Akinbode's BLOG on Faith, Politics, Science, Engineering, Education and Health

A relationship where both parties cannot compromise when conflict arises will not last. If you cannot meet each other in the middle ground and everyone is standing his/her ground and not willing to move to the middle and give something, the relationship will break apart - professional collaboration, marriage, friendship, siblings, congregation, fellowship, communities, nations, etc. Traditions, religious beliefs, culture, laws, self-acquired positions, etc. notwithstanding. Ask peace negotiators, they will tell you this is paramount wisdom in peaceful conflict resolution.   Comprise is a hard sell. When you can attain it, life will be better, you will build lasting relationships, and probably will never experience divorce, wars, constant conflict, among others.   Are you willing to forgive, are you willing to love unconditionally, are you willing to ignore the mistakes of the past, are you committing to be faithful, will you be trustworthy going forward, are you willing to tel...

  My Message to those who refused to Take the COVID-19 Vaccine when they have access to it or those who refused to protect themselves and their family. I am watching the former New Jersey governor's interview right now and it sets me thinking about my own bout with pneumonia last April-May that brought me close to the point of death. Beyond my being a staunch embracer of science, having bacteria pneumonia with all the symptoms that resemble that of coronavirus was all I needed to know I should take all the precautions against the viral (SARS-CoV-2) pneumonia seriously. It is an experience you would not wish for your worst enemy. When I took ill, I did not have a problem breathing, I was not hospitalized beyond a visit to the emergency but I lost appetite and lost 20 Ibs (9.1 kg) in five days, I had a body temperature that rose to 103.7 °F (40 °C), my liver function indices were between 300 to 900% above the norm - I was literally having organ failure. It was a horrifying expe...

"Naija no dey carry last", familiar with that mantra? But where do we stand 61 years after independence from Britain - first or last? Nigerians in the diaspora are fiercely competitive and the best in anything they do - they are everywhere in the US, the most educated minority ethnic group in America with over 61% of Nigerians above the age of 25 having a bachelor's degree. The story is not different in the UK or the rest of Europe. Nigerians make sway in the music world today with afrobeat becoming a global genre. Nollywood classic movies are enjoyed everywhere in the world now on Netflix and other platforms. Most of these films were produced in Nigeria by Nigerian artists and producers. There are several stories of young Nigerians securing admission to multiple Ivy League schools in the US from schools at home. There is no top US school that you will not find at least one Nigerian professor, including all the nine Ivy Leagues. Look at the NBA and NFL, there is hardly an...

    Image, courtesy of: CDC/ Alissa Eckert, MSMI; Dan Higgins, MAMS   Below (reference) is an article by Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and Nigeria Institute for Medical Research (NIMR). The findings are mind bugling as to how many people most likely have contracted SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in Nigeria. A whopping 23% in Lagos and Enugu States, 19% in Nassarawa State, and 9% in Gombe State based on antibody test done on random candidates. This implies an estimated 4,036,960 people in Lagos State; 751,602 in Enugu State; 429,957 in Nassarawa State and 212,853 in Gombe State have contracted COVID-19 as of September 2020 before the highly contagious variant from South Africa and the UK started spreading in December 2020. That is about 5.4 million people infected with coronavirus in four states in Nigeria. If we extrapolate this to 36 states, that is approximately 48.6 million Nigerians with COVID-19 infection as of September 2020, 30 times more ...

  Since November 2020, SEVEN of my friends have lost their parents in sicknesses that showed symptoms similar to coronavirus but none has accepted that there was a possibility that these people actually died from infection with this dreaded disease. About 6 weeks ago, some Nigerian preachers were berating Bill Gates for his earlier projection that people will die on the streets in Africa (not sure if Gates said this - so many lies have been attributed to Gates since covid-19 started snuffing life out of people), they claimed Nigerians have special grace that protect them from coronavirus – I ask them, why can’t the same grace cover Nigerians from other diseases that make Nigeria one of the worst places for infant mortality and with a life expectancy of 53 years. The reality of SARS-CoV-2 spread is starring many in the face and only those who have been touched can truly lament. Here is the story of my encounter with coronavirus when I visited Nigeria late last year. I traveled h...

I think the NIN Sim card registration in Nigeria is a joke. Even with the extended deadline, this still does not make sense. Register 50 million Nigerians in 2 weeks who do not have NIN when NIMC, the organization responsible for National ID registration has not registered this many people in 8 years. Who did we offend that make us do things like this in 2021? Who does the president surround himself with giving him this type of idea that he can just issue an illegal law to force Nigerians in a democracy to get their phone registered in two weeks or lose their phone access - Illegal, illegal, illegal. These are other reason why this does not make sense:   1. In the midst of a deadly pandemic, how does a government with leaders that care send their people out to queue in a super-spreader event at NIMC offices to get registered?   2. What provision is made for the elderly, to get their national ID and then their sim card registered?   3. What provision is made for Nigerians...

  E fi epo s'ile ehun pa lapa lapa. Instead of removing the weeds, you are removing a vegetable that looks like a weed. This is the situation with Fulani community in Igangan and Ondo, in the South Western part of Nigeria for that matter. Violent acts should be dealt with at every level, starting from the Fulanis who kill and maim innocent Nigerians, then locals who go around fomenting troubles. Nobody should be spared. The Lame-duck government of Buhari should not ignore the cry of the people of Nigeria when they are shouting for rescue from the hands of his kinsmen. He should not wait till Fulanis are being attacked before he acts. He did the same in 2019 at the height of Fulani mayhem in the Western part of Nigeria, from Kebbi to Yewa in Ogun State. Instead of arresting the insecurity situation in Nigeria, especially, the insurrection of SOME Fulani herdsmen in the South Western part of Nigeria, governments (state and federal) are threatening the people who decided to take laws ...

How to prevent memory loss - a common occurrence as one grows older, especially after you turn 50. These are scientific facts culled from my own personal experience and from the famous CNN Chief Medical correspondents and Neurosurgeon - Dr. Sanjay Gupta's New Book, "Keep Sharp: How To Build a Better Brain at Any Age". 1. Endeavor to get enough RESTORATIVE sleep every night. 2. Reduce your food portions, especially carbs. 3. Exercise regularly - not lifting weights but real cardio-exercises 4. Slash sugar intake significantly, especially refined sugars 5. Drink a lot of clean water daily - not soft drinks/soda or juice 6. Spend your money on stuff that will help you maintain a healthy brain - a good pillow and a comfortable office shoe. 7. Maintain a healthy relationship - cut ties with friends who do not share your values and aspirations. They are toxic to the health of your mind, which could affect your sleep. 8. Instead of binge-watching your favorite soap operas sittin...

  May God save us from those possessed by the spirit of "GASLIGHTING". Those who practice it are the most insidious type of people. Many have falling a victim of their antics, even those that supposed to know left from right. Here are some of their traits:   1. They have one goal, to take control of your mind and life 2. They tell blatant lies to your face. 3. They deny reality even when there is physical evidence to prove they are lying - familiar? 4. Their goal is to wear you down and take control of your thought and you are incapable of telling a truth from a lie or able to know left from your right. Familiar, "there are good people on both sides" of a group publicly spitting hate. 5. Do not ever trust their word because their actions never match their words. Focus more on what they are doing and assess them based on these. 6. Every now and then, they throw in shades of positive comments to confuse you about their antics. They have a Ph.D. in manipulation. 7. The...