Ant in the sugar bowl

Well, people say Yoruba people love partying and all. Even other tribes refer to partying as “owambe” now, meaning literarily, it is there-if I lie talk it out oooooo, ehen. When we, we because I am a Nigerian of the Yoruba stock, want to classify that someone is enjoying or someone should enjoy or I want to enjoy, we say, abeg chop the life of your head o jare. And if someone hits some unprecedented levels of enjoyment, we say mehn, this guy is enjoying like an ant that fell into the sugar bowl. I use bowl as opposed to jar because ant in the sugar bowl sounds sweeter than ant in the sugar jar, abi? What do you think?

Back to my where I am going to. I want to focus on that expression that someone is chopping the life of their head like an ant that fell into a sugar bowl. Seriously, if you consider the size of an ant compared to the bowl in question, that is na be enjoyment without end. This appears to be the mindset of GEJ and his cronies, especially his Damn oops not again I keep mixing up Dame with Damn. My bad, overlook the error as I don’t have time to backspace or delete it. Anyways, let me leave the political discuss to other more matured minds who are able to control their emotions and focus once again on where I’m going to.

Ehen, we were looking at an ant’s size, compared to that of a bowl. I am not so, so, so good at math but I can exaggerate but in this case, leaving it to our collective imagination, the difference is more than Fido Dido. The disparity mega, hence I can understand and appreciate the allusion to the ant in the sugar bowl expression when we want to explain how big someone has hit it. Me too dey look forward to the day when I go land am that big. For your mind, I hear someone saying. Let’s watch and see na, abi? No more digression, I hope to promise as I need to get to where I am going with this.

The ant in the sugar bowl expression can be appreciated by us humans wella, as the highest level of enjoyment or abundance one can attain. The ultimate satisfaction, but, have we ever stopped to consider how the ant views its situation? I have read a bit about ants and how they function and although I can’t say I am an Antist- I hope that’s what they call people that study ants oh, whatever, but I’m a thinker, a questioner, a seeker without a confessor ooooo before you build a legend around me. And, I wonder, how does an ant feel in a sugar bowl? Now take a looooooooooooong pause here and consider that question while I take a short break.

I should have said a commercial break, anyways, welcome back. What came to your mind? Well let me share what came to my mind. The ant fell in the sugar bowl most surely not by accident but by design. The ant left its place of abode for one purpose, survival which implies sustenance, that is, food and here is the catch, food for the community and not for itself.  I am certain that ants don’t see the way we see so the ant may not have even noticed the bowl or even the amount of sugar in the bowl but according to my studies and Professor Google can attest to that, I’m sure, the ant having located the source of food, marks the place and goes to inform others. The ants that are assigned to forage for food now organize themselves into work forces that move the food back home where it is needed. One ant discovers, but it does not build a palace there and turn the sugar bowl into its domain to eat and eat and eat and die eating.

I learn three things from the ant and there are more lessons to be learnt, but I pick three;

1.     Focus- the ant has one thing in mind, the survival and in effect the sustenance of the community as in, the whole community.

2.     Selflessness- I am almost certain that selfishness is not in the ant’s dictionary- well that is if and assuming they have one but you geh the point sha? No be family affair as in Perm. Sec. things plus Road naming things…

3.     Teamwork- isn’t that obvious to all? At first, it is the one ant et! Voila! Other ants show not to come and enjoy the life of their head with their friend but to help move the food home where it is needed as in, community things.

Little wonder the Bible in Proverbs, advices us to go and learn from the ant. Perhaps if GEJ and his cronies and don’t let me make that mistake twice- paid heed to that particular verse in Scripture, let your imagination run riot. But alas! It is the chopping the life of their head like an ant in a sugar bowl version that they hold on to.

And we gan sef, have we stopped to seriously and objectively consider which side of the sugar bowl we are at? Are we looking into the sugar bowl or are we looking out from inside the sugar bowl? If we are looking into the sugar bowl, then all we see is that hmm, this ant is enjoying ooooo ahn ahn. But if we are looking out from inside the sugar bowl, then, there is hope for Nigeria.

*NOTE* just in case you are wondering where in scripture I referred to, actually I’m doing this more because I hope somehow, GEJ and his cronies and especially-you know who- will get to read this, I have pasted the Easy to Read(ERV) version of the portion of scripture below.

Pro 6:6  You lazy people, you should watch what the ants do and learn from them.

Pro 6:7  Ants have no ruler, no boss, and no leader.

Pro 6:8  But in the summer, ants gather all of their food and save it. So when winter comes, there is plenty to eat.

@SegunOmjola

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Mimiko is working…Ondo state is working…

I make bold to make this declaration not because of the many visible infrastructural growth and development that dot the entire landscape of Ondo state. I did not receive a dime to do this. I am not a card carrying member of the Labour party. Yes, I know that I am fast becoming the MC/Compere of choice in government circles, but still, that is not my reason for making this declaration.

Let me start with an analogy I love to give when opportunity permits. Imagine a young boy, who as a child grew up in a building that to answer the call of nature, you have to whistle to the bushes. This child grew up to school age, started primary education and still the bushes remain the “gents”. He graduates to secondary school and the story is still the same, the “convenience” is still somewhere around the school farm. And finally he gets to the university, and yet, the white throne or loo as some call it is still alien, visible but alien. If this guy was to build a house, do you suppose he will deem it necessary to have a toilet as part of the building? Someone that has grown all his live, either shot putting or squatting may not be used to sitting down to do the thing and may not feel it’s important for him to have it in his house. If you don’t believe, go out there and take a census of all the houses that actually have toilets and of those who have, enter the place to find out what’s up-disclaimer-you are on your own ooooooH!!!

I know we can transcend our environment and all, but more often than not, ones environment plays a vital role in the overall growth and development of we beings. Interesting that this effect the environment has affects animals too.

I went through all this stress for a single purpose and I hope you see it with me. The focus of Mimiko’s administration is exciting for me. It is said that a nation can only progress at the speed dictated by the women, children, elderly and the physically challenged. Mimiko has chosen to focus on women and children. A visit to the mother and child hospital under the aBiye project is revealing as well as the concept behind it. The Mega schools that are springing up all over the place makes me feel like going back to school, Primary school for that matter. I see that Mimiko’s focus is on where it matters most. My generation is fast timing out and I know that a few of us are concerned about the future of our children. Sometimes we imagine what Nigeria will turn to after we are gone. As far as I’m concerned, Mimiko is taking care of that by ensuring that our mothers and our children are well catered for, for free under the aBiye program. But much more than that, the set-up of the Mega schools shows that Mimiko is focused on bringing up a new generation of young people that will not be satisfied with nothing but the best. Young people, who will have the much needed supportive and conducive environment that will ensure proper growth and development of their minds, arming them with the right perspective for the future we dream of and desire for Nigeria. In all my travels, I am yet to come across such structures housing a primary school. There is a big difference between learning under a mango tree and learning in a most conducive environment.

People are bound to hold different opinions to that which this write up expresses but wait, my parents used to regal us with tales of free education, meal tickets that got you whole chicken et al and the waiting employment letter. Like @ALIBABAGCFR will say, in case you missed the memo, things don shange!!! To tackle the future, we must build our young now. That is my attraction to Mimiko’s vision.

Without being told, I see the mindset of this man and i encourage him to continue. I am aware of the very high standards enforced to ensure that only the best teachers teach in the Mega schools. I am also aware of the strict code of conduct that guides the teachers in the discharge of their duties. To crown it all, Mimiko provided free busses to transport students and pupils to and fro. The future of every nation is her youth and if a government expends so much on their growth and development, such a government is securing the future of the nation. That is what Mimiko is doing and from my end, he deserves a second term. Did I hear someone say “even a third term”??? na you sabi oooo, me I don tok my finish…

Take time to visit us in Ondo state and find out for yourself so that you ja my iro if na lie I lie….abi??? shikena…

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