Once upon a 23 year old Nigerian minister.

During an interview session the featured guest mentioned how Nigeria thirty plus years ago had a twenty three year old minister. I was taken aback. With all the compulsory primary social studies education and museum excursions I had never heard anything of the sort. So I did a little research. Oh, the things we find when we bother to look.

Matthew  Tawo Mbu, born on the 20^th of November 1929 in Okundi Crossriver state was a Nigerian lawyer, Politician, diplomat and a figure in Nigerian political affairs for more than fifty years. He was driven into a career in politics by these words from his childhood mentor ‘Fr Patrick Meeham’- “you are for your people; you go and speak for them”.

His legislative and ministerial posts include:

·         Member representing Ogoja in the Eastern house of assembly and House of Representatives (1952- 1953) at the age of twenty three.

·         Member for Ogoja in the House of Representatives (1954-1955).

·         Member of Parliament for Ogoja (1960-1966).

·         Federal minister of labour (1953- 1954).

·         Ag. Minister of transport (1954) e.t.c

The list is lengthy with over twenty official positions, and since this is not a political history thesis I have mentioned only the relevant few. Let me mention briefly, Obasanjo (vice president at 37), Buhari (governor of north eastern Nigeria at 33), and Gowon in 1966 at the age of 32 became the youngest Nigerian  president ever. When did we fall asleep?  We must rise from this passive coma and dump the ‘someone else must do it’ complex. If we are waiting for the system to change first, we will keep waiting. We must learn to serve and serve diligently. Not serving for what we will get but for what we can give. Once upon a time a 23 year old Nigerian minister, that time must come again.

Nigerian Definitions by Elnathan John.

These are definitions to popular terms used by Nigerians. Tweeted by Elnathan John whose ability to create trouble is only second to his excellent writing.

•COMOT (v): To comot means to leave

E.g. If Jona no fit stop the war, make e comot make we see road.

•MUMU (n): 1. a man newly in love

                     2. A dull, foolish or slow person

E.g. plenty mumu people go still vote Jonathan again.

•BLOCCOS (n): Scrotum. E.g. Na only touch I touch am o, na im she come nack me for bloccos.

•DRESS (v): To dress means to make space or shift.

E.g. Please dress so I can sit

•UNCLE (n): 1. Father/mothers male sibling

                      2. An older man known to your family

                      3. An older, married secret male lover

•CLOSEUP (n): Any brand of toothpaste E.g. CloseUp, Macleans, Colgate

•FRIEND (v): To friend means to have a sexual relationship.

E.g. "Na Goodluck dey friend Diezani"

•COUSIN/COUSIN BROTHER/COUSIN SISTER (n):

 1. Anyone related to you, however remote.

 2. One who grew up in your family home.

•ASHAWO (n):

1. (pejorative)Female sex worker

 2. (more common) Any sexually active woman who refuses to have sex with you.