By Frank Meke.
Nigeria is one big country of missed blessings and opportunities. We have the good, the bad, and the ugly characters that appeal to all shades and opinions.
When Musician Kizz Daniel released his record-breaking album, BUGA, both the rich and poor, politicians, educationists, and doctors danced to it.
I tried dancing to the song, even though I tried to make sense of the lyrics. ” Let me see you go low low buga won.”
Now, Kizz Daniel must be saying something different from your understanding or my perception of the lyrics, but who cares so long as the drummings and dancing make sense.
I have heard so much about the bugacentric Gospel to which some of us actually take to the moon and damn anyone.
I just kind of wonder why one should go so low and only to rise to confound, even those who helped us in our low moments.
Pride and arrogance certainly fuel the bugacious mentality that has taken centre stage in our daily affairs. A few days ago, I went to the new market in my opinion, imo state capital, Owerri, to buy motor parts to rekit my car. There’s also Alaba market replica in Owerri. Trading here is serious business.
Owerri is bursting at seams, and I wonder why all we hear about this hospitality city is a troubling narrative about all not being well. Very mobid stories, some delibraretly generated to give Owerri a bad name.
Don’t get me wrong, there may be certain fears, but it’s not enough to condemn the people and government here of being servants of retardation. If anything at all needs serious interrogation and interpretation, it’s the surreal socioeconomic development ongoing in Owerri, particularly in the new Owerri city, which is pleasantly benubbing.
Seeing Owerri, I mean new Owerri, trips my imagination to a futuristic expedition, an encounter that could make the Owerri indigene the bugacious element amongst his traducers
To compare new Owerri, in fact, the imo state capital to Las Vegas or Madrid, Spain, could amount to a BUGA mentality expression. Any in the buga dance, seeing is believing, so come to Owerri, and see what the chairman of the Apc governors forum, and Imo state governor, Hope uzodinma is doing
So when we see the governor dey buga, he possibly has so much to show off to the world and Nigerians, even though his government has not paid detailed attention on harnessing the cultural tourism trade in the state.
Apologies for deviating. At the new market, I strayed away from my mission and went for street food. Honestly, I used to marvel at how traders and trade posts all the world, particularly in Nigeria, do attract restaurants, open shops, and mobile kitchens to their locations.
You want to eat the best street foods, go through any market and you won’t be disappointed. The foods are not only affordable, they are well prepared, steaming hot and served without any bugacious expression.
So I settled at the makeshift eatey, built over an overflowing drainage, filled with all kinds of trash, but my mind is set on the food before me and to hell to an environment to which we all joined hands to make worse.
I had about four friends with me, and in between us, six thousand naira went to the lady who is struggling to attend to numerous customers, among many who possibly thought we must not be part of their crowd, not we dressed bugaciously differently but we shared our hearts experience in Yoruba language, which made us” foreign” to the indigenes who possibly don’t know that the economy dey sweet some people as it is painful to others.
Now, the lady who is stressed by customers who thronged her eatey forgot that show some good manners despite being a good cook and got my other custic tongue. How can a beautiful lady who cooks so well be associated with a nonsensical bugacious character? I just wonder!.
It is possibly only in Nigeria that a tenant would bugaciously look his or her landlord in face and boldly convert a general parking lot or space to a private use without permission.
We vote for a governor and a legislator to office, and he or she looks at us in the face and tells us to go invite American Marines to set us free from bad governance.
It is in our character to show ingratitude to our benefactors, some of us throwing ourselves before a moving train and dare the train driver to do the worst.
We join an association, became members of the Board of Trustees, and yet we won’t respect our seniority badges but would rather want to shove aside elected executive members from the driver’s seat and take control.
We run our mouth anyhow, respect no one, and indeed deliberately provoke others and expect them to provide the other cheek for slapping expedition.
How can one name his or her restaurant a Buga corner piece and expect the customers to be responsible and appreciative crowd. Sometimes, the name we bear or give to our children or businesses certainly tells a lot about our spiritual depth.
Don’t get me wrong, ooo. There are exceptions because I have seen a Solomon who is contented with one wife and a saint Timothy with ten wives and thirty concubines.
Well, some mothers do have them, so to manifest the spirit of buga sometimes may attract humbling and soothing reactions… Yes, we may not like the biblical moses’ reaction to an eye for an eye. Truely, what we bugaciously give to others is what we shall bugaciously get in return.
If you leave in a glass house, please don’t throw stones. Where is even that iconic Peter Tosh? Lagos Jk Randle Centre is one big attraction spot for conferences and meetings. It’s location is a perfect ambience for those who wish to organise events with the security of their invitees in mind.
Last year, I ran into a xtmas village hosted in the place, and I was pleasantly surprised at lightings and creativity to which the space was turned into heaven on earth.
But the traffic wasn’t much, maybe attention was not paid to publicity and that to me is troubling. However, the.many theme
restaurants
and food courts were eye-popping. I saw pretty young persons, and they greeted me as those who were properly brought up in the countryside as against those who wee bugaciously brought up in lekki or ikoyi and who have their nose thrown to the air.
This is 2025, so if you are called to serve us in whatever capacity, please earn your respect from us but you can be sure get a bloody nose if you show us that you bigger than us.
If I am your principal and give you an opportunity to serve or manage our resources or facilities, please stay on your lane and respectfully do your job. If dare cross the line, trust that a bugacious slap awaits you in different shapes and sizes. 2025 is the year of discipline, candour, and accountability.
My friend and delectable sister, Mrs TOKE Benson Awoyinka, lagos State Commissioner of Tourism, Arts and Culture, called me up two nights ago at 2 am. She was surprised that I was still up at that hour, and I told her it was a normal pattern with me cause I have learnt that the night controls the day. So learn to command the day so that you don’t err and look your benefactor in the eyes and get shipped off to Gaza!