Jibo Zhema

I once met a girl who seemed to understand me. She wasn't really pretty like that, but damn! She was smart. And there I was, suffering from a chronic sapiosexuality disorder, like a fly on honey, I easily got glued to her personality.  We could talk about everything, and laugh at the dumbest things. There were nights we didn't sleep at all, either chatting on BBM or talking on the phone till dawn. Either way, there was a strong connection.  We talked about the ideal relationship and what made it so.  We talked about the sacrifices, the struggles, the hurt, and the strong desire to make it work regardless.  We sorta knew why most relationships failed; LACK OF COMMUNICATION AND UNDERSTANDING.  The respect was on another level, we no dey miss each other's call o. Even if we did, the call-back was in a matter of seconds. Whenever I ran out of airtime in the middle of a call, I got an automatic top-up from her account. And I also did the same, when my poverty is on a...

In 2008, I got a huge construction contract in the North at about the same time a friend got over a billion Naira dredging contract in the South. I used to joke about it that "we were made for life". We told ourselves that, only a fool would go broke after hitting this kind of jackpot in one lifetime.  After my job was completed, I decided to start a table water factory in Jalingo. My concept for packaging was something revolutionary.  After my friend's contract ended, he'd made well over #100m Naira in profits, and his only goal as of then was to get married to the love of his life.  I built my factory, traveled to Lagos, and brought the whole production line in just a matter of months. Something which takes some people a lifetime to build.  My friend spent nearly all his earnings on planning the wedding of the century. I'd never seen real diamonds before until he showed me the bride's jewelry box. Damn, I was jealous. 😐 By 2011, I'd sold my entire produ...

I remember when I bought my first car, a Honda Accord 86 model. I couldn't sleep for days after I sent the money to Don Zee(Zando) my cousin in Jos, to get me the cleanest car he could find.  The day he told me he'd gotten it, my hysteria intensified. I was quite secretive about it at first, because my parents didn't have an idea that I sold their plot of land somewhere to add to what I had, just so I could own my dream car. I didn't care what was going to happen to me after that. All I wanted was to buy this particular car.  I was IMPATIENT.  I traveled to Jos, and after I saw the car, I fell in love immediately. Couldn't wait to get to Jalingo and surprise everybody. Damn, I wanted to show her off badly.  On my way to Jalingo, two days later, the car started jerking as I approached Bauchi town. I didn't care, I was willing to fix it, so I drove into a mechanical workshop and changed the fuel pump and filters, then hit the road again. Blasting a Brenda Fassie a...

#Episode_Three "Your Excellency, Officer Andy needs to disappear before this whole case blows hot." The DPO whispered into his cellphone.  "I want him taken out." Replied a female voice on the other side.  The DPO flinched, unbelieving what he thought she meant. 🤔 "Are you saying we should delete him Ma?"  He probed for clarity. "Kill him immediately, and make it look like an accident. Nothing should be traced to me, and I am willing to pay you any amount once it is done." She hung up.  Now the DPO just realized this woman will stop at nothing to cover her tracks. If he does not act fast, he may be staring at the wrong end of her barrel soon.  He immediately sent an SMS to Andy, "meet me at the rendezvous at exactly 8pm, you're leaving town tonight". Andy was narrating his ordeal to a colleague when the friend's phone rang. His cheap Tecno phone had issues, so he put all calls on speaker mode else he would not hear a thing. ...

#Episode_Two "One of them bolted the door while the other three pinned her down. She had lived in the same compound with these boys, she thought they would be the ones to protect her dignity should any stranger attempt to rob her of her womanhood. But they are now ravaging her entire being. She had spent almost thirty minutes screaming and struggling. She has become too weak to defend herself. She fainted when a gruelling pain tore through her soul." Wama was reading about Wabuji from her novel "TO BE THE BEST", to a teary-eyed audience at the Eko Hotels in Lagos. Where she was scheduled to later meet with the American Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Jack Bauer.  Last week after the event, Wama spent the night in jail for what the government propagandists called, "defamation of character, and blackmail" targeting Gov. Adda.  She was visited in jail by the first lady, who couldn't wait to see Wama behind bars. "You want to ruin me and my family because ...

#BEYOND_POLITICS   (from grace to grass)  According to the Holy Scriptures, Lucifer was created beautiful. He even led the Heavenly choir, which means he was one of God's trusted allies. And to be in God's kitchen cabinet, you must have unmatched potential.  Lucifer became so impressed with his own beauty, intelligence, power, and position that he began to desire for himself the honor and glory that belonged to God alone. This pride represents the actual beginning of sin in the universe.  Taraba State, like Lucifer, was created beautiful, had unbelievable potential, and was believed to be one of the few States that could carry Nigeria, should she break down in the future.  And like Lucifer, Taraba State, despite all her beauty and glory, was cast away from the presence of God, and is now the worst amongst God's creations. Because of pride, greed, and an unbelievable degree of leadership ineptitude.  Taraba is Nigeria's largest producer of cassava, yet does ...

#Episode_One "Why do you think your novel received so much accolades, and the story was this huge a success? I hear you were even nominated for numerous international awards this year." Asked a reporter, on the red-carpet of the Kwararafa Union Awards, taking place at the luxurious Jukun Hall in Dampar.  It was an annual event which is aimed to honor the illustrious sons and daughters of the area, who're outstanding in their various areas of specialization.  Tonight, it was all about #Wama, the prolofic author of the bestselling novel titled, "To Be The Best". "I think the honesty, clarity, and relatability of the story resonates with our realities of today. That's why the book got this much acceptance all over the world." Wama replied, as she smilingly obliged a photographer's plea to pose for a red-carpet shot.  Inside the hall, DJ Nelly was killing it big time. Dignitaries, celebrities and other invited guests were nodding to the rhythm of t...

#BEYOND_POLITICS   My former crush, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie once presented a paper titled: "The Danger Of A Single Story". In which she posited that most people only have a Single Story of others, and the more Single Stories about others you hear, tends to become your truth about them.  But she also said that Single Stories are not usually all incorrect, but most times they are incomplete.  The Single Story that Nigerians are fraudsters, is true. But it doesn't capture the story of our young entrepreneurs who dare to rise above our rotten systems to make it big in a failing nation.  The Single Story that Nigeria is poor, is true. But usually doesn't tell the story that some of Africa's richest people are nigerians.  Some people hold a Single Story that my Taraba State is one of the poorest in the country. Which is not all false. But they don't know that she is actually one of the richest States in terms of natural resources.  These Single Stories are somet...

#Poem Why did you suffer to bring me here if you didn't want me?  You seemed happy, and spent a lot to celebrate my naming ceremony. I thought I meant something to you. I thought I was special. But I am not, obviously.  At age three I was already an adult. Fending for myself while I saw kids my age being pampered and treated like a blessing.  You shipped me off into a life of slavery and suffering just to create space to have another child you won't cater for.  Because of you, nobody respects me. Nobody sees me as a child who could amount to anything. You cursed my future by denying me a childhood paved with love and affection.  Now the world has changed. The strangers who fed me, now fear me. And nobody cares how I survive, nowadays. They just see me, insult me, spite me, and chase me away like a goat, whenever I get too close.  What do I do now?  Maybe I should kill myself and save everybody the stress.  If you did not love me enough to keep me ...