Influence Is Everything!

I have heard people tell me, “I studied economics in the University because of Prof. Soludo”… “I read medicine because of Dr Ben Carson” etc.

For me, I wanted to be a Musician because of 2baba Idibia (all my songs are still with me especially as I couldn’t pay for them to be pirated in Alaba innternational at the time). Until I got to the University and gave my all to studying Sociology because I ecountered the late Dr. Andy Obiajulu a renowned Sociologist.

Today I ask myself, “what do young people want to become because of me?”. I shaa know I am living a positive life with some degree of uprightness. The consciousness that there are people who I might be influencing their life choices makes it even more difficult to blur the lines. As a Society, we must help young people to understand hard core lines between depravity and creativity.

At the time it became normal to espouse openly without reprimand that one was a “Marlian”, we took it for entertainment even when Naira Marly himself didn’t mince words in telling us what being a Marlian entail. Today we all are standing for and with “Mohbad” — simply crying when the head is off. However, what is not late is to save the younger ones from a fresh bout of depravity. Including teaching them that there are things loated by Society, and such things must not be done boldly as though they were normal.

This is a better way to avoid the more Mohbads in the future.

— Mazi Ejimofor Opara writes from Awka, Anambra State.