Wednesday, 24 September 2014

Morphing: When A Photo Brings Words and Marks History



At 11: 45 pm on the 4th of May 2010, I shared this Photo on my Facebook page and tagged my friends to engage in comments and ideas on what their perception of this image meant to them. The comments ran for 12 days and during that time, Nigeria recorded an Epic event. President Yaradua died in office. At the initial moments of the exchange, non of us knew our conversation would turn political and chaotic and, well, legendary!

The comments you are about to read here are not edited or touched. 
The views are totally those of the speakers. Enjoy.



Pains and injustices.A Woman's Tale: When you look at this photo, what do you see? How does it make you feel?





  • Eky Egein MANGOS . ....THOSE TREES MAKES ME HUNGRY FOR MANGOS. DIDNT EVEN NOTICE THERE WAS AWOMAN THERE. ....LOL, DNT MIND ME. .....I SEE A WOMAN IN PAINS ASKING GOD "WHY"
  • Ukeje Jasper Isa I see a beautful dark woman wearing a serious face,looking up from under tree sheds...
  • Warebi Oboro-Aye a gr8 piece.knw wot! u shld tak classes in photography.relatin expressions,nature & all.
  • Bura-Bari Nwilo Gud thinking, gud piece. Hope u ar ok.
  • Igwe GreatPaulo Cj Highly-SylvaRated Why you come tag me for the picture of una village woman wey dey look aeroplane wey dey fly pass with great astonishment? Conquer, I yab no be small. See the position wey you put me for the tagging. So una village still dey do, aeroplane, bye.bye...?
  • Miz Conquer Nice perception Eky,Jasper,Warebi and Paul.
  • Bomobo Okoko Searching, searching 4 d light, d truth, d meaning of life. Dis is how I see it.
  • Miz Conquer Succcinctly stated, Bomobo!
  • IkpoBari Senewo and so the story goes! what does the mirror say as each one of us stand before it, either in the morning, afternoon or evening?hmmmm!
  • Igwe GreatPaulo Cj Highly-SylvaRated@IKPOBARI. When I look at the mirror, I see the true heir of the Aso Rock seat of power.
  • Richard Ali The photographer is a genius wallahi!
  • Miz Conquer @ IKpoBari;my mirror showed me a birthmark i never knew existed!sometimes,it almost always cracks form my indulgence.I can be hard to stand sometimes;even for a mirror!*smiles*
    @Richard; Narcissist!get over his genius already.Chicken!
    uh,what is that special title again?Rooster?
  • Richard Ali @ Tut'ma - *a'ma!* Heheh! The model was getting way too muchattention! LOL! That triggered a narci-alert. . .LOL! Seriously now,you have a lovely, profound, caption and this has turned my mere
    pixels into a powerful gender statement; what is 'she' looking at/for? And the other girl in the background, does she represent progress, the progress nonetheless of feminity? The monochrome medium, is it significant in any way. . .and other boring but fataly important questions. Oh well, cock, rooster, kaza, okuko - all mean virility. Ko ya?

  • @ Ikpobari - When i see beyond my image in the mirror {am an avowed narccissist on Wednesdays mornings}, i see my times reflected in all
    its wonderful, problematic, ambivalence. And i think, i am ageing, and soon, my 'great issues' will become marginal. Dreary? Only on
    Wednesday evenings.

    - Ra.
  • Igwe GreatPaulo Cj Highly-SylvaRated @ALI. Conquer go tell you the kind person wey I be. We no dey do grammar pageant for here. People wey dey speak big big grammar dey end up being... Make I no talk first.
  • Miz Conquer Paul,at least there are dictionaries you can use Abi?How come i am your fall guy whenever you are looking for trouble uh?

    Perspective Richard.Perspectives.
  • Igwe GreatPaulo Cj Highly-SylvaRated@CONQUER. Do you mean Lexicon? Ok, as an anglophiles, I have myriads of lexicons, (otherwise known as Dictionaries, in the modern day anglophone communities), in my house.
  • Tubodenyefa Didi Zibima @paul, for your mind you sabi speak english. see as u dey show yourself. Lexicon ko, Anglophone ni!
  • Igwe GreatPaulo Cj Highly-SylvaRated@KARLHOSPITALJUNCTION. O boy na acient grammar be that o. No be for children like you sha. @CONQUER. LMDO.
  • James Famo I think she wants to commit suicide.....and thinks d tree might not hold her weight...!!!
    • Richard Ali @ CJ - You sef! How now? I could type it Hausa or pidgin, since the issue is a suspicion of just English, not of language generally. Fine? LOL! You're in Yen abi? Cheers.

      @ All - Have yourselves a ball. I need to catch some sleep.


      @ Conquer - Thanks for the tag.
    • IkpoBari Senewo pain vs. joy...which one elicits more response? i see what's happening here...tx, Conquering for making some of us indulge ourselves in ways we never planned for. i'm impressed! Richard, i reserve my comment...anyway, go sleep, we go talk for morning.
    • Igwe GreatPaulo Cj Highly-SylvaRated I CAN SEE A TURAI, ASKING GOD WHY. 

      Shame to Turai, Ibori, Aaondoka and others. But more shame to Turai for playing a dirty politics with the life and reputation of her husband. 


      God, may you never give me a woman that will destroy my good reputations and take away my life in the expense of her selfish interest.

      Yar'dua was a good man. But the wife destroyed everything good about him. I really felt the death of that man. He is a good man.

      I love you my late president. The man of the rule of law. The man whose 7points agenda was turned into 7pointless agenda by his failing health. Rest in Peace my president.
    • Richard Ali I am touched by your sentiments, Cj, thank you. May Allah grant UMYA aljanat firdaus. Ameen. And let Him, who is Compassionate and Just, judge our hearts and deeds, as religion assures us He will.

      GJ will be sworn in in a few minutes. He has the confi
      dence of the youth and strict constitionalists alike. May he, like Jack Gowon in '66, do his utmost for the good of the country.

      Long live the Federal Republic.

      @ Ikpobari - Indeed, Conquer has become a FB host par excellence. Very interesting discourse.
      • Tubodenyefa Didi Zibima @paul cjunction,we are togeda. no worry, with ur HJUNCTION ESCAPADES, dont be surprised u will find a wife that will zip ur mouth and fight for our selfish interest against urs.
      • Miz Conquer @ James.I've always wondered why suicide becomes an options at ending pains.Even when it is contemplated,why use a hang noose?And when the noose is used as an option, wouldn't the support, whether a tree branch or a suspended enhancement, carry the weight of of the world,the burden in the heart and pains,break it?
        Is that what you meant when you referred to her weight not carrying her?

        IKpoBari:Pain and joy both elicit varied responses.But,from experience,I understand pain brings out the genius in most people.It is true.We even feel closer to God himself when we carry a hurt.

        @ Paul.I think Our president was a good man too.RIP Alhaji M.Y.

        @Richard. good morning! was wondering when you'll be up.I prefer my friends in their wakefulness.That way, i can account for their positions even when it is a still photo.
        Nothing is scarier than a sleepwriting facebooker,especially when he is Richard!
        LOL!
        • Richard Ali @ Conquer - I'm up and all perky, two cups of Taster's Choice gone
          down. Working on case theory and trial plan now, the EA caboodle.


          You last post to IkS reminded me of an Afro-'merican saying of
          'getting there {Heaven? Success?} having gone through Hell's kitchen
          and licked it clean!'

          I guess cultural experiences, at the basic, and the perception we
          aquire from them, are, strangely, similar.

          - Ra.
        • IkpoBari Senewo hello people! greetings! i appreciate ur really engaged minds. what an honour reflecting on issues of serious importance - personal and otherwise w/u all! keep it up! there is great hope for our country...even as we mourn our late President (i share ur sentiments...he was a good man(?)) and welcome our new President, GJ..."sadness and joy," how apt the phrase applies under the circumstance...GJ, welcome and congrats!
        • Igwe GreatPaulo Cj Highly-SylvaRated@IKPOBARI. Permit me to ask, "...he was a good man(?)..." please what do you mean by that?
        • Igwe GreatPaulo Cj Highly-SylvaRated I am making a very humble request. Please Mr. President Goodluck, use this divine opportunity to grant your master, Chief Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyesiegha a presidential pardon. After all he never stole more that Chief Olusegun Matthew Otitiola Aremu Obasanjo. Please do it for sake of the Niger Delta people. The money they claimed he stole is from Niger Delta, not from the north or west.
        • Richard Ali I second CJ on Ikpobari's quote. Pls be kind enough to clarify. Waiting.

          - Ra.
        • IkpoBari Senewo Since I don't ve the power to fully verify how good the man was good, i had to be somewhat reserved in my conclusions...that's what Menes do...it doesn't take down ur conclusions, people.
        • Richard Ali Ikpobari, I hope you can fully verify that you are your fathers son?
        • Richard Ali I am judging you by your own rules. You are from the delta and when rules are not universal, there is tyranny and oppression found. In the case you are upset, please reconsider the matrix of your thought.

          To all my co-talkers, a thousand cheers and a sun petal to you each.
          ...See More
          • Igwe GreatPaulo Cj Highly-SylvaRated The absence of truth presents, injustice, anachy and chaos. Ikpobari, listen to Richard.
          • IkpoBari Senewo Richard, i'm not upset...i was laughing so hard at ur comment hence the exclamation...any way, i don't see where to use ur words "the matrix" of my "thought" deviates from the original setting of our discourse...today we're both sad and glad...an intricate balance in the affairs of our motherland...it cuts across frontiers and i'm sure RA, that u'll not disagree with that...tx
          • IkpoBari Senewo CJ, u and RA are right. but i still wonder what has brought about the use of such heavy words... my (?)? hmmmm! unfortunately, there are reactions that don't make me salivate for more reaction...tell u what? this is one...i truly enjoyed our discussing Conquer's pix. our varied perspectives were enriching...and coincidentally applicable to the events in Nigeria today. who could have imagined? regards dear friends. bye.
            • Richard Ali Okay then. We are back on course. We are aware now of each other's reservations and if the discourse will continue with the highest intellectual tools we can employ then fine. But let us at all times be honest with each other, inspite of geopolitics.

              Thanks Paul.


              - Ra.
            • Miz Conquer @Richard,IKpoBari is entitled to his reservations about Alhaji UMYA, is he not? If he,A Mene,decides not to follow a trail of thought,should we,individuals each,correctly question his descent so??

              Paul,truth is subjective you know?

              sometimes i wonder why people confer good titles on a man after he is demised?
            • Igwe GreatPaulo Cj Highly-SylvaRated@CONQUER. People confer good titles on a man after his demise because the end justifys the mean. Through the symbolism of cosmological upheavals, the Evangelist Mark recalls that God will pronounce his last judgement on human events in the Son, putting an end to a universe corrupted by falsehood and torn by violence and injustice. Lets leave the last judgement for God. 

              To each of you, I express my deepest appreciation of your opinion. My greeting is extended to Conquer in an unprecedented way for bringing up such avenue that granted us the opportunity to exercise our fundamental human rights in the American way.

              Peace is the fundamental right of every man and woman, which was one of Yar'dua's utmost concern in his administration. His move for amnesty is a clear testimony that he is a lover of peace. And the Holy Bible made it clear that the peace makers shall see God. 
              I take my leave.
              Adieu His Excellency!
            • Richard Ali In taking my leave, darling Ms. Igali, I say; opinions are very very free, each man in his style. Each opinion comes from a pattern of thought. Fidelity of thought, which is truth, is found in this pattern. Therefore, this pattern is universal to each man.

              Now. If IkB cannot be sure UMYA is a good person, not because he knows for a fact that UMYA is a bad person or he has heard to the contrary but because he cannot 'fully clarify' UMYA's goodness, I say 'Fine.' But, in the same breath, he must distrust every single other thing he cannot 'fully verify' e.g. paternity, whether or not God actually died in 1966 or what the term 'blue' means.

              In this case, I've been assured he either distrusts every single other not fully verified fact OR that, from his last post, he didnt quite understand why his use of the (?) would cause my reaction. Both possibilities are fine with me, they both dispose of this issue nicely. Hope you are clarified?

              Well, thanks for the tag and the discourse. I have no doubt it will continue. Cheers!

              - Ra.
            • IkpoBari Senewo open up this discussion, permit me to ask: if i had simply said UMAYA is" good man" like u said, would u v questioned my paternity, especially when u didn't know the parameters leading to my conclusion? is it wrong to v the 'other side" of any discussion in Nigeria? I still worry at ur reaction...let me make myself very clear: it was sad u reacted that way and it goes a long way to pattern a premise to the ailments of our dear country. until we divorce ourselves of such attitudes and are freeminded in attending to things that are closest to our hearts, we'll go nowhere. no two people can v the same opinion. that doesn't mean the opposing voice should be silenced, insulted or abused. my advice RA, when engaged in public discourses, tone down ur reactions. if a subjectmatter doesn't wash with u, u either stay off it or think of ways to deal with it w/o insulting ur co-discussants/audience. expect no further response from me on this issue. Conquer, i bet u'll make a great legal mind. keep it up! bye people!
              • IkpoBari Senewo correction: "while i don't want to further open up..." tx.
              • Richard Ali Nothing opened up. I felt Conquer was a sort of judge, a host, and my last post was to clarify her.

                Further, forgive my words, they are merely an extension of your thought {as I grasp it from your earlier opinion} to its furthest extent. If it breaks 
                down at that extent, it means the first material, the first opinion, is faulty.

                Correctiön: I did not doubt your paternity. My conclusion is a bit subtler; if you doubt UMYA's goodness because you cannot fully verify it, then you must equally doubt every thing you cannot fully verify, including paternity amongst a long long line of things that cannot be fully verified. See?

                I wont have commented if you'd have said UMYA was a good or UMYA was bad or that you had no opinions on him at all. But what you did was to advocate Doubt as a creed. That, for me is a serious issue, going to the root of life itself. So, i had to test this creed of yours, and run the risk of having my creed examined. 

                You have not tested my creed, 
                you have rather advised me to be sensitive to other's opinions, advice i truly appreciate but which do not question my method - and causing me to see how my method {of extending your 
                UMYA doubt to all other issues} is faulty, would be the gift I would thank you for most, for it would force me to re-examine my method. See?

                Last note. If you really think countries cannot be simplified to what is basic, that there is no truth or that policy/opinion should have no universal fidelity - you would have succeeded in making Shell's case for its policy in the Delta.

                My dear, i speak as a brother. Pick a point, justify it to yourself, and hold on to it. Doubt as a creed is the recipe for anarchy.
                I see all this as being basic logic, to go on around this tires me. Nigerian public discourse tires me. My rule of thumb is - if the argument wouldnt be important two decades down, it's not worth it. I wont be typing this if I could keep to that simple rule.

                Buenos vistas, friend of my friend, and good luck.

                - Ra.
              • Miz Conquer @ ALL: I apologize for my absence.So much had happened these passed hours.A President was sworn in.Another was buried.Black dresses were worn and Champaign flowed from clanking glasses..all in six hours!
                Richard referred to me as judge.I am not.A host?
                yes.opinions were shared.that was the import of the shared photo. I wanted to hear the perceived impression and opinion of friends about the photo above.I'm glad we did not restrict our thoughts at all.since Facebook operates with a tread of conversation,we are given the opportunity to hear each others thoughts.I am glad for that.

                Paul.'The end justifies the means'? how did that suffice as reply to 'conferring good titles to a man when demised'?You referred to God's judgment.I meant Men.whenever a man dies (excluding some unfortunate ones),People somehow sing their praise.I understand it is based on the premise of not faulting a dead man,But somehow,even doubts as to whether the man was good in his life time gets a bad review and suspicions of irregularity.

                I am glad we are now not restricted to think in a box.

                I think when referring to a person as good, saying 'he was a good man' is incomplete.Some other person that,say,do not know the said demised person will not get your meaning.but if, while asserting a good disposition, someone says 'Mr A was a good man.he stopped the Jos crises in so and so year,gave me 5 Naira for fees,and found the cure for aids' for example,even a stranger can relate.Going by this premise,even I,am wrong to have said 'UMYA was a good man' .
                The rule had always been 'he who asserts must prove'.

                I enjoyed every discourse flowing from this tread of conversation.It appears that that Ra and Mene have reached an understanding?I would have been concerned if we didnt understand one another Or had gone annoyed at one another over a perceived meaning of issues.

                Thanks you all!
              • Igwe GreatPaulo Cj Highly-SylvaRated@CONQUER. Your calling me now is like invoking a corpse to testify in the earthly court of law the role he played (either good or bad) while on earth. I believe that God is the final judge. But to prove the roles my excellency played. He instilled peace in the Niger Delta area to an extent. He allowed the rule of law to take its full course. 

                I hope the two proves above are enough to calm the traits of the doubting Thomas in you to an extent. @IKPOBARI. I have to plead on behalf of Richard if he had coursed you any emotional pain. Nigeria is our country and our fatherland. But one thing I have to make you to ponder is that the diversity of our culture and parental up bringing deferes in opinions and otherwise. 

                @RICHARD. From the judgement of my verification, based on my ability to differentiate good from bad, I declare your apology to Ikpobari invalid.

                Kachineke mezie okwu. Amen!
                • Miz Conquer Your judgement is in default, Paul.why?there is no matter to rule on.
                • Igwe GreatPaulo Cj Highly-SylvaRated@CONQUER. In the interest of peace, togetherness and oneness, I partially, or better, fully subscribe to your defaulting my opinion. @RICHARD. I dey on my kneel o. @IKPOBARI. Make we allow peace to take 100% of our lives. @ALL, (except Chief KARLMAX H. J. ***just joking sha***) No matter the disparity of our opinions and discretions towards national and other issues, peace is the only reason for our existence. And that is the bedrock of my activities on earth.
                • Miz Conquer Seriously, I couldn't have asked for a better day.
                  O Nua oh! (greetings).


                  May our thumbs never get tired of typing opinions and views.
                • Igwe GreatPaulo Cj Highly-SylvaRated@CONQUER. Make you tell IKPOBARI say dem no dey use tie and suit fight for 9ja. @IKPOBARI. Fighting with such attire is worse than suicide bombing. Abeg change your pic to that one wey you dey smile before. I no like the way you squeezed your face with partial smile. Bros na peace, togetherness and oneness be all and all. If you don forgive, make you change the pic, atleast for one full day. I dey follow you welcome Goodluck to the Nigeria seat of power. The guy and Alamco na my guys before o. If I no support Goodluck, na who I go support? 
                  May God give my daddy Yar'dua a better place. 

                  Baba God abeg, rule this matter for us.
                • Igwe GreatPaulo Cj Highly-SylvaRated@CONQUER. Make you tell IKPOBARI say dem no dey use tie and suit fight for 9ja. @IKPOBARI. Fighting with such attire is worse than suicide bombing. Abeg change your pic to that one wey you dey smile before. I no like the way you squeezed your face with partial smile. Bros na peace, togetherness and oneness be all and all. If you don forgive, make you change the pic, atleast for one full day. I dey follow you welcome Goodluck to the Nigeria seat of power. The guy and Alamco na my guys before o. If I no support Goodluck, na who I go support? 
                  May God give my daddy Yar'dua a better place. 

                  Baba God abeg, rule this matter for us.
                  • Miz Conquer Paul,What in the heavens am i going to do with you?I'll wait for Marx to come 'handle' you again.
                    LOL!
                    I think i like the pix though.

                    I see you changed yours too.
                  • Igwe GreatPaulo Cj Highly-SylvaRated@CONQUER. The wahala wey be dey go on just dey purge me like the kain Thai food wey Ethiopian Airline give me onboard, on a transit from Bangkok to Ethiopia last year. Na because of the wahala make me upload and update that pic in memory of wetin happen last year. 

                    Mind you, I no dey dear Chief H. J. Karlmax. If he wahale me too much, I go give you money to give to those mistresses for his domain make them diffuse... inside his body. You know wetin I mean sha?
                  • Ukeje Jasper Isa @Madam Igali...are thes guys stretching you..?..They keep changing and they keep talking about this beautiful pix...what's up
                    • Da Poet Evocative, contemplative, reflective, melancholy, existential. You may know of Auguste Rodin's classic sculpture - "The Thinking Man", part of a larger piece known as the "Gates of Hell." It may not be too far fetched to call this "The Thinking Woman." Rodin's "Thinking Man" looks down and inwards - your "Thinking Woman" looks upwards and outwards, contemplative as apposed to introspective, intuitive as opposed to logical. Indeed it is redolent of a contemplation of pain, injustice, the human condition, the vagaries of life, oppressive customs ...
                    • Miz Conquer Fine Jasper.Stretching?No!they are great people,i am enjoying every last bit of em.
                      I'm fine and doing great Jasper.Hope you are too?


                      Very introspective, Poet.
                      'The thinking woman'. That is a beautiful caption too.I like that!
                      • Miz Conquer Just watched it.
                        Produced by Opera Winfrey, Tyler Perry and Ors,I read the reviews and the awards.But never knew I could feel this much sadness after watching the movie 'PRECIOUS'.At the end,it wrote:'TO PRECIOUS GIRLS EVERYWHERE'.Indeed!
                        MAY GOD HEAL 
                        EVERY ABUSED CHILD,BROKEN MAN/WOMAN IN THE WORLD.
                        I wish we could rid ourselves of the capacity to do wrongs.

                        Maybe we should relate/rename the photo to the movie 'Precious'?
            • ***END OF THREAD***

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