Lagos Palaver 2

Helen and Princess.

I have been in Lagos since the last week of August and to be honest to God, there is too much heat and stress in Lagos. The sight of commuters stranded at the bus stop and the traffic congestion make me uncomfortable, because it is not easy to re-adjust to the hustle and bustle of living and working in Lagos after my long stay on Bonny Island where I was really comfortable until the Niger Delta crisis made many of the residents afraid to cross the dangerous Bonny Channel or to even live in the towns of Bonny and Finima.


Most people in Lagos are really "suffering and smiling" as the legendary Afrobeat musical icon Fela Anikulapo-kuti sang in one of his classic songs in the 1970s. But do beggars have a choice? Most of the poverty-stricken majority, suffering and smiling in the mega city of Lagos are living like beggars since their meager wages cannot even provide the daily three square meals to feed one man!


It has not been easy for me to re-adjust to the crowdy and rowdy environment of the mainland of Lagos even if you live in any of the so called Government Reserved Areas (GRAs). The roads in the suburban ghetto of Shomolu are even better than many of the roads in Ikoyi and Victoria Island where many of the streets even stink. So, no where in Lagos can really be compared to the beautiful estate of the Nigeria LNG RA 1 on Bonny Island. But if you have some millions of naira, you can live in any of the Fool's Paradise in Lagos.

I am not lonely in Lagos and thank God for Helen and Princess and other sweethearts in the hot city of Lagos. Helen's clothes are tailor-made for body enhancement, and she is really attractive, but I am missing my one and only Sweetest 24/7!

Love in the State of Emergency

I have not been online as I would love to since I arrived Bonny last Friday. The banks on Bonny Island have been shut since the kingdom has been under siege when the dreaded militants and gunmen attacked both their military and civilian targets on the Island. The combined forces of the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Navy and Nigerian Police are even using the Nigeria LNG Jetties and the helipad within the Nigeria LNG Residential Estate for their deployment to Bonny Island for the military mission against the militants and gunmen on rampage in the Niger Delta.

The PC I use for my online programs has been damaged and I have to buy a new one. But I am still composing new love poems and love songs.

The people on Bonny Island are living in fear of the next attack of the militants, and the safest place seems to be the Nigeria LNG RAs where the residents are still enjoying their Happy Hours at the West Bar where lovers meet for fun.
There is still time and space to love in the state of emergency.

Back To Bonny Island

I returned to Bonny Island yesterday after spending ten days in Lagos.

My mission to Lagos was for the press launch of my new book "Bye, Bye Mugabe". But after I discovered more than 21 typographical errors in the text, I rejected the book and scolded the editor Josephine Dee for her professional imcompetence.
Last Sunday, she came to where I was staying with the publisher of my romantic book, "The Language of True Love", and she came with the General Overseer of her church, two pastors and a younger woman I have known for decades to explain what went wrong. She was in tears, because she said I was insulting her. We made peace and she accepted to re-edit the book and accept the liability of the printed copies.

Professional incompetence is common in Nigeria.

Love in Abuja

Abuja, Nigeria.

The romantic weekend I had last Friday in Abuja reminded me of Love in Tokyo.

I crossed the dangerous Bonny Channel of the Niger Delta early in the morning last Thursday and went to Port Harcourt to take a bus or car to Abuja. I was taken to the Edo Line motorpark where I joined other passengers in a Peugeot car. I felt comfortable in the company of young and pretty Nigerian women and a younger Nigerian man. Grace was the prettiest, but my mind was filled with the thoughts of my mission to Abuja. When the car taking us to Abuja broke down near Sapele in Delta state, the passengers had the opportunity of having cordial discussion. I had to cross the busy express road to buy a bottle of Coca-Cola and sachet water for Grace and the other women, including the young mother and her cute baby. We waited for hours before the company operating the transport service sent another driver and a small vehicle to continue our journey to Abuja, but Grace decided to spend the night in Benin and continue her trip to Abuja in the morning. We reached Abuja at about 10 p.m and I found a taxicab to take me to a private guest house where I passed the night.
The cab driver decided to stay close to me and I told him to call my Sweetest and let her know that I was in Abuja.

I went to Abuja to see my princess and my queen.
I could not reach her until the following day when I told her that I was delayed on the way and arrived late in the night. She was really excited. We have not seen for a long time, so we were happy to meet again. I had to leave the guest house early in the morning of Friday for a better accommodation that would be more comfortable to her. When she came, she was looking prettier and sexier than Scarlet Johansson and taller too. The cab driver I sent to bring her told me he could not deny the beauty of the Queen of my heart.
She made my first private visit to Abuja an awesome experience of romance.

Let Your Priorities Be Determined By Your Realities

Sunday March 16, 2008.
Novotel Accor Hotel, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

Room 335.

I am alone in this cosy room watching a Nigerian movie on the Africa Magic Channel of Mnet's DSTv. It is a very good room. I am glancing at the faces of the top Nollywood actors, Olu Jacobs and Bob Manuel-Odogwu as I am writing, but my mind is far away from Port Harcourt. The ride on the Aero Contractors' helicopter was fine and the aerial view of Bonny Island was good for my reflections on life as we flew over the Bonny Channel from Bonny Island to the Nigerian Airforce Base airport in the Garden City of Port Harcourt.

Monday March 17, 2008.
9.30 pm.

We left the Novotel Accor Hotel for Enugu and returned safely, but we could not leave for Bonny Island, because we came back hours later than the expected time for the last helicopter for Bonny Island. We returned to the Novotel, but there were no more rooms reserved for us. The reservation and travel manager of the Nigeria LNG Limited told me that we should go to the Protea Hotel nearby. We took a taxi cab to 1C, Eva Crescent, G.R.A, Phase 1, Port Harcourt. The lobby of Protea Garden City looked like a business centre as both the guests and visitors milled around the reception and some were busy on their laptops. As we waited for a long time before we could check into our rooms, my thoughts on the importance of peace in Nigeria filled my mind. I thanked God that Port Harcourt is now peaceful after the Niger Delta militants clashed with themselves and the Nigerian Armed Forces, four months ago. We saw Peace Anyiam-Fiberisima of the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA)at the reception. She was escorted to the elevator with her luggage.

We checked into our rooms on the fifth floor and I loved my room.
Room 511 was larger than the Room 335 of the Novotel. There was a twin-size bed with six pillows and a chocolate bon bon was placed on a questionaire card on one of the pillows. I picked up the card and read the question written in capital letters.
"ARE WE HOT OR NOT?" I rated them warm and put the bon bon away. I called for room service and I was served in my room. I had French salad, fish and potato chips.
It was delicious. After eating, I turned to the television to see the latest news on the CNN before I decided to sleep.

I woke up early and said my usual prayers. I did not order for breakfast, because I was not hungry. I checked out and waited for the others in the lobby. They joined me and we left for the Nigerian Airforce Base airport where we took the Aero Contractors' helicopter to Bonny Island.

Sunday March 23, 2008.

I received a mail from Amaka, the marketing executive of Protea Garden City, thanking me for spending a night at their hotel.

I have been concentrating on the editing on my first book of short stories since last month. I found Pamela Guerrieri worthy to edit the American edition of the book and Josephine Dee is already editing the Nigerian edition. I e-mailed Pamela Guerrieri's sample edit of the first chapter to Josephine Dee. I want the first major work of my prose to be accepted and appreciated by the literary communities and readers everywhere. The book means so much to me.

I have three other books I am going to complete before autumn. I am on the last chapter of my thoughts and commentaries on Senator Barack Obama and the American Presidential Campaign. I am on page 220 and some more pages will be added after the Democratic primaries in June. Two books are on these interesting times in Nigeria, from the consequences of corruption to the evils of religious hypocrisy.

My younger sister's health also needs constant attention.

These are the present priorities until my sister is fully recovered and my next book is in my fair hands.

Writing a book is like having a baby.
Getting pregnant is easy, but the labour of the long months of pregnancy is challenging and only the woman in travail knows the sacrifice of childbirth.
Only God knows and understands the burden of my labour of love for humanity.

Let your priorities be determined by your realities and not your anxieties.
By your anxieties, I mean fears and worries.

Success without happiness is not better than failure.


Go and read Terry's Short Stories.

This Is Not Just Another Love Story

This is not just another love story
Because this love is a mystery.
Our love is extraordinary.

We can hide and we can run
But we can never escape from the spirit of love.
King Solomon said, there is nothing new under the sun.
For pure and true love is as innocent and gentle as the dove.

You are the muse of my symphony
Without which, there is no harmony.
This is not just another love story.

N.B:
I composed this love song this aftertoon at about 3 p.m online in my present residence on Bonny Island, Rivers State, Nigeria. It is for my Sweetest who knows herself.