MY CONCLUSION ON THE NIGERIAN MATTER

After the duel between the Federal government of Nigeria and the Nigerian Labour congress (NLC) over the pump price of petrol which lasted six working days, federal government eventually brought down the price to 97 Naira as against the 141 Naira which the price was inflated to before the strike.

During the period of the strike, prices of goods and services had increased astronomically, transportation price was neck cutting and Nigerians faced a lot of harsh situations. One would think that the strike embarked on by the NLC, with the noise and the level to which it was supported by the general public would return the price back to 65 Naira, how funny is it to find out all the noise and public display was all for nothing.

I like to point out the fact that all services that had surged in price during the period petrol was sold for 141 Naira would not reduce in price now that the price has been reduced to an extent and the effect caused by the price that caused the strike is still the same as that of 97 Naira. If the price of petrol was never going to come down to its original price, why did we not accept the removal of subsidy from the beginning, why did we waste our time fighting a war we cannot win, I wonder.

The federal government has set up a panel to investigate the petroleum sector to find out irregularities in the subsidy issue, I am surprised we waste our time investigating, when the people benefitting from these sector are people who are celebrated by the system investigating them.

As a nation, we compare ourselves to other countries that are not oil rich, we console ourselves with the fact that PMS is still more expensive in those countries than ours even at 141Naira, we never compare ourselves with the oil rich ones that sells the fuel for much less than 65Naira we used to buy it for, since we know we have failed to build a system that works and would make the product accessible to us cheaply.

In  my honest opinion, I feel the problem caused by subsidy removal is based on the fact that a lot of Nigerians do not have faith in the government, they do not believe that the money generated from this avenue would be spent judiciously and towards the right course.

I would say we should allow the government do whatever it is that they have promised with the hope that they would do as promised this time, for we do not have a choice in this matter. Subsidy removal has come to stay and what it is only telling us is simple, ”HUSTLE HARDER TO MAKE ENDS MEET”.

                                                                                            Fakeye, Olaniyi Olatunde

                                                                                            President,

                                                                                            Neff Business Concept

WHAT WOULD THE OUTCOME BE?

Yesterday, the 9^th of January 2012, the NLC (Nigerian Labour Congress) proposed strike began to go against the pump price of petrol (PMS – Premium motor spirit). A lot of notable figures spare headed the protest with the likes of Wole Soyinka, Tunde Bakare, Bankole Wellington (Banky W) to mention a few.

On Saturday 7^th January 2012, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria gave a speech pleading to Nigerians to bear with him and his cabinet and also to give him time to implement policies and factors that would make life bearable.

He talked about bringing in diesel run buses, which would be handed over to transport managers in the 36 states of the nation, he also pointed out the economic implications if the subsidy on PMS is not removed.

All the points highlighted made sense, except for the fact that PMS is in more direct use than diesel, the populace depends on their single and two stroke engine generators to run their daily businesses in a country where electricity is a major problem.

How on earth would prices of goods and services not skydive when the basic cost to run small scale businesses which serves the need of the populace would increase, what happens to DVD/CD seller who needs light to power his system for advertisement, what happens to the fashion designer and hairdressers who uses electricity to power their machines, how would these translate on the price of other basic needs attached to direct usage of PMS, I wonder.

It is said that 300 Billion Naira was spent on subsidy during the democratic regime of Olusegun Obasanjo and today we spend close to 1.5 trillion Naira. To me, if this is true, is the government of the day not supposed to know that some people under serious covering buy the fuel in extremely high quantity with the government paying subsidy on the amount bought, store it and export it out of the country after a while, selling it at extreme profit (a process known as ROUNDTRIPPING), does this not point out the loopholes in our shipping and export system, which is also evident in the security arms of our dear nation, I wonder

To the best of my knowledge, I feel the government is not ready to face the reality of things, in my opinion, decisions that should be taken should be to put monitoring measures in place, accounting for all PMS produce imported, exported and how they are distributed. I feel the government should devise means for easy distribution of the product and I also feel that all arms of government involved in the petroleum sector should be properly audited and investigated, I suggest that all unnecessary expenses be cut down and methods should be fashioned out to use little resources to achieve high productivity, but the fact remains that it is just my opinion.

Back to the main issue, what do we expect to get from the ongoing strike, would the aim and objectives by the NLC and the good people of the nation come to pass?, time would tell, time would definitely tell.

As we go on in this civil course, I wish and hope our expectation is granted, but as the saying goes, “if wishes were horses, beggars would ride on them”.

Fakeye, Olaniyi Olatunde

President,      
Neff Business Concept

HAPPY NEW YEAR

First and foremost, I congratulate everyone who made it into this year 2012. Going by all that happened last year, ranging from religious and ethnic crisis in different part of my country, to wars and famine experienced in other parts of the world, being fortunate to see the new year is something we should thank Baba God for.

To everybody who took out time to read my blog last year, I am happy about the fact that you took out time of your busy schedules to pick few points from my write-ups, this year has a lot in stock for all of us and I would say we should take our time to enjoy and take all in as the day go by. I also wish you all success and fulfillment in all your endeavors.

 My discussion today is basically going to be about the occurrences in my country Nigeria. Yesterday, the federal government officially removed the subsidy on premium motor spirit known as petrol. I woke up this morning, drove down to the petrol station only to find out that the product now sells for N141, as against N65 which it used to be. I can’t even imagine the effect this singular decision would have on the populace, as I know this increase in price of fuel would have a chain reaction on the price of all other commodity

Around October last year, news filtered out that the federal government plans to invest N428.8billion which sums up to ($2.68bn) in three refineries in Indonesia, when we have refineries here that should be repaired and put in good working condition that would in turn provide the product at very low rate, provide employment and also allow for other chain of service. To me, this move would only go against what they preach which is wooing investors into the country, as nobody would be willing to invest in a country where the government of the day does not see prospects.

 The policies declared by the federal government has not in any way created an enabling environment for entrepreneurship to thrive, there is high unemployment rate, level of crime in the country is high and the case just got worsened with the increase in fuel price.

 Recently, the minimum wage of workers was just increased to N18500 as against N7500, then, the price of petrol was N65, now it has surged to N141, in a country where having 10-15 hours electricity in a day is a tall order, where transportation takes a large chunk of our money, where education is on a daily basis nose-diving, where clean consumable water is still a major problem even in some of the oil rich state, where insecurity is a big issue, where we maintain and operate one of the most expensive government. I sometimes wonder how they reason.

A country which used to be known for peaceful and happy people is now a place where depression is becoming a rampant issue, where suicide is becoming the order of the day and where religious/ethnic crisis is even threatening the daily operation of her citizen.

I wish we could go back to the root, discover what the values of our founding fathers were, their dream, aspiration and collective goal for the nation which made them give all to get independence from the colonial masters.

I wish we could take out time to have both short and long term goals as regards all aspects of this country, mapping out strategies that are workable and efficient to produce results needed.

I wish we could just be truthful to ourselves, understanding the fact that there are people who cannot afford a meal of N100 which is less than $1 a day, working the streets without a slight idea of what the next minute holds for them and taking this as a reference point when making policies\

I wish we could all bend a little so the boy walking on the street would have a ray of hope, so the girl at that corner waiting for a customer to pay her for sex because she has no other way to survive could see that she has no reason to do that anymore

Only with this kind of mentality and action can we return to our old values and make good decisions that would favor us as a nation because the child of today becomes the adult tomorrow and the values he grows up with affects the decisions he makes, but as the Holy Bible says, if wishes were horses, beggars would ride on them. Which way are we headed as a nation?, which way Nigeria?.

 Fakeye, Olaniyi Olatunde
 President,
 Neff Business Concept

BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL LIFE

The tendency to succeed lies in you delivering quality and excellence in whatever you do, taking cognizance of this fact, I see no reason why we cannot infuse these qualities in our lives, as we do when it concerns product or services. I have noticed that the moment we begin to see ourselves as a brand and strive on a daily basis to improve ourselves, infuse values that are positive and profitable into our daily life, success is inevitable. To buttress my view, I came up with some points which I feel if considered would make a change.

IDENTIFY YOUR INTEREST
The simple truth is that performance at its peak only comes from interest. When we don’t have a choice, anything becomes the option. This to me is like settling for less when you can decide and focus your mind and energy on something of essence and worth.

This point is very direct, whatever you show interest in to a large extent shapes your life. As we know, the decisions we make on a daily basis are the stepping stones to where we are headed. Basically, what I am saying here is that we should allow our interest influence our work and also allow our work influence our interest because infusing both factors goes a long way to show your efficiency and willingness to improve in whatever you do which would in turn define the kind of person you are.

IDENTIFY YOUR AUDIENCE
This point is explicit enough, it basically involves knowing the people in need of what you have to offer and working with them, doing all it takes to be continuously relevant and useful. All you need do is on a daily basis, fashion out ways to keep evolving, create a niche for yourself and have your standards.

You have to make sure you are easy to access and also package yourselves well so as to continually being the preferred option as regards your area of specialization, because when people see quality, they go after it.

When you have identified them, interact with them on how best to serve them better, knowing their preferences and working with that to get them the desired results. Simply see your cooperation with them as a symbiosis process where both parties benefit from each other.

EXPAND YOUR BRAND TO ACCOMMODATE RELATED SERVICES
All you need to do at this stage is, get involved or render other services in your line of expertise. The brand you have being able to build would serve as a leverage for you to break even, also considering the fact that you have a customer base that you already have people who believe in you and the service you render.

Being innovative helps to stamp your relevance in the mind of our audience, fashion out new and better ways of satisfying the need of your audience, still infusing the concept of quality and excellence that you are known for. With this in place, success is inevitable

DIVERSIFICATION
This is the last stage, and it is the process of multiplying success. After you have being able to carve a niche for yourself in your area of expertise, the next thing is to begin looking out for other area of interest, while still maintaining the initial operation with all process attached to it.

To do this, you start from the first step again, building it stage by stage to the point where the level of success achieved in the existing process is replicated in the new line of service. At this point, the challenges are kind of easier based on your experience in building something similar formerly.

When you look around you, the people you see, who have attained major points in life and their careers followed this step by step to the point where they are today. My simple advice is consider these points and do what is rght.

Fakeye, OlaniyI Olatunde
President,
Neff Business Concept

TO BE SUCCESSFUL, THERE ARE PRICES TO PAY

Every living human being in/on this planet called “earth” has expectations, even those who do not do anything expect miracles, whatever we want to call it, it is all aimed towards being successful, becoming someone of repute, making a mark and being a responsible human being.

This thought came while I was in a bus at Oshodi Bus Park recently. I overheard a group of narrow minded guys talking about a friend of theirs who just got picked up by a popular Fuji musician, and would now have the opportunity to sing and get promoted by the popular musician. After a while, one of them said, “let us stop talking about him and pray that God remembers us also”. Knowing that opportunity only comes when you have the resources to pull it through, the line statement struck me and got me thinking. This brought me to the topic of this essay.

There are certain prices to pay for success, and I know for sure it takes someone with a determined heart to achieve it. Why not highlight the point, so we know what to work through if we want success in life, hence the points below.

DISCIPLINE AND DETERMINATION
This to me is the ability to do what it takes to achieve the level and kind of result intended, and constantly put your hands and heart to work out your plan so your results are inevitable.

These two qualities are very hard to exhibit because naturally they do not give instant gratification. It takes a lot for one to subject himself to imbibing these qualities which for sure are major prices to pay in ones quest to achieve success.

These qualities involves doing your best every time possible, as a friend of mine would say ” getting things right the first time and every time”, leaving no details to chance, being fully grounded in rules and mode of operation and following them to the last note no matter how stressful or routine-like they are.

SMARTWORK
I say smart work because a lot of people have to understand it again and again that hard work alone does not put one fully where he should be. The combination of thorough positive creative thinking in addition to hard work gives the success we desire.

To buttress my point, lets take a case of a man working in a laundry outfit. He can only become successful to a point of envy if he thinks and works towards having his own outfit, not working for long years for someone else. I am not saying everybody should start their own business, I am only pointing out the fact that working on a daily basis to achieve the highest level of result in our chosen career is the only way towards achieving success, and that to me is SMARTWORK.

POSITIVE MENTALITY
Whether we believe it or not, there are a lot of things to prove to us that our mentality to a large extent affects us, our response to issues and how we are treated. I would advice that we think positively , give our mind the mental shampoo needed on a daily basis so as to allow it produce results we need.

The Holy Bible says, “guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it comes the issue s of life”. Whatever you expose yourself to is what occupies your heart, mind and thought pattern, hence the results you get.

BEING GOAL ORIENTED
Knowing what your actual aim is and being direct about it is what this is all about. Breaking it into smaller pieces for you to be able to achieve them faster and easier is a major step towards this. No matter what you do, always keep your eyes on the goal, make them as realistic and time bound as possible so as to achieve your mark as fast as possible.

Whatever it is you want to succeed in, there are steps and work to engage in to rise through the rank. So the less you allow distractions, the better for you.

A LEVEL OF LUCK
It is in a way motivating to believe in luck because opportunities not planned for surfaces, and believing in this makes you at least put things in place so when it comes, you do not gnash your teeth, but able to seize it and make good use of it.

Our major work now is putting all these points to work so as to get desired result.

Fakeye, Olaniyi Olatunde
President,
Neff Business Concept

I BELIEVE I AM, SO I AM

“Tell yourself that you are a genius, and right away, you would probably wonder why and in what way you are a genius. Also, you would have opened your mind to wonder and to asking questions. That’s a big step towards thinking like a genius which would help you unlock so many talents” – Donald Trump.

“Anyone who has never made a mistake, has never tried anything new” – Albert Einstein.

Lying on my bed one evening thinking, the topic of this essay rang continuously in my head. I had read and have being applying materials teaching how to work on one’s mind to get desired result, even though it is an ongoing process, I had began to see the significance and understand the meaning of the statements made by these greats highlighted above.

I took out time to study Donald Trump, the way he rose to fame and fortune, fell and then came back on board, whatever the reason for his fall was, which might have been wrong decisions made, he eventually learnt from them, started all over again with cautious and corrective steps which eventually restored him back to his position.

During his trying period, his mindset never changed, they never saw themselves as failures or lesser people needing sympathy or pity from people. All they did was find out the mistakes they made and started work immediately on rebuilding their broken walls, making it more aesthetic and stronger than before.

Your mindset about yourself goes a long way to say who you are and what you would turn out to be. It is a very strong leverage to acquire all we want in this world. Wealth, power, fame and even their opposite comes from the mind. I laugh every time I say this to someone because of the meaning it carries.

Every day, ignorance makes a lot of people call themselves all sort of names like “less privileged, poor, needy, beggar”, it makes me wonder how low of themselves they think. It is bad sometimes to the point where many of them have no form of physical deformity, but it’s a pity they have the major deformity which is that of the mind and thought pattern.

Out of personal experience, I discovered that REPITITION goes a long way in gaining mastery. I have come to believe and discover that saying positive things to myself repetitively has helped me with putting my thought pattern right and having a positive mentality.

On a daily basis, I advice that we confess to ourselves what we desire, need and expect, putting our mindsets in position to believe this words. One thing I know it would do is raise questions in our hearts as to how to become what we envisage and confess and meditation and careful thinking over a period would bring solutions than we ever imagined, Note, the mind is richer and broader than we can ever think of.

A part of the Bible which I paraphrase says the power to build and destroy lies in the tongue also that the mouth speaks from the abundance of the heart. Sincerely, having a positive mindset regularly goes a long way in not only changing one’s life but helps to get desired results.

I watched a video clip about Billionaires listed on Forbes and one of them (Mark Cuban) made a statement, he said and I quote “ I am the luckiest guy in the world and when I die, I want to come back as me”. That is a powerful statement that a lot would never be bold to say and he only said due to the state of his mind.

Note, the difference between the wealthy and poor is a function of their mind, thought pattern and declaration. The sooner you make the right decision, the better for you

Fakeye, Olaniyi, Olatunde
President,
Neff Business Concept

THINK, TALK AND ACT POSITIVELY

Your mindset to a large extent affects how things or situations turn around for you. I have learnt that most of the success we see around on a daily basis both from others and ourselves basically are first generated from the mind, the possibility of achieving this success is a dominant factor which in turn helped us in building the tempo translated into work to produce it.

The art of thinking is a major skill God gave us to proffer solution to problems or challenges we face, it is a means of consulting with one’s self and getting out great ideas and solutions that are groundbreaking and remarkable, but we limit this activity through our negative thoughts.

When we were kids, we would think of a lot of things without any barrier over our thought pattern, but in the name of REALITY, we have used our minds to push ourselves to the point where most of us have lost control of that powerful tool and are even scared for NOTHING.

When a person says something but thinks and acts differently, to me, the person has a split personality. This attitude makes it hard for one to achieve goals and even gain credibility. In a situation where your attitude makes you loose credibility with others, don’t you think you would also loose it in yourself?, it would be harder for you to even set a target and meet or exceed it.

It is stated in the bible that “as a man thinks in his heart, so is he”. If a man’s thought, words and actions help in shaping his life, then I don’t see why he should not have a positive approach to this process so as to get the positive result he needs.

I know it is not easy, but nothing in life comes easy as they say, it requires a determined and constant effort from an individual to say, act and think positive in this world today due to happenings around, but nobody would do it for you. The earlier you take the bull by the horn, the better and the faster it is for you to get to your destination.

Regularly, books are churned out to teach people on how to be self motivating through their thoughts, acts and words, the problem is either that we are not finding time to read at all or we do not practice what we have learnt.

As a mentor of mine would say ‘First within, then without”, this means that we have to shift our mindset from the norm of impossibility, negativity, quitting, failure, being scared unnecessarily and insecurity. Switch gear so as to get the tenacity, tempo and zeal to move ahead in life which is a sure route to better result

Fakeye, Olaniyi Olatunde
President,
Neff Business Concept