Home Opinions Market Stories
thestephen ✓☆ 🏆1 🌟43
Stephen Okon @thestephen
@thestephen

Stephen Okon @thestephen

Godhelped
Empowered to soar
197 Posts 2,076 Followers 147 Following Login
From
Last Seen: 7h 36m Block
About thestephen
Username: thestephen
Influence: 1, Audience: 43
"🏆 influence" Is the measure of the number of likely reactions that a person's post could generate.
= shares + comments + half-likes on your un-boosted posts by unique audience; over the previous 30days (only timeline posts are considered).
"🌟 audience" Is the average number of unique people that views a person's unboosted timeline-post, within 24 hours.
Name: Stephen Okon
Gender: male
Age: 60 years old
Account Privacy: public
From: Akwa Ibom, Nigeria
Joined: 27th Mar 2022, 7:21pm
User ID: 4833
To

It won′t fall

I remember when drinking used to be part of my life, but that all changed when I repented and gave my life to Christ. Back then, a night out with friends almost always involved alcohol. One particular night stands out in my memory. We had just finished drinking, but I kept my intake low so I could see the road clearly. The rain had poured heavily earlier, leaving the streets wet and muddy. By the time we left the bar, it was already dark, and all we had was a dim torchlight to guide us home.

As we walked, I kept cautioning my friend to put away his beer bottle so he wouldn’t get more intoxicated, but he paid no attention. He was holding on to it like it was the most precious thing in the world. The road was slippery, and puddles of rainwater filled the usual spots. We moved carefully, but my torchlight battery was running low. Just as we reached a particularly tricky junction, the light finally died. I quickly turned to a nearby shop, hoping to get new batteries before we continued.

In the brief moment I got distracted, I completely forgot about my friend. The next thing I heard was a loud splash, followed by the sound of someone struggling to get up. I turned around to see him sprawled in a large puddle of stagnant water. But what shocked me the most was that, even in his fall, he still held the beer bottle high, making sure not a drop spilled.

I couldn’t hold back my laughter. I reached out and helped him up, and we both burst into laughter, walking the rest of the way home.

@thestephen would win ₦5k,₦3k or ₦2k in if this story gets 40+ likes and is in top 3 most-liked stories of Mon, 10th Feb. 2025.
Show some love. Gift @thestephen something as TIPs

From
To
Load comments
Boxing sport is enough to cause brain damage, then the sport should be scrapped or let participants wear protective gear
“Irish boxer Cooney dies a week after title defeat - ESPN”

Sports Opinion Screenshot
NGA

From
To
Load comments

Never to be seen again

Back in college, we had to distribute questionnaires for the data collection part of our project. I told my colleague that we had to do it properly, no shortcuts or data manipulation like others were doing. If we got it right, we’d be able to defend our work confidently later on. So, we split up; he went toward the main entrance of the school while I took the back gate side, handing out questionnaires to everyone I saw on my way.

After a while, I got tired and decided to take a break. I walked into a small kiosk, bought a soft drink, and sat down to relax. As I sipped my drink, a young man walked in. Seeing an opportunity, I handed him a questionnaire. He filled it out without hesitation, but after he was done, he looked at my dusty feet and the stack of papers still in my hands. He asked if he could help me distribute the rest.

At first, I politely declined. It wasn’t his responsibility, and I didn’t want to trouble him. But he insisted, so I reluctantly gave him a small portion. To my surprise, he shook his head and asked for the whole stack, promising to return the completed forms within two days. He gave me his contact, took the papers, and left. I was still in shock at his willingness to help a complete stranger.

The next day, much earlier than expected, he came back. He handed me the stack of questionnaires, all filled out by different people. I flipped through them, and everything looked properly done. I was beyond grateful. It was rare to see someone go out of their way like that without expecting anything in return.

I couldn’t let him leave empty-handed, so I quickly pulled out a 2000 naira note and squeezed it into his hand. He hesitated but eventually accepted it with a small smile. After that day, I never saw him again. His phone number didn’t go through when I tried calling. To this day, I still wonder who he was and why he helped me so willingly.

Category Competition Winner!

2,000 NGN Prize successfully withdrawn to winners' wallet
Show some love. Gift @thestephen something as TIPs

From
To
Load comments
Meanwhile, Mathys Tel might be heading to Old Trafford too after some behind-the-scenes twists. But to afford all this, United might have to sell a winger for £45m.
“Man Utd in talks to offload club′s unluckiest player ahead of new signing′s arrival on Saturday - TEAMtalk”

Sports Opinion Screenshot
NGA

From
To
Load comments
More matches just means more money for the suits and more injuries for the players. They call it ‘progress,’ but it’s just a greedy mess.
“Arne Slot′s Liverpool are the real deal, but Man City won′t get near a second European crown! Winners and losers of UEFA′s polarising inaugural Champions League league phase - GOAL English”

Sports Opinion Screenshot
NGA

From
To
Load comments

Not what I thought

Recently, I decided to try making egg stew after watching a YouTube video about it. I’ve been getting tired of eating the same local foods all the time, so I wanted to try something different. Egg stew seemed like a good place to start. I bought carrots, green beans, and all the other ingredients I needed, excited to prepare something new.

When I got home, I played the video again to follow the steps properly. That’s when I realized the process was way too long for someone like me, who was already hungry and had little patience to begin with. The chopping, stirring, and waiting was just too much for me at the moment.

Hunger was winning the battle, so I boiled one of the eggs I had planned to use for the stew, ate it quickly, and decided to forget about the whole recipe. Cooking something new would have to wait for another day when I had more time and less hunger.

That night, I settled for the easiest meal I could think of, palm oil rice. It wasn’t fancy or new, but it was filling and quick to make. Maybe someday I’ll revisit the egg stew idea, but for now, I’ll stick to what doesn’t leave me starving.

Category Competition Winner!

2,000 NGN Prize successfully withdrawn to winners' wallet
Show some love. Gift @thestephen something as TIPs

From
To
Load comments

Cashless problems

Recently, I’ve been dealing with so many frustrating issues, especially with banking services. It feels like the whole system is under some kind of pressure because transactions are failing left and right. Payment services have been poor, and it's affecting basic things we do every day. It’s hard to tell if this problem is with just one bank or all of them, but it’s been stressful.

One of the worst experiences happened when I went to buy gas for my cooking cylinder not far from my place. I had some cash on me and my ATM card, thinking I’d be fine either way. After bargaining with the gas seller, I decided to pay with my card to save the cash I had. The card transaction failed, but to my surprise, I was debited. I explained this to the seller and asked him to give it some time, hoping I’d get a refund, but nothing came through.

To make matters worse, I decided to try a transfer using USSD. I thought it would save the situation, but it only made things worse. The same thing happened; another debit on my account, but the seller didn’t get credited. At this point, I had two failed transactions hanging, and I was out of cash. Luckily, the man knows me, and he trusted me enough to let me go. He told me to come back when the money is refunded, which was a huge relief.

Thankfully, both refunds came through a few minutes ago, so I don’t have to worry about it anymore. Tomorrow, I plan to try again, and I can only hope it won’t be another waste of time. These issues with banks need to be sorted out quickly because they’re making life unnecessarily difficult.

Category Competition Winner!

3,000 NGN Prize successfully withdrawn to winners' wallet
Show some love. Gift @thestephen something as TIPs

From
To
Load comments

It Worked

It Worked
There’s a street I pass by often in the evenings, and it’s always lively with children playing. They greet me with so much joy whenever they see me, their energy contagious. But one day, something felt off. From a distance, I noticed the street was unusually quiet. None of the kids were there, which was strange because nothing ever seemed to stop them from playing.

As I got closer, I noticed the ground looked rough, with marks of little feet and scattered game equipments. It was clear they had been playing there earlier. I brushed aside my curiosity, thinking they might have gone home early, and continued walking. Suddenly, out of nowhere, they all jumped out of their hiding spots, shouting, "Uncle, we played you!" I couldn’t help but laugh. These kids had actually planned to prank me, and it worked perfectly.

One of the kids ran up to me with his report card in hand, beaming with pride. He had finished the term in third position and couldn’t wait to show it off. I congratulated him, then asked why he hadn’t gone home yet since school was over. His answer was predictable; they were too caught up in playing to even think about it. I reminded them that it was getting dark, and it was time for everyone to head home.

But of course, these kids weren’t letting me off that easily. They insisted I couldn’t send them away without giving them something, as if it was a tradition I had somehow signed up for. They were so persistent that I couldn’t say no. So, we all walked to the nearest shop, and I asked the store owner to give each of them a sachet of Hollandia yoghurt.

After that, everyone finally went their separate ways, and I continued my walk with a smile, knowing I had made their evening just as they had made mine.

Category Competition Winner!

2,000 NGN Prize successfully withdrawn to winners' wallet
Show some love. Gift @thestephen something as TIPs

From
To
Load comments
Bergvall shows immense potential, playing him in such a high-stakes match against a strong side like Liverpool might have been too much too soon.
“Three reasons Ange Postecoglou was WRONG about Lucas Bergvall decision vs Liverpool - The Mirror”

Sports Opinion Screenshot
NGA

From
To
Load comments

| | | | | | Statistics | Advertise | About | Terms | Privacy