http://www.iamigbo.org/four-things-every-sane-igbo-man-should-be-doing-now/
Dear Ndi Igbo,
If you are sane and you are Igbo I would say you should or in fact must be doing these four things. It does not matter your age, your occupation or your level of education. In fact if you are not doing them yet, then there is a big problem.
1. You must pray every day: This one is a no-brainer. Haba. You are from a race that survived ethnic cleansing, many Pogroms, and the machetes of religious zealots. There is just no way you should miss this one. You must pray. Your fathers, fore-fathers and grandfathers all prayed. People may have divergent religious views, while others may be wondering why everyday. The reason is simple. Na prayer save us from extinction. Like it or not, being the breed that you are you will continue to be the subject of animosity, jealousy and unprovoked (or sometimes provoked) aggression. You may have physical, material and “connection” powers but you need supernatural powers to thrive. Survival of the Igbo is a given. Biko ensure daily prayer by all means. Read this piece by Remy Ilona, one of our prominent Igbo-Jewish scholars and understand the significance of the Igbo tribe and our creator.
2. You must get enough sleep: Let me deflate your ego a bit. You are very smart and intelligent, but you can do better when you get enough sleep. If you do not get enough sleep, your performance will disappoint you and you will remain ordinary not extra-ordinary. Just remember not to seek out a devil to blame when you make silly mistakes after depriving yourself of God-given sleep. Human beings sleep on average 8 hours a day. Some people need 7 hours a day while others need 9 hours a day. Either way, to be on top of your game always in your business and your job, do not deprive yourself of sleep. There are myriads of health problems also related to sleep deprivation including obesity, heart disease and drowsiness when driving. Igbos are wise, so sleep enough everyday.
3. You must plan your day, everyday: Efulefu literally means a useless or anything goes person. A popular saying went thus: He who fails to plan, plans to fail. As an Igbo man, your family all look up to you and are banking on your willpower and hardwork. They do not see you as an “efulefu”. Results results results. You must prove yourself. Not once or twice but always. This has always been the Igbo way, the Igbo culture. The Igbo are known to be result-oriented. In fact one of my favorite Igbo titles is “Ome Nke Afulu Anya“. For every 10 minutes we spend planning our day, we save as much as 1 hour, increasing our efficiency and productivity that day.
4. You must work towards independent enterprise in the East NOW: That you have a job really means very little. That you have earned a promotion also is not very relevant. Being an Igbo man, we are proud to achieve. Igbo men do not have things handed out to them, no. They are go-getters. they go and they get. Look at Nigeria in 1970 after the “Starvation-won-war” and virtually all Igbo properties outside Igboland were confiscated and claimed by “Nigerians”. Families were given twenty pounds each irrespective of how much they had in the bank prior to the war. Then as we were finding our feet in this new dispensation, public enterprises were sold to the private sector, but Igbos had no money. may could barely feed their families. Despite that, Igbos have risen to many top positions in the world. Real Estate in Nigeria is largely owned by Igbos across the country. Igbo enterprises are evident nationwide but the East would benefit immensely from a deepened Igbo investments. As we continue to Think East, Think Ala-Igbo, every Igbo man must realize that the world is always changed by those who create things or make existing things better. ABC Transport, ZINOX Computers, Ekene Dili Chukwu Transports and many others. Enterprise. And when you do create, do it in Ala-Igbo to benefit Ala Igbo since the safety of Igbo lives and properties can hardly be guaranteed for Igbo man living in other parts of Nigeria.
These are just four. Of course there are many more that every Igbo do. I will like to hear from you what it is that you think every sane Igbo man should be doing now. Add your comment below. Next time we will talk about Igbo women.
Four things every sane Igbo man should be doing now
Dear Ndi Igbo,If you are sane and you are Igbo I would say you should or in fact must be doing these four things. It does not matter your age, your occupation or your level of education. In fact if you are not doing them yet, then there is a big problem.
1. You must pray every day: This one is a no-brainer. Haba. You are from a race that survived ethnic cleansing, many Pogroms, and the machetes of religious zealots. There is just no way you should miss this one. You must pray. Your fathers, fore-fathers and grandfathers all prayed. People may have divergent religious views, while others may be wondering why everyday. The reason is simple. Na prayer save us from extinction. Like it or not, being the breed that you are you will continue to be the subject of animosity, jealousy and unprovoked (or sometimes provoked) aggression. You may have physical, material and “connection” powers but you need supernatural powers to thrive. Survival of the Igbo is a given. Biko ensure daily prayer by all means. Read this piece by Remy Ilona, one of our prominent Igbo-Jewish scholars and understand the significance of the Igbo tribe and our creator.
2. You must get enough sleep: Let me deflate your ego a bit. You are very smart and intelligent, but you can do better when you get enough sleep. If you do not get enough sleep, your performance will disappoint you and you will remain ordinary not extra-ordinary. Just remember not to seek out a devil to blame when you make silly mistakes after depriving yourself of God-given sleep. Human beings sleep on average 8 hours a day. Some people need 7 hours a day while others need 9 hours a day. Either way, to be on top of your game always in your business and your job, do not deprive yourself of sleep. There are myriads of health problems also related to sleep deprivation including obesity, heart disease and drowsiness when driving. Igbos are wise, so sleep enough everyday.
3. You must plan your day, everyday: Efulefu literally means a useless or anything goes person. A popular saying went thus: He who fails to plan, plans to fail. As an Igbo man, your family all look up to you and are banking on your willpower and hardwork. They do not see you as an “efulefu”. Results results results. You must prove yourself. Not once or twice but always. This has always been the Igbo way, the Igbo culture. The Igbo are known to be result-oriented. In fact one of my favorite Igbo titles is “Ome Nke Afulu Anya“. For every 10 minutes we spend planning our day, we save as much as 1 hour, increasing our efficiency and productivity that day.
4. You must work towards independent enterprise in the East NOW: That you have a job really means very little. That you have earned a promotion also is not very relevant. Being an Igbo man, we are proud to achieve. Igbo men do not have things handed out to them, no. They are go-getters. they go and they get. Look at Nigeria in 1970 after the “Starvation-won-war” and virtually all Igbo properties outside Igboland were confiscated and claimed by “Nigerians”. Families were given twenty pounds each irrespective of how much they had in the bank prior to the war. Then as we were finding our feet in this new dispensation, public enterprises were sold to the private sector, but Igbos had no money. may could barely feed their families. Despite that, Igbos have risen to many top positions in the world. Real Estate in Nigeria is largely owned by Igbos across the country. Igbo enterprises are evident nationwide but the East would benefit immensely from a deepened Igbo investments. As we continue to Think East, Think Ala-Igbo, every Igbo man must realize that the world is always changed by those who create things or make existing things better. ABC Transport, ZINOX Computers, Ekene Dili Chukwu Transports and many others. Enterprise. And when you do create, do it in Ala-Igbo to benefit Ala Igbo since the safety of Igbo lives and properties can hardly be guaranteed for Igbo man living in other parts of Nigeria.
These are just four. Of course there are many more that every Igbo do. I will like to hear from you what it is that you think every sane Igbo man should be doing now. Add your comment below. Next time we will talk about Igbo women.
