The MishegasMaster Presents Guest Writer Ifeoma Okoro: The Light In The Tunnel Has Turned Into Darkness

It's not often as I, yours truly, The MishegasMaster gives up this very space to just anyone I created one and a half years ago, but today I do, as I'd like to introduce to you, my audience another great writer within my circle of friends.

I first met Ifeoma Okoro (Favour as I call her and as she likes to be called) nearly a year ago through a penpal service. Little did I know what was in store for me as we began corresponding with each other. As I have discovered over the many months, Favour is a brilliant writer in many aspects, especially in poetry, prose and essay-writing, as well as a loving, warm-hearted soulful woman.

She has authored a couple of books, including a touching book on grief and loss.

We think alike on many levels and I feel very fortunate that we have met. Not only can she write, but she runs her own foundation for widows, (www.widowadvancecare.org) all this at age 23! What a marvel she is! Of course, Favour doesn't live in America, she lives in Nigeria, a country that has been taken as an unwilling hostage by turmoil and unrest. It is number two on the United States' State Department list of places not to travel due to the deterioration of the country itself. Ironically, the government of Nigeria modeled their country's democracy after America's. Nigeria's president (Matthew) Olusegun (Aremu) Obasanjo behaves like a Neanderthal, similar to our fuck-up of a president, George W. Bush, Jr.

Among the many projects Favour works on, including ghostwriting books, she also freelances for newspapers. Last night we had a long talk as we usually do and she told me about an opinion that she submitted to one of the newspapers she writes for, but they said they couldn't print it, due to heavy criticism of the of the Nigerian governmental body and Obasanjo, for fear the newspaper might be shutdown, censored or other governmental interference. It always works that way, doesn't it?

Having been a causality in the battle of censorship over the years, I told Favour that I would be happy to publish her opinion here in my blogger space without worry or fear of those evil censors. As you my readers know, I am a heavy critic of America, the government and Bozo Bushman himself, so I am not worried if someone attempts to "get me" or not, as kooks are everywhere we step, even those in official-looking uniforms.

Feel free to comment. And now, I pleased, honored and thrilled to present to you, dear readers, Ifeoma Okoro...

The light in the tunnel has turned into darkness where the train cannot pass even within our own country. Nigeria the light of our country, is gradually turning into darkness. We all are getting blind. Even the train cannot pass through her tunnel anymore. The air we breath is getting too hot for us and our nose and eyes have been swallowed up to the fact that we cannot see the truth of our predicament.

Oh God! What is future of our young ones if the cloud would not be bright? The cries of the innocent ones have changed the sky into a dull moment. The cloud is very moody, even the birds of heaven feel their pains and hear their cries. The green grasses are scared of what will happen next. Even the iroke trees are scared of what will happen next.

Dear people of Nigeria; a lot has happened in just few months. Our country has lived and is still living through tragic events. The bitterness has been aggravated by the political and economic mistakes of the past, the remedying of which was imperatively demanded by the condition of the country and the general desire of our people.

The grave situation in which we find ourselves is characterized by the fact that various elements are mixed up in it, both the one we know and also the one we do not know about. In just one year, a lot has happened. The sky was cloudy, even the wind was storming. The plane crashed with souls of the innocent citizens of Nigeria. What a great loss we have had. The people that matter in our country are gradually dying out one by one.

Who is behind this tragedy?


In the east, west, north and south, souls were crushed like a peanut. What is happening to our aviation? The most painful one was the events that took place on the September 20 2006, where the souls of our dignified men (General) crashed without a trace of it.

This particular event has never happened in history of the world, where 13 major generals died in a plane crash. Here lies 13 bodies of major Generals side by side, in the chapel of the cemetery. I counted them one by one, and stopped in front of each of them. All of them were prominent people, people who would have impacted knowledge to the young ones growing in the military, as far as I could judge.

The smell of blood mingled with the scent of the flowers, which the population and their relatives had brought and pervaded throughout the cemetery chapel. Here lies 13 martyrs who made one of the most glorious pages of history of military chapter as well as demonstrated the insurrection in one of Nigeria's provincial towns.

To all Nigerians, government, United Nations, delegates of the people! In the coming hours you will decide about the life or the death of this country while some of you, your children are at peace and cultivate happiness. We the citizens of Nigeria, our country is falling under the cruel fire of terrorist bombers. Our country has been attacked from within. We turn to you, who are our last citadel of hope.

Kindly exercise the opportunity, which our country have given you and save our country from destruction and slavery! We are asking for immediate and effective help to save us from further bloodshed and give us back our neutrality.

Let us not be our own enemies. Children are hungry. Clothing and shoes are wearing out, fuel is getting scarce, and kerosene, gas and electricity are nowhere to be found. People are dying everyday, tragic things happen here and there.

What will happen to us, if the country is paralyzed, its economy run down; what will be our fate? We certainly do not want this to happen and we cannot allow this to happen!

Hello people of Nigeria. The future of Nigeria does not only depend on the shoulder of the government, but on every honest worker, every patriotic youth, every communist has a new task before him. Let us join hands together to put an end to this disaster that has befallen our country.

Do all you can to prevent further bloodshed, publicize the amnesty decree and convert those who still hesitate. Every minute is precious; the fatherland needs the life of every worker and all the citizens of Nigeria.

Professor Babaloa Borishade (Nigeria's Minister of Aviation, formerly Nigeria's formerly Minister of Education), we are tired of plane crashes! Our brains and souls are yelling for help. We need more of your effort to help us to produce a good operating environment and incentives should be given to your staff to complement competitive remuneration and training.

And please, we need more of our youth to be trained in order to fill the gap created by aging personnel.

I plead with our government to help the civil aviation authorities to push for an accelerated manpower development program across Nigeria and set a goal on a given number of professionals to train likewise.

Men of honor cannot be found where there is no peace, no love, no transparency in a country that is not united. We need transparency in our country. We need light in the tunnel again.