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

When you cannot question the leadership of an organization without fear of retribution, then you are in a cult... That is the feeling in some churches. If you dare speak the truth to the so called "men of God," you will become an outcast and a pariah immediately... These abusers hide under, "touch not my anointed" - who said the rest of us who are not anointed? They also hide under "rebuke not an elder," they forgot Paul rebuked Peter publicly not long after he was converted when Peter would not eat with the Gentiles .... Many read the bible upside down to control and abuse the flock God asked them to tend for him. This is why many people suffer in silence in many religious organizations, especially the church. They are afraid of being blacklisted if they challenge the "authority." It is so bad that many will rather keep quiet, and not associate with, support, or care for those being abused for fear of being accused of going against the anointe...

This is a very long piece. If you want some tips on how to maintain good health, post your 50s, it is a must-read... Life expectancy in Nigeria is a paltry 52 years. It is one of the lowest in the world, one of the lowest in Africa. People die young everywhere. There are certain causes of death that are beyond our control as human... Death is eminent but... I mean but... There are a few things we can do as soon as we hit our 40s and 50s that can help prolong our lives. Our lifestyle and diet. What we put in our mouth, and how and type of exercise we do. You do not need a gym membership to exercise, nor do you need to spend tons of money to eat healthy. You need information that will guide you. I am not an expert dietitian or an exercise specialist. I am in my 50s, and I am a food professional, so, I write from a position of knowledge and experience.   Beyond a certain age, you need to refrain from certain types of foods if you want to live long. Sugary foods (coke, Pepsi, sweetened...

New tariffs and new taxation can only be justified when the economic situation in Nigeria improves. Otherwise, they will compound an already bad situation for the average Nigerian. Nigeria is not Lagos ... The majority of poor Nigerians can not bear the burden of recovery due to the reckless behavior of a few.... The burden of recovery MUST be borne by those who have benefited from the largess of the past - rich Nigerians, corporations who make so much - oil companies, Banks, organizations like the telecom companies... They MUST pay their fair share... Entertainers - many Nigerian celebrities (musicians, actors, creative artists, etc.) do not pay a dim in tax/ pay the bare minimum, and they rake in millions/billions every year in local and foreign earnings. The likes of Burna Boy , Davido, Charlie Boy, P-Square, Dbanj, Tiwa, Funke Akindele, Arya Starr, Don Jazzy, Rema, Asake, Wizkid, Toyin Abraham, Mofe-Damijo, Kunle Afolayan with all his Netflix millions, etc. It is high time Nigeria...

  At a time of austerity, the Nigerian government continues to use (waste) taxpayers' money to subsidize religious pilgrimage to countries that are multiple times richer than us. We refuse to develop our tourism sector. We allow terrorism to drive potential tourists away, and we have refused to explore a gold mine and continue to waste billions on private quests of individual Nigerians - and the people that are often sponsored on these trips are close relatives of the politicians, not ordinary Nigerians. Any Nigerian that wants to go to Jerusalem, Mecca, or Medina should spend their own money, not taxpayers' money. It is the height of stupidity for supposed poor country like Nigeria. Nigeria has the potential to make triple the amount we make from petroleum from tourism if we make the right decisions. Address insecurity, and make laws that will encourage and provide credits to private sector participants to invest in the sector. Streamline visa application process...

Except Nigeria changes its approach to project execution fundamentally, I do not see the Lagos - Calabar Coastal Highway project finishing in my lifetime. This project was conceived in 2006 by OBJ, 18 years ago. They are just starting today... 2024. If things are done properly, it will take 8 years - 8 years oh... that could be 80 years in Nigeria. How many decades since the Ibadan - Ilorin highway was conceived (since 1979) - it was restarted in 1999 during OBJ who conceived the road during his first stint in government as a military head of state. The road is yet to be completed, and the portion completed is already dilapidated, worse than the old road. Lagos - Ibadan expressway is yet to be fully completed 25 years since it was awarded. There have been several awards and re-awards since 1999 and billions of dollars have been wasted on a major road that links the commercial hub of Nigeria to the rest of the nation. There are so many other Federal highways like this, especially those ...

A lot of people say Toyota vehicles are very good. They mention its reliability, durability, and affordability. The reason for this is that Toyota Auto Co. embraced the culture of quality decades ago. At the center of their trade is continuous improvement. Coincidentally, the Japanese who brought that culture to Japan learned it from the Americans. It is a major part of the American organizational system. The public system in Nigeria needs to embrace the culture of continuous improvement for it to thrive. Nigeria has yet to attain a level of quality that is productive and profitable. When we do, for these to be sustainable, we must find a way to evolve to meet new challenges that a world that is constantly changing will force on us. We cannot continue to do things the same way without consideration to changes that we have and are experiencing. We have a lot of these within every public system in Nigeria, especially the public university system.   A major bane to development in ...

The suspension of Senator Ningi for outing his colleagues shows top Nigerian politicians are unrepentant. They continued to siphon our commonwealth, and the one who had the courage among them to speak out about the injustice was suspended for 3 months - they had wanted to make it one year. When you watch how the Senate President, Akpabio presided over the session, you see a man without conscience... There was no way to know if the motion to suspend passed or failed... there was no count, it appeared to be based on loudness or yay or nay. Akpabio's constituency alone was appropriated over N21 billion for silly projects, which obviously shows that these are meant to steal taxpayers' money. Akpabio has demonstrated this callousness since his election. He has not hidden the fact that he wants it to be business as usual in the Senate... This is why it is difficult to see the hope of change in Nigeria... These people are not ready to relinquish the pump that is supposed to draw and d...