AKWA IBOM PEOPLE AND THEIR LACK OF BUSINESS TOGETHERNESS

Before anybody bashes me for writing this post, it is just an observation that even Akwa ibomites who have lived in the south west or other states would agree with.

When I first came to Akwa Ibom, I noticed that whenever I went to the market and wanted to get something from someone who was not around, the neighbours to the person would pretend as if they didn’t see that I wanted something from the person’s wares.  Coming from Lagos, that attitude used to irritate me (still does). In Lagos, if the person selling was not around, the neighbour would actually help that person sell or tell you to please wait and get someone to call the other person or if they know that the person would not come soon they would inform you so that you don’t wait too long. But the Akwa ibomite traders would not answer you at all. Instead when you leave the place, they would expect you to buy something from them. 

It is really bad of them! For crying out loud, you guys are together most of the time, why can’t you guys be nice to each other and help out? I think I have only seen one instance where someone helped his neighbor sell and it was just yesterday. I was tempted to buy something from him just because he had been nice. I didn’t even know he was not the trader until the owner showed up and collected the money from me.

Another thing I also noticed is that they are very unwilling to help each other split a larger amount of money into smaller denominations. It is seriously bad! It is common among the transportation guys, they would almost always say they don’t have and can’t help out. Today I gave a keke guy 500naira and he didn’t have change, he went to meet the fuel station attendants and they didn’t have (those guys usually help people with change), then he went to meet a fellow keke guy who said he didn’t have too, then he went to meet some girls selling recharge cards and as usual they said they didn’t have. All the above people were Akwa ibomite (and before you say, how did I know? I know them because we were close to my house). 

You wouldn’t believe who finally gave him change, a ‘Hausa shoe repairer’! The keke guy spoke Hausa to the shoe repairer and the guy stopped and checked his pockets to see if he could get the complete change. What really amazed me apart from the fact that he was Hausa was the change he brought was really change… 20 naira, 50 naira, 100 naira! If people want to split 500 naira, they would give you 2 pieces of 200 naira and 1 piece of 100 naira. Seeing as all he had was those denominations, he could have easily said he could not give the keke guy since he will need it but he didn’t. I was impressed especially since this is Akwa Ibom and they are not like that. But stuff like this happens in Lagos especially among the Hausas and the Okada (motor cycle) riders. If they have change and their fellow rider needs it, they would stop even with a passenger and give the other. But in Akwa Ibom, Never!!!

They really need to change, it is really annoying. One day I was really angry when someone didn’t answer when I wanted to get something from her neighbour and was just ranting to my friend, and he agreed that their traders are like that. I was ‘like so you know?’ Anyway, I hope there is a change soon. This post is not a bashing on any tribe or any state before I am called a ‘tribalistic’ person but just an observation.

Hey! I just have to give a shout out to the newest radio station in Uyo…….Planet101.1fm. Right now I am listening to some old tunes (not necessary old school per se just songs of late 90’s and in the early 2000’s) that I used to listen to before. The station reminds me of all the station in Lagos. 

They are really a very new station so they don’t have sponsors and presenters yet just Disk Jockeys but I really hope that when they do have presenters and sponsors they don’t become boring. And I hope they are a 24 hour station too. All the other 2 stations in Akwa Ibom are a disaster (my opinion o but I can be forgiven, I come from Lagos where there are over 14 stations and counting). I haven’t bought a radio set because I just can’t listen to the other stations for more than 1hour in 7 days. 

Do you guys think I should apply to be one of their presenters? I could do a radio version of ‘musings of a petite diva’…….#smiling. I would have a once in a week show, probably on Fridays and for 3 hours talking about anything and playing great music. I would be an ‘on air personality’ rocking the air waves and spicing up the lives of the Akwa Ibom people and its environs. I would be fierce and the absolute bomb….lol. I have been thinking about it lately.

 Naaaaaa, my voice ain’t radio voice......#sadface. I don’t speak with a British or American accent and I have a babyish voice. They might think I am a child. But I really wish I could. It would be fun. Well, if I can’t do it, I can dream about it……..#sigh
Luv ya,
Petite Diva.

NIGERIANS AND OUR WEIRD PRIORITIES

So on the 8^th of December 2012, I attended the burial ceremony of a fellow staff member’s father. I normally don’t go to burials but the guy is a good man and is very friendly and helpful to almost everyone so I had to go.

The father had been dead since February 6^th 2012 but because of lack of funds had not been able to bury him. We even had to donate money for him when the proposed date for the burial was approaching and were able to raise about 200, 000 naira.

I honestly don’t know where his dad has been all this while and didn’t really think about the whole issue until a friend brought up a valid point. Why would he keep his dad for so long in the mortuary? The answer is because he wanted to do an ‘elaborate’ ceremony. He also made me understand that we as a department were also having our priority all wrong. We had by donating for a frivolous thing had encouraged the trend of not focusing on what really matters.

As I watched the burial ceremony on that day (my first Akwa ibom burial) and saw how the guy was dancing and acting, I had to agree with my friend. We, Nigerians need to focus on what is important. It wouldn’t have made the man less dead if they had had a small ceremony. It won’t mean they didn’t value him if they had made it low key. They didn’t need to keep him in a mortuary for over 10 months (I am sure the mortuary owners would have heaved a sigh of relief when they came to take the body). Everything that was done was so that people would not talk or to impress people.

I am strange in the fact that I don’t give a hoot what people think about me. I have learned that by doing that you allow people to live 2 lives at your expense i.e. they live their own and yours too. So I really don’t see why he couldn’t just bury the guy earlier without all the unnecessary pomp. But then with all what I am learning about Akwa ibom people, I guess he had no choice. Akwa Ibom people care a lot about what their family people or village people say or do. Can you imagine if a girl is to be married; the intending groom must pay an amount to almost every group in the village: the grandmothers and their family, the youths, the elders and a lot of unnecessary people.

Considering my own family background, I think that is a whole load of baloney! What is the settlement of all those people that never cared how the girl was faring all this years? But hey! different strokes for different folks. So I guess unto each person his own ways.

What do you think guys? Am I weird or did I tell it as it is or should be. I would love to read your comments on today’s write up.

Love ya  guys,

Petite Diva.

#30 THINGS YOU ALL DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT ME (PART 1)

I saw this on a friend’s twitter page and decided to try it. Sorry Fatima, I am stealing your idea (please don’t sue me o cos I no get money to pay you o…….lol). I think this would be fun but I am not sure whether I would write the 100% truth but I would try. All I ask is that I am not judged and you all love me for who I am.

Here goes……(#rubbingmypalmstogether):
1. I was born on the 4th of March, my zodiac sign is pisces. I have no clue what my birthstone is. Can someone help me?

2. I am 5 feet 1 inch tall. A lot of people think I am shorter so I had to state my height. I wish I was taller but this is the height I selected in heaven so I gotta live with it.

3. I can be a very good revenge scheme plotter. I hate getting angry because I think of great ways to get even and they always seem spectacular but thank God I am too much of a chicken to ever carry them out …….#smilingwithmyteethshowing…….

4. I am an introvert. I am happy staying at home, washing, cleaning and watching movies.

5. I didn’t know where akwa ibom was until I was posted here for NYSC.

6. I can’t effectively speak Yoruba (I know, I know, I should be ashamed of myself). I really want to learn it now. My last boyfriend could speak 3 languages and I badly want to learn to speak 3 languages too.

7. I have a terrible fear of speaking in public. My heart begins to pound faster and my voice becomes shaky. I have a presentation coming up and I am seriously dreading it.

8. I don’t make friends easily because I think I am such a bad person and nobody would want to be friends with me. I therefore come across to people as a snob.

9. I don’t like speaking a lot because I have an accent and I sometimes struggle with the pronunciation of words. I am not witty so lack what to say at times.

10. I am a very shy person. I lack self confidence. I rarely talk but I found out that I am better with written words. I also rarely look at people in the face.

11. I had a crush on a certain prince when I was growing up. I had no choice; he is super cute, kind, fun and rich. I also had crushes on 2 guys when I was in secondary school though they never noticed me. Hmmm, I think I still have a crush on one of them and he is now cuter than ever and has a certain addition that makes him more desirable. I can’t fully describe it but that addition makes me melt like butter. He is just too hot!!! (I can’t wait to see people’s response to this…….hahaha).

12. My maternal grandfather was a muslim and had 7 wives with 26 children. And may i also mention that I never met him. I wish I had but he had too many issues with his children that they all went on different paths. I don’t even know where he is buried.

13. I wish I had a nongovernmental organization which helps to make the wishes of less privileged kids come true. Actually my objectives are much more than that.

14. I absolutely love, love, love the colour pink. I am actually going to wear pink on my wedding day (I hope I can….).

15. I am an American size 0, a british size 4 upwards and british size 6 downwards. For the guys it means I got a big butt, which I thank God for because if my butt was not a bit curvaceous I would be really straight.

Well, that is 15 for now. I would be sure to write the remaining tomorrow (I hope I can). Hope you enjoyed it.

Luv ya,
Petite Diva

P.S:Check out my girl's blog, it is so much better than mine and she has a fabulous way of writing. Her blog address is http://onceuponafatum.blogspot.com. Thanks...

MUCH ADO ABOUT MY STATEMENTS AND HOSPITAL PHARMACY

I recently wrote an entry about my experiences and left a teaser to the entry on my Facebook page. Lo and behold I received some comments from my friends about a certain line that I used.

I intentionally wrote that line to give my blog a little pump but I think people are beginning to get the wrong idea. This has also happened with another entry in which the ‘guys’ thought that I had a crush on one of them. I don’t get why my words are been misinterpreted, okay some of them are meant to shock my readers (hey! writing will be no fun if it didn’t stimulate something in the mind of my readers).

So that aside, I think I should talk about my experience in the hospital. I really do not like the political drama of hospital pharmacy. I think I don’t like the fact that you have too many bosses when you are low on the office/pharmacy cadre. I like having one boss that I receive orders from or me simply being the boss. Having too many bosses make life one funky ride. One can be nice while another mean and out to get you. One can say you should do something a particular way while another will practically scream at you that you are doing things all wrong and you end up looking like a fool/dumb.

From my comments you can guess that I am comfortable with some of my bosses while some (especially one) are giving me headache. Well, they don’t know who they are messing with. I am going to break them ‘cos they have no choice than to love me. Why wouldn’t they? I am the ‘princess’ in the house, the one and only petite diva. They got no choice.

I like where I am because of the various pharmacies in the hospital. Different drugs are stocked in each of the pharmacy which means at various times you learn different drugs that are used to treat various diseases. I am going to make the most of where I am because I have plans to use this experience in the future.

Another problem that I have with the hospital (its management) is its inability to pay salaries on time. For the love of God when people work for you for a month, they deserve to be paid. I thought that now that I was working with the federal government at least payment will be made by 26th or 27th of every month but until today workers have not been paid. I don’t know what sort of pranks the management are up to but we will continue to watch them and hope they change for the better.

I gotta run. It is getting late and I need to sleep. Hope to back soon.
Luv, Petite Diva.

A VERY SPECIAL BIRTHDAY WRITE UP FOR A FRIEND

On October 7, 2010 a very special friend is going to be a year older and I have decided to do a special tribute to him.

We met while we were in camp though we didn’t get to know each other that well then. It was after camp that we got closer due to our primary posting issues. He is one of the few people that I have come to roll with while I am here in AKS (that is akwa-ibom state). He is part of the people that is making me miss home a lot less than i thought i would as there is always something going on with the ‘guys’.

The GUYS are four for now but growing every day to include more guys. Why I am bothering to tell you this is because I would definitely refer to them a lot and I don’t want you to be lost later on.

Anyways, my friend is from another tribe that I seem to be surrounded by lately. He is one of a kind. He impresses me with his cooking prowess and the fact that he is not lazy about cooking which makes me happy for his future wife. She can be rest assured that her husband and kids will not 'die of hunger' when she can’t be there. And also of the fact that no maid or other woman can use food to take her husband from her.



He is good at his job and can be ridiculously playful at times. He has got his head screwed on right (at least most of the time). He is a focused business man which is really common with his tribe. That ain’t a bad thing as a guy has got to make the money for the family. Like it is said, ‘money makes the world go round’ (that is not necessary true). As long as the money is genuine I have no problem with it. I am always impressed with people who are business oriented.

To the eyes he ain’t that bad, scratch that... he looks good (boy! if you read this don’t get cocky, I am just saying the truth). He is the whole TDH (tall, dark and handsome) package and with the fact that he has got the pay and the profession that people value (he is a doctor), it is no wonder girls will be after him.

He is one of a kind and I feel blessed that I am privileged to know him. He is part of the reason why I have seized to question God on the fact that i was brought to this state.

So Dr Tochukwu, as you clock another year on this earth, I thank God for your life and for placing you in my life. I wish you the very best of life. May God grant you all your desires and may you have crowning success in all your endeavours (most especially the exam you just wrote). May you live to celebrate more birthdays, AMEN.

I wish you a very, very HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Luv ya. Really wish i could bake you a very big cake but it ain't possible here.

Well, that is all for now folks. Hope to be back soon.
Luv,

Petite diva.



P.S: I recently had my very first follower of this blog on the 4th of October and was pleasantly surprised. So I giving a very BIG shout out to Aikay Brown, my first follower. Thank you for thinking that my blog is worth your time and I hope I won’t disappoint you.

GETTING TO CAMP AND STAYING PUT FOR 21 DAYS

Hallelujah! I have finally been able to get an internet connection that I can afford and has coverage where I stay. I have been busy lately. I will be sure to let you know everything about it. However let me continue with my nysc camp story. Hope you enjoy it.

On getting to camp at about 2 pm that day, the camp officials at the gate insisted that we all opened our baggage so that they could check the contents. They were apparently looking for sharp objects, irons and heating materials. With that done, I dragged my box to where registration was starting. That was so stressful. Just imagine me, a very tiny lady dragging a mighty box (I always pack heavily, both necessary and unnecessary items).

I started the registration both at the main area and at the camp clinic pharmacy since I am a pharmacist. I don’t know if I can say that was a smart thing on my part as it became my own undoing because I was in for the time of my life with that pharmacy. I got to meet the first doctor that arrived at camp also known as the chief medical doctor (CMD) in a previous batch of corps members (though I didn’t know then) and also met the CMD that I was going to work with. Oh! Did I mention I was the first pharmacist to register which made me the Chief pharmacist?

I got to know the hostel and bed I was supposed to stay in for 3 weeks and quickly went to continue the registration. I didn’t finish until the next day when I even got into a bit of trouble thanks to the CMD and my lack of knowledge. I changed into my white shorts and shirt which was what we were to wear most of the time in camp. The kit I was given did not fit but I knew it won’t so I had come prepared with my own.

I worked in the pharmacy all day with the meager drugs we were given and was seriously praying for another pharmacist to come to my rescue. He finally came at the end of the day and promised to resume the next day.

He eventually came but was late; however it was better late than never. So I had a bit of free time when he behaved and stayed on duty. I however had gotten too used to the clinic surroundings and gotten close to some doctor guys so was practically at the clinic all the time.

I got especially close to a particular guy within the clinic corps staff and people thought that there was more to our friendship than it appeared to be.

I probably should continue with the camp life and the fact the waking up ay 3am/ 4am to have my bath with cooollld water was not my thing or that standing or jogging on the parade ground at 5am was annoying or the fact that I had to work from 5am till 2pm if I was on duty in the clinic was ridiculous or also the fact that I worked from the 2nd day I entered camp to the last day but I might not. Why? You might ask; I want to write on the friendship that I had with the guy I mentioned.

So expect a ‘full load down’ on my feelings about it. A lot of things have been occurring lately between us that I think I should write about it. This will be me being true to myself for me, myself and I. People might not like it but I have one life and I am going to live it the way I think is best.

I happen to have been in platoon 2, not actively though but the important people in the platoon knew that I belonged there. I also made some friends (not a lot) while in camp like my bunk mate, ‘side’ bunk mates and majority of the camp clinic corps staff. However due to my ever present face in the clinic; a lot of Nysc staff and corps members knew me. I keep on meeting people who greet me and I have no clue who they are.

I got close to the clinic head to the surprise of a lot of people but she reminds me of my mum and my last employer. It baffled them on how we can be close. So what! If we are close, somebody sue me!!

Like about 8 days to the end of camp I eventually got to meet a third pharmacist. She didn’t know that she was to report to the pharmacy. However I was glad for the fact that there was a third hand which meant shorter hours to work and more time to play/sleep.

Some activities that always seem to have an impact in the minds of corps members that we also did were the endurance trek, variety night with Miss Nysc and Mr. Macho as highlights, cooking competition and camp night (which I didn’t fully partake in any of them).

On the 26th of July, members of the medical team were taken on a field trip to Nigerian Maritime Academy by a prominent pharmacist in Akwa-Ibom. She owns TopCare pharmacies in the state. We were treated to a variety of delicacies known to the indigenes of Akwa-Ibom.

Camp came to a close on the 27th of July. As usually the ladies in my hostel room couldn’t wait to leave camp. They woke up by 2am and made sure no one else could sleep. We had a prayer session thanking God for our stay and putting our future into his hands. I was extremely grateful to God that we didn’t have any casualty with any corps member and Nysc official in the camp.

Camp came to a close with a match past/parade, a speech I didn’t listen to by the way and the handing out of posting letters.

The posting letter I received gave me the shock of my life. That story is for another day. I might not write on it soon as I would probably write about my friendship (or past friendship) with that guy.

I know that you all want to know all the details about that. So watch this blog regularly for the story. I might just put up the ‘no holds barred’ write up on sooner than you think. It would involve me writing from my heart, soul and mind. People would be shocked and attitudes hopefully changed.

Hope to see you soon.
Kisses from the Petite Diva.