Leadership saturday

SATURDAY No. 452 N300

04.10.14

FOR GOD AND COUNTRY

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nigeRiA'S MOST inFLUenTiAL neWSPAPeR

i’ve Learnt not To Rely On Any Man – Fatima my secreT life, PaGe 4

eid el-Kabir: insurgency, Weak Purchasing Power Mar Celebration cover sTory, PaGes 11, 12

leadership Newspapers

@leadershipNGa

Why i ended My Marriage – Ini Edo News , PaGe 63

2015:

We Want Obasanjo’s View On His ‘Boys’ – Tinubu As Mark, Uduaghan also visit former president

5

TalaTu:

Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Patient Battling For Survival > Page 52

Deputy Govs Who May Not Succeed Their Bosses Chibok Diary DAY

173

> Page ??

7 DAYS TO gO...

FIRST GRADUATION CEREMONY OF BaZe uNiversiTy, aBuJa

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Traditional Rulers not Responsible For northern insecurity, Chibok girls' Abduction – Oba Akinruntan > Page 2

chibok diary 174 DAY

Leadership weeKeNd Saturday, October 4, 2014 CHibok FACts @DKambNigeria Happy Salah, Nigeria!

May it bring happiness and freedom to the girls and everyone abducted in this country. @RichondaOaks 172 Days & Counting #BringBackOurGirls -- 150+ women & girls remain w/ Boko Haram captors. Plz pray. @ChiMo___ Imagine after all this time we have yet to free even on Chibok girl from Boko Haram , imagine. @naijama With renewed energy, let's be there on #SpeakOutSaturday to #BringBackOurGirls at Marina. @RepWilson Protesters condemn non-mention of missing Chibok girls in Presidential address. @girleffect Did you hear the news??? One girl has been freed. … 216 to go. @edeh_gabriel And my 1000th tweet goes to d abducted chibok girls and all the victims of Boko Haram.

Government! @EiENigeria 172.

We have no desire to continue counting. we just want the girls back. @Gapsy4all ‘Bring Back Our Girls’ decries onslaught of syndicated negative publicity against it: @hadizabalausman 172 days tdy since their abduction..We will continue to DEMAND for the rescue of our girls!!

COMPILED BY agBO augustInE

Members of #Bring Back Our Girls group during one of their meetings at the Unity Fountain, Abuja.

PHOTO BY OYEDELE OMOKAGBO

Traditional Rulers Not Responsible For Northern Insecurity, Chibok Girls Abduction – Oba Akinruntan

By ChikA MeFOr And ejike ejike, Abuja

One of the most influential traditional rulers in Africa, Imperial majesty, Fredrick Obateru Akinruntan, has absolved the traditional rulers in the North from the current insecurity, which has led to loss of lives, property and even the abduction of over 200 school girls from Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State.

Speaking to LEADERSHIP Weekend, after he was conferred with the national honour, commander of the Order of the Niger, (CON) the eccentric leader noted that most of the crises rocking the North-East today are imports or spillovers from other issues and not caused by any Emir or Sultan.

According to him, “the national rulers in the North have not had uprising in their midst, you can quote me on that.

Most of the crises we are witnessing in the North today are imports or spill-

overs from neighbouring countries, because I have a lot of friends among the Emirs that I have come along way, with vast experiences, and those I believe have no hands in all these trouble rocking some parts of the North. They understand what crisis portends, so nobody tries his hands on what will eventually consume him.”

While speaking on how traditional rulers like himself should instill harmony Nigerians to ensure peace is returned in troubled areas, Oba Akinruntan noted that “when you take a look at the honour, conferred on me today, it actually added to my CV and maturity among other traditional rulers, even Mr. President said a lot of things about it at the presentation on how the conflict resolution I piloted has helped to harmonise the Yoruba Obas in their diversities.

“If you are able to fix the problem in the Yoruba nation, you definitely have fixed Nigeria. Let’s take for example

what happened in Nigeria between 1963 and 1973; from series of coups and counter coups, “Operation wetie” in those days and so on. If the Nigerian nation could stabilise politics in Yoruba land, there won’t be further crisis in the whole country.”

He however, noted that, “there is relative peace around the northern region as of now, as you know, as traditional rulers we shouldn’t trade blames, but many thanks to the effort of the Nigerian Military in the last couple of weeks, the insurgents are now surrendering themselves and weapons, that is an indication that we are working towards lasting peace, and that we shall achieve.”

Kabiyesi Oba Fredrick Obateru Akinruntan Eniolorunda (Olugbo of Ugbo land) was born into a humble background and went through the hurdles of life to achieve success. He was recently named

by Forbes as the. Second richest monarch in Africa.

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our stand Saturday, October 4, 2014

The Raid On Justices In Ekiti

R

ecently, some hoodlums believed to be political thugs invaded the premises of the Ekiti State High Court complex, attacked judges and vandalised property.

Since the ugly incident, the two main political parties in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have been trading allegations as regards who should take the blame for an attack that is novel in its atrociousness. The curious angle to the violence meted out on the judges was that policemen were within the vicinity of the attack and apparently did nothing to either prevent it or arrest the miscreants involved.

Expectedly, there has been a flurry of public outrage against what is perceived as contempt of the judiciary. The chief judge of the state, in his reaction to the incident, petitioned the National Judicial Council (NJC), intimating it of the likely implication of the dastardly act on the dispensation of justice, if not investigated and the culprits brought to book. The NJC has reportedly instituted a panel to investigate the matter.

We commend NJC’s swift reaction to this incident that is, unarguably, a desecration of the temple of justice. In our opinion, the successful attack on the court brings to the fore the lax security arrangement around courts and judicial officers, as well as the urgent need to make courts secure enough to carry out their constitutional duties of interpreting the laws of the land and dispensing justice without fear or favour, let or hindrance. It also exposes the loyalty and effectiveness or lack of these attributes of the security personnel attached to the courts.

In our view, what happened in

Ag. Editor Catherine Agbo Deputy Editor Kazeem Akintunde Editorial Board Safiya M. Adamu, Chairman Christian Ochiama, Deputy Chairman Standards Aniebo Nwamu, Director ’Lara Olugbemi, Assistant Director

Ekiti is a classic case of someone taking the law into his hands in a barely veiled attempt to intimidate the judicial officers into doing his bidding. That was the kind of scenario that played out during absolute dictatorships, which should not be tolerated in a democracy.

The perpetrators of the act have the option of appeal, up to the Supreme Court, a reality that makes the attack mindless and uncalled for.

However, we urge the NJC to use this opportunity to take a holistic look into the politicisation of the judiciary, as well as the pervasive apprehension that corruption in the judiciary is becoming disturbingly widespread. Those are also issues that are likely to bring down the image and integrity of the judiciary and make the public accord them less than the respect they deserve.

Nevertheless, we condemn what happened in Ekiti and hope that the outcome of the investigation by the NJC panel will forestall a recurrence and shield the judiciary, once and for all, from the unhealthy encroachment of politicians on the last bastion of democracy.

Founder Sam Nda-Isaiah Chairman Hajiya Ireti Kingibe Group Managing Director Azubuike Ishiekwene Group Executive Directors Michael Okpere Dr Kazeem Durodoye Divisional Directors Iyobosa Uwugiaren Ademola Oladosu Salisu Alhassan Bichi General Managers Aminu Abubakar Sule Abdulmumin Balogun Zipporah D. Tanko Joy Adekanye

Leadership Holdings

Managing Director Abraham Nda-Isaiah Executive Director Nnamdi Samuel New York Office Mohammed Bello Shehu London Office Dr Bello Salihu Johannesburg Office Abiodun Oguntuase

LEADERSHIP is a national paper symbolically embedded in the nation’s capital.

We shall stand up for good governance. We shall defend the interest of Nigerian people even against their rulers, and we shall raise our pen at all times in defence of what is right. These are the values by which we intend to be assessed.

We shall never, ever for any reason forget the noble reason of our coming into being: For God and country!

4

my secret life

Saturday, October 4, 2014

I’ve Learnt Not To Rely On Any Man – Fatima Mohammed, Business woman My Parents are… My father is Mohammed Farouk, and my mother’s name is Mariam Mohammed. My father is a farmer and my mother is a retired nurse. My dad believes that you must be honest, straight forward and hard working.

Household I grew up in…

I grew up in Bauchi, Jos and Abuja with my parents and siblings. My father stays in Bauchi, while my mother resides in Abuja and we also have a family house in Jos. It was mostly my mum who raised us, because my father has not always been available. There are eight children in my family – five boys and three girls. I am the third child.

My childhood memories… In my family, we were not allowed to play so much like the boys were. As a girl you were expected to engage in reading and so on. So I don’t really have any exciting childhood memories.

Craziest thing I did while growing up… I have a temper and because of that, if anyone offended me I would usually take a very big stick and go to his/her house to flog or even fight with such a person.

Regrets in life... I don’t have regrets per se but the worst regret that anybody could have on earth is to rely on a man. I made that mistake before but thank God that I am out of it now. In the past, I relied on a man but got the worst disappointment which has taught me not to ever rely on any human being on earth. The only person you can rely upon is your Creator.

Best movies I’ve ever watched are… foreign movies.

Books that have made impact on me… I get my inspirations from the Holy Quran.

One thing that I would want changed in my life… Honestly, I would not want things to remain the same way they are in this country today. The insecurity situation in the northern part of the country is not good. Also many people in this country are too selfish and corrupt, which is the major problem of Nigeria.

Fashion to me… I like fash-

Announced

Kano State Police Command, Bompai has announced Sallah safety tips as personal measures for the people in the state and most significantly, called on parents to keep an eye on their children.

The command in a statement signed by the acting Police Public Relation Officer, DSP Mustapha Abubakar informed the general public that adequate measures have been put in place for a peaceful Eid el Kabir celebration.

Dedicated

The president of Market Women Association, Mrs Felicia Sani said that she has dedicated her national award to market women and the less-privileged people in the Nigerian society, for believing in her and allowing her to improve on their lives.

Speaking on the national award in Abuja, Mrs Sani called on Nigerians to support the leadership of President Goodluck Jonathan to move the country to the next level and to allow democracy develop in the country.

Commended

Fatima

ion but I see it as something that you like and is good for you. Also I don’t like the type of fashion that exposes parts of the body. Again, I disagree totally with the way some people apply make-up that make women look like a circus.

People who know who I am know that … I’m hot-tempered, straight-forward, blunt, nice but very difficult to understand.

As a child… I wanted to be a business tycoon.

In five year’s time … I’m expecting to become a big business woman who can compare with people like Dangote and other big wigs in the business world.

When I look into a mirror… I

see myself; a successful business entrepreneur.

To be honest... I don’t think I have any weaknesses.

My most embarrassing moment... I don’t think I have

any.

Life has taught me… To always rely on God for everything. Also I have learnt to be an independent and free minded person.

Life In Brief Fatima Mohammed is an indigene of Bauchi local government area of Bauchi State. She attended Government Secondary School (GSS), Kwali-Abuja and KCC, Kano for her secondary school education before proceeding to Bayero University, Kano (BUK) for a first degree in Mass Communication. Fatima is the Managing Director of Fantasy Shop, Abuja, which is involved in buying and selling. She is single.

Interview By DAVID ADUGE-ANI

Photo By FATIMA MOHAMMED

The national coordinator, Enugu East Businessmen and Professional Forum, Dr Casmir Ifeanyi, has commended the choice of Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as the PDP flag bearer for the gubernatorial election in Enugu State in 2015.

Speaking in Abuja, Dr Ifeanyi noted that the nomination has shown the level of unity and maturity among the PDP membership in Enugu State, adding that Governor Sullivan Chime should be commended for his leadership acumen.

Rejected A group, David Sabo Kente project 2015 has rejected the endorsement of the minister of state for Niger Delta, Arch.

Ishaku Darius by General T.Y. Danjuma for the 2015 guber in Taraba State.

Briefing newsmen, the director general, DSK project 2015, Senator Abdulaziz Ibrahim Abubakar described the endorsement as unwholesome, arguing that it doesn't represent the collective opinion of the people.

NEWS 5

Saturday, October 4, 2014

We Want Obasanjo’s View On His ‘Boys’ – Tinubu

By Abiodun Taiwo, Abeokuta

The Ota, Ogun State hilltop mansion of former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was a Mecca of sorts yesterday as some political leaders paid the former leader a visit. Senate President David Mark, former governor of Lagos State and All Progressives Congress (APC) leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, Polycarp Nwete and Mrs Josephine Anenih, were some of those who visited the former president.

Tinubu who arrived the former president’s house when the PDP team led by mark, told journalists after a nearly two hours meeting with Obasanjo that he had come to seek his opinion of some of his (Obasanjo’s) boys who are vying for the presidency on the platform of the APC. The former governor may have been referring to former vice president Atiku Abubakar, who has declared to run for the presidency on the APC’s platform, as well as Kano State governor, Musa Kwankwaso, who is also said to be eyeing the number one position.

Atiku was vice president under Obasanjo for eight years, from 1999 to 2007, while Kwankwaso also served as defence minister under him.

Speaking with newsmen, Tinubu lamented that Nigeria had been unfortunate with clueless leaders, resulting in poor development, infrastructural decay and general lack of development. He emphasised the need for a change in leadership, to those with ideas

Obasanjo

Tinubu

Kwankwaso

to salvage the country from the present economic doldrums and general inertia.

He further stated that Nigeria though is 54, remains a toddler because basic things of life such as food, water and good roads are alien to the citizens of the country.

Asked why he was at the former president’s home, Tinubu said as former president, Obasanjo has influence in some areas of the nation’s political sphere, adding that his party the APC had successfully done a merger with many branches and there was the need to talk and find out from the former president his thoughts on the Nigeria he left behind and the Nigeria of the future.

“I am here to pay homage to the former president. We want his observation on his former boys who are running for presidency in our party. What can he say about them? Nigeria at 54, we are still an invalid baby in the incubator, that is the truth. We are blessed

with human capital, we have not developed it.

“We have army of unemployed graduates, stampede, maiming and injuring themselves to find their daily needs. We have not grown up.

“We don’t have good leaders, the leaders are clueless, the followers, we appear sadistic, we like being punished, because if you work for an honest system, I don’t see why a president will remove subsidy on onshore and win an election in the second week, to me, there is need for a common sense revolution,” Tinubu said.

Speaking further, he emphasised that, “common sense revolution of security overhaul, common sense revolution in job creation and better condition of living of all of you. It is high time we took our country back from the mismanagement, corruption and replace the clueless leaders with purposeful, revolutionary leaders that will rehabilitate this country

and fix everything.”

“It is a rescue mission, we must take our country back from mismanagers,” Tinubu added.

Also speaking with journalists, the Senate president also said they were at the home of the former president to seek counsel as a former leader on various issues.

“You know that Baba is the leader so, we have come to discuss with him and raise some basic issues that affect both the party and the nation at large. They are discussions that would move this nation forward you know his passion for this nation is unquantifiable so, we have really had a good discussion about it.”

Mark further said, “we are working as a party to make sure we put everybody who wants to be on board on board and congresses are coming up so I think this is normal.”

Meanwhile, sources close to former president disclosed that the visits of the political heavyweights

LIVING TO BE 100

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have to do with horse trading over next year’s general election as the two leading political parties.

“Well, their visits to Baba Obasanjo have to do with next year’s presidential election, both PDP and APC are asking for Baba’s support because of who he is in the country. The Senate President, (David) Mark is a political son of Baba (Obasanjo) and he is a close ally of President Goodluck Jonathan who could not have come on his own because of what he wrote to him in his reply to Baba’s letter. Since that time, both of them have not been relating very well and the likes of Senator Mark know what this could mean for the party and I am sure Asiwaju Tinubu might have gotten wind of their coming and came to discourage Baba from supporting Jonathan. This is why I called it political gymnastics,” a source said.

Another source also said the visits were based on power intrigues and political permutations.

“I have not gotten the full details of what transpired but it may have to do with horse trading. PDP needs the Southwest and Tinubu is influential but Tinubu belongs to the opposition party and he is also interested in who wins where in the zone. Not only that, even within the APC, Tinubu may want to know who Baba Obasanjo would like him to support among the trio of General Muhammadu Buhari, Kwankaso and Atiku Abubakar.

If APC picks a wrong candidate, Baba would not have anything to do with him. You see how complex

2015: Deputy Governors That May Not Succeed Their Bosses

BY ANAYO ONUKWUGHA, Port Harcourt, Tope Fayehun, Akure JOSHUA DADA, OSOGBO, GEORGE OKOJIE, Lagos Mike Ubani, Enugu, Abu Nmodu, Minna, Kola Eke-Ogiugo, Asaba, MUH’D ZANGINA KURA, Dutse, ACHOR ABIMAJE, Jos, Bernard Tolani Dada, Uyo and emmanuel ankeli, Sokoto

As the 2015 general elections approaches, it has emerged that some deputy governors to governors who are about to complete their second tenures may not succeed them due to various reasons. LEADERSHIP Weekend findings revealed that even some who are deputies to governors that are about to seek re-election may also be dropped as their governors are currently ‘shopping’ for their replacement.

In Rivers state, ordinarily the deputy governor, Engr Tele Ikuru, is supposed to be the candidate to beat in the race to succeed his boss, Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, in the 2015 governorship election but no deputy governor has survived his boss in the history

of Rivers State and the current vibes show that this time may not be different. Dr. Peter Odili was the only deputy governor of Rivers State who became a governor and that was almost seven years after the ousting of his former boss, Chief Rufus Ada George.

Ikuru, who hails from Ikuru Town in Andoni local government area of the state, was picked

by Amaechi as his running mate, shortly after he won the gubernatorial ticket of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2006.

Amaechi’s emergence was nullified by the leadership of the PDP, who in his stead, nominated his cousin, Sir Celestine Omehia as the party’s gubernatorial candidate.

Omehia had retained Ikuru as his running mate and both were sworn in on May 29, 2007, after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the candidate of the PDP the winner of that election.

However, when the Supreme Court removed Omehia on October 25, 2007, and replaced him with

Amaechi, the governor refused every pressure mounted on him to dump Ikuru. So, he retained him as his deputy, a development that apparently increased the deputy governor’s loyalty to his boss.

Although, he was not suspended by the leadership of the PDP along with Amaechi, Ikuru, out of his own volition, decided to join his boss in the All Progressives Congress (APC), in spite of the fact that his political mentor, Prince Uche Secondus is the national deputy chairman of PDP. Having served for almost eight years with Amaechi, those close to him say he strongly believes that contemplating succeeding the governor come 2015, would amount to betrayal. On several occasions, Ikuru publicly rebuked government officials who declared him the ‘next governor of Rivers State.’

Also, other sections of the Rivers South-East senatorial district, where Ikuru comes from believe that it is time the Andoni/Opobo/ ➔ CONTINUES ON PAGE 6

6 NEWS

Saturday, October 4, 2014

2015: Deputy Governors That May Not Succeed Their Bosses ➔ FROM PAGE 5

Nkoro axis of the senatorial district allows them to occupy the position of governor or deputy governor of the state. This is instructive going by the fact that an Opobo indigene, Sir Gabriel Toby, served as deputy governor to former Governor Peter Odili from 1999 to 2007, while Ikuru has been deputy governor of the state since 2007 and may quietly leave the political stage with Amaechi in 2015.

In Ondo State, with the defection of Governor Olusegun Mimiko who was elected on the platform of the Labour party (LP) to the PDP on Thursday, it has even become more glaring that his deputy, Alhaji Ali Olanusi, who does not have age on his side may succeed him. This is added to the fact that there are younger and more politically vibrant and loyal PDP members who are also eyeing the seat. Even the Northern Senatorial District where he comes from might find him a hard sale due to the fact that despite being a former state chairman of the PDP, he is not seen to be involved in the scheme of things in the state.

People in the state have described his silence as ‘self-redundancy’ which is compounded by his old age.

The views of some in the state that Olanusi is not in control, even in his zone, manifested during the last gubernatorial election in the state when he lost his local government to the PDP. The political calculation in Osun State also does not favour the incumbent deputy governor, Otunba Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori to succeed her boss, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as governor of the state. Mrs Laoye-Tomori who hails from Osogbo town in Osun Central Senatorial District may not be favoured because her Senatorial District has been in the saddle of governance more than any other district in the state.

Recall that virtually all the prominent political parties in the August 9, 2014 governorship election in the state picked their flag bearers from either Osun East or West Senatorial District, having realised that they had been denied the opportunity to rule the state. By virtue of the victory of Governor Aregbesola for another term in office, stakeholders say it is the turn of Osun West to be the governor if the rotational structure would be maintained.

Also, in Lagos State, the present deputy governor, Princess Adejoke Orelope Adefulire, may not be able to succeed her boss, Governor Babatunde Fashola. They were both elected on the platform of the APC. This is because there is apparent inclination of the mainstream political leadership of the state to project what is being termed a male-male gubernatorial ticket which automatically precludes the present deputy governor from vying for the plum job.

Though the state is known to be

very considerate in the distribution of political offices, the present projection of a man for the office of the deputy governor of the state has made it impossible for incumbent Adefulire to indicate interest to offer herself for service as the governor of the state.

Political permutation in the state is that political gladiators have already settled for Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode as the next governor of the state. Again, in Lagos politics, once the ‘political oracle’ has spoken on the way the candidates will emerge nobody alters it.

Things are also not any different in Ogun State where the relationship between the governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun and his deputy, Prince Segun Adesegun, is said to have broken irretrievably, following a rift between them over who controls the APC on which platform they were elected, in the state. The governor who is seeking re-election is said to have made up his mind not to continue with Adesegun as his running mate.

If that happens, political watchers believe it would be difficult for the deputy to move up the ladder of political ascendancy.

However, with or without the governor, there are feelers that Adesegun could be fielded by the ‘Matagbamole Group’, a faction of the APC in the state loyal to the former governor, Aremo Segun Osoba, for governor in 2015.

It is inconceivable that the Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Rev. Ralph Ifeanyichukwu Nwoye, would succeed Governor Sullivan Chime, when the tenure of the latter expires on May 29, 2015. The reason is obvious. First, the Enugu state chapter of the ruling PDP had earlier zoned the gubernatorial slot to Enugu North Senatorial District.

Rev. Nwoye hails from Enugu East Senatorial District.

In fact, last week, Governor Chime announced after a meeting of PDP stakeholders in the state at Government House, Enugu, that Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who currently represents Udenu/Igboeze North Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, has been endorsed as the party’s consensus gubernatorial candidate in the forthcoming 2015 general elections.

In Niger State the deputy governor, Mr. Ahmed Musa Ibeto, has made his intention to contest the 2015 governorship election known because by the state PDP’s zoning arrangement, Niger North Senatorial District where he is from, is to produce the next governor. The governor, Dr Muazu Babangida Aliyu, also disclosed last week that three persons were eyeing the governorship seat from his cabinet, including the current deputy governor.

Aliyu has always said he would prefer that someone within his cabinet succeeds him but he seems not to give his deputy any special consideration from his

body language and has recently been said to be showing support for his chief of staff, Alhaji Umar Nasko. Initially it was speculated that the governor preferred the commissioner of works, Alhaji Mohammed Muazu Bawa to the deputy governor until last week when Nasko’s name came up as the anointed one.

Some politicians in the state claim that the governor’s decision not to support Ibeto was due to allegations that Ibeto does not belong to the progressives within the party and could not be trusted to take over from him. Other politicians believe that Ibeto is popular within the PDP and among core politicians in the party but members of the governor’s kitchen cabinet are of the view that governor Aliyu is not comfortable with him despite his show of loyalty over the years.

In Benue state, it is not certain whether the state deputy governor, Chief Steven Lawani will succeed governor Gabriel Suswam come 2015 although he has declared his intention to run and has since begun consultations with stakeholders on the matter.

Lawani hails from Ogbadibo local government area of the state, in Zone C Senatorial District.

However, some of the reasons why it may be difficult for Lawani to succeed Suswam are that he is of the Idoma ethnic group who have never produced the governor of the state. It is not clear if he will break the jinx. It is also argued that he is not favoured by the zoning arrangement because it is now the turn of Zone B Senatorial District, and MINDA group, consisting Makurdi, Guma, Gwer East and Gwer West local governments.

By every measurable standard, Lawani is a big fish in the political scene but his age is another factor to ponder. He is aged and can be perceived to have more political wisdom than the younger aspirants from the other senatorial zones that are also running for the race.

Political pundits have however posited that governor Suswam would not hand over the seat to his deputy owing to the fact that he (Suswam) would prefer a younger politician who would be loyal to him and not easily manipulated.

A similar situation may play out in In Katsina state where Abdullahi Garba Faskari is the deputy governor. As of now, it cannot be said with certainty if his boss, Governor Ibrahim Shema, who is serving his second and final term, will hand over the mantle of leadership to him by 2015.

Indeed, it is increasingly becoming too difficult to predict because of the body language and in some instances, utterances of Shema, who only recently, declared that he has no anointed candidate.

Although the deputy governor like most persons whose names have been associated with the plan to succeed governor Shema has not declared his intention, analysts posit that Faskari may not be given

the PDP’s guber ticket because of the precedence which has been set, a precedence which ensures that the state governor usually comes from the Katsina central senatorial district.

In Delta State, since the rumoured endorsement of retired civil servant, Mr. Tony Obuh by the Ibori/Uduaghan political coalition, the atmosphere across Delta state has become charged, with political stakeholders rueing what they described as ‘super imposition’.

Those close to the corridors of Ikuru power hinted that although Obuh has been reportedly endorsed, pressures have been mounted on the present deputy governor, Prof.

Amos Aigbe Utuama (SAN), to run for the governorship position come 2015.

Although, Gov. Emmanuel Uduaghan has severally said that the 2015 governorship election would be a level playing field, pointers show that he may not settle for his deputy. But the Urhobo Progressive Union (UPU) through one of its leaders, Chief Ighoyota Amori, has vowed that the Urhobos would resist imposition Princess Adefulire or super-imposition, insisting that contesting the governorship Akpabio’s administration draws election is the right of all eligible near, the current deputy governor, Delta indigenes and should not be Lady Valerie Ebe and the first based on ethnicity. female deputy governor who took The Jigawa state deputy over from Mr Nsima Ekere has not governor Alhaji Ahmad Mahmud is shown any intentions of succeeding one of the deputy governors in the her boss. Some political actors in country that also has a slim chance the state close to her, say this is on of succeeding his boss. account of her age.

Even though Mahmud is a Though she is from Mkpat Enin seasoned grassroots politician, Local government area in Eket he has never indicated interest to Senatorial District which is highly contest the governorship position favoured by governor Akpabio and despite the wide spread agitation other elders of the ruling party to and calls by his supporters to join produce the next governor, it is the race. He is also the longest believed that with the growing list serving deputy governor in the of aspirants from the senatorial history of the state and that may district and the support the state make him to step aside alongside governor has given to Udom his governor. Historically also, no Emmanuel the current secretary deputy governor has succeeded his to the state government also in the boss in the history of the state. race, it might be very difficult for In Plateau State, Governor Jonah Ekere to make it.

Jang has said it that once his tenure Though the incumbent governor expires in 2015, he is leaving the of Sokoto State, Aliyu Magatakarda stage with his deputy, Ambassador Wamakko succeeded his former Ignatius Longjan due to old age, boss, Attahiru Bafarawa, it is not so that a younger person can take clear if the same scenario would over from them. However, there play out as the governor and his are speculations that governor deputy, Mukhtar Shagari, belong Jang’s successor may emerge from to two different political parties, among his kinsmen, the Berom the APC and PDP, respectively. ethnic stock, a move that might be The duo enjoyed seven years of rejected by the people of the state, robust relationship as governor according to political analysts. and deputy until recently when LEADERSHIP Weekend Wamakko decamped from the PDP checks revealed that the national to the APC but his deputy preferred headquarters of the PDP will not to remain in the PDP. support another Berom candidate Now, with another election by in view of the fact that governor the corner, the stage is set for the Jang has spent his eight years duo to test their political might but in office hence the need to have Shagari would have many hurdles somebody outside the Berom to cross if at all he can match the ethnic stock to succeed him. governor’s anointed candidate.

It was also gathered that the Speaking on the number of battles governor is mindful of the uproar before Shagari, a member of the the announcement of his anointed PDP who preferred anonymity, said candidate would generate and so until the deputy governor drops his for now, is keeping his choice close elitist mentality about politics and to his heart. begins to look at it as he ought to, In the case of Akwa Ibom State, he might find it difficult to succeed as the end of Governor Godswill Wamakko come 2015.

Saturday, October 4, 2014

NATIONAL JUDICIAL COUNCIL Supreme Court Complex Three Arms Zone P.M.B. 483, Abuja

PRESS RELEASE Following the recent unfortunate and worrisome incidents in Ekiti State Judiciary, particularly in the High Court Complex, Ado-Ekiti, the National Judicial Council held an Emergency Meeting on 2nd October, 2014 under the Chairmanship of Hon. Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, GCON and considered the various complaints and petitions forwarded to it.

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At the end of the Meeting, Council decided as follows:

I)

In very strong terms condemned the attacks on the Judiciary and Judicial Officers in general across the Country and in particular, the one carried out in High Court Complex, AdoEkiti on 22nd and 25th September, 2014. ii) Requested the Inspector-General of Police to take over and investigate the alleged attacks on Hon. Justices John Adeyeye and Isaac Olusegun Ogunyemi, some members of staff of the Court and vandalisation of property of the High Court of Justice, Ado-Ekiti and bring the culprits to justice. iii) Requested the Inspector-General of Police as a matter of urgency to provide adequate security to Judicial Officers and the Judiciary in Ekiti State. iv) All petitions forwarded by all parties to the Council on the matter are being looked into.

Soji Oye, Esq. Ag. Director (Information)

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FOR GOD AND COUNTRY

MISSING VEHICLE This is to notify the general public that a white-coloured Hyundai Sonata saloon car with registration number BWR 642 AH and chassis number KMHEB41BABA097759 belonging to LEADERSHIP Newspapers Group Ltd is missing. The vehicle was last seen with Hajiya Mariya Ibrahim Baba. Any person with useful information regarding the missing vehicle should please contact the nearest police station or LEADERSHIP Newspapers Group Ltd through this phone number: 07035782552 Signed: Management

Speaker, House of Representatives

Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, CfR

Acting Governor, Adamawa State

umAR fInTIRI

Rt. Hon. Ahmadu

Signed:

This is, indeed, a recognition of your good stewardship and selfless service to your people.

On behalf of the Government and good people of Adamawa State, I heartily congratulate you on your turbaning as the MUTAWALLEN SokoTo.

ADAMAWA STATE GOVERNMENT

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bout two months after they were forced to celebrate Eid el - Fitri, almost indoors, the Muslim residents of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital would be experiencing a repeat of yet another Eid festival with tears.

Already, the authorities at the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army issued a notice on Thursday that all kinds of vehicular movements would again be suspended starting from Friday October 3, the eve of the Eid-el Kabir festival and end on Sunday October 5, 2014.

According to the military spokesman in charge of the division, Col Sani Usman, the ban on vehicular movement was not to create difficulties for the residents but an effort by security operatives to ensure their safety before, during and even after the celebration.

Though the news about the 50 hours ban on vehicular movement did not delight the residents of Maiduguri, it did not come as a surprise to almost everyone.

LEADERSHIP Weekend had observed that many residents who took the Eid-el Fitri experience with a pinch of salt, were not in any way taking chances, as they had long commenced panic-purchase of food items, rams and other consumable needed for the Eid, should the situation repeats itself.

The anxiety about the ban could be felt even with the touch of hands at the precinct of commercial banks where residents who were not ready for any kind of inconvenience were spending hours on queues in banking halls and at the ATM point waiting to make cash withdrawals.

A housewife and civil servant, Maimuna Aliyu, said she had to start her shopping for the Eidel Kabir earlier after she heard of the rumour that Maiduguri would be shut down again during the celebration.

“One cannot take chances on rumours like these because anything can happen. Though most of us were caught unawares during the end of Ramadan Eid, I would not allow that to happen this weekend,” she said.

Mrs Aliyu recalled that she had to trek a long distance to collect the chicken she booked days before the end of Ramadan because she did not get the news that the military had banned cars and motorcycles from moving during the celebration.

A trader, Bashir Sale, said he would this time around, break his tradition of going to market to buy his Sallah ram after the Eid prayers because of the ban on movement.

“I have to buy my rams days before the Eid, because if I insist on my style of going to buy rams after the Eid, when the rams would be a bit cheaper in the market, I may not find it funny. If I try that this time around that the military

Ram sellers waiting for buyers

Eid el-Kabir: Insurgency, Weak Purchasing Power Mar Celebration The insurgency rocking parts of the north eastern part of the country as well as the poor economic situation in the country are some of the issues militating against this year’s Eid-el Kabir celebration. MOHAMMED ISMAIL, Yola, Abubakar Salihi, Kano, Aliyu Yusuf, Zaria, ANKELI EMMANUEL, Sokoto and Kareem Haruna, Maiduguri, report is banning vehicles from moving during the Eid days, I would be damned because, I will have to drag the two rams trekking for about ten kilometres from the market to my house,” he said Recall that during the last Eid celebration, many Muslim residents who had prepared big feasts in their homes lamented how the sumptuous meals they prepared with their hard earnings got wasted because no one came to visit their homes due to the embargo placed on movement.

Some other persons also decried their inability to trek long distances to perform the Eid prayer at prayer grounds located far away from their homes. Others who trekked the long distance trip, came home with sore feet.

A local security operative, Abba Ibrahim, said, “if truly the military will announce another ban during this Eid, I may have to forfeit going to Eid ground, because during the last one that I tried going with my three children, it was not a happy outing at all. I ended up carrying

two of the kids, while the older one whom I could not carry cried all the way back home.”

While some Maiduguri residents were brazing up for yet another dull Eid celebration, others who could not stand it have opted to travel out of the city before it becomes too late.

Idris Musa said, “I rather go and celebrate at my village in Potiskum where at least one would not be holed up like fish in the pond. The last Sallah was like punishment; we had to trek for three days because there was no means of transportation."

But to Manasa Dauda, a nonmuslim civil servant, his decision to travel out of Maiduguri was not for the lack of fun during the Eid, but for security concerns.

“One cannot say if the rumour about the attack is true or false. Yes, the ban on use of vehicles during the last small Sallah celebration may have averted planned bomb attacks on the city by Boko Haram but who is sure if the military will succeed in averting it this time around that

the insurgents are still threatening another attack. It is better to stay out and enjoy the Sallah with fellow Muslim friends in other towns than to be locked up here in Maiduguri."

Meanwhile, both the conventional security operatives and the supporting youth vigilante have intensified their vigilance on the city even as residents were seen rushing from one point of the city to the other, trying to beat the deadline for the restriction of vehicular movements.

Members of the youth vigilante, (the Civilian-JTF) have returned to most of the hitherto abandoned security check posts where they frisk all kinds of vehicles.

The commercial car parks in Maiduguri were not also left out in the extra-vigilance initiative amid the choking presence of travellers hurrying to leave before the Eid day.

A visit to the Borno Express Transport Corporation terminus along the Kano-Maiduguri highway on Thursday revealed how the bus CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

But who is sure if the military will succeed in averting it this time around that the insurgents are still threatening another attack?

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Eid el-Kabir: Insurgency, Weak Purchasing Power Mar Celebration

Muslim faithful at a prayer ground

➔ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 station managers had to device strategies at keeping unsuspecting terrorists or car suicide bombers from invading the park with lethal weapons.

Unassigned vehicles and private cars had to park outside the gates of the terminal, while some officials of the terminus were provided with metal detecting devices with which they scanned bags and baggage of travellers before they entered the terminus park.

Colonel Usman Sani, had assured residents that though the panic is natural, the army had put in place a near water tight stratagem to protect Maiduguri from being attacked by insurgents during and after the Eid. According to him, “reports at the disposal of the Nigerian military reveals that Boko Haram terrorists have perfected plans to launch multiple bomb explosions in Maiduguri metropolis and other major towns across Borno State during the Eidel Kabir 2014 celebration, using motor vehicles, tricycles, etcetera. Their main targets include all Sallah praying grounds, markets and other public places.

“In view of this, all manners of vehicles are banned in the entire state from 5pm on Friday, October 3, 2014, to 7am on Monday, Octover 6. Members of the general public are therefore advised to observe the Eid prayers at praying grounds nearest to their respective residences.”

Col Usman said, “while necessary security measures are being implemented, members of the public are hereby requested to comply fully with this embargo as defaulters will be severely sanctioned. However, workers on essential services such as hospital and fire services with clear identification are exempted.”

In Adamawa State, the situation is not different as thousands of Muslims in the state will not celebrate the occasion in their comfort zones but in various internally displaced persons' camps spread across the state.

Following the intensification of insurgent attacks about two months ago especially in villages in the northern border areas of the

state, some of which were overtaken by the insurgents, thousands of people fled the towns and settled in various parts of the state as IDPs. Similarly, businesses were crippled as the situation continued to deteriorate in the state and as a result, many breadwinners have become beggars after being displaced.

An IDP at the Damare NYSC camp who identified himself as Muhammadu Michika said, his main prayer was to be reunited with his family as he said since his town was overtaken by the insurgents, he has not seen any member of his family and that without his family and business, there is nothing to celebrate as far as he was concerned.

Another IDP, Mallama Halima Sani thanked God for sparing her life as well as that of her family members but said life has been though and turbulent adding that she has nothing to celebrate in view of the fact that she has been turned to a beggar in her own country. “I am now turned to an IDP and mere beggar. What do you think will be our lot?” she queried.

Similarly, many businesses have been adversely affected by the insurgent activities. A visit to one of the rams market in Yola indicated low business activities amid rising cost of rams. A ram seller at the Yola ram market, Mallam Bello Sahabo, decried low patronage of rams.

“At this time last year, business have been brisk and going well but as you can see now, there is virtually no patronage,” he lamented.

Sahabo attributed the rising cost of rams to the insurgency saying before now, they used to have supply of rams from Maiduguri and Chad but with the high level of the insurgency rocking the northern parts of Adamawa State, the supply from that end had been affected, making the cost of rams to skyrocket.

In Kano State, despite the series of bomb attacks that led to loss of several lives during the last Sallah celebration, LEADERSHIP Weekend observed that people of the ancient city are in high spirits and have made preparations for this Sallah festivity.

Animal markets and temporary sale points which have sprung up in several places in the city were packed with buyers and the sellers appeared to be making good sales.

A father and resident in Kano, Auwalu Zubairu, told LEADERSHIP Weekend that what happened last Eid cannot stop people from making preparations ahead of Sallah because it was ordained by Allah.

According to him, the insurgents would assume they have succeeded when they see that people are really scared of them and have abandoned what their religion admonishes them to do.

He said that Eid prayer and the animal sacrifice that follows are obligatory upon able Muslims, therefore no level of insurgency or threats of same can stop that.

He however advised the Emirate council and security agencies to have a rethink about the usual security measures.

Also speaking, a community leader who craved anonymity, was of the view that if the insurgents feel they can bring Kano and its beautiful cultures to a stop, they were making a big mistake, because history has it that their stiff resistance to challenges was what brought them to the position of a big city and a united people.

He expressed optimism that people would fully participate in the Eid prayer in their thousands and will visit relatives and good friends as it was ordained by the teaching of Prophet Muhammad.

However, the memories of the three bomb blasts during the last festivity are still fresh in the minds of residents. Muntari Mudi, a young man living within the metropolis, told LEADERSHIP Weekend that last Sallah’s bomb attacks have made him more cautious of where to go this Sallah.

He lamented that since the last bomb incident in the ancient city, nothing much had changed in terms of security arrangement, hence the need to be extra-careful even as he added that without cultural festivities such as Durbah and visitation of various places of relaxation, the Sallah would be dull and quiet.

In Zaria, Kaduna State, ram sellers have decried low patronage. A visit to markets in Zaria revealed that there were flocks of livestock but no buyers coming forth for them.

Reacting to the market situation, the Sarkin-Turken, Sarkin Zazzaz, Alh Abdulmuminu Alhassan, lamented that the market had never experienced such a bleak.

He attributed non-payment of salaries by some employers in the state as one of the problems militating against sales of livestock.

He said the prices of rams in the market ranged from N15,000 to N90,000.

Another ram dealer, Mallam Sani Yahuze, described insecurity bedevilling Northern Nigeria as one of the factors responsible for the low patronage.

"The present insurgency has now become a threat not only to ram sellers but to entirety of business activities in Northern Nigeria.

Another factor is that before,

politicians used to buy rams in large numbers and donate to people but this year, the case is not the same.

"The ram that was sold at between N100,000 and N120,000 last year is now being sold at between N70,000 and N80,000," he said.

Another ram seller, Mallam Mahmud Barwa, said the market had come to a standstill, saying, "even in some places like Maigatari, Sheme, Mai'adu'a and Jibiya where we used to buy the ram, the market is not moving as expected."

Meanwhile, in Sokoto State, the prices of livestock and food have risen astronomically. However, the influx of people from far and near is causing a near traffic congestion within the town while many of the locals told LEADERSHIP Weekend that they wish Sallah were every month.

Giving reasons for their prayers, one Alh Mode Sherif said, aside being a platform for spiritual rebirth, the occasion also avails Muslims the opportunity of meeting with their loved ones whom they have not seen for a long time. The occasion also unites the people for better understanding of each other’s plight and how best to help. For the children, the story seems to be different as they are only concerned about the new clothes they are going to wear and the excess of meat and food for the day.

The day means a lot of things to many. For some, aside the spiritual aspect, the opportunity to meet and celebrate with family and friends and also make new friends is the icing on the cake.

Among those that hold this assertion is Nasiru Ado who said he happened to meet the woman that became his first wife about a decade ago during Sallah celebration.

But for the traders at the Sokoto Central market, especially those who sell clothes, they confided in LEADERSHIP Weekend that they enjoy every bit of the count down towards Sallah as they were having more patronage. One of the traders, Alh Aliyu Adamu who specialises on female and children wears, said he makes quicker turn over within such festive period and wish it lasted forever.

For Mallam Umar Illela, he was left with no option that to buy clothes for his family of 17 at a very exorbitant price. “Under normal circumstance, those clothes would not have cost more than N50,000 but I ended up spending N80,000 to buy the clothes,” he lamented.

He said, tailors were also taking advantage of the season to inflate the cost of their services. Rams that would ordinarily be sold at between N10,000 to N15,000 were being sold at between N30,000 and N40,000.

Illela's case was corroborated by many others who berated traders for taking advantage of the season to hike the prices of wares, especially food stuff and livestock.

Since his town was overtaken by the insurgents, he has not seen any member of his family and that without his family and business, there is nothing to celebrate

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I Didn’t Have A Plan B When KUSH Crumbled–Lara George Lara George is an accomplished singer of the Gospel music genre. Blessed with a rich and captivating voice, the multitalented artiste and Law graduate with three albums, recently recorded a single with fellow exKUSH member, Emem Ema. The delectable singer and songwriter whose hit, Ijoba Orun shot her to prominence spoke to SAMUEL ABULUDE on her career, motherhood and other titbits.

corded more honour in terms of renumeration. Even in the Church gospel artistes are not celebrated or given the much needed respect that we need to bring out our best.

Even in Church you feel badly treated. I mean some Churches have little regard for artistes, thus they are not ready to pay for our services-unlike outside the Church.

Artistes have different ways of expression and the Church and pastors have not discerned enough to guide and mentor such artistes.

Gospel artistes are marginalised.

As a gospel artiste you have to continue to look unto Jesus because if you look unto Man, you will be disappointed.

What have you been up to?

I’ve been recording songs and ministering on the love of God in different places. This is my 10th year in music and I’ve recorded an album which is already on itunes for people to purchase. The full album comes out next year. God has been good to us and we are grateful and radiating the same love through our songs.

How has your music career been?

It’s been quite an interesting journey. It started with KUSH and when KUSH broke up it was not easy; I had to start all over again and I’m still on my way up. I had to start from the scratch but I went forth and made progress thanks to God. You were off the music scene for a while why was that?

That was when I went to have my baby. I have a two-year-old baby. I had to nurse him for two years but during that time, I recorded an album. I couldn’t do much promotions and tours but I’m fully back now. That is the price one pays as a mother who’s keeping the homefront and is also a performer. You want to make sure the children are fine, you want to make sure they are eating well and are not in the hands of strangers. It won’t be good to keep a two-month-old baby in the house and you go performing, so I had to nurse him and now he’s grown. I’m happy I went through that process. Now I can leave him at home when I need to attend to functions. It’s great to be a mother and multitask (smiles).

You were part of a group and suddenly you became a solo artiste, how was that like?

I don’t know if to say it was easy or difficult; it was just different and the transition kind of happened. It wasn’t really something that I planned. Our break-up wasn’t planned neither was there a plan for me to go solo. There was no plan B; it was just that God charted

What are your thoughts on gospel music?

George a plan for me because even when I didn’t want to sing again, He kept me bringing me back and creating platforms for me to sing.

It seems you are the only one from KUSH who has been visible on the music scene, do you agree?

Well, it all depends on what you are seeing. We are all doing things related to the arts. One (TY Bello) is doing her thing apart from singing; another (Emem Ema) is the president of her management company and another (Dapo) is a well sought out producer in Hollywood. I’ve always wanted to sing because it is my passion. I think that the form of expression is different. While I was with Kush, my form of expression was different and I’ve gained more experience over the years.

Do you miss being in a group?

I miss the energy; being on stage with three other people. I miss the camaraderie and the dexterity we had in our work. Sometimes we were two at a time. I just miss the energy that we radiated, the laughter, the jokes. We all enjoyed ourselves.

Tell us about the song KUSH just released.

The remix of Let’s Live Together was done by us myself and EmemTY was unavailable. It was done as part of the theme songs for the movie, Half Of A Yellow Sun. Myself, Emem Ema, Flavour and Morrell were part of the remix. It was produced and mixed by Mastercraft.

Would you consider a more definite reunion?

That will be nice. I mean it’ ll be

good, but then, we have all forged ahead and are doing our thing . It’s not a do or die affair that we come back together. I love the fact that I’m able to express myself in my own way.

At what point did you decide to be a musician?

I’ve always wanted to sing as far as I can remember. I used to sing in front of my parents for hours. I remember using a tape recorder to record my voice as I sing lyrics of songs like those of ABBA. I remember dreaming of singing in front of a million people, wowing the crowd and singing my way into freedom.

Given the fact that gospel music is not that popular and you have a great voice, why did you choose the genre?

Thank you for the compliment.

I’ve always called myself an inspiration artiste. Though I’ve been criticised, I’ve always known the kind of music I wanted to do was that which reaches out to people beyond the walls of the Church. I’ve attracted criticism over my kind of music and my belief in singing with secular artistes. I knew what I wanted to do and I’m enjoying the best of doing gospel cum inspirational music. God has blessed me in a different kind of way.

Have you had any particularly negative experiences as an artiste?

Yes. There have been some are not-so-good experiences. Like being treated like trash just because you do gospel music; like you have been doing this thing and a younger artiste comes and he is being ac-

Gospel music needs a whole lot more room for operation. We need to be brought more into mainstream music. I cannot downplay the need for proper financial renumeration for gospel musicians and nurturing of young talents. Since we have the Church as our back-up, a lot of expectations are laid on us; people forget we are singers who spend time in the studio like secular artistes to record melodious songs and we get little mileage from these, compared to those whose lyrics don’t inspire positively. We are expected to do better and have better instruments, song delivery and all that, yet half of what is invested into secular artistes’ songs is not invested into those by gospel artistes.

What inspired your hit single Dansaki?

It was recorded while I was pregnant with my child. I just wanted to say “thank you to God for keeping me and my family”. Dansaki is a song of gratitude to God for His mercies and the song flowed from my heart to God. I’m surprised that it became a hit song and inspired so many people, because I did not do any promos for it; I was pregnant then.

Tell us about your marriage?

For me I want to share a story of love through my songs, which are inspired by the breathe of the Almighty. I want to share a story that says there is nothing God cannot do. Your marriage may be going through obstacIes but God can heal it and make it better. I’m enjoying my own marriage; I’ve been married for 10 years and I know that there are some that have been married for 20,30,40 years and I admire them and hope that my marriage will be one of those success stories. My marriage is blissful thanks to God and my husband, Gbenga George.

Tell us something we don’t know about Lara George.

Some churches have little regard for artistes, thus they are not ready to pay for our services-unlike outside the Church

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Nigeria@54: The Success Story Of The Entertainment Industry On Wednesday, Nigeria celebrated its 54th anniversary of nationhood. In this review, ANTHONY ADA ABRAHAM, Abuja and SAMUEL ABULUDE, Lagos take a look at how the entertainment and arts industry have fared since independence

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ccording to the ongoing economic reform programme, plans are in place to put the economy on a recovery path, with an accompanying level of inflation that is totally minimal. Today, the Nigerian entertainment industry is ranked third, globally, in terms of quality of production and gross earnings.

In 2013, the managing director of Nigerian ExportImport Bank (NEXIM), Robert Orya, said Nollywood ranked third globally in gross earnings.

According to him, the revenue the film industry has generated in the last three years was between $300m and $800m.

“The global film and entertainment industry generated about $90.6bn revenue in 2010,” Orya explained, adding that, “the revenue increased to $102.7bn in 2012. Most of these revenue streams are from theatrical distribution. North America contributed the largest market share of about 40 per cent; Europe, the Middle East and Africa accounted for 24 per cent; Latin America 20 per cent, and Asia Pacific made only three per cent contribution.”

Pre-independence Era Before Nigeria gained independence, Nigerians, a people known to be the happiest people on earth according to a report, were 'doing their thing.'

As far back as the mid 1940s, playwrights and theatre artistes from the south-western region were performing stage plays. The doyen of theatre in Nigeria, the late Hubert Ogunde had begun what would cause a revolution in the arts having begun his theatre career under the patronage of the Lagos-based Church of the Lord, a sect of the Cherubim and Seraphim Society in 1944 with his first opera (a play set to

criticism of Nigeria's political elites and it won a contest that year as the official play for Nigerian Independence Day. On October 1, 1960, it premiered in Lagos as Nigeria celebrated its sovereignty. The play satirises the fledgling nation by showing that the present is no more a golden age than the past. With these and other playwrights majorly from the academia, the art cum entertainment scene was part of us. Notable was Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage displayed by our traditional music and dance styles.

Travelling theatre referred to as the Alarinjos was the order of the day between the '60s and '80s. Hubert Ogunde with his troupe, Kola Ogunmola and his theatre troupe, Afolayan aka Ade Love from Agbamu in Kwara State had his theatre troupe travelling from the Southern part of the country to the Northern part as far as Maiduguri. They were welcomed in different places as they staged their dramas openly and in different centres across the country. Though the unrest occasion by bloody coups by the Nigerian military affected the travelling theatre, it made practitioners to think of other ways to tell their stories to the people. A handful of cinemas scattered across the country showcased Nigeria films via celluloid.

Fela

Dan Maraya Jos and Maman Shata

Genevieve

Davido

music), The Garden of Eden and The Throne of God. Buoyed by the success, he founded Ogunde Theatre Troupe which was the first contemporary professional company in Nigeria. Ogunde Theatre was entitled the Tiger’s Empire. Premiered on March 4, 1946, Tiger's Empire was produced by the African Music Research. Scholars like Prof Wole Soyinka had also also started in this era having produced his first major play, The Swamp Dwellers in 1958 and followed it a year later with The Lion and the Jewel, a comedy that attracted interest from several members of London's Royal Court Theatre.

It was performed at the premier university, University of Ibadan

and the success of the play encouraged Soyinka to move to London where he garnered more experience as a playwright.

These two legendary artistes, among others, contributed to the industry immensely.

Theatre By the time Nigeria gained independence from Britain, the stage was set for the industry to be built with many Nigerians studying English, Theatre Arts and related fields.

Wole Soyinka, who celebrated his 80th birthday in 2014, produced The Trials of Brother Jero and A Dance of The Forest in 1960. The body of works authored by him was a satire-

Soap Operas That Shone The advent of television further opened opportunities in the sector galvanising the change that made stars out of actors and actresses. Soaps which are drama series began to be showcased as independent producers were needed to fill the content available in different TV stations. Cock Crow at Dawn, the Village Headmaster, Magana Ja Riche, Second Chance, Ripples, Behind The Clouds, Lynx Checkmate were all productions that got rave reviews among viewers and lovers of drama. At this point, an industry had emerged and needed both infrastructural edifices and sound policies to deepen the industry and create money-making opportunities for stakeholders. The Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) was the medium in the '70s and '80s that beamed stage dramas, soap operas and creative content to millions of Nigeria.

Epics like Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe televised on the NTA were one of the success stories of what television did

Epics like Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe televised on the NTA were one of the success stories of what television did to the industry

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Nigeria@54: The Success Story Of The Entertainment Industry 19

to the industry. After the deregulation in the broadcast industry in the mid '90s, many more TV stations started and drama series producers, directors, technical team and actors got more medium to express their creativity. The first private TV, DBN Television beamed live the Atlanta ’96 Olympics. AIT, Silver bird TV and other arts friendly broadcast stations made entertainment bigger in Nigeria. And with the era of home videos in 1992, the industry took a quantum leap with unlimited opportunities for filmmakers and businesssavvy people to cash-in on the opportunity. The rest is history as Nollywood was born. Movie makers and entertainers like Gabosky, Tunde Kelani, Wale Fanu, Tade Ogidan, Genevieve Nnaji, Zeb and Chico Ejiro, the late Amaka-Igwe began to churn out movies via home video format i.e VHS and then VCDs. These opened doors for Nigeria to sell herself through our stories laced by our rich cultural diversity.

National Monuments Edifices authenticate the importance of a sector and the arts were not left out. The National Arts Theatre became the primary centre for the performing arts in Nigeria.

Located in Orile-Iganmu area of Lagos State, the National Arts Theatre constructed and completed in 1976 was the hot bed for the transformation of the cultural arts and entertainment industry. The edifice, a magnificent dome, was iconic of the era in the history of arts in Nigeria. It was built in preparation for the Festival of Arts and Culture, FESTAC '77.

Movies The first movie, though produced outside the country, had the imprint of the late Hubert Ogunde who starred in Mister Johnson, the 1990 motion picture which also featured Pierce Brosnan. The movie was shot in Jos. Living in Bondage was produced in '92 by Kenneth Nnebue and this berthed the home video era. Nollywood is now known for churning out the 2nd largest quantum of movies.

In recognising the influence of the movie industry, government intervention via the $200m intervention fund to aid movie producers in accessing loans came to the fore in 2012 and N3bn subsequent funds for capacity building came about under the President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration.

Comedy, a genre of drama also evolved and it is now the fastest growing sector in the entertainment industry.

Ogunde

Tiwa

Late Osadebe

Tuface

Music The music industry has enjoyed its own fair share of success in the pre and the post independence eras. The music industry has celebrated artistes who are making billions of naira every year and creating jobs for the youths, which has made the music industry in Nigeria come to stay.

The highlife and juju music era saw the likes of Ofege, Bright Chimezie, Stephen Osita Osadebe, Dr Victor Olaiya, Harry Mosco , Dan Maraya Jos, Bongos Ikwue, Mama Shata, IK Dairo,William Onyeabor, Sonny Okosun, Fela Kuti, Victor Uwaifor, Oliver de Coke, among others, who contributed their quota in making the industry what it is today.

For the past 54 years, the music industry is evolving and has gotten to a stage that Nigerian artistes could stand shoulder to shoulder with their counterparts around the globe.

They are sure of what they are and proud of the stuff they are made of.

Musicians like Tuface Idibia, Psquare, D'banj, Wizkid, Davido

(though they are young), Terry G, Timaya, Bank W, Ice Prince, MI, Tiwa Savage and few others have really taken the industry to another level.

Producers and DJs like Don Jazzy, Jimmy Jat, Neptune, Clearance Peters and others are working towards making good sound and video productions.

While in the comedy industry, AY, Julius Agwu, Nick B, BasketMouth, Bovi and others are using their comedy shows to create opportunities for comedians looking for an avenue to show their talents.

On the impact of the industry, the PMAN governor, Abuja chapter, Mr Collins Adeyemi, said, "Through music, we advocate peace and unity in our land; through music, we discourage evil doers from coming into our land. And we are working in conjunction with some government parastatals on developing theme songs for some federal government programmes that are on-going.

Through these theme songs, our artistes will be engaged. “We applaud the president for his achievements; he has done a lot especially for the

Basketmouth

entertainment industry. He's the first president of Nigeria who has actually taken care of entertainers, musicians and artistes."

Though the entertainment inustry in the country has recorded many successes so far, artistes said, the challenge of access to funds remain in the movie industry. The MOPPICON bills which could have created a blue print for the stakeholders, including filmmakers, guilds heads and others is yet to be put into law since the Olusegun Obasanjoled government.

For the past 54 years, the music industry is evolving and has gotten to a stage that Nigerian artistes could stand shoulder to shoulder with their counterparts around the globe

20 BLITZ

Saturday, October 4, 2014

Annie Idibia, PMAN Gov, Others Honoured At Peace Achievers Award

By Anthony Ada Abraham, Abuja

Following his contribution to the development and stability of the performing musicians association of Nigeria (PMAN), in Abuja, and his effort in ensuring a level playing ground for musicians in Nigeria, the Peace Ambassador Agency, organisers of Peace Achievers Award and Miss Ambassador for Peace beauty pageant, recognised the effort of Collins Adeyemi with a peace ambassador award.

Annie Idibia, superstar Tuface Idibia's wife, was also recognised for her contribution to the entertainment industry.

Annie and Collins

the award, Receiving Adeyemi said,"It's not because I'm the best person that made me recognised. I was awarded an Ambassador for peace . I

have no fight with anyone.

PMAN has always been a controversial association.

When you have people who don't want change, I want to use this opportunity to tell the world that they are worst than the insurgents we have in Nigeria." Adeyemi said.

"The new exco and I have taken the group to a place it hasn't been for the past 10 years and we have been receiving commendations from different places. This shows that we are getting there and we will get there. I want to thank the organisers of the award for the recognition. I believe that we will continue to do well," .

Shuga Releases Married Today

By SOLOMON NDA-ISAIAH, Abuja

After successfully performing at over 500 weddings, both locally and internationally, Shuga (Akin Tofowomo) leader and founder of the popular Shuga Band has just released a wedding single titled Married Today.

Shuga, who is popularly referred to as the best wedding singer in West Africa, is signed to record label, 800 Records.

Akin Shuga The singer, who has performed at a lot of high profile events, 800 Records.

Shuga, who was recently given seeks to thrill and connect with his fans with this high octane single. the Top Hero Award award by Married Today is a high life song the Music Technology Students with a contemporary feel and is the Association of Nigeria(MUTSAN), first single that he is releasing with Ibadan Polytechnic, said music is

a platform that has enable him to enrich lives and he has been doing that, saying the world should expect more from him.

According to Shuga, “I would be releasing other songs as time goes on. Married Today is a wedding song and it's just the beginning of better things from Shuga as an artiste.”

With a feel good beat and danceable percussion, flavoured with ethnic beats and the irresistible sonoric voice of Shuga himself, the song has become an anthem of sorts for the online community where it was first released. As a matter of fact, within 24 hours of it's release the song started trending on Twitter, a rare feat for a new song.

J Martins (3rd left) supported by other artistes as he cut his birthday cake.

J Martins Celebrates Birthday At TDmobile Launch

By SAMUEL ABULUDE, Lagos

Birthday boy, J Martins who was to perform at the smart phone, TD Mobile's launch on Monday, 29th September, 2014 got a surprise. After his performance at the Eko Hotel and Suites ballroom, organisers surprised him with a birthday cake.

Tony Montana and rapper, Naeto C had performed before him at the event which had in attendance captains of industries from the banking, ICT and communications sectors, among other guests.

Jay Martins was elated as the Tripple MG crew led by

Iyanya, Emma Nyra, Tecno, Honcho and Franklin Ubi came on stage to support him.

The Kukere crooner and Leno ambassador, Iyanya, sang the happy birthday song, to the delight of the celebrant and guests who attended the show.

“I’m grateful to the chairman, Leo Stan Ekeh, for inviting me to perform on my birthday. Thank you to the team of TD Mobile for arranging this surprise party,” the celebrant gushed.

The product, under the management of Gozy Ijogwu, is aimed at helping the upwardly mobile conduct their business and personal lives easily.

2nd Democracy Heroes Award & Pageant Show Holds In Abuja

ZAYO’S BASIA, Clarence Peters Most Daring Video Yet?

By SOLOMON NDA-ISAIAH, Abuja

Winner of KOGA Open House, Zayo, has released the video for his new single Basia. The video, which was directed by Clarence Peters, has been generating serious buzz.

Basia is a fusion of danceable beats, distinct lyrics and instrumentation, all combining to make the song an irresitable dance tune.

The video, which has been touted by some as the Nigerian version of Nicki Minaj’s Anaconda, is said to be the most daring video that has ever been shot by Clarence Peters.

It features near nudity and risque dance moves that make Anaconda pale in comparism.

The singer, who is a 400 level student of Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED) has released three singles so far since winning the Koga Open House Competition. The three singles are, Colored, Ewomo, and the just released Basia. He is signed

Zayo

to KOGA Records.

Speaking on his Basia video, Zayo said, “the video is lovely even if I say so myself. When we got the idea for the video, we played around with it and decided that it is nice. We paired a great idea with a great music director and the Basia video is the result. There are still more great things to come from KOGA and Zayo; the sky is not the limit but our point of view. Basia isn’t

raunchy at all, it is an expressive video. The song is all about the backside, so we needed to show enough backsides to illustrate our points".

Zayo, who believes that he has what it takes to compete favourably in the industry, further added, “the industry is all about delivering the kind of songs that can stand the test of time. There are songs that when you hear them a few years down the line, you can still relate and connect with them. Those are the kind of songs I want to create and I know that with God, nothing is impossible. I look forward to working with a lot of talented people in the industry and with time, we would be releasing other songs.”

Zayo showed his lyrical dexterity at the KOGA Open House Competition, proving to the likes of Masterkraft, DJklem and LiciousCrackit, who were the judges that he has what it takes to be the next big thing in the music industry.

Reigning Face Of Democracy Queen Kevwe Ikpuri and minister Of finance, Dr Ngozi Okonji-Iweala

By SOLOMON NDA-ISAIAH , Abuja

The countdown to the 2nd edition of Democracy Heroes Award and Pageant show slated to hold in Abuja has begun.

Preparations for the epoch making event are already at an advanced stage as the organisers are not leaving any stone unturned to stage a world class show. The testimony of the previous event is still making rounds as it was not only considered the most prized pageant, but also an event of class which attracted the high and mighty in the corridors of power.

Recently, a press conference was held to buttress the objective of the project, which amongst every other things is to honour and celebrate the

heroes of Nigerian Democracy with an award recognition and to select a young and vibrant lady who will be the face of Nigeria's democracy to intercede for the government and the people as well as advocate for mass electoral participation by Nigerian youths, especially in the forthcoming general election.

Following the zonal auditions conducted nationwide from August to September in Calabar, Owerri, Portharcourt and Lagos, the Face of Democracy team headed by Alexandar Ajagbonna aka Fajag, have fixed the final grand audition for October 2014, in Abuja while the grand finale will hold in November 2014, also in Abuja.

Saturday, October 4, 2014

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He was honoured with the award, Member of the Order of the Niger (MON)

Michael Onuh, Imeh Usuah and Solomon Dauda, during the award ceremony in Abuja

The ‘Common Men’ Who Won The Heart Of The President

BY Catherine Agbo, Abuja

Unlike in the past when the national honours awards were surrounded by controversies over the personalities to be honoured, this year’s awards, which held on Monday, September 29, stood out and the reason is simple; Nigerians who truly deserved to be honoured made the list.

They include Alhaji Idris Ibrahim Ginsau, a Jigawa State civil servant for his acts of honesty in far away Saudi Arabia, in 2010, 70-year-old taxi driver, pa Imeh Usuah, who returned about N18 million forgotten in his cab by foreigners, the head of presidential stewards, Michael Onuh, who has reportedly served nine presidents and heads of state meritoriously, and a traffic warden, Cpl Solomon Dauda, who does his job with passion and entertains motorists while at it.

Idris Ibrahim Ginsau Alhaji Idris Ibrahim Ginsau is not known to many Nigerians but in his native Jigawa State, he is the “Moral Face of Jigawa State.”

He was pronounced Moral Face of Jigawa by the state governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido in during his 2010 budget presentation speech before the state assembly. The director of publications and information in the Jigawa State House of Assembly also received a certificate of recognition and a souvenir from the state governor during the 23 anniversary of Jigawa state.

Ginsua earned the recognition for his exemplary behaviour and show of honesty in 2009, in far away Saudi Arabia, while observing Islamic pilgrimage in the country.

This show of morality, though not

mentioned during the awards ceremony, is what earned Ginsua, a civil servant with the Jigawa State civil service the national honour. Perhaps this explains why he didn’t receive a gift of a house which was extended to others like him. He was conferred with the national award of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR).

Recalling how it happened, he told LEADERSHIP Weekend that in 2009, while on pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, he found and returned hundreds of thousands of rupees approximated to 50,000 Saudi Riyads, about N2.2 million, belonging to a Pakistani pilgrim. He said he had just concluded circumvention of the Muslim sacred side of Ka’aba in the Holy Mosque of Mecca and was making his way back when he noticed sudden heaviness in his side pocket and when he stopped to check what it was, he saw that it was Rupees of very high denomination and he promptly put it back for fear of been seen with the money and labelled a thief, while also praying silently for God to guide him on the issue.

The national honouree said he prayed and hoped to find the owner of the money and at the same time, reported the development to the Jigawa state amirul hajj who advised that a letter be written and the money be returned to the National Hajj Commission, which he did, and at the commission, because of some documents that were wrapped together with the money, it was traced to a Pakistani and the officials reported to Pakistani officials and handed the money back to them.

“I could easily have changed the money and used it but the fear of God in me did not allow me to do

so. I felt that the owner of the money was probably in the country for the same purpose I was there and had brought the money to use, and it would be unfair to treat him that way,” Ginsua added.

He told LEADERSHIP Weekend in an interview yesterday that this singular effort could have earned him the award, and expressed appreciation to the entire Nigerians, especially President Goodluck Jonathan for finding him worthy of the national honour.

Michael Onuh For Michael Onuh, his story is akin to that of lack in the midst of plenty. One would have expected that having served various presidents of the country 30 years of his life, he would have a lot to show for it but the reality is far from that.

Daily, he has to go through the rigour of commuting to his job post at the presidential villa from a remote location in neighbouring Nasarawa State, where he lives in a rented property. But that did not deter him. Daily, the father of four who is an indigene of Kogi State would leave his abode as early as 3am to resume at his job. That has been his routine since the days of the first president of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari.

In an interview he granted to Villa Scope, the in-house journal of the state house, Onuh was quoted to have described passion for the job as what has kept him going, even as he said the ethics of the job do not permit him to ask for favours. He was however said to have expressed regret over his living condition, lamenting that despite having put in 30 years in the service of the country, he could not boast of a decent

Traffic Warden Cpl Solomon Dauda Little is known about this officer of the police force but every regular visitor to Abuja may have on one of those occasions come across him at one of the junctions in the territory where he does his job diligently and passionately, to the admiration of motorists. He is a true example of one who finds pleasure in his job and tries to be happy at it.

The theatrics he brings into controlling traffic in Abuja, which traffic situation is fast becoming chaotic in view of dysfunctional traffic lights are usually a delight. Before now, the only reward for his hardwork may have been from motorists who often leave tips for him as the drive past him at his duty post. The latest recognition from the presidency, the Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) is no doubt a sign that there is dignity in labour.

Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi Designer of the country’s national flag, Pa Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi also received the national honour, Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR). He was also placed on a life salary of a special assistant to the president. this is the first time he would be recognised by the country, apart from the prize he received in the competition where his design of the flag emerged the best.

Taxi Driver Imeh Usuah Imeh Usuah, also a recipient of the national honour, Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) is a taxi driver at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. Sometime in 2007, he picked and dropped two men, foreigners, at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel Abuja and while washing his car later, he found a big black bag at the rear of the car and on checking it, he found foreign currencies, the equivalent of N18 million in the bag. He returned the bag and the money to its owners at the hotel.

This is the biggest honour he has received yet for his rare show of honesty but he has received several others. In 2012, Usuah emerged the winner of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC), maiden Integrity Award, with a cash price of N2.5million while the National Orientation Agency (NOA) also rewarded him with the sum of N30,000. He has also received commendation from the Nigeria Network of Women and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The president, during the awards ceremony, had directed the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed to give each of Usuah, Onuh and Dauda a flat in Abuja.

The pronouncement by the president has however elicited reaction from Nigerians, some of who are asking which houses would be given to the awardees, considering that government-owned houses have been sold.

In 2009, while on pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, he found and returned hundreds of thousands of rupees approximated to 50,000 Saudi Riyads, about N2.2 million

ISSUE 153 OCTOBER 4, 2014.

teCHLIFe IS JaCK ma tHe moSt bIzarre bILLIonaIre ever?

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top

aIrLIneS Kawu SumaILa

Consummate politician

narendra modI

India’s ‘divisive’ leader More than any other politician in recent memory, Narendra Modi, India’s newly elected prime minister, has generated hope for the economic prospects of his nation.

trended

Comedian Tracy Morgan may never perform again

StuFF

15 famous logos and their hidden meanings

LIFeStYLed

dreSSSenSe dre

Noiva do Cordeiro Brazil’s only women town

Britney Spears reveals more than intended in sheer black tank

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THAT'S inSide THiS iSSue

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BELIEVE THIS!

sTuff

Leonardo Da Vinci could write with one hand and paint with the other at the same time.

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31 wONDERs Of ThE wORlD

35 KEYED QuEsTION

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29 TOp TEN STarTIng BLockS

STuFF

THE BIg STorY

27 proUDlY niGeriA

31 DespoTs AnD DicTATors

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32 sTUff

• Kawu Sumaila Consummate politician

• Iran’s Mohammad Reza Pahlavi

• 15 famous logos and their • Comedian Tracy Morgan may hidden meanings never perform again 33 forbiDDen knoWleDGe • Build freakish muscles 28 VirAl • Adorable toddler filmed turning 34 ArTicUlATe living room into a dance floor • Guggenheim Museum is one of the mankind’s greatest 29 Top Ten architectural achievements • Richest internet 35 lifesTYleD entrepreneurs • Noiva do Cordeiro 30 WHAT's Up Brazil’s only women town • Li Na 36 Doers Tennis glitterati bid long • Amal Alamuddin Fabulous, bright and goodbye to a great independent

37 Top Airlines • • • • • • • • • • •

Top of the line, Cathay Pacific Far reaching Qatar Airlines Luxurious Singapore airline Comfort oriented Emirate Airline High class Turkish Airline Inspirational All Nippon Airways Improved Garuda Indonesia Friend of the environment, Asiana Airlines Prestigious Etihad Airways Deutsche Lufthansa AG Qantas

whAT's up?

THE rEguLarS

43 TEChlIfE

44 DREss sENsE BoXED

• Believe this • Fact Box, Do You Remember When? Strictly For JJCs 44 cUlTUreD! • Shocking Foodfacts • Etiquettewise, Superstitions, • Psychology Ideas, Useless Proverbs, Excusez moi Information, Business 45 DesirAbles Blunder, Quick Quiz, 46 MinDfUl • Espionage, Discovered • Crossword, WordSearch, • Sounding Clever, Sudoku, Homework, Sounding Great, Spotlights, Bookshelf • Know Why, 47 A lA cArTe • Celeb Info, Teeny • Crazy Tricks, Gentleman's • Fascinating Facts, Words, Laugh-Out-Loud • Keepsakes, 48 bonUs pAck • Just Unbelievable, Fast • Seen & Overhead, English Forward Phrases, Keepsakes

43 TecHlife

• Click Click,

Buzzstop Oscar Pistorius telephoned an ex-girlfriend shortly before entering the house where he killed Reeva Steenkamp, an investigation released Thursday found.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, who has not been seen for nearly a month due to apparent health problems, sent a congratulatory message to China on its national day Wednesday, state media said.

In a recent interview, Barcelona defender, Gerard Pique, admitted he was scared of Roy Keane during their days together at Manchester United.

An Argentinian teenage girl has been left severely disfigured after rivals allegedly vowed to make her ‘look like Chucky’, reports said Thursday.

Germany said Wednesday they decided to “err

on the side of safety” after suspending further deliveries of Eurofighter combat jets and reducing their annual flying hours because of a newly discovered manufacturing defect.

Muslim hate crime in London has shot up by almost 65% in twelve months, with spikes in violence linked not to Islamic State beheadings, but to incidents closer to home like the Rotherham grooming scandal, reports said Thursday.

California’s Catholic leadership has filed a federal civil rights complaint over a state requirement that health insurance cover abortions, reports said Wednesday.

Texas health officials on Thursday said as many as 80 people were in contact with the Dallas Ebola

patient at some point.

Liberian authorities say they plan to prosecute the man infected with Ebola who brought the disease to the United States, saying he lied on his airport health questionnaire.

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau dismissed Nigerian military claims of his death in a new video obtained by AFP on Thursday and said the militants had implemented strict Islamic law in captured towns.

Islamic State beheaded seven men and three women in a northern Kurdish area of Syria, a human rights monitoring group said on Wednesday, part of what it described as a campaign to frighten residents resisting the militant group’s advance.

Content Victoria Usman, Abisola Alawode, Love Adeyemi, Faith Kure DeSIGn/LAYoUt Matthew Akhabue ACTING EDITOR Catherine Agbo

group

FoUnDeR Sam nda-Isaiah CHAIRMAn Hajiya Ireti Kingibe GRoUP MAnAGInG DIReCtoR Azubuike Ishiekwene GRoUP eXeCUtIVe DIReCtoRS Michael okpere, Dr Kazeem Durodoye FeeDbACK AnD MAILS Cognoscenti is published as an insert in LEADERSHIP Weekend. A number of the articles in this pullout are sourced from diverse sources.

Please do send your feedback and enquiries to cognoscenti@leadership.ng or send us a tweet @LeCognoscenti

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Saturday, October 4, 2014

StartingBlocks The Namib Naukluft National Park in Namibia is the largest game park in Africa, and the world’s fourth largest.

afriCanFacts

THE PACESETTING PAGES Ethiopia is the only country in the world that has 13 months in its calendar.

Proudly Nigeria

SalamaTu HuSSaini SulEiman

Enlightened technocrat

Kawu Sumaila

Consummate politician Known for his oratory prowess and deep passion for Kano state and Nigeria as a whole, Mr Sumaila is not an ‘armchair’ politician.

Honourable Kawu Sumaila was born on 3 March, 1968 in Sumaila village in Kano state. He attended Sumaila Gabas Primary School, Sumaila, in Kano state, where he obtained his first School Leaving Certificate in 1976 and Senior Secondary School, Sumaila, where he obtained Secondary School Leaving Certificate in 1982. He proceeded to Bayero University Kano, where he obtained a Diploma in 2001 and Advance Diploma in Educational Management in 2003.

Kawu Sumaila also obtained several other certificates in Islamic education where he attended Islamic schools both in Sumaila and Kano at his early age. He has also attended several courses in the United Kingdom and United States.

After his education, Kawu was appointed member of the Kano State Library Board and later Coordinator of National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) and Chairman Local Government Monitoring Committee of the programme in Sumaila.

With the fire of servitude burning in him, Kawu Sumaila joined politics in 1986. He was a member of Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 1990 and a member of Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), which later merged with some other political groups in the country to form what is today known as the People's Democratic Party (PDP).

Between 1995 and 1997, Kawu was in the executive council of the PDM but later became the chairmanship candidate on the platform of United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP) for Sumaila local government. He became a member of the PDP in

Sumaila

1998 and was the party's financial controller for Kano state chapter between 1998 and 2001. In 2002, Kawu contested for the State Assembly seat under the umbrella of the PDP. In 2003, Kawu decided to run for a legislative seat as representative of the Sumaila/Takai Federal Constituency Kano state.

He decamped to All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and was elected into the House of Representatives. He was elected to the house in 2007.

His tenure in the House of Representatives has been marked with many milestones. Known for his oratory prowess and deep passion for

Kano state and Nigeria as a whole, Mr Sumaila is not an ‘armchair’ politician.

Kawu Sumaila has developed and risen politically by proving his legislative mettle through sponsorship of important bills and motions that have reshaped the nation. These include amendment of Section 145 of the Constitution which provided for transfer of power to the Vice President and Deputy Governor; State Assembly financial autonomy; extrajudicial killings in Maiduguri by security agencies; dilapidated condition of Kano Airport; illegal parking of articulated trucks at Tafa village; control and management of cerebrospinal meningitis and setting time limit to dispose of election petitions before swearing-in elected officers amongst others.

Kawu has been a member of several committees in the House including interior, information, poverty alleviation, water resources and science and technology. He was also a member of the ad-hoc committee on the investigation of EFCC activities under Mallam Nuhu Ribadu in 2006.

He became the deputy minority leader in 2011 after his re-election for the second term into the lower house.

In recognition of his numerous contributions to Kano state, he was conferred with the traditional title of Turakin Sumaila by the late Dan Isan Kano, District Head of Sumaila in 2006. He was also conferred with the prestigious national honour of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (OFR) in September 2012 by President Goodluck Jonathan. He is happily married and blessed with children.

STriCTlY fOr JJCs Never send money to anyone you meet online Taking advantage of the ‘dangerous’ perception of Africa, some scammers have brushed their skills in the scam business and are now using all their wit to get people to pay ransom for their supposed loved ones. What they do is pretend to be someone from a Western country, visiting Nigeria or Ghana for some reason.

They are consequently kidnapped and you will be asked to urgently send them some ransom money to help them get out of the messy situation. Yes, this one definitely

pulls on the heart strings because you will obviously want to do something to help but don't fall for it because it is simply a way to play on people's emotions and then scam money from them. While cases like this are very, very rare, there is another variation of the kidnap scam. One of the most alarming of all online dating scam stories is that of Australian man Desmond Gregor who flew to Mali in North Western Africa hoping to meet his online sweetheart. Instead, he met twelve

men armed with machetes who held him captive, demanding ransom.

Gregor was lucky to escape with the help of the Canadian Embassy.

This is an extreme case of online dating scamming but should serve as a wakeup call to all online daters; do you really know who is on the other end of that email or phone? Of course millions of people have flown across countries and continents to find the loves of their life but it's important to keep personal safety in mind.

A lawyer by training with 31 years’ work experience, Mrs Suleiman has served in various senior capacities in both private and public sector.

She started her career as a State Counsel with the Ministry of Justice Sokoto (1981-1988) and thereafter worked with the Continental Merchant Bank (1988-1996), NAL Merchant Bank (1996-1997) and as Secretary/ Legal Adviser with the Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria (19972001) and Securities and Exchange Commission (2001-2008).

In 2008, she was appointed as the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development of the Federal Government of Nigeria, and again as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in 2010. Mrs Suleiman holds a Master’s Degree in Law (LLM) from the London School of Economics and Political Science (1987) and has attended various professional and development courses over the years. During her time as minister, Salamatu Hussaini Suleiman said her mission was to serve as the national vehicle for speedy and healthy development of Nigerian women, and to ensure the protection and development of women and children for meaningful life. She urged the state to give women at least 30 per cent representation in elective and appointive positions. And to some extent, she achieved this.

In addition to contributing in the formulation and implementation of various strategic development policies while serving as minister, she still actively supports gender and humanitarian issues, particularly the empowerment of women and the less-privileged through various platforms. She was also appointed Commissioner Political Affairs, Peace and Security of the ECOWAS Commission in February 2012. A mentor to many young women, she always advises them to ‘Remain focused, believe in yourself that you can do anything and achieve as long as you are with God.’

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StartingBlocks

10,104,424

5,000,000 Number of houseflies that would lift a 110 pounds person off the ground.

Number of vehicles produced by Japanese car maker, Toyota in 2012.

The BuzzworThy sTuff oNLINe

Trended Comedian Tracy Morgan may never perform again Comedian/Actor Tracy Morgan may never perform again, as a result of the injuries he sustained in a deadly accident earlier this year, his lawyer has said. The 45-year-old suffered serious injuries in a collision with an allegedly exhausted WalMart truck driver, who slammed into his limo bus on the New Jersey turnpike in June 2014. Fellow comedian James McNair was killed in the crash as he and others were accompanying the former Saturday Night Live-star back from a show in Delaware. Morgan spent several weeks in rehab with rib and leg injuries, but is still undergoing treatment for injuries to his brain, including daily speech, cognitive, vocational and physical therapies.

Tyrese Gibson surprises his long-time nanny with a luxury Audi sedan Fast & Furious star, Tyrese Gibson certainly knows how to show his appreciation.

The 35-yearold actor gave his nanny Elva a surprise of a lifetime on Monday, Celebrity Yahoo reported.

He bought her a black luxury Audi sedan, replacing her older car. The Grammy-nominated singer says he wanted to show her how grateful he is for taking care of his seven-yearold daughter Shayla since she was 18 months old. ‘Come here, Elva — you got a new car!’ he said. He posted a short video on his Instagram account.

‘A surprise for my dear nanny Elva,’ he captioned. And Elva was certainly not expecting such a gift, as she squealed and screamed with delight after Tyrese announced the car was hers.

Funny web

Woman travels to 22 countries to go on 75 blind dates From an Italian prince and a Spanish gigolo to a Russian billionaire and a priest at the Vatican, Bambi Smyth has certainly ‘dated’ her fair share of interesting men. In fact, the 55-year-old from Melbourne spent three months going on 75 blind dates in 22 countries - and it was all in a mission to find ‘The One’. Ms Smyth’s jampacked itinerary led her to dine with some ‘extraordinary and interesting’ men, which she then tried to match with a dish unique to their culture. ‘It was a cross between speed dating and a smorgasbord,’ she told Daily Mail Australia. ‘It was hard work, but exciting too.’

Viral Adorable toddler filmed turning living room into a dance floor A 17-month-old baby was recently filmed demonstrating her stylish and impressive dance moves in a heartwarming video. The toddler, from Skanderborg, Denmark, is seen resting on a sofa tapping their feet as the video starts - but once the beat kicksin; she rushes out to the floor and pulls off a series of twists and turns.

The baby swaggers out confidently to the wooden floor smiling and looking very happy as an upbeat dance track is played. The baby’s mother clicks her fingers and dances in the background while encouraging her energetic infant throughout the short video. The baby raises their arm on numerous

occasions throughout the video and they also complete a memorable 360-degree turn.

Hidden ‘bra cam’ demonstrates just how often men and women - steal sneaky glances A Hilariously on-point video, which has now been viewed more than a million times has been uploaded to the Nestlé Fitness YouTube page with the hashtag ‘CheckYourSelfie.’ It depicts just how many wandering eyeballs are drawn to women’s breasts in a day.

The actress in the video is equipped with a hidden camera that is disguised as a button on her bra, and she walks around town for a day running errands, taking meetings, getting coffee, etc. A counter tallies the glances

her breasts attract throughout the day. It should definitely be noted that the actress is wearing a very bright pink bra, and her shirt is basically half-buttoned. So what is the point of illustrating that no one can help looking at boobs? Well, Nestlé Fitness says it hopes to remind women that since other people are constantly checking out their breasts, they should take the time to check their own with regular breast exams.

NFL forced to apologise to Muslim player STrange penalised for praying This 3-year-old boy can’t stop eating A Muslim player was penalised for dropping to his knees in prayer after scoring a touchdown. Kansas City Chiefs safety Husain Abdullah received a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after he dropped to the ground and performed the Sajdah in the fourth quarter of Kansas City Chiefs game against the New England Patriots. Michael Signora, the NFL Vice President of Football Communications, wrote on Twitter, ‘Abdullah should not have been penalised.

Officiating mechanic is not to flag player who goes to ground for religious reasons.’

The parents of a three-year-old boy who apparently weighs 70kg say they are desperate for him to stop gaining weight. The boy, known only as Misael, was born a healthy 3kg. But every month since then, he has gained 3kg - causing him to balloon in size and leaving him struggling to walk. He now

weighs 70kg, his parents say. Doctors now believe he may be suffering from Prader–Willi syndrome, a rare genetic condition characterised by a constant hunger and desire to eat. Children with the condition will eat three to six times more than others of the same age - and even then will probably still feel hungry. Misael’s father Michael said: ‘Even taking him to the doctor or leaving the house with him is difficult.

‘And when we walk down the street, people stop, want to take pictures with him, people say that they never saw a boy this size, people want to know how old he is, how much he weighs...’

Transporting Misael who has behavioural problems is so problematic that his family, from Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, Espirito Santo, are forced to hire a private taxi. He also suffers from an underactive thyroid - which can cause weight gain - and his parents say medication to help treat this is not helping.

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Saturday, October 4, 2014

StartingBlocks dumBLaWs

It is against the law for either person to climax during foreplay in California.

10

In Australia, it is illegal to be drunk in a pub. This may result in a $500 fine.

OF EVERYTHING THAT'S WORTH ITS SALT

RiChesT inTeRneT enTRepReneuRs

Page

Brin

Bezos

name

company

net worth

1

Lary Page

Google

$29.8bn

2

Sergey Brin

Google

$29.4bn

3 4

Jeff Bezos Mark Zuckerberg

Amazon Facebook

$29.3bn $26.3bn

5

Masoyoshi Son

Softbank

$19.7bn

6

Ma Huateng

Tencent Holdings

$13.8bn

7

Robin Li

Baidu

$10.9bn

8

Xavier Niel

Iliad

$9.3bn

9

Eric Schmidt

Google

$8.8bn

10

Pierre Omidyar

eBay

$8.1bn

ConsTRuCTion ManuFaCTuReRs by saLes

Volvo

s/n Company/country

Hitachi

1

Caterpillar/USA

amount generated $35.30bn

2

Komatsu/Japan

$21.75bn

3

Volvo/Sweden

$10.01bn

4

Hitachi/Japan

$10bn

5

Liebherr/Switzerland

$7.93bn

6

Sany/China

$7.83bn

7

Zoomlion/China

$7.17bn

8

Terex/USA

$6.51bn

9

Doosan/South Korea

$5.83bn

10

John Deere/USA

$5.37bn

SHoCKiNg

FoodFacts

Facts about Levada-WaLking – madeira portugal 1. What are levadas?

The word levada means ‘to take’. A levada is an irrigation channel, designed to take water from places where it is plentiful to those where it is not, and is needed.

s/n

Komatsu

It is illegal to eat icecream on Ottawa’s Bank Street in Canada on a Sunday.

Caterpillar

The calcium in yogurt helps lower calcitrol in the body, which in turn helps turn on fat burning and turn down fat storage.

2. Why Levadas?

Water is abundant in the mountains to the north of the island, but scarce in the fertile and sunny south, where most crops are grown. The island’s earliest settlers began the building of irrigation channels that form the basis of today’s network.

3. Water and power Water was key to the growth of Madeira. It irrigated the crops, powered the sawmills for timber used in construction and shipbuilding, and turned the wheels of the mills that crushed sugar.

4. Construction Constructing levadas was a feat of engineering, involving cutting channels into a sheer rock face, or building aqueducts over deep ravines.

To reach inaccessible spots, the levada builders were lowered down cliffs in baskets.

5. Contour lines To prevent the water from running too fast, causing soil erosion, most levadas follow the contours of the landscape, winding in and out of valleys, descending gradually from north to south.

6. Levada Maintenance Levadas require constant maintenance to clear anything that might block the flow of water. Paths were built alongside to allow the levadeiros, or maintenance men, access to do the work.

7. Levadas as Footpaths On a visit to Madeira in 1974, Pat and John Underwood

Levadas

Levadas contour lines

realised that maintenance paths offered easy walking routes with stunning views.

Their book, Landscapes of Madeira, brings walkers by the thousand to the island.

8. Guided tours Levada walking is easiest if you join a guided tour, both Madeira Explorers and Nature Meetings are good companies; the tourist board will have details of others.

9. Levada dos Tornos Combine a levada walk with a visit to the Quinta do Palheiro Ferreiro. Turn right out of the garden and walk to the village. Follow signs to the Levada dos Tornos and Jasmin Tea House - an ideal spot for lunch.

10. Rabacal A popular walk starts from Rabacal. Walk down to the Foresters’ House, and turn right along the levada signposted ‘Risco’ After a 20- or 30-minute walk through primeval woodland, you will reach a pretty waterfall.

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Saturday, October 4, 2014

StartingBlocks

BY THE NUMBERS

CELEBINFO

Robin Williams was reportedly an avid gamer who played games such as Call of Duty, Zelda, Portal, and Battlestations Pacific. His daughter Zelda was named after the video game.

Li Na

32

WHAT'S UP

BOXOFFICESTATS

Zyzzyx Road, a 2006 American Thriller film, is the lowest grossing film of all time, making $30 at the box office.

IN-THE-NOW HappENINgS arOuNd uS

Current age of Li Na

2nd

Highest position Li has reached on the WTA rankings.

9

Number of WTA singles titles Li has won in her career.

16

The age Li was when she turned professional.

14

Li’s position on the WTA Prize money leader’s chart.

$16.8 MiLLiON

Li’s total earnings in her tennis career.

$2.5

MiLLiON

Amount of money Mercedes-Benz and Taikang Life Insurance paid yearly to advertise with Li.

2013

Year Li was named on Time magazine’s 100 most influential people list.

1

Number of books Li has written about her rise to fame.

116

MiLLiON

Number of people that watched Li win the 2011 French Open.

Li Na

Li Na

Tennis glitterati bid long goodbye to a great It was the long goodbye as China bid farewell to its sporting heroine in a tearful ceremony. Li Na had announced last month at the age of 32 her career was over, that her recurring knee problems would keep her off the court once and for all.

And at the start of the China Open at Beijing’s National Tennis Centre Asia’s first grand slam singles champion was lauded by peers, Chinese celebrities and the wider public in a special ceremony.

In all, 40 WTA players were on court for the ceremony, which reached its climax as world No.2 Rafa Nadal, moments after winning on his own return from injury, presented the player with flowers alongside her husband Jiang Shan.

The 14-time Grand Slam champion had previously tweeted: “Congratulations for your career and I wish you all the best in your new life #LoveLi.” The current world No. 6 won the French Open in 2011 and the Australian Open in 2014 as well as helping popularise the sport in Asia.

‘After four knee surgeries and hundreds of shots injected into my knee weekly to alleviate swelling and pain, my body is begging me to stop the pounding,’ Li added on her Facebook page. ‘My previous three surgeries were on my right knee. My most recent knee surgery took place this July and was on my left knee.

‘While I’ve come back from surgery in the past, this time it felt different. As hard as I tried to get back to being 100%, my body kept telling me that, at 32, I will not

be able to compete at the top level ever again. The sport is just too competitive, too good, to not be 100%.”

‘It took me several agonizing months to finally come to the decision that my chronic injuries will never again let me be the tennis player that I can be,’ said Li on her Facebook page.

‘Walking away from the sport, effective immediately is the right decision for me and my family.’

Paying tribute to Li’is successful career, WTA chairman and chief executive officer Stacey Allaster highlighted the Chinese star’s help in raising tennis’ profile in Asia.

‘She is a pioneer who opened doors to tennis for hundreds of millions of people throughout China and Asia,’ said Allaster in a statement.

‘It’s hard to be a household name in a nation with 1.4 billion people, but that’s what Li Na is,’ added Allaster. ‘Her legacy is immense and I have no doubt that her contributions to the WTA will be seen for decades to come in China, throughout Asia and the rest of the world.’

World number one Serena Williams also paid her own tribute. ‘Your retirement is a sad day for tennis but I’m sure your

future will be bright. The star you left on our sport will never dim. Thank you for always making everyone smile,’ she wrote on her Facebook page.

As well as her two grand slam triumphs, the 32-year-old Li reached the Australian Open final in 2011 and 2013.

After her 2014 win in Melbourne, she became world No. 2 in February -- the highest ranking ever attained by an Asian player. However, an injury to her right knee forced Li to withdraw from April’s Stuttgart Open, and the 32-yearold has struggled with her form since.

It was a knee injury that forced her to miss the recent U.S. Open. Li, who played in three Olympics for China and retires having earned $16.7m in prize money, has no plans to completely sever her links with tennis.

‘We’re putting together various plans on how we will continue to grow the sport of tennis in China,’ she said. These plans include opening the Li Na Tennis Academy, which will provide scholarships for the future generation of Chinese tennis stars. I will also stay involved in the Right to Play, an organization dedicated to helping underprivileged children overcome challenges through sport.’

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Saturday, October 4, 2014

Stuff

Logos and their meaning

p32

Brazil’s only women town

p35

Just like names, logos are inspired and have their own meaning, no doubt.

p36

This town populated only by women has made an appeal for eligible bachelors.

Amal Alamuddin The fabulous, bright, and independent Amal is much more than Clooney’s wife.

that will tickle your fancy

despots and dictators

Big Ideas

Iran’s Mohammad Reza Pahlavi SAVAK (Samane Etelaat va Amniate Kechvar, or Security and Intelligence Organisation) was the notorious secret police apparatus of the Shah Pahlavi. The influence of SAVAK was felt and feared throughout Iran and as far away as the US, where it was headed by spymaster Mo- zafar Rafizadeh, who persecuted anti-Shah Iranians, gathered intelligence, and reputedly organised orgies and opium parties at the Iranian Embassy in Washington to subvert American senators and congressmen. The Shah implemented drug control measures by instructing his Bureau of Public Health to offer addicts unlimited free supplies of a potent, pleasure-inducing narcotic (Drug X) containing substances (which came to be known on the street as ‘ingredients of persuasion’) that effectively killed the user within a short time.

The study of being is called ontology.

Its primary concern is with which things exist and which do not. Such things include universals, minds independent of bodies, things independent of the mind, free will, essences and God. If the thing in question is held to exist, then the question arises as to whether it exists independently of minds or language. It may also be asked whether it is irreducible, or is made up of other constituents. Questions may also be posed as to whether such things exist as substances, or as qualities, or as properties, or as relations to other things. One of the most enduring debates in philosophy regards the status of universals - general terms such as ‘blue’ or ‘cat’. ‘Realists’ hold that universals exist independently of the mind, while at the other end of the spectrum, extreme ‘nominalists’ argue that the objects of such general terms have nothing in common except the general term itself.

Poland’s Josef Pilsudski Charismatic but controversial Josef Pilsudski was a Polish field marshal who headed the national government during the 1920s and 1930s. He staged a coup d’ etat, adopted supra-legal measures, harassed opponents, and built special penitentiaries to house political prisoners.

In one of the most reviled of these penitentiaries, Bereza Kartuska Detention Camp, prisoners were grossly mistreated.

He sent armed troops into the Sejm-the Polish parliament-when he suspected a vote would not go his way. His death was occasioned by a lavish funeral and his body toured Poland on a funeral train, after which it was publicly displayed for two years at the Crypt of the Silver Bells in a Warsaw cathedral. Streets, ships, racehorses, and even an armoured train were christened after him and coins and postage stamps also perpetuate his name.

His brain was donated to a university for scientific study, and his heart was buried in his mother’s grave.

Knock out Boxing is considered the easiest sport for gamblers to fix.

Boxing rings are so called because they used to be round.

In 1985, Mike Tyson started boxing professionally at age eighteen.

Boxing is the most popular sport to create a film about.

Answer:

Which famous pirate story had Long John Silver as a character?

USELESS INFORMATION

Long John Silver was a charming rogue in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island.

QUICKQUIZ

Being

Four men in the history of boxing have been knocked out in the first eleven seconds of the first round.

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Stuff

Saturday, October 4, 2014 that will tickle your fancy

HISTORIFIC

Mary was the most popular female baby name in the US for 67 consecutive years.

SCIENTIFIC

Until the 1960s, the only reliable pregnancy test was to inject a woman’s urine into a female African clawed frog. If the woman was pregnant, the frog would ovulate within 12 hours.

15 famous logos and their hidden meanings Have you ever looked at logos and wondered what their meanings were or what inspired the designer?

Here are 15 logos that you see almost every day and what they represent.

1. Toyota The three ellipses seen in the logo for Toyota represent three hearts: the heart of the customer, the heart of the product, and the heart of progress in the field of technology 2. McDonald’s Yes, the ‘M’ for McDonald’s and there really isn’t another meaning.

In the 60’s, McDonald’s wanted to change the logo but their design consultant and psychologist Louis Cheskin insisted that they left the golden arches. According to BBC, he said customers will unconsciously recognise the logo as “symbolism of a pair of nourishing breasts.”

Whether this is true or not, their logo is one of the most recognisable in the world.

3. Mobil The importance of this logo is in its colours.

The red is said to represent strength and the blue represents faithfulness and security that the company provides.

4. Pepsi Designed by world famous Arnell Associates, the new logo is some sort of

Da Vinci Code design. The logo draws onFeng Shui, the Renaissance, the earth’s Geodynamo, the theory of relativity, and much more.

5. BMW BMW has a history in aviation and its logo stays true to its roots.

The blue and white represent a propeller in motion with the sky peeking through. In fact, BMW had a role in World War II as a creator of aircraft engines for the German military.

6. Apple The Apple logo represents the forbidden fruit from the ‘Tree of Knowledge’ in the Biblical creation story of Adam and Eve. 7. FedEx This logo is so creative.

If you look closely you will see the arrow between the letters ‘E’ and ‘X’, which represents the company’s forward thinking ways and outlook towards the future.

8. MercedesBenz The MercedesBenz logo is the most confident of all. The Tri-Star represents the company’s dominance in quality and style over all things land, sea and air.

9. Google The Google logo has four primary colours in a row then it’s broken by a secondary colour. This was entirely intentional. Google wanted to show that they don’t play by the rules and are also playful without making the symbol bulky. To do that, they just used simple letters and colours.

10. Adidas The Adidas logo looks like a mountain to represent the obstacles that people need to overcome. Originally the logo was just three stripes and didn’t stand for anything. So they kept the three stripes and just made them slanted to resemble a mountain.

11. NBC Ever wonder why the peacock has so many colours?

It’s because during the 50’s, NBC’s owner was RCA and they had just begun to manufacture colour televisions.

RCA wanted people who were watching black-and-white televisions to know what they were missing, so they created a colourful logo.

WORlD OF ESPIONaGE

quESTIONS yOu'll NEvER aSk

CIA issues ‘stand-down’ on spying against Western Europe The United States Central Intelligence Agency has issued a ‘stand-down order’ to its stations in Europe, instructing them to cease all intelligence operations targeting allied countries, media reports claim. According to several Western European news outlets, including British newspaper The Guardian, CIA stations in Europe have been ‘forbidden from undertaking unilateral operations’ involving assets recruited from within government agencies allied to Washington. Recently, the German government instructed its intelligence agencies to limit their cooperation with their American counterparts ‘to the bare essentials’. Berlin also expelled the United States Central Intelligence Agency chief of station —essentially the top American official in the country. The moves came after successive revelations by American defector Edward Snowden, suggesting that Washington had spied on Germany and other Western European countries with unprecedented intensity in recent years. In July, Berlin arrested two German intelligence officers who it said were spying on Germany on behalf of the CIA. The Guardian said that the stand-down

12. Audi Plain and simple, right?

Well, no. Each of the Aldi hoops represent the 4 founding companies of the Auto-Union Consortium way back in 1932: like DKW, Horch, Wanderer and Audi.

13. IBM IBM’s logo has a hidden message for the whole world.

The white lines passing through give the appearance of the equal sign in the lower right corner, representing equality.

14. Volkswagen The ‘V’ stands for ‘volks’ which means people in German and the ‘W’ stands for ‘wagen’ which means car. It’s the car for the people.

15. Amazon You may have thought the arrow looks like a smiley face, meaning Amazon’s main mission is to make their customers happy. But notice the arrow is pointing from the a to the z.

This represents the fact that Amazon has a large variety of items for sale, from A to Z.

order came into effect shortly after the arrests of the CIA’s two German assets and Berlin’s subsequent reaction, which diplomatic observers described as ‘unprecedented’. The order was communicated to CIA stations ‘by senior CIA officials through secret cables’, said the paper. The decision is reportedly aimed at giving CIA stations in Europe time to evaluate the degree of operational security of their intelligence-collection programs and assess whether their officers were ‘being careful enough’ so as to prevent further embarrassment for Langley. Additionally, CIA stations have been asked to evaluate whether targeting allied nations in espionage operations is ‘worth running the risk of discovery’, said The Guardian. Since the stand-down order was issued, CIA case officers have reportedly stopped meeting with all of their assets recruited from within allied governments. The London-based newspaper quoted one anonymous former CIA official who said stand-downs of this sort are not uncommon after operations are compromised, but added that he could not remember a stand-down order being ‘this long or this deep’.

Can a girl get pregnant if a guy ejaculates next to her in a pool?

No! A girl cannot get pregnant if a guy ejaculates next to her in a pool, even if it is very near her. Being close to semen is not enough to get a girl pregnant.

The semen would have to come in direct contact with her vulva for there to be a chance of pregnancy.

If, however, a girl has sex in a pool, she could get pregnant. Having sex in a pool, shower, or Jacuzzi does not prevent a girl from getting pregnant; that is a myth.

How much semen is there when a guy ejaculates?

The average amount of semen per ejaculation is one to two teaspoons. This amount varies slightly from one guy to another. It can also vary depending on the amount of time between ejaculations and the guy’s level of arousal.

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Saturday, October 4, 2014

BRANDED Wrigley has 12 manufacturing factories worldwide while it's brand gums are available in 150 countries.

SoundingClever

Coterie

A small group of people with a common goal from the French cotier: an organisation of peasants holding land owned by a feudal lord. Elvis Presley was accompanied everywhere by the 'Memphis Mafia': his coterie of bodyguards and helpers.

SPORTSFACT

The average soccer ball is made up of 32 leather panels and held together by 642 stitches.

FORBIDDEN KNOWLEDGE

THINGS not everyone should know how to do

Build freakish muscles

An attack on authority from the Latin leo, leonis: a lion. Bjorn Borg has maintained his long yellow hair into his middle age and with it his leonine look.

The true story of a disillusioned military contractor employee and his drug pusher childhood friend who became walk-in spies for the Soviet Union.

MUSIC Run-D.M.C.

King of Rock is a single by Run–D.M.C. and the title track from their album King of Rock. The song was sampled for Michael Jackson’s song, 2 Bad.

bathetic

vilify

To talk about (someone) in a denigrating manner from the Latin vilis: of low value. When Roger Clinton, half brother of Bill, pleaded guilty to cocaine distribution, the press vilified him.

SOUNDING GREAT rankle To cause persistent irritation or resentment.

An individual seeking revenge and identifying with others does not become a terrorist in a vacuum. For someone who rankles at injustice, identifies with disadvantaged, and wants help them, becoming a social worker is a more typical cateer path.

January 1985 spotlights

FILM The Falcon and the Snowman

Leonine

Relating to an anticlimax from the Greek bathos: depth. 'Does nobody understand?' were the final words of novelist James Joyce: a bathetic last statement for such a master of communication.

Stuff

that will tickle your fancy

Irrespective of age and gender, every physique has the capacity to build big muscle, provided it is trained and given rest at proper periods. There are countless buildrock- hard-muscle formulas on the Internet, promising guaranteed satisfaction or your money back, accompanied by pictures of guys who have added thirty pounds of muscle in just twelve weeks.

Ignore them. Here are some genuine muscle-building tips to help you get awesome and ripped.

1. Allow your body adequate time to recuperate between training sessions. One of the pitfalls of hard gainers (those who build muscle slowly) is overtraining. Go to the gym for an hour, three to four times a week. Never go two days in a row. This allows your body time to rest, keeps you from getting bored, and enables you to be more focused when you are working out.

2. Perform low reps with high weights, but remember that – good form is more important than t e amount of weight you are lifting. You can only target muse if you can control the weight.

If your dumbbell curls look like jerks, you’ve got bad style. Lower the weight and stop trying to impress other gym users.

3. Use free weights instead of

machine and cable exercises.

4. Surprise your muscles and keep your training fresh by varying the exercises, the number of reps; the tempo of the reps; and by gradually increasing the weight every couple of weeks. You’ve got to mix things up to make maximum gains. Train to total muscle failure on at least a few sets every workout.

5. Don’t waste time training your abs to get a six pack. Fat is burned all over the body when you train, not just in certain areas. Lose weight and your six pack will appear.

6. Eat at least two grams of protein per pound of body weight.

If you weigh 150 pounds, you need to eat at least 300 grams of protein. Eat a small meal every two to three hours.

7. Drink at least eight glasses of water a day and get at least eight hours of sleep each night.

8. Inject yourself daily with HGH (Human Growth Hormone), a 191-amino acid, single chain polypeptide that occurs naturally in the human body and is produced by the pituitary gland. What’s the worst that can happen? Your bones growing out of shape and heart disease?

A small price to pay for freakish muscle growth.

TELEVISION Dempsey and Makepeace

A tough New York cop gets into trouble and is seconded to London where he must work with colleagues that consider him violent.

EVENT Swearing in

US President Ronald Reagan is privately sworn in for a second term in office on the 20th.

BIRTHDAY Dolly Parton

Blonde, flamboyant country singer, Dolly Parton, who released twenty-six no 1 Billboard hits including Jolene and Coat of Many Colours turned 39 on the 19th.

DEATH Carol Wayne

American television and film actress, Carol Wayne, best known for her many appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as the Matinée Lady died on the 13th at 43.

34

Stuff

Saturday, October 4, 2014

that will tickle your fancy

ARTICULATE

99

metres

Height of Coast Douglas fir tree that grows in Oregon, US.

11

Average number of lies women tell every week.

Are there any materials that don’t expand on heating?

At extremely low temperatures, silicon and germanium expand with cooling rather than heating. The effect is called negative thermal expansion. The same applies to carbon fibres and certain exotic glass-like materials and metal alloys. In 2003, scientists at Michigan State University published research into combining such materials with conventional substances that expand when heated. The resulting bodies would therefore withstand sudden heating or cooling without breaking.

Guggenheim Museum is one of the mankind’s greatest architectural achievements Set on the edge of the Nervión River in Bilbao, Spain, the Guggenheim Museum is a fusion of complex, swirling forms and captivating materiality that responds to an intricate program and an industrial urban context. With over a hundred exhibitions and more than ten million visitors to its recognition, Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum Bilbao not only changed the way that architects and people think about museums, but also boosted Bilbao’s economy with its astounding success. In fact, the phenomenon of a city’s transformation following the construction of a significant piece of architecture is now referred to as the ’Bilbao Effect.’Twenty years on, the Museum continues to challenge assumptions about the connections between art and architecture today. The socio – economic impact of the museum has been astounding. During the first three years of operation, almost 4million tourists visited the museum - generating about 500m euros in profit. Furthermore, the money visitors spent on hotels, restaurants, shops and transport collected over 100million in taxes, which more than offset the cost of the building. However, the promise of the ‘Bilbao Effect’ also sparked a building boom in ‘statement’ architecture across the globe, one which proved imprudent in the wake of the recent economic crisis. Nevertheless, the Museum remains an iconic structure renowned for its complexity and form.

KNOW WHY...

…flies are attracted to bad smell?

If mercury is a liquid, how is it mined?

Like other metals, mercury is extracted from ores - one of the main varieties being cinnabar. It is found mostly in China, Spain and California. Droplets of liquid mercury can actually be found within the ore, though it is usually extracted through heating. Mercury vapour then forms in a condensation column from which the liquid is collected when it cools.

Why does breathing pure oxygen kill you?

Our blood has evolved to capture the oxygen we breathe in and bind it safely to the transport molecule called haemoglobin. If you breathe air with a much higher than normal O2 concentration, the oxygen in the lungs overwhelms the blood’s ability to carry it away. The result is that free oxygen binds to the surface proteins of the lungs, interferes with the operation of the central nervous system and also attacks the retina.

Contrary to popular myth, hyperventilating air at ordinary pressures never causes oxygen toxicity (the dizziness is due to CO2 levels dropping too low), but breathing oxygen at pressures of 0.5 bar or more (roughly two and a half times normal) for more than 16 hours can lead to irreversible lung damage and, eventually, death.

What is a hiccup?

Does chewing gum really stay inside you for years?

No. Chewing gum is indigestible but it doesn’t have any magic property that allows it to escape the normal digestive transit. Three days is the usual limit.

The smell that are a warning of putrefaction to us are attractive to flies for just the same reason. When organic matter (animal or vegetable) starts to rot, it becomes soft and moist, and provides ideal breeding conditions for fly larvae. Female flies are attracted to rotting material, where they lay their eggs in batches (around 50 to 100 in the case of the house fly). The eggs can hatch within 12 hours, and the larvae burrow into the soft material and feed for several days before turning into pupae, which then produce adult flies. It can all take as little as 10 days from egg to adult.

A hiccup comes from an involuntary contraction of the diaphragm, producing a sudden intake of air. The glottis (the vocal apparatus of the larynx) slams shut at the same time, so that the column of air strikes the closed glottis to produce the characteristic, onomatopoeic noise.

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Saturday, October 4, 2014

Lifestyled

Noiva do Cordeiro

Brazil’s only women town

It’s like the opening gambit of a bad Hollywood romance. A Brazilian town populated only by women has made an appeal for eligible bachelors, but only those willing to live by female rules!

More than 600 women live in the town of Noiva do Cordeiro, south-east Brazil. And most of them are aged between 20 and 35 years old. Now they have extended an invitation to potential suitors. But don’t start packing your bags just yet – any men who go have to understand that this corner of the Brazilian countryside is very much a woman’s world. Some of Noiva de Cordeiro’s women are already married and have families, but their husbands – and any sons over 18 – are made to work away from home and only allowed to return at the weekends. It means girl power rules in the rural community, with women in charge of every aspect of life – from farming to town planning and even religion. And residents say their town is that much the better for it. ‘There are lots of things that women do better than men. Our town is prettier, more organised, and far more harmonious than if men were in charge,’ said Rosalee Fernandes, 49. ‘When problems or disputes arise, we resolve them in a woman’s way, trying to find consensus rather than conflict. ‘We share everything, even the land we work on. Nobody competes with anyone here.

It’s all for one, and one for all. ‘The whole town came together recently to help buy a huge widescreen TV for our community centre so we can all watch soap operas together. ‘And there’s always time to stop and gossip, try on each other’s clothes and do each other’s hair and nails.’

But while none of the residents of Noiva do Cordeiro would have it any other way, it has left them with just one problem. Nelma Fernandes, 23, admits it’s impossible for her neighbours – renowned in the region as strikingly beautiful – to find a would-be spouse. ‘Here, the only men we single girls meet are either married or related to us, everyone is a cousin.

I haven’t kissed a man for a long time,’ she said. ‘We all dream of falling in love and getting married. But we like living here and don’t want to have to leave the town to find a husband. The lack of eligible bachelors has now led the community’s many single young ladies for make an appeal for interested men – but only those willing to adapt to living in a women’s world. Ms Fernandes said: ‘We’d like to get to know men who would leave their own lives and come to

be a part of ours. ‘But first they need to agree to do what we say and live according to our rules.’ Noiva do Cordeiro was born in the hills near Belo Vale, in Minas Gerais state, after founder Maria Senhorinha de Lima was branded an adulterer after leaving a man she had been forced to marry. She was chased out of town in 1891 after the Catholic Church excommunicated her and the next five generations of her family when she shacked up with another suitor.

Shunned by the local population, she and other women who subsequently went to live with them were vilified as loose women and prostitutes, causing them to isolate themselves from the outside world. In 1940, an evangelical pastor, Anisio Pereira, took one of the women, aged 16, to be his wife and founded a church in the growing community. However, he proceeded to impose strict puritanical rules, banning them from drinking alcohol, listening to music, cutting their hair or using any type of contraceptive.

When Anisio died in 1995, the women decided never again to let a man dictate how they should live. And one of the first things they did was to dismantle the male-biased organised religion he had set up. Rosalee Fernandes said: ‘We have God in our hearts. But we don’t think we need to go to church, get married in front of a priest or baptise our children. These are rules made up by men.’

The women of Noiva do Cordeiro have dispensed with patriarchal Christianity, with one saying ‘We don’t need to go to church, get married in front of a priest or baptise our children. These are rules made up by men.

In 1940, an evangelical pastor, Anisio Pereira, took one of the women, aged 16, to be his wife and founded a church in the growing community. However, he proceeded to impose strict puritanical rules, banning them from drinking alcohol, listening to music, cutting their hair or using any type of contraceptive. When Anisio died in 1995, the women decided never again to let a man dictate how they should live. And one of the first things they did was to dismantle the male-biased organised religion he had set up. Rosalee Fernandes said: ‘We have God in our hearts. But we don’t think we need to go to church, get married in front of a priest or baptise our children. These are rules made up by men.’

Stuff

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teeNy

How to rock your selfies Smart camera You need a smartphone with a front and back camera. This is crucial, not just for taking pictures, but for discrete glances at your teeth after eating something, believe you me, you do not want to be that girl who goes through an entire date with debris in her teeth and doesn’t realize it until after the fact.

Uploads Instagram is a great notch but it’s a public sharing space, and the editing feature is kind of limited but it’s the best social network to show your awesome selfies.

Good lighting Find good lighting. Smartphones can be kind of harsh when it comes to revealing every pore and every laugh-line. And unless the sun is filtering gently at an angle, and you’re rocking a halo and frolicking in a meadow with unicorns, then sunlight is not your friend. So instead, find shade. Or take pictures on a cloudy day when the light is diffused. And whatever you do, remember this: Backlighting is friend to no one. Not even you.

No duck face Repeat after me: Do. Not. Duck face. You know that pose where you think you’re being all cute, but you really look like a constipated aquatic bird? (Browse through US Weekly and you’ll see these duck faces everywhere; Miley Cyrus, Kim Kardashian, Nicole Richie, because for that split second when you’re looking at yourself in the front facing camera, you think that’s the way to go but it isn’t. Instead, try something new like smiling with teeth showing.

Natural looks work Look natural or at least look like you’re having a good time. In order to best avoid rocking the frozen smile thing, using a camera app with a timer can be helpful. (Camera+ has one -- which is another reason why I love the app.) But, if you aren’t using a camera with a timer, that’s ok, too. Just make sure you make ridiculously funny faces including your duck face! until you’re ready to take the actual picture. And then, look at the little camera hole and smile. You can also look away from the camera and use another focal point like you’re having a lively conversation with someone...

Find your best angle Very few faces are perfectly symmetrical.

So tilting your face at an angle (3/4) is a great way to go. And this is where your camera timer comes in handy because if you’re holding your phone out and tilting your face and trying to push the camera button at the same time, it won’t be pretty. Instead, prop your camera against something -- maybe a window, or your cup of coffee, hit the timer button, show the world your best side, and smile, smile, smile.

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Saturday, October 4, 2014 that will tickle your fancy

SHOPAHOLIC

With $92,500.00, get the Authentic Hermès Rose Scheherazade Porosus Crocodile 35cm Birkin bag to accessorise for that chick look.

LADYLIKE If an apology is sincerely offered, a lady accepts it with good grace.

fitnessdorm Achieve inner harmony

Amal Alamuddin Fabulous, bright and independent Amal is much more than just George Clooney’s wife. One thing we do know for sure is that Alamuddin, 36, appears to be more accomplished and independent than many of Clooney’s former flames.

One of four siblings, Amal Alamuddin is of Lebanese descent, lives in London and works for legal firm Doughty Street Chambers. Her most high-profile client is Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder.

Alamuddin is defending him in his extradition case with Sweden. ‘She is a fabulously bright woman, she’s independent and has a Rolls-Royce mind,’ a colleague said. Alamuddin has apparently always been driven and interested in politics. She was born in Beirut, but she and her family fled the war-torn city when she was a child. They settled in Buckinghamshire, England. Her mother, Baria, is a foreign affairs editor at Al Hayat, a Lebanese newspaper. Baria’s also a frequent talking head on TV and has interviewed Bill Clinton, Fidel Castro and Tony Blair.

Amal’s beauty clearly comes from her mother. Baria was considered so stunning that she was likened to Elizabeth Taylor. The famous Lebanese poet Said Akl was so struck by her beauty that he wrote verses in her honour. Amal’s father, Ramzi, returned to Lebanon in 1991 and is now retired from a career as a business professor at the American University in Beirut. Alamuddin attended St. Hugh’s College in Oxford in the late ’90s, and was clearly passionate about human rights, even at a young age. A source tells The Post that the future lawyer chose the specific college

at Oxford because Burmese political dissident Aung San Suu Kyi went there in the 1960s.

‘Her nickname at Oxford was ‘Just Cause,’ because her favorite topic of conversation was her various political interests,’ the college friend tells said. ‘Even as a student, she was passionate about human rights. She used to get in fierce arguments with other students about the need for the UK to incorporate the European Convention on Human Rights into British law, which was a political hot potato at the time.’

Socially, Alamuddin hardly seemed like someone who would one day live a fabulous jet-set lifestyle with George Clooney.

‘She didn’t go out all that much,’ the friend says. ‘(Her social life) was linked to the societies she belonged to.’ One particular night, Alamuddin passed up the chance to see Notting Hill with a group of friends in order to stay home and study, the friend says. All that hard work paid off.

Alamuddin was later accepted to NYU School of Law. Upon graduation in the early eighty’s, she won the award for best student in the entertainment law field. She also clerked for Sonia Sotomayor when the future Supreme Court justice was a judge at the US Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, which covers New York. After graduation, Alamuddin joined downtown firm Sullivan & Cromwell, where she worked for three years before moving to London. In addition

to individual clients Alamuddin has provided advice to governments on matters related to international law and is an appointed member of a variety of United Nations commissions, including serving as Counsel to the inquiry into the use of drones in counterterrorism operations, led by UN Special Rapporteur on counterterrorism and human rights, Ben Emmerson QC. She is an appointed adviser to Kofi Annan, the Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and the Arab League on Syria, and she is the legal adviser to the head of the UN commission investigating the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister, Hariri and other terrorist attacks in Lebanon.

Alamuddin is also a scholar; she co-edited the book The Special Tribunal for Lebanon: Law and Practice. She also co-authored an article in the prestigious Journal of International Criminal Justice in which she and her coauthor examined the expansion of the International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction over the use of prohibited weapons in international armed conflicts (expanding jurisdiction to their use in internal armed conflicts).

In addition to her writing, Alamuddin has served as a guest lecturer on international criminal law at SOAS (University of London), The New School in New York, The Hague Academy of International Law, and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Meditation and visualisation help you achieve and maintain inner harmony; they are also important for detoxing because they reduce stress levels. If stress persists, stress hormones interfere with the functioning of the circulatory and immune systems, making it harder for the body to detoxify properly.

If you are not used to meditating or visualisation you may find them quite hard to do at first, but regular practice will soon lead to their becoming second nature. As you become more experienced in controlling your mind you may be able to switch to a relaxed state despite the distractions of the bustle of life around you.

Key principles A practitioner can show you how to achieve a meditative state, but you can teach yourself if you are sufficiently disciplined. In order to meditate successfully there are a few basic requirements: • A quiet place where you will not be disturbed: Ideally this would be somewhere outside in the fresh air, where you can breathe freely and deeply and feel in touch with nature. I course, if you live in a city this could be tri • Regular practice, preferably at the same time each day.

• An empty stomach.

• A comfortable position.

• A focus for the mind to help you withdraw from your surroundings.

Basic meditation • Sit up in a comfortable position with your spine straight. Keep your eyes open the method or closed, depending on the method of meditation you are using. Rest your hands in your lap.

• Breathe slowly and rhythmically, and try to stay as still as possible.

• Focus on the object of your meditation and allow your attention to be passive if your mind starts to wonder, acknowledge what is happening then return to your focus.

• Continue for as long as is comfortable – for a few minutes to start with, building up to 20 minutes a day.

• When you are ready, open your eyes, then take a minute to become fully aware of your surroundings.

Visualisation This is the technique that harnesses the imagination to create positive mental images to deal with the stress and illness. Through imagination, you can use positive thinking to stimulate the body’s natural healing abilities. Choose a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed. Breathe slowly and relax. Focus on your chosen mental image. To combat stress, visualise a calm, beautiful scene and picture yourself there. Repeat positive affirmations as you do this.

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Saturday, October 4, 2014

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that will tickle your fancy

FASCINATING FACTS Super foodS that might not be Super Coffee Pros: Rich in antioxidant Reduces risk of Parkinson’s disease Can improve mental performance Cons: heavy consumption elevates bad cholesterol levels May cause difficulty sleeping Mild diuretic Refined sugar Pros: better than high- fructose corn syrup Can increase energy Cons: Refining process adds unhealthy additives Leading cause of dental deterioration Chocolate Pros: rich in antioxidants Releases feel-good neurochemicals Cons: Packs a lot of calories Contains lots of sugar Soybeans Pros: Can lower blood cholesterol Good source of protein Often high in fiber Cons: Difficult to digest May affect fertility in men Can disrupt thyroid function Wheat Pros: High in minerals Low in fat Good source of fiber Cons: Common allergy trigger Elevates blood sugar Causes celiac disease which can lead to cancer Eggs Pros: Good source of protein Cons: High in cholesterol Can carry salmonella Fish Pros: Greater source of protein Contains essential fatty acids Low fat Cons: May be high in mercury Possibly tainted by water pollution Corn Pros: Good amount of fiber High in nutrient Cons: Contains loads of starch Hard for body to digest

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THE BIG STORY

Airlines With a larger number of passengers and more choices available in the skies today, airlines looking to maintain or grow their position in the market place must provide high-quality service with ever-increasing efficiency. Here are some of the world’s top airlines according to global airline review and ranking consultancy, Skytrax views.

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Saturday, October 4, 2014

Top Airlines

Far-reaching Qatar Airlines Qatar Airways Company operating as Qatar Airways is the state-owned flag carrier of Qatar. Headquartered in the Qatar Airways Tower in Doha, the airline operates a huband-spoke network, linking over 125 international destinations across Africa, Central Asia, Europe, Far East, South Asia, Middle East, North America, South America and Oceania from its base at Hamad International Airport, using a fleet of more than 100 aircraft.

Qatar Airways was established on November 22, 1993; operations started on January 20, 1994. The airline has more than 30,000 staff, with 17,000 people employed directly and a further 13,000 in its subsidiaries. The carrier has been a member of one world since October 2013, the first Persian Gulf carrier to sign with one of the three airline alliances. Known for both its cabin

crew and in-flight entertainment, its economy class guests get to enjoy features like smartphone and tablet connectivity to their personal screens. The airline is one of only a handful to fly to all six inhabited continents. As of July 2014, Qatar Airways serves 144 points worldwide following the launch of flights to Dallas/Fort Worth, the carrier’s seventh destinations in the United States and the second one in Texas, along with Houston.

Qatar Airways became the seventh carrier worldwide that incorporated the Dreamliner to the fleet when Boeing handed over the airline’s first aircraft of the type on November 12, 2012. The first one delivered to a Middle East airline. The aircraft was deployed on the Doha–Dubai corridor on November 20.

The company’s CEO is Akbar Al Baker.

Luxurious Singapore Airline Singapore Airlines Limited (SIA) is the flag carrier of Singapore which operates from its hub at Changi Airport and has a strong presence in Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and ‘Kangaroo Route’ markets.

Singapore Airlines was the launch customer of Airbus A380, currently the world’s largest passenger aircraft. The airline is majority-owned by Singapore government investment and holding company Temasek Holdings which holds 56% of voting stock. Singapore Airlines began with the incorporation of Malayan Airways Limited (MAL) on May 1, 1947, by the Ocean Steamship Company of Liverpool, the Straits Steamship Company of Singapore and Imperial Airways. The airline’s first flight was a chartered flight from the British Straits Settlement of Singapore to Kuala Lumpur on April 2, 1947 using an Airspeed Consul twin-engine aircraft.

Regular weekly scheduled flights quickly followed from Singapore to Kuala

Lumpur, Ipoh and Penang from May 1, 1947 with the same aircraft type.

There are three variations of the first class cabin, although the Singapore Airlines Suites class is designated by Singapore Airlines as a “Class Beyond First” with wide seat upholstered with leather and mahogany and a 24inch in-flight entertainment screen with video-touch screen handsets, adjustable in-seat lighting, and passenger control unit, inside a fixedshell cabin with an 35 in (89 cm) wide leather seats, foldable into an 80 in (203 cm) bed while the Business Class has a fully flat bed with seats forwardfacing, in contrast to the herringbone configuration used by several other airlines. Singapore Airlines offers a wide array of food options on each flight and has also introduced a Popular Local Fare culinary programme offering local favourites to passengers in all classes flying from selected major destinations.

Other tOp airlines Deutsche Lufthansa AG

Deutsche Lufthansa AG is an Aviation Group comprising around 400 subsidiaries and affiliates. The Lufthansa Group is dedicated to quality and innovation, safety and reliability. Headquartered in Germany, the Group operates in five business segments – passenger transportation, logistics, MRO, catering and IT services.

Passenger transportation is the Group’s core business: The airlines engaged in the passenger transportation business are Lufthansa German Airlines (including LufthansaRegional and Germanwings), Austrian Airlines, SWISS as well as stake holdings in Brussels Airlines, JetBlue und SunExpress. In the 2013 business year, the airlines in the Lufthansa Group welcomed

around 104.5 million passengers on board their flights, making it Europe’s leading airline grouping.

Qantas

Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier airline of Australia. The name was originally ‘QANTAS’, an acronym for ‘Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services’.

Nicknamed ‘The Flying Kangaroo’, Qantas is Australia’s largest airline, and the second oldest in the world. It was founded in November 1920 and began flying international services in May 1935. The airline is based in the Sydney suburb of Mascot with its main hub at Sydney Airport.

Qantas has a 65% share of the Australian domestic market and carries 18.7% of all passengers travelling in and out of

Australia.

EVA Air

Taiwanese airline, EVA Airways Corporation is a based at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport near Taipei. The airline operates a passenger and dedicated cargo services to over 40 international destinations in Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. EVA Air is largely privately owned and flies a fully international route network. It is the second largest Taiwanese airline. EVA Air is headquartered in Luzhu, Taoyuan County.

Since its founding in 1989 as an affiliate of shipping conglomerate Evergreen Group, EVA Air has expanded to include air cargo, airline catering, ground handling, and aviation engineering services. Its cargo arm, EVA Air Cargo, links with the Evergreen

worldwide shipping network on sea and land. Its domestic and regional subsidiary, UNI Air, operates a medium and short-haul network based in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

Swiss Air

Basel-based Swiss International Air Lines AG is Switzerland’s quality airline.

Swiss operates flights via its main hub, Zurich, and the regional airports of Basel and Geneva, its fleet serving numerous European and international destinations.

The national airline embodies Swiss values such as ‘personal service’, ‘in-depth quality’ and ‘typical Swiss hospitality’.

Swiss International Air Lines is part of the Lufthansa Group and Star Alliance member.

Swiss International Air Lines has no connection to the former company, Swissair.

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Saturday, October 4, 2014

Top Airlines

Comfort oriented Emirates Airline Emirates is an airline based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The airline is a subsidiary of The Emirates Group, which is wholly owned by the government of Dubai’s Investment Corporation of Dubai. It is the largest airline in the Middle East, operating nearly 3,400 flights per week from its hub at Dubai International Airport, to more than 142 cities in 78 countries across six continents. The airline ranks among the top ten carriers worldwide in terms of passenger kilometres, and has become the largest airline in the Middle East in terms of revenue, fleet size, and passengers carried. The company also operates four of the world’s longest non-stop commercial flights from Dubai to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Houston.

Emirates has seven subsidiaries and its parent company has more than 50 and the company employed a total of

38,797 staff. Its parent company, The Emirates Group, employed a total of 49,950 employees of which 10,785 were cabin crew, 2,237 were flight deck crew, 1,904 were in engineering, and 9,084 were listed as other. The primary focus for Emirates and its employees is to deliver superior customer service. In turn, Emirates provides its employees with benefits such as comprehensive health plans and paid maternity and sick leave.

Another strategy employed by Emirates is to use profit sharing and merit pay as part of their competency based approach to performance management. Emirates aircraft also have the FIFA World Cup logo on them, as Emirates is the official airline sponsor and the official partner of the International Cricket Council until 2015. Emirates are also major sponsors of English Premier League club Arsenal.

High-class Turkish Airline Turkish Airline is the national flag carrier airline of Turkey; it operates scheduled services to 41 domestic and 206 international airports in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. With 247 destinations, the airline is the fourthlargest carrier in the world by number of destinations. Being initially set up as a domestic carrier, the airline commenced international services with the inauguration of Ankara – Istanbul – Athens flights in 1947, two years after a fair amount of Douglas DC-3s and Douglas C-47s joined the fleet, which enabled the carrier to expand its network.

By the mid-1980s, the airline had a fleet of 30 aircraft. It was flying about three million passengers a year to 16 domestic destinations and three dozen international ones. The airline was Turkey’s largest source of foreign currency. Turkish Airlines runs

a maintenance centre at its hub at Istanbul Atatürk Airport. The maintenance centre, called Turkish Technic, is responsible for the maintenance, repair and overhaul of the airplanes and third party aircraft, including airframe, landing gear and has opened a new engine centre in partnership with Pratt & Whitney at Sabiha Gökçen International Airport. The facility provides engine maintenance, repair and overhaul services to customers worldwide. The interiors feature light-emitting diodes that create soft blue overhead illumination as well as new cove lighting. The sidewall panels have been sculpted in a new curving pattern that draws the traveller’s eye to the window and the views outside.

Additionally, new, larger overhead bins provide more storage space and are pivoted in a way that makes use easier, while actually increasing cabin space.

Other tOp airlines Thai Airways

Formed in 1988 Thai Airways is the flag carrier airline of Thailand. The airline whose headquarters is in Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, Chatuchak District, Bangkok, primarily operates out of Suvarnabhumi Airport. The airline is the largest shareholder of the low-cost carrier Nok Air with a 49% stake, and it launched a regional carrier under the name Thai Smile in the middle of 2012 using new Airbus A320 aircraft. From its hub at Suvarnabhumi Airport, THAI flies to 78 destinations in 35 countries, using a fleet of more than 80 aircraft.

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand Limited is the national airline and flag carrier of New Zealand.

Based in Auckland, the airline operates

scheduled passenger flights to 27 domestic and 29 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania. Air New Zealand is a member of the Star Alliance global airline alliance, having joined in 1999. Air New Zealand originated in 1940 as Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL), a flying boat company operating trans-Tasman flights between New Zealand and Australia.

British Airways

British Airways (BA) is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom and its largest airline based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations.

The airline is based in Waterside near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport and has been managed by a British Airways

Board established by the United Kingdom government in 1972. British Airways is a founding member of the Oneworld airline alliance, along with American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, and the now defunct Canadian Airlines. The alliance has since grown to become the third-largest, after SkyTeam and Star Alliance.

Malaysian Airlines

Malaysia Airlines is a major airline operating flights from Kuala Lumpur International Airport and from secondary hubs in Kota Kinabalu and Kuching to destinations throughout Asia as well as a handful of destinations in Europe and Oceania. Malaysia Airlines is the flag carrier of Malaysia and a member of the Oneworld airline alliance. The company’s

headquarters are located on the grounds of Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang, Selangor, Greater Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia Airlines owns two subsidiary airlines: Firefly and MASwings.

Hainan Airlines

Headquartered in Haikou, People’s Republic of China, Hainan Airlines is the largest privately owned air transport company and the fourth largest airline in terms of fleet size in the People’s Republic of China. It operates scheduled domestic and international services on 500 routes from Hainan and nine locations on the mainland, as well as charter services. Its main base is Haikou Meilan International Airport, with a hub at Beijing Capital International Airport and several focus cities.

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Saturday, October 4, 2014

Top Airlines

Top of the line Cathay Pacific Cathay Pacific is the de facto international flag carrier airline of Hong Kong, with its head office and main hub located at Hong Kong International Airport. The airline was founded on September 24, 1946 by American Roy C. Farrell and Australian Sydney H. de Kantzow, each man put-up HK$1 to register the airline. The airline made the world’s first non-stop transpolar flight flying over the North Pole in July 1998, and the same flight was the maiden flight to arrive at the new Hong Kong International Airport. The airline’s operations include scheduled passenger and cargo services to

168 destinations in 42 countries worldwide, codeshares, and joint ventures, with a fleet of wide-body aircraft, consisting of Airbus A330, Airbus A340, Boeing 747 and Boeing 777 equipment. The airline also operates fifth freedom flights from Taipei and Bangkok, its focus cities. In 2010, Cathay Pacific and its subsidiary Dragonair carried nearly 27 million passengers and over 1.8 million tonnes of cargo and mail.

The airline’s major shareholders are Swire Pacific and Air China. It is reciprocally one of the major shareholders of Air China.

Cathay Pacific currently holds the title of

the world’s third largest airline, measured in terms of market capitalisation, according to the International Air Transport Association.

In 2010, she became the world’s largest international cargo airline, along with main hub Hong Kong International Airport as the world’s busiest airport in terms of cargo traffic. The airline was recently awarded Skytrax’s 2014 Airline of the Year as well as wining the ‘World’s Best Airline’ award for the fourth time, more than any other airline.

The company is currently headed by John Slosar who serves as the Chairman and Ivan Chu serves as the CEO.