Friday 11 December 2015

The Experience - The Area Boys

A week today, I was planning on how to attend what is arguably the largest gathering of people on a spot for a Christian musical concert on earth tagged “The eXperience”. At the inception of this blog last year, I remember how eager I was to tell the story from the same event, as I was part of it for the first time last year. I am sure I didn’t capture the story well, but I told the story anyway [Here] & [Here].
The eXperience is not so strange to some of you. I am sure one or two of you were at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) venue of the event on that blessed night, 4th December 2015. There are some who followed it up on Cable, social media and other sites that streamed the event live.
The organisation of the event wowed me as much as it did at the last edition and other previous editions - ofcourse there has been a tremendous improvement of the year, as this year's eXperience is the 10th edition; the sound system was out of this world, the stage, the lighting, the seating arrangement, the security, the provision of toilet facilities, Emergency health care services, vendors selling food and other controlled items etc. I give thumbs up to the organisers, they must have put in a lot of effort to achieve the success they did. There are lots of lessons to learn from the organising of a big event like this, anyways you want to look at it. I'll just pick one to talk about.
The event is usually scheduled to start at 7pm and close by 5am. I arrived TBS at about 8:30pm (already late). I meet a very-very long queue of people who were yet to enter. The queue was so long so much so that I didn’t enter the arena until about 10:30pm. The security men were doing a great job ensuring order and ensuring people entered well searched and disarmed if they found anything that looked to them like weapon.
While waiting for my turn to get into the arena, I noticed that the set of security men keeping order on the outside streets of the arena were those who you may want to tag as “Area Boy’s” in the part of the Island. But really, you could hardly tell. They were dressed in a customised t-shirt for the event, with “security” inscribed on it too. The guys were looking so good and acted organised that you may confuse them to be a special team of ushers from, say… another parish or branch of the organising church – House of the Rock. I was impressed.
If only our government can positively engage the people the society have tagged as social miscreants and _______ (I forgot the word), they would use their energy in a more constructive way for the good of all. Sometimes I think all these people need is someone to give them the option or better ways to dissipate their energy and still survive. They must not be nuisance to themselves and the society to be fulfilled, because at the end, you will come to  realise that even their present lifestyle (as agbero's and touts or what have you), is in a quest of finding some form of fulfilment, especially when it is the only lifestyle they know of.
What do you think? Kindly drop your comments.
If you attend the eXperience and you come out the same then you need to check yourself...
TGIF…Cheers!

26 comments:

  1. hmmmm Agbero Boys?I dunno ooo


    Happy Friday..Today is HolyGhostCongress so see yah tmrw


    chincobee.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @Chinco if you're going to the camp today, biko remember me in your prayers.
      Nma's Blog 

      Delete
    2. You dunno.... Lol.
      Anyways, pray for us in today's Holy Ghost's congress o.
      Shalom!

      Nma, I sight you.

      Delete
  2. Have heard so much about this event..
    How do you do Ugo?




    Www.trendwithgloria.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am fine dear...

      I hope you will get the chance to be part of it one of these years, so that you'll have The eXperience yourself. *SmileS*

      Delete
  3. I can tell you had fun
    wendeeisaacs.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is not just about the fun dear, it is more about The eXperience - sometimes I just don't know how to explain it...lol

      Delete
  4. I definitely didn't leave there the same way. I was still vibrating for days, still am. Counting down already for next year's event.

    Pamscrib.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Heheheee... you definitely had the eXperience...lol.
      Nane sake, I am counting down with you too o and I know God will see us through.

      Delete
  5. You sure had an experience. Didn't you? :)

    As for the "area boys", they need a new orientation about life. Using them for positive deeds is good, but showing them the way to positivity is better.

    God is intetesting in our being than in our doing.

    Ugo, I like that you say they need fulfilment. And that fulfilment? They can only find it in God.

    Happy weekend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nwamaka, I didn't just have an experience, I had The eXperience! *SmileS*

      I agree with you; God is indeed interested in us all, excluding none.

      Finding God and "remaining in him" is the summit of any form of fulfillment we can ever conceive.
      God works through us and as we continue to avail ourselves to be used by him as light for others to see the way and find him too, may he be God, continuing to grant us the fulfillment we need - having in mind the class of people I tried talking about in my write-up.

      Cheers dear!

      Delete
  6. Greetings to you brother Brother Ugo! It is always a powerful thing when believers come together in mass to offer due praise unto the Father. That goes without saying. As for the plight of the area boys, this reaches back to your blog post regarding the N5,000 a month payment to unemployed youth.

    The government must begin immediately to implement a practical plan offering employment to these same youth. Jobs which will serve to improve society in some way or other while allowing these young people to understand that they do indeed have the ability to make a valuable contribution to the nations development.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. God bless you Mr. B.A. Adela.
      There is this thing they say about praise - when praise goes up, blessings come down. That night, I felt the heavens open and blessings come down... and when the people lifted NIGERIA up to God, I knew it was just a matter of time. God will work through men and Nigeria will rise again; in our time.

      You are so right on your(our) position of the government creating jobs and making the youth see the value in adding their quota to Nigeria's development... That's the way to go!

      Thanks for your comments again and again.

      Delete
  7. I have never attended the experience even though I enjoy vigils alot. I don't even know how it feels, being in the same arena with thousands of people. I guess my fear is the crowd cos I'm claustrophobic, and then again, the agberos who could try pickpocketing or maybe stealing phones and the rest. In all, I'm sure it's an amazing experience (I watched it live on TV) and yes, you can never leave it feeling the same way, ever!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The only ways we conquer fears Ada, is by facing them... I am sure you have conquered a lot already in life, you can also deal with the ones you mentioned here, I am sure you know... so what are you waiting for?

      Try experience the 11th edition live and have The eXperience like never before. You can set it in your e-reminder and even tag along with me cause I definitely wont miss it, inshala.

      Delete
  8. I've been wanting to attend this event for a long while now but no way. The crowd alone scares me but I've heard good stories about the experience. By God's grace I'll attend next year's edition. The area boys are one of the major reasons I don't even think about attending the event and I feel engaging them positively goes a long way. You sure had a lot of fun.

    evitaspeaks.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. God's grace is enough for you, meaning that you will be attending by next year... hurray! lols
      I had fun, but beyond the fun, I was blessed.

      Delete
  9. Grate experience

    Check me out at
    Honestgist.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Honest Boy, welcome to this space.
      I will check you out.

      Delete
  10. I'm sure you had fun.
    Don't know if I can attend the next one because of the crowd.
    It is well. Greetings!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Everybody talks about the crowd, but it is not usually the case... the crowd makes it even more beautiful.

      Greetings dear. Indeed, it is well.

      Delete
  11. I miss being at the experience physically but I was there in spirit. I felt the fire throughout the live streaming. It was an awesome experience.
    As per the area boys, that's how they use them every year. My father's house is not far from TBS (not Ajah )so I see them nd they are always eager to serve. Sometimes it's not good to underestimate them, they can be useful. All what they need is just an experience with God and their lives will never remain the same.

    Www.bolatitoblog.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I Love your submissions on the area boys. These kinds of observations is what makes leaders standout... instead of passing unnecessary judgement on the people the govern, they find means of engaging them meaningfully for the good of all.
      Great to know that you followed The eEperience live as the were streaming.
      God bless you.

      Delete
  12. The Xperience sha! Was pained i couldnt make it this year. Next year dey sha

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. God will make it happen next year for you sha...
      *SmileS*

      Delete