UNILAGFAMZER: 2015-02-01

I grew up in an area I do like to refer to or rather people do refer to as a restricted area. Spent most of my teenage years in Ondo state although I was born in Lagos and left when I was six to a school in Akure as recommended by my Dad, where my grand dad happened to be the first principal. I had to join the boarding school till my senior year for whatever reason thought needed for my growing up….. ‘This story for the gods’ perhaps is just to give you a hint about the whole ideology of what strucked me differently from the norm as bizarre.

I moved into Bariga recently for the ease of going to school as the distance seems closer unlike coming all the way from Okota (where we own a house) everyday still I get my bed space in school fixed and just the few weeks I stayed in Odunsi not too far from Church Bus Stop I discovered a lot of messed stuffs about Bariga life especially in this ghetto like area…. First is the illiteracy thing, you see almost all the young boys and girls in this area not taking education as a matter of priority and how ironic to have the area very close to schools like Unilag, Federal College of Education Akoka, Yaba Polytechnic, I mean…. the philosophy that tertiary education is nothing really turned out to mess up their orientation and upbringing up. They all take after adept jobs like hair dressing, fashion designing, carpentry and the likes and it just feels so right in their eyes when actually it is a call for doom. And do not get me wrong as saying adept jobs are write-offs, no! But education brings out the best in everything…that’s the point am trying to make here.

Secondly, Is the Poke nosing thing; all the accommodation in the area basically is a face-me-I-face-you, even as mine wasn’t really looking like one; I still could not possibly have my privacy even as I was careful at best. Many successfully monitored everything I do times I thought I had no preying eyes around, guess what, there were in a dark corner with ultra rays binoculars *like seriously...* and in no time I became the hottest topic even to my very eyes up to the extent that the poke nosers’ fabricated tales and ended up putting my ass in trouble with admirers… you know the Pepsi thingy I was featured, the MTN project fame thing, the Etisalat advert and Glo industry nite with Burna boy-NaetoC and all that??? (It wasn’t a big deal at my school, so I thought it did be same in a nearby area but what a heck!) Trust me, these peeps are expert detectives when it comes to gossip and am talking about the young girls and married jobless ones in the area estimatedly 69% of the total populate… oh! Oh! Now you get my plight.

Thirdly and still counting my experience, I notice that I was easily spotted out as new in the area and not that I did not blend in fast but because the goons in the hood all have their marks which I do not and of what made me seemed however uncircumcised to them (if you can picture what I mean… good!). The ghetto life is eccentric as young guys franchised in walking up and down aimlessly, smoking, gambling, sagging, drinking herbs, living gangster lives especially as grading the girls they date and fashion sense (Gosh!). I had to make my research wanting to know what actually led to this and realized one hurtful thing, ‘upbringing’…. Almost all the parents in this area gave birth at very tender age at times they were not prepared for it (talking about those who were given birth to and brought up in the area) plus mostly out of wedlock too. I’m not trying to insult the image of this very populated power street nor under-estimate them (forgive me if I did) …I am only trying to share the story of a rather fortunate tale of oddities of the realities in this area, hoping to enlighten the few brighten ones able to let the view passed sink and as a consequence positively affect the others.

The few good ones I met happened to be without blemish and very respectful too. That’s that!

Fourthly, I want to talk about the escapades of the young girls in this area??? Stories at my disposal to far are shocking…. Let me hint you, first about a girl forming to be a virgin during her menstrual period, another girl barely fourteen been victimized by her god grand dad and the adventure of a young beautiful girl of seventeen under the grips of a dreadful guy who happened to be injuring her essences and worth since she was like thirteen and up till date (What odds) amongst the other facts i affirmed…….(...)

Will talk more about this and the very few good and ugly incidents I found shocking as part of my experience just in the few weeks I stayed in the area (Odunsi, Bariga).

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One of the most anticipated Musical talent hunt show in Nigeria, the 'Nigeria Idol' is set for the Lagos audition in a search for who will be the next idol.
The audition will be holding consecutively on 7th and 8th of February at the Dreams Studios, 1 Bamako street, opposite Omole phase 1, Ojodu Berger by 7am prompt.
"....If you have what it takes to be that Idol why not take up the task to be the next big thing this 2015.... Its all about choice hehe!!! You did be making the right choice believing in yourself, first to make it to the audition and second, to give your best while leaving the rest to God and fans to vote you to spotlight... Just saying. The time is right!
Courtesy of Etisalat, Cool FM 96.9 and Payporte, this year promises to be much more super exciting. Don't be left out!