In Nigeria, “What’s the point?”

Nigeria???? What exactly is the point?

My weekend went past very quickly. Nothing new there.

Had a hair cut at my second choice barbing saloon. Could not face the traffic to V.G.C in Ajah for Ike, my preferred barber to pamper me. I had to make do with Lawrence, who is very good at what he does. He is also very good drinking beer with his jobless pals. I had tried to talk him out of this boring habit, but hey? I wouldn’t stop, though. I owe that to myself to continue. I will keep at it.

So, when I call him to alert him that I would be coming over for a haircut, you could see the effort he makes to look sober. This was the same barber who had cut my hair half way some time ago, but could not continue because of power failure. And guess what? The saloon did not have a generator at the time. With my “Mr T” hair cut already in place, he had to escort me home to complete the task of giving me a decent haircut. Wifey could not stop laughing.

Anyway, on Saturday, he was sober, even though he was on his way to having his lunch at the back of the shop when I arrived. He saw me approaching, with a sheepish smile, he announced to the whole world, even though the message intended was private, that he was about to have his lunch.

What’s the point in telling me that, I asked?

“Oga, I just dey tell you, make you come inside sir” he responded. With his mouth salivating, he grudgingly mustered all effort to redirect his stomach towards the saloon.

I asked him, if he had been busy today. From his long winded answer, you could tell, he was trying to tell me that he expects to be busy later. How about now, with me, as your customer? He is fond of smiling, with his goatee beard perfectly carved on his masculine jaws, he gave me the nod to suggest I was making some sense.

I sank into his chair that could no longer swivel and subjected myself to a “Lawrence of Hunger” treatment. You could tell, this guy was hungry. His usual patience of seeing to the few strands of hair that survived the clipper were superbly ignored. An hungry man is an angry man, they say. I looked at myself in the mirror. I was reasonably satisfied. I immediately jumped out of the seat to his amazement and did not need to encourage him to go back to his lunch. He half-heartedly asked after the boys and wifey as he got paid. I gave him a tip for the inconvenience caused. I had never seen an hungrier barber in my life as he made a dash to the back yard for lunch.

That was Saturday.

Sunday was good. At church, Pastor Mrs Ekoko gave an exultation sermon, is how I would describe it, on simply praising God. It was a message worth hearing.

Most take praising God for granted, wallowing in what ought to be instead. If only, we knew what God Almighty had saved us from. If only?

Pastor Emeka Nwankwo who travelled to India narrated to myself and Pastor Niyi Akenzua his plight on the Emirates plane on his way back to Nigeria. He told us how bad the journey was. He knew he was very tired and with so much hysteria in the plane due to the turbulence and the unsual noise coming from the engine, he immediately thought of his wife and children, said a prayer, and headed to the empty seats to sleep. His sleep was in the hope that if he wakes up, he would either be in heaven with the Lord or on earth on his way to meet his beloved family. Thank God he woke up to meet his family. That was how bad the flight was, he said.

You see, we just take life for granted. How on earth we board such a heavy machine, knowing fully well that it was going to take off, to steady itself in mid air above the clouds for a considerable number of hours, is beyond me. It is the ultimate application of faith, if you ask me.

We need to apply this faith a step further. We need to go after the things that we are so passionate about.NOW!! Honestly. What is the point in not doing so?

You see, I have really conditioned my mind not to be bothered by the fact that my country Nigeria can do without a President for 78 days? I can do without thinking of the fact that I would have to sleep in the heat due to lack of electricity. I just bloody well get on with it. Its pointless complaining. If I cannot stand the heat, then I know what to do. Innit? As the English would say!

Oh, the traffic yesterday. Oh my God? You expect me to go on and on about that? What is the point?

So my point is Time is of Essence.

Do not waste it complaining. Do your bit and watch others engaged in the rat race as they sweat it out. As for me and my family, we would not complain but live to enjoy and tell the stories…..

You just could just tell, that I am having fun, no longer getting as bothered as I would have been in the past. Can’t you?

I tell you, it’s such fun observing things as they unfold in Nigeria. Honestly, it’s so unreal, but so real. You get my point.

Take for instance, the NFF (Nigeria Football Federation), they eventually agreed to demote the National coach Shuaibu Amodu to look after the home grown footballers that would be called up to the national camp. Wait for it. They then shortlisted 5 foreign coaches who they have selected for interview for the sudden vacant position that would guide our National team to the world cup in 4 months time.

Now guys, what’s is the point in even trying to understand or analyse if these guys, Taiwo Ogunjobi and Sani Lulu Abdullahi are from this planet or not (the top guns at the NFF)? I can see you are either shaking your head and laughing or as the case may be crying for Nigeria.

You get my point now?

Guysssssss, just have a fantastic week ahead and God bless for passing by. Let me get back to living the life and having fun.