What a day!

So I was posted last week. To Sapele. A town in Delta State, Nigeria. According to the words people have been giving out, I seem not to have an idea about the town. Someone said, 'Things are expensive there". Another said, "Things are not expensive there". Someone said, "The place is nice". Another said, "The place is not so good". (He didnt say this outrightly though) They seem to be contradicting themselves somehow. I need to block my ears to what they have to say. Or maybe just listen and sieve the words. So it would be Sapele for a while. Don't know how long for now.

So it happens that some days before today, we were toasted on having a graduation ceremony. As a group of 20, the first batch of trainees. We held our group meetings. At a meeting, I was assigned the role of reading the speech.  I came up with something. A story. A day to the supposed graduation day, nothing was said about the graduation. Here's a story I would have read or will still read.   Good morning/afternoon Ladies and gentlemen, all protocols duly observed. My name is Kunle Anjorin. On the 8th of October last year, I stepped into Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) for the first time. I was welcomed by a group of young men and ladies, most of whom I'll be graduating with today. We all sat expectantly in a room. I could say no one had an inkling of what awaited us within the next 12 months. I, for instance, didn't expect to enumerate customers. Walking around the streets, tagging transformers, poles, taking customer details and the rest. Not t...

credits: vml.com Yep! Yep! this guy had an interview with the MD. Like I said, She would be called Mama F. The interview turned out to be a good one. Though I wish I had said some more about the IT part. Still wish so. The interview was held this past weekend, Saturday 10th October, 2015 to be precise. The first set of trainees, Batch 1 as we are called had a time out with her. We were sent a mail some minutes past 5pm on Friday notifying us about the interview. though late, it wasn't surprising to us. We had heard some rumours about it in the morning that same day. That brought a 'no travel' news to the people that would have loved to travel to Lagos (the destination for over 70% of us). A list showing the order that we would follow was attached in the mail sent to us. I was 6th on the list. The timing showed that we would each spend 15mins. This was not to be. Lookman Ogboye, the first on the list, spent about 55 mins. Wow! what were you talking about? ...

And her response on the 13th October, in retaliation to my words were; His hearty laugh His chubby baby-like fingers His lips His voice His patience His savings attitude His love for God, books & people. His excitement when he sees me (smiles, overstretching?) His control (KML) His willingness: to be better & make me better! His words: writing. His pronunciation of my name Sweet to my ears  With butterflies in my tummy His heart:beating in my ears. His responsibility towards doing things the right way. Oremi toh sure! And then on 15th,  You, Adekunlemi are blessed and highly favoured amongst men. You shine because your father has said that you are the light of the world You are simply your father's son A god on this earth Your royalty, Good morning my prince When people have this love thing going on, they somehow turn to poets...Kiitty said on 15th October, 2015.

She was someone I admired from a distance. She was someone I looked at with some definiteness  cos something was unique about her There was joy and fire the first time I talked with her for long Couldn't stop talking  Still haven't lost that fire. She has been my friend My friend at all times Good and not good She has been my love Loving me despite my faults and rash ways Not like I don't have the toosh ways (I do.) But she has been there I want to spend the rest of my life with this girl this funny, naughty, friendly,resourceful, loving, endearing beautiful girl that God made. Good morning darling. Words I sent to Kiitty on Sunday morning, 11-10-2015. I had typed it all in a minute or less in the room I stayed in at Benin. She liked it.

Mum, my cousin, Wumi and Deola, a family friend can be seen in the picture.  Once again, My folks will be moving to another. My first experience of them moving was when I was a little boy, probably about two years old. I could remember I was in a pick-up van. Sometimes I think I dreamt this (Funny I haven't asked my parents about the pick up van). We had lived at Afam, near Port Harcourt in Rivers State. I was born there.  We moved to Jakande estate, Isolo. I Still remember we stayed in Block 385, Flat 6. Some cool place to have stayed. It was there we started worshipping with the Foursquare Gospel Church. We also worshipped with the Christ Apostolic Church, going with a neighbour once or twice and the Methodist Church sometimes (Dad preferred this church as he had an Anglican background). But we were established in the Foursquare gospel.  We would later move when I was twelve, that's in 1998. I remember Dad and the landlord (or was it landlady?) had...

The protests are not new anymore. I've seen so many of them that it has become normal to expect them and act accordingly. But we rarely see the ones where they prepare to cook at the front of the company gate like the one on the pictures. This day last year, I resumed as a BEDC staff, resuming after the muslim holidays that took place on the 6th and 7th day of the month. That was the day I met the great men and ladies I've walked with so far for a year. I say walk cause we've had to do more than work together as colleagues. Its 10.51am on a thursday morning and work has been grounded by the fellows from Ogbe-Igbuya community of Benin city. They claim to have been changed from a feeder (Resevation/GRA feeder) to another (Evboutubu Feeder) about three years ago. When I say Feeder, I do not mean a baby's feeding bottle. Instead, I mean a source of power supply. This source according to them do not supply enough power to them. Its epileptic they say. They coul...