Friday 27 July 2012

OKADA RIDING; CURSE OR BLESSING?
The commercial motorcycle popular know as okada or Achaba is the recent unconventional  means of transportation which is very  famous mostly in commercial cities in Nigeria. In Lagos for instance, okada have ways and tricks of beating traffics and take passengers to their destination on time. Even with the recent law by the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to stop okada riders from highways, many of them still plying highways on daily basis, defying the safety order by the FRSC to wear helmet and stop plying highways. As it has being entrenched in our system, the order by the FRSC only takes effect for two weeks of the announcement and such announcement as it has been known, is an avenue for security agencies  to make more money by releasing offenders on bail for minimal of 1,000 naira at the spot the offence is being commited. As a result,the okada riders prefered  to defy such order and prefered to pay 1,000 naira if arrested. This has developed over a time to chaos between the okada riders and security agencies as witnessed in Lagos.

But one must not be economical with the truth of what forced not less than seven million Nigeria into this risk job. The harsh condition of how to feed, clothing, rent etc among many factors responsible for the moving of large number of workforce that can be used for the production that can grow the country into okada riding. As government failed either to provide jobs or creating enabling environment for business to thrive, the youth used the okada riding to register their voice that if government failed, they can create jobs for themselves irrespective of what that could cause them and the entire country. In the view of this, indicator shows that Okada riding in another way of perpetrate criminality in the country. In the recent time,not less that 60% crime in the country is being carried out with okada because it is easy to manipulate okada than cars.

Apart from the agile youth that moves into okada business on daily basis, the business also witnessed the accommodation of civil service retirees , artisans and traders. Due to the poor and low-wages we operated in the country, many of the civil servants while serving have little or nothing to save at the end of the month and the pension scheme that suppose to take care of them after retirement has been grossly indicted in corruption by the personnel and political appointees.  The recent pension scam investigated by the Federal House of Assembly is a good example of the claim.

The financial system which suppose to be a respite is another sector that possibly opened a gate for huge prospects for okada riding and shut the gate on self enterprising, skill development and craftsmanship. Even in the face of erratic power supply that grips the country which made many companies relocate to neighbouring Africa countries and consequently the laying off of almost 700,000 workforce, I am sure that there are still some agile youth in this country that can manage and sustain business if they have the opportunity of soft loan. But in a case where  the financial institution blamed is failure on corruption and economic meltdown, which made it impossible to develop small scale business is another way of telling the youth to engage in any job that was accompanied with risk and  future failure.

As a result and because of the risk that attached with okada riding, many people has been killed and many has been rendered hopeless due to various injuries sustained on okada. Statistics shows that almost 20,000 people were on various degrees of injury with almost 5000 that has been rendered to a complete destitute. This statistics does not include the number of the victims that died instantly at the scene of okada’s accident.

Government could in anyway claimed that the importation of okada appropriated funds into the purse of the federation but that must not be a means to compromise youth development. The situation could have better if we have a fabrication plant that  manufacture okada parts here in Nigeria, rathe what we do is that we assemble here and by consequence, we are building other country's economy, we are creating jobs for their youth and leave ours undeveloped. With my technical background,I want to say categorically that we have youth that can manufacture motorcycle and tricycle if there is support from the government and enabling environment.


Craftsmanship is another neglected area which has almost been sacrificed for okada riding. All the youth that suppose to learn carpentry, bricklaying, welding, plumbing etc are now active in riding of okada than any other things. The case is that since there is no stable electricity to work and enabling environment, youth prefered to engage in the work that can provide daily meal for them because the economic hardship in the country has reduced their psych to only "hand  to mouth" jobs . All the countries that is aiming at growing like Nigeria never abandon their craftsmanship because they know that craftsmanship is the key to micro economic development. The point i am making here is that government should stop paying lips services to the transformation agenda it proposed. Let government provide enabling environment for agricultural development and you will see many of this okada people go back to farming. With the research I made, many of them were already tired with the job but expressed fear of lack of livelihood if they live the work. This trend needs to be reversed urgently or else, car will develop fault one day and there will be no mechanic to fix it.

Thursday 19 July 2012

MY INTERVIEW WITH PA (PRINCE) FATAI ROLLING DOLLAR.
-I am the oldest musician still playing on stage in the world by Guinness world book record

WE CONGRATULATE YOU SIR ON YOUR 85TH YEARS BIRTHDAY.CAN YOU PLEASE TELL US HOW YOU VENTURE INTO MUSIC?
You know i started the music career  as  far back as 1940.I was born and brought up in at isale eko, Lagos Island on the 22nd July,1926.I attended St. Patrick school around 1934 before i lost my father . But during this time,no parent want their children to become either tailor,barber,musician or driver.I don't know why they are condemning the jobs then.But today,those jobs are not only a means of living but a career.So i started playing music since 1945 during the 2nd world war.But i was just playing it for fun then.It was in 1953 i started music as a career.

THANK YOU SIR.SINCE YOU SAID IT HAS BEEN LONG YOU STARTED MUSIC CAREER.WHAT REALLY INSPIRED YOU INTO MUSIC THEN?

You know,our time was the time that witnessed alot of public parade of military personnel.The armed forces will play with their band from Obalende to Ido terminal.Whenever i heard them,i will sneaks out and leave whatever my mother asked me to do to watch them.It was since then i have been praying to be like them.Based on this, i later go go and learn more about music from the people that knows it more than me.And today, i thank God.

AS AT THE TIME YOU STARTED PLAYING MUSIC,WHO ARE THE LEADERS IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY THEN AND WHO AMONG THOSE LEADERS YOU ARE PRAYING TO BE LIKE?
What we have then was a very small numbers of musicians because of the parents attitude to music as i said.What we have was just recording studios which are about five.Philip,West Africa,EMI,Decker and UAC.Before you called yourself a musicians in our time,your ability must be tested.Government involves then.They will send infiltrator to go and watch your recording and if you say any wayward thing,they will not allow your album to be released into the market.
unlike today,in which nobody really care about what musicians sings.Many youths of nowadays picks one or two things from the immorality of today's music.

SIR THERE WAS A TIME IT WAS  PRESUMED THAT YOU WENT UNDERGROUND IN YOUR MUSIC CAREER.ALTHOUGH YOUNG MEN LIKE US READ IT OR WE WERE TOLD BY OUR SENIORS.WHAT REALLY HAPPENED THEN?

God is the owner of the time and He knows everything.In life,you are bound to face many challenges if you are to be great in life.In 1978-1979,i was among the people who "unknown soldiers" spoiled their career.They("unknown soldiers")carries and destroyed my instrument,my Peugeot 404 car was set ablaze,all my band memebers disserted me and everythingwas truncated.
So i went to joined security job at Teslim Balogun stadiumaround 1979 and i did the job for almost 5-6 years.One day i went to paray in the mosque an the morning,as i was coming back,i saw some robbers stealing iron rodfrom the stadium.They were 3 in number and i caught two out of them.They wounded me in my face and i was rushed to the hospitals for treatment.After i was discahrged from the hopital, i was paid some of  24,000 as my pay off.

BUT 24,00 WAS A LOT OF MONEY THEN,WHAT DID YOU DO WITH THE MONEY?
You know if you have money and you dont save to it but you always spend from it,the money will finish one day and as at then i have 7 children in which i later lost of them.After that, one of my in law introduced me to security job again and i was employed as a senior security officer.After some time,my spirit told me to leave the job and go back to music.I was then employed by one church in Lagos Island and i plays guitar for them.they are paying 2,500 and i just took the job top prepare myself again for music.
After sometimes,they started canvassing to convert to christian and i said no.As a result,they alleged that i dont close my eyes when they were praying.I said yes,I dont close my eyes so that i will be the first to see Jesus Christ when He  his coming with gifts.The alleged again that i smoked and i asked them,is it in the church or in my house?
They also said that choirs ladies come to my house and i told them that they come to learn music.I told them that day that im leaving their work.
Since then,things started changing for good gradually and i released a album titled "WON KERE SI NUMBER WA"

SORRY FOR CUT IN SIR,WHAT IS THE NAME OF YOUR FIRST RECORD AND WHEN DID YOU RELEASED IT?

My first record was OLUWA LOLUSO  AGUNTAN MI.I released it in 1960.After that i did BAA KO DAYA,after that i did ORERE ILA ILA OLOBE AYO..

AMONG THE CELEBRATED JUJU MUSICIAN TODAY,WHO AMONG THEM AS EVER WORKED WITH YOU?

They are many but i can only talk about Evangelist Ebenezer Obey.He was a very very good boy to me .He was a talented musician from God.He also stayed beside me at the trouble time.My God be with him and i wish him many happy return on his 70th birthday.

SIR AT 85,YOU ARE STILL BURSTING AND ROLLING,IS THERE ANY SECRETE BEHIND THIS?
No any orthodox or artificial power,Its God's power.As at now,i am the oldest  musician still playing on the stage in the world.It is in Guinness world book of record. I am still fathering children.My last born was one and half years and i still wish to have have more children if God give me the power.Our government suppose to take care somebody like me while im still alive not when im no more.

YOU JUST RELEASED ANOTHER ALBUM,WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE ALBUM?

The name of the album is BETTER LIFE.If you want to leave better life,just try to pick a copy.

SIR,IF YOU ARE TO BE GRATEFUL TO SOME PEOPLE APART FROM GOD AND YOUR PARENTS,WHO ARE THOSE PEOPLE YOU WILL BE GRATEFUL TO?
To everybody,my fans and everybody especially Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.Jagaban of the world.He is the only governor in this country that have mercy.He gave me where i stayed now before i build my own house.He brought back smile into my face and i pray for the continuation of God's guidance on him and his household.He will live longer than me with good health.

SIR,HOW WILL YOU COMPARE OLD MUSIC WITH THE NEW ONE?

From the old you get new.There is no new without the old.During our time then,you must learn Hi life music because its the foundation of juju music.The old music teaches morality but nowadays music is not to write anything about.

SIR,WHAT ADVISE DO YOU HAVE FOR WE THE YOUNGER GENERATION AND THE UPCOMING MUSICIANS IN GENERAL?

To be prayerful and persevere.They should respect the elders and be obidient.During our time,if we see old person standing in the bus,we will stand up for them and they will carries us in their laps and they will start praying for us.So i want to implore many of the younger generation to cultivate many of this behaviour.