BUNMILOFE'S MUSINGS

When world rankings predict that African Businesses have a 5-year life span, do they factor in the petty traders that man their corner shops for a lifetime?  I visited my parents in Abeokuta recently and was again amazed at the persistence of these corner shops.  Photo by  Breston Kenya  from  Pexels When we moved into the area in 1997, 'Iya Tunde' was already there, the official plug for fresh bread, Monday to Sunday. She had a grinding mill too, where children socialised while they waited for their turn to grind pepper or beans. She sold more than bread, pretty much anything people needed. Her goods often changed with the seasons, balloons and 'banger' accompanying the yuletide, leap balm and 'Rubb' surfacing in harmattan and umbrellas to welcome the rains. It appears like she has been there forever, but she has four educated children and two completed houses to show for it.  What about 'Iya Bose' popu...

You do not need to be a Bible scholar to know Elijah, the fire-breathing, rain-holding prophet who consistently gave Ahab and the prophets of Baal grief-until Jezebel gave him an ultimatum. It has always been a discussion trigger in Christendom, how such a mighty man of God can quiver in fear at a woman’s words. One would assume that someone who had experienced such deep depths of God and delivered such remarkable exploits would be above random comments and empty threats. However, a closer study of that scripture clearly reveals that Jezebel or her vain threats were not responsible for Elijah’s end. As a matter fact, verse 3 of that account in 1 st Kings 19 read in King James Version revealed that Elijah took off ‘when he saw that’. This begs the question, what did he see? The answer is graciously provided later when he finally got God’s attention and God asked him twice- what do you want? Elijah didn’t mention Jezebel even once. He kept on repeating how all the other prophets h...