(3 of 5) GRANDPA'S STORY: ENGAGEMENT, A MAJOR RESOURCE TO PROBLEM-SOLVING

Click the link below for Grandpa's story (2 of 5), the publication immediately before this one that you are about to read.

https://www.belfordscorelines.com/2025/10/2-of-5-grandpas-story-loneliness.html?m=1

Grandpa's children were now grown ups, and luckily, independent and married. They were well placed and well to do, therefore, could support their retired father (Grandpa) to go into business, but did no such thing.

Grandpa's children were busy people. They were comfortable inviting their mother to visit them on a regular basis, one after the other. Their mother, his wife, was constantly on the go, reciprocating their childrens' offer of visiting  them, one after the other. Their father, the Grandpa, was always alone at home, without any serious commitment by the children to visit him, since they were not also inviting him to visit them like their mother. 

(2 of 5) GRANDPA'S STORY: LONELINESS, ALTERCATIONS AND INTERVENTIONS

 

Growing up as a youth, there was this elderly Man in our neighborhood that I will represent here as "Grandpa”. He was exactly a Grandpa, though not very old. 

Grandpa was married and his wife was still alive, strong and healthy, though, she was always on and off, hardly around. She was always on the go, visiting their children on regular basis, based on their invitations. They loved their father so much, at least in their own wisdom, and were always ready to do anything that will make him happy. However, they hardly invited him, and hardly visited him. Whenever Grandma travelled, she stayed long, at times for upwards of 9 months, and after a stint with Grandpa, she embarked on another visit. In one of such numerous visits, she stayed away for two years plus.

(1 of 5) GRANDPA'S STORY: LET US BEGIN WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF A PROVISION SHOP

A Provision store

I have the believe and strongly too, that many of the people that are given birth to in Nigeria, and that have remained in Nigeria, and those, though born in Nigeria, but left Nigeria for another country after at least living in Nigeria for 20 years or even less are conversant with the typical neighborhood business type commonly known as "Provision store" by Nigerians. 

The other category of people that I have the same believe with regard to their knowledge and understanding of what a typical provision shop in Nigeria is, are those living in Nigeria, but were born outside the country, and like the first set captured in the opening paragraph, have been around for upwards of 20 years or again less.

STOP, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

PDAM Dance Group digging it out in style

Dancers, Medical Doctors, lawyers, Accountants, Engineers, marketers, Pharmacists, Soldiers, Police, bricklayers, Tailors, and the likes impact life in different ways using the knowledge and skills of their respective areas of calling or profession.

PROFILES OF INSPIRATION (PIN) – Gideon Gambo, Ibrahim Mohammad-amin Mohammed, Ediale Oriwoh, etc

Shadez the dancer

What do they have in common: Gideon Gambo (Spinoza), Ibrahim Mohammad-amin Mohammed (Shadez), Ediale Oriwoh (Eddy), Jabir Husseini (King Jaja), Steady Ateli and Hephzibah Christopher (Hephzidance)?

DANCE AND NIGERIA’S DEVELOPMENT: LOVERS OF THE ECONOMY SURELY HAVE MAJOR ROLES TO PLAY

Hard work, commitment, experience and intelligence at work

Stories of battles fought, won or loss, the effects and remedies in the now and future, the consequences, responses and reactions that followed the visits and message of emissaries and harbingers of war and the peace efforts, processes and resolutions that trail them are told through dance. Similarly, various forms of reconciliations; conflicts, abuses and the nature of engagements: peace building, peace enforcement and peace maintenance operations of different times are also told through dance. Stories of love, hatred and intimidation, harassment and denial; the good, the bad and ugly leadership and governance systems are sometimes revealed by choreographers in dance formats designed by them for public performance by dancers in arts theaters: open or closed, formal or informal; at the community arenas, family compounds and halls of different kinds and sizes.

DANCE, THE OPPORTUNITY CREATOR FOR GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT THAT IGNORANCE OF THE ELITE IS STIFLING

PDAM: a dance group in Jos, Plateau state, on stage

Interesting, special and unique, passion driven and impact oriented are some of the emotions that followers and admirers of dance, a serious job creation and wealth generation instrument that has been deliberately and seriously neglected, abandoned and seemingly rejected in Nigeria for years. The fact that dance is under the big umbrella of entertainment and a major component of the constantly rising creative industry did not change this narrative.

ESCAPE FROM IGNORANCE TO RELEASE THE "DANCE COMMUNITY" FOR GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE ECONOMY

Ignorance is a disease and for surety sake, disease destroys and kills, even...

A dance group in Jos, Plateau state: PDAM on the stage

 

Opportunities for sustainable socio-economic growth and development abound in and through the creative economy and industry in Nigeria. Dance as a major component of the creative economy in the country provides huge opportunity for Nigeria’s development, and therefore, very vital for putting the economy on the path of socio-economic recovery.

RECOGNISING THE SELF-IMPOSED MANDATE OF YOUTHS IN PLATEAU STATE TO CREATE A SHIFT THAT WILL PROVIDE NEW NARRATIVE FOR THE ECONOMY IS AN URGENT NEED

Ibrahim Mohammad-amin (Shades)

There is no arguing the fact that the Nigerian economy has been in a limbo for some years. The consensus of opinion by most economic analysts, public commentators and development practitioners with regard to the state of the economy remains the fact that the country is running a mono-economy, driven specifically by oil.

FIXTURES FOR THE ANNUAL OTAMPA SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP IS OUT

The Cup at stake, 
courtesy of Engr Chinwike Onya

By Chinwoke Nnabugwu 

Fixturexs for the showcasing and trading of the finest of footballing skills, Soccer artistry and excitingly amazing moments of team work, goal scoring and soccer discipline in the Globe, have been released in the land of the "Nwanneukwu" by the organizers of the Annual Otampa Football Championship.

THE GAME BEGINS... LET'S PLAY

If you are set... Play

Play by answering the questions below. Please use the commentary Box for your answer.

 

• Who is the present Governor of Enugu State to the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) Enugu

•  Name at least two (2) students admitted into IMT at inception of the School

DEAR NOVEMBER WELCOME ME TO YOUR ARENA "2023" AS I WELCOME YOU TO MY OWN ARENA

 

Front loading the issues

Dear November welcome to my arena where things are:

Interestingly interesting, surprisingly surprising and confusingly confusing…

LEND YOUR VOICE BEFORE SOMETHING OF CATASTROPHIC NATURE HAPPENS

 

This picture has nothing to do with the story

A story was told about a Military General who was to inspect a battalion of soldiers lined up by some officers who were waiting with them to be inspected by the Man of the moment, the Man on top, the Army General, the General Officer Commanding (GOC).

Of interest particularly is the fact that the troops were waiting for the arrival of the General under the rain. While the military officers waiting with the troops in the rain wore raincoat, the troops wore none, and on account of this were drenched heavily by the rain.

CULTURE: SO STRONG AND BEAUTIFUL

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PRANK WENT WRONG 4

"Oh my God!" my father inlaw exclaimed. "Children of nowadays will not kill us. What a wasted effort!"

"That was why I said you people should have listened to the young man in the first place. If you had done that, we wouldn't be here. However, now that we are here, what should be done should be done," Chief Afai submitted.

CULTURE: SO STRONG AND BEAUTIFUL

 

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PRANK WENT WRONG 3

To start with, my people were not happy with the situation. Some of them scolded me for playing such an expensive prank on my wife.

Some were angry with my wife for taking the matter to her people without first confronting me.

Some were neutral, while some laughed over it.

At last, we made it to my wife's place.

Messages were sent across and within few minutes, my in-laws were complete.

The meeting began.

One of them stood up to address us. "Our in-laws, you're welcome to our house. Your house of course, because the day you married our daughter, we became one..."

"We are not one", one of the elders interrupted with so much anger in him. "We can never be one. They are our slaves. When our fathers fought the tribal war, we conquered them and made them work for us as slaves. That we gave them our daughter in marriage does not make our houses their houses. Chief Okor sit down if you don't know what to say. A slave and the master can never share the same table. They are slaves, place them where they belong."

That did not go down well with my people. 

CULTURE: SO STRONG AND BEAUTIFUL 2

 

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PRANK WENT WRONG 2

So this afternoon, I honored my father in-law's call.

I got there in the company of my friend - Stephen. Stephen had been a very good family friend.

After telling him all that transpired, he could not hold himself from laughing out loud.

We got to my wife's place, but the regular rousing welcome was reduced.

I handed my father in-law the drink we bought for him, but he asked me to drop it on the table instead.

"Grandpa is not happy with you," my son tipped me. 

I smiled sheepishly. 

"The boy is right. My kinsmen will soon be here, please exercise patience," my father in-law assured. 

I turned to Stephen and we made eye contact. 

CULTURE: SO STRONG AND BEAUTIFUL

 

Picture bears no semblance with the story. We take no credit for it

PRANK WENT WRONG 1

One way of spicing up our relationship is by playing at least once in a week.

My wife loves rough play.

Since I am often at the receiving end with so much pains, I decided to take the play to another level by pranking my wife.

So on Sunday evening, my wife was using my phone to watch movie. 

There is this old Sim card I have not been using, but I do recharge it once in a while to keep it valid.

I picked the Sim card and my small phone.

"Babe, let me use the toilet. I'll be back. No finish my battery ooo," I told her.

In the toilet, I slot in the Sim card and wrote the message: "Honey! Dis pregnancy is becoming obvious. People are beginning to suspect it. Pls come and do small thing from the list you collected so I can go out anytime I want without fear of getting stigmatized that I got pregnant out of wedlock. My gas has finished, pls come and refill it for me tomorrow. We love you."

I then sent the message to my phone that my wife was using.

STOP TO PONDER

When I spend hours in church they say I am lazy, jobless and stupid, probably not to my face. But when they spend hours at the stadium watching games or go to night clubs it's okay.

When I give N200,000  in church they ridicule me but praise me for buying a ticket to a secular musician concert for N500,000. They claim I am enriching a pastor but they are happy to support an artiste.

MORE TEAMS REGISTERED, RELEASE NAMES OF THEIR PLAYERS

More Teams have registered for the Otampa All Stars Football Championship taking place as follows:

IKENGA ALL STARS TEAM REGISTERED, RELEASES NAMES OF THEIR PLAYERS

Few hours after the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of the Otampa All Stars Championship released the date and other details of the championship, some of the Teams that registered for the football event have released the list containing the names of their players for the coming soccer hostilities.