I love Nigeria. I hate many of the things that happen in Nigeria, but if I did not have a choice of what nationality to be, I’d still be Nigerian. I love Nigerians. I love my people. I love so many things about Nigeria and Nigerians. No lies. I always wonder what kind of person I would have been if I had not moved to America as a teenager. Would I be a blogger today? Would I have met my friends? Would I have met Igwe? Would I even have liked him?
Even from when I was a child, my parents always told me that I asked too many questions. They’d remind me to obey before complaining. But I saw it differently. They weren’t complaints. They were questions. I haven’t stopped asking questions. I ask everyone: my friends, my parents, Igwe, my pastor, my employer … no one is safe. When Igwe and I first started dating, we’d have arguments because I was asking him too many questions. According to him, my questions were an attack on his person. Ha! And I always asked, “I am not a dummy; I have to ask questions.” He doesn’t argue with me anymore. He’s much happier for it.
I am not someone who cares to move with the gradient. I will happily and proudly go against the gradient, if I think the gradient is wrong. I don’t like to make decisions based on popular opinions. When I make a stand or a decision on something, I like it to be educated, reasonable, factual, and plausible. That’s why I asked you about Halloween yesterday. I still don’t know what I will do when I have children, but when that time comes, I will have some thought-provoking facts to back my decision up.
I have noticed that among Nigerians, we tend to make decisions based on what people say (or will say). We remain in unhealthy relationships and marriages because of what people will say. We don’t follow our hearts because of what people will say. And we die for fear of what people will say about our lives. I have noticed that when people say things like, “I don’t believe in Halloween,” or “I don’t believe in homosexuality (what’s there to believe sef?),” what they are really saying is, “I don’t understand …” And when people use our culture to defend bad behaviors, what they’re really saying is that they are afraid to challenge the lie(s) because people already say it’s true.
So I want to know: As a country, and as a people, do we have actual knowledge? Or are we operating on assumed knowledge? The things we say to be true, do know them to be true, or think them to be true, or believe them to be true?
This Saturday, Okechukwu Ofili – author of How Intelligence Kills – and I will be tackling this very, very tantalizing topic on The Verastic Show. Please tune in. I know that I assume that you will truly, truly enjoy this conversation. Let’s rub minds together and exchange knowledge. Knowledge is power.
When: Saturday, November 1st 2013
Where: Gidilounge.fm (and you can download the app free from Google Play, App Store, or HERE for Blackberries.)
Time: 12pm Eastern Time | 5pm Nigerian Time | 5pm GMT
Social Impact: Twitter | Twitter Hashtag #TheVerasticShow | Ofili on Twitter | Facebook
E-mail: If you’d like to co-host future shows, radio@verastic.com
I still want to know the answer to this very important question: As a country, and as a people, do we have actual knowledge? Or are we operating on assumed knowledge? The things we say to be true, do know them to be true or, think them to be true, or believe them to be true?
dope
😉