Way to Go Greece!

Greek triple jumper Voula Papachristau who made a racist remark about Africans

One thing that puzzles me is why in this day and age do we still have to have national and international figures making racist remarks. Voula Papachristau tweeted the following tweet..."With so many Africans in Greece .. At least the mosquitoes of West Nile .. will eat homemade food!.." https://twitter.com/papaxristoutj

What is wrong with you Papachristou? While I am extremely bothered by the content of her remark, I am in fact disgusted with her remarks following the disciplinary actions taken by Greece. Rather than taking ownership for her intolerable behavior, she blames everyone around her. This is unacceptable. Stand up and take responsibility! With comments like that...you don't deserve to compete anywhere let alone in the olympics!

Demand a higher standard

As many of you know I strive to point out the injustices that I see in various situations that occur. I am taking a particular risk with this posting. The subject of my post is the vast majority of Nigerians. Yes...I am probably talking about you. While we can all talk until we are blue in the face about the injustices that exist in Nigeria, each of us hold a piece of the dysfunction that exists.

I have noticed that while we may talk a "big game" about accountability, at the end of the day our actions don't match our words. The standard that Nigerians hold their public officials to is very low. What do I mean by this? Well it is actually fairly simple. I have noticed that Nigerians often applaud ludicrous behavior that is frankly unacceptable.

The most recent example of this revolves around the topic of the blog from earlier this week. I discussed the actions of Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State. He decided to take the law into his own hands and to pursue enforcement of the "commercial vehicle lane." While some Nigerians were seeing this as a despicable act the vast majority of individuals who weighed in on this issue were applauding the governor.

This brings me to my question...Are we really ready to bring about change? In order to bring about this change, it is essential to hold the governmental officials accountable for their leadership. Until they receive the pressure from us they will not change their behavior. It is time to end the status quo. The status quo I am referring to is the complacency of Nigerians. Stand up for what you believe in. Examine what is really important to bringing about changes. Most of all don't celebrate the stupidity exhibited by the governmental leaders. In fact...I implore you to stand up against these acts and demand a higher standard of action. The standard I am referencing is to promote a Nigeria that is free from corruption, that offers equal opportunity to all and most importantly is a desirable place for individuals to live.

Who's role is it anyway

Babatunde Fashola Governor of Lagos state Nigeria caused so much traffic back up while trying to arrest traffic offenders.

This picture illustrates a ludicrous act demonstrated by the "esteemed" Governor of Lagos state Nigeria Babatunde Fashola.  In Nigeria some drivers choose to disobey the traffic lanes that are clearly designated for buses (BRT lanes in Lagos) and other commercial vehicles. Babatunde Fashola, in his ever infinite wisdom, decided to take the law into his own hands and pull over some military officials for misusing the (BRT) commercial vehicle lane. While I am not supporting the misuse of the lane, is this really the role of the Governor of Lagos state?

I am concerned that Governor Babatunde Fashola feels that he is now in charge of enforcing the traffic laws. I ask you...is this the best use of the Governor's time and power? I am concerned that this is how the Governor chooses to spend his time. Of equal concern is the fact that the Governor feels this is his role. Why is he not out meeting with his constituents, why is he not meeting with lawmakers, or better yet why is he not advocating for the critical changes that need to be made in Lagos state?

I am going to take a bold step today and call out those who have supported this action. I was frankly shocked to see the level of support that Governor Babatunde Fashola has received regarding this action. I ask those of you supporting his action to truly analyze what you believe to be the role of the Lagos state Governor. Nothing will change if Nigerians continue to have such a narrow scope of expectations. It is time to vision change and evolution. It is essential that to champion change the public hold their leaders accountable for advocating for and actualizing change. At the risk of stating the obvious...I don't believe that enforcing traffic laws necessitates revolutionary change and evolution.