Talebearing24: The Dangers in Drug Abuse

         Drug abuse has become a matter of constant discussion n the radio, television and in the daily newspapers recently. The menace of drug abuse in our country has reached a frightening proportion and it has pervaded every sector of our society. Drugs, which are made from medicinal substance formulated by pharmacists for the cure of the people's ailments, is used wrongly and abused by people across the social strata. A lot of people just walk across to the nearby chemist to their houses to buy drugs which are not prescribed for them by a pharmacist or a doctor, thus abusing the drugs. There are lots of dangers in drug abuse. In fact, many families have endangered the lives of their members through self medication. There are cases of many small children who lost their lives simply because their parents, out of ignorance, purchased drugs from chemists and even in the common markets without any doctor's prescription and administered such drugs on their children. In our society nowadays, it is common to see young children with one deformity or the other. This is so because many pregnant women abuse drugs easily.

         

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         They simply buy drugs and use them without doctor's prescription during pregnancy. The resultant effect of this ignorant act is that most babies are born with one deformity or the other. Drug abuse also leads to the several psychiatric cases we have around the country. Several youths take drugs such as heroine, cocaine, Indian hemp which affect their brain. They take these drugs ostensibly because they want to be in fashion and they want to be daring and bold. Consequently, most of them constitute themselves into nuisance to the society and end up in psychiatric hospitals. Our national prestige and honor are not spared of the gruesome effect of the social malaise called drug abuse. Many Nigerians traveling abroad are subjected to derogatory search at the points of entry into other countries. This has destroyed our international image as many Nigerians are found to be carriers and couriers of these hard drugs.

             Many crimes in the country can be linked to drug abuse. The high rate of criminal activities is a pointer to the danger inherent in drug abuse. Armed robbers and the likes operate under the influence of drugs which make them to be so daring and ruthless in their nefarious activities. It is certain that drug abuse has posed a lot of dangers on our society and the government has to do something about it. Our people need to be enlightened about the dangerous consequences of drug abuse. Mass enlightenment campaign should be organized by the government. In addition, the government should promulgate a law which forbids the sale of drugs in the common open market and there should also be a law which forbids a chemist from selling drugs to the public without prescription paper from a doctor or a pharmacist. Religious bodies also have a role to play in educating the public about the dangers of drug abuse.

Talebearing24: Heavy Rain In Ibadan Metropolis

This day dated 26th August, 2011 started on a brighter note as usual, various activities were going on without being disturbed in the early hours of the day in all the nooks and crannies of the metropolis. There was a little shinning of the sun around 11:00hrs which was normal and bearable.

After this shinning of the sun, the cloud started gathering momentum in the sky and before we knew it, the weather had been completely changed into a cloudy and rainy type. This did not send any signal to the people because people had seen and experienced such friendly environment before which later faded away, but the reverse was the case on this day.

Around 16:30hrs, the rain began to fall with a very soft hand for few minutes and stopped. It did that severally but when it returned, it continued to fall heavily for several hours, everywhere was full of running-off water. This rain was expected to fall for few minutes and stop but it was not so. What a big surprise!

Many fences collapsed, shops were carted away by this heavy downpour while many bridges were not left out. Properties and lives were lost in this flood. What a fateful day!

Nobody could ever imagine such ugly occurrence in Ibadan metropolis on this day. There was no junction without traffic jam. Several bridges that linked two roads to each other had been carted away by this overflowing running-off water which compounded the menace of the traffic jam and standstill

of vehicular movement. This resulted into the movement of the people on the road with the legs. The car owners abandoned their cars and trekked long distance to their various homes.

The remaining bridges were covered up by the flood. When the flood was coming not knowing that there was a traffic jam on the bridges, having seen this odd and uncalled-for visitor by the drivers, they alighted from their cars and took to their heels for the safety of their lives, it swallowed the cars and drove them away. Nobody could ascertain the amount

 of losses of properties and the number of peoples' lives that went with this disastrous and unfriendly incident.

One could compare what happened in Ibadan metropolis concerning the unstopped rain to "Omiyale" meaning house carted away by water that occurred in 1980 in the same city about thirty-one years ago, where many lives and properties were lost then as well. What a tragedy!

This odd occurrence is not the first time in this particular year but this one was very exceptional. This problem can be traced to the poor management of the few available drainage or inadequate drainage system in all the nooks and crannies of the city. Many shops and buildings were built on the drainage paths while some buildings were built very close to the riverbank. Small gutters were constructed by the landlords and landladies without the knowledge of the engineers.

The available drainage and gutters were blocked with the eroded soil and wastes from human activities and erosion. Nobody or few cares for the cuttings and clearing of grasses in the drainage or gutter paths which also constituted to this problem. Environmental sanitation is not as effective as what and how it was known to be in 90s.

To put an end to this ugly incident, government be it local, state or federal has vital roles to play. People are needed to be enlightened and seriously-educated on how to dispose their wastes and where to dispose them. Law-enforcement agents should be employed and mobilized to oversee this process in the nook and cranny of the city.

Carted away bridges should be strongly constructed and raised above the water level to avoid such occurrence in the future. The drainage system needs to be seriously looked into and found lasting solutions to this problem. Town planners should checkmate the man's activities on the erection of buildings and shops on the drainage or near the drainage and dismantle any building or shop found on its path to pave way for running-off water.

Jingles should be made on radio and television stations across the country to enlighten people not to dispose wastes or refuses into the drainage system or gutters. Any defaulter must be sanctioned and prosecuted. If all these solutions are considered by the government and the masses, the problem of flooding which can lead to loss of lives and properties in future will be a thing of the past. Peace brings development and people want to live in peace not in pieces, for this to be realized, government must do something very tangible at this moment time. God blesses Ibadan, God blesses Oyo State and God blesses Nigeria as a whole.

Talebearing24: A Wicked Man Used His Intimate Friend For Money Ritual!

        Men are desperate and unpredictable when it comes to money matter. What can we say of a wicked man who used his intimate friend for money ritual? Can we finally conclude as they used to say that there is no intimate friend again but only the counterpart! The story goes thus:

Mr  Godstime was a taxi-driver in a city where there was a large number of people and availability of social amenities that made lives better for living. He had been doing this driving job for a long time in which he had built a house of himself but still he was not contented with all he had.

         On one busy afternoon, he was hired as a drop by two women to a village seventy-five kilometers from the city. Both parties agreed on the price before the beginning of the journey which was to and from meaning that Mr Godstime needed to wait to transport them back to the city. In the course of the journey, the two women were discussing their mission to the village while Mr Godstime was eavedropping to their conversation.

When they got to their destination, the two women went into the hut to see an herbalist. The hut was located beside the road where he parked his taxi waiting for their return. It took the two women almost two hours to be done with the herbalist but before they returned from the hut, Mr Godstime had mastered every angle of the hut for future reference. They entered the taxi and travelled back to the city lately.

        In the following morning, before the first cock crew, the herbalist had left his hut to his farm thirty kilometers away from his hut. In the evening, Mr. Godstime returned to the village to seek for the herbalist's assistance but he met his absence, on his way coming out from the hut, he met a woman who asked him who he was looking for, he told her that it was the herbalist he was looking for. The woman told him that he could only see the herbalist on Mondays and Fridays. He thanked the woman and returned home unhappy. That was on Tuesday.

    

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The incoming Friday was very far! He could not wait to see the herbalist. Very early on Friday morning, he got up, dressed up and headed to the village. Fortunately for him, he met the herbalist as he was coming from the farm on the roadside very close to his hut. The herbalist could not recognize him until Mr Godstime vividly explained himself to him on how he transported two women to him on Monday. "What can I do for you" the herbalist asked? Mr Godstime frankly told him that he wants to do money ritual. The herbalist said; no problem but there are different types of money rituals. He itemized them but none of them was easy and simple for Mr Godstime to choose. He told the herbalist that he would get back to him and that was how he left the village contemplating on what to do.

            Three days after, one of his intimate friends in his neighborhood died and the "good news" got to him through his neighbor. Mr Godstime wept bitterly but suddenly a thought came to his mind about his ambition on money ritual he intended to do with respect to what he was asked to bring for the rite. Mr Godstime quickly got up and went to the house of the deceased with a well-sharpened knife in his pocket.

When he got there being the fact he was known by the relatives of the deceased, he was allowed to come in into the room where the deceased was laid. He cried as if the death of his friend pained him to the marrow, not knowing that he had his own hidden agenda to perpetrate. He was consoled to stop crying but he refused.

            Because of his hidden agenda, Mr Godstime slept in the room where the deceased was laid. In the midnight when other people had returned to their homes except his few relatives who were very afraid to stay with the deceased slept in the other room, Mr Godstime brought out the well-sharpened knife and cut the body part of the deceased hurriedly and secretly, put it in his pocket and left quickly in the following dawn which was Friday.

            Mr Godstme headed to the village to see the herbalist on their last discussion and the latest improvement on what he was asked to bring.On getting to the village, he was fortunate to meet the herbalist in his hut. The herbalist welcomed him and saw joy and happiness on his face. He asked Mr Godstime for any development but Mr Godstime could not wait for the herbalist before he brought the "body part" of his late friend for the ritual. The herbalist told him to come back after three days because of the other rites he needed to do.

            As Mr Godstime was returning home, he started thinking how he would buy houses, build houses, buy cars, travel far and wide, marry another wife and some other things. On Monday, which was the third day Mr Godstime was told to return for his money making herb collection, he could not wait to see the herbalist for the herb. Everything was set for Mr Godstime to be rich. When he got to the village, the herbalist had been expecting him to come for the herb, he greeted the herbalist and he was given the herb that would make him rich and told him how he would use the herb as follows:

put this herb under your pillow and in the dearth of the night, someone would come to him that the solution to his sickness was with him, after giving him the herb, he would now ask Mr Godstime to name his price any amount  he says would be given to him. Mr Godstime said; he would say  20 billion naira, the herbalist said any amount would be given to him in return to his "generosity" but seriously warned him to be very careful because the herb didn't have remedy. That was how Mr Godstime left the village over-excitably.

           Mr Godstime was very happy to the marrow thinking that in the next few days, he would be stinkingly rich. He adhered strictly to the instructions given to him by the herbalist. He put the herb under the pillow expecting the "expected visitor" to come for it. Initially, he was sitting on a chair beside the bed but not quite long when he started dozing, when he could not hold the sleep any longer, he lied on the bed and slept off. Suddenly, the ghost appeared and shouted! Mr.The sickness I am having I was told that you have solution to it, please!! give me the solution!! Mr Godstime was very frightened because the herbalist didn't tell him that the ghost of his friend would be the one to come for the herb. He said; yes!! It is true! I have it, he put his hand under the pillow, brought it out and gave it to him. The ghost now said; thank you!! How much will I pay for this generosity in a hurry? Mr Godstime wanted to say 20 billion naira but because he was completely frightened, he said; 20! 20 naira! The ghost said; ok! no problem, I had it here, he dipped his hand in his wrapper and brought out 20 naira and gave him. Immediately, the ghost disappeared and Mr Godstime burst into tears. Since then, no matter how much he made from driving in a day, the amount that would remain in his pocket when he got home would be 20 naira.

          Mr Godstime went back to the herbalist to explain his ordeals to him and how he could help him from this ugly mess he caused himself. Unfortunately, the herbalist told him that there was no remedy except God's intervention. Mr Godstime left the village hopelessly to the city and carried his cross. Mr Godstime did not wait for God's time. It was disheartening!

Talebearing24: What An Embarrassing Greetings!

          Mr and Mrs Android were celebrating their wedding day and before this day, they had sent invitation letters to many important people to grace this August occasion with them. Unfortunately, Mrs Android was a quack illiterate but to avoid any kind of embarrassment that might arise from the greetings of the invitees they were expecting who were likely to be elites and well-read icons in the society, Mr Android had been teaching Mrs Android how she would greet people as they arrive as follows:
Welcome Ma, we are very grateful to see you,
Have your seat, Ma,
Welcome Sir, we are very grateful to see you,
Have your seat, Sir
          After these teachings, she was asked by her husband to say it, surprisingly, she got it correctly. Few minutes to the commencement of the occasion and the arrival of the invited guests, her husband called her into a secret place to know if his wife had not forgotten all he had taught her, she did wonderfully well so this made her husband to be happy that his wife, Mrs Android would not let him down. As the invited guests started coming in into the place of the event, Mrs Android quickly recollected all her husband had taught her with respect to the greetings of the invitees and started greeting them as follows:
Welcome Ma, we are very grate...
Have your seat, Ma
Welcome Sir, we are very grate...
Have your seat, Sir
         And these greetings continued for about twenty-five minutes before it got to the notice of her husband, Mr Android quickly called his wife and said it quietly to her ear that it is "grateful" NOT "grate" she said ok! and quickly went back to the guests on the seats and started giving them their remaining - ful of the "grate" in the first place to make "grateful".

Talebearing24: A Hungry Lion Used A Well-Fed Dog As "Meat"

         What a great surprise! an hungry lion was found to be an intimate friend of a well-fed dog. It was very incredible when the other animals in the same environment with them noticed this incompatible and unbelievable friendship going on between them. This became the talk of the vicinity among the other animals in the likes of Tiger, Wild cat, Snakes of different species, Leopard, Hyena, Deer to mention a few. This was because dog is a domestic animal! How could he be an intimate friend of a wild and deadly animal like Lion in such an odd condition. Some went to the extent of saying that they would soon fight. Days turned to week, weeks to a month. Their friendship continued uninterruptedly.
         This hungry lion had been thinking on the technique he would use to achieve his aim of using the so-called intimate friend, dog as "meat". Suddenly, a thought came to his mind and he invited all the animals in his environ for a celebration while he specially invited dog, being his bosom friend, to come around on the eve of the celebration for a proper arrangement in which the dog agreed. In the evening of the eve of the celebration, the dog packed all the necessary wears into a bag preparing to move down to the house of his dubious friend lion not knowing that he was packing gradually into his grave. What a pity! Lion could not wait to see his friend, dog since he had known in his mind that "meat" would soon come.
        When the lion saw his so-called friend, dog few miles away, he was very happy from the bottom of his heart knowingly that the "meat" had finally come, He started praising dog from far distance so that dog would not feel suspicious of any odd act from his intimate friend. The closer the dog moved to the lion, the better relieved the lion became. Finally, the dog entered his friend's house, lion with the hope that he was safe not knowing that he would soon meet his Waterloo. Lion gave him warm reception into his house and told him to feel at home.
         After few minutes, dog noticed that there was no tangible preparation on ground when it was few hours to the celebration proper, he then asked lion how far about the preparation? But lion told him that he had locked the food and the drinks in a room and very soon he would show him. Two hours later when it was a bit dark, lion went into the inner part of his house and called his friend, dog to come and see the food and the drinks, when the dog got there, he descended heavily on him and tore him into pieces. What a great disaster! In the following morning, when the invited animals got to the lion's house, they noticed no sign of celebration and they all returned home one after the other. What a great disappointment!

Talebearing24: A Miracle In The Church

           A poor man got an instant answer to his prayer in a Church where a 3-day power packed revival was going on. This particular man was fortunate to discover that the revival was coming to an end on this day.He quickly joined the congregation in the prayer session. A lot of prayers of different prayer points had been said in the course of the revival. People were seriously sweating indicating that the prayers went through their body and were said whole-heartedly. But before sharing the grace together, the Pastor leading the prayers said, it is time to ask for what you want God to do for you in silence.
          Other people were praying quietly while this poor man was shouting, God! provide DVD engine for me before the end of this revival, God! you must do it! And there was a wealthy man beside him who was praying for different and tangible things being disturbed by this man. This wealthy man tapped him and told him to pray quietly but this poor man refused to listen. He suddenly increased the volume of his  voice.
          This wealthy man now saw this poor man as the enemy of progress for his own prayers to be answered. He quietly tapped him, Mr. man, if you were able to get the DVD engine you were loudly praying for, would you stop disturbing others? The poor man said: yes! He asked him, how much are they selling the DVD engine? The poor said: it is N10,000(S65). The wealthy man dipped his hand into his pocket and brought out N12,000 for the poor man to buy the DVD engine so that he can stop disturbing other people that were asking for more valuable and tangible things. This was how the poor man got an instant answer to his prayer. The poor man started singing: He had done it and went home.