A HOUSE ON FIRE

         I was not long in bed when a bugle-call a wake me with a start. I recognized in it the signal that a fire had broken out in the town. I had never witnessed a fire before, and it did not take me more than a few minuets to dress myself and be in the street trying to find out where it had stated.

         There were many like me who, roused by the bugle call, where hurrying towards the scene, and I joined of the surrounding houses, a huge glare. As we approached if, we discoursed that the house on fire was right in the heart of the business quarter. These were shops on the ground floor and is two upper stories were occupied by tenants- an immense crow had gathered to see this sad and terrible spectacle.

         From the distant at which I stood I could clearly hear the cracking made by the burning furniture and the explosions of the stores in the shop. It was provisions in their dark uniforms were playing the hose on the flames and also on the upper stories and the adjoining houses to prevent the fire spreading to them.

         The fire had started on the first floor and the tongues of flame were beginning to lick the ceiling of the storey. On the topmost storey were a few tenants who did not been able to leave the house before the wooden staircase connecting the ground was cut off. They were all crowded near a window, and from the distance from which I saw them, and in the blaze and smoke, they looked like dark forms huddled together-we shuddered to think of the fate that might be theirs.

         To the relief of every beholder of this dreadful spectacle, the fireman put up their tall ladders, and one of them changed up to the window and helped the scared and horror-stricken inmates down one by one. The last of them had hardly landed on the ground when the ceiling came down with a crash. The tongues of flames now nose higher than ever and sparks flew all around. It was a terrible sight, but everyone leaved a sight relief that no human life had been lost.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJYRsmqayFo

THE DANGERS OF DRUG ABUSE

         A drug is a combination of medicine chemicals or substance formulated and prepared by chemists and pharmacists for the treatment or cure of different illness under the recommendation and supervision of medical doctors. Drugs are many; dispose in their simplicity and strength. There are drugs that people can walk into a drug store (chemists shop) and buy for use when attacked by minor health problems. The commonest of these drugs are analgesics Panadol, Aspirin, Pengo, Daga, Phensic, and other like cough syrup, vitamin C and so on forth. But antibiotic capsules, poisons, tranquilizers, Indian hemp, cocaine, heron and many more are not supposed to be taken without doctors prescription or in this absence a pharmacists recommendations.

         The dangers of self medical are very many and even common knowledge. The prevalence of drug abuse cases can be seen in more mental psychiatric cases. Some young and old people simply take some hard drugs just because they want to be high some people who were interviewed, reported to say, they feel like, they are on top of the world when they took drugs. Cases abound of people loosing their lives because of self prescription and wrong usage of drugs.

Continued use of hard drug leads t the production of mal-adjusted citizens –having mental and emotional problems that lead to unacceptable behavior like stealing, killing, raping etc. if we have to take seriously what our medical experts in various specialist hospitals are saying daily.

         Drug abuse is one of the major causes of rampart tragic accident on our highways. Some drivers take Chinese capsule, Ds, Indian hemp, syrup, cannabis which derails their senses. Families and the society suffer from losses in this connection. As a result of these thousands of people looses their valuable live.

The prevalence of and improper consumption of hard drugs is behind the increased rate of armed banditry. Most of our armed-robbers are taking drugs before they went for operation fragile or frail-looking/ cowardly Youngman and women become daring and ruthless after taking hard drugs and other stimulants this way, the society suffers a variety of harm and loses.

         Medical experts have been saying for some time now that drug abuse could be inducing acquired immune deficiency syndrome in some people. This means that wrongly used drugs can destroy the natural immune system that guards one against certain infection.

Drug abuse is a key contributor to the humiliation of Nigerian citizens and our national officials in foreign countries who are subjected to scandalous search and scrutiny. Several youths and street traders have been arrested on international rout such as American, Brazil, Malaysia, and Singapore revealing that they were recruited by drug barons. Some suspects were arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) with 20.850 kilograms of high grade cocaine with an estimate street value of 200 million. This destroys our international image and reputation.

         Anti-drug abuse campaign should be stepped up by the government and private citizens. The youth must be well enlightened on all the possible dangers of using any drugs wrongly. Security effort to detect and apprehend all illegal importers and users of hard drugs must be perfected; at times drugs are used to scrutinize people. Religions organizations must contribute to building a drug free society. It concerns us equally.

MY FIRST FLIGHT IN AN AERO PLANE FROM

it was a bright and cloudless morning on Monday around 8:00am when we drove up to the airport at Kano city. All round us were buildings, hills and the sun was just beginning to break. Though it was very early quite a crowd of people had gathered near the airport there are many places such being when my uncle and I came from different company to the swift arrow- this was the name of the aero-plane-I must confess my heart began to thump a great deal more quickly than before. For a whole fortnight I had looked forward to accompanying my uncle in the handily page machine when he went on business from Lagos-China, but now, when it was time for me to step in to the aero-plane, my courage began to fail me.

My uncle who, perhaps, noticed what was passing in my mind, came up to me patted me on the back, and in the most confident manner asked me to get into the aero-plane and not to be nervous. I took courage and climbed up, and took my seat in a sort of cabin with windows looking out. A parachute-this is what the umbrella-like apparatus, which is useful in descending when the machine is in difficulties, is called-was strapped on to me. My uncle sat in the cane chair next to mine. There was a tremendous noise made by the engines, and before I knew what had happened, the aero-plane had taken off and I found my self a few hundred facts above ground. At first I felt somewhat dizzy looking below. This feeling did not last very long. After a while I felt almost comfortable as when sitting in a railway rain, except for the deferring noise of the engines. But what s difference between traveling by train and by aero-plane! Was now hundred of fact above the clouds we fly across one range of mountains after another. Top saw the tress and they looked mere patches of green, now and again I could make out clusters of tiny huts: these must have been villages. The rivers, as we flew over them, appeared like so many serpents with shining scales wriggling through the valleys and plains. I shall never forget the impression they made on me. After one hour’s flying we were in sight of Lagos with its crowded streets and its big building. After hovering over the city for a few minuets we made a good landing-and did I not then leave a sight of relief!

EXCESSIVE DESIRE FOR WEALTH AMONG NIGERIANS

         The desire to get rich quickly greed, insatiable love for materialism power tussle and social malaise have almost caught up with every Nigerian. That is to say, the love for money is the root of all evils. Man and woman, young and old have new dimension of corrupt indulgence on daily basis. In Nigeria today excessive desire for material wealth is undoubtedly the greatest social ill confronting all young and old. It is a social disease that has eaten deep is food the flesh of our notion. An average school boy in Nigeria is fond of saying he wants to have private jets, limousine cars, building with internationally acclaimed architectural designs. Ask him what he intends to do gain his desires, he has no drink answer: excessive craze for wealth has given Nigeria a bad name in the unity of Nations.

         The topmost on the factor responsible for this problem is the corrupt leadership. This corruption practices are further fuelled by power-hungry politicians and military personnel who spend huge sums of money to acquire political power. Such money is got either by embezzlement of public funds or any corrupt in Nigeria. The president, governors, ministers, chairman, councilor’s car can boast of numerous cars private jest in less than a year in office, yet they are ones who will condemn excessive desire for material wealth in their speeches at public functions.

         Furthermore, greed is another notable factor. It is sheer greed that makes a man have billions of naira through friendship practices. Some Nigerians have the desire in low density Area; have all their children in the highest fee paying schools on the globe. If you ask a question how many rooms do they want to sleep? How many vehicles do they ride at once? Vanity all is vanity.

Moreover, lack of security is also responsible for excessive acquisition of wealth. In a country where there is no security for old age, children, women, handicapped, youth, men even the government it self and the like, the only alternative is rat race for acquisition of wealth through dubious means.

         The government has no plans for anybody so, everyone has taken it upon himself to depend and strange for his family, this is not so in advanced countries of the world where there are securities for all categories of citizens-young, old, widows, unemployed and employed, educated and uneducated, name them.

         The consequences of this excessive desire for material wealth are amicable to the interest of our Nation. First, it has ted to armed robbery which is now the order of the day in the country. The major target are the financial institutions like banks, markets, bureau the change etc. also this problem has led to rise in assassination, kidnapping all over the country. This has become a major profession all in the name of acquisition of material wealth. An average Nigeria is now a drug trafficker.

         Furthermore, it has given to the growth of the popular called “419” in our society young boys and girls now specialize in the art of defrauding people through false presence to acquire wealth at all cost. This has led to falling standard of education as most students now have lukewarm attitude to anything academic but the short cut become a millionaire honesty is no longer a virtue but an act of foolishness. Nigerians now sell their bodies for money; some sells their kidney, blood for money. The effect are great as it had brought heart disease and only a radical revolution can reduce it not theoretical approach at all.

         However to alleviate the problem of social ills, all hands most be on deck. There must be total over heading from those at the top. Our leaders must learn to lead by example. It is not enough for them to condemn corruption and not show good examples. And the media houses and the government at various levels should embark on a house wide campaign to educate the citizens against excessive desire of materials wealth. The public officers should have exemplary and honest life. Anyone found quickly of any act of financial impropriety should be made to face the music the EFCC must sit up against bribery and corruption at all levels of government. The government also should look into how the rich, on individual basic acquire their ill-gotten wealth. To a large extent heavy taxation should be imposed on the properties class.

In conclusion, I hope the steps will be aimed at correcting the impression that wealth is everything in Nigerian society, any rich individual should be able to account for his wealth. Finally, the state should provide adequate securities for all categories of citizens in our country. With these problem will be drastically reduced if not totally exterminated from our society