Confidence

Episode Transcript
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Welcome.

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First of all, today's guest, we have to thank our
Romania office of Eron's Opinion for gifting us and giving
us the idea to contact a man who goes by
the name of Confidence. He's a man from Nigeria. He
has a PhD. And he has a fascinating life story

(06:43):
of resilience and he's just been through so much, but
he's overcoming it in such a beautiful and graceful way.
Confidence has a lot of knowledge in peace conflict resolution.
We will be speaking today a lot about the various
conflicts that are going on around Nigeria and his own country,
and then we'll we will also be speaking about special
education and disability rights and what it's really like to

(07:05):
be a successful blind person in Nigeria. So this is
an absolutely fascinating episode.

Speaker 3 (07:10):
And Confidence was so.

Speaker 1 (07:11):
Kind and really really went above and beyond in you
in his duty as a guest, and he just did
a great, great interview. So anyway, we want to say
that you're listening to the Aaron's Opinion podcast. I think
we need a great name for the episode. So my
name is Aaron Richmond. You're listening to the Eron's Opinion podcast.
And now there's only one word that would be a

(07:31):
great title for this episode today, and that title is Confidence.
Welcome or welcome back, everybody to another exciting episode of
Aaron's Opinion, the podcast for blind people where we speak
about critical issues in the blindness community and all other
issues from across the universe and galaxy. My name is
Aaron Richmond. Today we're going to go over to Nigeria

(07:52):
today and talk to somebody by the name of Confidence,
courtesy thereof. In other words, we got this guest from
speaking to the great Marianna Barber from Romania, and I
asked Mariana, I said, who should I speak to next?
And she said, well, there's this guy from Nigeria. He's
got a PhD and an organization over there in Nigeria
who's doing great stuff for blind people and really anybody.
And his name is Confidence. So Confidence, why don't you

(08:15):
kind of walk through your story, your life story about
who you are as a person, how you you know,
obtained your PhD in Nigeria, what you do and everything
like that. So why don't you go from the top
and walk through your whole life story And I'll mute
my microphone and go over to you.

Speaker 4 (08:30):
Go right ahead, all right, Thank you so very much
around Richmond for giving me this opportunity to be on
this podcast. My name, like you said, it's Confidence, and
my full name's confidence Ka Chukumsia. I am from Nigeria

(08:55):
and by his grace, i am the Special Education Department,
University of Nigeria and Souka and I'm also the Deputy
Director Disability Support Units, University of Nigeria and SOUCCA. And
like you also said, I have a charity, Confidence Visionary

(09:18):
Scholars Foundation. And I got blind at the age of
six and from that time up until now, I've been
living with blindness or visual impairment. I studied my primary

(09:40):
school education as a boundary school as a blind person too.
My university. I came into the university to do my
first program on special social work and Community development. That

(10:04):
was a diploma program. I finished that. I did my
degree program in sociology and anthropology, and I finished my BS.
I did a program in education, which was a postgraduate

(10:25):
diploma in education. I finished that as well. I started
my master's in Peace and Conflicte studies, finished, and then
moved on to do my PhD in the same field,
peace and conflicte studies. I'm married, I have four kids.

Speaker 1 (10:51):
And.

Speaker 4 (10:53):
I have a good relationship with my employer. And the
other things that you'd like to know about me.

Speaker 3 (11:01):
Thank you, wonderful.

Speaker 1 (11:05):
There's a lot I want to know about you, and
I already love everything you've said.

Speaker 3 (11:08):
Man, really good. So yeah, so.

Speaker 1 (11:13):
What part of so what can you tell me when
it comes to, you know, the part of Nigeria that
you actually grew up in? You know, Nigeria is a
big place. So where in Nigeria did you grow up?
And this will lead into my two next main questions.
You know you've thought, You've obviously spent many an hour
and much and a tremendous amount of time thinking critically
about cognition and sociology and our society these days, you know,

(11:37):
So what can you tell me about, like you know,
Nigerian people, Nigerian sociology, the society of your country of Nigeria.
What can you tell me about education? And what can
you tell me about peace, conflict and resolution? Because you know,
we're living in a world where there's not always peace
and there's a lot of conflict and we could use
some resolution. What do you really think really delve into

(11:57):
it with me, go right ahead.

Speaker 4 (12:00):
First of all, I am from the part of Nigeria
regarded as the eastern part of Nigeria. Precisely. I am
from an Ambras States. I had my primary education in
Edubostates Special Education for the blind, Oji River. It's located

(12:21):
in Nubostates. Let me also tell you that I started
my work as a civil subment in Anambrasstads. That was
how many years ago now maybe about two decades, more

(12:43):
than two decades, you know, that was where I started.
I started as a social welfare officer in a local
government area and at that time I was still trying
to grapple my education. I haven't had my PSC at
that time, so I really had the diploma is Social

(13:09):
Work and Community Development. So I started as a social
welfare officer and from there I moved to the state level.
At the state level, I was a media man, I
mean a broadcaster in a television house a radio station
as well. So I was producing programs like Arise and Shine,

(13:36):
Viewpoint at the stop of the week. But we am
a musician and so I handled a few programs in
that respect, and then I'm talking about Nigeria. Nigeria is
a good place with a lot of people who are

(13:57):
determined to succeed in terms of persons living with disability.
The major challenge here is the enabling environment. I think
over there in the US you have a better enabling
environment to try all like what we have here. The

(14:18):
government hasn't got to the point where the factor us
in everything they do in the planning, in the budgeting
and all of that. So we still struggle on our own.
I teach in university. You know, I have to make
available my resources, I mean, provide myself with all I need.

(14:45):
Most of the things are not done by the government.
The logistics are not there, you know. But ultimately we
are good you know, we are trying to find our
feet around all of that. Yeah, now to know your
next question about peace and conflict resolution, you know, it's

(15:07):
a field that is highly needed in today's world. Like
you're rarely pointed out, so many places are in crisis.
You have crisis in Nigeria, Bokoharam, you have crisis in
the southern part of Nigeria. You know, even in the Southeast,

(15:34):
the issue of IPOP, the Eastern Security Network, armed groups,
non state actors, you know, all of that. So conflict
resolution tries to find a way to deal with all
of that and help the government, you know, to know

(15:54):
the best way to negotiate with this non state actors.
Because the violence at it's already crippling the economy, you know,
it's already making so many things to go wrong. The
community of persons with disability, the education, their good health,

(16:16):
I mean, their well being is being affected because when
you have constant gun shots, it's something that affects the
mental well being of people. The destruction of economic activities,
it's also traced to this, you know, violent acts, the

(16:41):
armed conflict, and in peace and conflict resolution, we try
to find solutions to how we can talk to these people,
this group of armed groups, and then profiles from solutions
using on theories. You have theories like es Kipe good

(17:05):
in theory and a whole lot of them to deal
with these conflict activities.

Speaker 3 (17:11):
Thank you, absolutely, You're welcome.

Speaker 1 (17:16):
You know, you did really well kind of painting the
picture there, and of course a lot of that information
I've already heard over the years from speaking to other
to other great Nigerians as well. But absolutely, you know,
so when you were, you know, growing up as a child,
you know, you said that you became blind at the
age of six, so well yeah, so yeah, so do

(17:36):
you remember that at all? By the way, confidence do
you remember becoming blind? What was the nature of your blindness?

Speaker 3 (17:42):
Now?

Speaker 1 (17:42):
For me, I was born blind and my condition is
glaucoma and I also have a congenital heart defect as well.
But now I'm thirty four years old, so I've been blind,
you know so far, you know, my whole life up
to this point.

Speaker 3 (17:55):
You know, what about you? How did you become blind
at six?

Speaker 4 (18:01):
I became blind? That job six I could be traced
to what we called mesos mesos. I don't know how
it is called over there, but that's yeah, exactly, So
that was what got me blind because it was more
well managed early enough.

Speaker 3 (18:23):
You know.

Speaker 4 (18:24):
So I remember, you know, when I became blind, and
I remember the years I was excited person, and I
still remember the sayings that I I saw, you know,
those few years, certainly when I was three, four five years,

(18:45):
I still remember a few things that I saw. And
when I became blind, it wasn't totally blind. It's I
could still see a bit until after a very long time,
I think about ten fifteen years after I got to
be blind. And so it's actually what happened, thank you.

Speaker 3 (19:12):
Yeah, that's very.

Speaker 1 (19:15):
It's very very frustrating and things like that. So but yeah,
so then then what happened? I mean obviously, you know,
let me phrase it like this. You know, for someone
to get a PhD in any country, they need a
lot of support and a lot of a lot of motivation.

Speaker 3 (19:32):
So where did you find.

Speaker 1 (19:33):
All this motivation to proceed forward and you know, to
just be educated, you know, to move forward with your
education and be successful.

Speaker 3 (19:41):
Where did you? You know? Who?

Speaker 1 (19:43):
You know, how did you how did you find that?
And you know what, what can you really tell me?
Because most American people don't have the motivation to have
a PhD. So it truly is special that you took
the time to get a PhD. What can you really
tell me about your like philosophy of education and knowledge
and things like that.

Speaker 4 (20:03):
Okay for me in life, they odd the determination to
do anything. It's personal. So first of all, you have
to have that determination that you want to do something
before you begin to look for people, support people's you know, attention,

(20:28):
and get the motivation you need to do whatever you
want to do. So I've made up my mind that
I want to be a scholar. I made up my
mind that I want to go into research. I want
to be a researcher. And so when I started, it
wasn't easy because you need to be up and doing.

(20:50):
You need to read, you need to research, and sometimes
you may not have the facilities like the computer. You
may don't have the facility like the tape recorder, the
you know as just step technology generally you know for
you to proceed, but you keep moving, keep pushing. Thank God,

(21:12):
I have supportive family. My wife is there, she's always
support to you. My children, but way, my first son
is seventeen, so he understands what education is and we
are all you need together my classmates, my lecturers, and

(21:38):
all the people who were you know, in the team.
Very many of them were supportive. And there are a
few challenges, like I said, even the funding wasn't there,
But because I have the determination, like I said, I
have to push through. And the day of my defense

(21:59):
was another experience because they have to stand and defend
the projects, I mean, the tests. So did they of
my defense. A whole lot of professors, pain panel of
you know, judges, they were all there asking questions because

(22:20):
they really wanted to know how I was able to
put up a good tests and how I was able
to come to the point that among my classmates, I
was the first to defend my PhD and to finish
my work, and so they were curious they needed to know.
Thank god I was able to defend and defend well,

(22:43):
thank you.

Speaker 1 (22:45):
Yeah, absolutely, yeah, I think that's that's very very fascinating.
And what we've heard of, these things, these doctoral defenses
and things like that, we've certainly heard of that and
it's really good.

Speaker 3 (22:56):
So what exactly like what you know, what walk us through?

Speaker 1 (23:00):
You know, what did you have to do to defend
your knowledge and exactly what project did you do for
your PhD in peace conflict resolution? You know, what were
the topics that you had to speak about.

Speaker 4 (23:11):
The topic of my test is on non government and
on non government activities and Persients with Disability in Unambrasdad
between twenty fifteen two two thousand two. Three. Let me
say it again, the title is all noon government Activities

(23:35):
and Pasiants living with Disability in Anambrasdad between two thousand
and fifteen, two, two thousand and two, the three and
so the background story here gives you the idea about
the conflict in Nigeria, the banditry, the iPod, the all

(24:01):
the groups, bandit trees, you know. So we looked at
it as a menace in the country because of the
activities of the people born in public and private houses,
killing people and a lot of that. And the objective
was the study actually is also examine to what extent

(24:25):
this has disrupted the economic activities in Nigeria, to what
extent the health and well being of people who have
have been affected by the activities of this unknown government
and the whole lot of that. So that's the summary
of my PhD thesis.

Speaker 1 (24:47):
Excellent and surely, excuse me, surely we know and I
know that from an American's perspective, absolutely not the influence
of non state actors domestic terrorism, these these types of
matters obviously destroy a country, right, that's one.

Speaker 3 (25:05):
Of the most obvious ones.

Speaker 1 (25:06):
But what what have you found, you know, if you
were really to you know, lecture on this topic, what
are the effects of domestic terrorism and violence in the country?
What what exactly are those specific effects that would not
be you know, common sense to me? What what do
you really think?

Speaker 4 (25:22):
Well, I think that you know, first of all, and
because of my research, I think that some of these
groups are they came out, you know, they amassed rather
to marginalization, they feel marginalized, and a number of them

(25:46):
also feel that they are not in the cheme of scenes,
and so for them to make their voices to be heard,
they have to start closing in trouble. And so the government,
as a matter of facts, should find the way to
bring them to negotiating negotiation table. You listen to them,

(26:10):
some agitations are not just really wrong, and you don't
also think that it's wrong to negotiate with bandits and
all of these non state actors. The issue here is
after the negotiations and finding out the problem behind the activities,

(26:36):
you will be able to solve the ones you can.
And then if it continues, that's that's when you can
wield the the big the big road of the of
the government. You know. So for me, the effects, the
effects of the activities, it's numerous. Currently, in some parts

(26:59):
of nature, you can't go to farm, you know, you
can't have people freely move around to do their businesses.
And many of these people are in id becomes, you know,
So the effects are anormous. If you want me to
narrow it down to passes of disability, I can tell
you that. You know, in times of conflict, times of crisis,

(27:26):
they are most likely to be affected. You know why
because you know they depend on cagivis, they depend on
people to help them move around. And if you don't
have people who are willing to stassist you in this
kind of situation, you get cut off by the crossfire.

(27:49):
And some of them have have actually died, you know,
in the course of.

Speaker 3 (27:58):
Sure crisis.

Speaker 1 (28:01):
Absolutely absolutely understood, understood exactly, yeah.

Speaker 3 (28:07):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (28:07):
So the impact is is that it makes you can
say that with all this non state actors and all
this domestic terrorism in Nigeria. The answer is it affects
Nigeria because it prevents Nigerian people from moving forward, doing
their conducting business and protecting people with disabilities who need help.

Speaker 3 (28:25):
Is what it all boils down to. Sudinly understood, sadly understood.

Speaker 1 (28:30):
Yeah, and I agree as a and I'm not ashamed
to admit it at all, as a very confident and
aggressive American guy. Certainly, I believe in never negotiating with
a terrorist, because a terrorist, the mentality and the mindset
of a terrorist is not one to be negotiated. But
you're also but it's also accurate to say that some

(28:53):
of these groups and some of these non state actors
are people who are marginalized in some sense of the
imagination or reality. And so yes, I would say that
never negotiate with a terrorist.

Speaker 3 (29:05):
But if there are.

Speaker 1 (29:07):
Political things that can be done, ways of negotiating, ways
of bringing people to the table to talk about resolving
these issues, you know that everybody would benefit if these
issues would would be resolved, you know, oftentimes, and I'm
someone who studied international relations, so I'm sure that you
are a little bit familiar with some of those theories

(29:27):
too that we talk about.

Speaker 3 (29:28):
Right.

Speaker 1 (29:28):
So you know, for for example, you know a lot
of people would say, you know, I'm I'm a hawk.
You know, is how I would be somebody who wants
countries to be strong. I believe in you know, you know,
a strong military, you know, strong national defense. You know,
I believe we say, theoretically, I believe in in in.
I believe in sticks rather than carrots. You know, I'm

(29:50):
I'm a stick guy, not a carrat guy. In other words, exactly,
you understood, right, So and as far as I'm concerned,
we have to hit the rabbit or we have to
beat the terrorist. We can't give them a caret to
feed them, you know, by right. But other people would say, well, no,
there are serious there are serious issues within that society
that marginalize people, that make them susceptible to joining these

(30:15):
groups in the first place. So there's so what I'm
saying is I agree with you. There's room to talk
about that and to help these people to not be recruited,
to not be recruited by Bokuharam and many other agencies
and terrorists things like that. There's that's what That's what
it's about to me, it's about talking and educating people

(30:35):
enough so that they're not recruitable by these as.

Speaker 4 (30:39):
I like, I like to disappoint you about education. You know, uh,
you know some of these people are not educated and
they are deliberately taking out of education so that you know,
they could be used to perpetuate some of these acts.

Speaker 3 (30:58):
Right and follow up.

Speaker 4 (31:00):
Property is also another point you made. You know, if
you're able to empower people economically and give them opportunity
to you know, get income and be useful to themselves,
some of this will reduce by it all what people
are behind this. They don't want to give them education.

(31:21):
They don't want them to understand that they want to
do it. This is wrong. They don't even want them to
be exposed, and so policy is swelling this. And lack
of education is also another factor. So I agree with you.

Speaker 1 (31:36):
Yeah, yeah, so a lot of it is about a
lot of it's about the education.

Speaker 3 (31:40):
You know.

Speaker 1 (31:41):
So obviously you're well, you're as educated as you could
ever be, whether you're blind or not.

Speaker 3 (31:47):
When you have a PhD. That's as good as it gets.

Speaker 1 (31:50):
Right, So if you were there to paint an accurate
depiction of the demographic of Nigeria. So now let me
start off by something that you already know. You probably
already know, but if you didn't, it might surprise you.
We're probably not only about thirty five to forty percent
of the American population actually has a bachelor's degree, actually

(32:12):
has an undergraduate degree. So many people in America actually
don't go to college. Most if you look at the stats,
overwhelmingly most don't. Right, So what really happens in Nigeria?
You know, so walk through the education How does the
education system work from about the age of five? And
how do people decide about going to university in Nigeria?

Speaker 4 (32:34):
Well, it's in two for my own assessments, it's in
two areas. One is that in Nigeria, people basically want
to go to the university, I mean into the college
because they want to get a degree to work in
the civil service.

Speaker 3 (32:56):
You know.

Speaker 4 (32:57):
Some are not interested, they are into business activities, so
my into skill acquisition. But generally the feeling here is
that you have to get this before going into anything
you want to do for yourself. So even if you
don't want to continue in civil service or you don't

(33:19):
want to get involved in anything that will give you
opportunity to use the certificates. People still feel that knowledge
it's needed through the apposition of these certificates, be it BSc,
be it Masters, be it PhD before you go into

(33:40):
any other field that you wish is true. Now, the
other part of it is there are people who are
looking for a job here. You know, there's high level
of unemployment in this country, and so sometimes if you
have sponsorship, you could just go into the college, oh

(34:00):
the university and continuous study in until such a time
you'll have opportunity to be employed. So it's not like
you wish it is true. But because you don't want
to stay I do. You don't want to be at home,
so you just want to get into the university, continue researching,
acquiring knowledge and steal with for head time. When you

(34:24):
know go or went by you you'll be employed. So
that's it.

Speaker 3 (34:28):
Mm hmm. Right.

Speaker 1 (34:30):
So primarily the reasoning why people go to university in
Nigeria is actually very different from the reason why people
go to university in America in my opinion. Okay, so
then in your country, people go to university to be
able to get a job. Okay, that's that's the main
reason why people go to university in.

Speaker 4 (34:48):
Most costs, and.

Speaker 1 (34:50):
That's that's the right reason in in America, I found it.
And it's only my opinion that some people go go
to university to get a job. Other people, though, and
a lot of people go to university to build social connection,
you know. So unfortunately in America, you grow up many
people in America grew up in a very isolating way,

(35:13):
you know, you might grow up grow up in the
countryside or something like that, and it can be very
hard in American society even to make friends and to
move up socially.

Speaker 3 (35:22):
So a lot of people go to.

Speaker 1 (35:26):
Well, American people generally live in urban settings less frequently
than you might and so you typically live with your
parents a lot longer in America, and you typically live
with your family for many, many years. And this has
been an ongoing thing that has been something that has
increased in America, and especially since the pandemic times. People

(35:50):
are living in larger groups now in America, where people
might live with two or three roommates instead of one,
or you might live with your cousins or your family members,
you know. But but primarily though, people go to university, yes,
to get a job, but they also go to interact
with other people, and this this can create a lot

(36:11):
of tension in America. You know, everybody has to have
an opinion, apparently, and there's a lot of there's a
lot of drama in my estimation and and and and
end in my opinion. There's a lot of drama in
the universities where everybody has to be right and everybody's
opinion is the only right opinion, you know, So that
causes that does cause a lot of disruption from time

(36:35):
to time, where I think in your country, hopefully that
people would be a little bit more focused in in
university and just focused on the knowledge and the information,
you know. But yeah, that's that's sort of one of
the main differences about about those two things. Yeah, and
by the way, that's just my opinion. By the way
I'm giving an opinion, I'm.

Speaker 4 (36:55):
Not saying effects.

Speaker 1 (36:56):
That's my perception primarily based upon my personally experience.

Speaker 3 (37:00):
So that's how I got that opinion. But you might
talk to other people all over the.

Speaker 1 (37:05):
Country who and certainly later when you are added into
the many groups here at Aaron's opinion, you'll meet other
guests from all other countries and they'll tell you. They
might tell you very different things.

Speaker 3 (37:16):
So who knows. But that is a very a very
interesting thing.

Speaker 1 (37:20):
So primarily people go to university in Nigeria to work
in the civil service or the government. Okay, and then
so and then what and then what would happen though?
If so, what happens in Nigeria If you don't go
to university but you want to, you know, learn a trade.
Let's say you want to be an electrician or a barber,
or a plumber or a chef, or you want to

(37:42):
do sort of a fun job like that.

Speaker 3 (37:43):
How would that work in Nigeria?

Speaker 4 (37:46):
It works well, it works well, like I said, which
you also captured very well. You know, you go to
the university ex spam your knowledge, you know, you know
not legendi, but you can't you do and you can't
dive into other things after going into the university. There
are drivers with PhD in Nigeria. Here, there are drivers

(38:08):
with master's degree. There are people in business still with
higher degrees. So it doesn't stop you from doing a
few other things for yourself even after going to the university.
The point here is that we see it as a
way off and reaching your brain. You know, making you

(38:29):
be more exposed to doing whatever you want to do.
So you can't do any other thing in Nigeria, it's allowed.

Speaker 3 (38:39):
Sure absolutely, Okay, good good? Yeah? So do they so?

Speaker 1 (38:43):
In other words, in Nigeria, they would have special schools
for that. Like if someone wants to be an automotive mechanic,
they would go to a special training course for that. Right,
you know, there's a lot of these technical jobs require
a lot of training and knowledge. Actually, so yeah, do
they have like trade schools in Nigeria?

Speaker 4 (39:00):
Uh? Yeah, for the excited people, not for the low vision.
We haven't gone to we haven't come to that point
where blind people can learn some of these things you mentioned.
But you could be a musician. There are schools, especially
scoops of blind where you could learn how to play

(39:24):
different music musical instruments. There are other places where you
can learn how to weave, how to make bags and
if you're these crafts you know in general, So these
are these these places are available, but not technology, I

(39:46):
don't think. Okay, the only part of technology that we
can handle here is computer. We we teach people, you know,
how to make use of laptops, jaws. Yeah, you know,
so I think to this extent, we could say that

(40:07):
we are also involved in technology in Nigeria, but not
to the auto mechanic engineering and all of that.

Speaker 1 (40:16):
Sure, sure, sure, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's that's true.

Speaker 3 (40:22):
That's that's true. Yeah, I totally I totally understand. Yeah, okay,
all right, and yeah, what.

Speaker 1 (40:28):
Can you tell me about you know, your knowledge and
anthropology by the way, you know, anthropology the study of
the study of man, right, studying people?

Speaker 3 (40:37):
So yeah, what what what?

Speaker 1 (40:39):
What section of anthropology struck your interest?

Speaker 4 (40:44):
Well, I most confessed that I didn't quiet delve into
the field of anthropology. I focus more on sociology in
Nigeria or in my university. Sociology and athropology goes together,
but we do more of sociology study of society, and

(41:06):
so we didn't quite too much on anthropology. And personally
I didn't have interests to such product and some of
the causes that has to do with anthropology, I skipped
them mm hmm. And that was why when I finished,
I continued with peace and conflicte resolution. So I may

(41:31):
not be able to give money.

Speaker 1 (41:34):
That's all right, it's very interesting and I think I
think that yes, you're right, most people realize that they're not.
Most people do not do all the research of anthropology.
It's a very specific thing, and most people do not
complete that that level of research. That's that's a very

(41:54):
specialized field that most people think initially it is intriguing initially,
but in America it's very hard to find work in
that field. You can be a lecturer and a university,
but it is very hard to find it. It's it
can be interesting at certain times though, absolutely.

Speaker 3 (42:11):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (42:13):
Yeah, so that's all very interesting. And then what can
you tell me though about your experience, like applying to
work as a lecturer at your university, how did that work?

Speaker 4 (42:26):
Okay, well, here we are give them specific areas of.

Speaker 3 (42:36):
Teaching.

Speaker 4 (42:37):
I'm a college. Like in my field, you could teach conflict.
It could also be allowed to teach things like we
been in conflict. You have so many areas, but personally

(43:05):
I handle a course you call the conflict one on
one that is the introduction part of the conflict. So
that's what I teach. And also remember, or maybe I
didn't tell you, I have a parallel appointment, so I
also teach in the departmental special education because I have

(43:33):
some of my certifications in education. So I still teach
some causes in special education. And in that education we
have very many aspects. We have the visual impairments, we
have the hearing impairments sections or units, you know, we

(43:55):
have the learning disability you needs, you have the creativity
talent units.

Speaker 2 (44:04):
You have.

Speaker 4 (44:08):
A few other ones. You know. These are things that
as a lecturer you are signed. All these areas are
the areas you can be. You can be. You can
be assigned to handle as a lecturer and maybe after
three years you could change to another one. But you
know that you must have to read, you have to

(44:29):
research in these areas. Have your publications produced in these areas.
So as a lecturer, it's it's.

Speaker 1 (44:41):
Formed, right, absolutely, very good opportunity, sure sure, excellent. All right, yeah,
so let's kind of delve into the track into the
section of special education. Right, So when you teach the
course in special education, for one, what are you teaching

(45:02):
the students when you teach them, you know, when you
lecture about special education, what exactly do you teach them?

Speaker 3 (45:08):
And are you teaching.

Speaker 1 (45:10):
Students who are cited and do not have have other
abilities or disability or do you teach some students who
are blind or have have disability. So what what has
been your experience in teaching special education?

Speaker 4 (45:24):
Oh, come on, I like this civistism. You know this
christ will also broaden a lot of minds and special division.
It is not for those of us who are living
with disability alone. People do ask this Christian of form
whatever they hear. Specialty division, the thing that you both

(45:48):
you can only find passages with disability. No, we admit
students from both the the both the decided and non cited.
You know, as it were. In my class, I have
only three visual impered students in a class of twenty nine,

(46:16):
so twenty six of them are perfectly okay with their side.
And so that's what it is. And then, like I said,
there are many areas. It depends on what you are
given to teach. I measure in visual impairments field or unit,

(46:37):
and so whatever I do the publications like teaching Braille
mobility studies, and if you're at this, we do in
that area. You know, you're allowed to do that to
teach students and also examine them on that and other
students other lecturers are also teaching in all that areas.

(47:01):
Like I mentioned earlier, you have those who I heard impaired, section,
gifted and talented and all of that.

Speaker 3 (47:10):
So that's it beautiful, super cool.

Speaker 1 (47:13):
So you know, and I forget because We've been speaking
for several weeks and I've been doing a lot of
different things. I forget if I mentioned it. But I'm
happen to be a bilingual guy. I'm bilingual English, French,
and I know that you speak many languages. You speak
evil is one of your languages, certainly, So what can
you tell me about you know, Braille in Nigeria and
Braille literacy in Nigeria. So how does for example, how

(47:37):
does the Braille code work if you want to write
a Brail note to someone in Ebol, for for instance.
By the way, I'm truly fascinated by the languages of
your fascinated by it.

Speaker 4 (47:50):
Yeah, that's interesting, you know, I you know real, it's
it's it's a method of reading and writing. You know,
the letters are the same. Like I spelled my name
for you a while ago to put Amzia. It's an

(48:11):
evil name, so I can also write it with brail.
You still write see as in English, you're want to
write calm. The same thing. So the other thing is
just for you to know the spelling of that particular
Ebo word that you want to write, so you still
follow the same pattern. The letters are the same ever

(48:36):
seen you know, just spell it well, and whoever that
reach Ebo or whoever I can understand Ebo language when
reading' will know that this is an evil word, not
an English word.

Speaker 3 (48:51):
Amazing, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Yeah. So basically you would.

Speaker 1 (48:56):
Use in if you're going to type in brail to
someone in Ebo would write, you know, non contracted, you
would write. You would spell the words how they're spelled, right.

Speaker 4 (49:05):
Yes, exactly the same way, just spelling the way there
is an Ebo like I'll give you example. If you
want to say colm and you know com is in English.
You know, if you want to write the nebo you said,
yeah yeah b I a mm hmm yeah, So still

(49:28):
the same way.

Speaker 3 (49:30):
M yes.

Speaker 4 (49:32):
And if you're saying love, lovely good, the man's good.

Speaker 3 (49:41):
In Eble, so you would write that out right.

Speaker 4 (49:49):
Still there, So just know how to spell the Ebo
Ebo words or sentence you want to write. You use
the alphabets and do justice to it.

Speaker 3 (50:00):
Beautiful, super super good. Yeah. Yeah. So but when you're
when you're lecturing.

Speaker 1 (50:05):
Are you mostly lecturing in English when you do when
you speak to the students.

Speaker 4 (50:11):
Oh yeah, that's good. Not the standard language.

Speaker 3 (50:15):
Right right? Yeah?

Speaker 1 (50:16):
Yeah, So in the in the universities, is it just
a standard that the lecturers lecture in the English language
or is it just up to the lecturer and up
to the students what language is used in the university.

Speaker 4 (50:26):
No, No, it's it's a standard.

Speaker 3 (50:28):
Okay.

Speaker 4 (50:28):
It doesn't stop you because you are talking to people
that are Ebos, most of them not necessarily all love them.
You could also try sometimes to give examples in Ebo, right,
but you know, but you just have to speak in English.
That's the standard.

Speaker 3 (50:46):
That's really good, really really excellent.

Speaker 1 (50:48):
Yeah, absolutely yeah.

Speaker 3 (50:51):
And then so what other languages can you do? Do
you speak?

Speaker 1 (50:54):
By the way, so you speak Ebo English? And and
what other languages can you can you speak? Are you
fluent in?

Speaker 4 (50:59):
Well? For now, I speak only these two languages. I'm
in the process of learning in French. Oh, very French
my language. Maybe maybe because you know how to speak French,
it could be my teacher going forward.

Speaker 1 (51:16):
I would I would, I would love to be I No, seriously,
I love talking about teaching people French moving forward. It's
just it's just I've never taught I've never taught a
blind PhD from Nigeria French, but I'd been more than
happy to speak.

Speaker 4 (51:32):
To him in French, so I will be interested.

Speaker 3 (51:36):
Oh that's really cool, man, really really good. Yeah. What
what intrigues you?

Speaker 1 (51:41):
What what intrigues you and what motivates you about the
French language is simply the way it sounds, the beautiful sound,
the culture and the history.

Speaker 3 (51:48):
What what intrigues you about it?

Speaker 4 (51:51):
All right? I personally want to add to the knowledge
of my you know, uh language. I want to learn French.
That's one. Secondly, like you rightly pointed out, I like
the way it sounds. How about back in those days

(52:12):
let India elementary battle of each savvy can I still remember?
But I so so. I like the way it sounds.
And I think it's also the most populos language after

(52:35):
English in the world.

Speaker 1 (52:38):
That that is the fascinating part about that. It is
one of the languages that has one of the largest
speaker speaker groups. In other words, many millions of people
speak French who are not French people, which is a
very important thing. Many people from countries in Africa, all
over near near Nigeria speak French, so that would be
a reason to learn it for sure.

Speaker 4 (52:59):
Yes, I also have a friend, you know, he's a colleague.
He speaks French very well. So sometimes we, uh, we
will be talking and he would want to say a
few things to someone in French in French, and I wouldn't.
I wouldn't get to hear what I'm saying. So I

(53:19):
feuse deprived of the company. So I said, look, I'm
going to lend this to make sure I spy on
this guy. You know.

Speaker 1 (53:31):
That's pretty cool. Yeah, and that's country. And what country
is your friend from? What country is he from? Where
he where he speaks?

Speaker 4 (53:38):
It's my brothers, my brother he's ego. Oh okay, So
that's why it thinks me most because we are all here,
you know. So okay, if he tries to do anything,
you know, he wants to do anything funny, he wants
to speak French because he knows I can't. I wouldn't.
I wouldn't be able to hear what he's saying. So

(54:00):
that's why I said, look for me to get to
you know, giving one the desire, So I have to
lend this.

Speaker 1 (54:09):
Now, now we pulled out the motivation. It's just it's
just to get even. It's just to get even with
your friend. There you go, that's the real reason.

Speaker 3 (54:16):
Mm hmm. That's pretty good.

Speaker 1 (54:18):
That's cool man, all right, all right, well I think look,
I think that's really important though, that you teach special education.
And another interesting question that goes along with special education is,
you know, it's the laws in the legal system. So
what does what do the laws of Nigeria say about
people with disabilities? And what does what do you know
about special education law in Nigeria?

Speaker 4 (54:42):
Well, rich man, you know, we are still a developing country. Unfortunately,
the laws are not just the problem of this country. Sure,
the implementation of the laws for me at the major
challenge most of the laws we have here. If well

(55:05):
it's invented, we will be able to have a good footing,
you know, things working well for persons living with disabe.
That can give you examples. You know, recently a friend
of mine but that you know, bothered an airline he
wanted to fly to not outside the country, I'm talking

(55:29):
of within the country.

Speaker 3 (55:31):
From one like a domestic airline, yes.

Speaker 4 (55:34):
Exactly, and he was refused. You know, body in the
airlines simply because of what he is blind mm hmm.
Right now, we have laws that god against some of
these things, but had they even implemented now and so

(55:56):
even though the laws can still be improved on, but
I don't think that the laws are the problem. The
problem is the will power, you know, to implement these
laws to make it work. And that's why I said
for you to survive in Nigeria as someone with disability,

(56:20):
it takes a whole lot. You literally will do everything
for yourself because the government does not plan for you.
Whatever help you get, whatever assistance you get, it's true struggle,
and it doesn't speak good about us. But I believe

(56:43):
with time will get there.

Speaker 3 (56:45):
Sure, absolutely.

Speaker 1 (56:46):
And the more time you spend speaking up and educating
me and educating other people on podcasts all over the world,
the easier it will be because this is more knowledge.

Speaker 3 (56:55):
You know.

Speaker 1 (56:55):
The reason why podcasting is great is it spreads knowledge. Know,
so absolutely, yeah, really good, really really really fascinating.

Speaker 3 (57:04):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (57:06):
Okay, And then I think that that paints a very
very direct and clear picture. And then specifically, I mean
you kind of touched on it before earlier today, but
but when you teach your other course in conflict piece, uh,
you know, peace resolution. You know that's obviously very different
from special education. But exactly what what are some of
the key points and the key topics that that course

(57:28):
covers when you teach that one.

Speaker 4 (57:31):
Okay, you know our students, you got to know how
they actually in through some of the conflicts they have
even within themselves, you know, conflicts. It's not about the
terrorision attacks, sure all of that. You still have conflicts

(57:53):
even within yourself. You have conflicts in the family, you know,
you have you know, so we deal with all of that,
and we understand that for you to really define conflicts,
you you must look at the immediate and the root

(58:14):
courses and then at the end of the day you
find solutions from the same immediates and the root courses.
So conflicts, it is something that is synonymous with almost
everything that we do in life, is in politics, in
our social life. And I've seen so so we we

(58:39):
look at them on all of that.

Speaker 1 (58:41):
That's excellent, that's really really good. And the other thing
that I found to be really fascinating that another fun
thing you mentioned. So you're you're a musician, So does
that mean that you have produced music that's on Spotify
by the way.

Speaker 4 (58:54):
Oh yeah, I think, I think very well. Unfortunately I
haven't been able to learn how to play some musical instruments,
but I think well, I have a couple of albums
that I have produced.

Speaker 1 (59:10):
Oh good, are albums on Oh? Are they on Spotify?

Speaker 3 (59:15):
By the way?

Speaker 4 (59:17):
Oh well, we're trying to upload. You know, we're trying
to upload. So about three weeks ago, my Maqita decided
that we're going to start uploading, so very soon you'll
have them there.

Speaker 3 (59:35):
Okay.

Speaker 1 (59:36):
The reason I'm asking is because we at Aaron's Opinion.
We have a playlist on Spotify called Aaron's Opinion Select,
and this is a playlist I have curated over the
years after interviewing many blind people and one sided person
who are musicians. So when you're a musician and you're
on the show here at Aaron's Opinion, I can put
your album on into my Spotify playlist and then share
the playlist, and it's a great way to get your

(59:58):
music played and to make you to make your music
known around the world.

Speaker 3 (01:00:02):
So yeah, it's.

Speaker 4 (01:00:03):
Well, that's that's interesting. Yeah, it's good. Uh, maybe when
we finally get it on I was sent to you.

Speaker 3 (01:00:10):
Sure can send me the album.

Speaker 1 (01:00:12):
You can send me your Spotify album, and then I
can add your album into my playlist and then I'll
send you the playlist. I'll send you the playlist back,
and then not only can you hear your album, but
then you'll hear all the other artists. So you hear,
you'll hear everybody else who has been interviewed.

Speaker 3 (01:00:27):
That's really cool. It's really really cool.

Speaker 1 (01:00:29):
Yeah, you know, Spotify is and building playlists. I mean
it's really powerful. You can connect countries just by playlists.
You know, that's a really really powerful tool. Now, you know,
that's all that's really developed over the years. Spotify has
grown massively over the years. Started out as a little,
tiny little thing and nobody, nobody knew what it was

(01:00:50):
at first. But now everybody knows the word Spotify. That's
a that's a major company, that's a major, major thing
in society.

Speaker 4 (01:00:56):
Yeah, really listen to music in the podcast. I'm sorry
the Spotify.

Speaker 1 (01:01:03):
So I think, and I think from a blindness perspective.
I I always think that Spotify is the easiest to
use by the way, it's the most accessible and the
easiest to use of all the apps.

Speaker 4 (01:01:13):
It is, it is, it is very very You can
also create your own you know, plate least exactly listen
to whatever you want to listen, you know. So it's
it's a good up, you know.

Speaker 3 (01:01:24):
It's a beautiful thing.

Speaker 1 (01:01:25):
So well, that really paints a tremendously beautiful picture about
who you are as a person.

Speaker 3 (01:01:32):
And by the way, I will, I.

Speaker 1 (01:01:33):
Will certainly learn from you any day, any day you
want to teach me about your knowledge and give me
more knowledge, I definitely accept it from you, man, because.

Speaker 4 (01:01:39):
You're my pleasure. You're doing so we have we all
have reasons to look for each other, because you are
going to teach me French, and I'm going to teach
you a few things from my field of knowledge.

Speaker 1 (01:01:52):
From your from your perspective. And I find that by
doing this podcast and by having these conversations, I find
that not only do I feel better, not only is
it is it medicine for me? It's it's it's medicinal
in my own life. But I'm noticing that other parts
of the world need your knowledge, They need to have
these conversations.

Speaker 4 (01:02:09):
So the other huge yeah too, yes, And I even
forgot I forgot to tell you that I am a
deputy director of University of Nigeria Disability Support Center. You know,
you know, you know, as side teaching, there's the administrative
part of what we do here. The moment you become

(01:02:32):
a director or a deputy director, you are now at
the administrative position, you know, kind of leadership role to
cans sol direct students, buildia academic advice and help them
to navigate through the challenges, tell those of them who

(01:02:56):
are persons living with disabilities. So the center was red
because of that, and so we over see the education
of students that are in this university, you know, who
are going to one stops all the other right we
you know, so it's it's a very you know, noble

(01:03:21):
idea by the university of authority to create a center
for So I am director, I mean the duty director,
and we are we're pushing it, you know.

Speaker 3 (01:03:37):
Excellent, excellent, excellent, so good.

Speaker 1 (01:03:39):
No, I think I think you did mention that actually,
but that's that's all all excellent.

Speaker 3 (01:03:42):
So you know, when I was speaking with.

Speaker 1 (01:03:44):
Our our mutual friend Marianna from from the Romania office
of Aaron's Bean as I call it.

Speaker 3 (01:03:50):
She said that you you though created.

Speaker 1 (01:03:52):
This wonderful charity organization, the Confidence as in you Visionary.

Speaker 4 (01:03:57):
Visionary Genaries Colars fundly.

Speaker 3 (01:04:01):
So really walk me through.

Speaker 1 (01:04:02):
So I have some questions, right, so how do how
do charities really work in Nigeria?

Speaker 3 (01:04:07):
How does your work and really work through?

Speaker 1 (01:04:09):
So what is that thing that I've been hearing about?

Speaker 3 (01:04:12):
What is it?

Speaker 4 (01:04:14):
Okay? Confidence Generalist Colars Foundation is a foundation focused on
helping the young blind adults to assess you know, formal
education and assisted technology and get the mentors and the

(01:04:37):
councils you know. So we are focused on students most
like most mostly we also focused on young blind adults,
so it's not like it's for everyone. So from time
to time we organize seminars and we give out scholarships,

(01:05:00):
we give out some additional aids to help them and
more importantly to mentor them. Because even if you give
someone the materials, they resource and everything, and you're not
able to put them through on how to navigate the
terms of life, they may not be able to put

(01:05:21):
all of that in a very good use. So basically
we focus on mentorship. So my foundation though is young,
but we are trying our best and we also showcase
talents if you are someone with visual impairments and you

(01:05:42):
got a nice voice to sing, or you've got something
to tell the world that you do. Well, we give
you a platform to showcase your talent, you know. But majurely,
our problem is fun or funding, right, A whole lot
we want to do for our people. We haven't got

(01:06:03):
the money to do that. So that's it understood.

Speaker 1 (01:06:08):
Yeah, that's really really wonderful that that you're doing that
are you Are you a member of your Lions club?

Speaker 3 (01:06:13):
By the way, surely you know about Lions club?

Speaker 4 (01:06:15):
Right, No, I know what I would like to be.

Speaker 3 (01:06:20):
Right, right, but so do you know surely you've heard
of Lions clubs though?

Speaker 4 (01:06:25):
Right, yes I have?

Speaker 1 (01:06:27):
Okay, yeah, because that's a lot of what Lions clubs
do as well, you know, is find people who are deserving,
who are blind, who need these types of of of support,
and that's really really beautiful and really good. Yeah, okay,
all right, So what exactly did you do to like
set up an organization like that in Nigeria? Do you

(01:06:48):
have to you know, go through an attorney or a lawyer?
Like how how does that work?

Speaker 4 (01:06:53):
Okay? If you want to register a charity in Nigeria.
You have to write to the there's an agency responsible
for that, Corporate Affairs Commission. You're right to them. They
assess your requests, they have their criterias for doing that,

(01:07:18):
and then if eventually you are accepted, then the the
charity will be approved. All right, So we went through
all the processes. We have our stalities. Well, you know,
we have all the documents and we are well were
we are. We're fine, you know.

Speaker 3 (01:07:37):
Very good, very good, very very good. All right.

Speaker 1 (01:07:40):
Well that's that's really good. Yeah, super super fascinating and
I certainly hope that that that people that listeners of
the show will express interest in that and and and
things like that. That that is that is really really fascinating.

Speaker 3 (01:07:55):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:07:56):
Oh so I'll be happy to have them.

Speaker 3 (01:07:58):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:07:58):
They can also look us up on Facebook, you know,
Confident Visionaryes Collars Fandi.

Speaker 3 (01:08:05):
Yeah, I have.

Speaker 1 (01:08:05):
I have the page and you're wearing you're wearing very
beautiful clothing. You have a great profile picture. That'll be
a great episode art for it. So yeah, no, I
saw that because that's how I got in contact with you.
As I say, Marianna gave me your Facebook page and
she was like she's like that's the guy.

Speaker 3 (01:08:19):
She's like there, he is right there.

Speaker 4 (01:08:21):
But by rich Mile, you keep you keep saying that
you were able to see this, We're able to find this,
we able to and you still told me that you
are blind man, So how does it work?

Speaker 3 (01:08:32):
Sure? Thank you, thank you for asking. No problem.

Speaker 1 (01:08:34):
So when I was born, I was born with with glaucoma,
and I still have glacoma. But my doctor in the
United States was able to give me some usable vision.
So I do have some usable vision. But I'm blind
and I cannot read print. I'm a braill reader. I
cannot drive a car or have a driver's license or

(01:08:56):
anything like that, and I certainly cannot read print at all.
But I'm able to use my usable vision along with
voiceover to navigate these things.

Speaker 3 (01:09:05):
So that's how I was able to help. That is fine.

Speaker 1 (01:09:09):
Yes, So in America we would say that, you know,
the word blind in America can mean many things, and
and and and in American society, many blind people have
some degree of usable vision. And that's why it's a
challenge in America because it's all a spectrum. You know,
there's no one size fits all. So yes, you were
right to ask that, and then and then I can explain, well,

(01:09:32):
I can see something but good but not well enough.

Speaker 3 (01:09:36):
So that's that's how. That's how I know what.

Speaker 1 (01:09:39):
No, well, we know all of all of these various
various things.

Speaker 3 (01:09:47):
At any at any rate.

Speaker 1 (01:09:48):
So how do you spend your time when you're not
teaching and lecturing and helping all these people? What are
some of your what are some of your hobbies that
I would never guess you do or or things like that?

Speaker 3 (01:09:58):
What do you think?

Speaker 4 (01:09:59):
Okay? I like listening to music when I'm relaxing. I like,
you know, music, especially jazz, you know ken I g
type of music you know? Okay, So yeah, I like
and some you know, nice gospel music. So I relax.

(01:10:25):
And then I like making friends as well. Sometimes when
I'm not teaching, I know, they come around my office.
We sit together, we talk, analyze the economic situation, the policy,
you know it, who lots. So I like keeping friends

(01:10:46):
around me. Sometimes what I'm when I'm done with all
of that, I just want to be quiet, just you know,
take a moment, be on my own. Okay, you know,
so that's it.

Speaker 3 (01:11:00):
Well, I certainly agree with that. That's all very good.

Speaker 1 (01:11:04):
Yes, So I'm sure that over this past hour, because
believe it or not, we've been speaking for over an
hour and you've done a beautiful job, as I knew
you would, as all of our great guests do. So
I'm sure, though confidence, that you have a lot of
questions for Aaron Richmond and Aaron's opinion and everything that
I've experienced in my life so far. So really dig

(01:11:26):
under my skin and really, really you can really make
me sweat. What do you really want to know about me?
Aaron's opinion?

Speaker 3 (01:11:32):
What do you really want to know? Man?

Speaker 4 (01:11:34):
So what it means is that the the interview is
telling on I'll tell you about to you. So I
am now the the interviews, you'll become the interview.

Speaker 3 (01:11:46):
Correct.

Speaker 1 (01:11:47):
This is something I always enjoy because guests ask really
really beautiful questions that are really fun to answer.

Speaker 4 (01:11:53):
Right, yes, okay, I've been able to ask one. You know,
when you have to explained to me about the level
of your blindness, you know you'll be sion and all
of that. So that's settled. So I want to ask
you because I told you here that I have my family, man,

(01:12:16):
I have my wife, I have a child, I have
four kids. I mean beautiful, uh So I'd like to
know about yours.

Speaker 1 (01:12:24):
Are you married luckily not? I'm single and and I
live with my parents. I live with my mother and
father and we have a dog and we we live
as a family together.

Speaker 4 (01:12:38):
Okay, uh, you told me that you are You are
a teacher, correct, So that's what you do for a living?

Speaker 3 (01:12:47):
Correct? So?

Speaker 1 (01:12:48):
I teach English as a second language online to many
different companies, a couple different companies, and students will come
to me online on an online platform similar to Zoom,
and we go over lessons together. We speak about various
topics and things like that, you know. So that's that's
how how I make make my living. And then of course,

(01:13:11):
you know, you make some money with the podcast and
things like that. And then I'm also active in my
Lions Club and I'm active in my community where I live.
I live a very active, a very very active life.

Speaker 4 (01:13:23):
Okay, so you are a member of Lions Club, correct you?
I know if I want to partner with Lions Club,
will it be possible.

Speaker 1 (01:13:36):
Well, my my advice to you is if you want
to be in a Lions Club, you should, uh, you know,
look it up.

Speaker 3 (01:13:42):
Join your club there in Nigeria.

Speaker 1 (01:13:44):
I'm sure that there are probably Lions clubs in Nigeria,
and so you would contact them there in Nigeria and
join a club there.

Speaker 4 (01:13:51):
Yeah, all right, Well, but the person I'm asking is
not about the bet, but I'm asking about partner with them,
you know, with my NGU.

Speaker 1 (01:14:04):
I really the answer is I really, I I do
understand you. I I really, I really have no idea.
I I don't know how that works, you know in
some in some cases I've heard yes, in some cases
clubs have partnered with charity organizations over the years. Yes,
But I don't really but I'm not involved in it.
That that is something that is done not at a

(01:14:27):
club level, but that's done more at a district or
a regional Those are regional decisions clubs. That's so that's
kind of more of a that's more of so.

Speaker 4 (01:14:37):
Eron Richmond, tell me what's your perception about nine years.

Speaker 1 (01:14:43):
So as you sort of noticed by talking to me,
and as I forgot if I mentioned it, So I'm
probably repeating myself, which is one of the side effects
of talking to me. Sometimes I say things more than once.
You noticed, and I'm sure you picked up on it
that when I I mentioned that I know about your languages.
I knew that your language was called Ebel, right, and

(01:15:04):
I was very familiar with it. The reasoning why I
was familiar with that language is actually many years ago,
I had a professor in my university who actually was
an anthropologist who was he was the son and I'll
tell you more off air. But now I think he's
probably retired, or I hope, I hope he's enjoying retirement

(01:15:26):
by now, because he was actually a very nice man.
He is the son of a very very famous and
prolific anthropologist in America from the twentieth century, and he
taught at my university. And ironically, in some twist of
conversation it came out that which is true, I actually

(01:15:47):
have a Nigerian friend who is blind and he lives
in America now, and he also has a lot of
the same interests as we do. And you know, he's
also probably going to be a lecturer just like you.
So but he but he's not from your part of Nigeria.
He's I think he's from Legos or Abuja or I'm
pretty sure he's from Lagos.

Speaker 3 (01:16:08):
So he definitely doesn't.

Speaker 1 (01:16:09):
Speak ebl He well, he spoke, he speaks Yoba and
his mother spoke Halsa. But but yet, at any rate,
I actually became very familiar over the past many years
with this other Nigerian guy that I know, and I
have spoken to many other Nigerians about you know, about
life in Nigeria, about the languages, about the society and

(01:16:29):
things like that. So that's how I knew all of
that stuff. And that's how I was so aware of Nigeria.
But but yeah, to go so to go back to it.
This one professor that I had, he actually, now he's
not Nigerian, he's an American guy, but he actually went
to Nigeria. And this guy was really Actually at the time,
I didn't realize how interesting he was, but he is

(01:16:52):
a very interesting man. He went to Nigeria in the
nineteen nineties and did a whole anthropological study of Ibo
Lan and the Ebo people. So that's that's how I
knew all of that stuff. I have to admit something,
I kind of forgot your question.

Speaker 3 (01:17:06):
I know, I really well.

Speaker 4 (01:17:07):
No, I actually asked you, you know, personally, what's your
perception perception? What do you think about Nigerians? You have herod,
you have read a lot, you have seen a few
Nigerians I've spoken to, I've spoken to a lot of them.

Speaker 1 (01:17:22):
Well, I think that, well, what what what I really think?
What I really think, my my, my real opinion that
I'm going to give you is I think that you're
a great Nigerian and I think that many Nigerians, most Nigerians,
are great people. I also think that Nigeria is a
great country with a great amount of potential and ability.
The the problem that I have and the problem that

(01:17:44):
I see with Nigeria is the same problem you mentioned
is that it's a country riddled with problems that hold
everybody back. So my perception of Nigeria is if only
they would solve the problems they have, then they'd be great.

Speaker 3 (01:17:56):
Then they'd be even better.

Speaker 1 (01:17:57):
But considering that you're living in a country on the
continent of Africa, I do know that Nigeria is considered
to be one of the best and still one of
the more societies.

Speaker 4 (01:18:08):
Okay, I ask what do you think, personally, Er Richmond
A team can do for black people in Nigeria. Know
you fully well that that's where is reddled with problems

(01:18:29):
and all the things that you know about Nia, what
do you think you can do personally to assist persians
living with disability in Nigeria, is anything.

Speaker 1 (01:18:42):
Well, I don't think there's anything that I am able
to do at the moment. But what I will certainly
do is make sure that the world is able to
hear this beautiful podcast and that people in Nigeria are
more than welcome to download and listen to our conversation.
And I think there's a lot to be said for
people absorbing knowledge, you know, and things like that. As
you connect with my groups and build out your story,

(01:19:04):
you'll find that you will have more and more people
to share your knowledge with.

Speaker 3 (01:19:07):
So my my.

Speaker 1 (01:19:08):
Thing is that there's always going to be problems in
every country, even in America.

Speaker 3 (01:19:13):
There's problems over.

Speaker 1 (01:19:15):
Really, but what you have to do is you have
to say, you have to say to yourself, well, I'm
just going to be successful anyway. And then what that
really means is I'm just going to do the best
I can and you just have to go yes, okay.

Speaker 4 (01:19:28):
Let me come back to you once again ascast a
side teaching English. What else do you like doing as
a person or do you have any talent? Do you
have musical talent? You do any other?

Speaker 1 (01:19:43):
Absolutely so, all through my childhood and schooling and university.
I was actually a flutist. I played the flute, and
I have a great appreciation for classical music and all
of that. Really, I also, you know, have a great
interest in language acquisition, you know, the the rate at
which we learn language and the study of languages. That's

(01:20:04):
one of my huge hobbies. And huge I mean, I mean,
I wish I could be in language class all day.
That's how much I love learning for foreign languages. So
I would say, learning foreign languages is my cup of tea,
is what I want to do now. And I wish
that I had known that when I was younger, because
it would have helped me to build a career. But
but then again, but then again, we wouldn't be having

(01:20:26):
the podcast if I had done other things.

Speaker 3 (01:20:28):
So who knows, you know? The answer is who knows?
You know?

Speaker 4 (01:20:30):
We are where we are, Okay, okay, the final question,
I have those two final questions for you. Just true,
that's fine. Your question, Oh yeah, tell me tell me
your highest educational qualification, and then also tell me what
you think your podcasts has added to this generation. I mean,

(01:20:55):
the knowledge you think you have added to the to
the wealth of knowledge. What impacts you think because you've
done this obviously nobody is right.

Speaker 3 (01:21:09):
Sure, well, I mean yes, yes, so my highest.

Speaker 4 (01:21:12):
Level years So tell me what impact do you think
you have made? You know, using.

Speaker 1 (01:21:21):
Thanks sure for sure? Well, my highest level of education
is a bachelor's degree in international relations. And you know
that's the type of degree where you need to have
more studies, You need to study more after you get
that degree. And I didn't understand that at that time.
I wish I did, but I just didn't, you know.

(01:21:42):
I started Aaron's Opinion during the pandemic in twenty twenty
because I want to give you a voice. I want
to give you a chance to come up to my
microphone and educate the world.

Speaker 3 (01:21:52):
And that's basically why I started it.

Speaker 1 (01:21:54):
I also started the podcast because I feel that there's
not enough strong podcasts in the blindness community where blind
people from all countries can come up to my microphone
and talk about life. And it's really important to me
that you, confidence and everybody else around the world has
the privilege and opportunity to easily come to my to
easily come up to my microphone and just have a
great talk and have a great conversation and that means

(01:22:17):
everything to me, means everything to you, and it's really
good for us, but it's really good for the future.
So if you want to know about the future impact
or what the impact is of a podcast, well, I
don't know.

Speaker 3 (01:22:27):
Let's wait twenty or thirty years. You know, twenty or.

Speaker 1 (01:22:30):
Thirty years ago, when we're old people, they'll be looking
back and they'll saying, yeah, there was that Aaron's Opinion
guy and he spoke to some guy named Confidence, and
yeah that yeah, exactly.

Speaker 3 (01:22:40):
So it's not about for me. It's really not.

Speaker 1 (01:22:42):
And I'm not saying it to be I'm not saying
it only to be humble, which I partially am, but
I'm saying it to be accurate. For me, it's not
about the impact. It's about the fact that I want
to produce knowledge. Is that I recognize in my heart
that let me put it to you like this, let
me level with you.

Speaker 3 (01:23:00):
Right.

Speaker 1 (01:23:00):
A lot of students of mine ask me, just as
students probably ask you questions.

Speaker 4 (01:23:04):
Right.

Speaker 3 (01:23:04):
Students will come.

Speaker 1 (01:23:05):
To me and they'll say if I'm in an interview
and I say, and the interviewer asks, you know, what
is one thing that I wish I would have done
differently about my past. I say, there's only one great
answer you can give. You should say I wished that
I had worked harder when I was younger, Because at
some point in everybody's life, whether you have a PhD

(01:23:27):
or not, there's always a point in time in life
where you could have done something differently or.

Speaker 3 (01:23:32):
Better or harder, right exactly.

Speaker 1 (01:23:34):
So that's that's a very subtle answer, is that even PhDs,
even you could work harder, even me could work harder.
Even an auto even an auto mechanic or a barber
can work harder, prepare more cars.

Speaker 3 (01:23:49):
Cut more, you know, cut more heads of hair.

Speaker 1 (01:23:51):
Right. So that's that's a very subtle thing, is that
I'm saying it because we can. So I'm giving out
this knowledge to you because this is all knowledge that
I want to be in the collective knowledge that I
think all people will will appreciate. You know, sided people,
blind people, really people from anywhere will really gravitate towards

(01:24:12):
this over time, you know. So the the the impact
is well, for some impact, because you can because you
recognize my impact.

Speaker 3 (01:24:20):
So the impact is, well, you you're an impact. That's
that's the impact.

Speaker 4 (01:24:27):
I am I am very, very delighted to be part
of your dream. This is my first ever podcast. I'm
granted interview in many other media outfits, you know. Like
I said, I was also a media man myself. So

(01:24:48):
I've got some friends around it, you know, around the
country who are in the space media space, and we
still talk. They write me to talk about topical issues
and all of that. So this one it's very very
okay for me. I am happy to be here, and

(01:25:08):
I wish we could go on and on, and I'm
sure if there is the possibility of even coming back,
maybe after doing research that I'm conducting right now, I
might come here to share the outcome of the research.
You are doing a wonderful job and the amazing story

(01:25:29):
that it's coming out of this has encouraged me because
you wouldn't know. I spoke to my friend from Romania
extensively on this to be sure that I'm gonna have
a nice time with you. So the you know, the
the success stories she gave really glad in my heart.

(01:25:52):
And so please do continue the good walk and I'm
sure lives are being touched people I've been encouraged and
we learn together. I'm happy that you are also open
to learning. So it's not just about hearing people whose
stories you have. You are also willing, ever ready to

(01:26:12):
tell your own story that's very very different from what
other people does. Thank you so very much well having
my heart.

Speaker 1 (01:26:22):
To you absolutely man, from my heart to yours, Thank
you so much. It means everything to us. And that's
so true. So and you can certainly come back. And
I hope that all guests. Some guests come back, some don't,
you know, but it depends. Sometimes we have a series
with a person and they do come back. And I
certainly know that you'll be that person who will certainly
contribute further as time goes on. Absolutely, But between now

(01:26:42):
and then and then and now, if someone's listening to
this episode and they want to get in touch with you,
how can you be reached?

Speaker 4 (01:26:50):
Okay, I'll give you my email and I'll also give
you my phone number. Is I okay?

Speaker 3 (01:26:56):
Sure?

Speaker 1 (01:26:56):
You can give out anything you want to give out. Sure,
and I'll include the link in the description too.

Speaker 4 (01:27:01):
Okay. My personal email is confidence to puy Mesa at
gmail dot com. That c and confidence actually can be
well spent by people around to put messure is well.
I think they have a problem. So Confidence based here
to pet messure is spelled c h U k w

(01:27:23):
u E M E z I E at gmail dot com.
And then my phone number is zero it's zero three
three it's it's zero three three nine. I'm also what'sapp

(01:27:44):
and from Nigeria, so you can add the plus two
three four as the code my Facebook account. Confidence Missionary
Scholars Foundation. We also have a contact address and erborating
on that each and whatever I mean. I'm open to conversation,

(01:28:06):
I'm open to learn, I'm open to making new friends.
I'm a happy grek, you know.

Speaker 1 (01:28:12):
Now, Okay, Well that's beautiful man. Well, thank you so much, man,
and it's absolute honored to have you on the show.

Speaker 4 (01:28:20):
Thank you so much, so absolutely.

Speaker 1 (01:28:23):
And we will certainly keep in touch. Now we'll keep
in touch a little later today and things like that,
but certainly until next time. From my heart to yours,
thank you so much. That was fabulous and until next time. Everybody,
help one person today, help one million people tomorrow. You've
been listening to Confidence right here on the Aaron's Opinion

(01:28:44):
Potling People, where we speak about critical issues in the
blindness community and all other issues from across the universe
and galaxy confidence. You did a great job and we
will get to you in a moment. Don't forget for
my electronic business card to know exactly what's going on
in the podcast. Please do let me know and I
will be more than happy to send over that card.
And of course one two four zero six eight one
nine eight sixty nine that's the number, and of course

(01:29:06):
Aaron's Opinion six at gmail dot com a a r
O N s op I n io N six that's
the number six, Aaron's Opinion six at.

Speaker 3 (01:29:14):
Gmail dot com.

Speaker 1 (01:29:15):
Go ahead and join the WhatsApp group or Facebook group
Aaron's Opinion podcasting community, and if you have any issues
at all joining those groups, please do let us know.
Follow along on Instagram, and of course thank you for
continuing to like, follow, and write reviews of the Facebook
page Aaron's Opinion Podcast. That's literally the best thing you
can do, by the way, is to write a review
of the Facebook page Aeron's Opinion Podcast and let us

(01:29:36):
know what you enjoy about it and what you like,
and it's just a great way to spread the show
in an appropriate way. So that's a great thing to
do that helps people to understand what's going on. So
thank you to all of you. Hoo've done that. Thank
you to all the downloads this week or these past
few weeks from the United States, Canada and Serbia. We
could not do it without you. And of course thank you,

(01:29:57):
of course to everybody who continues to follow along, follow
all along on TikTok and Patreon. You can even join
the Patreon for free, by the way, and of course
keep follow along, following along on x and on YouTube
at Aaron's Opinion TV. Yeah, you can like the video
comment below and tickle to bell notification and push all
notifications to know exactly when we will be premiering videos

(01:30:19):
on the channel. And that's exactly the same time that
that new episode of the podcast will be dropping on
the channel. Confidence Well, first of all, Mariana from Romania,
Mariana Barboo, thank you from my heart to yours for
helping me get connected with confidence. I never would have
known of this Confidence guy without a Mariana Barboo, So
thank you so much, Mariana for that Confidence Man. That

(01:30:42):
was an incredible conversation. I love talking to you about Nigeria, peace,
conflict resolution, the whole history of your country, getting a PhD.
There being a successful blind person, the Ebo language and
everything about that. Man, I just loved geeking out with you.
So you are forever welcome in the Aaron's Opinion family.
And people like Confidence and Madiana and many others are

(01:31:05):
exactly the exactly the type of people we want in
our corner here at Aaron's Opinion. So thank you Mariana,
Thank you Confidence. We want to take this time to
thank all the other podcasters from across the universe and
galaxy for continuing to play these episodes of Aaron's Opinion
and things like that and download the show. And we
really couldn't do it without you either. And of course
thank you to all the other guests, past, president and

(01:31:25):
future who continue to share your knowledge with us each
week on the show. We couldn't do it without you.
And finally, last but not least least but not last, however,
we like to say it thank you to you at home,
the individual who takes that time out of their day,
that hour and a half hour or so to download
this and many other episodes of the show. Remember, there

(01:31:46):
are millions and millions of choices in that podcast catalog,
and we just want to say thank you for choosing
Aaron's opinion.

Speaker 3 (01:31:53):
It really means the world to us.

Speaker 1 (01:31:55):
We will certainly be back soon with more exciting international
episodes and I think we're going to Stateside on the
next one. But absolutely, guys, that was a great episode
as always, really enjoyed, really enjoyed recording it for you.
And of course don't forget you're listening to the Eron's
Opinion podcast. My name is Erin Richmond. And until next time,
thank you so much, everybody, have a great day, and
until then, help one person today, help one million people tomorrow.

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