ABORTING OUR FUTURE

Many people are very, very concerned with the children in India, with the children in Africa where quite a number die, maybe of malnutrition, of hunger and so on, but millions are dying deliberately by the will of the mother. And this is what is the greatest destroyer of peace today. Because if a mother can kill her own child - what is left for me to kill you and you kill me -- there is nothing between.
MOTHER TERESA, 1979

As i sat in the lounge of the Lagos Television studio in 2004, i could not help but notice and feel saddened by the little baby sitting on a woman's lap and trying unsuccessfully to balance her head on her shoulders. Her head seemed to carry all the weight of her little body. The little baby was a product of an abortion that went wrong. Her mother had taken abortion drugs which was supposed to kill the baby, but rather than kill the baby, deformed and affected the health of the baby badly.

Perhaps the subject of abortion is a sensitive one, with so much emotional turmoil accompanied with every case, but the increasing cases of abortion in Nigeria and beyond is becoming a thing of concern, especially among teenagers . Although, abortion is illegal in Nigeria and done only to save a woman's life, many women and teenagers alike have put themselves in danger as well as their unborn child by undergoing abortion.

Abortion simply put is a procedure to end a pregnancy by removing the fetus and placenta from the mother's womb.It is a procedure used to end an unwanted pregnancy. There are two ways that abortion can be conducted: through surgery or through the use of drugs.
A particular drug gaining ground in developing countries like Nigeria to abort unwanted foetus is the RU486 and another is an ulcer drug called misoprostol.

Most attempts to abort with misoprostol drug is not often successful and doctors have discovered a high rate of birth defects among infants exposed in utero to misoprostol, such as fused joints, growth retardation and a paralysis of the face called Moebius syndrome. Many of this children are abandoned soon after birth and left for dead.While in the case of visiting a quack doctor, the mother might not be so lucky to live.

The society has a great role to play in the fight against abortion in the country, Early sex education should be given to children when they begin to reach puberty stage, also the need for the parents to be there for the children at particular times that might seem crucial to the development of the girl child.

The government also has a role to play, as some of these abortion drugs can be bought cheaply across the counter. The sales of these drugs should be checked knowing that the risk involved in using these drugs is very high.

As Ronald Reagan quoted in the NewYork Times rightly puts it "I've noticed that everybody that is for abortion has already been born". We should give our unborn children the right to live, to become something in life, to affect our world.

I BELEIVE IN ME

If u cant be a highway
be a trail
If u cant be a sun
Be a star
Its not by size
that u win or fail
be the best of what you are
- Anonymous
Beleiving in one's self is having self confidence. Self confidence is conceiving the plan, knowing you can do it and actually doing it. Self confidence is all about giving yourself great worth. Understanding who you are and what you are made to be and to achieve. Self confidence means trading your fears for successes.
Henry Ford said " whether you think you can or you can't, you are ususally right". Your way of thinking has a diverse effect on your confidence. When you think " I cannot do this" then you already have the conviction that you can never do it and it will only take a miracle for you to get there. When you actually try to do it, you end up failing because you have already convinced yourself of not being able to do it.
On the other hand, when you beleive that you can do it, and have the conviction to try and try again until you hold the winning card, then you just might get there. The greatest pleasure inlife is actually getting to the stage that people beleive that you can never get to in life.. It only takes a little criticism to deflate a person's self confidence. Acting positively on criticisms is the only way to overcome this.
Self confidence is often triggered off from the thought process. What you think that you can do and how much you think you can achieve can adversely affect performance in life.
Self confidence is the way you dress. Many say that it is the way you dress that you are adressed. Dressing up to suit different occasions, seasons and environments makes you fit in better.
Self confidence is who you associate with. who are your friends? how do they influence you? positively or negatively? Do they keep laughing at every new idea that you have? Do they motivate u.
Self confidence is knowing God's purpose for your life. What do you think God wants you to achieve in life. Obviously God wants you to succeed. So go out there and make it happen.

IJEOMA MY LOVE: MY WIFE

It was not love at first sight when I met Ijeoma. There were no explosive desires. Not even a spark. The only fire that was flying around was Ijeoma’s fury as she screamed invectives on me. What was that saying about hell having no fury? But in this case the woman was not scorned rather she was badly soaked with muddy water, which I had unwittingly splashed on her when I had hit a pothole with my car.
"I am very sorry. If there is anything that I can do." I kept apologizing over and over again.
"Anything you can do ehn?" she had asked getting even angrier and I wondered why I had even stopped to apologise when other drivers would have just zoomed off, but not me. I thought grimly.
"Yes. I would be happy to help." I answered placating
"Okay, it is either you get me new clothes right this minute or get me a new job" she had said folding her hands across her bosom obviously ready for a fight. God! I have never met such a woman with so much passion. As she stared back defiantly at me, her big black eyes shooting daggers under long and elegant eyelashes, her small but sensuous lips pouting. I was hooked.
"New dress, new job. Wow!" I muttered under my breath, but she seemed to have heard, because at that moment her eyes lowered a little and her lips began to tremble.
"Hey I did not mean to..:" I started to apologise but she just waved my apology away and started walking away. I knew I was late for work but I just could not help myself. I just ha to follow her.
"I can get you new clothes if that will make you happy" I said hopefully but she did not answer me but kept walking away. "But I am afraid that I cannot help you with a job" I continued somewhat foolishly.
"What am I going to do now?" she asked throwing up her hands "I am dirty and also late for my job interview at ikeja. I guess I will just go back home and you should just leave me alone" she said walking even faster. It was the "ikeja" that got me. \Okay, I know that ikeja is one big working place but out of curiosity I needed to know.
"What company exactly?" I asked
"Premium computers" she answered distractedly. Then the hilarity of the whole situation hit me and I began to laugh. This was the ijeoma that I was rushing down to go and interview in my office. When she noticed my amusement, she pointed an accusing finger at me
"And you think that is funny?"
"No no.. , it’s just that I am the ceo of premium computers and I am supposed to be interviewing you" I had said . she had been horrified and then she started to apologise. I guess she needed the job and I needed to hear those lips call my name, I needed to know how it would feel to hold in my hands such a beauty. I needed to see her again. I gave her the job on the spot and she was ecstatic.
Working with Ijeoma as my personal assistant was beautiful. She was a hard worker. We were always doing things together in the office and she was my right hand man. Although we never crossed the employer – employee line but I was on the verge of doing so 2 months into her job. Staying so close to Ijeoma all the time was making me lose my mind. I needed to have her. I was losing my heart to a woman who worked for me. A month later, I just could not take it any longer, one minute I was showing her something on the computer and the next minute I was kissing those exotic lips. At first she resisted then she started to kiss me back with such passion that I have never seen in a woman before. As my hands started to make its way slowly to the top button of her shirt there was a soft knock on the door, which brought me back to reality.
From that moment, I just could not pretend anymore. I knew that I felt something for ijeoma and I know that ijeoma felt it too. We had a stolen kiss here and a stolen kiss there until we could not reign in on our desires any longer. We gave in to our desires and had the greatest sex ever and God was it beautiful. Six months later we got married in a most beautiful wedding. Six years later, I still feel that I am married to the greatest woman ever..