Sagai,
Please don't give up. I know it is rather frustrating to be alone on this
quest. I felt so ashamed of myself after reading your well thought out write
up. Infact I want to compliment you on your writing. Keep it up I also checked
out your website. You are a strong writer. Well enough of that.
The last time I visited Command Jos was in 1993 when I went to collect my
certificate. The whole place was in a state of disrepair. I wasn't happy then.
I cant imagine what it looks like now.
Please fellow Commandos lets not allow our Alma Mater die. I want to join
Sagai and appeal to all Commandos on this mailing list to wake up. Attend
meetings and lets do something about the state of Command Jos. I am guilty of
not attending meetings; I belong to the PH chapter of Commandos. Unfortunately
I am not sure if we still meet. Taju, if you are reading this, please do we
still meet? If we do, please notify me of the next meeting. I am very sorry for
not attending all this while.
Nothing is too small to start with; we can fix a leaking roof or paint some
buildings. Lets do something. Instead of organising end of year parties or
dinners (nothing wrong though) lets channel that money to doing something
tangible for our Alma Mater.
Waiting for all the chapters of the Commandos to come together and do
something for our Alma Mater will take a lot of effort. I want to suggest that
each chapter should take a project and work towards completing it. Little by
little we would start seeing results.
Please lets heed this WAKE UP CALL.
God bless you as you respond.
Bridget Davies (Nee Oboh)
Octopus 1988.
TUNDE OKIKIOLU <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: again i have goof-off in
terms of our PH chapter meetings, is anyone reading my mail from PH, please put
me on track and if possible let me pay my fines for absenteeism, hook me up
quickly !
Tunde Okikiolu
octupus 86
Sagai John Adam <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
[First Published in March 2004]
Essay: 101 Questions
Fellow Schoolmates,
I wrote my last essay, "Where are the REAL Commandos," because
I hoped to stir us up from our slumber. It was supposed to be a
series of Essays that will help us identify our problems and
proffer solutions.
I was piqued by the numerous references to "Abuja chapter" in
the emails of those who cared to respond. I was sad because my
intention was to move ALL of us forward and not crucify anyone.
I wanted us to DO SOMETHING instead of just RESPONDING to the
essay. Just like the Port Harcourt Guy and Segun Obakeye here
in Abuja, I hoped for ACTION.
(Though the PH Guy should do more than "wait" for someone to
contact him. He should be THE REASON PH chapter starts
functioning. That is the "LEADERSHIP" DIFFERENCE I want to
see.)
Let me ask a question: since my nasty email, WHAT HAS CHANGED?
N O T H I N G
I have thus decided to save myself, and all of us, the stress
of writing any more essays. It is obvious that my prod-them-to-
action attempt, too, has failed to yield the desired result.
Fellow schoolmates, it is my humble opinion that we need to
make drastic changes to our "modus operandi" (M.O.)
I will say it again: we MUST CHANGE our style...
IF WE EVER HOPE TO ACHIEVE GREATNESS THAT WILL BENEFIT US AS A
GROUP.
But if we continue with this kalo-kalo approach.
If we continue with this, this, lottery-mentality.
If we continue with this hit-and-miss, directionless,
visionless, aimless, any-road-will-take-us-there route...then
lets not complain when some of us "check-out" the backdoor. I
simply refuse to sink in any Titanic waste of potentials. I
would RATHER DIE in the icy waters trying to achieve my dreams
for greatness than to remain onboard a mediocre life, gisting
about the old days.
God forbid...
(Not death...but a life of ordinariness.)
THE COMMANDO STYLE
------------------
Now, what is our STYLE?
Well, we are supposed to have State Chapters. So far only 1 is
existing...after 23 sets of students have left CSS Jos. Twenty-
three sets! We always say, "There are no Commandos in my
State". But, I am willing to bet that there are at least 20-50
Commandos IN EVERY State of Nigeria. Even London has that much!
Excuses, Excuses, and EXCUSES.
What is our STYLE?
We hate taking RESPONSIBILITIES. We don't understand that
leaders are "made", not born. We don't want to pay the price
NOW, but we hope to magically be transformed into the great men
and women of tomorrow.
Keep on DREAMING...
What is our STYLE?
We are SELFISH. The Commandos with the money (now) are content
coming to meetings in cheap areas instead of helping us enjoy
nice, cozy, environments. They are afraid we will come and
disturb them for money. One day, some of us with the heart for
Commandos will be rich enough to show the world where REAL
Commandos should meet on a regular basis.
This is what my ex-seniors in the first 3 sets have failed to
understand. During our last Dinner in 2002, ALL of us paid the
same 1k but some seniors came to the party and were "posing".
And they expected us to "bow" for them? We ALL paid the same 1k
o!
Too whom much is given, much is expected.
If Commandos are not selfish, the MOST SENIOR Commandos in each
State would have been hosting us in our meetings. The younger
sets will look for the location but the seniors, SHOULD PAY.
Period.
If Commandos are not selfish, set mates should have been having
regular get-togethers. We should have lunch, dinners, parties
etc. In this regard, my '86 set guys are way ahead of the rest
of you. (We now keep it a secret after we discovered that some
of you were becoming jealous. It like crabs in a bucket...when
someone is trying to get up, the others drag him or her down!
We still do our stuff, but in secret.)
That is an assignment...if you are still waiting for the
"annual", organized events to have fun with your set
mates...good luck.
There are a lot more that I would have loved to say, but that
is not the aim of this email. TALKING about our problems is not
the same as SOLVING them.
THE WAY FORWARD
---------------
As I stand at the crossroads of my journey as a Commando, I
feel it will be proper to put down my thoughts on THE WAY
FORWARD. It is easy to criticize, and I have done that. The
question is WHAT SUGGESTIONS DO I HAVE?
I have written down a list of questions that, if answered, will
turn our collective destinies around. If we ever successfully
PROVIDE THE ANSWERS to these questions, the Commando nation
will be radically different from what it is now.
I write this as my parting gift to all of us. If we ever get to
the point when we are fed up with our state and the attendant
results; when we finally realize that our present course leads
to the dangerous cliff of wasted-opportunities ahead; when we
decide to become all that we are capable of being; when we want
to go BEYOND TALKING to ACTION; this will be my contribution.
That is IF WE EVER get to that point.
SAGAI'S 101 TURN-AROUND QUESTIONS
---------------------------------
COMMUNICATION
-------------
1. Is it possible to REACH EVERY commando? How? Which
medium? What is needed? Who among us can do it?
2. Is it possible to have all the GSM numbers of Commandos
in one place? How? Who will COMPILE it? Where will it be
hosted? Who will handle the project? How will it be publicized?
How will it be protected from abuse?
3. When will this discussion list GROW to 500 email
addresses? How do we make sure new baby Commandos are
assimilated into this mailing list as soon as they leave
school? What does EVERYONE HAVE TO DO to make this list grow?
How do we ensure that the quality of the discussions on this
list is helpful, thought-provoking and progressive?
4. What do we need to do to BUILD A BRIDGE to the commandos
that ONLY frequent the http://www.commandjos.com website?
5. Who will help produce the DIRECTORY of all Jos Commandos
in Lagos, in Abuja, in Jos, and finally everywhere?
6. Apart from an email discussion list what OTHER AVENUES
are available TODAY that we can use to enhance our
communication?
7. Do Commandos even understand the POWER OF COMMUNICATION?
8. How do we make sure ALL COMMANDOS ARE COMPUTER "LITERATE"
or at least to have an email account? Who can help to create
new email accounts free-of-charge?
VISION
------
1. When will Commandos have a common VISION?
2. How will our VISIONARIES be selected and how will they
meet to craft it out?
3. What QUALITIES will be required for membership of this
group?
4. How LONG will they take to do the job?
5. What kind of RESULT will come out of their assignment?
6. How will this new vision be SPREAD to all Commandos
everywhere?
7. How will all the younger sets be REPRESENTED in the
vision group?
8. Can the vision be BROKEN DOWN into simple actionable one-
sentence "mission" statements?
9. After the vision, WHAT NEXT?
10. How will the vision be IMPLEMENTED? Who will measure the
implementation?
11. How will we GAUGE "success"? Or "failure"?
12. WHO among us will help make this happen?
NETWORKING
----------
1. Why are we not MEETING together? Why are state chapters
dead?
2. How can set mates MEET MORE? How can Commandos in the
same field meet more? How can all the Engineers
communicate? Doctors? Civil Servants? Computer Scientists?
3. Where is everybody? Which Commandos live in Kano? KD?
Akwa Ibom? How an we COMPILE A LIST? Who will do it for us?
How will it be publicized?
THE FUTURE
----------
1. What is the most IMPORTANT SECTOR in the next 10 years?
2. How should Commandos prepare to be powerfully REPRESENTED
in that (those) sector(s)?
3. How many Commandos are in ELECTIVE offices today?
4. How do we make sure that no Commando LOSES an election?
5. How do we make sure we have MORE Commando politicians?
Bankers? Telecom experts? Entrepreneurs? Businessmen and
women?
6. How can all the Commando bankers (or engineers, or
computer scientists, etc.) communicate with each other? What
kind of STRUCTURE is necessary for Commandos in related fields
to regularly communicate?
7. What do we need to do to be the BEST in our fields? What
do we need to do to GET TO THE TOP of our fields?
8. WHEN will a commando be an Managing Director of a Bank?
LGA Chairman? Assembly man/woman? Governor? CEO of a
company? When? What will be needed? How can we help?
9. Who are the MOST HIGHLY PLACED Commandos in Nigeria
today? Who are the millionaires? Who are the highest-ranking
military men? Civil Servants? Academics? Engineers? Doctors?
WHERE ARE THEY?
10. What kind of people do we NEED TO BE TO BECOME the very
best in our chosen field of endeavor?
11. Will the baby Commandos of, say, set 2010 be able TO GET
JOBS through the older Commandos? What will they have to do?
Where will they go? Who will they have to see first?
12. How can we turn our "potential" TO EXPONENTIAL? (I have
said it before that all we posses are potential. Greatness is
not automatic.) How can we become the "Barewa College" of the
future? How can we become the "Kings College" of the future?
How can we become the Harvard, MIT and Yale of Nigeria?
HOW CAN WE BECOME A GROUP OF DISTINCTION? How can we become
respected, revered and feared? Is it possible? What do we need
to do NOW? What do we need to do in the next 1 year? 5 years?
Which books do we need to read? What virtues do we need to
develop? Who do we need to emulate?
13. How do we make sure ALL commandos are gainfully employed
or have their own businesses?
14. Who can help to ORGANISE us so that we have long-term
"career" goals?
RESPONSIBILITIES
----------------
1. What are our RESPONSIBILITIES to ourselves? Our ex-
seniors? Our ex-juniors? Our set mates? Our Chapters (if we
decide to continue with that structure)? Our alma mater?
2. Who SHOULD PAY for our meeting venues? Who should do
publicity work? Who should invite and remind Commandos of
meetings?
3. Who is to REGISTER the Association with the Corporate
Affairs Commission (CAC)? Who will pay? Who will be the
"Trustees"? Who will draft the constitution?
4. Who should be WRITING this kind of essay? Who should be
READING it? Who should be IMPLEMENTING it? Who should be
MONITORING it? Who should be CRITICIZING it? Who should be
SUPERVISING all such discussions?
5. Who are our LEADERS? Who are the FOLLOWERS? Who are our
FINANCIERS?
6. How can we make sure that there is a "GUARDIAN" Commando
in each State where all Commandos in the State can meet for
help of any kind? What will be the qualification for such a
person? Will it be wealth? Or (past) seniority? Or length of
stay? Or connections?
What will be the Guardian's key functions? What will he/she
need to do the job? How will the Commandos in the state help
the Guardian? How will the address of each State Guardian be
known? Will it be an elective post? How long will the person
stay? What will be the relationship of the Guardian with the
State Chapter Executives?
CSS JOS
-------
1. When will we do SOMETHING BIGGER than giving prizes for
the Speech and Prize-Giving Day? (Which only the Abuja Chapter
was doing)
2. Have you VISITED the school since leaving? Did you see
the rot? Did you visit your hostel? The Classrooms? Do you know
that the paint on the hostels date back to 1977?
3. When will we HELP fix our school? How can we help? Do we
contribute money? Do we use our connections to get the NAEC
to do it? What other strategies can we use?
4. What do we do to INSPIRE the baby commandos still in
school? How can we help them see the importance of making their
papers in one sitting? How can we help them choose the right
area of specialization or university? How can we help them get
admitted in university?
Do you know that we have Commandos in WAEC, JAMB, Universities
(as Lecturers) and even the NYSC? How can all these be
harnessed for the good of our upcoming brothers and sisters?
Who will coordinate this?
5. How many of us have WRITTEN A LETTER to our old
teacher(s) in CSS Jos? How many have visited them? How many
have sent in gifts? Is there any of us that believe he/she DOES
NOT OWE them a proper "thank you"? When are we going to start?
Is it when they die and we are by their gravesite? WHO WILL
HELP US END THIS EMBARRASSMENT? Are we INGRATES?
6. What can we do to let the baby commandos know THAT WE
CARE? That we are alive and well? That they have a big family
out in the world? That they are not alone?
7. When are we going to honor our past Principals and
Commandants WHILE THEY ARE STILL ALIVE?
OTHER COMMANDOS
---------------
1. When are we going to start MIXING UP with the bigger
Commando community of Lagos, Ibadan, KD, and Abakiliki?
2. Will it be BENEFICIAL to stand-alone or liaise with other
commandos? How will the structure look like? Can it be done?
What do we stand to lose? What do we stand to gain? How do
we minimize the risks? How do we maximize the gains?
3. How come ALL the other Commandos (KD, LA, IB etc) seem to
be WORSE than even Jos?
4. What should be our RELATIONSHIP with the Command Day
Secondary schools? Should we mix-up or stay aloof? Will their
"lower-grade" school affect their future? Has our "high-grade"
school made us any better than them?
IN SUMMARY...
-------------
1. Do we want to be great?
2. Are we sure?
3. Are we willing to pay the price?
4. What is the PLAN?
5. Who will put together the VISION?
6. What is our target date?
7. What are the strategies?
8. How do we monitor progress?
9. Who is responsible for what?
10. What structures need to be put in place?
11. How do we ensure that we network more?
12. How do we ensure that responsibilities are clearly known
and met by the different sets?
13. How do we ensure that we put something back into CSS Jos?
14. How do we ensure that we remember those dear teachers?
15. How do we ensure that a Chapter meets in every State
where there is at least one Commando in the first five
sets (1982-86)?
16. How do we ensure that a Commando will be atop every major
sector in Nigeria, from Politics to Rocket science?
17. How do we ensure that Commandos are recognized as
excellent, reliable and in-demand Leaders by 2010?
18. How do we ensure that no baby Commando ever suffers
joblessness for one day?
19. When do we START?
GOD
---
1. Where is God in all of this?
That's it.
FLY-OR-DIE
----------
Behind all these questions was my dream. I thought we could do
it. That is why I am FRUSTRATED at our current position. There
is so much to do! When I should be relaxing or goofing around
like the small-boy-from-the-1986-set that I am, I have been
sucked up into a leadership vacuum: planning, organising,
coordinating. Even this, my last major email, is a blue-print
that I shouldn't have to do.
Unfortunately, I can only MAKE NOISE.
I cannot make everyone do what I want.
Which is okay, because after 2 and a half years, I have paid my
dues and I hear destiny calling. If an Eaglet refuses to master
the skill of flying, the Mother Eagle lets her fall to her
death.
Fly or DIE.
("Fly-or-Die" is my unofficial policy to the Abuja Commandos
who are still looking at me to wave my magic wand and organise
them again.)
I have just EXTENDED IT TO EVERYONE ELSE!
What is even scary is that I AM THE ONLY ONE who is "stubborn"
enough to CRITICIZE everyone. Who has ever told us we are
performing FAR BELOW our capabilities? Every one is so nice 'N
proper. "Let's not rock the boat".
Lets wake up!
If all that I am able to achieve is ANNOY some of you to start
writing your own vision of what we can do...I will be happy.
Maybe someday, some of our baby Commandos will read the
archives and ACCOMPLISH what we can only write about today.
I have criticized, and I have given my solutions.
I will hang on long enough to reply any reactions...
Are we ready to fly?
Stay blessed,
Sagai John Adam
('86, Tiger)
GSM in Nigeria! http://www.gsm-nigeria.com
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