing countries, fuel wars, and create divisions.

A capitalism which is sustainable and admirable.

The Private sector pretty much brought this country to its knees.

Yet somehow the sector has remained pretty much unscathed and unscrutanized. Trusted far too quickly, and questioned far too little..

The bluff is that old fashioned greed is good theory. The gloss of the private sector is however, wearing thin.
Real people with real needs; need real people.

What we need in this country, in this classist and racist system, is balance, an equal and even spread of public and private; and we currently do not have that.

**

Why did all Tory politicians vote to scrap free schools meals for families on universal credit?.
What the Tories are suggesting, is that if a family earn a penny over the tiny threshold allowance, they should pay for the meals.

I dont know about you but whilst we have been distracted with tales of Russian shenanigans, Tories have been voting in policies that most people would find deplorable.

**

The next election should be an easy win for any party other than the Tories. We simply cannot afford to leave the country in the hands of an out of touch privileged few. Anyone with any moral compass should now see exactly what The tories are about, and why our country is in the state it is in.

**

When we think back to the of weapons of mass destruction - distraction, it is not surprising that people are starting to wonder if this spy 'business' is true. Latest update is that it has been suggested that the nerve agent was produced right here in the UK.


You see, this is why I rarely talk about the UK.

It's disgraceful

We are as corrupt and misguided as any corruption prone developing country. In fact we are worse.
We are worse because we know better. We are worse because we are instruments of destruction and little development.
still raping Africa of its natural resources, still funding 'leaders' who really have no agenda for the continent, still as brazen as ever.

Free School Meals Petition
**

Take Time Thursday ... ft Tekno - Your Luv

and early to bed.
No not to sleep just yet, but read and catch up on news music, and contemplation.
It's rare, I often don't get to bed until the early hours so this is a treat. I've just started reding the book Brit(ish) written by Afua Hirsch.An excellent and well thought out title, one which I can certainly relate to.

Early days, but Afua talks about her life as a middle class mixed race woman, initially in love with a Ghanaian guy, and her innate need to embrace her African identity. not quite fitting into either culture .. initially.
It's an interesting read so far, written through a lens of one with one black parent, and one white.
Dancing a dance of privilege on one side, yet not seemingly wholly comfortable with it.

**

Not sure how I stumbled across Oshay Duke Jackson's Channel, lol!, but I did, and found myself listening to episode after episode of African American men discuss all kinds of topics quite candidly. What's interesting about it is how open they all were about men women and relationships.
One episode with guest Donnovan Sharpe, who's are I can't remember was extremely interesting, and had me laughing out loud in places
A real Alpha male episode!.
Funny



**

I also found myself watching Dr Boyce Watkins, again, food for thought.

**

A serious topic on Battabox and only a Nigerian can make you laugh without even trying

What should you do if a man is trying to rape you?

Bite him, bite the manhood and if you can...

"Swallow it o!"




**

Tekno is a genius
Slim daddy indeed..

Tekno. A younger version of an ex of many moons ago.
Same face, only Tekno is cuter, and with talent.
Well done, nice track

Simi - Complete Me

Weekend WOW Factor: APC under Pressure? & Can Nigeria Become The Steel Giants Of Africa with Ajaokuta?

Sierra Leone elections and SLPP are leading the way with the APC trailing.after 75% of the count. Final results should be in tomorrow.
Issues include over voting (spoiled votes)
A potential run off predicted.



APC have thrown everything at this election, but I could barley believe my ears at hearing waves of APC supporters chanting at a political rally.. we are Chinese...
Serious?

***

Ajaokuta is a multibillion-dollar Steel Mill located in Nigeria. It was built by the Soviet Union in 1979! in partnership with Nigeria. The project reached 98% completion by 1994..... before coming to an abrupt halt.




The mismanaged project has not produced a single sheet of steel.
ex President Obassanjo agreed a deal to revive the project, but this was revoked by President Umaru Must Yar'Adua, and the project ended up in arbitration with an attempt to mediate among stakeholders, after what was deemed a breech of contract

Ajaokuta has the potential to create thousands of jobs, and revive Nigeria's economy, in addition to making Nigeria the largest producers of steel across Africa.

Over 22yrs... of nothing.



This is a travesty, yet rarely mentioned outside of Nigeria.



I hope they can resolve the issue
Millions of dollars unaccounted for..... in what could be Nigeria's biggest scandal




well....almost...
Nigerian court seizes 56 houses linked to ex-oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke

Some good music and.. Happy Independence Day Ghana

In case you missed it, Ghana celebrated the 61st Independence Day yesterday



Good luck to Sierra Leonians on your Election Day.
and all those running for President.

**

My Ancestry kit has arrived!

Time to explore exactly which part of the continent, region , tribe, I hail from.
Funny thing with this is that it will only give me my mothers line. Apparently to trace m fathers I need male dna so my brother ill have to do it
Not sure. why that is tbh, I'm reading up on it.

Good morning x

President Koroma Steps Down

President Ernest Bai Koroma.
End of Term



Ive quite liked Samura Kamara
I almost wish he had run as an independent.
As the APC's leading man however, he is the favourite to win.

If the people are serious about wanting an end to corruption, their vote is the perfect way to make that known.
They really should vote wisely.

DJ Spinall & Wizkid - Nowo

Black Panther: The Film Every African Leader Should See.

Black Panther, I can honestly say is one of the best movies I've ever seen.

Not only is it beautifully shot, but it tells the story of the African Diaspora, and African Leadership, so well.
Effortlessly in fact.
Nationalism to Panafricanism

For me, it's a story of identity and nationhood.
It's my story, in all its beautiful ugly, functional and dysfunctional glory.

Killmonger, Panther's rival, represents us in the African Diaspora. A child of those taken from the continent who had survived the ordeal.



Killmonger; the child that was denied his own birthright
He had been hidden away, until he would be hidden no more

"They won't accept you.."

"Why?"

"They'll say that you're lost"

"but I'm not lost.. I'm right here."

Perhaps for obvious reasons, ( and some not so obvious) I rooted for Killmonger.
Am I the only one who shed a tear for him?, surely not.

Killmonger had observed his motherland from afar, for so long, in despair. He saw his people scattered around the globe and saw the injustices they face.
Libyan slavery, police brutality, racism.. it's all there.
His anger was justified.
He lost his father, and was treated as an outcast.
Yet it was his inability to contain that anger that ultimately let him down.

"Burn it all!".. he said
You don't get more angry than that!



His vision was of Panafricanism.

Killmonger represents many of our revolutionary and visionary leaders of the past
Black Panther, represents our leaders now.
A limited vision, where the comfort of self, stands before the comfort of the people.

"Youre a good man, with a good heart, and it's hard for a good man , to be King"

One of the 1st scenes is set in Nigeria. where insurgents had kidnapped a group of local girls (sound familiar?)
Action moved swiftly moved to London

The fact that 'Wakanda' turned a blind eye to the suffering of their own people abroad, fuelled Killmonger to want better for his people.



He stayed on the sidelines and watched as King after King failed to make a change. He watched as 'Wakandan's' revealed in they're own glory and ignorance, concerned only with life within their immediate surroundings.

T'Challa was crowned King, yet even his own love interest Nakia, played by Lupia Nyongo, simply couldn't live the kind of life he was offering, to live a life where others were denied, and she did nothing; she could not fully embrace him until he was willing to shed some old traditions and embrace the reality that there was a life outside of Wakanda; that there existed an African Diaspora.

Nakia knew she was a Queen, but she needed Panther to truly be a King.

T'Challa needed Killmonger.
Without him, Panther would not have evolved.



In reality, they needed each other.
Killmonger opened T'Challa's eyes, but like so many before him, he paid the price.

The fight scenes were outstanding.
Killmonger put Africa in the spotlight.

"Is this your King?? a man who couldn't save his own father?"

Like Marcus Garvey, Malcom X, Walter Rodney, Haile Selassie, Kwame Nkrumah, Franz Fanon, Patrice Lumumba and many more; Killmonger highlighted the failings of 'Wakanda'.
He was the 'outsider', and sometimes to fix a problem it takes distance in order to see it clearly, and implement a solution,

Killmonger honoured his ancestors. He would not forget them. He too, loved his father.
"..they knew death, was better than bondage"

'Wakanda' has the resources to liberate their people around the globe'

"I'm not the King of everyone, just of my own people"

Many will see the beauty of the film alone. It is beautiful. it's fun, action packed, and funny
but ultimately it's one of the finest depictions on the state of our people today that I've ever seen.

I've always felt that the development of Africa is intrinsically linked to the elevation and respect of it's women, and that the greatest untapped resource is its Diaspora.



This is a movie that all African Leaders should see; and I hope that if they do, they get the message.

You were raped and robbed of your people, sold your people in some cases, for little and nothing.
Thousands of your people were cast into the sea to be eaten by sharks. Your people were branded and tortured, they were worked as mules to build nations and create great wealth, they were raped, beaten and abused.
They were to speak there languages only if willing to court death, to practice their rituals often meant death
but they found a way.
They fought back, many didn't make it, but many did.
We are the grandchildren of those that did
Some returned home ( Liberia Sierra Leone ) but others didn't.
Some are returning now.

Wake up Africa.
Killmonger is real.

They are Wakandan's

The Wakanadans you didn't save

The Wakandans that you hoped to forget

They are primed for thier birthright

how can everyone else know this... but you?

Africas problem is that 'it' believes that its greatest wealth is to be found below ground...but its real diamonds are in plain sight... above ground.

You Want Sex? - Stay Away From The Gambia!

Gambian Minister for Tourism and Culture, spoke out earlier this year against tourists who travel to The Gambia for sex




He said

“We are not a sex destination. If you want a sex destination, you go to Thailand. The Gambia is not a sex destination. We are not, we are not and please every Gambian must sing that song,”
The diplomatic row came about in his reference to Thailand.
you want sex?, go to Thailand!

While in the Gambia many years ago, I witnessed it for myself.
Old men walking on the beach fondling young Gambian girls
boys and men scoring the beaches for foreign women

It has been an open secret not I must say for the Gambia alone.

The root cause is poverty.
Surely the best way to tackle the issue of young women and women general being exploited in this way is for women to be given better opportunities, and ultimately.. better choices.
for education, employment et al.
Not only opportunity.
It's also a matter of culture, and how we in many cultures view the role and worth of women.

The exploitative or transactional sex trade is often silently hidden beneath the title girlfriend. This masks the fact that the transaction at hand is, give me sex and i'll give you money, clothes shoes, or simple basic amenities.

We should treat our women with respect, and protect them, not exploit them. See women as valuable, and not only objects of fun
Once this happens, foreign tourists will no longer feel it appropriate to exploit women for sex.
Money, class, status.. very real barriers for many women.

Kerr Fatou interviews Hon Hamat Bah. Minister for Tourism and Culture




**

Movie night, yes, I'm off to the movies!.

See how pretty the snow is?



**

My weekend reading, and I'm looking forward to it! :-)



Have a great evening!

Snowy Days

The snow has been beautiful!

Sent these pics to Ti over in Oz.. can't believe he said awwww sorry I missed it - huh?!

Fally

Weekend WOW Factor: Does Buhari, APC Deserve A Second Term?

Yes it's early. Weekend starts here.
Ok
Elections take place in Nigeria next year, and discussions are abound

Can ex-president Obasinjo really advise or criticise current President Buhari?



Well...you decide...




Will Buhari run again?
..some think he should not..

I hope the increased attention to Fulani agitation and reported attacks on farmers is not a divide and rule ploy to further highlight the Presidents ethnicity
After all.. the conflict between herders and farmers is neither new nor is it specific to Nigeria alone.



Corruption, the economy unemployment and stability. 4 key areas by which he will be judged.
Regardless, as time draws nearer to the ballot box what will matter most, is who promises most.

For any ex President to speak out against nepotism cronyism or tribalism is honourable, yet can only be taken seriously if one has not engaged in such practices surely

A non political coalition is a good idea, however, it's an anonomoly. a non political movement engaged in politics?
That's political.

I like the idea of the Red Card movement even if in name only.
There are leaders who should be shown the red card for sure, or at the very least be met with... sceptical resistance



Then again, perhaps we need to look closely at Presidential advisors.






Anyway, congratulations to the former President on his Phd



I love the fact that age is no barrier to education..
just money:)

..no seriously, it's good to continue to stretch the mind and keep learning. He has done well.

Our education should never stand in the way of reason
Imagine.
'All New APC - Where Our Education Will Never Stand In The Way Of Reason'.

There. rebranded... and it didn't even cost them a penny :-)

"Nice"