UPDATED: 5 things I miss about Nigeria--Cop Jay

Job-Jacob Ediba is a certified personal trainer and a specialist in private law enforcement licensed by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). Nicknamed Cop Jay, he was born in the late 80s. "I love making positive impact anywhere any day," the man with five sisters and a brother told Akweya.com. He studied Estate Management at the Kaduna Polytechnic in Nigeria and went for a certificate at the Chicago Real Estate Institute, and BSc in Environmental Studies from the Charter University. Here we serve you excerpts of a chat with Cop Jay:

Before you left Nigeria, you were a creative artist, venturing into rap music and other things. Are you still into all that?

I guess yes! I say this because a true artist is an artist forever. Rap is an expression mostly of concerns and emotions and it's a gift to know how to rap. Other things... yes, I did have a youth club in Kaduna named Zeal Tyme where I trained youths in singing, acting and modelling so it can be used to enlighten the community on major concerns.

How did you get into those areas? What inspired you?

Firstly, my inspiration to teach or share knowledge comes from my beloved father, who happens to be an educationist Dr A.G. Ediba. My inspiration to the focus on entertainment comes from childhood experiences. I remember how excited I felt to watch cartoons or the local Tales By Moonlight. It was clear in my heart at age 10 that entertainment would become the new platform for education.

How has your experience shaped your foray into the United States of America?

One experience I will share that shaped my foray to the United States majorly was with an older lady whom I will rather not call her name, not for fear but for respect for her age. She was the definition of fraud and wickedness.

I merged my club with her organisation which was almost at zero functionality. We wrote a proposal for funding from an international organisation and got it approved. When I figured she was only willing to put 20% to the solve of the funding I confronted her and we fell apart.

I remember how excited I felt to watch cartoons or the local Tales By Moonlight. It was clear in my heart at age 10 that entertainment would become the new platform for education.

I was heart broken and felt if an older lady in her capacity was this greedy and wicked willing to sit on funding meant for empowerment of victims, then Nigeria is not the country for my kind. The country  that came to mind that possesses great men who venture on big missions for the good of others with honesty was the United States and here I am!

You mean this happened in Nigeria?

Yes, it did.

Was that what made you decide to leave the country?

Primarily, yes! On the other hand I gained admission to further my studies. I mean, I was young....

Okay. What did you go to study?

Environmental Science, to add to my National Diploma in Estate Management from Kaduna Polytechnic.

While in school in the US, were you doing some part time work based on the things you had done in Nigeria?

Yes! I did some part time job but not based on my experience. I worked at XSport, one of the biggest gyms in America as a personal trainer.

Boy! You are a jack of all trade, master of all!
(Laughs) I will be a billionaire!

As Nigerians or Africans generally, we have been given the bucket and asked to go find air, and since it's a shameful mission that is hopeless we are not stable, and he who gave the bucket knew what he did, so he laughs.

Most times people appreciate home when they have left. Can you tell us five things you miss about Nigeria?

Yes, that is totally true!! I miss family: my father and six siblings and other relations. Now I have nephews and nieces I am yet to meet and I miss them all. I miss seeing hawkers walk by selling things like groundnuts, sugarcane, etc. I miss the rough driving. I miss roundabouts; none here that I have seen. Finally, I miss the diversity in all capacity at home.

And what 5 things would you like to change when you return home?

I think all can be achieved by one! IDEOLOGY. I would want to change the ideology of those who seek from me because it has to be at will.
So I don't need to change five things; just that one change will change all.

Ok. When you say ideology, what ideology are you referring to? Is there a specific type of ideology?

When I say ideology, it covers the whole processing pattern of ideas in the brain. To list a few: religion, perception, expectation and what I call the bucket of air.

Bucket of air? What's that?

My meaning to bucket of air is best explained in this team you can never have a bucket of air by hard work or deception neither can you justify why if you have a bucket it's automatically full of air. So in that order I mean reasoning critically with nature and understanding ordinances brings light to the soul. As Nigerians or Africans generally, we have been given the bucket and asked to go find air, and since it's a shameful mission that is hopeless we are not stable, and he who gave the bucket knew what he did, so he laughs.

Interesting. Finally, let me ask you this: When will you return to Nigeria and when you do what do you intend to come and accomplish?

For great men of wisdom we who see the light and want more we never tell specific dates. But as the sun rises in the east so soon a son of the soil will rise and come home. I intend to touch lives, put smiles on faces, provide training and certification in all my career path platform. Above all, I will bring about the awakening of youths to take responsibility for their future.