The Nigerian John Travolta

People have danced in this world and are still dancing. So many types of dance steps that either come with time or invented by musicians.

Sometimes, when I sit out and watch performers, especially some youngsters, I can't but wonder about the creativity,  the ingenuity, the concentration. And all these for a largely very unappreciative crowd that would usually clap only when the MC screams *anakukwanu aka ebea?*(people dey clap here so?). Some Nigerian audiences can be frustrating really. You won't drop cash,  you won't clap. Just guzzling beer and committing *free watchery*

One day,  I saw one young boy joggle the ball in the course of dancing and I really wondered. Usually, after each performance, they would go round to beg for stipends from the audience who would rather *do two okwa of isi ewu than drop shishi* I have never seen a thing like this before.

I was forced to ask the ball joggler *Is this how you want to live the rest of your life? Dancing to an unappreciative audience and making pittance?*

He responded: *Sir,  our target is always to be able to enter for international competitions but we usually lack sponsorship. So,  apart from looking for small money for self sustenance, we also use places like this to practice before live audiences. If we are able to win just one good competition, we're made*

I suddenly remembered my *Sports Club* then at the *National Stadium, Lagos - Mercury Club*.

It is an *aerobics club* and we did a lot of dancing, guided by our coaches that would usually look *matcho*. There was this girl, a student in a higher institution in Ogun state,  that was our member. I think a polytechnic. She was very dedicated and often offered to take the classes if our coach wasn't around.

Then one day, I opened the newspaper and saw that this young lady has just become a world dance champion! I mean a champion in the entire world!

*Kafayat Oluwatoyin Shafau (stage name Kaffy)* is a Nigerian choreographer, dancer/dance instructor and we'll known fitness coach. She broke the *Guinness World record* for the *Longest Dance Party* at the Silverbird Danceathon, 2006. Her result was amazing - *52 hours and 3 minutes*: jiji.ng blog 👏 👏 👏

Kaffy became A Star! I now see her on many occasions as a *panel judge* for many competitions. Kaffy was *purposeful* and had *drive*.

During our youthful years,  *the best dancer in the world was John Travolta*

Long after he quit dancing and took to acting,  John Travolta still registers in my mind, and the mind of many, as *the yardstick for good dance and being a dance champion*

But we have *the Nigerian John Travolta in Senator Adeleke* today. The man can dance🤣.

*Many people are trying to learn his dance steps including our dear Pastor Vice President of Nigeria*🤣

But someone is not impressed with our VP trying to learn dancing at his age today and considering the *economic quagmire* Nigeria is facing today - *Peter Obi* is simply not impressed!

They threw *banters* at each other *VP to VP*😊

It's midweek and month end!. If you haven't made money this month, "e don late be that". And except you begin to think of how to *sell bangers* this Christmas, "10k,  you fit no see again". Christmas is here but Abuja is under lock down for politics, apart from the daily anxieties we face from the *rofo-rofo between the Shites and the Nigerian Army*. The daily anxiety level and *security alerts issued* can only be paralleled in *a Banana Republic*.

Enjoy the rest of the week.

I remain Sam
CC: *Take Nigeria’s Sorry State More Seriously, Obi Tells Osinbajo*

THISDAYLive

October 30, 2018

By Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

*The Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, yesterday advised Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government to reflect on how to arrest the country’s worsening state of affairs rather than spending their time in learning how to dance “Shaku Shaku,” a popular dance-steps among Nigerian youths.*

The PDP presidential running mate was reacting to the *vice president’s mocking of PDP, who said he was going to learn how to dance the popular “Shaku Shaku dance” if that was all it would take to garner votes.*

Speaking at a book launch last Sunday, *Osinbajo said, “I can never forget my dear friend in one of the states, who just danced his way through the campaigns; all he did was dance; he did nothing else but dance and he won 250,000 votes.”*🤣

However, Obi described such side jabs from the Osinbajo as unnecessary, especially at a time when Nigerians were looking forward to a debate on issues that would improve their lot.

Obi, who was returning from a trip to Dubai, told journalists at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport yesterday, that the Atiku Team would rather spend their time with the best minds on how to start creating jobs and putting food on people’s table than engage in “Shaku Shaku dance.”

When asked to react to the vice president’s comment, the former governor said, “For the Atiku team, it is about spending our time with the best minds on how to start creating jobs and putting food on people’s table and not learning how to dance “Shaku Shaku.”

According to *Peter Obi,* “I have not had the opportunity of reading his comments as I haven’t seen the dailies. *I know Vice President Osinbajo is a gentleman* and may not have made such a comment. However, while I am not against people dancing or learning how to dance *‘Shaku Shaku,’* as I believe it *is one of those things that is keeping our people going on in this very difficult times,* I believe that the crossroads that we have found ourselves in as a nation requires sober reflection.

*“For me in particular, this period calls for sober reflection, not dancing or learning how to dance as there are many challenges facing our nation at the moment.* Not the least being recently having our country named the world headquarters of extreme poverty with over 87 million people.

Worse still millions more are losing their jobs, with four million by the third quarter of this year alone.

“Millions of Nigerians go to bed hungry not knowing where the meal for the next day will come from; hundreds of thousands risk death by crossing the Sahara and the Mediterranean Sea to wherever they can make a living.

“These and other challenges are indicative of the dire straits facing us as a nation today. And these are what we on the Atiku team are spending our time with the best minds on how to start creating jobs and putting food on people’s table. We must get Nigeria to start working again for the good of everyone.” *End*

These are *jabs, big man to big man*. "No put mouth oh😊