Tag: Alternative Culture

My Self Life – And The 1999 Nigeria Constitution

27Jul

By Ndidi UwechueNo Comments

Africa, Human Rights, Justice, News, Niger Delta, Nigeria

My Self Life – And The 1999 Nigeria Constitution

When there is a social problem, or a problem that affects the community, this is how in general a Nigerian thinks: “I can see the problem. But it does not affect me at all. So what does it concern me?... I can see the problem. But I have a way to bypass it for myself. So I will let it be…. I can see the problem. But I have the means to escape its effects. I eat well. My children are safe. Let the hungry and the poor who suffer it, stop it, not me….” These are the evident values of socially accepted Nigerian Culture, for SELF is writ large in the heart of many Nigerians. Thus, “Nigerian Culture” revolves around “What’s in it for ME?” Even though many live by the Nigerian Culture, and by their behaviour have defined it for what it is, and for the whole world to see, a precious f...

1999 Nigeria Constitution – Bin it to Rescue Nigeria

16Jun

By Ndidi UwechueNo Comments

News, Nigeria

1999 Nigeria Constitution – Bin it to Rescue Nigeria

16th June 2020 In the matter of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution the Nigerian way of doing things is unlikely to favour anybody. That is the way of BYPASSING problems, rather than facing them and dealing with them, once and for all. The Constitution is the foundation of the country and so must be obtained in a proper way if citizens are to have confidence to honour it and abide by it. Disturbingly, the 1999 Constitution lacks validity. There are several things in it that are completely untrue and some that are contrary to what had been agreed pre-Independence for any Union of ethnic nationalities to ever be possible. Much has already been written about the inconsistencies in the 1999 Constitution but a key one is in the preamble that starts with, “We the people of t...

Nigerian Youth Need An Alternative Culture

18May

By Ndidi Uwechue1 Comment

Africa, Inspirational, Lifestyle, Youths

Nigerian Youth Need An Alternative Culture

18th May 2020 Starting by stating the obvious: that a good culture creates a good country; and a bad culture creates a bad country. So, by the culture lived out, citizens establish the kind of country they prefer, not only for themselves but also for their children. Before going any further, culture here is the social behaviour and ideas of society, while tradition would be the ancient way of doing things say, dancing, dressing, cooking, music making etc. Thus, “Nigerian Culture” has created the Nigeria we see. Structurally, it is a culture of INDIVIDUAL-MINDEDNESS which is basically self-preservation and self-profit, plus added to that is a SADISTIC tendency. The cultural focus on self and selfishness hardly any Nigerian or observer of Nigerians would disagree wi...

Opinion: Nigerian Values – Food For Thought

14Apr

By Ndidi UwechueNo Comments

Economy, Features, Nigeria

Opinion: Nigerian Values – Food For Thought

14th April 2020 Life seems to be much about FOOD in Nigeria. There is regular talk about how to get food for oneself or for the children. People worry about not getting “three square meals” a day. Nigerians talk about the “national cake”. Young women look for a man to marry who can put food on the table. There is a great sense of satisfaction when food has been obtained or eaten. A good day is a day when food has been eaten. Taking it further, politicians use food to either bribe people for votes, or to keep aggrieved citizens quiet. “Just give them food and it will all be ok”. Moreover, when a group is agitating for some kind of civil or human rights, we hear things said such as, “They must be hungry”. The rights or issues being addressed are disregarded, sadly, even by th...

14Jan

By Ndidi UwechueNo Comments

Inspirational, Life, Lifestyle, Nigeria

You – A Platform For Social Change

14th January 2020 Most people want to be commended, or valued, or “blessed” after they have done a good deed. Most of us want to be recognised after we have done something helpful. This is perfectly normal, and it is us being human. Other people though, live at a higher level. One of them was Kaspar Nützel. Very few have heard of him, but millions know about his champion the monk Professor Martin Luther who officially started off the Protestant Reformation in Europe when in 1517 he reportedly nailed his Ninety-five Theses, a theological argument to the door of Wittenburg Church. Kaspar Nützel was a nobleman from Nuremberg in Germany. Luther's Ninety-five Theses had been written in Latin, a language that only scholars and not the ordinary citizen could understand. Without be...

Nigerian Culture or Alternative Culture?

2Jan

By Ndidi UwechueNo Comments

Africa, Lifestyle

Nigerian Culture or Alternative Culture?

1st January 2020 Living in Nigeria, it is tiring to hear the usual response of, "This is Nigeria" or "This is not the UK" or "Are you not a Nigerian?", in the face of obvious wrongdoing that I have challenged. In any country the predominant culture is the one that characterises the country, and is the one that citizens are known for, and labelled by. For instance consider two foreign travellers arriving at London’s Heathrow airport. Both are males of the same age and social class, both are attended to by the same Immigration Officer, but one carries a Japanese passport, and the other carries a Nigerian passport. Japanese are renown for being law-abiding and having a tidy, productive little country. The Immigration Officer knowing facts about the cultures of the two countries where th...