COVID-19 IN NIGERIA: WE SAY NO TO CHINA INTERVENTION

Can the world ever trust China again? Would Nigeria romance with the prime suspect of the current global crisis (COVID-19)? How can we? In 2012 China handed over a fully funded and built headquarters building in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to the African Union (AU). A great gesture of friendship and solidarity, perhaps. But not long after, it was alleged to have been bugged, leaking vital, confidential information of the Union to China in faraway Shanghai! True or false, the Union had to change its computer servers to check the alleged mischief. But issues of health are different. Misfiring means losing a life, or even lives. On a national scale, that can amount to thousands. Painful loss. Avoidable loss. The authorities must tread with caution here. Face masks, test kits, ventilators, vaccine and doctors - all from or of China. Hmmmm, caution we must exercise. Until now we have been using our indigenous doctors, and they have been doing well. WHY CHANGE THE WINNING TEAM? Please let us DISCARD this idea of Chinese intervention. WE DON'T NEED IT. Let us stay safe Stay indigenous. Stay Nigerian We shall overcome

Monday, 2 February 2015

HOW TO BUILD A RESPECTABLE SELF IMAGE - Esesien Ita



Self image is a person’s outlook. It could be bright or gloomy, confident or unsure, trusting or suspicious. The picture we present to the outside world is what they judge us with. There is need therefore to build a respectable self image. We recommend the following:

1.      Have a healthy conception of yourself, neither proud nor timid, neither domineering nor obsequious. A person’s self image is more often a product of their imagination. You are really what you think you are. But when people believe themselves to be what they are not, then they are only deluded. A 6 year old who says, “I am the President of my country” is deluded. But if that child should say, “I will be the President of my country”, then that child has an imagination that can produce a good self image if well nurtured. A good conception of oneself is essential to building a respectable self image.

2.      Expect the best. Much has been and is still being said about
positive thinking. We align with that school of thought. Negative thinking and pessimistic views drain a person of the will to act. It is good to do our homework before undertaking any project, but it is wrong to magnify the possible risks over the possible gains, because this will drain us of any will to take a step. Believe in what God has invested in you in being good enough to produce the desired result. Believe in what God can do through you and with you in achieving that desired result. You cannot be a loser with that formula. Positive expectation enlivens the spirit and produces good result.

3.      Smile in your heart! It happens at times that we think over some funny situations and laugh. An onlooker may wonder at what tickles us. Nothing but good, loving thoughts. We owe ourselves a duty to brighten our lives with good thoughts. That is what it takes to truly smile within our hearts and even laugh outside. We present a grotesque picture of ourselves if the heart is saddened while we manufacture a plastic smile on the face. Learn to be happy with yourself, whatever happens. No one else would do that for you. Thank God for your life, for your family, school, work, or anything else you do. Appreciate who you are and what you do. Promote it. Celebrate it. Congratulate yourself. Break free from moroseness. Rejoice and smile in your heart and let it break forth outwardly.

4.      Learn contentment. Satisfaction is a rare virtue, but a very necessary one. Contentment puts the brakes on rivalry with all the evil that goes with it. Contentment is a state that produces gratitude for the present. This does not negate the need to improve on the present, as there is always room for improvement, but it does remove the pressure to out-do a fellow.

5.      Respect others. When two persons disagree you would probably hear one say, “I have respected you enough.” What they actually mean is that they do not have respect for the other person. Respect is not in words but in action. You know when you respect a person, and you also know when people respect you. Respect enables you treat others with courtesy and dignity. This invariably raises your own social worth.

6.      Empower others. SAG is an acronym for Selfishness, Avarice and Greed. These three vices can pull anybody down. If a person seeks to be seen and heard alone while others are suppressed, they may soon fall. That can also happen where a person seeks to grab and dominate at the expense of others. If we think others should only queue behind us, we would fail miserably. Lift somebody, project others and before long people would be asking who did it. You are too small to be seen alone. Empower others and the world will see you through them.

In summary, a respectable self image is produced by what we do or do not do with ourselves and others. It comes when we develop a positive view of life and are happy with ourselves and others. It shows in our helping and promoting others better than we do ourselves. A respectable self image is important to making any meaningful progress in life. Since we all desire progress, it is imperative we build a respectable self image. May God grant us this grace continually.  

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