I’ll say a few things…
1. The anger, the hate, the love, the applause, the criticism, all of it is valid and I embrace it.
2. I am a world record holder which means I have attained something no one else in the world has ever done. I was recently honored and awarded by the city of New York.
To be honored and received by the President and the highest office in my own country for this reason is not a crime. (It is not even a national honor by the way).
I have declined many awards.
Comparing me to people who have received awards and recognition from countries that have committed war crimes is at best laughable.
3. I have no interest in partisan politics because of the sensitivity of the work that I do. If that ever changes, then I would resign my role as CEO of chess in slums Africa.
4. The rhetoric that Chess in slums only exists or is relevant because of bad governance is not accurate. The real impact of our work is in the synapses. We’re using chess as a tool to teach cognition and improve academic outcomes. Using it as a social intervention tool is because those children have fallen through the cracks and cannot make it to the classrooms. This is not charity or “NGO”. What most of you measure as the most tangible impact is we just dignifying the stories of the children you see all the time on the streets but pay no attention to. The real impact here is ensuring they have the critical capacity to think for themselves and putting them through formal or vocational education.
I continue to consult with educational institutions and tech companies around the world, so my work will always be relevant and whatever resource or influence that gives me, I will use all of it to serve the children who deserve a place in the world as well.
5. A visit is not an endorsement. I will visit many more people and will continue to sell my chess boards.
6. You may not understand my intentions or character because the only thing you know about me is what I let on social media. But reputation is not character.
It’s been 10 long years of staying with this one thing, so I know for a fact that I have earned the benefit of the doubt.
7. Again, I embrace the love and the hate. But I care for none of it.
In a decade or two, the Chess/STEM institute will stand and it will be a place where thousands of children will dream again and be educated in a way that makes them valuable to the world.
All the strong opinions we have now falls flat in the face of this.
8. Finally, I appreciate everyone who has ever supported the incredible work we’ve done in the last 7 years. We have never applied or received any international grants in this time.
9. We’ve been working with the Lagos state government for about a year now to take kids from Jakande and Isale Eko off the streets. One of them recently graduated from furniture school and is living again. Our collective hurt is valid and we may disagree on politics but there are actual lives at stake and we all have a role to play in whatever capacity to stop this hemorrhage. Yes we will partner with the government to scale this impact and institutionalize it so Tunde stops being the hero of the story. It’s your tax anyway.
10. Finally I’d say this, My fight is different.
I’m not on the fence. I took a stand 10 years ago for the country I want to see.
The truth is I will do many more things that may challenge your perception of me, but I know my heart is in the right place and whatever rooms my vision gives me access to, I will put the dreams and needs of the children first.
I live for the audience of one, and that is enough.
-Tunde Onakoya
Envy hides in many hearts.
Be careful who you trust-what looks like love may carry betrayal.
✝️ Pastor Yemi Davids
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Simon Ekpa #DavidoAt32 President Bola Tinubu Abati Babcock #Morayo Simon Ekpa uncle K Pinotron IPOB Odumodu Seyi Tinubu National Grid Naomi
It is true that nations are not built directly by prayer, they are built through wisdom. We, however, get wisdom through prayer.
Proverbs 24:3
"Through wisdom is a house builded; and by understanding it is established:"
James 1:5
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."
Prayer has therefore been deployed in history as a tool in nation building, with the right type of prayers being offered.
Solomon's first request from God when he became king of a nation was for wisdom from God. Praying was an essential part of his life.
Even Nebbuchadnezzar, who wasn't aware or conscious of God's involvement in his affairs, had to learn the hard way that the wisdom he used in building the Babylonian empire actually came from God.
He was sent into the wilderness for 7 years until he realised that it was God all the while who blessed him with wisdom.
Daniel 4:33-34
"The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.
And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation"
God does teach men how to do things if they ask him to. Prayer is a powerful tool if deployed as instructed by God. Even the farmer who finds new methods of farming more effectively gets his inspiration from God.
Isaiah 28:24-26
24 Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground?
25 When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rie in their place?
26 For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him.
Dear Nigerians,
The Budget is a mess, but how did we get here?
In this video, our Global Director, @seunonigbinde sheds light on how the @nassnigeria meddles with Nigeria’s budget, year after year, through numerous insertions despite having N100 billion allocated for Zonal Intervention Projects/Constituency projects.
Meanwhile, the Executive and MDAs have also failed to push back. Why? Because they, too, benefit from the system.
Things cannot continue like this. It is time for the country to get better.
Lend your voice and join us in advocating for a budget that truly reflects the people’s interests.
#TheBudgetisaMess
The fascination with Enzo Fernandez continues to make zero sense to me, He shouldn’t be our captain, or starting in this side.
move Palmer central and play and winger. We could’ve used Madueke today…
Lavia and Caicedo in the pivot is all we need they both had great games but up front is just a head scratcher at this point…but overall we looked a lot better
Another episode of the Things We Love to See 😍
FOLLOW this page for more Christian content ✨️
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#BBNaija Ajuri Dr Anu Peter Obi Wike My MTN Oshoala Portable Mark Angel Rufai Bella RCCG Sheggz Niece and Aunty Pastor Chris Kenneth Okonkwo
🗣️💰Do you agree N1 billion is a BIG money in Nigeria? 🇳🇬
Hold on! Don’t try to convert it to Dollars just yet.
N1 billion is N1 million in 1,000 places! And when you look at the budgets, you will see billions of billions everywhere.
Dear #ActiveCitizens, it is time to #AskQuestions and ensure public funds aren’t lost to corruption. This is a wake-up call to the government across levels to #EndBadGovernance and reduce the level of corruption and state capture.
#KontriMata
Apparently, @IkejaElectric has decided to take those around Ketu/Alapere off grid since Monday, May 6, 2024
No communication.
No apologies
Just switch it off and let them go to blazes
@NERCNG@fccpcnigeria WE ARE BEING TREATED UNFAIRLY!
“LET THE RIVER FLOW!”
This isn’t just a statement, a mere declaration….
Right now, it signals what is about to unleash in the second half of 2024.
We are on the verge of a release of God’s presence and power, and only those who are well positioned will partake of it.