SATURDAY No. 439
N300
Troops Arrest 3 Female Terrorists In Borno
Emir Of Kano Withdraws Case Against FG
Soldiers Burn BRT Buses In Lagos Over Accident
NEWS, PAGE 4
NEWS, PAGE 7
NEWS, PAGE 12
05.07.14
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SOUTHERN KADUNA KILLINGS
‘I Lost My Wife, Pregnant In-law, 5 Others’ 5
Lagos BRT buses set ablaze by soldiers at the Palmgrove area of the state in retaliation for the running over of a soldier by one of the bus drivers. PHOTO BY BENEDICT UWALAKA
DOCTORS’ STRIKE: PRIVATE HOSPITAL DEMANDS N.5M TO INCUBATE BABY 5
Chibok DAY Diary 82
Residents Demand Swifter Response To Distress Calls > Page 2
chibok diary 82
DAY
Saturday, July 5, 2014 CHIBOK FACTS ➔ President Goodluck Jonathan has reiterated his determination to bring back the more than 200 Chibok school girls saying that his silence in the past was to avoid compromising investigations on the abductions. ➔ In a 514 word opinion piece article published in Friday’a edition of the Washington Post, President Jonathan regretted that his silence on the issue has been misconstrued by critics as a sign of weakness as he confesed that being a father, he is touched by the feelings of the parents of the abducted girls. ➔ In the article titled “Nothing is more important than bringing home Nigeria’s missing girls” the president said that the terrorism in Nigeria is not unique and that it was in that respect that Nigeria this month, alongside, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Britain and the United States established an External Intelligence Response Unit to share security information on such threats in West Africa. ➔ It is 82 days today since the abduction of over 276 schoolgirls from a secondary school in Chibok, Borno State, but parents as well as residents now seem reclined to the belief that they have been finally abandoned. ➔ About 57 of the girls have since slipped away from their captors since they were seized on April 14 and re-united with their parents.
➔ But distressed parents who spoke to newsmen said they have lost hope in the authorities to rescue the remaining 219 girls still being held by the Boko Haram group. COMPILED BY DAVID ADUGE-ANI
Members of #Bring Back Our Girls group during one of their meetings at the Unity Fountain, Abuja. PHOTO BY OYEDELE OMOKAGBO
Chibok Residents Demand Swifter Response To Distress Calls BY KAREEM HARUNA, Maiduguri
Residents of Chibok, the embattled community in Borno State where over 200 schoolgirls were abducted on April 14, have demanded swifter response by soldiers to distress calls made to them. The residents said they are becoming uncomfortable with what they described as slow response of soldiers each time distress calls about attacks by Boko Haram members are made to them, adding that the action of the soldiers gave the impression that there was a conspiracy going on. One of the community members and father of one of the
missing schoolgirls alleged that whenever a report on impending or an ongoing attack is taken to the soldiers in Chibok, they do not respond with promptness expected of them and would sometimes say they have to wait till they receive an order from Maiduguri or Abuja before taking action, which is usually belated. “Most of our neighbouring communities have been under serious attacks of late and the people were killed like chickens because no military or police assistance came at the time it would have been useful,” said the seemingly frustrated Chibok elder, who craved anonymity. Speaking further, he alleged
that, “When Kwada and Kautikari villages were under attack on Sunday, our brothers there quickly placed calls to us that there was an attack there and we quickly went to the soldiers but to our amazement, some of them were saying that they had not been given the go ahead to engage the terrorists. Even when they later did, they only stood at a safe distance and began to shoot until the terrorists left unhurt,after killing scores of our people.” The aggrieved Chibok man further pointed out that the military jet that came to Kautikari and Kwada area on Sunday, “only came hours after the attackers had long left.”
He also cited an example of the April 14 attack on Chibok when the Boko Haram gunmen abducted over 200 school girls, saying most of the soldiers later fled, except the DPO of Chibok who stood his ground until he ran out of the ammunition before he ordered his men to retreat. “We are not condemning anyone here but what we want is that we should be shown that we are being protected all the time and not a case where someone somewhere decides whether to protect us or not or else we may be forced to think that there is some conspiracy somewhere that we don’t understand,” he added.
Chibok: US-based Nigerians Want Urgent Action Against Boko Haram BY ABIODUN OLUWAROTIMI, New York
Nigerians living in the United States have asked the federal government to do whatever it needs to do in order to ensure a quick and safe return of the over 270 female students that were kidnapped by members of the Boko Haram Sect in Chibok. They also said that all Nigerians living in the United States under the auspices of Nigerians In Diaspora Organisation
(NIDO) would continue to speak up against Boko Haram during a nationwide rally that would be held in the United States today (Saturday). Speaking with our correspondent, a chieftain of the association, Elder Victor Ugoh, said it became imperative for NIDO to stage the nationwide rally in almost all the states in the United States of America when it was realised that the terrorists were not ready to urgently release the
abducted schoolgirls. He added that the issue of terrorism and kidnapping in Nigeria had become a concern for the international community and that Nigerians living in the Diaspora would be ready to join the federal government and all of Nigeria’s security agencies in their efforts to stop the insurgents. While noting that Nigeria is unfortunate to be experiencing insurgency at this crucial period,
Ugoh said it was his hope that all the rallies and outburst of concerned citizens of the country and the international community would put the terrorists under serious pressure that would make them return the abducted female students as soon as possible. He said NIDO would be staging its rallies in New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Washington, DC and some other states in the United States.
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our stand Saturday, July 5, 2014
Protecting Our Schools
T
errorist group Boko Haram’s assaults on schools in northern Nigeria have continued unabated. Recently, a Boko Haram bomber disguised as a student bombed the Kano School of Hygiene: eight people were killed and more than 70 people injured. In Borno State, within the last two years, more than 14 schools have been bombed and many students have been killed in these attacks. Yobe State is the hardest hit: The most serious incidents include the attacks on Government Secondary School, Mamudu, where 42 students were killed. In Gujba College of Agriculture, 40 students were killed, while the Federal Government College, Buni Yadi, recorded 29 killed. This was just as several other schools have been attacked with high casualty level. However, the worst case has been that of April 14, 2014, in which more than 200 teenage girls were abducted from Government Secondary School, Chibok, in Borno State; that terrorist act has riveted the world and put Nigeria on the spot. The terrorist gang has always maintained that schools are valid targets because they teach western education. Because
the government, both at the federal and state levels, seems not to have any answers to these threats, school attendance and enrolment in the north-eastern states of Borno and Yobe have dropped drastically in a region that had already been lagging behind the rest of the country socially and economically. We, therefore, call on the federal government to provide adequate protection for schools in this region, given that they are targets for terrorists. Certain proactive measures must be taken to contain these threats. Firstly, schools in remote locations where sufficient security cannot be guaranteed should be closed. Students should be transferred to schools which are well protected. Secondly, the federal government must upgrade the security apparatus of schools,
Ag. Editor Catherine Agbo Editorial Board Safiya M. Adamu, Chairman Standards Aniebo Nwamu, Director ’Lara Olugbemi, Assistant Director
especially those perceived as potential targets. They should post sufficient security personnel to protect them. Thirdly, the school authorities should be more vigilant and ensure that they have a good security system. They should also maintain close links with the nearest army or police unit such that any suspicious movement is promptly reported and acted on. Fourthly, large secondary schools and tertiary institutions should upgrade their security apparatus through the application of close-circuit surveillance system with IP protocol that can be monitored by the military and police from anywhere. They should also increase the number of their security guards. It is imperative that vigilance be increased not only in schools but in every sphere of the nation’s life. The present threat poses grave danger to everyone as well as to the very existence of the nation. Under no circumstance, however, should the nation surrender to the hoodlums who preach against western education and yet make use of products of western education like AK 47 rifles, motor vehicles, explosive devices and cell phones.
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4 news across the states
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Troops Arrest 3 Female Terrorists in Borno Boko Haram took us tion’s collective security lies in the unawares – Jonathan issue of ethnicity and religious intolBy Bayo Oladeji, Abuja, ISAIAH BENJAMIN, Kaduna, Kareem Haruna, Maiduguri
Nigerian troops during the week arrested three suspected female terrorists who have been secretly recruiting women into the female wing of the terrorist group, Boko Haram. This is coming on the heels of a comment by President Goodluck Jonathan that his administration was caught unawares by the activities of Boko Haram. The three suspects, Hafsat Usman Bako, Zainab Idris and Aisha Abubakar were intercepted while travelling to Madagali from where they were to transit to the forest to reunite with their cohorts. LEADERSHIP WEEKEND recalls that there was a failed suicide bombing attempt on a military facility by a female terrorist who blew herself up in Gombe recently. According to a statement issued by the defence headquarters and signed by Colonel Onyema Nwachuckwu, on behalf of its director of information, Major General Chris Olukolade, “investigations revealed that the suspects, led by Hafsat Bako, have the mission to recruit members into the female wing as well as conduct espionage for the group. “Hafsat’s link with the terrorists group had earlier been a subject of investigation in 2012, when security agents on a man-hunt for one Usman Bako, her husband who was identified as a terrorist, stormed their residence in Jimeta. This resulted in the discovery of an AK 47 rifle and 2 loaded magazines. Though Usman Bako later died in an encounter with troops in Sokoto where he had relocated to continue his terrorist activities, Hafsat continued with the terror group specialising in surreptitious recruitment of members into their fold.” According to the military, “The arrested trio suspects were luring ladies, especially widows and young girls by enticing them with male suitors who are mainly members of their terror group for marriage. Before their arrest, they were on a mission to take additional briefing from the leadership of the terror group.” The suspects were said to have been operating together as members of the intelligence team of the group and “their arrest has yielded information still being verified by security agencies.” Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan confessed that his government did not envisage this level of insecurity bedevilling the country, saying that the activities of the Boko Haram caught the government unawares. The president, who spoke during the graduation ceremony of Senior Course 36 at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Jaji, Kaduna State yesterday, said the greatest danger to the na-
erance, which if not checked will become a threat to Nigeria’s corporate existence. He assured however that his administration will continue to equip the armed forces to ensure that, the activities of the insurgents are brought to a permanent end. Represented by the vice president, Architect Mohammed Namadi Sambo, President Jonathan said, “Nigeria is faced with contemporary security challenges that were not envisaged some decades ago, as exemplified by the various terrorist attacks currently being experienced in some parts of our country.” He urged the 147 graduating students officers, who are army majors and their equivalents in other services that, “as members of the armed forces, you have a crucial role to play in ensuring that the lives and property of the citizenry are protected from all forms of internal and external threats. “We must remember that, the greatest danger to our collective security as a people and a nation lies in the issue of ethnicity and religious intolerance. These twin evils, if not checked are capable of threatening our corporate existence as one sovereign and indivisible nation. You must therefore discourage such sentiments and encourage our men to view themselves as comrades in the pursuit of a common destiny. “Furthermore, you must continue to anticipate and reflect on the noble idea of the membership of the armed forces; you would be judged by your roles and actions of your men. Therefore, the military must remain apolitical and neutral in performing her constitutional roles”, he stressed. Earlier in his welcome address, the commandant AFCSC, Air Vice Marshal John Chris Ifemeje said, the 147 graduants, among whom were 12 allied officers from 11 sister African countries, underwent 48 weeks intensive training in the college.
Bomb Blast kills 5 In Konduga Meanwhile, a bomb planted in a pickup van loaded with firewood yesterday exploded and killed five persons, injuring several others at a checkpoint manned by members of the Civilian JTF and police officials in Konduga town, eyewitnesses and security operatives said. The blast came hours after Boko Haram terrorists suffered heavy casualty in two different military offensive that took place on Thursday night and Friday morning. Eyewitnesses said the pickup van had approached the checkpoint at about noon and as the local security operatives tried to frisk the car before allowing it to pass, the driver who was on a suicide mission detonated the explosives that killed five persons among whom was a plain clothe police officer from the Criminal Investigation Bureau.
L-R: Former president of ECOWAS Commission and special UN Envoy, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, former President of Ghana, John Kufuor, and Rivers State Governor Rt. Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, when the governor took his guests to see one of the world class secondary schools built by his administration in Eleme, Rivers state.
INEC Reschedules Phase 2 CVR, Distribution Of PVCs By Chibuzo Ukaibe, Abuja
River (South South). With the rescheduling of Phase 2 of the programme, The Independent National Electoral Commis- new dates will be announced later for Phase 3 involving sion (INEC) has rescheduled the second phase Adamawa, Borno, Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, Plateau, Naof its programme of distribution of Permanent sarawa, Niger, Imo, Lagos, Ogun, Edo and Rivers states. Voter Cards (PVCs) and Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) involving 12 states. According to a statement by the chief press secretary to INEC chairman, Kayode Idowu, the PVCs will now be distributed at the polling unit level in the affected states from Friday, August 15, 2014 to Sunday, August 17, 2014; instead of July 18 to July 20, as was earlier scheduled. At the end of the polling unit level distribution, uncollected PVCs will be taken to the respective local government offices of the commission for subsequent distribution. CVR in the affected states will now be from Wednesday, August 20, 2014, to Monday, August 25, 2014; instead of July 23 to July 27as was earlier scheduled. The states involved in the second phase of the programme are Yobe, Bauchi (North East), We are a British early years school in Abuja with a reputation Jigawa, Sokoto (North West), FCT, Kwara for very high teaching standards. We are now looking to (North Central), Anambra, Ebonyi (South recruit outstanding teachers and teaching assistants for: East), Ondo, Oyo (South West) and Delta, Cross
VACANCY! VACANCY! VACANCY!
Leadership Creates Shareholders’ Platform As part of its mandate of providing quality and timely information to its teeming readers across the country, LEADERSHIP Weekend has created a page to address issues surrounding share ownership in public companies in Nigeria. The page will feature issues bothering on unclaimed dividends, statured barred dividends, missing share certificates and delayed dividend payment among other issues. We hereby implore shareholders who have outstanding issues about their shares and any other issues in the capital market to write to us through the email leadershipweekend@yahoo.com to enable us investigate and publish accordingly. The page will make its debut in our next edition. We look forward to your contributions and feedback
– Editor
1. Reception class (4-5yrs) with a minimum of 10 years working experience; 2. Nursery class (3-4yrs) with 5 years minimum working experience; 3. Playgroup class (2-3yrs) with 5 years minimum working experience. 4. Toddler class (1-2 yrs) with 5 years minimum working experience. 5. Assistant admin person with experience working in a school environment and has to be very friendly and cordial with the parents. 6. Caregivers / class assistants with a minimum experience of 5 years working experience. All applying teachers must have a minimum of a PGDE and substantial working knowledge in an Early Years environment with an excellent understanding of the EYFS curriculum. Qualified teachers should apply to schoolabujacv@gmail. com attaching a comprehensive resume. Application letters should be addressed to: The Administrative Director, Abuja School.
Applications should be received not later than midnight of July 11, 2014.
NEWS 5
Saturday, July 5, 2014
LIVING TO BE 100
One health tip daily Make Fitness Fun
Plenty of people engage in stop-and-start exercising they begin an activity and then lose ineterst. But the key to benefiting from exercise is consistency. It’s essential to find an activity you enjoy. This sounds like common sense, but I find many people wasting their money paying for a gym membership when they obviously dislike going there. Shop around until you find physical activities you like, whether dancing, rollerblading, jumping on a trampoline, golfing, or riding your bike. When you like what you do day after day, you’ll have fun exercising.
Doctors’ Strike: Private Hospital Demands N.5m To Incubate Baby By Winifred Ogbebo and Victor Okeke, Abuja; Adebayo Waheed, Ibadan; Abdullahi Olesin, Ilorin; Okechukwu Obeta, Awka; Kola Eke-Ogiugo, Asaba; Aronke Olayiwola, Lagos; Solomon Ayado, Makurdi; and Isaiah Benjamin, Kaduna
As the strike embarked upon by doctors across the country enters its fifth day today, patients in public hospitals and their relations have decried their plight since the strike began. Mr Benjamin Michael, who was seen at the National Hospital, Abuja, where his wife was recently delivered of a baby, told LEADERSHIP Weekend that his baby who was born preterm (premature) had been in an incubator but, since the strike started, they were issued a transfer notice. According to him, efforts to take the baby elsewhere for care had been unsuccessful as there were limited facilities in public hospitals in the capital city and the only hospital (name withheld) where he found the required facility to incubate his baby had demanded that he make a deposit of N500, 000. “All the private hospitals in Abuja are filled. The only one I saw said we should make an initial deposit of N500, 000 which I cannot afford,” he said. Recalling that blood had to be transfused into the baby only last week, Michael said now that the hospital’s blood bank had been closed, the baby could die if there was an emergency but added that he had resigned to fate as he had no other place to go to.
In Delta State, some patients who had been unable to meet the financial demands in the private hospitals where they are currently being treated have appealed to public-spirited bodies, individuals and the state government to come to their aid as medical operators in the private hospitals have shot up their charges. Investigations by LEADERSHIP Weekend at some private hospitals in Asaba revealed that the cost of a registration card which used to be N1,500 per patient has been increased to N4,500 while normal bills for casual patients have also shot up. “We are here at the mercy of God because of the exorbitant bills, unlike while we were in public hospitals and we have no such money to pay as operators of the hospitals have increased charges because of the strike,” one of the patients said. At the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) and the state-owned general hospital in Okwe in Asaba, it was discovered that medical consultants and senior medical officers who initially were attending to patients had joined the strike while nurses and other health workers on duty had taken undue advantage of the situation to milk unsuspecting relations of patients dry. Meanwhile, reports have it that four persons, including a 52-yearold farmer, his wife and two teenagers who were transferred to private hospitals along Okpanam Road, near Asaba, have died. In another development, the ➔ CONTINUES ON PAGE 6
‘I Lost My Wife, Pregnant In-law, 5 Others’ By Midat Joseph, Kaduna
Among those still mourning the slaughter of no fewer than 160 people in seven Ninzom villages in Sanga local government area of Kaduna State on June 24 is a retired assistant superintendent of police (ASP), Gambo Usman Kobin. He lost seven family members including his wife and pregnant daughter-in-law. The 58-year-old man, who spoke with LEADERSHIP Weekend in his village amidst tears, described the incident as “one I will never forget”. His son, also a policeman, serving in Kano State had sent his wife home to have her baby there. She had hardly settled down after the long journey from Kano when unknown gunmen struck in broad daylight, killing her and the baby in her womb alongside her husband’s grandfather, two brothers-in-law and four others. Kobin recalled how it happened: “On 24th June, we had information that our neighbouring village was attacked and so we all agreed in our village that nobody should go to farm that day. Suddenly, at about 2pm that day, we saw some strange people from the south-east of our community. They were shooting and chanting war songs and were wielding sophisticated weapons. When we saw them, children and everybody in the community started running, seeking refuge. Before we could fully understand what was going on, Fulani gunmen had taken over our community in broad daylight. “They attacked our village, killing people at will -- mostly children and pregnant women. My younger brother’s wife and her one-week-old baby were the first to be killed. When the attack became serious, I ran with my last daughter, but my wife, my aged father and six others within my family were killed. They killed over 49 people in our village, mostly children and women, including our aged parents who could not run.” According to him, the Fulani militia who killed his people have lived among them for over 50 years. He expressed surprise that they took up arms against them. Still crying, Kobin told LEADERSHIP Weekend: “I know those that killed my wife and father. I saw them with my eyes; they are not strangers to us. They are living with us, we eat together and we have never had quarrels with them. I will never forgive them. How can I forgive and forget somebody who wiped out by family? This is a sad part of my life that I would live to remember. “My wife was killed, my father was killed, my older brother was killed, two of my brother’s
Governor Mukhtar Yero wives were killed, two of my sons’ children were killed, my pregnant daughter-in-law who came home from Kano State to give birth was also killed with the baby in her womb. The husband is a police officer in Kano. “They did not only kill us; they burnt our homes and our foodstuff. We do not have what to eat now.” Another survivor, Mrs Beauty Gamalia, who escaped with bullet wounds, said the suspected Fulani militia came to her village in Nandu about 10pm, shot sporadically and killed many people in the village. “They killed people at will and burnt down our house and everything we have worked for. This is an attack I will never forget,” she said. Another survivor, an aged woman, who also managed to escape with bullet wounds, also told LEADERSHIP Weekend that the gunmen killed people wantonly and burnt their homes and barns. “As I speak, many people are still missing from our community; we hope they would be found alive,” she added. Rahab Danladi, another survivor, said, “My younger brother’s two children, my sister-in-law and her two children and my nephew were also killed. In our village, Anbgon-Nandu, we lost 17 people.” For an aged grandmother in her 70s, life is no longer meaningful without her two sons whose lives were cut short. She said it would have better if they had taken her life instead of that of her sons. “This is an incident I will never forget. I have never seen this type of thing in my life,” she told LEADERSHIP Weekend as tears flowed freely from her eyes. At Ankpong, a senior civil servant in the state Ministry of Education, who gave his name as Monday, said three of his children were killed during the attack on the village: “The gunmen started their mass killings in my house around 8pm, when we had gone to bed. On that fateful night, I heard a bang on my gate; so I left to
see who was knocking, my torchlight in my hand. Suddenly, I saw a man in red attire with a gun and I ran back inside the room and called my wife and my last daughter who slept with us and we escaped through the back door. “But while we left the house, our four children were in the other apartment sleeping while the gunmen were shooting. My wife advised that we go back and rescue the four children but I told her we could not go back because if we did so the gunmen would kill all of us. I asked her, ‘How are we going to rescue them with our bare hands?’ My three children, a female and two males, were killed but one of the boys who is living with us was not killed because he hid himself inside the ceiling and the gunmen could not see him. “My first son had completed secondary education and was awaiting admission while my second son and my third child were all in SSS 1 when the incident took place. What happened to me is beyond explanation. My entire family has been wiped out; it is not easy. But one thing I am sure of is that God will not let the killers of my children go unpunished. My prayer is that the perpetrators should repent.” Council Chairman Reacts The council chairman, Mr Emmanuel Adamu, who spoke to our correspondent said “the assailants started the attack at Fadan Karshi around 10pm, killing people. They killed 19 people there. We first thought they were unknown gunmen only to later discover that they were Fulani. When I got a call that unknown gunmen had attacked one of my communities (Fadan Karshi), I quickly alerted the soldiers and the police. On reaching the community, the attackers had taken over the whole community. “The soldiers engaged the gunmen for nearly four hours. Thereafter, we discovered that about 21 villagers were killed by the gunmen. “While that was going on, we received another call that the gunmen had taken over another village in Nandu district and were killing and slaughtering people at will,” he said. Adamu, who spoke in an emotion-laden voice, further said, “We lost up to 160 people in the local government area in a space of three days. We could not sleep for the three days. I recall that, before the incident, we had earlier received rumours that the attackers were coming and we prepared for them but, after sometime, we never saw them. They took us unawares and I pray that we do not see them again. ➔ CONTINUES ON PAGE 6
6 NEWS
Saturday, July 5, 2014
‘I Lost My Wife, Pregnant In-law, 5 Others’ ➔ FROM PAGE 5
“I want to appeal to the attackers to come out and let us know why they are killing our people. We want to know so that we can dialogue with them. These are people with whom we have been staying together for years and nothing ever happened between us. We have lived peacefully with them.” NEMA donates relief materials to survivors The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has donated relief materials worth millions of naira to the survivors of the recent mass killings in
some villages of Sanga local government area in Kaduna State. NEMA’s north-west zonal coordinator, Musa Ilellah, said the palliative was from the federal government, adding: “If normalcy returned to the affected areas, we will conduct an assessment for permanent settlement of the affected persons. “The items we have presented here today include: 100 bags of millet, 400 bags of rice, 100 bags of maize, 100 bags of guinea corn, 30 cartons of Indomie noodles, 100 bags of sugar, 300 cartoons of water, 50 cartons of milk and Milo, 20 cartons
of red and groundnut oil. “Other items include 500 pieces of mattresses, 150 pieces of insecticide-treated nets, 1,000 each of plastic spoons, plastic cups and 500 plastic buckets.” Ilellah said they would come back again if peace returned to the affected communities. Receiving the items, Kaduna State SEMA executive secretary Ishaku Dogo Makama thanked NEMA for the gesture. Makama said what happened was unfortunate, adding: “We have done our rapid assessment and presented palliatives to the victims. The agency
ramadan timing will also work with other organisations to bring in more materials. Sanga local government chairman Hon. Emmanuel Adamu, while thanking NEMA for the gesture, said they had a total of 27,371 displaced persons at seven camps. “We are just trying to bring them together in three camps so that it will be easier for us to attend to their needs. We were overwhelmed by the number of the displaced when the attack happened but we thank God that NEMA and SEMA have supported us. As of now, we have not recorded any disease at the camps,” Adamu said.
Doctors’ Strike: Private Hospital Demands N.5m To Incubate Baby ➔ FROM PAGE 5
Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba chapter, has threatened to drag the Medical and Dental consultants’ Association of Nigeria and the Nigeria Medical Association (MDCAN/NMA) to court over the irrational decision to embark on the ongoing strike action in government hospitals. The chairman of JOHESU, FMC, Asaba, Tony Asiodu, in a statement also called on Nigerians to condemn the strike action which he described as ego-bloating and prejudiced, noting that an Abuja Court had already restrained them (NMA/MDCN) in Suit No. NIC/ ABJ/177/2014 from embarking on this strike. Still at the National Hospital, Abuja, Chinenye Benjamin is caring for her mother who she claims has skin cancer. She said they were discharged from the hospital on Tuesday because of the strike. “We were referred from Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) in Lagos and we’ve been on admission since last week. We don’t have any relative in Abuja to accommodate us, which is why we are still in the hospital,” she said. According to her, if not for the nurses who helped to dress her mother’s wound, her bleeding would have continued. “She was supposed to have a scan on Tuesday but we were discharged from the hospital,” she added. “Healthcare providers are unarguably entitled to a voice in terms of their employment just as employees in any industry are. However, much like firefighters and police officers, doctors provide essential pub-
lic service. Without hospital staff to care for them, sick patients may languish in their pain and suffering; injured persons may face worsening conditions or find their injuries becoming more complicated.” At the radiography unit of the hospital, patients there said they had been asked to wait as they would be attended to. A hospital staff who pleaded anonymity said the women are mainly cancer patients and that radiographers on duty would attend to them since the machines can be op- Chukwu erated by other medical perbers of the public to comply sonnel. “You can’t start their treat- as the hospital is strictly obment and stop it half way; serving the indefinite strike. otherwise the cancer cells will At Maitama General Hospimultiply. That is why they are tal, Abuja, the story was the being attended to by radiog- same, as in all other public raphers,” she said. hospitals in the capital city. In Ibadan, Oyo State, most A pregnant woman at the National Hospital, Abuja, of the patients at the UniverPriscillia Edoh, who was one sity College Hospital (UCH), of those there for ante-natal Ibadan, were not attendwas not attended to despite ed to by the striking doctors her four-hour wait. “We were as they were denied meditold to wait but up until now cal attention except those they (doctors) haven’t come. on emergencies. Speaking on Nobody else can attend to us. the strike, the NMA chairman What can we do? During the in the state, Prof Adefolarin last strike, the consultants Malomo, said the association attended to us and that was had been pressed most painokay. But today, there is no- fully to resume its suspendbody -- just the matron and ed strike. At the Nnamdi Azikiwe nurses -- and what can they do? They can only teach us. University Teaching HospiThe people that need to do tal, NAUTH, Nnewi, all the the actual checkup are the patients in the teaching hospital were discharged by the doctors,” Edoh said. A lawyer who declined to be hospital management benamed said his friend’s wife cause of the strike. was “forcefully discharged” at When LEADERSHIP Weekthe hospital three days after end visited the hospital, all giving birth through caesar- the wards, including the paediatrics, medical, surgical and ean section. Meanwhile, the head of labour were almost deserted communications at the Na- except for a few patients who tional Hospital, Dr Tayo Haas- were still there and just waittrup, has encouraged mem- ing for the intravenous fluid
fixed to their body to finish so that their relations would transfer them to private hospitals. Mr Obinna Anazor and Mrs Chukwubuikem who spoke to this reporter at the paediatric ward complained bitterly about the strike, lamenting that the development had put the health of their children who were on admission before the commencement of the strike in serious jeopardy. “They (hospital management) came this afternoon and discharged every child and told us that they are no more working, and that they are on strike. So, I am just waiting for the rain to stop so that I take my child to another hospital,” Anazor stated. The president of the Association of Resident Doctors, ARD, NAUTH chapter, Dr Izunwa Osita, who regretted the strike, however, stated that the action was taken in the interest of the improvement of the health sector and not intended to punish any person or patient. An official of the hospital who pleaded anonymity said medical workers would maintain their stance until government was ready for a negotiation. “Gone are the days when you see us going on empty warning strike. This one is total. We won’t resume until we see a green light coming from the government,” he stated. It was the same scenario at the University of Ilorin’s permanent site clinic as doctors, acting on the directive by the national headquarters of NMA, joined the strike action. At the Lagos State Univer➔ CONTINUES ON PAGE 70
Day 8
Towns
Magrib
Alfijr
Abuja
7.00
4.57
Aba
6.56
5.00
Abakaliki
6.53
4.59
Abeokuta
7.10
5.16
Akure
7.03
5.08
Ankpa
6.57
5.02
Argungu
7.12
5.06
Auchi
7.02
5.06
Awka
7.03
5.01
Azare
6.50
4.44
Bama
6.39
4.30
Bauchi
6.51
4.49
Benin
7.05
5.07
Bichi
6.58
4.52
Bida
7.05
5.02
Birnin Gwari
7.04
5.00
B/Kebbi Gwandu
7.13
5.06
Biu
6.42
4.37
Calabar
6.50
4.57
Damaturu
6.42
4.36
Daura/Kazaure
7.01
4.37
Dutse
6.52
4.49
Enugu
6.54
4.59
Funtua/Malumfashi
7.02
4.55
Gembu
6.47
4.43
Gombe
6.45
4.41
Gusau
7.01
4.58
Gwadabawa
7.12
4.59
Hadejia
6.50
4.44
Ibadan
7.14
5.11
Ife
7.09
5.08
Ilesha Baruba
7.11
5.07
Ilorin
7.07
5.09
Jalingo
6.42
4.41
Jere/Suleija
6.59
4.56
Jos
6.56
4.50
Kabba
7.04
5.02
Kafanchan
6.58
4.53
Keffi/Nasarawa
6.58
4.53
Kaiama
7.13
5.10
Kafin Maiyaki
6.58
4.50
Kaduna
6.57
4.56
Kano
6.53
4.51
Katsina
7.01
4.53
Kontagora
7.07
5.05
Lafia
6.53
4.53
Lagos
7.12
5.14
Lokoja
6.57
5.05
Maiduguri
6.35
4.34
Makurdi
6.54
4.52
Minna
7.01
5.03
Missau
6.47
4.43
Monguno
6.38
4.26
Mubi
6.37
4.33
Nguru
6.47
4.41
Ningi
6.51
4.48
Okene
7.07
5.03
Ogbomosho
7.12
5.11
Onitsha
7.00
5.06
Oyo
7.14
5.13
Port Harcourt
6.59
5.10
Potiskum
6.45
4.39
Saki
7.06
5.13
Shagamu
7.07
5.19
Sokoto
7.07
5.04
Umuahia
6.58
4.58
Warri
6.57
5.13
Wukari
5.45
4.53
Wurno
7.11
4.59
Yenagoa
6.39
4.36
Yola
6.36
4.36
Zaria
6.58
4.57
Cotonnou-Benin
7.16
5.16
Ndjamena-Chad
6.27
4.23
Niamey-Niger
7.22
5.15
Zinder – Niger
6.59
4.42
Younde-Cameroun
6.40
4.42
Garoua – Cameroun
6.34
4.35
(Source: Timing Committee, Islamic Research and Timing Organisation Kaduna)
Recommended DU’A for Day 08 Pray a 2 Raka’ah, after the recitation of Surah Al Fatiha, recite Surah Al-Ikhlas 10 times. After salaam, recite: Allahumma Salli ‘alaa Muhammad wa aali Muhammad wa sallim 100 times. Then recite the following DU’A: ALLAAHUMMAR ZUQNEE FEEHI RAHMATAL-AYTAAM WA IT’AAMAL-‘AAM, WA IFSHAAM WA IFSHAA-AS-SALAAM WA SUHBATAL-KIRAAM BI TAULAKA YAA MALJA’AL – ‘AAMILEEEN. Meaning: O Allah, keep me alive, in this month, wrapped in the compassion (Thou feels) for the orphans; provide me wholsome meals; and let me show forth myself as a true Muslim to spread Islam, let me move in the company of the noble-minded persons, through Thy power, O the Ultimate resting-place for those who long for safety. Compiled by Al-Amin Ciroma
news across the states 7
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Adamawa Impeachment: Acting CJ Constitutes Investigative Panel As the impeachment saga against Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa continues to gather momentum, the acting Chief Judge of the state, Justice Ambrose Mammadi, on Friday set up a 7-man committee to investigate allegations of gross misconduct levelled against governo and his deputy, Bala James Ngillari. The setting up of the committee follows a resolution by the state House of Assembly, which ordered the acting Chief Judge to set up the investigation panel to look into the charges. The acting CJ said the constitution of the 7- man panel was based on the provision of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, which provides him with the powers to set up the committee. The registrar of the High Court, Abubakar Babayola, announced the names of the committee members, on behalf of acting CJ and they are: Buba Kaigama, who will serve as the chairman of the committee, while Mrs Laraba Hassan, Saadu Lawan, Gapsiso Eston, Joshua Abu, Njida Kito and Eston Binano will serve as members.
Dangote To Establish $180 Million Rice Factory By MUH’D ZANGINA KURA, DUTSE
Dangote Group has earmarked 180million dollars for the establishment of rice processing factory in Jigawa State. This was disclosed by Alhaji Isa Tata when he led an 8-man team of Dangote consultants on a courtesy call to Governor Sule Lamido in his office. He explained that 30 million dollars has been set aside for construction of the processing plant, while the sum of 150
million dollars is capital base to procure land for the growing and procurement of rice from the out growers farmers. According to Tata, the Jigawa Meca rice factory, when completed would have the capacity of producing 100,000 metric tons of rice annually. Alhaji Tata added that the establishment of the company is part of the commitment of Dangote group to support rice production locally, which aims at making Nigeria self-sufficient
in rice production, creating employment in the process. Alh Isa Tata pointed out that the Dangote group is building rice processing factories in the five Northern states of Jigawa, Kano, Kebbi, Sokoto and Niger. He commended the Jigawa State government for the support and encouragement given to the group for the establishment of rice and sugar production companies in the state. Responding, Governor Sule Lamido commended the Dan-
short news L-R: Speaker, Plateau House Of Assembly, Mr Titus Alams; Deputy Speaker, Mrs Joyce Ramnap; Gov. Jonah Jang of Plateau and Majority Leader, Mr Dem Daniel, during the governor’s inspection of ongoing renovation of Plateau House of Assembly Complex in Jos, yesterday.
By Mohammed Ismail, Yola
Human Rights Lawyer, Fadipe, Murdered In Lagos A human rights crusader and community leader, Barrister Olakunle Alexander Fadipe, has been killed by a man believed to be an assassin inside his sitting room at Harmony Estate, on College Road in Ogba area of Lagos. It was gathered that the assailant also stabbed the dead man’s son identified as Folarin, and his mother-in law. Residents of the estate said the assailant was apprehended and handed over to police officers at Olowosokedile police station. They said the killer may have gained access into the legal luminary’s home by scaling the fence and had attacked his son, Folarin who had opened the door to switch off the generator. A neighbour said Folarin, who received severe wounds to the head and his right wrist had ran inside the house to alert his father to the presence of the intruder. Eye witnesses further narrated that the assailant, who followed Folarin into the house demanded the sum of N500,000 which the late Fadipe said he did not have at home. They said Fadipe offered instead a lower amount and any other personal effects including mobile phones. George Okojie, Lagos
gote Group for selecting his state alongside the other states the Dangote group plans to invest in rice and sugar production. He gave assurance of his government’s support for Dangote Group in its quest to improve Jigawa’s economy. “Agriculture is the only sector that will bring out our people from abject poverty, and by supporting you, we are indirectly supporting our people for prosperity,” Lamido said.
Photo By Nan
short news Nasarawa Assembly Denies Taking Bribe To Impeach Gov Al-Makura The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has denied media reports that its members are being induced to impeach Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura by the presidency. Reacting to the media reports in Lafia yesterday, the House committee chairman on information and security, Hon Mohammed Baba Ibaku, dismissed the allegations as frivolous and mischievous saying lawmakers in the state have no such agenda on ground and no one has approached them for such a mission. Ibaku stressed that as lawmakers, they do not need an outsider to induce them before they can impeach the governor if he commits grievous offences warranting impeachment. By Donatus Nadi, Lafia
HND-Degree Dichotomy: C’ttee Recommends Change In Classification By Kuni Tyessi , Abuja
The committee on the removal of dichotomy between higher national diploma and the university degree holders has submitted its report, recommending that changes be made in the classification of higher national diploma holders in the scheme of service. The 12-man technical committee constituted by the secretary general to the federal government submitted its report to the supervising minister of education, Chief Nyesom Wike in Abuja on Friday. The report further added that “to avoid further dichotomy, the committee identified the need to maintain standards, by not creating two different B.Tech degrees and we
therefore considered it more beneficial to synchronise the B.Tech curriculum proposed by the NBTE for polytechnics with the B.Tech degree approved for the universities by the National Universities commission.” “The committee observed the necessity for changes to be made in the classification of HND holders in the scheme of service.” Receiving the report, Chief Wike said the submitted report is a major approach to addressing the key demands of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP). “this is part of addressing the pressing demands of the academic staff union of polytechnics , but what is most important is that the committee has been able to do
their job very well, and submitted their report earnestly. “The report will be accordingly forwarded to the secretary to the government for immediate action. It will not be like other reports; once the government comes up with a position paper, that will be the final decision,” he added. “The government will have to digest this report before they come up with a decision,” the minister said. Chief Wike also said that the action was to re-assure the union that the government was doing all it can to ensure that all lingering problems are been solved. The minister also urged the striking lecturers of the Polytechnics to call off the industrial action in the interest of the nation.
Emir Of Kano Withdraws Suit Against FG At Industrial Court By Kunle Olasanmi, Abuja
The new Emir of Kano, Mohammadu Sanusi (II) has withdrawn his suit at the National Industrial Court challenging his suspension as the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. The court had at the last adjourned date fixed today to enable Sanusi’s counsel, consult him (Sanusi) as to whether the suit will be terminated or not, in view of his recent appointment as the Emir of Kano. During yesterday’s proceedings, counsel to Sanusi, Mr Kola Awodein (SAN), told the court that
they have filed a notice of discontinuance pursuant to Rule 19 of the court rules. Counsel to the Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) did not oppose the discontinuance but noted that he is having a pending motion seeking for the stay of execution of the judgement of Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, which transferred the case to the industrial court. He however informed the court that he would need to consult his client whether the motion should be terminated or not. He further prayed the court for adjournment
in order to know the next line of action his client would want to take. He also noted that the plaintiff had only discontinued the suit at the industrial court, adding that two suits are still pending at the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal. He further stated that it would be advisable for the plaintiffs to withdraw all the pending suits in other courts. Counsel to Sanusi, however did not oppose to the adjournment sought by Ozekhome. He however added that they will take all necessary steps in withdrawing any other pending suit.
Pension Reform Act 2014: FUPA Commends FG, NASS ......Wants Strict Enforcement
The Federal Universities Pensioners Association (FUPA) has commended the President Goodluck administration and the National Assembly for the Pension Reform Act 2014 recently signed into law by the president. In a statement issued by its president, Ayuba Kura, FUPA views the new law as auspicious, in-depth, responsive to the pains of Nigerian pensioners and workers, and in line with international best practices in pension administration. FUPA commends in particular the regime of new offences and stricter penalties for all shades of corruption, mismanagement, and diversion of pension funds and assets by any pension fund administrator, pension fund custodian or any individual or entity. The statement reads: “We welcome especially the provisions of Section 100(1) of the Act, which stipulates that “Any Pension Fund Administrator or Pension Fund Custodian or person or body who misappropriates or diverts pension funds commits an offence under this Act and is liable on conviction to a fine of an amount equal to three times the amount so misappropriated or diverted or to a term of not less than 10 years imprisonment or both fine and imprisonment.” By Jonathan NdaIsaiah , Abuja
8
Saturday, July 5, 2014
9
Saturday, July 5, 2014
A tomatoes seller in Abuja
Ramadan, Traders And Business In The Holy Month The holy month of Ramadan is here and Islamic faithful are joyous for the spiritual blessings it brings. Dealers in foodstuff and related commodities are also glad Ramadan is here,but for a different reason. SAM EGWU (Lokoja), ANDREW OJIH (Jalingo), ACHOR ABIMAJE (Jos) and ABUBAKAR SALIHI (Kano) report
N
ot a few businesses look forward to Ramadan. This is because the holy month also brings a big boost to several sectors of the economy. However, because the Muslim faithful abstain from eating from dawn to dusk throughout the holy month, many food canteens are also experiencing low patronage during the day, with a handful of them making it up at the end of each day’s fast. In Lokoja, Kogi State, Mama Safiya, who sells Okpa, a local food made from peginepea fruits, at the popular 200 Housing Unit, Lokoja, complained that the season has affected her seriously, because,
according to her, "I used the proceeds from that to augment my family’s upkeep.” She is not alone. Mrs Ajara Shaibu, a mother of seven, who sells Akara, fried bean cakes and pap, opposite a bank in Lokoja, complained that sales have dropped drastically. Also, Mrs Christiana Abayomi, who sells popcorn, meat pie and pure water around the state secretariat, Lokoja, stated that the Ramadan had affected her sales: “My customers are gone; the Ramadan obligation has taken my customers away.” Similarly, Chibuike Okorie, who sells bread and tea, explained that before Ramadan he sold close to 25 cartons of
tea daily, but this has reduced to 10 cartons. “Many people no longer drink tea in the morning or afternoon as they used to before the Ramadan fasting,” he stated. In Jalingo, Taraba State, the prices of foodstuff have risen sharply. A market survey conducted by LEADERSHIP Weekend at the Jalingo market revealed that a 50kg bag of imported rice had increased from N9,000 to N11,000. Also, a 50kg bag of beans which was sold at N11, 000, now cost N14,300. Reacting to the development, Hajia Mariam Audu, who sells Akara at Magami ward, Jalingo, attributed the price increase to security problems and short
supply. Similarly, at Sabongari market in Jalingo prices of rice, beans, millet, maize and other grains have gone up by 30 per cent. A bowl of rice sold for N700 last week has gone up to between N950 and N1,020, while beans which was sold for N1,000 now go for between N1,200 – N1,400 depending on the quality. The same goes for millet, which is now sold for N500 as against N400. Alhaji Inuwa Idris, a resident of Sabongari area of Jalingo, attributed the price increase to the security challenges in the North-East. Market surveys in other markets in the southern part of CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
many food canteens are also experiencing low patronage during the day, with a handful of them making it up at the end of each day’s fast
10 cover story
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Ramadan, Traders And Business In The Holy Month
Foodstuff traders, making brisk business in the holy month
➔ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 Taraba State also indicated that prices of foodstuff and fruits have increased. In Wukari, Ibi, Takum, Donga and Gassol local government areas of the state, consumers are already groaning following the increase in prices. Mamman Kalamu, who spoke with LEADERSHIP Weekend observed that the prices of fruits have gone out of the roof: “I don’t know what happened, I can’t buy the fruits as I used to buy them before. The prices of pineapple, orange and watermelon have drastically increased.” However, some residents said the price increase cannot be entirely traced to the Ramadan, asserting that this might also be due to low harvests and insecurity in some parts of the north. But since the start of Ramadan in Plateau State, pap, akara, masa, and fruit sellers have been smiling to the bank due to increased sales. Other categories of people who also benefit from the season are fastfood joints making tea, or frying noodles with eggs. Zenab, who fries masa at Press Centre Hill Station junction, Jos, told LEADERSHIP Weekend that “demand is very high.” She added that people come in to have their usual masa, stew and gbamo and kunun gyeda, to break their fast, stressing that “we are having bumper sales at this period.” An essential commodity seller, Mallam Usman, said “people come to buy provisions such as sugar, milk and oats to use for breaking their fast.” According to him, “there has been a serious increase in business as we sell more goods during this period than usually.” Also a fruit seller, Lydia, said
...and fruit sellers too
Sumptuous fruits are regular on the tables of many Muslims to break the fast at dusk in Ramadan
her “business is booming now as more people buy fruits to break their fast.” Similarly, a suya and masa seller at Police Officer’s Mess, Jos, Mallam Isah said that as a result of the Ramadan he has increased the quantity of his product due to high demand. In Kano State, findings by LEADERSHIP Weekend revealed that there has been a considerable increase in the demand for foodstuff and fruits in the state since the start of the Ramadan.
At the popular 'Yan Lemu market, which a huge depot of orange, pineapple, watermelon, Mallam Muhammad Dan Mallam, said Ramadan means a big boost for fruit-sellers. When LEADERSHIP Weekend visited the Kasuwar Rimi market, a popular market for tomatoes, potatoes, salad and meat, among other food items, it was very busy and crowded, with buyers and sellers in full business. Dan Sakkwato has been hawking fresh meat for years
and has customers all over Kano city, including in ministries, departments as well as households. He disclosed that he sells about two rams daily and makes a profit of over N15,000 every single day in the month of Ramadan. Also, at the busy 'GyadiGyadi/Dangi' roundabout, young and elderly men could be seen trading in various types of essential commodities such as dates, juices, flavours, oranges, pineapple and banana, among other food items.
The prices of pineapple, orange and watermelon have drastically increased
Saturday, July 5, 2014
11
12 news across the states
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Soldiers Burn BRT Buses Over Accident Transport committee promises to investigate BY MATTHEW DIKE and Taiwo Ogunmola Omilani, Lagos
Angry soldiers in Lagos State yesterday attacked BRT bus workers, setting five buses ablaze after a driver ran over their colleague, killing him. The deceased soldier was said to have been riding towards Ojuelegba
when the bus hit him at Palm Grove area of Ikorodu expressway. An eyewitness who identified himself as Ismaila alleged that immediately the driver saw that the soldier was dead, he disembarked from the vehicle and ran into a nearby estate. Two soldiers were said to have ran after him but he escaped. The soldiers were alleged to have asked a security man at the gate of the estate the whereabouts of the driv-
er and when he could not provide the information they wanted, the soldiers attacked him, leaving him with serious injuries. When they returned to the expressway, other soldiers had arrived at the scene. They allegedly set the BRT bus ablaze and smashed the windscreens of many others. Many drivers and conductors of the buses were also injured. Passengers were said to have escaped through the buses windows.
Commuters who trekked along the road were ordered to raise their hands up and those who failed to do so were beaten. Those who tried to take pictures with their phones were held and attacked. Meanwhile, Lagos State Governor Mr. Babatunde Fashola said the mayhem unleashed on Lagosians and burning of BRT buses by rampaging soldiers in protest of their colleagues is condemnable and unlawful.
short news African Leaders Lack Leadership Training– Ogu Poor or lack of leadership training has been identified as the reason for the current bad leadership and governance quality in Africa and in some parts of Europe. In an interview with LEADERSHIP Weekend yesterday in Abuja, chairman/ executive director, African Legacy International, Engr. Innocent Ogu, noted that Africa and some parts of Europe are in dire need of thorough-bred leaders who are equipped for effective governance. “You will agree with me that Africa and indeed some parts of Europe are in dire need of enlightened and thorough-bred leadership such that are adequately equipped to grapple with the dynamics of effective governance,” he said. Ogu stated that if African leaders are properly trained before assuming leadership positions, they would perform better while in governance, adding that many African leaders came into leadership positions through circumstances that leave them unprepared to properly lead. “You will observe that most African leaders today came into leadership through one reason or the other. By David AdugeAni, Abuja
Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo commisserating with the family of Late Alh. Umaru Dikko in Kaduna, yesterday. Photo By State House
Oyinlola Out For Jonathan’s Defeat In 2015 – Ogundokun Bayo Oladeji, Abuja
The embattled national secretary of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola should not be allowed to return to the party because he has embarked on a mission to ensure that President Goodluck Jonathan fails in his second term bid in 2015, alleges a chieftain of the party in Osun State, Chief Abiola Ogundokun. This follows the recent visit by Oyinlola to the president at Aso Villa in a bid to return to the ruling party. Ogundokun, a member of
the Goodluck Support Group, the non-governmental political pressure group that championed the election of President Jonathan and Vice President Namadi Sambo at the April 2011 polls, expressed “utter shock and embarrassment that Oyinlola, who has serially allegedly worked openly against the success of President Jonathan and the PDP out of vengeance for his loss of Osun State governorship election to Engr. Rauf Aregbesola of the then Action Congress of Nigeria, has the effrontery to return to the PDP without shame.”
According to him,” Jonathan’s crime as far as Oyinlola is concerned, is that the president did not influence the judiciary in his favour during the electoral legal fireworks that pitted him against Aregbesola.” Ogundokun, the publisher and editor-in-chief of Conscience International Magazine, added, “it is only a man without a conscience that would resort to Oyinlola’s brand of dangerous politicking, fired only by selfish individual interest that is detrimental to collective national aspirations.”
How To End Insurgency In The North-East – Ex-police Boss By DAVID ADUGE-ANI, Abuja
Former minister of police affairs, Adamu Maina Waziri, has stated that consultation and dialogue should be explored in order to end insurgency and youth restiveness in Nigeria. Adamu stated this in an interview with reporters in Abuja. The former minister said since the country is now a democracy, its first weapon of conflict resolution should be consultation and dialogue, and not the use of force. His words: “It has become imperative for us to adopt dialogue and consultation as a way of re-
solving the problem of insurgency and related youth restiveness in the north and other parts of this country. Dialogue, consultation and peaceful resolution of our problems should be taken to a higher level where there should be proper engagement. This has been a major approach all over the world and Nigeria cannot be an exception. Everybody must open to peaceful conflict resolution as a way of resolving problems identified in the society.” Adamu also tasked government at all levels to tackle youth restiveness by engaging young Nigerians “in gainful and useful activities.”
The former minister, who is a delegate to the on-going national conference and a chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from Yobe State, disclosed that the PDP has been repositioned in Yobe to play a crucial role in the socio-economic and political development of the state in line with the party’s’ transformation agenda. He said the PDP was being strengthened in Yobe in line with the directives of the national hierarchy of the party, which directed that the reconstitution of the state executive council should conform to the party’s guidelines.
short news NURTW Boss Shot Dead in Ondo Tragedy struck at Fiwasaye street in Ondo town, headquarters of Ondo West local government area of the state on Thursday at about 10:30am, when a middle age man, Ojo Lazarus, was allegedly shot dead by yet to be identified persons in the town. LEADERSHIP Weekend gathered from a reliable source, that the deceased, who is said to be an executive member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the community, had gone to the area at the early hours of that fateful day, to visit his girlfriend before the incident occurred. By Tope Fayehun, Akure
140,000 Lagos Pupils Write Placement Test Today About 140,000 pupils will write this year’s placement test for admission into public secondary schools in Lagos State for the 2014/15 academic session which will hold today in no fewer than 300 centres across the state. This was disclosed by the state commissioner for education, Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye. According to her, about 140,000 pupils are expected to write the placement test, adding that pupils are expected to obtain a 50% average scores in English and Mathematics in addition to 50% cumulative scores before they can be considered for admission into public secondary schools. Oladunjoye noted that the essence of the placement test is to test the ability of the pupils to cope with the rigours of academics at the secondary level, train and prepare them on how to sit and write examinations as well as ready them psychologically for secondary schools’ education. The commissioner pointed out that the introduction of the personalised Optical Mark Reader (OMR) system will go a long way in eliminating the incidence of examination malpractices, as each answer sheet has been personalised for each candidate with his or her passport photograph boldly placed on the answer sheet. By Micheal Oche, Abuja
FG Introduces Programme To Create Young Farmers The federal government has initiated a programme aimed at creating a new generation of committed young farmers who would act as catalysts for agricultural development in their communities, while getting enriched with practical skills for life. The senior special assistant to the president on Schools Agriculture Programme, Dr Baraka Sani, who stated this yesterday in Abuja during a press conference, said that the programme is coming at a time the nation is faced with the challenges of feeding its 250 million estimated population by 2050, alleviate poverty and malnutrition and, in the process achieve the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). She said the programme would develop a life skill in youths that would see a great reduction in poverty, especially in the rural areas, on the long run. By Evelyn Okoruwa, Abuja
Saturday July 5, 2014 ISSUE 81
Men’s Health
Striking A Healthier WorkLife Balance
WOMEN:
Health Beauty Fitness
Women’s Top Health Concerns Ayurvedic Medicine:
Grape Fruit
Pile: Why Treatment Should Be Taken Seriously
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July 5, 2014
KIDS- HEALTH
R’S EDITO
NOTE
Height: Feeling Too Tall or Too Short
Fasting Is Not All about Feasting Most people see fasting (Ramadan) as an opportunity to consume the most and often overindulge themselves. They eat at least twice as much when breaking their fast than they eat for a regular dinner in any other month. This is a cause for concern, especially in this holy month of Ramadan, when the body should be kept in check, instead of overindulging and eating in excess. It would be interesting to know that fasting has several health benefits. The reason is simple: when the body is fasting, it is not occupied with the process of digestion and hence its organs are given an opportunity to rejuvenate and restore themselves, thereby allowing the one who fasts to recover from various ailments. However, if a person overeats in the evening and indulges in heavy, fatty foods, this offsets the physical benefits of fasting. According to a New Research at the Intermountain Medical Centre’s Heart Institute in the US, it points to abstinence from food as a way to derail the potentially debilitating track of diabetes. “Fasting has the potential to become an important diabetes intervention,” it says. The health benefits of fasting are summarised by Dr Cinque, a medical expert below: • Fasting promotes detoxification. As the body breaks down its fat reserves, it mobilizes and eliminates stored toxins. • Fasting gives the digestive system a much-needed rest. After fasting, both digestion and elimination are invigorated. • Fasting promotes the resolution of inflammatory processes, such as in rheumatoid arthritis. • Fasting quiets allergic reactions, including asthma and hay fever. • Fasting promotes the drying up of abnormal fluid accumulations, such as oedema in the ankles and legs and swelling in the abdomen. • Fasting corrects high blood pressure without drugs. Fasting will normalize blood pressure in the vast majority of cases, the blood pressure will remain low after the fast, if the person follows a health-supporting diet and lifestyle. • Fasting makes it easy to overcome bad habits and addictions. Many people have overcome tobacco and alcohol addictions by fasting, and even drug addictions. Ramadan Kareem. E-mail: miminaija@yahoo.com 08075300560(text only)
EDITOR: Raliat Ahmed-Yusuf Ag. GM CREATIVE DESIGNS: Chukwudi J. Nwabueze AG. EDITOR: Catherine Agbo FOUNDER: Sam Nda-Isaiah Chairman: Hajiya Ireti Heebah Kingibe GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR: Azubuike Ishiekwene GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Michael Okpere Dr. Kazeem Durodoye
For most kids, height isn’t something they can change, so what do you do if you don’t like how tall or short you are? It might be girls feeling too tall and boys feeling too short. But some really tall boys might not like all that height and some shorter girls might get tired of all the jokes or of feeling like they’re staying little while their friends are growing up. It’s in Your Genes But the truth is that everyone is growing up it’s just that they’re doing it at their own pace. In other words, your body grows on its own schedule. You can’t wish yourself taller or stretch yourself. Or if you’re already tall, you can’t do anything to hurry up your friends up so you’re not the tallest one. For kids concerned about their height, there are two big questions: 1. When will I grow taller (or stop growing)? 2. How tall will I be? Your genes, which you inherited from your parents, largely determine how tall you will end up being and how fast you’ll grow. Kids get taller more quickly during growth spurts, times when their bodies grow fast as much as 4 inches or more in a year during puberty, for example! When Does Height Happen? Your biggest growth spurt happened when you were a baby. In that first year of life, you grew about 10 inches as you got bigger and stronger. Since then, you’ve probably seen your height increase a few inches a year. You might find out how much you’ve grown during your annual check up at the doctor’s office or when your pants get too short. Uh, oh we can see your ankles! After babyhood, the next big growth spurt for kids comes during puberty, a time of many changes when boys and girls grow bigger and start to look more like adult men and women. But no one can tell you exactly when you’ll experience these changes. Puberty starts at different ages for different kids and it is a process that takes a couple of years. So the getting taller part will happen at different ages, depending on the kid, and whether he or she is a boy or a girl. In general, puberty starts:•between ages 8 and 14 in girls •between 9 and 16 in boys
because your height is determined by your genes. Height-Related Worries Things some short or tall kids might have to deal with: You’re too short to ride the rides you want to ride at an amusement park. You’re all ready to board the super-fast roller coaster and the ride operator says you’re too small. You still have to use a booster seat in the car. Though you haven’t used a car seat for a long time, older kids are supposed to use a booster seat until they are 4-feet-9-inches tall. You’re a girl who’s taller than the boys. This can make a girl feel awkward, especially when it comes time to be paired up, like at a school dance. Eventually, this evens out, but it takes a little while because many girls have their growth spurts before the boys do. Someone teases you about being too tall or too short. This kind of teasing is the worst. You can’t change your height, so what are you supposed to do? As with most teasing, try not to let it bother you. Tell a teacher, parent, or another adult, if it’s bothering you and the person won’t stop. What Can I Do Right Now? If you are still worried about your height, talk to your parents and your doctor. Most kids don’t have a growth problem that needs help from a doctor, but it’s always OK to ask if you’re concerned.If you get the nutrition, sleep, and exercise you need, you’re likely to reach your maximum potential height. In other words, you’ll grow as tall as you were meant to grow. As they get older, most kids learn to feel comfortable with their height, whether they turn out tall, short, or somewhere in between.
During puberty, boys and girls will have a growth spurt and grow to their adult height. So that means girls who start puberty the latest will still be getting taller in their mid-teens. For boys, the latest to reach puberty will still be getting taller into their late teens. A few of these boys may grow taller even into their early 20s! How Tall Will I Be? You might want to know how tall you will be. But it’s easy to get a clue: Look at your parents and the other adult members of your family. Chances are you’ll be around the same height as your parents. If one’s parent is tall and one short, then you’re likely to end up somewhere in between. But you could be taller or shorter, too. Boy, there are a lot of “buts” when it comes to height! That’s
Health is the first muse, and sleep is the condition to produce it… Ralph Waldo Emerson
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July 5, 2014
Pile: Why Treatment Should Be Taken Seriously Pile, also called haemorrhoids is a small, blood-filled swelling caused by dilated varicose veins. They are located inside the anus called ‘internal haemorrhoids’ but sometimes protrude ‘external haemorrhoids, ‘ caused by unhealthy diet, constipation and prolonged straining when using the toilet which increases the pressure in the veins leading to anal bleeding, itching, pain and discomfort. In this piece TUNDE OGUNTOLA writes on the salient facts about haemorrhoids/ pile as they are not as dangerous as people think, but an early treatment can lead to a healthy lifestyle.
H
aemorrhoids also called pile may be present for many years but remain undetected until symptoms appear, they can cause anal bleeding and itching and also pain and discomfort. Normally, the bleeding is limited to
Did you know?
small stains of fresh blood on the toilet paper, but more severe bleeding can sometimes be present when stools are passed also, a lump may also be felt in the anus. According to Dr Ikechukwu Amadi a surgeon and also a senior registrar general at the National Hospital, Abuja, ‘’Nigerians need to seek medical help if they have pile, as this could be a sign of a more serious medical condition if ignored. ‘’ ‘’Among middle-aged individuals or the elderly, pile usually is a sign of a more serious problem along the gastrointestinal tract; around the tract through which faeces passes. It may be something that is showing us an ideal that there is a tumour around the colon; the big bowel. In such individuals pile will not be taken lightly because it may be that there is a tumour close to the anus that is forcing those vessels to dilate and push down to form pile. ‘’ He explained that, when a middle-
Music has a special power to move us and stir our emotions. Anyone who has ever wiped tears away from their eyes listening to their favourite sad song will know how powerful simple notes and chords can be. Now, scientific studies have
aged individual or an elderly person begins to have pile, he should consult a specialist who will be able to evaluate him, noting that pile could be prevented by taking high fibre diet and plenty of water. ‘’In an attempt to prevent pile, one may need to take high fibre diet containing a lot of fruits and vegetables and an individual is expected to take a lot of water minimum of about three litres in a day. ‘’These are measures that will help to prevent pile because anything that will make us to bear down during the passage of stool predisposes, as I have already said, to pile or haemorrhage, ‘’ he added. Although, some haemorrhoids can get better without medical treatment this can happen if they are caused by constipation. The doctor may recommend a change of diet, if you observe blood in your stools, and have the symptoms mentioned above, you should visit your doctor for a check-up. In severe cases the possible treatment is rubber band ligation. Rubber band
shown that music really can change our mood and even help us concentrate. We look at the effects music can have, and we ask the experts what songs are likely to help you run a race, prepare for an exam or relieve stress.
ligation can be performed in the doctor’s surgery or outpatient clinic and does not require hospital admission. The procedure involves placing a small rubber band at the base of the haemorrhoid with a special applicator. The rubber band cuts off the blood supply to the haemorrhoid, which eventually falls off after a few days. Injection of a substance that makes the blood in the haemorrhoid clot is another option (sclerotherapy). The most serious cases are third-degree haemorrhoids. These protrude through the back passage and can require surgical removal or ‘’haemorrhoidectomy’’. Such operations are successful in 90 per cent of cases. However, many third-degree haemorrhoids shrink and become symptom-free without surgical treatment. On a final note, following any treatment for haemorrhoids, it is very important to avoid constipation and straining or the condition may recur.
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WOMEN Fitness Beauty Wellness
July 5, 2014
Simple Steps To Healthy Living
By Raliat Ahmed Yusuf, with additional report from WebMD
Women’s Top Health Concerns
there are far too many women dying of heart disease in their 60s, when no one expects to die because that’s too young in this country
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magine living without illness to slow you down. While there are no lifetime guarantees, enough scientific research has been done to make long, healthy living a possibility. To help women boost health, we shall be looking at five medical conditions that are of great concern to them: heart disease, breast cancer, osteoporosis, depression, and autoimmune diseases. We shall also examine the risk factors for each disease and what experts think women could do to prevent such ailments. Heart Disease Heart disease is the leading killer of both men and women. In women, the condition is responsible for about 29% of deaths, says recent reports.. Yet death in itself isn’t the biggest problem for women with heart disease. The real trouble is in premature death and disability. According to Cindy Pearson, executive director of the National Women’s Health Network, “there are far too many women dying of heart disease in their 60s, when no one expects to die because that’s too young in this country”. “There are (also) women, who, for many years, are really ill with heart disease -- being out of breath, not being able to walk up one flight of stairs … because heart disease impairs their ability to get around,” she says. Although more men die of heart disease than women, females tend to be underdiagnosed, often to the point that it’s too late to help them once the condition is discovered. “The symptoms for women are typical for women, and they are often missed by doctors and the patient themselves,” Mark explains. “We often think of symptoms …
like chest pain. Some people may have that, but others may just have a little bit of jaw pain, shoulder ache, nausea, vomiting, or shortness of breath.” • The risk factors for heart disease as: • Increasing age • Heredity (including race). People with family history of the disease have greater risk. So do African-Americans, Mexican-Americans, Native Americans, Native Hawaiians, and some Asian-Americans. • Smoking • High blood cholesterol • High blood pressure • Physical inactivity • Obesity and overweight Diabetes The burden of heart disease in women is very great. The earlier folks adapt healthier behaviors, the lower their overall risk for heart disease or stroke outcomes. Burke says people can reduce their risk of heart disease by modifying lifestyle to include a well-balanced diet and exercise. Breast Cancer Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. It is second to lung cancer as the leading cause of death for women. Experts say the fear of breast cancer can sometimes be exaggerated, stopping women from going to their doctors for screening, or pushing women to make rash decisions about mastectomy, when it may it may not be necessary. “There’s a lot of treatment for breast cancer,” assures Diane Helentjaris, MD, immediate past president of the American Medical Women’s Association. “It’s not a death sentence.” She urges women to keep their emotions in perspective and to educate themselves about the issues. The following are risk factors for breast cancer: • Increasing age • Genes. Nearly 5% to 10% of breast cancer is linked to mutations in certain genes (most commonly, the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes). • Family history of the disease • Personal history of the disease • Race. White women have a slightly greater risk of getting breast cancer compared with African-American women. Yet African-Americans have a greater chance of dying from this disease. • Earlier chest radiation • Early onset of menstruation (before age 12) or menopause after age 55 • Not having children • Too much alcohol ……to be continued
• Maintain a healthy weight. Losing excess pounds, and keeping them off, can lower your risk of heart disease as well as various types of cancer. • Get moving. Include physical activity in your daily routine. You know exercise can help you control your weight and lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. But did you know that it may also lower your risk of certain types of cancer? Choose activities you enjoy, from brisk walking to ballroom dancing. • Don’t smoke. If you smoke or use other tobacco products, asks your doctor to help you quit. It’s also important to avoid exposure to second hand smoke. • Eat a healthy diet. Choose vegetables, fruits, whole grains, high-fiber foods and lean sources of protein, such as fish. Limit foods high in saturated fat, added sugar and sodium. • Limit alcohol. If you choose to drink alcohol, do so only in moderation. For women that means no more than one drink a day. The risk of various types of cancer including breast and liver appears to increase with the amount of alcohol you drink and the length of time you’ve been drinking regularly. • Manage stress. If you feel constantly on edge or under assault, your lifestyle habits may suffer and so might your immune system. Take steps to reduce stress or learn to deal with stress in healthy ways.
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Saturday, July 5, 2014 Beyond the stagecraft and all that, D’Banj is a great musician. Forget the criticism. We all have our faults. With this Double Wahala remix, Eja Nla’s collabo has further made the song popular and a mega hit. What are you working on currently?
I am working on an album and already I’ve been releasing different singles. I have different shows lined up in Nigeria and across Africa. We would be shooting the video for Sexy Ladies with Davido in Monaco, France. In between, I’ll be having some mega shows with other Nigerian artistes. Then the Double Wahala remix video with D’Banj is going to be shot in South Africa in the next few months. . Given your new found fame, have there been any offers for endorsements?
Yeah, (smiles) endorsements are knocking at my door; because I am one of the hottest brands now, companies and multinationals are approaching me, but I can’t give details now. Endorsements will definitely come, because when you are successful, companies and brands will line up to sign you up.
Oritsefemi
My Music Is Inspired By Fela– Oritsefemi Oritsefemi Mejemite Ekele is the rave of the moment, thanks to his current awardwinning hit, Double Wahala, which has reintroduced the Ajegunle-bred singer into the music industry. Travelling across Africa on different tours and sharing the stage with top musicians here in Nigeria, the singer, with more than three albums to his credit, has finally arrived after being in the background for years since he debuted with his hit single, Mercies Of the Lord. He speaks to SAMUEL ABULUDE on his struggles and eventual rise to fame. What has Oritsefemi been up to?
I have been doing great. I can say this is Oritsefemi’s time to shine. I just won the aweard for Most Popular Song of the Year at City People Entertainment Awards. I thank God for this great recognition. During the presentation I dedicated my award to Fela, Abami Eda.
How was it like recording the Double Wahala remix with D’Banj?
It was good. Working with D’Banj was full of fun and like the Oyinbos would say, he killed the song. People didn’t think D’Banj would come through for my Double Wahala remix. He has been criticised by many, but D’Banj is good and I enjoyed working with him.
Fela is your role model, is that correct?
Fela inspired my music and he is my role model. I grew up in a home where Fela’s music was played everyday. My late dad used to play the music every day and it robbed off on me. As baba dey play am now, pikin dey listen to am. So that tells you why Fela gets a lot of respect from me. I dedicated my award to him because the song, Double Wahala, which fetched me the award, is from him- I only added my own take to it. I have a good relationship with Femi Kuti, Seun Kuti and Yeni, all of whom are Fela’s offspring. Kalakuta museum is close to my area. Of all Fela songs, you picked Double Wahala, why?
I used to do reality songs and then there was only hiphop music, afropop music and I felt afro beat had been side-lined, so I decided to use one of Baba Fela’s song, in order to prove that afro beat music is it. Double Wahala came to my mind because then, nothing good was happening in the country with strikes, unrest and all that. So I recorded Double Wahala. How rich is Oritsefemi and is it true you earn 50 million per show?
(Smiles) I thank God that I’m comfortable and making enough to do what I like. This is my peak time and one has to
do everything to ensure money keeps coming in. You are not going to be the hottest singer forever so you have to be wise and do business with your music and grow your brand. I don’t earn 50 million naira per show yet but I’m working towards that. Being from Ajegunle, how was it like when you started out?
It was tough and turbulent. Growing up in Ajegunle in itself is challenging because of peer pressure and the environment. Music was part of me from my youth as a choir member of Cherubim and Seraphim Church. This was my foundation as a singer. We faced rejection as musicians; I’m referring to singers from Ajegunle, the ghetto city. I know I have the talent but because of my background, some music producers berated and looked down on me, thinking I won’t amount to anything. But here I am, one of the great talents coming from A.J city. I struggled for relevance and God says this is my time. Is there something you are doing about the numerous talented artistes from Ajegunle who are begging for recognition?
Yeah, there are a whole lot of promising singers from Ajegunle crying for attention. I’m available to collaborate with some of them and push their music. There is a tall guy named Antelope, he’s good. Another is Born Champion; they are all good guys. The one that is the hottest is called Powerline; the guy is hot. What I’m doing to showcase their talents is that I called my old time producers, Obaro & Tonero and we are recording a song, an Aj city song. What are you doing to sustain your kind of music?
I’m focused; and music is like a train. We all have our seasons. What I do is to use my strength, which involves doing great music that will continue to appeal to people over the years. I have featured great stars like Pasuma and Tuface in my UNSHAKABLE third album. Will Oritsefemi get married this year?
You never know! I plan to get married to my girlfriend, Yetunde and by God’s grace, soonest. My fans should watch out! What are three things people don’t know about you?
Oritsefemi is a nice person. I don’t hurt people. I’m a very simple and reserved guy. I don’t go partying in clubs unless I’m invited. I’m very spiritual and it reflects in my music.
I have been doing great. I can say this is Oritsefemi’s time to shine
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Saturday, July 5, 2014
Breaking-Up Is Not Their Thing After the glitz and glamour of celebrity weddings, which leave many wowed and fascinated, sometimes what follows is a fiasco of insults and lawsuits. However, some Nigerian celebrity marriages have defied the odds and stood the test of time. ANTHONY ADA ABRAHAM writes on the marital journey of some celebrities.
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t has been argued that you will find the most bizarre of marriages amongst celebrities. There are the good, the bad and the outright ugly. Many theories have been proffered to explain the seeming inability of celebrities to hold their marriages together. Some would say it's because they are engrossed in the fame and want more publicity, among other possible reasons. However whilst other marriages crumble, some celebrities have been able to keep it together. Though there’s no questioning the fact that there are more failed Hollywood marriages than successful ones, when it comes to Nollywood the trend doesn’t seem to run the same course as there are so many Nollywood marriages that have endured and survived. While it is true there are many ‘enduring marriages’ walking the thin line between success and failure, there are also those that are looking shipshape, haven weathered storms. Below are some respected celebrity couples who have been in the entertainment industry for years and are still enjoying a blissful marriage:
Omotola and Mathew Ekeinde Actress Omotola JaladeEkeinde and husband Matthew Ekeinde marked their 18th wedding anniversary recently. Omotola’s husband, Matthew, is a pilot and ten years her senior. They met when she was just 16 and he proposed two years later.
In 1997, Omotola gave birth to their first daughter. Together, the couple have four children, Princess, M.J., Meriaih and Michael Ekeinde. In 2001, the couple were wedded in a ceremony on board a plane flying from Lagos to Benin, with close family and friends present. Since her Nollywood film debut in 1995, Jalade-Ekeinde has appeared in 300 films, selling millions of video tapes, cds and dvds. She is the first African celebrity to receive over 1 million likes on her Facebook page. Her popular nickname, “Omosexy,” was given to her by her husband. “That’s my husband’s pet name for me,”she explains, “and the fans love it, and now people call me Omosexy almost more than Omotola.” In 2013, she was honoured in Time Magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world alongside Michelle Obama, Beyonce and Kate Middleton. “I think that’s what gives me more satisfaction,” she says. “The fact that I wasn’t just recognised as an artiste but as an icon — I’m very grateful for it.” In all interviews, the couple say the secret to their longlasting and loving marriage is mutual trust, respect and God’s grace. In their case, the popular cliché “behind every successful man there is a woman” could be reversed: in this case, it is apt to say that “behind Omotola’s successful marriage there is a trusting husband!”
Olu and Joke Jacobs They are both Nollywood
actors and they have set the pace for upcoming actors and actresses in the industry. The couple have shown that you can be a career person and at the same time keep your home. Olu Jacobs and Joke Silva grew together in acting, and view each other like partners, not rivals. They are unarguably the oldest couple in Nollywood today. They have been married for almost 30-years, yet their love is still strong! During Joke Silva’s 50th birthday celebration in 2011, the couple renewed their marital vows and Joke was in tears! Recalling how they met, Joke says, “When I first met Olu, he was this dashing guy. He was just such incredible fun! We got along very well. I didn’t even know his age; I thought maybe he was in his late twenties, early thirties. I screamed when I found out his age. He was 39 and I was 20! Well, eventually it was my mum who gave me the go ahead because she saw how serious I was with him and hadn’t seen me that serious with anyone. My dad was worried about the age difference but my mum was able to make him see reason. “I remember he proposed when we went for dinner and a Greek meal was served. I think he got the people in the restaurant involved in the whole arrangement; oh…it was just so romantic!” Joke says. “There’s a lot of societal pressure that makes men not be themselves. A man should be allowed to be vulnerable, strong, supportive, sometimes challenged and needing somebody to help him through and he should also be there for the person as well. On a parting note, for those couples about to jump the broom, go ahead and do it! Go in and enjoy each other; enjoy every moment of your marriage,” Olu effused.
Tunde and Wumi Obe Popularly called TWO, they
sing together under the same label and they have left no stone unturned to make their marriage work. They met in 1998 at Unilag when he belonged to a band called Turning Point. They sailed through university and then got married. Tunde and Wunmi have been married for over 10-years. They always work together in whatever venture they got into. They are all-round entertainers, and have carved a niche for themselves with their peculiar type of music. They are also believed to be one of the entertainment industry’s most popular celebrity couple. They shine like stars and their dressing is usually colour, design and fabric coordinated. They are blessed with three children; the eldest Modesayo is 9, Ricardo is 7, while their last child Andrew, is 5.
Isaac and Nneka Moses The passionate duo behind Goge Africa, Nneka and Isaac Moses, have been married since 1998. They met on a movie set two years earlier in 1996. He was a budding actor and she was a costumier with a tiny part in the movie as his girlfriend. Life would soon imitate art: a relationship developed between them and they eventually got married. The couple is blessed with a lovely son. When it comes to the lasting marriages, one begins to wonder how they worked, while questioning the avalanche of reasons being put forward to explain why most celebrity marriages hit the rocks. While most people say celebrities’ relationships don't last long, I say those whose marriages don’t survive are people who don’t try hard enough to make it work.
While it is true there are many ‘enduring marriages’ walking the thin line between success and failure, there are also those that are looking shipshape, haven weathered storms
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Saturday, July 5, 2014
Solomon Nda–Isaiah Entertainment Ricochet
08116759802
nda_is@yahoo.co.uk
Thumbs Up For Don Jazzy
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hen the news of the break up between the president and CEO of the now extinct Mohits Records, Don Jazzy and D'banj went viral, the numerous fans of D'banj believed it was all over for the "godfather", Don Jazzy, not knowing that things were turning around for good in his favour. Entertainment analysts and music lovers speculated that D'banj made Don Jazzy who he is today and that D’banj decided to call it quits with the Mohits record label so he wouldn’t have to share proceeds any more. But with what I’ve observed, it seems by bidding Mohits farewell, D'banj has made one of the biggest mistakes of his life. A critical look at D'banj when he was with Don Jazzy and where he is now would reveal that he is depreciating in fame. All the artistes under Mavin Records are the ones in vogue now; there is nowhere you enter that you don't hear one of the songs of the Mavin Records crew. On the other hand, D'banj’s songs no longer receive the fame they used to enjoy. Songs by the Mavin Records crew, like Eminado, Dorobuchi
and others, are receiving massive airplay on TV and radio stations. Also, Mavin Records songs and crew have won several awards in recent times, while D'banj is struggling to make his Koko Garri gain recognition. Mavin Records label, led by Don Jazzy, bagged the Record Label of the Year award at the prestigious City People Entertainment Awards. This is cheering news coming the way of the Don Jazzy-led record label, beating Chocolate City, EME and others to it. This is no mean feat, as stated by label mates, Dr Sid and Tiwa Savage, who were present at the event to accept the award on behalf of the company. Dr Sid said no one gave them a chance since Mo'Hits collapsed and most people thought that was the end of their promising careers. "Don Jazzy could have packed his things and gone back to the UK after the painful breakup, but thumbs up to him, he decided to work harder and bring younger artistes on board. “This award is really for my boss, Don Jazzy, for braving the odds and churning out great hits of which I'm a testimony," said the Surulere crooner.
Leadership Award Excites Ice Prince By SAMUEL ABULUDE, Lagos
Best international act winner of the BET 2013 Awards, Ice Prince is excited over his emergence as the Leadership's Entertainer of the Year and expresses his thanks to the management of Nigeria’s most influential newspaper for the award. The star rapper who dropped his 2nd album, Fire Of Zamani and has won multiple awards so far thanked the company for the honour, noting that selection for the award must have been aided by his hard work over the years. The 27-year old who performed alongside Tiwa Savage, Sarkodie
Ice Prince
and South African duo, Mafizikolo at the BET 2014 Awards said his musical career
and international stardom were still evolving and lauded his fans, friends and family for standing by him. Jos-born Ice Prince whose real name is Panshak Zamani who spoke exclusively to LEADERSHIP WEEKEND said Nigerian musicians were becoming the toast of the world due to their creativity, added "I'm elated and thrilled that Leadership Newspaper has made me among so many stars the Entertainer of the Year. It speaks volumes and a sign that people really love my music. I'm set to do more and put Jos people on the global map by God's grace".
355 Set To Boost Hospitality In Nigeria By Anthony Ada Abraham,
Abuja
Lagos is the entertainment centre of Nigeria and people investing in the hospitality industry every day. There is a new addition to the hospitality sector in the city, 355, and the brains behind it is Tola Awosika, a UK trained Nigerian entrepreneur who has passion for entertainment and hospitality. He was in Abuja recently, and scooped LEADERSHIP Weekend on the motivation behind setting up an edifice of such magnitude in Lagos, which houses a lounge and a restaurant of international standard.
Awosika
He explained that his purpose for setting up 355 was because of his passion for hospitality as well as the desire to bring in something new into the country, that was lacking in the hospitality business. ‘The inspiration behind setting up 355 was borne from places I had visited around the
world, in New York, London, and others. ‘The name 355 was inspired from my university days and it’s the number of my first apartment when I was in England. I decided to keep that number and keep the wonderful memory I had. ‘If you walk into 355 from the customer service to the food in the restaurant and the lounge, you get a feel of an international presence. ‘A soft launch was done in December last year and we had the main launch 4th of July. It’s a place where celebrities and personalities can hangout. We also have bigger plans for Abuja, though we have other businesses here,’ he promised.
AGN President Harps On Unity Among Actors By SAMUEL ABULUDE, Lagos
Actors Guild of Nigeria president, Ibinabo Fiberesima is a woman that says it as it is. The actress cum beauty pageant organiser has had her hands deep in the affairs of the actors’ guild for years, trying to put order into a system of disorder. Recently, after receiving a special recognition award at City People Entertainment Awards, Ibinabo urged all actors across guilds to desist from name calling, the pull-
Ibinabo
me-down syndrome and unite. The delectable mother of four harped on recent attacks in the media on her person as an ex-convict not fit
to run for AGN presidency in the first place. "I just want all actors and film industry stakeholders whether you are Yoruba, Hausa or Igbo to unite and move the industry forward." Abusing ourselves on the pages of newspaper is not needful. I'm passionate about a proper welfare and health scheme for my members. Special thanks to President Jonathan for releasing funds to treat our veteran actors that are down with illness. We still need more money to take care of others," stated Ibinabo.
Efe Nathan Drops 'Nobody Like You' By SAMUEL ABULUDEA, Lagos
Don Jazzy
Gospel Singer, Efe Nathan has just released a new worship song titled Nobody Like You, the lead single off her forthcoming album scheduled for release by July 2014. In the single, which is produced by J Treash, Efe emphasises the importance of the lyrics of the song by keeping the music production simple, and time enough to get across her message. Efe, whose marriage with a
Nathan
musician Flo, is alleged to have hit the rocks, was a subject of ridicule as a result of a sex video which displayed someone resembling her masturbating. “The song was borne out of a place of pain, betrayal, and conflict, but I resolved to keep my eyes on God.” Efe further said that she has a victory to celebrate, because the plans of the enemy did not work over her life.
20 BLITZ
Dancers Usher In Maltina Dance All 8 By SOLOMON NDA-ISAIAH
The Atrium at the Silverbird Galleria in Lagos was literally set ablaze when 10 dancers suddenly appeared on the scene and started dancing; their moves caught the attention of movie goers and shoppers instantly as their dancing was energetic and highly entertaining. As attention was riveted on them it was not long before it became apparent that it was a prelude to the popular family dance show, Maltina Dance All (MDA) season eight, which kicked off on Saturday. The 2014 edition tagged “The Rhythm of Happiness” will chronicle new dance styles known as Rhythm of Happiness Dance (ROHD), while consumers and other Nigerians are encouraged to come up with their ROHD. Speaking at the press parley, Kufre Ekanem, corporate affairs adviser, Nigerian Breweries Plc, said the dance performance was just “a tip of the iceberg from this season of Maltina Dance All. As we all know, it is the foremost experiential and sponsorship platform of the Maltina brand renowned for promoting togetherness with friends and loved ones. The TV show, which made its debut in 2007, has remained Nigeria’s first and only family dance TV show featuring families from various regions
across the country.” He added that the show is “about the emotions, excitement, fun and the unbreakable bond that ten families will showcase when they challenge themselves by learning and performing various dance styles in the famous Maltina Dance All academy.” Reminding the audience of the uniqueness of each edition, Ekanem said each year comes with a unique theme that drives the activation. “For instance, the theme for Season 5 was the ‘Biggest Maltina Dance All,’; Season 6 was the ‘Most Spectacular MDA’ and Season 7 was ‘The Evolution.’ This year, distinguished gentlemen of the press; we present to you the Maltina Dance All Season 8, “Rhythm of Happiness.” On what is up for grabs for this year’s edition, the corporate affairs adviser said the winning family will go home with a whooping N10 million. The first and second runners up will also get N3 million and N1 million respectively. This is a considerable increase from the N6 million, N1 million and N500, 000 won last year by contestants. Also speaking, Adewole Adedeji, senior brand manager, Maltina stated that building any brand is a very long journey, “We are glad with the evolution of the Maltina brand over the years and the impact it has made thus far.
Some contestants at the Maltina Dance All
We are also very excited about what season eight of MDA have in store for us. You will agree with me that eight years is a long time for a show to still be relevant and we’re very glad that Maltina, through MDA, continues to bring the brand experience of sharing happiness and fun to the consumer. The MDA “Rhythm of Happiness” edition will be refreshingly unique because we put a lot of work into it. Every year there is something bigger and better.” The show proper will be preceded by regional auditions which will kick off in Port Harcourt at the Atrium Event Center on July 18th - 19th; Lagos - National Theatre on July 24th - 26th and Abuja - Nicon Luxury Hotel on August 1st – 2nd. Interested Nigerians can go online and register at www.maltinadanceall. tv or they can register at the venues of the auditions for a chance to participate. They can also visitfacebook.com/ MaltinaNigeria for more information.
Being Mrs Elliot Gets 11 NAFCA Nominations By SOLOMON NDA-ISAIAH, Abuja
After an impressive opening at the Nollywood Week in Paris, France a few weeks ago, Being Mrs Elliot (BME), the highly anticipated first movie from Omoni Oboli, got 11 nominations at the Nollywood and African Film Critics’ Awards (NAFCA) in California, USA. The organisers of the award made the list of nominations public this week. BME tops the nomination list with 11 mentions. The nomination list contains several movies from across Africa and a sizeable representation from Hollywood in its Foreign Film category. Other movies with sizable nominations are Half of a yellow Sun, Last Flight to Abuja, Stripped. For Omoni Oboli, the NAFCA nomination of her movie is a big deal as she prepares to go to the cinemas soon. BME, which is the first movie produced and
directed by Omoni, opened the Nollywood Week Film Festival in Paris a few weeks ago and is already generating strong followership. The movie got nominations in the Best Film, Best Drama, Best Comedy, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Costume, Best Actor in a Lead Role, Best Actress in a Lead Role, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, and Best Director categories, making it the movie with the highest number of nominations. According to the producer of the movie, who was also nominated in two categories, Omoni Oboli, “getting 11 nominations at the NAFCA is a big boost to the movie, considering the fact that it is my first movie. Perhaps my New York Film Academy education is paying off. It goes to show that people are aware of what we do and appreciate us. The 11 nomination is a big
Saturday, July 5, 2014
World Cup Broadcast: Viewers Hail Star Times By SAMUEL ABULUDE , Lagos
As the twists and turns that have characterised the ongoing Brazil 2014 World Cup matches continue to thrill fans, Nigerians are beginning to comment on the quality of broadcast displayed by different television channels, especially the free Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Sports 24 on the Star Times cable network. Harold Omale, a civil servant, could hardly contain his excitement as he watched the highly entertaining 2014 World Cup cracker between Nigeria and Argentina and also that of the Super Eagles and the French national team, which sent our team packing early this week. Despite Omale's sadness about our ouster, he could not help but express his excitement over the enhanced picture quality of the channel; he was so impressed that he had to go to his pay-tv provider to express his pleasure at the high picture and sound quality of the television station. Since then, sports-loving Omale has been watching all the World Cup matches on NTA Sports 24; his initial views that everything Nigerian is substandard had undergone a transformation. With the World Cup now in its quarter-final stage and the epoch-making switch to digital TV by the Emeka Mba-led Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC), soccer fans are set to enjoy more, as the quality of broadcast transmissions improves even as FIFA tv director, Niclas Ericsson has predicted that more records are set to be broken in terms of the number of TV audiences. Xinxing Pang, chairman of affordable payTV company, StarTimes Group, has urged viewers to enjoy these matches with the best picture and sound quality available on NTA Sports 24 and other NTA multi-channels available on the StarTimes platform. In the face of Nigeria’s digital switch over process, which begins with Jos as the pilot state, many of the 2014 World Cup matches
Chairman, StarTimes Group, Mr. Xinxing Pang aired by NTA are bringing television viewers in Nigeria to terms with the immense opportunities made available by the process. The benefits include the high quality of picture that the World Cup Football fans are enjoying on NTA. According to Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) NTA-STAR TV Network Limited is obliged to transmit the obligations of states and local television stations in the country, especially in Jos, the pilot city for digital migration and StarTimes is a platform for digital migration. The company is saddled with the responsibility of helping Nigeria migrate successfully from analogue to digital television and is the only licensed carrier Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) in Nigeria. NTA– STAR TV NETWORK is a digital transmission platform that has the objective to carry the national channel as the main digital transition platform. Speaking on the quality of the broadcast of the sporting tournament by NTA, Joshua Okoro, a staff of Bafuto Computer, Lagos exclaims: “In fact, I don’t know what NTA has done. There has been much improvement compared to what was obtainable prior to now.” As the football fans continue to root for their favourite teams, Omale wants Nigerians to seize the season to embrace and reap of the benefits that he is currently enjoying from his digital TV platform, StarTimes. Interestingly, Omale can say this because he stays in Jos where analogue television has been switched off.
AFRIFF 2014: Organisers Extend Date For Film Submissions By SOLOMON NDA-ISAIAH, Abuja
Omoni
deal for me; let’s hope we come home with the 11 awards.” Being Mrs Elliot, is the story of a successfully married woman, who was torn between two worlds after a life changing incident. She found out that the best life has to offer are not things but moments. The movie would be in cinemas across the nation very soon.
Ahead of this year’s edition of the prestigious Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) taking place in Calabar, Nigeria’s tourism hub, organisers are calling for film entries from African filmmakers, with the closing date now extended to July 24, 2014. The event, which enters its fourth edition this year, will include film workshops, training programmes and other thrills, from November 9th to 16th, at the popular
Tinapa Business Resort, Calabar, capital of Cross River state. AFRIFF, according to its artistic director, Keith Shiri, “is a platform that seeks to give expression to African cinema, by recognising and rewarding excellence in the industry.” The event will feature daily film screenings, workshops, master classes, exhibitions, film premieres, glamorous opening and closing ceremonies, and will round off with an award night that will celebrate winning film entries, as well as their cast and crew.
SPORTS
8
ELATING
PAGES
07.05.2014
DIVER'S CONFESSION
BIGGEST W/CUP FLOPS
MONEY DISPUTES
WHO IS IN THE NEWS? P22
FOOTBALL GUIDE P24 & 49
COMMENT, P52
Arjen Robben admits to trying to get penalties by going to the ground, even when not fouled
This year's W/Cup has helped some African teams are becoming players get their careers back on track, but notorious for their rows over money some have suprisingly under performed at international tournaments
I've Nothing To Prove – Fellaini Marouane Fellaini insists he has nothing to prove as he waits to find out his Manchester United future under new manager Louis Van Gaal. The midfielder endured a difficult first season at Old Trafford after former manager David Moyes signed him from their old club Everton for £27.5 million and his place is under threat again after the arrival of Ander
Herrera. It has been suggested that Van Gaal has told club executives that Fellaini can be sold and the Belgium international, asked if he will still be at United next season, told Sky Sports News: "We will see after the World Cup. "I don't have to prove [anything]. I've been a professional footballer for eight years." His latest comments are a contrast to those
he made in June when he appeared determined to prove his worth at United. Fellaini has fared well in Brazil, scoring Belgium's first goal in a World Cup for 12 years when he equalised against Algeria and helping Marc Wilmots' side reach the quarter-finals, where they will face Argentina.
ARGENTINA V BELGIUM
LITTLE MAGICIANS GO HEAD-TO-HEAD
PAGE 24
22 SPORTS/POURRI
Saturday, July 5, 2014
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
He already commands respect when you are a veteran, so imagine when you have just entered the team and you are young Louis van Gaal won't suffer any insubordination in the Manchester United dressing room, according to Andres Iniesta
I’ve been granted my wish to play at such a fantastic club, in Champions League football and competing for Premier League titles. I’m so excited for the next chapter of my career, coming to a special club like Liverpool. Former Southampton captain Adam Lallana is delighted to be heading to Merseyside
I deeply regret what occurred. I apologise to Giorgio Chiellini and the entire football family. I vow to the public that there will never be another incident. Uruguay striker Luis Suarez apologises to Italy's Giorgio Chiellini for biting him at the World Cup
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
USA fans could not cheer their team beyond the round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup
SPORTING RECALL CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK
Seth Johnson Seth Johnson’s young talent led Derby to pay £3 million for his services in 1999, and his performances saw him get his an England cap. Big, and careless, spending Leeds then forked out £7 million on him, with reports saying he and his agent went for a meeting with chairman Peter Risdale and jokingly asked for a £35,000-per-week contract, only to be given it with no hesitation. An
unsuccessful spell saw him move back to £31,000 made through drugs. Derby and then into early retirement. Carlos Marinelli Carlos Marinelli is Argentine, a striker Michael Branch and signed from Boca Juniors - so Michael Branch was highly rated at was dubbed the new Maradona at Everton and played for the England Middlesbrough. Under 21s. But he failed to live up to the hype with 3 Branch also played for Wolves, Birmingham City and Manchester City. goals in 43 games for Boro. The 32-year-old then had spells in Italy, But last year he was jailed for seven years after he was caught with £160,000 Portugal, America, Colombia, Hungary and the Argentine second decision. worth of cocaine. The striker was ordered to pay more that He is now playing for Universidad San
TRANSFER SNIPPETS
Liverpool striker Luis Suarez, 27, is set to complete his proposed £80m move to Barcelona in next 48 hours. Liverpool have had a £20m offer for Southampton defender Dejan Lovren, 24, rejected, but are being frustrated in their attempts to wrap up a deal for the centre-back. Lovren is not expected at Southampton for pre-season training after declaring his intent to leave. Manchester United have been offered Real Madrid winger Angel Di Maria, 26, for £40m. Arsenal, Paris St-Germain and
Juventus have also expressed an interest in the Argentina international. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is confident of pulling off a £35m double deal for targets Alexis Sanchez, 25, and Mathieu Debuchy, 28. The Gunners will bid £20m for Southampton's Morgan Schneiderlin, 24, after Napoli joined the race for the France midfielder's signature. Suarez Bayern Munich are looking to beat Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal Arsenal have made a £23.8m offer for Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira, to Fiorentina winger Juan Cuadrado, 27, and will use close friend Mesut Ozil to 26. tempt the player to join the Gunners.
WHO IS IN THE NEWS? SPORTS
GROUP SPORTS EDITOR Ishaku Kigbu REPORTERS Samuel Malik, Salifu Usman DESIGN & LAYOUT Paul Benjamin 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
Footballers who never fulfilled their potentials Martin in Peru. James Vaughan James Vaughan is the Premier League's youngest scorer when he found the net as a 16-year-old in 2005. Despite representing England at Under 17, 19 and 21 level, injuries and a lack of goals saw him leave the Toffees in 2011. He has dropped down a division to play for Huddersfield Town in the Championship. CONCLUDED
Manchester City have had a £32m bid for France defender Elaquim Mangala, 23, accepted by Porto, but face an anxious wait to see if Chelsea - whose boss Jose Mourinho is also keen on the player make a move. Juventus are keen on signing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra, 33, who signed a contract extension at Old Trafford last month. Barcelona will hire a leading psychologist to keep Luis Suarez's demons at bay if he completes his expected move to the Nou Camp.
Arjen Robeen, Bayern Munich/Netherlands
What Did He Do?
Was He Right Or Wrong?
Should He Be Punished?
Arjen Robben admitted to diving after the Netherlands defeated Mexico in the round of 16 of the on-going FIFA World Cup in Brazil, a game which saw Klaas Jan Huntelaar score the winner in added time after the winger won a controversial penalty. Mexico coach Miguel Herrera accused Robben of diving three times in the game, but the forward told Dutch television: "I have to apologise. In the first half I took a dive. Robben was fouled by Mexico captain Rafael Marquez in the 94th minute, but Herrera suggested the Bayern Munich player should not have even been on the pitch to be able to win the penalty.
Robben, however, was sure the referee, Pedro Proenca, from Portugal, got the penalty call right, saying, "The one at the end was a penalty." But Mexico captain, Rafa Marquez, who was adjudged to have given away the penalty, claimed after the game that Robben had admitted that he was lucky to get the decision. Former Barcelona defender Marquez said: "I spoke with Robben after the match and he told me that it was not a penalty. "He said that the first foul was a penalty and that one was not called."
Herrera felt he the referee should have cautioned Robben when he first tried to con the referee in the first half: "Robben dived three times. You should caution a guy who is trying to cheat," he said. Six players were booked for diving at the last World Cup in South Africa but, as of yet, there have been no bookings for simulation at Brazil 2014. Arnold Muhren, the former Netherlands international, believes that anomaly must be addressed. "They don't give yellow cards but they should. They have to suspend [players] for a couple of games so they realise they don't have to do that to win games.”
/ SPORTS 23
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Nigeria/African Football
Iheanacho, Nwakali Released For Manchester City Pre-season
Nigeria Flying Eagles have released Kelechi Iheanacho and Chidiebere Nwakali for pre-season training with English Premier League club Manchester City. “Both Iheanacho and Nwakali have been excused to join Manchester City for their pre-season training
Iheanacho
this weekend. They will rejoin us a week to our AYC qualifier against Lesotho next month,” disclosed Flying Eagles secretary Aliyu Auwal Ibrahim. The youngsters were involved when the Nigeria U20s eliminated their Tanzanian counterparts
in the second round of the African Youth Championship qualifying series. Both Iheanacho and Nwakali have signed a precontract with Manchester City after they shone at last year’s FIFA U17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
Wolves Send Vanzekin, Others Packing Warri Wolves have released former Flying Eagles and Dream Team IV goalkeeper Ambrose Vanzekin on account of poor performance. Vanzekin, who was in goal when Argentina pipped Nigeria 1-0 to win Olympic soccer gold at the 2008 Beijing Games in China, did not keep goal for Wolves
throughout the first round of the Nigeria league. Wolves’ media officer Moses Etu disclosed that Vanzekin, who also represented Nigeria at U20 level, has struggled with his form. Former Nigeria U-17 and U-20 star Daddy Bazuaye and Musa Najere have also been asked to leave the
team after the first round of the season. "We have placed the three players on transfer. Two others may join them. They were asked to leave because of low productivity and indiscipline," Etu said. "We will also register Gift Atulewa and Adama Coulibaly for the second round." Vanzekin
Kwarasey Slams Ghana FA Ghana goalkeeper Adam Larsen Kwarasey has admitted he may take a break from his national team after the chaos of Brazil 2014. A furious Kwarasey lashed out at the Ghana Football Association (GFA) for a lack of preparation and organisation at the FIFA World Cup, while he backed Sulley Muntari and Kevin-Prince Boateng for standing up for the squad. Muntari and Boateng were suspended by GFA for Ghana's final group match against Portugal after the former allegedly punched a GFA committee member, while the latter reportedly verbally abused coach Kwesi Appiah.
Kwarasey
But Kwarasey claimed the actions of Muntari and Boateng were understandable, considering how the GFA had acted in Brazil. "I think it was unfair," the 26-yearold told Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang, when asked about Muntari and Boateng's suspensions. "I don't think they did anything wrong.
Enyimba Will Clinch League Title – Kaita
Traore
challenge that lies ahead. "I am fully focused on the start of the Premier League season – I'm really looking forward to it. "Next season is an extremely important one for me, added to the fact we're back in the Premier League. "I want to show what I can do in the best league in the world for QPR – that's what it's all about."
Francis Tips Heartland For Top 3
Kaita
Enyimba midfielder Sani Kaita has predicted his team will emerge Nigeria League champions ahead of his former club Kano Pillars this season. Champions Pillars currently top the League with 34 points from 19 matches, while Enyimba are five points adrift in fifth place. Kaita, who joined the six times Nigeria champions in the first round of the season, said with
the quality at Enyimba, they will be champions again this season. "Enyimba are a top club in Nigeria and even Africa, they deserve to win the league. With what I have seen in this team since I joined them, we are champions in waiting,” said Kaita, who captained Pillars before he finally left for Europe six years ago. “I am not taking anything away from Pillars, Nasarawa, Sharks and the other teams, but we are in for the title."
Heartland FC left back Benjamin Francis has said he expects his club to finish in the top three after he overcame injury problems in the first round of the season. After a sluggish start to the campaign and a change in leadership, Heartland are now 10th on the table with 27 points from 19 matches. "I suffered injury problems in the first round and so I missed a lot of games, but I am fit as a fiddle now. I am looking forward to having an injury-free second round," Francis said. "We
Paul Set For Bayelsa Switch Sunshine Stars player Ikenna Paul is set to join Bayelsa United after he endured limited playing time at the Akure side in the first round of the season. The highly rated defensive midfielder starred for Nigeria as they finished third at CHAN in South Africa in February. The former Enugu Rangers and Lobi Stars ace is now expected to revive his career at Bayelsa.
Shooting Stars Target Promotion
Traore Extends QPR Stay Armand Traore has signed a new two-year contract with Premier League newcomers QPR. The 24-year-old, who moved to Loftus Road from Arsenal in 2011, made 24 appearances in QPR's promotion-winning 2013-14 campaign and has now committed himself to the club until 2016. The Senegal international is the latest player to agree fresh terms with Harry Redknapp's side, following in the footsteps of Clint hill and Alejandro Faurlin. "I am so happy to have my future sorted out," the former Juventus loanee told QPR's official website. "I wanted to stay at QPR and now this is done I can fully concentrate on the
NAIJA FOOTBALL BRIEFS
Francis
have a good squad and I see us finishing in the top three." The CHAN Eagles star played eight out of a possible 19 games in the first round of the League and was not considered for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Ahead of resumption of the 2014 Nigeria National League (NNL) second stanza, Shooting Stars coach Franklin Howard has reiterated his club’s determination to clinch premier league ticket at the end of the season. Howard said it has been many years since 3SC put together a fine run in the league, but he assured the club’s fans to expect good tidings this season. "Our targets at the beginning of this season and focus are to get promotion to Nigeria Premier league and do well in the cup. “We are not going to disappoint me our fans as we started on a good note and at the end of the cup, our fans will have something to celebrate.”
Sunshine Offload Ayalogu Former Enugu Rangers goalkeeper Godwin Ayalogu has been released by Sunshine Stars for not measuring up to standard. Bulky shot stopper Ayalogu signed for the Akure club at the start of the season after he posted a five-star display for Rangers, where he played for several years, rising to become captain, at Sunshine Stars last season. Sunshine have since replaced the goalkeeper with Moses Ocheje, who was with Sunshine before he left for Dolphins in the close season.
24 SPORTS/FOOTBALL GUIDE
FOOTBALL GUIDE /SPORTS 49
Saturday, July 5, 2014
2014 FIFA World Cup
WORLD CUP BRIEFS
WORLD CUP STATS 2 - Thomas Müller is involved in 2 of #Germany's last 3 goals against #France (1 goal, 1 assist). Threat.
TOP GOALSCORERS ARGENTINA V BELGIUM TODAY: 5:00PM Belgium's FIFA World Cup quarter-final with Argentina provides Thibaut Courtois the chance to extend his fine record against Lionel Messi. The Argentina captain has failed to score in his last seven appearances when facing Courtois in Barcelona's meetings with Atletico Madrid, and will be desperate to put the record straight in Brasilia on Saturday. Belgium, fancied as many people's dark horses prior to the finals, are yet to hit top form in Brazil but have developed a useful habit of continuing to win when not quite at their best, and Marc Wilmots' men were pushed all the way by the United States in the last 16 before eventually emerging as 2-1 victors after extra-time. The two sides last met at the World Cup at the semifinal stage in 1986, when two goals from Diego Maradona saw Argentina through to the final, where they prevailed 3-2 over West Germany to lift the trophy for a second time. Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella will be forced into a defensive reshuffle to cover for the suspended Marcos Rojo, while Sergio Aguero continues to struggle with the thigh injury that kept him out of the win over Switzerland.
Bolanos
Bolanos Calls On Costa Rica To Make History Cristian Bolanos has urged his Costa Rica team-mates to continue to defy the odds and go down in FIFA World Cup history. Jorge Luis Pinto's men have provided one of the stories of the tournament so far, winning a tough-looking Group D before overcoming Greece on penalties in the second round. Largely unfancied prior to the finals, Costa Rica beat both Italy and Uruguay in the group stages, before a goalless draw with England sealed their top-spot placing. With a last-16 exit in Italy in 1990 their previous best at a finals, Pinto's side have already become the most successful in Costa Rican history and ahead of their quarter-final tie with Netherlands in Salvador on Saturday, Bolanos issued a rallying cry to the rest of the squad to maintain the strong worth ethic that has got them this far. "We have faced tough tests, and the fact that we have come through them has helped the squad grow, but this has not happened overnight," he told dpa. "In today's football you cannot win a match just because you go in there and dream that you are going to score a goal, there has to be work to back it up. "We don't want to go home; we want to play the next match, win it and see what's next. We are doing that as if we had been doing it all our lives, and that is a beautiful feeling. "Here, the group has that wish to make history, and the only responsibility we had was to match what Costa Rica had done in Italy 1990. "The truth is that on paper we are one of the weakest national teams, I accept that, but nowadays in football distances have shrunk. "In this team, although its players are very young, we understood that (the World Cup) was an opportunity, a springboard. If we each thought in individual terms we would not have achieved such success. "The team is above that, and individual opportunities will come later."
NETHERLANDS V COSTA RICA TODAY: 9:00PM The latest chapter in Costa Rica's fairytale FIFA World Cup story could be written against the Netherlands in Saturday's quarter-final. Billed as the whipping boys of Group D prior to the Brazil showpiece, Costa Rica beat Uruguay and Italy to top the pool before producing a thrilling last-16 win over Greece on penalties. Goalkeeper Keylor Navas proved to be Costa Rica's hero, with his outstretched left hand denying Theofanis Gekas before Michael Umana hit the winning spot-kick. Jorge Luis Pinto's side scored all five of their penalties and their composure under pressure suggests a last-eight clash against Netherlands will not faze them. While much of the credit has gone to quick forward Joel Campbell and playmaker Bryan Ruiz, Costa Rica's defensive organisation has also been integral to their success. They have conceded just twice, and that, coupled with the impressive Navas, has made them hard to break down. Costa Rica will be without suspended defender Oscar Duarte, while Roy Miller and Navas have slight injury niggles.
J. Rodríguez T. Müller L. Messi Neymar A. Robben R. v. Persie K. Benzema E. Valencia X. Shaqiri T. Cahill
5 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 2
2 - Landreau & Evra are the only French players in the current squad who were born when #France-#Germany was played at the World Cup 1982. Vintage.
Colombia Germany Argentina Brazil Netherlands Netherlands France Ecuador Switzerland Australia
Valencia Keen On Europe Move
Valencia
Ecuador forward Enner Valencia is hopeful of securing a move to Europe after starring at the FIFA World Cup. Valencia has scored seven goals in his last seven matches for Ecuador, with three coming at the Brazil showpiece. His heroics were not enough to book Ecuador's place in the tournament's last 16 but they did put him firmly on the radar of many clubs. The 24-year-old plays his club football for Pachuca in Mexico's Liga
MX but sees his future elsewhere. "It would be a good moment to move to Europe, after what I have done in Mexico and at the World Cup," Valencia told TV Azteca, as quoted by Sky Sports. "I really like Italian football but if this jump to Europe happens, I will welcome it and try to do my best wherever I go." When quizzed about reported interest from Spain, Valencia acknowledged the chance would be too good to turn down.
The Five Biggest Flops Of The World Cup After a poor display in the defeat to Italy in which he was outpassed and overrun, Gerrard's made errors in the build-up to both Uruguay goals in the 2-1 defeat in Sao Paulo. He blundered on the halfway line with a weak challenge in the lead up to Luis Suarez's opener and then headed the ball straight to Suarez late on to allow his Liverpool team-mate to slam home the winner.
Costa
Gerrard
Diego Costa Diego Costa dominated the build-up to Spain’s World Cup defence, from the moment he chose to play for the Europeans rather than his native Brazil to his selection for the opening game against the Netherlands amid fitness concerns. Costa never appeared to develop an understanding with his team-mates and was virtually anonymous in a clumsy competitive debut as Spain were smashed 5-1 by the Netherlands. In La Roja’s second group
game, the new Chelsea man missed a golden opportunity early in the second-half to get his side back in the game. Steven Gerrard Steven Gerrard has a habit of digging his side out of trouble when they need him. He also has a habit of making costly mistakes. The latter was the case during a disastrous World Cup campaign that is likely to prompt the Liverpool midfielder's retirement from international football.
Iker Casillas Vicente Del Bosque’s sentimentality damaged Spain when he chose to stick with Casillas as his captain and goalkeeper despite the fact he played second fiddle to Diego Lopez in La Liga. Four years after lifting the World Cup in South Africa, Casillas was the embodiment of a shambolic tournament for the reigning champions. Fresh from almost costing Real Madrid the Champions League final, he produced a horrible performance in the humiliating 5-1 defeat to the Netherlands. He was caught under the ball for Stefan de Vrij to put Holland 3-1 ahead before his heavy touch gifted Robin van Persie the fourth. Gonzalo Higuain Much was made before the start of the World
Cup of Argentina’s deadly front three of Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain. Higuain’s plodding movement and lack of sharpness has been a theme of Argentina’s matches, with the 26-year-old failing to get in dangerous positions and badly missing the few chances that have fallen his way. It says a lot that, when drawing 0-0 with Iran and struggling to break their opponents down, Higuain was substituted in the 76th minute. He has been more of a hindrance than a help at times and the net effect is that, with Aguero out through injury, Messi must be feeling he has to do it all alone.
Mario Balotelli It started well enough for Balotelli when he headed home the winner in Italy’s 2-1 victory over England in their opener in Manaus. Yet that was the last goal the Azzurri scored at the World Cup and Balotelli ended the tournament watching helplessly from the bench as they were eliminated following a 1-0 defeat to Uruguay. Balotelli had been substituted at half-time in that game, having failed to do anything of note in the first 45 minutes other than pick up a booking to run the risk of a red card.
4 - #Germany have reached the semifinals of the last 3 World Cups. No nation has ever made the last 4 in 4 successive tournaments. History. 12 - Angel Di Maria had 12 shots vs Switzerland, the most for a player in a World Cup game since Luigi Riva (13) vs Israel in 1970. Spray.
87.5% Keylor Navas has saved 87.5% of shots faced in the 2014 World Cup, the best ratio in the competition. Gloves.
2 - Mats Hummels has scored two headed goals at the 2014 World Cup, both thanks to Toni Kroos’ assists.
1 - Karim Benzema had five shots in the first half vs #Germany but made only one pass. Determined.
ODD BALL
Casillas
Higuain
Balotelli
Attacking midfielder James Rodriguez, 22, filmed himself pulling a prank on one of his Colombia team mates, scaring him in his hotel room before their quarter-final with Brazil
ISSUE 140, JULY 5, 2014.
STUFF WEARABLE TECH THAT WORKS FOR YOU
>32
MOST VALUABLE BRANDS IN 2014 ABDULAZEEZ ARISEKOLA
Fall of President Bling-Bling
Compassionate fellow
Nicolas Sarkozy - the French ‘peacock’ faces ten years amid lurid claims he took millions from the late Libyan Leader Muammar Gaddafi.
TRENDED
Kendra still in 'shock' over hubby's affair
WONDERS OF THE WORLD
The Nazca Lines, Peru
STUFF
AUCTIONED
Victoria Beckham's desire
Rare English clock rings up $109,250 at Jeffery Evans auction
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Saturday, July 5, 2014
KNOW-ALL BELIEVE THIS!
THAT'S INSIDE THIS ISSUE
36
STUFF
Marilyn Monroe’s IQ (168) was higher than Albert Einstein’s (160)
28 TRENDED
43 TECHLIFE
35 SCANDALOUS
31 WONDERS OF THE WORLD
30
29 TOP TEN STARTING BLOCKS 27 PROUDLY NIGERIA •
Abdulazeez Arisekola: Compassionate fellow
28 TRENDED •
Kendra Wilkinson still in 'shock' over Hank Baskett's affair
28 VIRAL •
Hilarious video of a dog's reaction to gifts thrills Internet users
29 TOP TEN
Longest living aquatic creatures
30 WHAT'S UP •
Memorable moments from the BET Awards, 2014
STUFF The Nazca Lines, Peru
32 TICKLING •
Wearable tech that works for you
33 ACHIEVING THE IMPOSSIBLE •
Eat fire, tickle yourself
34 ARTICULATE •
Artiste paints landscapes on small piecies of food
35 SCANDALOUS •
Athletes and their scandals
36 DOERS •
Victoria Beckham's desire to make women feel their best
37 MOST VALUABLE BRANDS IN 2014 • • • • • • • • •
Apple Inc. Google Microsoft The Coca-Cola Company Samsung Group IBM McDonald's General Electric Intel Corporation
38 MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES IN AFRICA • • • • • •
Kongaji90 • PrepClass • • iHub Sterio.me • One Acre Fund Rocket Internet
UpEnergy Daptio Sanergy Aweza
44 DRESS SENSE
THE REGULARS
THE BIG STORY
31 WONDERS OF THE WORLD
WHAT'S UP?
43 TECHLIFE •
Click Click,
44 CULTURED! •
Etiquettewise, Superstitions, Proverbs, Excusez moi
45 DESIRABLES 46 MINDFUL •
Crossword, WordSearch, Sudoku, Homework, Bookshelf
47 A LA CARTE •
Crazy Tricks, Gentleman's Words, Laugh-Out-Loud
48 BONUS PACK •
Seen & Overhead, English Phrases, Keepsakes
BOXED • • • • • • • • • • •
Believe this Fact Box, Do You Remember When? Strictly For JJCs Shocking Foodfacts Psychology Ideas, Useless Information, Business Blunder, Quick Quiz, Espionage, Discovered Sounding Clever, Sounding Great, Spotlights, Know Why, Celeb Info, Teeny Fascinating Facts, Keepsakes, Just Unbelievable, Fast Forward
Buzzstop Chinese President Xi Jinping is beginning a two-day visit to South Korea. It is the first time a Chinese leader has landed in Seoul before visiting North Korea, and the presidential summit is expected to focus on tackling Pyongyang’s nuclear programme, reports said Thursday. President Barack Obama is the top pick for ‘worst president since World War II,’ according to a poll of American voters released Wednesday by Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn. Oscar Pistorius is a ‘paradox’ whose past triumphs as a sprinter crossing the finish line with raised arms contrasted sharply with the daily, severe limitations that he endured
because of his disability, a physician testified Thursday at the runner’s murder trial. Nigeria is suffering greater carnage at the hands of Islamist group Boko Haram than it did during a secessionist civil war, yet this has ironically made the country’s break-up less likely, Nigerian Nobel Literature Laureate Wole Soyinka said in an interview with Reuters Tuesday. According to a Thursday report, Colombian pop star Shakira and hip hop artiste, Wyclef Jean, will perform at the World Cup’s closing ceremony in Brazil. The Vatican has officially condoned exorcisms by formally recognising the International Association of Exorcists,
reports said Tuesday. Ukraine’s president shook up the leadership of his struggling military on Thursday, appointing a new defence minister and top general tasked with stamping out the corruption that has left the country’s armed forces faltering before a pro-Russian insurgency. The latest scourge in Haiti is a deadly virus called chikungunya reports said Thursday. It’s a rarely fatal but intensely painful mosquitoborne virus that has spread rapidly through the Caribbean and parts of Latin America after local transmission first started in tiny French St. Martin late last year, likely brought in by an infected air traveller.
CONTENT Victoria Usman, Abisola Alawode, Love Adeyemi, Elizabeth Martin DESIGN/LAYOUT Luke Utomi 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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STARTINGBLOCKS AFRICANFACTS
In 2013, Lagos state was the second most visited city in Africa, after Johannesburg, South Africa.
THE PACESETTING PAGES
The country Seychelles was named after Jean Moreau de Sechelles, a former French minister of finance in 1756.
PROUDLY NIGERIA
ISHAQ OLOYEDE
Man of impossibilities
ABDULAZEEZ ARISEKOLA
Compassionate fellow Abdulazeez Arisekola’s intelligence, shrewdness, guile and honesty are few of the qualities that endeared him to people all over the world. His life was truly exemplary. Abdulazeez Arisekola was brilliant in every ramification but he could not actualise his desire of achieving western education because his parents were poor and only peasant farmers. But his lack of western education was compensated for by his sound Islamic education and a strong resolve. Buoyed by the zeal to survive and make a decent living, Arisekola ventured into business, armed with admirable qualities such as intelligence, shrewdness, truthfulness, aggressiveness and the determination to succeed. He had a brief stint with his uncle as an apprentice at Gbagi Market, Ibadan before going solo in 1961. He ventured into selling Gammalin 20. Being a shrewd businessman, he was soon to become an agent of Imperial Chemical Industries. No sooner had he started his business did he become a household name in his locality and the old Western Region. He built up his business and used the platform to build a wide network in politics and religion. His involvement in and support for religious causes made the Muslim Ulamah in Yoruba land to confer on him the title of Aare Musulumi of Yoruba land in 1980. Alao was a detribalised Nigerian, who accommodated people irrespective of their religious or ethnic backgrounds. Ever supportive of other people’s dreams, Arisekola, despite the abortion of his dream of acquiring western education, helped the dreams of others with the establishment of Pa Raheem Alao Scholarship Foundation for indigent
STRICTLY FOR JJCs If you own a business, then you should be on the lookout for fraudulent emails that appear to be from vendors but are actually sent by scammers. The scam is being dubbed the ‘business email compromise.’ These businesses realise they’ve been duped only after making a wire transfer that will be demanded by the scammers and then getting another request for a payment from their supplier or vendor after they deliver their merchandise. The emails are spoofed by adding, removing or
Arisekola
students of tertiary institutions. He was a co-founder and highest donor of Barakat International School, situated at Bodija, Ibadan. While he also had endowments in a number of universities including private institutions of higher learning across the country. A foremost industrialist, he established a fleet of business outfits under the Lister conglomerate, which cut across food production, real estate management, insurance, transport, and publishing. He also built the Abdul Azeez Arisekola Central Mosque along Iwo Road, Ibadan and employed a number of workers whose salaries he paid regularly, aside having three Islamic scholars also on its payroll. Arisekola was among the Muslims who paved the way for the establishment of the Grand Council for Islamic Affairs in Nigeria in 1996 while he also financed the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN) and the National Council of Muslim
Youth (NACOMYO), among other Islamic organisations even outside Nigeria. He was a member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA until his death. Born on a Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1945, to the family of Alhaji Abdul Raheem Olatunbosun Olaniyan Alao and Alhaja Rabiatu Olatutu Abegbe Alao, the young Arisekola had his elementary education at St. Luke’s School, Adigun, and later ICC Primary School, Igosun, both in Ibadan, Oyo State. On completion of his primary education in 1960, he sat for the entrance examinations into two of the notable schools; Christ School, Ado-Ekiti and Lagelu Grammar School, Ibadan. He was the best candidate in the Christ School examination, while he emerged as the third best candidate for admission into Lagelu Grammar School. A compassionate fellow, he built a 100-bed ward as part of the Oyo State Muslim Hospital which was named Rabiatu Alao Ward, after his mother. His exemplary contributions to the growth of the nation as a whole earned him a national honour, Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), during the administration of the late Alhaji Umar Musa Yar’ Adua in 2008. Arisekola was also a lover of sports having elevated Alao Babes Football Club formed by the workers of The Monitor Newspapers and which won the Oyo State SWAN Media Games in 1998/99 to compete in the IFA league in the state.
Business email compromise subtly changing characters in the email address that make it difficult to identify the perpetrator’s email address from the legitimate address. The scam often isn’t uncovered until the company’s internal fraud alerts notify the business to the request, or when the business and the vendor talk to each other to verify the transfer that was made. In a twist, suppliers and vendors are also being sent fraudulent emails, from businesses’ email accounts, to request quotes or orders for supplies
and goods. These spoofed emails are being sent to multiple suppliers at the same time and, in some cases, were linked by the Internet Protocol (IP) address to the original business email compromise scams. The losses on this version of the scam have been insignificant. This is partly because there is a greater chance that companies will discover the scam, as the emails go to multiple suppliers that often follow up with the company. The email scams appear to be Nigeria-based.
Ishaq Oloyede is a man who doesn’t believe anything is impossible. He is also known for his doggedness and ever ready attitude to get things done. Oloyede was born in October 1954. He hails from Abeokuta South Local Government Area of Ogun State. He had his secondary education from 1969-1973 at the Progressive Institute, Agege Lagos and Arabic Training Centre Agege, Lagos, (Markaz) from 1973-1976 and later to the University of Ibadan between 1976 and 1977 where he obtained a certificate in Arabic and Islamic Studies. His tertiary education began in the University of Ilorin in 1978 where he studied Arabic and was awarded B.A. Arabic in 1981. In July 1982 he was appointed an assistant lecturer in the department of religions of the university. In 1991, he had his doctorate degree in Islamic Studies also from the University of Ilorin. He earned several scholarships and prizes during his student days, notable among which were the Arab League prize for the best final year certificate student in Arabic and Islamic Studies in 1977 at the University of Ibadan; Federal Government undergraduate merit award from 1979 to 1981; Department of Religions Award, University of Ilorin, 1981 and Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Award, Unilorin also in 1981. Oloyede is also a member of many learned and professional societies. He is a fellow of the Islamic Academy of Cambridge, United Kingdom; Fellow, Academy of Entrepreneurship; Member, Nigerian Association of Teachers of Arabic and Islamic Studies (NATAIS); Member, Editorial Board, Centre for Islamic Legal Studies, ABU, Zaria, among, several others. He was elected the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin on the October 15, 2007. His tenure was marked with all round development in the university. Oloyede is currently the secretary general of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs.
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Saturday, July 5, 2014
STARTINGBLOCKS
10,000,000
8,000,000
Number of cars produced by Volkswagen as at 2011.
Barrels of oil produced by Saudi Arabia as at November 2012 THE BUZZWORTHY STUFF ONLINE
Trended Kendra Wilkinson still in ‘shock’ over Hank Baskett's affair
Kendra Wilkinson resurfaced in Los Angeles Tuesday, looking stylish and sober in a summery business ensemble that didn’t include her wedding ring. A source close to the Kendra on Top star, 29, said in an interview that she’s “doing okay” but “still in shock” over husband Hank Baskett’s shocking tryst with transgender model Ava Sabrina London. “She’s not sleeping that much anyway because of the new baby (Alijah),” adds the source. Former NFL pro Baskett, 31, had a fling with London, 25, back in April.
Jennifer Love Hewitt joins the cast of Criminal Minds
The I Know What You Did Last Summer actress will be a series regular on the long-running show, playing an undercover agent, Kate Callahan, who worked for the FBI before landing a spot with the Behavioural Analysis Unit. Though Hewitt is no newbie to television — she starred in The Client List for its brief run on Lifetime, The Ghost Whisperer on CBS from 2005 to 2010 and got her start on Fox’s Party of Five in the ’90s — this will be her first time as a regular cast member on a police procedural. The new season premieres on October 1.
Apptitude
Viral
Tithe with ease using Givelify
Hilarious video of a dog’s reaction to gift trills internet users
Turn best moments into amazing movies with Clinch
The hilarious YouTube video of the moment racked up close to 300,000 views in only a few days after it was posted. In the video, the dog named Maymo was in hog heaven when his loving owners gave him 100 balls for his birthday, at least after the shock of receiving them all at once wore off. It begins when a single ball rolls into the frame and Maymo joyfully chases after it. The beagle’s joy turns
If you’ve read your Bible lately, you know that God expects a 10% tithe of your wages, which seems pretty reasonable considering how much the government asks for these days. But God doesn’t really care how you pay, so Givelify is making it easy to tithe. Use the app to conveniently give tithes, offerings and donations from your smartphone at anytime from anywhere to the worship institution of your choice. The app simply allows you to give during worship service, while vacationing, at work, home or school. You can also accurately track your donations.
This super-simple editor lets you stich videos and photos together in an easy interface, and then it allows you to upload them to your favourite social network. And there’s no annoying artificial time limit. Create stunning short movies from all your best videos and photos. One of the app’s coolest features is that it helps you create a collaborative movie by combining and editing your content with videos and photos from friends around you. To make your movie even more stunning Clinch offers you to add the best related pictures and clips from Instagram, Twitter, panoramic views from Google, nearby tweets and more cool stuff.
Share your selfies with Slingshot Slingshot app lets users send selfies to friends. The app features a clean user interface and is pretty easy to use. Simply take a photo or shoot a video and sling it to your friends. The catch? Users’ friends won’t be able to see their photos or videos until they sling something back to you. When users’ friends unlock new shots, sling something back that will capture your reaction.
into confusion when a second ball falls into his proverbial lap and he doesn’t know which to chase after. The confusion finally turns to unabashed fear when all 98 remaining colourful balls pour down, sending his scrambling out of the room. The video soon cuts to Maymo enjoying his many gifts and running from room to room, still not fully able to choose between all those bright balls.
The best reaction to a report card, probably ever In a YouTube video post that has amassed 4,100,798 views, one proud father in the UK reacts with joy after learning his son finally passed his math course. ‘Is that real?’ the father exclaims. As the YouTube user exclaimed, a year ago he received a grade of ‘F’ in
mathematics. Since a ‘C’ or higher is required to pass in England, he desperately needed to get his grade up. Though the British student admits that his dad and teachers did not think he was going to achieve the feat, he managed to pull it off and bring his father to tears.
STRANGE
Woman lives with life-size cardboard cut-out of her Hollywood crush
A lady from New Jersey is currently living every woman’s dream – she is actually spending every moment of her day with Hollywood star Bradley Cooper. Well, not with the actual guy, but a life-size cardboard cut-out of the actor. She says that
she’s fulfilling her desire of a life with Bradley Cooper in the only way she knows how – by making it up! 39-year-old Danielle Davis has designed a unique life for herself and her ‘cardboard Cooper’, who is by her side 24×7. She shops with him, cooks with him, eats with him, mows the lawn with him, and even takes him to bed. You’d think that Danielle is a spinster who lives alone with her cats, but no, she’s married and has two children. Her family is strangely supportive of her Cooper experiment.
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Saturday, July 5, 2014
STARTINGBLOCKS In Milan, Italy, there is still a law that requires citizens to smile at all times or risk a hefty fine. The only exceptions are visiting hospitals and funerals.
DUMBLAWS
10
OF EVERYTHING THAT'S WORTH ITS SALT
LONGEST LIVING AQUATIC CREATURES
Deep-water black coral
Gold coral
Antarctic sponge
S/N Creature
Botanical name
Oldest recorded age
1
Deep-water black coral
Leiopathes sp.
4,270
2
Gold coral
Callogorgia elegans
2,740
3
Antarctic sponge
Cinachyra antarctica
1,550
4
Icelandic cyprine clam
Artica islandica
405
5
Freshwater pearl mussel Mararitifera maragaritifera
6
Bowhead whale
Balaena mysticetus
211
7
Rougheye rockfish
Sebastes aleutianus
205
8
Red sea urchin
200
9
Koi carp
Strongy iocentrotus franciscanus Cyprinus carpio
10
Hydrocarbon seep tubeworm
Lamellibrachia luymesi
170
250
200
BIGGEST BATTLESHIPS OF WORLD WAR II
Yamato
Musashi
Iowa
S/N Name
Country
Weight (tonnes)
1
Yamato
Japan
71,659
2
Musashi
Japan
71,659
3
Iowa
United States
52,834
4
New Jersey
United States
52,834
5
Missouri
United States
52,834
6
Wisconsin
United States
52,834
7
Bismarck
Germany
50,900
8
Tirpitz
Germany
50,900
9
Richelieu
France
48,950
10
Jean Bart
France
48,950
SHOCKING
In Switzerland every citizen is required by law to have access to a bomb shelter.
In Eureka, Nevada, USA, it is still illegal for men with moustache to kiss women.
McDonald’s hamburgers don’t rot. The low moisture of the
FOODFACTS burgers leave the meat dehydrated, basically turning it into jerky.
GUANCHE SIGHTS – GRAN CANARIA 1. Cueva Pintada In 1860, a local farmer stumbled across this painted cave, uncovering probably the most important archaeological find in the whole archipelago. Only a limited number of visitors are allowed in at a time. 2. Tufia This settlement contains examples of both types of aboriginal home common to the island: cave dwellings, and the low stone houses unique to Gran Canaria. 3. Cuatro Puertas This is probably the most remarkable man-made cave on Gran Canaria. The large room with four ‘doors’ was a sacred place. 4. Tumulo de la Guancha This Guanche cemetery outshines the others scattered around the island. It is thought that the central sepulchre contained the guanarteme (king), while the aristocracy were laid to rest around him. 5. Cenobio de Valeron This cluster of miniature artificial caves represents an awe-inspiring feat of early engineering. Once believed to be a convent, it is now widely agreed that the caves were used to store grain. 6. Maipes de Arriba With around 500 tombs, the Maipes de Arriba may have been the Guanches’ main burial ground. Look out for the circular towers, almost certainly the graves of aboriginal aristocracy. 7. Letreros de Balos Cave drawings have been found across the islands, but the variety at this site is remarkable. Some seem to
Cueva Pintada
Tufia
depict fertility symbols and there are even alphabetical inscriptions, linked to North African peoples. 8. Arteara The island’s most important burial site boasts a stunning location, nestled in a palm grove in the Fataga ravine. Information panels explain the piles of rocks before you. 9. La Fortaleza de Ansite The Guanches’ last stronghold is pock-marked with caves overlooking the Tirajana ravine. Imagine the islanders’ plight as they tried in vain to repel the Spaniards, then threw themselves into the void. 10. Roque Bentayga Numerous dwellings and grain stores have been unearthed around this huge monolith, which was considered sacred by the Guanches.
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STARTINGBLOCKS BY THE NUMBERS
FIFA World Cup, Brazil 2014
136
Goals scored in the group stage; an all-time record.
300 MILLION Tweets sent so far, according to Twitter.
378,085 Tweets per minute sent during the World Cup’s most tweeted-about goal, Marcello’s own goal in the opening game, Brazil v Croatia.
24
Goals scored by substitute players. Another World Cup record.
7
Number of yellow and red cards racked up by Uruguay and the Ivory Coast, the tournament’s most-carded teams yet.
2071 Passes by Italy, the top team for passing.
61 Number of fouls committed against Greece till they left in the second round.
55.5
Number of minutes the ball has been in play per 90 minute match, on average.
CELEBINFO
BOXOFFICESTATS
The man who would become famous as Ice-T, spent four years in the United States Army before beginning his rap career in the early 1980s.
WHAT'S UP
Walt Disney’s 2013 animation movie, Frozen, had a whopping $150m production budget.
IN-THE-NOW HAPPENINGS AROUND US
Memorable moments from the BET Awards, 2014 Among the most memorable moments from the BET Awards 2014 held on Sunday were lifetime-achievement honouree Lionel Richie’s misspelled name, Kevin Hart revealing his surprising new girlfriend, Chris Rock handing out chicken and waffles and lots more. Chris Rock’s monologue Host Chris Rock mocked Donald Sterling, Oprah Winfrey and more. ‘An 83-year-old white man doesn’t like black people. Is that news? Come on!’ Rock said of the embattled Los Angeles Clippers owner. ‘A black man couldn’t look him in the eye until he was 45. The first black man he ever met, he got for Christmas.’ Pharrell Williams opens the show Pharrell Williams pleased the crowd by opening the show with ‘Come Get It Bae,’ and then made everyone even happier when surprise guest Missy Elliott joined him. Chris Brown performs Loyal Chris Brown got an assist from Lil Wayne and Tyga on his hit Loyal, and received backup from Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker.
Lionel Richie
Mike Tyson presents best hiphop artiste Mike Tyson stumbled over his lines, spending the first chunk of his duties touting his upcoming gig as host of the Soul Train awards. He also recycled a sentiment from Chris Rock’s opening monologue, when he told co-presenter Gary Owen he was lucky it was 2014 and not Tyson’s old days, when the exboxer would have hit the man for making a joke at his expense.
Kevin Hart informs Kerry Washington of his new identity Just before Kerry Washington could present an award, Kevin Hart joined her at the podium and referred to himself as ‘Oliver Pope,’ a reference to her Scandal character, Olivia Pope. Hart said he was there to prevent any potential crisis and then claimed that, just as Olivia is sleeping with the president of the US, Oliver Pope is sleeping with the president of BET, 58-year-old Debra L. Lee, who was then shown in the audience.
Usher performs a medley of his biggest hits Usher took the stage following Chris Rock’s quip about him needing to apologise for introducing the world to Justin Bieber. Usher then whipped through a number of his own hits, including You Remind Me, Caught Up and current banger Good Kisser.
Chris Rock hands out chicken and waffles The 2014 Oscars isn’t the only show to hook its audience members up with free food. Just as Ellen DeGeneres passed out pizza while hosting this year’s Oscars ceremony, 2014 BET Awards host Chris Rock handed out containers of chicken and waffles to such audience members
as Snoop Dogg and Los Angeles Clippers star Chris Paul. Lionel Richie tribute and performance Before taking the stage himself, Lionel Richie was treated to a medley of his songs by John Legend, Yolanda Adams and more. ‘Soul is a feeling. Not a colour,’ Richie said accepting the Lifetime Achievement Award. ‘Talent is a God-given gift, and not a category. Out of the box is that magical place where talent, pure talent goes to live and thrive and breathe. And may you never give that up as long as you’re in this business.’ Lionel Richie’s name misspelled He was the night’s big guest, but a caption for the Lifetime Achievement Award honouree spelled his name as ‘Lionel Ritchie.’ Soon after, a hashtag of the misspelling, #lionelritchie, started trending on Twitter.
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Saturday, July 5, 2014
STUFF
p32
WEARABLE TECH THAT WORKS If your obsession is everything that has technology attached to it then get one of these.
ATHLETES AND SCANDALS
p35
p36
On or off the court, when an athlete has a meltdown, it makes headlines.
VICTORIA BECKHAM Victoria Beckham has a buning desire to make women feel their best.
THAT WILL TICKLE YOUR FANCY
BIG IDEAS
WONDERS OF THE WORLD
Money Money is a token of trust
The Nazca Lines, Peru The Nazca Lines have no precedent or successor anywhere on earth. The question remains: why would anyone take on the arduous task of drawing lines and figures across the wastes of the Atacama Desert?
Who was the first to develop the idea of the jet engine?
Answer:
QUICKQUIZ
ceremonies that ended with the sacrifice of these same animals. Author Hoimar von Ditfurth put forth the theory that the high plateau of Nazca was some kind of giant sports arena. Other investigators have interpreted the lines as marking the location of a ground- water system that could have been tapped to irrigate the desert, making the land arable. Erich von Daniken proposed the most widely discussed theory, namely that the Nazca lines represent landing strips for ancient visitors from outer space. To this day, no solid proof has been found to support any of these theories. The most recent interpretation is based on the proposition that the Atacama Desert was once a fertile plain, based on finds of very small silicate plant fragments called phytoliths. If these plants could grow here, there must once have been rainfall and sufficient water. Accordingly, the Nazca people could have fallen victim to an extreme climatic shift that left the region with virtually no rainfall and allowed the desert to advance to its current extent. The people fell back on the water in the rivers of the Andes, but something had to be done to stop those sources from drying up as well. In response, the Nazca people scratched lines in the desert as a message to the gods using motifs that conveyed their request for water. For a long time, it must have seemed as though the prayers had worked. Over a period of 400 years people continued to scratch figures and symbols in the desert. Eventually, as desertification continued, even the reliable water sources dried up and the Nazca disappeared into the shadows of history. The idea of the jet engine was first developed by British engineer Frank Whittle in 1928.
The Nazca lines, some of which are thousands of feet long, are the remains of an advanced civilization about which archaeologists still know very little. Until recently, even their age was uncertain. What is known is that the Nazca lines are among the most puzzling legacies left behind by humankind. The Nazca lines were discovered in the 1920s when the first airplanes flew over the Atacama Desert. In those days of open cockpit planes, passengers and pilots took photographs of the ground below. In the meantime, archaeologists have concluded that the lines stem from the Nazca culture, named for a nearby city, which flourished between 500 BCE and 600 CE. Its apogee was around 200 BCE, when Nazca came under the influence of the Paracas culture. There was also a late phase of Nazca culture in the seventh and eighth centuries, when the region was influenced by the Wari peoples. Why did these people choose to cover the ground of the Atacama Desert with monumental etchings? This central question has yet to be adequately answered, though theories abound. That they represent an enormous astronomical calendar is no longer considered valid, with few scientists supporting this view. One of the problems is that our knowledge about Nazca culture is extremely fragmentary. It seems likely they have some astronomical and religious significance. There are observable correlations between certain lines and the position of the sun at solstice, for example. The animal figures could have marked pathways that were walked in procession during religious ceremonies, perhaps
Liquidity Liquidity is a measure of how easy it is for someone to exchange an asset – for a house, a gold bar or a pack of cigarettes – for money or other types of currency. For instance, the shares in most big companies are usually highly liquid – they can be easily sold because there are usually plenty of buyers. Houses are more illiquid since it takes time to organise a property sale. When businesses have liquidation sales, it simply means they are attempting to sell off their goods for cash. The history of money For hundreds of thousands of years human civilizations tended to barter for goods, trading shells and precious stones for food and other important commodities. For the first evidence of money as a currency, we need to go back 5,000 years to where modern-day Iraq now sits, to find the shekel. Though this was the first form of currency, it wasn’t money as we know and understand it. It actually represented a certain weight of barley equivalent to gold or silver. Eventually the shekel became a coin currency in its own right. In much the same way, Britain’s currency is called the pound because it was originally equivalent to a pound of silver. The ancient Greeks and Romans used gold and silver coins as currency, with the Latin denarius ultimately giving birth to the dinar in various countries, including Jordan and Algeria, and providing the ‘d’ that served as an abbreviation for the British penny before decimalisation in 1971. It also gives us the word for money in Spanish and Portuguese - dinero and dinheiro. The first ever banknotes were issued in 7th- century China, though it took another 1,000 years before the idea of paper money was adopted in Europe, by Sweden’s Stockholms Banco in 1661.
BUSINESS BLUNDER
Romney app promises 'A better Amercia' Mitt Romney won the Republican presidential nomination in US’s last general election, but his staffers probably never won any spelling bees. During his campaign, Romney’s campaign managers released a free app that allowed supporters to take a photo and superimpose phrases on it: “I Stand With Mitt,” “Obama Isn’t Working,” and “A Better Amercia.” You read that right. Amercia. Land of the free, home of the spelling-impaired.
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Stuff
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HISTORIFIC
SCIENTIFIC
In ancient England, knights carried shields to ward off blows and to identify themselves. A shield bore its owner’s coat of arms (family badge).
The call of the humpback whale is louder than Concorde and can be heard from 500 miles away.
Wearable tech that works for you
The calculator watch
The calculator watch The idea of wearing a computer on your person became mass-marketed back in the ‘80s, with the calculator watch ushering in a new era of tech fashion. But we’ve come a long way since then; ditch your Casio and come along for the ride. Pebble The next generation of the calculator watch is the Pebble, which really ushered in the feature-rich wrist screen of today. Check emails and texts, download apps to track your fitness and control your music without reaching for your phone. This is great for runners who hate carrying anything more than a pair of keys and a watch. Nike+ Nike’s been in the activity tracking game since early days, and has multiple gizmos in market. If you’re anti-accessory, but need a little motivation to pick up the pace when you go for a run, try downloading the Nike+ Running app, which will help you track your distance, pace and calories, as well as encourage you along the way (for free). This is the evolution of the old chip-in-the-sneakers tech from years back. They’ve also been in
Pebble
the band business for the past two years; the Nike+ Fuel Band is worn just like your old Casio, but rather than only being good for displaying ‘55378008’ upside-down and storing your non-existent landline number, this guy tracks total body movement. They invented their own unit of measurement so as to capture total body movement rather than just steps or calories, and you can set goals - prepare to underwhelm yourself even more than usual. FitBit & Jawbone UP If your parents are already in on the craze, they’re probably rocking FitBits or Jawbones. If not, thank me for working out the next birthday present that’ll get them out of the house. There’s a FitBit the size of a quarter (the 2014 version of Mom’s original pedometer), or one that can clip on to your clothes. Both companies also do bands. Whereas Nike’s offerings are geared towards challenging you to be your most active self, the FitBit and Jawbone UP record your physical output, but also measure your sleep patterns (hence the utility for older folks, who mostly use their beds for ... sleeping).
Nike+
Shine As the functionality behind wearable tech improves, so does its sense of fashion. A company called Misfit developed a tracker called Shine that measures all (and we mean all) of your physical activity - from bed to the bathtub (seriously, this thing is waterproof), and from an ultraadaptable interface (it looks like a silver dollar, which you can clip on, FitBit & Jawbone UP keep in your pocket or board shorts, or wear as a watch or necklace). Google Glass Probably the most forwardthinking of the bunch, but the one that’ll leave people convinced you’re a douche, is the Google Glass. Use it to do the things you’d normally rely on your phone for (texting, listening to music, and taking/sharing photos and Shine videos), as well as using activitydriven apps (get a critique of your golf swing, navigate your bike or running route, and track your weight training), and all the things you rely on Google for (maps and searches). Once there’re more of them out there, and the design becomes less obtrusive, that senior system administrator might actually be proven right. Google Glass
QUESTIONS YOU'LL NEVER ASK
WORLD OF ESPIONAGE
Did Russian spy services secretly bug Polish officials? Poland’s relations with the United States were strained this week after Poland’s foreign minister allegedly described Warsaw’s alliance with Washington as ‘worthless’ and ‘complete bullshit’ in a private conversation. Radosław Sikorski has not denied the authenticity of a bugged conversation, in which he appears to argue that Poland is wrong to anger Germany and Russia by always siding with America on foreign policy issues. Using highly undiplomatic language, Sikorski denounced Poland’s foreign policy planners as ‘complete losers’ and accused them of having a ‘slave mentality’ in their dealings with American diplomats. He also described British Prime Minister David Cameron as an ‘incompetent’ politician who ‘believes in his stupid propaganda’ about the European Union. How did the bugging occur? It appears that Sikorski was among a number of Polish politicians surreptitiously recorded for over a year while dining with colleagues at elite restau-
rants in Polish capital Warsaw. Polish authorities reportedly believe that managers and waiters at the restaurants placed concealed recording devices near the guests’ tables. Some believe the culprits’ goal was to blackmail the politicians in return for cash payments; others believe that powerful business interests or opposition politicians were behind the recordings. The magazine’s editors said they received an encrypted email from a business executive, going by the name ‘Patriot’, with links to four recorded conversations between senior Polish government officials. But it insisted that it was not aware of the identity of the leaker. In a telephone exchange with Geoffrey Pyatt, US Ambassador to Ukraine, Victoria Nuland, Assistant Secretary for European Affairs at the Department of State, said the United Nations would ‘help glue’ the situation in Ukraine, and added: “you know, f*ck the EU”. The intercepted conversation was posed in a Russian-language YouTube video.
Is smoking safe if I don’t inhale? No, smoking is never safe. When you inhale, nicotine enters the bloodstream through the lungs. Even if you don’t inhale, nicotine can be absorbed through the lining of the mouth. This can eventually lead to cancer of the mouth, oesophagus, larynx, lungs, bladder, or pancreas. It can also lead to sinus disease, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, coronary heart disease, and other diseases. Besides, it is very difficult not to inhale the smoke because you are breathing in the environment permeated by smoke. As it is even light smokers are heavily at risk of heart attack. There is no level of cigarette- smoke exposure that can be considered safe or safer. Whether or not you inhale, smoking is harmful to your heart and could eventually even result in death.
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Saturday, July 5, 2014
SPORTFACT
BRANDED Budweiser is the most successful alcohol brand in the world. Its financial value is over four times that of its nearest rival Heineken.
US goal keeper, Tim Howard, made 16 saves during their World Cup match against Belgium in this year’s finals, making him the goal keeper with the highest number of saves in a single match in World Cup history.
SOUNDINGCLEVER
ACHIEVING
INQUISTORIAL So prying as to be insulting from the Latin inquirere: to inquire. Many people associate the concept of psychotherapy with lying on a couch whilst an inquisitorial individual asks about your childhood. PURVIEW The extent of the influence (of someone or of something) from the Old French purveu: foreseen. Many decisions carried out by the government are determined by ministers and do not come within the purview of the Prime Minister. ELEGIAC Like a lament from the Greek elegos: a lament. The film Schindler’s List, which covers the atrocities committed by the Nazis, has an elegiac tone. SOBRIQUET A nickname from the Old French sobriquet: a tap under the chin, from sous: under, and briquet: throat. Owing to his command of language, novelist Henry James received the sobriquet ‘the Master’.
SOUNDING GREAT
VEXATION
A source of irritation or annoyance. I miss you very much; think of you at night when the world’s nodding – think of you in the daytime when the cares of the world and its continual vexation choke up the love for friends in some of our hearts; remember your warnings sometimes conclude it’s no use to try.
THE IMPOSSIBLE
Eat fire
We all know just how painful it can be when you burn your tongue on a hot drink, so why would you ever want to stick a flaming torch in your mouth? Despite appearances, however, the celebrated circus skill of fire-eating need not cause you any damage - provided you know exactly what you’re doing! First, a word of warning - fire-eating is the kind of thing that looks cool (if you’ll pardon the pun), and might seem like a good idea when you’re under the influence. Under no circumstances attempt the feat in this condition. Instead, treat it as a serious skill and get proper training from an expert - many circus schools offer courses. The trick is to extinguish the torch by using your mouth to cut off the fire’s oxygen supply. Practise the techniques with an unlit skewer at first - it’s all about controlling your breathing. When the torch goes in your mouth,
THINGS YOU WILL NEVER DO
on no account breath in - doing so will inhale fire and fuel vapours into your lungs, causing permanent damage or even death. Practise your breathing techniques, and never perform if you are puffed out. Choose your equipment carefully: kerosene is a good fuel option, while petrol, with its tendency to explode, is not. Kevlar wicks are better than cotton. Avoid wearing baggy clothes, tie back your hair and make sure onlookers are at a safe distance. Keep a wet rag, a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit to hand. The ideal location is a highceilinged, well-ventilated room with a non-flammable floor. If outside, beware of unpredictable wind conditions. Remember that heat rises - keep the flame above you throughout your act. Once the torch is lit, check for rogue gusts of wind or draughts. If conditions are satisfactory, lift the torch above your head. Stand with your legs apart so you are balanced, shrug your shoulders and tilt your head back until your mouth and throat face straight up. Wet your lips and take a breath in. That way, if you are given a shock you can only exhale. Now stick out your tongue wide and flat, lowering the torch onto it. Take the flames into your mouth, being careful not to inhale. Close your lips around the torch to cut off the oxygen supply, but not so tightly that you make contact with the hot metal shaft of the torch. With a final puff out, extinguish the flames. Be prepared for some burns to the mouth and lips as you perfect your skills. For anything serious, seek medical attention.
Tickle yourself
You might be one of those people who roll around uncontrollably and laughs like a drain at the merest hint of someone tickling you. But try to replicate the sensation with nothing more than your own fair hand and the chances are that it’s just not going to happen - for some reason, the vast majority of people are simply immune to self-tickling. A few trenchant investigators swear that auto-tickling is possible - they suggest that teasing the soles of your feet with a feather or rotating your tongue in wide arcs around the roof of your mouth can do the trick. Evidence, however, would suggest that plenty of us remain steadfastly immune to the giggles however much we try to provoke ourselves. The fact is that our laughter when someone else tickles us is fundamentally related to the element of surprise, and the lack of control we have over the situation. Our brains are pretty adept at anticipating sensations so that we ignore what is predictable and safe and focus on what is unexpected and potentially threatening For instance, brushing your own fingers up your arm is
unlikely to cause you to flinch. But if a spider scuttles up your arm, it can send shivers right through you (especially if it turns out to be a tarantula!) Specifically, when it comes to selftickling, the part of your brain responsible for motor control (which resides, so far as neuroscientists can work these things out, in a region known as the cerebellum) tells the bit responsible for processing touch (the somatosensory cortex) and the bit responsible for processing ‘enjoyable’ information (the anterior cingulate cortex) not to get too worked up. However, help is at hand. A team of scientists from University College, London have designed a remotecontrolled (and predictably costly) robot, armed with a probe that has a bit of soft foam mounted at its tip. The ‘patient’ lies on his or her back with eyes closed, and uses a joystick to control the robot, which attacks them with its ticking stick. A time delay system ensures that when the robot strikes, the crucial element of surprise is retained. Which is all very impressive - but its still a lot more fun if you can get someone else to tickle you instead.
Stuff
THAT WILL TICKLE YOUR FANCY
MARCH 2014
SPOTLIGHTS
FILM 300: Rise of an Empire
Greek general Themistokles leads the charge against invading Persian forces led by mortal-turned-god Xerxes and Artemisia, vengeful commander of the Persian navy.
MUSIC Pharrell Williams Marilyn Monroe is a song by record artiste Pharrell Williams released as the second single from his second studio album Girl.
TELEVISION Those Who Kill
A recently promoted homicide detective enlists the help of a forensic psychologist to track down serial killers while also relentlessly seeking the truth behind the disappearance of her brother.
EVENT Malaysia’s Boeing 777 goes missing On the 8th, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur, disappears over the Gulf of Thailand with 239 people on board.
BIRTHDAY Ade Adepitan
Paralympic star, Ade Adepitan, who won gold medals in wheelchair basketball, wheelchair tennis, and dance, celebrated his 41st birthday on the 27th.
DEATH Catherine Acholonu Nigerian writer, researcher and former lecturer on African Cultural and Gender Studies, Catherine Acholonu, died on the 18th at the age of 62.
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Stuff
THAT WILL TICKLE YOUR FANCY
ARTICULATE
5.5 metres
Saturday, July 5, 2014 Average height of a male giraffe.
Do alcoholic drinks give vivid dreams? Many people use alcohol to help them sleep. During the first part of the night it increases non-REM sleep (including deep sleep) and suppresses REM sleep (when most dreams occur). But as the blood alcohol level drops, the reverse happens: sleep is shallower and waking more frequent, which means more dream recall, and more REM sleep, leading to vivid dreams and nightmares. This poor sleep can then make you tired and want to repeat the drinking the next night.
Artiste paints landscapes on small pieces of food Talented Turkish artiste, Hasan Kale specialises in creating micro paintings on incredibly small objects like butterfly wings and snail shells. In his latest project, he’s taken his micro painting skills to a whole new level – by using food as a canvas. The list of edible objects that Kale has painted on includes peanut husks, split almonds, banana chips, fruit seeds, beans, onion peels, mini breadsticks, and even bits of chocolate. As long as it’s tiny, it appears that Kale will paint on it. He uses an extremely fine paint brush tip and a magnifying glass to paint intricate landscapes of his native Istanbul. Through Kale’s work, you can enjoy a picturesque view of the Nusretiye Mosque and other scenes from Istanbul on a Milka Square, painted with such amazing detail. Of course, most of his work is microscopic, and therefore not very visible to the naked eye. You’d need some sort of magnification to be able to see the paintings clearly. It’s truly impressive, the way Kale is able to paint with a high level of accuracy on something as delicate as food. But he’s not satisfied in his quest for tiny canvases. Now that he has mastered food, his next goal is to paint an Istanbul landmark on a single strand of hair. It sounds impossible, but going by his track record, he’ll probably get it done very soon.
KNOW WHY...
…evolution made it pleasant to give birth? Other mammals don’t have the same problems that we do for two reasons: their heads aren’t so large, relative to their body size, and they don’t walk upright. Evolving a fully upright gait required our ancestors to change the angle and shape of the pelvis, which reduced the width of the pelvic canal. Natural selection is therefore pulling the pelvis in two different directions. To run fast, we need a narrow pelvis but to give birth easily, we need a wide one. This is known as the obstetric dilemma and the pelvis of modern humans is a compromise between these constraints. Our brains grow 3.3 times larger from birth to adult, compared with 2.5 times for chimpanzees, so humans are already born at a much earlier stage of development than other animals. But if women had hips any wider than they do now, they wouldn’t be able to run. Natural selection has probably been a lot more ruthless in eliminating slow-running mothers or underdeveloped new-borns, than those women who are put off the idea of childbirth by the pain it causes.
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Number of brains that leeches have.
Why does altitude affect air temperature? Imagine the atmosphere made up of parcels of air: the higher they are, the less strongly they’re compressed by the weight of the overlying atmosphere, and so the bigger their volume can be. Such expansion requires energy, and as the total energy in the parcel of air is fixed, it comes at the expense of thermal energy – thus lowering the temperature.
Where do dart frogs get their poison? Poison dart frogs inhabit the rain forests of Central and South America. Their brilliant colours make them look like children’s playthings, but they represent some of the most naturally toxic animals on Earth. Humans have learned to make use of their poison. Scientists suspect that poison dart frogs gain their toxicity from alkaloids in the food they eat, including ants and mites. Poison dart frogs raised in captivity and isolated from their native diet do not develop venom.
When was pottery first made? Humans have probably been moulding clayone of the most widely available materials in the world-since the earliest times. The era of ceramics began, however, only after the discovery that very high heat renders clay hard enough to be impervious to water. As societies grew more complex and settled, the need for ways
to store water, food, and other commodities increased. In Japan, the Jomon people were making ceramics as early as 11,000 B.C. By about the seventh millennium B.C., kilns were in use in the Middle East and China, achieving temperatures above 1832 °F. New World, although potters never reached the heights of technology seen elsewhere, Moche, Maya, Aztec, and Puebloan artists created a diversity of expressive figurines and glazed vessels.
Do fires ever happen deep underground? Underground fires are a surprisingly frequent phenomenon, the fuel being coal and the fire travelling along the seams. Such fires travel slowly because of the limited supply of oxygen, but can burn for a very long time: the underground fire at Burning Mountain Nature reserve in Australia is thought to have been going 5500 years. The number of such subterranean fires worldwide is incalculable. According to one study, subterranean fires in China alone are consuming some 200 million tonnes of coal a year and pumping as many pollutants into the atmosphere as all the cars in the US. As you can imagine, such fires are contributing substantially to global warming.
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Saturday, July 5, 2014
Stuff
SCANDALOUS
Athletes and their scandals On the court or off, when a professional athlete has a meltdown, it makes headlines. Letting loose at an umpire or referee, scuffling with another player, screaming profanities at fans-we’ve seen everything from bloody tennis rackets to splintered baseball bats when an athlete has a public tantrum. The sad part is, he’ll probably get away with it. Officials, coaches, family, and even fans offer excuses. The repercussions are often just a slap on the wrist - or no consequences whatsoever. The result of this ‘relaxed’ accountability is these outbursts occur more often. Without consequences, athletes become desensitized to their behaviour, figuring they can comport themselves in this way without repercussion. This cycle of violence becomes hard to stop. It seems all of our favourite athletes have lost it at one time or another: mangling a golf club after a bad shot or wrecking a locker room after a big loss. When Boston Red Sox player David Ortiz took a Louisville slugger to a wall phone in the visitors’ dugout at Camden Yards, after what he believed was a bad call by the home plate umpire, he caused so much destruction his teammate Dustin Pedroia had to cover his head with a towel for protection. Large pieces of bat flew everywhere as Ortiz verbally lashed out at the umpire. He ultimately had to be restrained and ejected from the game. Surprisingly, no other action was taken against Ortiz, even though his tantrum occurred during a game, in front of millions of people. Major League Baseball, reportedly, considered suspending him but in the end decided on no fine or suspension, claiming ‘Big Papi’ (as Ortiz is known) was justified in his anger over the call. Many suspected the real reason was MLB was not about to suspend one of its best hitters during an important game in the race for the pennant. In 2010, Harvard Law School student Bethany Withers challenged the crime and punishment policies in professional athletics in the Harvard Journal of Sports and Entertainment Law. She wrote, ‘While the leagues (Major League Baseball [MLB], National Football League [NFL], and the National Basketball Association [NBA] specifically) continue to punish gambling, drug abuse, and derogatory remarks, other off-field conduct, such as domestic violence, has been largely ignored.’ One example she gives is Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall. Marshall had a long, long rap sheet of complaints and arrests, including some for domestic violence, before he was acquired by the Denver Broncos in 2006. Somehow he always managed to avoid serious charges. In spite of, mountain of evidence of abuse in 2007 and 2008 against then-girlfriend Rasheedah Watley - including multiple 911 calls, police visits to his home, and photographs of Watley’s bruised mouth, face, neck, eye, and thigh- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s only punishment was to suspend Marshall for three games for violating the league’s ‘personal conduct policy.’ The three-game suspension was later appealed and, in the end, reduced to one. ‘To put that into perspective,’ says Justin Peters, a blogger for Crime.com, ‘players who take Adderall [amphetamines] get suspended for four games.’ Compare that, too, to Goodell’s punishment of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick after his arrest for running a dogfighting ring and killing dogs: Goodell suspended Vick from football indefinitely and without pay for violating its player conduct policy. In a letter to Vick, Goodell said the quarterback’s conduct was ‘not only illegal, but also cruel and reprehensible.’ After marrying Michi Nogami, a psychology major,
David Ortiz
Brandon Marshal
in 2010, Brandon MarshalI (then newly signed to the Miami Dolphins) told reporters she was helping him cope with his short temper. ‘She is turning my life around. I am a very passionate, emotional person, and she is teaching me to channel that. My life is so much calmer now,’ he said. Shortly after MarshalI spoke those words, Nogami was arrested for stabbing him. She claimed it was in self-defence. She’s not the first woman in Marshall’s young life to stab him, either. Former girlfriend Rasheedah Watley said in an ESPN interview that in 2007 she had to use a kitchen knife to defend herself against the 230-pound wide receiver. Four years later, in 2012, the warning flags peppering Marshall’s past were ignored, and he was acquired by the Chicago Bears. Months later, he was accused of punching a 24-year-old woman in the eye during an altercation outside a club in New York. Those charges were somehow dropped, as was any further talk of Marshall’s misconduct. Marshall still remains a huge favourite, his prior domestic indiscretions and offthe-field violence all but forgotten.
THAT WILL TICKLE YOUR FANCY
TEENY Tips on how to dump your boyfriend with class 1. Don’t drag it out So you’ve been thinking about ending it for a while now. The magic is gone or you’re probably thinking about someone else. The worst thing you can do is keep pretending everything is OK, especially if this period lasts more than a few weeks. You guys will probably argue about petty things and if one person is still in love, they will desperately try to do anything to salvage the relationship, even though you know you will be moving on soon. This is cruel, even if you have the best intentions. You don’t ‘owe them a few more weeks.’ It’s best to just call it what it is. 2. Be honest Don’t lie about why. Sure, you should phrase it delicately and not be harshly blunt, but be honest. It will hurt them, but lying will do a lot more harm. If you don’t love them anymore, you have to tell them, or else they will think they still have a fighting chance. False hope won’t allow them to move on. 3. Don’t overlap partners Under no circumstances should you start seeing someone new before you break up. Not only is this cheating, but you will look irresponsible. Break it off first. 4. Can we be friends? Don’t be the person who goes ‘Oh, but you mean so much to me, I want to still be your best friend.’ Sure, maybe you do feel this way– but your ex shouldn’t have to feel pushed to stay close. They will probably need some time and space– hanging out and going into friend mode might be too much for them to handle. If you two really do care for each other and the heart break fades, by all means, keep in contact and become good friends later on. 5. Listen Your partner will want to talk this out. They will ask questions, throw out possible fixes, and try hard to understand. You need to be kind and as helpful as possible, but remain firm if you know breaking up is for the best. 6. Don’t do it in a public place There might be tears. Don’t make this more awful than it has to be. Do it somewhere where no one else can listen in or observe. Try to avoid an awkward car ride home, or abandoning the other person who will have to find their way home. 7. Write down how you feel You should write out your feelings. Have all your thoughts collected in one place and you won’t forget important points. This will ease the face-to-face break up. Now it is time to face your partner. No emails, no letters, no AIM, no Skype, no telling someone else to tell them. You owe them that much.
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Stuff
Saturday, July 5, 2014 that will tickle your fancy
SHOPAHOLIC
For the ultimate splurge, check out La Mer Crème de la Mer foundation, which will cost you a whopping $1,900 for the largest size.
LADYLIKE
A lady is not required to open a hostess gift in the presence of the giver unless she desires to do so.
fitnessdorm Balance your weight
Victoria Beckham’s desire to make women feel their best Victoria Beckham has always gotten whatever she wanted out of life. After tasting success with the Spice Girls, Victoria is now a fashion designer dedicated to making women look and feel good. Posh Spice as she’s also called has revealed she wants to help give women the confidence to go allout to achieve their own goals. Speaking in an interview as ELLE Singapore magazine’s July 2014 cover star, the 40-year-old beauty admitted she hopes that through her Victoria Beckham clothing line she can help women feel their best. When asked who she thinks wears her Victoria Beckham attire, she told the publication: ‘I think that she’s a woman that wants to look good. Appreciates luxury. Likes fashion. I want to make a woman feel her best. I want to empower women.’ Victoria, who has four children, Brooklyn, 15, Romeo, 11, Cruz, nine, and two-year-old daughter Harper with husband David Beckham - looked stunning in her latest photo-shoot for the magazine in an elegant kneelength dress, while her shoulders were covered with a grey cardigan. Despite being known as Posh Spice since her early days with the Spice Girls, the brunette
insists she loves to have fun. Talking about her humour to ELLE, she said: ‘People are probably surprised that I have a sense of humour. I like to take the mickey out of myself. As much as I take what I do very seriously, I also want to have fun. I like to poke fun at myself… and I think that surprises people.’ While Victoria has tasted plenty of success with her label - winning the Best Emerging Luxury Brand at the 2011 Walpole Awards, and Designer Brand of the Year at the 2011 British Fashion Awards - she insists she doesn’t feel the need to compete against other companies. She said: ‘I’m not competing with anybody else out there; I’m just competing with myself. I never went into this to prove anything to anybody, other than myself. I think if you’re too afraid of failure then you won’t challenge yourself, then you won’t move forward. I like to challenge myself.’ She also said ‘I’m so grateful to the fashion industry for accepting me and giving me a chance.’
A hardworking woman in all ramifications, Victoria is successful in her own right. Victoria has achieved all her success on her own without the influence of her ex footballer hubby David Beckham. As an internationally recognised and photographed style icon, her career in fashion includes designing a line of jeans for Rock & Republic and then designing her own denim brand, dVb Style. Beckham has brought out her own range of sunglasses and fragrance, named Intimately Beckham, which has been released in the UK and the US. In association with the Japanese stores Samantha Thavasa and Shiatzy Chen, she has produced a range of handbags and jewellery. In addition, Beckham has released two best-selling books; one her autobiography, and the other a fashion guide. Beckham’s marriage and career as a singer have made her the 52nd richest woman in Britain and the 19th richest person in Britain with husband David, with an estimated joint wealth of $225m.
Nowadays there are a lot of discussions about the different components of food and the best ways to combine and balance them all together. However, the most important thing to remember is that whether you are consuming carbohydrates, fats or proteins, all of them contain calories. The Caloric Balance Equation When it comes to maintaining a healthy weight, the bottom line is that calories count- in whatever form they come. A calorie is defined as a unit of energy supplied by food and caloric balance is like a scale. Successful weight management is all about balance, balancing the number of calories that you consume with the number of calories that your body uses or burns off in the course of the day, through normal body functions, daily activities and exercise. Maintaining Your Weight We all have an optimum weight, which can be accurately assessed by checking your Body Mass Index (BMI). This is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to adult men and women. A normal BMI reading is considered to be between 18.5 and 24.9. If your caloric balance is sound and you are eating roughly the same number of calories that your body is using your weight and therefore your BMI will remain stable. In terms of balancing your weight, this is the ideal goal throughout your adult life. Gaining Weight If you put on weight you are in ‘caloric excess’ rather than ‘caloric balance’, which means that you are eating more calories than your body is using. If this is the case, you will store these extra calories as fat and you will inevitably gain weight over a period of time. This will increase your BMI (a reading over 25 is deemed overweight and anything over 30 denotes obesity), which will put your heart under greater stress and could result in a wide range of health problems. Losing Weight In our fat-obsessed society, many people forget that being underweight can be just as dangerous as being overweight. If you are underweight, the chances are that you are in ‘caloric deficit’. This means that you are eating fewer calories than you are using. Your body is pulling from its fat storage cells for energy, so your weight is decreasing. Am I in Caloric Balance? If you are maintaining your current body weight, you are in caloric balance. However, if you need to gain weight or lose weight, you will need to tip the balance scale in one direction or another to achieve your goal. If you need to tip the balance scale in the direction of losing weight, bear in mind that it takes approximately 3500 calories below your caloric needs to lose a pound of body fat. This means that to lose about one to two pounds per week, you will need to reduce your caloric intake by 500-1000 calories per day. To discover how many calories you are currently eating, begin writing down the foods you eat and the beverages you drink each day. By writing down what you eat and drink, you will become more aware of everything that you are putting into your mouth and this should help you to balance your weight more easily. By the same token, keep a record of the physical activity that you do and match this regularly.
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Stuff
THAT WILL TICKLE YOUR FANCY
FASCINATING FACTS
TYPES OF MARRIAGES Cicisbeatura Italy/1700s-1800s Wealthy women often had an official lover who escorted her to public events and even lived with the pair, all with the husband’s consent. Complex marriage US/1848-1881 The 200-person Oneida Community functioned as a group marriage, with older members often initiating younger ones into the joys of sex. Superpolygamy Africa/antiquity-present Some African cultures allow wealthy men to take on as many wives as they can support, sometimes siring more than 100 children. Royal marriage Thailand/antiquity-1800s In days gone by, royalty and the upper class could have three categories of wife: primary, secondary, and slave. Plural marriage US/1830s-1890 Mormon doctrine advised men to take numerous wives. The church banned this practice in 1890, but some still continue the tradition. Sororate marriage Inuit/antiquity-present When a man’s wife dies or proves infertile, he may marry her sister in order to have children and maintain ties formed by the first marriage. Panalua Hawaii, US/antiquity-1907 In the era before colonisation, two or more brothers and their spouses, or two or more sisters and their spouses, or two or more sisters and their spouses, could form one marriage. Royal incest Egypt/332 BCE-395 CE To preserve the royal bloodline, Egyptian kings often married their sisters-sometimes they would even marry their own daughters. Fraternal polyandry Tibet/antiquity-700s In order to keep land and resources within a family, two brothers would often marry the same woman, who was usually in the same class. Levirate marriage Africa and Asia/4000s BCE-present Many ancient codes called for a brother-in-law to marry and provide for his brother’s widow; similar rules exist in some modern cultures.
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THE BIG STORY
MOST VALUABLE BRANDS IN 2014 Businesses may come and go, but some brands last forever. They become recognisable icons that engrained into each generation. Some of them have grown into empires that outlast the creators and become a part of history. Here are some of the world's most valuable brands this year.
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Search engine, Google Google is an American multinational corporation specialising in Internet-related services and products. These include online advertising technologies, search, cloud computing, and software. Google was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were Ph.D. students at Stanford University. They incorporated Google as a privately held company on September 4, 1998. Rapid growth since incorporation has triggered a chain of products, acquisitions and partnerships beyond Google’s core search engine. It offers online productivity software including email (Gmail), a cloud storage service (Google Drive), an office suite (Google Docs) and a social networking
service (Google+). Desktop products include applications for web browsing, organising and editing photos, and instant messaging. The company leads the development of the Android mobile operating system The corporation has been estimated to run more than one million servers in data centres around the
world (as of 2007) and to process over one billion search requests per day. Google also owns other popular sites such as YouTube and Blogger. On Fortune magazine’s list of best companies to work for, Google ranked first in 2007, 2008 and 2012and fourth in 2009 and 2010. Google was also
nominated in 2010 to be the world’s most attractive employer to graduating students in the Universum Communications talent attraction index. Google’s corporate philosophy includes principles such as ‘you can make money without doing evil,’ ‘you can be serious without a suit,’ and ‘work should be challenging and the challenge should be fun.’ According to the 2014 BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brand ranking, Google’s brand value rose 40% in 2013, to $159bn. According to Oscar Yuan, vice president at Millward Brown, ‘The fact that (Google) doesn’t see themselves contained in one sector is really a testament to their boldness and willingness to try new things.’
Universally accepted Microsoft Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen on April 4, 1975 to develop and sell BASIC interpreters for Altair 8800. It rose to dominate the personal computer operating system market with MS-DOS in the mid-1980s, followed by the Microsoft Windows. The company’s 1986 initial public offering, and subsequent rise in its share price, created an estimated three billionaires and 12,000 millionaires from Microsoft employees. Since the 1990s, it has increasingly diversified from the operating system market and has made a number of corporate acquisitions. Its best known
software products are the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems, Microsoft Office suite, and Internet Explorer web browser. Its flagship hardware products are Xbox game console and the Microsoft Surface series of tablets. It is the world’s largest
software maker measured by revenues. It is also one of the world’s most valuable companies. As of 2013, Microsoft is market dominant in both the IBM PCcompatible operating system and office software suite markets (the latter with Microsoft Office).
The company also produces a wide range of other software for desktops and servers, and is active in areas including Internet search (with Bing), the video game industry (with the Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox One consoles), the digital services market (through MSN), and mobile phones (via the Windows Phone OS). In June 2012, Microsoft entered the personal computer production market for the first time, with the launch of the Microsoft Surface, a line of tablet computers. As at March 2014, Microsoft has 127,104 employees and assets valued at $143bn.
associated with these products. It provides a broad line of products for transporting data, voice, and video within buildings and across campuses. Cisco Systems was founded by Sandra Lerner and Leonard Bosack on December 10, 1984. The company’s total assets are also worth $101bn.
replacement by Jeffrey O. Henley in 2004. On August 22, 2008, the Associated Press ranked Ellison as the top-paid chief executive in the world. The company’s total assets are valued at $81bn.
OTHER VALUABLE BRANDS Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton is the world’s most valuable luxury brand and is a division of LVMH. Its products include leather goods, handbags, trunks, shoes, watches, jewellery and accessories. Most of these are adorned with the LV monogram. It is one of the most profitable brands in the world with profit margins approaching 40%. Recent product endorsers of the brand include Angelina Jolie, Muhammad Ali and Michael Phelps. For six consecutive years (2006–2012), Louis Vuitton has been named the world’s most valuable luxury brand. The company is currently valued at $28.4bn.
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG commonly known as BMW or BMW AG, is a German
automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. The company operates its business through the following segments: Automobiles, Motorcycles, Financial Services, and Other Entities. The Automobiles segment develops, manufactures, assembles, and sells cars and off-road vehicles, under the following brands: BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, as well as spare parts and accessories. The company is worth $83.37bn.
Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells Internet Protocol-based networking and other products related to the communications and information technology industry and provides services
Oracle
Oracle Corp. provides enterprise software and computer hardware products and services. The company is organized into three businesses: Software, Hardware Systems and Services. Oracle is the secondlargest software maker by revenue, after Microsoft. Larry Ellison, a co-founder of Oracle, has served as Oracle’s CEO throughout its history. He also served as the Chairman of the Board until his
Toyota
Toyota Motor Corp. engages in the manufacture and sale of motor vehicles and parts. The Japanese automotive manufacturer is headquartered in Japan. Toyota was the largest automobile manufacturer in 2012 (by production). In July of that year, the company reported the production of its 200-millionth vehicle. Toyota is the world’s first automobile manufacturer to produce more than 10 million vehicles per year. The company’s total assets are worth $377bn.
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Legendary Coca-Cola The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation and manufacturer, retailer and marketer of nonalcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, which is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The company is best known for its flagship product Coca-Cola, invented in 1886 by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton in Columbus, Georgia. The Coca-Cola formula and brand was bought in 1889 by Asa Griggs Candler, who incorporated The Coca-Cola Company in 1892. The Company also owns or licenses and markets more than 500 non-alcoholic beverage brands, primarily sparkling beverages but also a variety of still beverages, such as waters, enhanced waters, juices and juice drinks, readyto-drink teas and coffees, and energy and sports drinks. It owns
and markets a range of sparkling beverage brands, which includes Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Fanta and Sprite The company operates a franchised distribution system dating from 1889 where The Coca-Cola Company only produces syrup concentrate which is then sold to various
bottlers throughout the world who hold an exclusive territory. According to the company’s 2005 Annual Report, the company sells beverage products in more than 200 countries. The report further states that of the more than 50 billion beverage servings of all types consumed worldwide every day, beverages bearing
the trademarks owned by or licensed to Coca-Cola account for approximately 1.5 billion. Another popular product of the company is Fanta. Fanta’s origins date back to World War II during a trade embargo against Germany on cola syrup, making it impossible to sell Coca Cola in Germany. Max Keith, the head of Coca Cola’s German office during the war, decided to create a new product for the German market, made from products only available in Germany at the time, which they named Fanta. The drink proved to be a hit, and when Coke took over again after the war, it adopted the Fanta brand as well. As at December 2013, the company employs over 130,600 people. The company also has assets valued at $90bn.
Electronic giants, Samsung Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul. It comprises numerous subsidiaries and affiliated businesses, most of them united under the Samsung brand. Samsung was founded by Lee Byung-chul in 1938 as a trading company. Over the next three decades the group diversified into areas including food processing, textiles, insurance, securities and retail. Samsung entered the electronics industry in the late 1960s and the construction and shipbuilding industries in the mid-1970s; these areas would drive its subsequent growth. Since the 1990s Samsung has increasingly globalized its activities, and electronics, particularly mobile
phones and semiconductors, have become its most important source of income. Notable Samsung industrial subsidiaries include Samsung Electronics (the world’s largest information technology company measured by 2012 revenues, and 4th in market value), Samsung
Heavy Industries (the world’s 2nd-largest shipbuilder measured by 2010 revenues), and Samsung Engineering and Samsung C&T (respectively the world’s 13th and 36th-largest construction companies). Other notable subsidiaries include Samsung Life Insurance (the world’s 14th-
largest life insurance company), Samsung Everland (operator of Everland Resort, the oldest theme park in South Korea), Samsung Techwin (an aerospace, surveillance and defence company) and Cheil Worldwide (the world’s 15th-largest advertising agency measured by 2012 revenues). Samsung has a powerful influence on South Korea’s economic development, politics, media and culture. Its affiliate companies produce around a fifth of South Korea’s total exports. Samsung’s revenue was equal to 17% of South Korea’s $1,082bn GDP. It is often said that the Samsung chairman is more powerful than the President of South Korea. The technology giant, which is catching up with Apple, has a value of $78.8bn.
OTHER VALUABLE BRANDS AT&T Inc.
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation. AT&T is the largest provider of mobile telephone and the largest provider of fixed telephone in the United States, and also provides broadband subscription television services. AT&T is the third-largest company in Texas (the largest non-oil company, behind only ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips, and also the largest Dallas Company). As of May 2014, AT&T is the 23rd-largest company in the world as measured by a composite of revenues, profits, assets and market value, and the 16th-largest non-oil company. As of 2014, it is also the 20th-largest mobile telecom operator in the world, with over 250 million mobile customers. AT&T’s total assets are worth $277bn.
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German automobile manufacturer, a multinational division of the German manufacturer Daimler AG. The brand is used for luxury automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes focuses its sponsorship spending on events that attract a well-heeled crowd. Its three pillars are golf, tennis and New York’s Fashion Week. The company’s total assets are valued at $23.5bn.
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Co. together with its subsidiaries and affiliates is a diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise. Disney was founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, and established itself
as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into live-action film production, television, and theme parks. The company is best known for the products of its film studio, the Walt Disney Studios. Disney also owns and operates the ABC broadcast television network; cable television networks such as Disney Channel, ESPN, A+E Networks, and ABC Family; publishing, merchandising, and theatre divisions; and owns and licenses 14 theme parks around the world. The company’s total assets are valued at $ 81bn.
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is an American multinational retail corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world’s largest public corporation,
according to the Fortune Global 500 list in 2014, the biggest private employer in the world with over two million employees, and the largest retailer in the world. Wal-Mart remains a family-owned business, as the company is controlled by the Walton family, who own over 50 percent of Wal-Mart through their holding company, Walton Enterprises. It is also one of the world’s most valuable companies.
Budweiser
Budweiser (including Bud Light) is the biggest brand for Anheuser-Busch InBev. The global beer giant was created in 2008 when Belgium-based InBev purchased Anheuser-Busch. Bud is now the No. 3 beer brand in the U.S. behind Bud Light and Coors Light. The companies brand value is worth $21.1bn.
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Apple Inc., master of all Apple, Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets mobile communication and media devices, personal computers, portable digital music players, and sells a variety of related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications. Its products and services include iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, iPod, Apple TV, a portfolio of consumer and professional software applications, the iOS and OS X operating systems, iCloud, and accessories, service and support offerings. The company also sells and delivers digital content and applications through the iTunes Store, App Store, iBooks Store, and Mac App Store.
Apple was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne on April 1, 1976, to develop and sell personal computers. It was incorporated as Apple Computer, Inc. on January 3, 1977, and was renamed as Apple Inc. on January 9, 2007, to reflect its shifted focus towards consumer electronics. Apple is the world’s second-largest information technology company by revenue after Samsung Electronics and the world’s third-largest mobile phone maker after Samsung and Nokia. Fortune magazine named Apple the most admired company in the United States in 2008, and in the world from 2008 to 2012. On September 30, 2013,
Apple surpassed Coca-Cola to become the world’s most valuable brand in the Omnicom Group’s ‘Best Global Brands’ report. As of June 2014, Apple maintains 425 retail stores in fourteen countries, as well as the online Apple Store and iTunes Store. Also, Apple is the largest publicly traded corporation in the world by market capitalization, with an estimated market capitalization of $446 bn by January, 2014. As of September 29, 2012, the company had 72,800 permanent full-time employees and 3,300 temporary full-time employees worldwide. The company is valued at $104.7bn.
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IBM, the adorable brand The International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation. IBM manufactures and markets computer hardware and software, and offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas ranging from mainframe computers to nanotechnology. The company was founded in 1911 as the Computing Tabulating Recording Company (CTR) through a merger of three companies: the Tabulating Machine Company, the International Time Recording Company, and the Computing Scale Company. CTR adopted the name International Business Machines in 1924, using a name previously designated to CTR’s subsidiary in Canada and later South America.
In 2012, Fortune ranked IBM the No. 2 largest U.S. firm in terms of number of employees (435,000 worldwide, approximately 100,000 in the US, the No. 4 largest in terms of market capitalization, the No. 9 most profitable, and the No. 19 largest firm in terms of revenue. Globally, the company was ranked the No.
31 largest in terms of revenue by Forbes for 2011. Other rankings for 2011/2012 include No. 1 company for leaders (Fortune), No. 1 green company worldwide (Newsweek), No. 2 best global brand (Interbrand), No. 2 most respected company (Barron’s), No. 5 most admired company (Fortune), and No. 18 most
innovative company (Fast Company). IBM has 12 research laboratories worldwide and, as of 2013, has held the record for most patents generated by a company for 20 consecutive years. Its employees have garnered five Nobel Prizes, six Turing Awards; ten National Medals of Technology, and five National Medals of Science. Notable inventions by IBM include the automated teller machine (ATM), the floppy disk, the hard disk drive, the magnetic stripe card, the relational database, the Universal Product Code (UPC), the financial swap, the RDBMS and SQL, SABRE airline reservation system, DRAM, and Watson artificial intelligence. The company also has 431,212 employees as at December. The company’s total assets are valued at $126 bn.
Delightful McDonald’s To understand how large McDonald’s is, consider the following facts. The McDonald’s Corporation is the world’s largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants; it serves around 68 million customers daily in 119 countries across 35,000 outlets. It also feeds approximately 1% of the world’s population. By 1993, McDonald’s had sold more than 100 billion hamburgers. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948 they reorganized their business as a hamburger stand using production line principles. Businessman Ray Kroc joined the company as a franchise agent in 1955. He subsequently purchased the chain from the McDonald brothers and
oversaw its worldwide growth. McDonald’s primarily sells hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken, French fries, breakfast items, soft drinks, milkshakes, and desserts. In response to changing consumer tastes, the company has expanded its menu to include salads, fish, wraps, smoothies, fruit, and seasoned fries. A McDonald’s restaurant is operated
by either a franchisee, an affiliate, or the corporation itself. The business began in 1940, with a restaurant opened by brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald at 1398 North E Street at West 14th Street in San Bernardino, California. The present corporation dates its founding to the opening of a franchised restaurant by Czech
American businessman Ray Kroc, in Des Plaines, Illinois, on April 15, 1955, the ninth McDonald’s restaurant overall. Kroc later purchased the McDonald brothers’ equity in the company and led its worldwide expansion, and the company became listed on the public stock markets in 1965. Kroc was also noted for aggressive business practices, compelling the McDonald brothers to leave the fast food industry. McDonald’s Corporation revenues come from the rent, royalties, and fees paid by the franchisees, as well as sales in company-operated restaurants. In 2012, McDonald’s Corporation had annual revenues of $27.5 bn, and profits of $5.5 bn. The company also has 1,800,000 employees. Its total assets are worth $37bn.
MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES IN AFRICA Konga
For making the online shopping experience more secure. On Konga’s recently launched Marketplace, electronics to clothing to home appliances and beyond are available for secure online purchase--with more than 200,000 products on offer. And the sellers include merchants from small Nigerian villages as well as large, international companies. Through focusing on buyer and seller protection, Konga is betting that as Nigerians continue to embrace broadband, they will also turn to e-commerce platforms like its Marketplace.
PrepClass
For preparing the next generation. Another education-oriented company on the list, PrepClass is an online portal for
students preparing for standardized tests in Nigeria such as the JAMB, WAEC, GCE, or NECO. Students pay to take practice tests that prepare them for an online or paper tests and receive personalized feedback to improve for test day. To be as available as possible, PrepClass has partnered with more than 1,000 cybercafes across Nigeria to give students places with the necessary resources to use the platform.
One Acre Fund
For fostering a new generation of farmers in Africa. The model is simple, but the impact is huge. One Acre Fund estimates it will represent Africa’s largest network of small farms in just a few years. The company provides farmers seed and fertilizer on credit, delivers the materials
nearby for pickup, trains the farmers to use them, and helps them sell the harvests. Since launching in Kenya in 2006, One Acre Fund has expanded to surrounding Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania, reaching more than 180,000 farmers and aiming to hit 200,000 by the end of 2014.
Rocket Internet
For betting on U.S.-style commerce in Africa. This venture firm has launched more than 100 companies in Africa since its founding in 2007. Among its efforts: online food delivery with FoodPanda, real estate with Lamudi, hotel booking with Jovago, and Amazon-like shopping with Jumia—which is the most popular online shopping site on the continent.
While the company runs much of the business from its Berlin headquarters and many are very similar, its work to bring new opportunities to Africa is vital to the continent’s growth.
iHub
For connecting, amplifying, and accelerating Africa’s tech community. Erik Hersman’s iHub has become an important resource for Kenya’s tech community. The not-for-profit is a hybrid co working space and university common room, which has grown to more than 10,000 members in just three years and has led to the launching of 150 companies many of which are dedicated to finding technological solutions to Africa-specific problems.
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Productive General Electric General Electric Co. is a technology and financial services company that develops and manufactures products for the generation, transmission, distribution, control and utilization of electricity. The company was founded by Thomas A. Edison in 1878. Its products and services include aircraft engines, power generation, water processing, security technology, medical imaging, business and consumer financing, media content and industrial products. The company operates through eight segments: Power & Water, Oil & Gas, Energy Management, Aviation, Healthcare, Transportation, Home & Business Solutions and GE Capital. The company is headquartered in Fairfield,
Connecticut, in the United States. The Oil & Gas segment supplies mission critical equipment for the global oil and gas industry, used in applications spanning the entire value chain from drilling and completion to production. The Energy Management segment provides integrated electrical products and systems used to distribute, protect and control energy and equipment. The Aviation segment produces sells and services jet engines, turboprop and turbo shaft engines, and related replacement parts for use in military and commercial aircraft. Healthcare segment provides healthcare technologies. The Transportation segment provides technology solutions for customers in
various industries, which include railroad, transit, mining, oil and gas, power generation and marine. The Home & Business Solutions invests in the development of differentiated products such as energy efficient solutions for both consumers and businesses. In 2011, GE ranked among the Fortune 500 as the 26thlargest firm in the U.S. by gross revenue, as well as the 14th most profitable. However, the company is listed the fourthlargest in the world among the Forbes Global 2000, further metrics being taken into account. Other rankings for 2011/2012 include No. 7 Company for leaders (Fortune), No. 5 best global brand (Interbrand), No. 63 green company (Newsweek), No.
15 most admired company (Fortune), and No. 19 most innovative company (Fast Company). The company has 305,000 employees and has total assets worth $656bn.
Reliable Intel Corporation Intel Corp. designs, manufactures and sells computer components and related products. It designs and manufactures computing and communication components, such as microprocessors, chipsets, motherboards, and wireless and wired connectivity products. The company develops advanced integrated digital technology products, primarily integrated circuits, for industries such as computing and communications. The name Intel was gotten from Integrated Electronics (the fact that ‘Intel’ is the term for intelligence information also made the name appropriate). Intel also makes motherboard chipsets, network interface controllers and integrated circuits, flash memory, graphic chips, embedded processors and other devices related to communi-
cations and computing. Founded on July 18, 1968 by semiconductor pioneers Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore and widely associated with the executive leadership and vision of Andrew Grove, Intel combines advanced chip design capability with a leading-edge manufacturing capability. Though Intel was originally known primarily to engineers
and technologists, its ‘Intel Inside’ advertising campaign of the 1990s made it a household name, along with its Pentium processors. The company operates its business through five segments: PC Client Group, Data Centre Group, Other Intel Architecture Group, Software & Services, Intel Mobile Communications, Intelligent Systems Group,
Netbook and Tablet Group, UltraMobility Group, McAfee, Wind River Software Group, Non-Volatile Memory Solutions Group. Intel was an early developer of SRAM and DRAM memory chips, and this represented the majority of its business until 1981. Although Intel created the world’s first commercial microprocessor chip in 1971, it was not until the success of the personal computer (PC) that this became its primary business. During the 1990s, Intel invested heavily in new microprocessor designs fostering the rapid growth of the computer industry. During this period Intel became the dominant supplier of microprocessors for PCs. The company employs 107,600 people. Its total assets are also $92bn.
MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES IN AFRICA Sterio.me
For taking the infrastructure out of education. The young startup is rolling out a trial of its mobile e-learning service to 75 schools in Nigeria. The service uses SMS messages that give students access to material and lessons they listen to outside the classroom. The lessons are prerecorded by the educators and sent as a free voice call when triggered by a specific SMS code. Educators can be immediately notified of which students finished the lessons and how they performed, saving them grading time and helping them prepare for the next class session.
UpEnergy
For making it safer to cook in rural Africa. Millions of people in rural Uganda are still using inefficient and dangerous means
of cooking, like three-stone fires and kerosene. UpEnergy has set out to both protect the environment and people by supporting distribution channels that benefit both large businesses (through carbon credits) and local retailers (through direct sales support and guidance) to make available safer, greener, and more efficient cookstoves, water purification technologies, and solar lights.
at the right time, ultimately leading to higher understanding and better grades. With Africa seen as the next frontier for online learning’s expansion--growth of the mobile learning market in Africa over the next five years is 39% and expected to make e-learning a $530 million market by 2017--Daptio’s presence is making it a reality.
Daptio
For bringing sustainable sanitation to Sub-Saharan Africa. More than 12,000 people living in Kenya’s slums are now receiving daily portable toilets containing toilet paper, sawdust, soap, and water thanks to Sanergy’s sustainability model local resident’s purchase and manage the sanitation facilities, allowing them to become micro-entrepreneurs. Every day,
For championing the new wave in education: adaptive learning. With online education becoming more prevalent, the next step for many platforms is to shirk the typical lecture format in favor of an adaptive learning one. The goal has become finding a model that allows students to receive the right content
Sanergy
the waste is collected and transported to a management centre where it’s treated according to the governmental standards and turned into fertilizer for use by East African farmers who can’t afford the otherwise high prices.
Aweza
For connecting a scattered society. With more than 11 official languages in South Africa, Aweza is looking to bridge the gap between the segmented communities in the country and lessen the language barrier. Its app allows users to translate words and phrases for others all in a slick little package. By crowdsourcing translations to weed out inaccuracies, the company aims to leverage the growing mobile arena and encourage cultures to interact across their defined lines.
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GAMETROPIC
GADGETED
In 2010, consumers spent $25bn on video games, hardware and accessories worldwide.
The BRAVEN BRV-BANK is touted as the world’s smartest and first Bluetooth smartenabled portable back up battery.
TECHLIFE
World Cup 2014 will be most high-tech tournament yet
FOR THE UPWARDLY MOBILE
New social network only allows communication using smileys If you find Facebook overwhelming and Twitter just too much, a new social network aims to make communication even simpler. Emojili, set to launch later this year, will only allow its users to send smileys to each other. Even usernames on the system will be smileys and over 10,000 people have already signed up. ‘We’ve just passed 10,000 usernames reserved, the firm said on its Twitter feed. ‘Fortunately there are more than 250,000 possible two-smiley combos, so most are still available!’. The site was set up by Londoners Matt Gray and Tom Scott, who say they were inspired by Yo, which allows users to simply send the word Yo.
Facebook’s other user experiment: conflict resolution Detailed graphic representation of tech on football pitches in Brazil.
The 2014 World Cup in Brazil is proving to be the most scientific and technologically advanced football tournament ever seen. From smart clothing that keeps players cool, to advanced boots that enhance speed and skill, no stone has been left unturned in providing the best experience for audiences and players alike. During a match From the moment a paraplegic walked out onto the pitch in an ‘Iron Man’ suit to take the first kick of the World Cup, you’ll know you’re in for something different, this time around. And the most notable technological advances is taking place during matches. For example, at this World Cup referees have access to foam, water-based, vanishing spray that is carried in special belts. When the first foul is committed and a player lines up for a free-kick, referees use it to draw lines and within minutes, the line disappears, letting play continue without visible marks on the pitch. Goal-line technology Also noticeable at this tournament is something familiar to followers of
Click! Click!!
club football: goal-line technology. It is being supplied by German company Goal Control, who use seven highspeed cameras at each goal mouth to monitor the action. More than 2,000 tests were performed in the run up to the World Cup, all of which were successful, while their managing director Dirk Broichhausen claimed it was ‘unhackable’ because it doesn’t require a connection to the internet. Battle of the boots The most important part of any player’s attire, football boots, have undergone something of a revolution over the last few decades. Gone is the clunky (and chunky) footwear of old, with footballers now preferring to sport sleek and stylish boots packed full of technologies to aid their game. Kits Kit manufacturers have done their utmost to provide garments that will keep players cool. Nike’s mantra for the tournament, for example, is ‘Cool under pressure’. In designing their kits, such as that worn by the Brazil national team, they combined technical fabrication with thermoregulation. Brazil’s 2014 World Cup jersey has 56 per cent more airflow
than previous versions. It is also composed of 94 per cent polyester and just 6 per cent cotton - giving it the comfortable feel of cotton, but the heat regulation properties of polyester. Training Adidas has another technology to help players during training called the Smart Ball. Built-in sensors monitor how hard it is struck, track flight trajectories and reveal impact points for penalties and corners. It syncs with the firm’s micoach app via Bluetooth, and helps players learn and master various kicking and control skills. For example, the data is used to teach users how to bend free kicks, take better penalties, generate more power, and avoid injury. Technology for the fans It’s not just players who are being treated to the latest and greatest innovations, though. Twitter also announced that fans will be able to support their team by using ‘hashflags’, by tweeting the three letter code for their team to show support.
Facebook has been working with social scientists for the past few years to better understand conflicts among users, including bullying and antisocial behaviour. Last year, the social network recently began offering tools for users to resolve those disputes. Facebook has long offered users the option to report content that violates its terms of service -- things like pornography, threats and graphic violence. But when it comes to things like insults or embarrassing photos, the site’s administrators won’t step in.
Google is saying goodbye to Orkut Orkut is a social network Google launched in 2004, the same year as Facebook. Orkut hasn’t exactly kept up. The service wasn’t a complete flop. It had strong followings in India and Brazil, and claimed around 100 million users as of 2011. But Google said Orkut’s growth had been outpaced by fellow Google services, including YouTube, Blogger and Google+, and that it was time to pull the plug. ‘We’ll be focusing our energy and resources on making these other social platforms as amazing as possible for everyone who uses them,’ Google’s Orkut team said in a blog post.
How will the world look in 2025?
According to the Intellectual Property & Science business of Thomson Reuters, here is some of what to expect. 1. Dementia declines ‘Baby Boomers’ will begin to reach their 80s, so more and more scientific research funds will be directed toward afflictions they may encounter. 2. Solar will be source of energy Methods for harvesting, storing and converting solar energy are so advanced and efficient that it becomes the primary source of energy on our planet. 3. Type I diabetes will be preventable Modifying the human genome will become a reality, making the prevention of diseases such as type 1 diabetes a
possibility. 4. The end of food shortages Thanks to advancements in lighting technologies and imaging techniques, coupled with genetic crop modification, food shortages and food price fluctuations will become things of the past. 5. Electric air transportation will ‘take off ’ Lightweight aerospace engineering and new battery technologies will power electric vehicle transportation on land and in the air. Micro-commercial aircraft will fly the skies for short-hop journeys. 6. Everything will be digital From cars and homes that respond
to your every wish and want, to appliances that think for themselves, to interconnected geographies, everyone will be digitally directed. 7. Petroleum-based packaging will be history Cellulose-derived packaging, which is 100 per cent fully biodegradable, will become the norm. Petroleum-based packaging products will be no more. 8. Cancer treatments will have very few toxic side effects Drug development will be so much more precise, binding to specific proteins and using antibodies to give exact mechanisms of action, that the debilitating effects of toxic chemicals on patients will be significantly reduced.
9. DNA mapping at birth is norm The evolution of nanotechnology, coupled with more widespread ‘Big Data’ technologies that incorporate data from many different people, make DNA-mapping at birth the norm, as well as part of one’s annual physician exam. This allows diseases to be identified. 10. Quantum teleportation will be commonplace Although in 2025 humans won’t yet be able to teleport through space, a significant investment in and testing of quantum teleportation will be underway using other forms of ‘exotic’ matter, proving the concept to not only be possible but useful.
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CULTURED!
FOR THE UNINFORMED & CLUELESS
CULTURE
SHOCK
Stop a rolling coin with your foot or lick a stamp in Thailand and expect to die. The king’s head is on both and he’s revered beyond belief. His son is considered to be something of a schmuck, however. Thais dread the day the king passes away.
Superstitions
Dresssense
Tiwa Savage in sheer dress at the BET awards It’s not every day we see our Nigerian artistes in daring outfits. Thanks to influences from the likes of Rihanna, we now see our stars try to break the ‘African culture’ barrier. On her first ever BET Awards red carpet, Best International Act – Africa nominee, Tiwa Savage rocked a floor-length sheer-top dress by Valery Kovalska. It seems that since the release of her very raunchy video Wanted, Tiwa has been on the loose. We are totally impressed with
her abs but we just cannot get over the fact that she’s a married African woman. We wish she would cover up more especially as her prior trademark has always been based on modesty and it seems she is trying too hard to make a statement. She however got the attention she craved for with DailyMail describing her outfit as one which ‘missed the mark’. Our African artistes need to understand that being naked doesn’t necessarily mean sexy.
Auctioned
Rare English clock rings up $109,250 at Jeffrey Evans auction Designed by Samuel Betts, one of the finest English clock makers, an antique and rare 17th century clock was the major highlight at the Jeffrey Evans 26th semi-annual catalogued auction of Americana, antiques, fine and decorative arts at the Jeffrey Evans auction. Reportedly, it achieved a record breaking price of nearly $109,250 from its new Australian buyer who managed to survive some really tough competition from several phone and other internet bidders. The Victorian ebonized case bracelet clock dates way
The history of coffee is as stimulating as the beverage we derive from its beans. Legend has it that a goatherd named Kaldi of Ethiopia discovered the plant when his goats became friskier after eating its berries. More likely is the historical fact that Ethiopian hunters and warriors learned to make primitive energy bars out of coffee cherries and animal fat rolled together. At some point, someone realized that steeping the berries in water made an energy drink. It was the Arabs in Africa who first tried coffee as a hot beverage.
Around the 11th century, kahve kanes, or coffeehouses, became popular in the Yemeni port of Mocha. One of the reasons coffee remained so strongly identified with the Arabic world for so long was that its cultivators kept it that way. Coffee was not permitted to be exported; all beans were stripped so that they would be infertile. This was partly to control the lucrative market but also partly because coffee was seen by early imbibers to be an almost mystical substance, since it could induce a kind of ‘high’ (which today Starbucks addicts know well). Of course, eventually coffee was
Proverbs No woman can make a wise man out of a fool, but every woman can change a wise man into a fool. –ARGENTINE PROVERB The eagle was killed by an arrow made from its own –ARMENIAN PROVERB In every woman there is a Queen. Speak to the Queen and the Queen will answer. –NORWEGIAN PROVERB
Excusez-moi Dressing of the Irish The Irish dress fashionably. Their clothing may be casual, but it’s smart casual. Young people don’t even wear tweeds (considered old-fashioned). They prefer wearing apparel that’s continental style. Dress modestly, conservatively, and in subdued colours. Avoid wearing loud colours, especially Kelly green. Also avoid wearing white pants, nylon running suits, and other apparel that stands out. For business, men wear suits or sport coats and ties. Women wear suits, dresses, or skirts and blazers. (Irish women wear pants less often than North American women do.) For non-business occasions, dress is generally casual, but check in advance. For formal occasions, men wear business suits, black tie, morning coats, or tails. (Ask your Irish colleagues or the hotel concierge which attire is required.) Women wear cocktail or formal dresses.
back to the 1650-1665 era and comes with an engraved brass dial. The signature at the bottom of the timepiece reads as ‘Samuel Betts London’ in Roman script ad even features a doublefuse movement. During 1911-1912 this particular timepiece was purchased by Kenneth Henry from an antique shop situated in rural England. As per reports, the rare clock even comes with a thoroughly examined report certified in 1991 by W. David Toeven of the Smithsonian Institution.
Uncommon history of common things
In Pakistan, there is a belief that one should not open and close a pair of scissors without any reason or purpose. It is considered bad luck and believed to cause problem to the family living in the home.
Coffee smuggled out: An Indian Muslim pilgrim named Baba Budan supposedly left the shores of Africa for a pilgrimage to Mecca with coffee beans strapped to his belly. Once coffee arrived in Eurasia (the first coffee shop there was established in Constantinople in 1475), it quickly spread to other lands. Venice, as an important trading centre, became the first European city to welcome coffee. Ironically, after gaining popularity across Germany, France, and England, coffee beans had to be smuggled back across the ocean, to Brazil, to gain the greatest foothold. Brazil now
produces most of the world’s coffee. Coffee is the world’s most popular beverage, with more than 400 billion cups consumed each year. Among cultures where coffee is widely consumed, nicknames are common. In the United States, people call the morning cup everything from ‘joe’ to ‘java’ to ‘mud’.
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TRAVELOGUE A visit to Edinburgh in Scotland is truly memorable. This Scottish city impresses visitors with its historic sites and scenery. Visit Edinburgh Castle or Holyroodhouse Palace for a glimpse of the royal lifestyle, and don’t miss the sweeping views from Arthur’s Seat.
DESIRABLES
THE MUSTREADS AND LINGER-ONS
Fall of President Bling-Bling Driven from police cells at 2am, Nicolas Sarkozy - the French ‘peacock’ who married a supermodel and lived like a king - faces ten years amid lurid claims he took millions from the late Libyan Leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Sarkozy
As he was driven away from police cells in a black saloon with tinted windows on Wednesday, July 2, 2014, the diminutive, unkempt passenger in the back seat could have been mistaken for a Parisian pimp arrested for hustling on the Champs-Elysées. Yet this unshaven man was none other than Nicolas Sarkozy, the former French president, who is facing up to ten years in jail and a $685,000 fine after being charged with corruption and attempting to tamper with a criminal investigation. Dubbed President Bling-Bling on account of his penchant for expensive watches and designer sunglasses, Sarkozy was released on bail after becoming the first French leader in history to be held in police custody. Once one of the most powerful men in the world, Sarkozy’s abject humiliation was sealed in the early hours of Wednesday morning when, following 15 hours of questioning by detectives, he was hauled before an examining judge and had his rights read out. Then, in a scene far removed from the pomp and luxury he enjoyed during five years in the Élysée Palace, he was unceremoniously charged with ‘active corruption’, ‘influence peddling’ and ‘violating the professional secrecy’ of an active judicial inquiry. Dishevelled and described by one witness as ‘looking like a broken man’, the 59-year-old
Sarkozy and late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi when the later visited France during Sarkozy’s tenure as president.
was freed on bail just before 2am. He was then driven to the home he shares with Carla Bruni, 46, the former supermodel who is his third wife. Responding to the allegations, Sarkozy appeared on French television to denounce the way the country’s judiciary has been turned into ‘a political instrument’. He accused investigators of ‘deliberately humiliating me’, and said France ‘the country of human rights and the rule of law’ should not have to put up with Left-wing judges who want to scupper his longed-for return to power. Sarkozy’s arrest, which made headlines around the world, marks an astonishing fall from grace for a man who loved power. But, in truth, few in France are surprised by the allegations, which have left his plans to stand for re-election in 2017 in tatters. For in spite of his slight stature at 5ft 5in, he’s an inch shorter than Napoleon, Sarkozy has always been known as a man of enormous appetite, who spent money freely, particularly when it wasn’t his own. Indeed, as president, he famously ordered himself a $513m Airbus A330, with a specially raised chair so he could look down on his officials. The aircraft which cost $85m, but was fitted with $428m worth of special designer features had an en-suite double bedroom, sealed with $3m soundproofed doors and electric shutters for the windows.
While preaching austerity over the Eurozone crisis, Sarkozy used taxpayers’ cash to treat himself and Carla a supermodel turned pop star to a life of unparalleled privilege. The Presidential couple split their time between homes at the fabulous Élysée Palace in Paris, and three chateaux on luxurious estates outside the capital, as well as a ‘holiday castle’ on the southern coast. They also had access to a hunting lodge near the Pyrenees, and a brigade of guards at their round-the-clock disposal, with those over 6ft exempt from duties to avoid upsetting Sarkozy. This magnificent property portfolio was maintained by dedicated staff, with millions in taxpayers’ money going on the upkeep. Sommeliers, cordon bleu chefs and scores of domestic staff all danced in attendance. No wonder the former president’s personal life fascinated the French. His wife Carla Bruni’s financial affairs will also be examined during the investigation, which centres on allegations that Sarkozy tried to pervert the course of justice as judges investigated the flow of millions of pounds of allegedly illegal cash into his election campaign coffers in 2007 and 2012. His cronies were said to have visited the elderly L’Oreal heiress Lillian Bettencourt, France’s richest woman, to pick up brown envelopes that were stuffed with cash. Her
mansion was just round the corner from Sarkozy’s home in Paris, and he was a personal friend, but he insisted he only went to see her and her late husband, Andre, ‘socially’. Sarkozy was cleared last year of taking advantage of an elderly woman while she was too frail to understand what she was doing, but his former campaign treasurer is one of ten people awaiting trial. Many have questioned how Sarkozy, a notoriously controlling leader, could not have known what his loyal lieutenants were up to. Those said to have given money to Sarkozy also include former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was allegedly behind an astonishing $71m donation. Indeed, the Libyan leader claimed in 2011, as French and British jets spearheaded a military campaign that would end in his death, that ‘Sarkozy is mentally deficient. It’s thanks to me he became president. We gave him the funds that allowed him to win’. The Gaddafi claims were dismissed at the time as the ranting of a deranged man. However, soon after the alleged donation, Gaddafi was allowed to pitch his Bedouin tent in the centre of Paris for a state visit with Sarkozy. Sarkozy is, like his personal friend Tony Blair, available for hire as a private speaker, and is involved in lucrative investment funds, but his exact worth is not known.
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MINDFUL
RANDOM
FOR THE LEISURELY-MINDED & THOUGHTFUL
FACTS
LAST WEEK'S
CROSSWORD 1. Knowledgeable person in a particular field (6) 3. Receive something offered (6) 8. Circuitous (7) 10. Luxury craft (5) 11. Prominent (5) 12. Out of the ordinary (7) 13. In front (5) 15. Felt pain (5) 20. Frequent patron (7) 22. Mindful (5) 24. Once more (5) 25. Imbue (7) 26. Firstborn (6) 27. Request for a sum of money (6)
WORDSEARCH APPLE BANANA CREAM BLUEBERRY BOSTON CREAM COCONUT CREAM GRASSHOPPER GREEN TOMATO KEY LIME LEMON MERINGUE PEACH PEANUT BUTTER PECAN PUMPKIN RASPBERRY RHUBARB SHEPHERD'S STRAWBERRY SWEET POBJTATO
SUDOKU CLASSIC
CROSSWORD
WORDSEARCH
WORDLADDER Can you climb the ladder and find the missing numbers?
? 12 ? 10 40 8
SUDOKUCLASSIC
24 6 12 4 See solution below
HOMEWORK FOR GROWN-UPS 1 Which film studio made the Lion King movie? a) Lionsgate studio b) Paramount studio c) Walt Disney studio 2. Which American state is called the Empire State? a) New Jersey b) New York c) Nevada 3. Both father and daughter of the Bhutto family have been prime minister of which country? a) Bangladesh b) India c) Pakistan 4. Charles de Gaulle was President of which European country? a) France b) Finland
c) Spain 5. Who did Michael Jackson marry in May 1994? a) Lisa Marie Presley b) Elizabeth Taylor c) Debbie Rowe 6. Who wrote the novel Dr Zhivago? a) Boris Pasternak b) Vladimir Putin c) Ivan Pavlov 7. In which country is the Salazar Bridge? a) Mexico b) Portugal c) France 8. Nat King Cole was a native of which US state? a) Arkansas b) Alabama Answers c) Alaska
WORDLADDER SOLUTION
HOMEWORK
c) Walt Disney studio b) New York c) Pakistan a) France a) Lisa Marie Presley a) Boris Pasternak b) Portugal b) Alabama
1. Oar (6) 2. Not at any time (5) 4. Aquatic South American rodent (5) 5. Leave out (7) 6. Aggregates (6) 7. Progeny (5) 9. Last letter of the Greek alphabet (5) 14. Emaciated (7) 16. Item of furniture (5) 17. Colonnade (6) 18. Juicy fruit (5) 19. Breakfast food (6) 21. Parts of a chain (5) 23. Die away (5)
SOLUTIONS
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
ACROSS
4(x3)=12(/2)=6(x4)=24(/3)=8 (x5)=40(/4)=10(x6)=60(/5)=1 2(x7)=84
DOWN
Put each of the numbers 1-9 once in every row, column and 3x3 box
Cats sleep 16 to 18 hours per day.
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Saturday, July 5, 2014
a la carte
13%
Percentage of Americans who have spent a night in jail.
GRAFFITI
THE LOTS TO CHEW ON AND REGURGITATE
75%
Percentage of Rolls Royce cars produced over the years that are still in use all over the world.
LADY'S WORDS When a lady is hosting a seated dinner party and an invited guest calls to ask whether he or she may bring an additional friend, for whom the lady does not have room. She does not say: “How dare you ask such a thing?” “Okay, but he’s got to bring his own steak.” “Bring him along, but it’s going to make everybody very uncomfortable.” But she does say: “I’d love for you to bring Jim but I’m afraid I’ve only got room at the table for eight. Maybe he can come along some other time.” When a friend calls with this
kind of request, he or she should expect to get a frank response. A lady tries to plan her parties so that everyone will have a good time. She knows whether there is room at her table for an extra plate. If an extra chair would cause everyone to be knocking elbows, she does not attempt to crowd in an extra body. When a lady feels it is time to change the topic of the conversation at a party. She does not say: “I hate to interrupt you, Rosie, but before I forget it, I wanted to tell my new joke.” “Martha-you’re about to piss everyone off again-so change the subject.” “Are you people as bored with this conversation as I am?’
But she does say: “This might not be exactly on the subject, but your comment reminds me of something I read the other day in Vanity Fair.” Because she is a skilful conversationalist, a lady is adept at guiding table talk. If a less creative guest continues to return to the exhausted topic, the lady may persevere, interjecting when possible, “Yes, but don’t you think it’s interesting that ... “ If a lady feels that the tenor of the conversation is growing tasteless or potentially incendiary, she has every right to say, “I think maybe we should talk about something else.”
WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO ...
…be a mob hit man The first time I was supposed to do the work, my Uncle Rich, who was a captain with one of the big families, tells me to get ready. I’m thinking it’s a soldier from another family they have a problem with, maybe somebody from my uncle’s crew who’s a weak link, something like that. Not even close. Turns out it’s a guy I used to go to school with. His name was Matty. He had offended my uncle twelve years earlier. By that time he was just out of high school and I was already in the Army, so I wasn’t in touch with him anymore. Anyway, he had looked at my uncle’s sister funny on the street, or something like that. My uncle told him to fuck off, and the guy broke his nose. For this, he’s going to die. My uncle decides that a hand grenade is what makes the most sense to kill him. We’re going to rig a hand grenade to go off when this guy opens up the door to his
car. It’s about one in the morning when we find his car. Freddie who works for my uncle and my uncle are to stand watch about 30 feet from either end of the car. The problem is that this bar is right down the block from the 62nd Precinct house. I keep telling my uncle that another night would be better. What sense does it make to rig a bomb in a car 100 yards from a precinct full of cops? But no, it’s gotta be tonight. I jack my way into the car and I go to work. I’m sitting in the front passenger seat and I latch a fish hook with about 18 inches of line around the base of the lock button on the driver’s-side door. The idea is that when the door opens, the line will pull. Then I run fishing line from that hook down to where I’m going to stash the grenade, which is between the seat and the back rest. I jam the grenade into this space and tie the fishing
line around the inside of the lever. Now I unpin the grenade. The pressure of being stuck between the seat and the back rest keeps the lever pushed down. But when the door opens, the fishing line is going to yank the grenade out from between the seat and the back rest and the lever is going to flip up. The blast was strong enough to blow Matty right through the roof of his car and clear across the street and break his leg. But not enough to kill him. A year later, Uncle Rich and Freddie killed Matty. They shot him in the street, outside of another craps game. I was there, as backup, but’ didn’t do the shooting. My uncle died about six years later of natural causes, old age but about a year before Uncle Rich died, that idiot Freddie ended up in the trunk of a car.
LAUGH–OUT–LOUD
Roar of the Greasepaint, smell of the crowd If he starts to cry, you’ll have to leave the theatre, ‘a movietheatre usher warned a young couple with an infant, ‘but you can ask for your money back.’ Thirty minutes into the film, the husband whispered to his wife, ‘What do you think?’‘This film is a waste of time.’‘I agree. Why not wake the baby up?’ As the man and wife returned to their seats in the dark
auditorium, the husband asked a fellow seated on the aisle, ‘Did someone step on your feet while going out at intermission?’‘Yes, you did,’ he replied, expecting an apology. ‘Okay, honey,’ the man said to his wife, ‘this is our row.’ When Disneyland celebrated its 40th anniversary, Disney officials buried a time capsule,’ reports Jay Leno. ‘They say it
will be dug up in 50 years-or when the last person in line at Space Mountain gets to the front, whichever comes first.’ A producer told his pal about giving his fiancée a string of pearls for her birthday. ‘Why,’ asked his friend, ‘don’t you give her something practical-like a car?’ The producer answered, ‘Did you ever hear of a phony automobile?’
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BONUSPACK $81.5 86 kmh billion
THE TAKE-AWAYS THIS WEEK
KEEPSAKES
FASTFORWARD
Speed of a motorised pram built by UK's Colin Furze and tested on October 14 2012.
HIGHEST PAID ATHLETES 2014 SPORT
Floyd Mayweather Cristiano Ronaldo Lebron James Lionel Messi Kobe Bryant Tiger Woods Roger Federer Phil Mickelson Rafael Nadal Matt Ryan Manny Pacquiao Zlatan Ibrahimovic Derrick Rose Gareth Bale Radamel Falcao Neymar Novak Djokovic Matthew Stafford Lewis Hamilton Kevin Durant Fernando Alonso M.S Dhoni Dwyane Wade Carmelo Anthony Wladimir Klitschko Peyton Manning Amar’e Stoudemire Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Dwight Howard Cliff Lee Joe Mauer Miguel Cabrera Zack Greinke Maria Sharapova Derek Jeter Rory McIlroy Chris Paul CC Sabathia Prince Fielder Darrelle Revis Li Na Jimmie Johnson Wayne Rooney Sergio Aguero Usain Bolt Dirk Nowitzki Blake Griffin Alex Rodriguez Johan Santana Mark Teixeira Matt Kemp Joe Johnson Geno Atkins Ryan Howard Aaron Rodgers Serena Williams Chris Bosh Pau Gasol Yaya Touré Robinson Cano Adrian Gonzalez Joe Haden Fernando Torres Henrik Stenson Vernon Wells Canelo Alvarez Drew Brees Eli Manning Julius Peppers Cole Hamels Jason Peters Justin Verlander Tim Lincecum Carl Crawford Matt Cain Barry Zito Felix Hernandez Albert Pujols Deron Williams David Ortiz
TOTAL EARNING
boxing soccer basketball soccer basketball golf tennis golf tennis football boxing soccer basketball soccer soccer soccer tennis football racing basketball racing cricket basketball basketball boxing football basketball racing basketball baseball baseball baseball baseball tennis baseball golf basketball baseball baseball football tennis racing soccer soccer track basketball basketball baseball baseball baseball baseball basketball football baseball football tennis basketball basketball soccer baseball baseball football soccer golf baseball boxing football football football baseball football baseball baseball baseball baseball baseball baseball baseball basketball baseball
$105m $80m $72m $ 64.7m $61m $61m $56.2m $53.2m $44.5m $43.8m $41.8m $40.4m $36.6m $36.4m $35.4m $33.6m $33.1m $33.0m $32.0m $31.9m $31.0m $30.0m $29.9m $29.4m $28.0m $27.1m $26.7m $25.9m $25.5m $25.3m $24.8m $24.6m $24.5m $24.4m $24.3m $24.3m $24.2m $24.2m $23.9m $23.8m $23.6m $23.5m $23.4m $23.3m $23.2m $23.2m $23.0m $22.9m $22.9m $22.7m $22.6m $22.5m $22.4m $22.4m $22.0m $22.0m $21.8m $21.8m $21.7m $21.5m $21.5m $21.4m $21.3m $21.2m $21.1m $21.0m $21.0m $21.0m $20.8m $20.7m $20.7m $20.7m $20.6m $20.5m $20.4m $20.4m $20.3m $20.3m $20.0m $19.8
please cut along this line and keep
SEEN & OVERHEARD
Air travel
Total market value of United Percel Service (UPS) according to Guiness World Records 2014.
ENGLISH PHRASES Milk
I don’t know my hat size. I’m not in shape yet. YOGI BERRA
Milk and honey Wealth and prosperity: with allusion to the biblical reference to the Promised Land in Exodus 3:8 as ‘flowing with milk and honey’. Then said Christian, Ah! my friend, the sorrows of death hath compassed me about; I shall not see the land that flows with milk and honey. Milk-and-water Weak or insipid: the image is of milk diluted with water. Milk and water was used at an earlier date to denote a bluish-white colour and a cloth of this colour. You are a prisoner at present, and I believe all your life will remain so. Thanks to the milk-and-water softness of your former master! The milk in the coconut Informal, originally North American something puzzling or mysterious, like how the milk got into the coconut. Do you think there’s anything in it? (Ted) He had her latchkey and he wanted to stick to it – that looks as if there was some milk in the coconut, doesn’t it? The milk of human kindness Concern for the welfare of others. The phrase is typically used in ironic or mocking contexts, as in the original use in Shakespeare’s Macbeth (1606) where lady Macbeth doubts her husband’s resolve: ‘Yet do I fear thy nature. It is too full to think milk of human kindness. And when a question of humanity is agitated he may dip a sop in the milk of human kindness, to silence Cerberus.
Food and drink
Flap
Pilot’s number one rule: Always try to keep the number of landings you make equal to the number of takeoffs you’ve made. PAUL ANDREW You know you’re in trouble when, at the control tower, there’s a note taped to the door that says ‘Back in 5 minutes’. JEFF FOXWORTHY
please cut along this line and keep
NAME
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80.
JUST UNBELIEVABLE
I had a job as an airline pilot. I was fired because I kept locking the keys in the plane. They caught me on an 80-foot stepladder with a coat hanger. STEVEN WRIGHT
Birds
I wonder what kind of bird Humpty dumpty would have hatched out to had he lived? HARRY HILL How do birds know it is a sanctuary? SIR KEITH JOSEPH, being shown around a bird sanctuary Do pigeons walk man-toed? GEORGE CARLIN
Fashion
If it becomes illegal to wear the veil at work, bee-keepers will be furious. MILTON JAMES She has so many clothes; she never wears the same outfit once. GRETCHEN BERRA
I can’t see the point in making tons of food if people are just going to sit there and eat it. JENNY ECLAIR Son, go easy on the orange juice. That stuff doesn’t grow on trees – wait, it does! So why is it so damned expensive? HAL WILKERSON My mate’s got a microwave in his kitchen. It says, ‘Enjoy your meal’ when you get something out. But I won’t since I was drying my pants in it. JAMES MAY
Get in a flap Informal to become agitated or panicky: the image is of somebody flapping their arms about in agitation. I only ever go to church when I have to go to funerals … I suppose you have a family pew in your local? ‘Well, when I’m at home one has to show the flag’. Put the flags out To have a public celebration. Wrap oneself in the flag North American to make an ostentatious display of patriotism: based on the notion of the flag as a symbol of one’s country.
50 SPORTS/other sports SPORTS BRIEFS FOOTBALL
“Balotelli has cost me €35m” — Berlusconi AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi claims that Mario Balotelli was set for a €35 million move to an English club until the striker’s poor World Cup caused the transfer to fall through. The former Manchester City striker has been heavily linked with a return to the Premier League, with Arsenal keen to acquire the 23-year-old. Milan made the decision at the end of last season to cash in on the forward after a belowpar club campaign. However, Berlusconi says Balotelli’s disappointing showings in Brazil halted a transfer – and cost him a significant windfall.
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Hamilton Hopes To Lift British Fans Lewis Hamilton is aware British eyes are on him to provide some relief in what has so far been a disappointing summer of sport. Looking ahead to this weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Hamilton, sporting a Mercedes cap with the Union Jack on the underside of the peak, said: “It’s always a special weekend for us British drivers. “Coming here, seeing the fans, having already been at
Goodwood (for the Festival of Speed) and seeing how many people were there and the support coming into this weekend, i t’s very exciting for us, and the feeling of being at home is really a great one. “The support, as I say, for me and Jenson (Button) and the guys here, it’s unlike any other place we experience, so I ‘m really excited to see everyone and I hope we can put on a good show.”
Mayweather Ready To Spring Surprise
CYCLING
Cavendish Plays Down Jersey Dream Mark Cavendish on Thursday attempted to play down his aspirations to claim the Tour de France yellow jersey in his mother’s home town of Harrogate on Saturday. The 190.5-kilometre opening stage from Leeds to Harrogate could thrust Cavendish into the race leader’s maillot jaune for the first time, if he can claim a 26th stage victory of his distinguished career. Eddy Merckx has the record of 34 stage wins. The 29-year-old from the Isle of Man, whose mother Adele is from the Yorkshire town, is bidding to become the seventh Briton to lead the Tour, after Tom Simpson, Chris Boardman, Sean Yates, David Millar, Sir Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome. formula 1
Raikkonen Contemplates Retirement In 2015
Khan
Amir Khan’s hopes of fighting Floyd Mayweather look fainter than ever with the pound-for-pound No.1 set for a rematch with Marcos Maidana. Argentine fighter Maidana gave Mayweather a tougher than expected workout in Las Vegas in May, with Khan defeating Luis Collazo on the undercard. Maidana adopted a policy of all-out attack against Mayweather, who is the world’s highest-paid sportsperson, but the American fought back to win on a majority points decision. While no official announcement of a
rematch has been made, Mayweather - the WBC and WBA welterweight champion - let slip his plans at an awards ceremony on Sunday. “September 13, back to business, Marcos Maidana v Floyd Mayweather part two,” he said. “Then in May, I’ll have a big surprise for you.” The “big surprise” could be a longawaited clash with Manny Pacquiao, but Khan had hoped to fight Mayweather then, after ruling himself out of a September bout because he did not want to train while fasting for Ramadan.
Frampton Issues Warning To Martinez Carl Frampton has issued a warning to Kiko Martinez that his home crowd will be ‘baying for blood’ when the pair step into the ring for their IBF superbantamweight title. Belfast’s Titanic Quarter has been announced as the venue for the September 6th bout with a 16,000 sell-out crowd expected to fill the purpose-built temporary arena and Frampton is relishing the prospect of fighting in front of Northern Ireland’s biggest ever boxing crowd. In their last meeting, Frampton defeated the Spaniard in the ninth round to win the European super-
bantamweight title but Martinez has gone onto win four consecutive fights since, including a world title victory over Jhonatan Romero. Frampton, however, insists the cards are heavily stacked in his favour as he returns home. “I just feel everything has fallen into place. I’m 27 now, I’m in the prime of my life and the next few years are going to be the best you’re going to see from me,” he said. “I’m a live fighter, I’m hungry, I’m fighting in my own back yard in front of 16,000 people who are going to be baying for his blood and he’s not going to be ready for that. Frampton
ICC Plans Women’s Championship
Kimi Raikkonen says he expects to retire from Formula One at the end of 2015 when his current Ferrari contract
expires. Raikkonen moved from Lotus to Ferrari over the winter after signing a two-year contract, but has struggled for results this season with just 19 points from eight races. Asked if he saw himself at Ferrari for a long time, he said: “Until my contract is finished and then I will probably stop. That is what I think is going to happen.” Raikkonen has expressed interest in driving in other series outside Formula One, but said he was not yet sure where he would end up.
Hamilton
Former England captain Clare Connor
The International Cricket Council has announced plans for a Women’s Championship, beginning in August. The idea of a Test championship in men’s cricket has been mooted for some time but scheduling and broadcasting issues saw it ditched in place of the Champions Trophy. But the governing body has decided to institute a similar blueprint, using one-day internationals, in the women’s game. A points system will decide a top four in the world, who automatically qualify for the 2017 World Cup, to be hosted in England, with the next four sides meeting six
regional qualifiers to reach the flagship tournament. Initial rankings are based on finishing positions in the 2013 Women’s World Cup, with England third behind West Indies and India. ICC chief executive David Richardson said: “Following the ICC Board’s decision to hold a stand-alone ICC Women’s World Twenty20 tournament every four years, alternately with the ongoing joint men’s and women’s ICC World Twenty20, this tournament guarantees both regular playing opportunities and a meritocratic pathway to the ICC Women’s World Cup.”
REPORTS/SPORTS 51
Saturday, July 5, 2014
FIFA Confirm Suarez Can Join Barcelona FIFA's disciplinary chief has confirmed that Luis Suarez is free to join Barcelona while serving his ban for biting Giorgi Chiellini, but denied Liverpool had been punished unfairly. The Uruguayan FA has already submitted an appeal on the player's behalf, while Suarez has now apologised for his actions after initially telling FIFA he had lost his balance. His refusal to show any kind of remorse for his actions earned him a longer ban. Liverpool remain in talks with Barcelona
over the transfer of Suarez, and Claudio Sulser told a news conference that the player would be allowed to have a medical ahead of a transfer under the terms of his ban, which relates to all football-related activities including entering stadiums. Sulser, the head of FIFA's disciplinary committee, said on Thursday: "The player cannot have any activity related to football, but a medical examination for a transfer, yes - the sanction is not linked to transfer rights.''
Suarez
Courtois Claims Messi Advantage
Courtois
Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois claims his previous meetings with Lionel Messi will give him an advantage during Saturday's World Cup quarterfinal but admits the Argentina captain is capable of winning the game on his own. Courtois, 22, has managed to stop Messi from scoring in their last seven meetings across La Liga, Champions League and Spanish Super Cup fixtures, as he has starred on loan for Atletico Madrid as they won their first league title in eight
years last season. The pair will clash again in Brasilia and Courtois, who is likely to return to his parent club Chelsea after the World Cup, insists he has the upper hand over the Barcelona forward. "I know him well from Atletico's games against Barcelona, so it'll be nice to play against him for our countries," Courtois told ESPN. "Hopefully we can win, but we'll see. The good thing is that I don't have to watch videos of him because I know him so well.”
Loew Blames Premier League For England Failure
Germany boss Joachim Loew believes England’s World Cup disaster was in part caused by the high percentage of foreign players in the Premier League. Loew said, by contrast, Germany is benefiting from a lot of young players coming through into the Bundesliga. England finished the World Cup officially 31st out of the 32 teams, having scored two goals and secured only one point in three matches from a goalless draw. “Of course the English league has a disadvantage with a higher percentage
of foreigners playing there and it becomes difficult for the national coach to get things moving,” Loew said. “I think having many foreigners playing there is part of England’s problem. “Since 2009, things have changed for us and lots of young German players are coming through. We have a good blend, a strong league with three teams who are among the best in Europe with experience in tough competitions but I am not unhappy if some play in a foreign country and see other cultures and other coaches.
Jallet Weighs Up PSG Future
Jallet
Full-back Christophe Jallet has admitted to some doubt over his Paris Saint-Germain future.
As the Ligue 1 champions returned for pre-season training this week minus some notable absentees who are on FIFA World Cup duty - Jallet revealed a lack of clarity over his situation at the Parc des Princes. Asked if he would begin the new campaign at PSG, Jallet replied in quotes reported by L’Equipe: “I do not know yet. For now, I’m here. I try to prepare myself as best as possible. Some factors could change things, but for now I’m Parisien.” The 30-year-old, who joined PSG in 2009, has spoken “very briefly, vaguely” to the club’s hierarchy but insists that certain assurances must be made if he is to remain in the capital. “Game time will be the first of conditions,” he explained. “Every footballer wants to play. After, the words are not enough; you must prove on the field that you want to earn a place.
Loew
Italian Clubs Chase Arsenal World Cup Star Joel Campbell could be in line for a £16 million summer move to Serie A, according to the Arsenal player’s agent. Campbell’s impressive form has helped fire Costa Rica to the quarterfinals of a World Cup for the first time in their history and the 22-yearold has caught the eye of several major clubs. His agent Ruggero Lacerenza told the Sun: “Italian clubs are after Campbell. Various toptier clubs often make enquiries.” However, it is reported that a fee of around £16m will have to be paid in order to prise Campbell from the Emirates Stadium. Campbell has not played
for Arsenal since joining them in 2011 and has been loaned out to Lorient, Real Betis and Olympiakos. However, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger recently hinted the youngster could be given a chance in north London this season. Wenger is intent on improving his strike force ahead of the new season and, while Campbell remains an option, the Frenchman wants to bring in a world class striker.
Campbell
FOOTBALL BRIEFS Gunners Hopeful Over Sanchez
Arsenal remain confident Barcelona's pursuit of Luis Suarez will not hamper their bid to sign Alexis Sanchez from the Spanish giants. The Gunners are keen to bring in some attacking support to lead frontman Olivier Giroud, and have identified the Chile forward as their main summer target, with no move now expected for AC Milan's Italian striker Mario Balotelli. Press Association Sport understands contact has been made with Barcelona, who are expected to want around £22million for the 25-year-old who is reported to be keen on a move to the Emirates Stadium. Barcelona, meanwhile, want to bring in Uruguay forward Suarez from Liverpool, despite his FIFA worldwide ban.
Ashley Williams Signs New Deal
Swansea City have announced captain Ashley Williams has signed a new four-year
contract. The 29-year-old had been linked with a host of clubs as he entered the final year of his old deal, but the former Stockport County man has now committed his future to the Liberty Stadium until 2018. The Wales centre-back will now join his team-mates on Sunday in travelling to the United States for the club's pre-season tour and is pleased to have the matter sorted. He told the club's official website: "I'm delighted to sign a new contract at Swansea City.
Donovan Criticises Klinsmann
Landon Donovan has criticised coach Jurgen Klinsmann's tactics during USA's World Cup campaign, which ended with a 2-1 defeat by Belgium in the last 16. Klinsmann stunned the nation when he decided to leave the 32-year-old Donovan, USA's record scorer, out of his 23man squad for the tournament. While Donovan has been careful with his words in his television appearances during the tournament, the team's exit prompted a pointed critique of the German coach's approach. 'I think the most disappointing is we didn't seem like we gave it a real effort, from a tactical standpoint,' he told mlssoccer.
52 SPORTS/COMMENT
Saturday, July 5, 2014
FIFA
Eto'o
Boateng
Why African Players Shouldn't Be Blamed For Pay Disputes There has been a long history of incompetence in financial matters in certain football associations and African players are being used as scapegoats at this World Cup. It is a privilege to be selected to play for one's nation at a World Cup but there is a duty on behalf of football associations to ensure that all players are respected. Three African teams - and especially their players have been painted in very poor light at this World Cup over issues of appearance fees and bonuses and they are being made carry undue flak. "Money, money, money had been the refrain by the players, and it is a pity they allowed this to ruin our World Cup," Ghana FA president Kwesi Nyantakyi was quoted as saying by the state-owned Daily Graphic last week. Cameroon reportedly refused to travel to Brazil until their bonuses were increased. Ghana allegedly threatened to strike instead of fulfilling their final group game against Portugal until they had their $3m collective bonus flown to Brazil and paid in cash; that money was initially promised but not delivered. Nigeria then reportedly refused to train until their bonus money for qualifying to the last 16 the second round was paid. More ammunition, then, was provided for those who wish to portray footballers as greedy and alienated. It is convenient to paint the players as the bad guys as that keeps the focus off the football associations themselves. Ghana midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng was thrown out of the squad before they played Portugal and his interview with Bild in the aftermath was revealing. "It was a nightmare from the first day to the end," he said of his World Cup experience. "I never thought that anybody could organise a World Cup so badly - from the flights to the hotels - everything was so amateurish. "The flight from Miami to Brazil was 12 hours and we were sat cramped in in economy. It was hard on our legs. It may sound a little strange to normal people, but for a professional sportsman it's unreasonable. At the same time, the president was sat in business [class] with his wife and two children."
And bonuses are not a uniquely African issue. There isn't one team at the World Cup who went to Brazil without a guaranteed participation bonus. Germany's players got their initial €50,000-per-man bonus after defeating Algeria last night and will be taking home €300,000 each if they lift the trophy. Spain were on €720,000 a man for winning the World Cup. Fifa guarantees payment to each country with rewards ranging from €25.5 million - for the winning side - downward to €5.8m for a group stage exit plus an extra €1m participation fee. The problem comes with the non-delivery of money by the football associations - or even the threat of that. "These things are normally sorted out before the competition, you can’t keep telling the players the money will come," Ghana coach James Kwesi Appiah told the press last week. The country's president, John Drahami Mahama, was eventually forced to step in. "What we have to do for future World Cups is to ensure that firstly there is an agreement between the players and their national associations for the payments of bonuses," Fifa general-secretary Jerome Valcke said last week. This isn't the first time that African teams have been caught up in rows over bonuses. Nigeria's 1998 World Cup campaign was derailed by a spat before they crashed out in the second round to Denmark. Togo's one and only appearance at the finals was overshadowed by a bonus row. "In our FA everyone thinks about their own pockets," Emmanuel Adebayor said to Radio Frequence1 in 2012. Cameroon's players pulled out of an international friendly against Algeria in 2011 following the staging of the LG Cup. No bonuses were paid to the players following the event and as such drastic action was taken through a strike. "What is the quota for players who work for this money that goes into the coffers of the Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot)? This is the question," Samuel Eto'o asked Mboafootball in May. What do players like Adebayor and Eto'o have to gain from another $10,000? They are rich beyond their wildest dreams. Not every international, however,
for those nations earns like those two. Having a spokesperson with such sway can be beneficial to voiceless players who would otherwise be ignored. For a player in the Togolese or Cameroonian leagues, a bonus for taking part in the World Cup could be the best earning opportunity of their career and should be treated as such. There is money within these associations, make no mistake. One colleague tells a story of going to a certain headquarters for the purpose of collecting money on behalf of a player and being confronted with dusty envelopes full of cash which had not yet been sent to players. Both Ghana and Nigeria's football associations have been left high and dry by botched sponsorship deals in the past year - with Glo reneging on financial agreements. But that is no excuse - not when Fifa guarantees payment for every participating nation at the World Cup. “Fifa does not pay before the players arrive for the competition, Fifa pays after," Kwesi explained. "The government or the FA has to find money to pay and later get it back off Fifa. Once there is a delay in getting it from the government or FA it becomes a problem.” Four Nigerian officials, including former federation president Sani Lulu Abdullahi, were arrested after the World Cup in 2010 in relation to a missing €5.8m sum that was allegedly misappropriated. Abdullahi has since been cleared of the wrongdoing and recently wrote to president Goodluck Jonathan asking for a Presidential Task Force to investigate the missing money. "It’s not about being paid reward for anything," said Appiah. "It’s got to do with an appearance fee, which I think every country pays its players, not just Ghana. It’s a right." These players are representing their nation and their people. The least their FAs could do is look after them. There are two sides to every story. "Why did our federation not invest some of the considerable amount of money they had received from Fifa in letting us live this whole experience better?" Boateng asked. It is a question which deserves examination. Source: Goal.com
There'S a long history of incompetence in financial MATTERS in AFRICAN football associations Agree or disagree? We want to know what you think . You can have your say by emailing weekendsports@leadership.ng or tweeting @sportsmetronome
POTPOURRI 53
Saturday, July 5, 2014 PATRICK EBI-AMANAMA saintpatrick1996@gmail.com
BACKGROUND: The story behind the picture Failure To Plan Is Planning To Fail When I saw this man sitting under a bridge at Ikeja Lagos State, I thought he was like the other people who were simply milling around, killing time, or hawking their wares. But he wasn’t. He is homeless, and lives under the bridge. When I heard that, my first question was, “Why?” The answer surprised me, especially as it came from another homeless man. “That man is my mentor, because he failed to plan.” Many of us worry about the future, about what is going to happen tomorrow, and the next day. But not many of us are properly planning for it. And by planning, it doesn’t mean trying to control everything that happens to us, or anxiously dreading tomorrow. It simply means keeping in mind that this season of your life will pass, and another season
Things You Only Know When You’re Single Amarachi Aibangbe Feedback: amaflysky@yahoo.com amaflysky@yahoo.com
Your Partner Shouldn’t Be Your God!
A
ll relationships involve giving and receiving and also have a lot to do with sharing. It is okay to talk about your problems and challenges with your partner, but a lot of times people expect their partners to be able to solve all their problems and meet all their material needs. Your partner is not God. Only God never tires of sorting one’s challenges. Everybody has a limit and it is very important to know when to stop. This situation of always making your partner provide for your every need is very common with the ladies. Even when a man genuinely loves his lady, he can get tired of her demands eventually. Ladies need to understand that a man is not supposed to take care of all her needs. If a lady expects her man to do everything for her and give her all her desires, that lady would lose any respect her man has for her. Things have changed and are quite different from the days of our parents. Men prefer indepen-
dent women; women who can look after themselves and not women who are liabilities. A woman who makes herself look like she can’t afford her basic needs simply because she expects her partner to provide for her, makes her man disrespect her. “Men do not really appreciate ladies who always demand and expect them to do almost everything, but rather appreciate a hardworking and sensitive woman who can set her priorities right and take care of at least 50-70 percent of her basic needs,” those are the words of Chima Ilogu, a thirty-five year old relationship counselor. Ladies often want to test a man to know if he would be capable of taking care of them in a relationship, so they make the mistake of presenting themselves as very materialistic and demanding and this very act scares most men and beyond that, it gives them a notso-good impression of the lady. Thus every woman must strive to be independent and have the ability to adapt to any situation, financially speaking.
Dear Amarachi, My name is Uju and I am a regular reader of ‘Things You Only Know When You Are Single’. I write to you from Lagos where I study and live. I have something that has been bothering me and would appreciate your advice. I am 24 years old and in my final year but I have never had a boyfriend. Initially, I was not bothered about it as I had my studies to concentrate on, but now what is worrying is that guys do not even approach me for a relationship. I would soon be graduating and I am beginning to feel I might have a problem, because every lady I know has dated and have had many guys approach them for relationships. I don’t know what to do and it is really getting to me because my friends are worried about me. I await your response. Thanks. Uju, Lagos.
Dear Uju, Thanks for being a regular reader of ‘Things You Only Know When You Are Single.’ Uju, I do not think there is anything wrong with you. I feel you didn’t want to be available to guys before now, but since you are ready, you would see changes as long as you make yourself available. Dress smartly, and go out with your friends a lot; I bet you, soon you would get tired of guys coming after you! I wish you all the best! Amarachi
will come when you might not be as active, as able-bodied, as young, as vibrant, as you are now. When that time comes, how will you enjoy life? Will you be free to do what you want to do, free in every sense, emotionally, financially? Will you be dependent on someone else for your every day needs? Will you still be doing the daily grind, trying to hustle for your portion? Will you be homeless? The answer largely depends on how you plan now. When you are young it is easy to think that you will be young and vibrant forever. Many young men do not plan for the future; they simply spend what they get on what they want now. Learn the rule of reserving a little for tomorrow. Your future self will thank you.
Faces In The Crowd BY AMARACHI AIBANGBE, Abuja
Jennifer Onochei Website designer What is your biggest passion in life and why?
My passion in life is to be a writer someday and this is because I have always loved writing. However, I have never been able to showcase my work to the world and I would more than love to do that.
Linda Egwuyenga Banker If you could choose your talents what would they be and why?
Well, I would love to be a skillful dancer and also be blessed with a beautiful singing voice, because I love music so much and it's such a shame that I do not know how to sing or dance. Uche Amobi Corps member Who has inspired you the most in life and why?
A lot of my inspiration has come from my mum because she is such a strong woman and she understands me very well. She has guided me in many ways and she inspires me a lot.
54 beauty & health
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Rocking Stiletto Nails BY chalya dul, Abuja
Stiletto nails are the current fad in nail design
Nails are a part of the human body and women like to decorate them in different ways. Polishing, fixing, beading, etc are a few of the ways women jazz up their nails. Some ladies fix and design their nails with pearls, beads and different shades of nail polish combination. Fixing nails can give you a classy and cool look. Loads of ladies spend a lot of money on getting their nails fixed, carrying the same design for weeks
or more depending on how well they were done. Don’t focus solely on dressing up in the latest designs, you should pay great attention to your nails too, because they speak a lot about you and are especially important for your overall appearance. Stiletto nails are the current nail design fad. They feature long lengths and trendy styles. Stilettos have made a comeback in a major way; whether you love or hate the stiletto nails, you can’t deny that
they’re everywhere. The design is derived from the famous stiletto shoes, which feature staggering long and thin heels. Like the heels, the nail becomes thinner as the length increases, instead of remaining square Affiong Effiong, a banker says: “Fixing my nails gives me joy and makes me feel like a complete lady. My favourite colour is red; it makes me feel really cool and stilettos have been my style of nails for over two years now. Stiletto nails have adorned the fingertips of every fierce fashionista after being seen on the
fashion guru, Rihanna, in early 2012,’’ she added. Roseline, a nail expert at Zara's Beauty Salon says: "Squareshaped nails have been replaced by pointy stiletto nails. Lately, their popularity has risen and I have a lot of young ladies coming to my salon to fix stiletto nails. Other nail designs are almost out of fashion due to the stilettos, which are are easy to shape and are beautiful.'' So divas, take a look at the photos, get inspired and get on the stiletto nails train- it’s worth trying!
feature 55
Saturday, July 5, 2014
A baby shower decoration
Bridal And Baby Showers: What Are They All About?
In recent times, bridal and baby showers have become the fad among Nigerian women. AMARACHI AIGBANGBE writes on the origin and the importance of these celebrations.
B In recent times, Nigerian women seem to have adopted the idea fully, as it is now commonly celebrated
ridal and baby showers have been in existence for decades; reports claim the custom originated in the 1890s. Today, showers have become quite commonplace in most parts of the world. In recent times, Nigerian women seem to have adopted the idea fully as it is now commonly celebrated. A bridal shower traditionally involves giving of gifts to the bride-to-be, while a baby shower involves giving of gifts to a mumto-be, a few weeks before her expected delivery date. These ceremonies are often planned by the bridesmaids, close friends and family and are usually made as a surprise to the bride or expecting mother. It’s typically a small ceremony organised out of love and care towards the celebrant. Most bridal and baby showers are female-only events, but today men seem to be getting invites to grace the occasions. For some, the idea of a bridal shower or bachelorette party or a hen night as it is also called, is to have fun with the bride for the last time before her single status expires. Bridal showers can be hosted anywhere as long as it is okay
with the organisers. There have been showers held at home, in hotels, by the pool side, at gardens or recreational parks, night clubs, at the beach, and some people who can afford it make it a ‘ destination party’. Bridal showers are not only organized by friends of the bride alone, some religious organisations, social groups and associations host showers for members as well. Many showers take place one or two weeks before the wedding day. Ifunanya Ilechukwu, an event planner and CEO of Sapphire Bridals, explained what a typical bridal shower entails: “a bridal shower can be a big event and can also be a small one; it all depends on what the friends of the bride-to-be want to achieve. It’s basically done to share a brideto-be’s last moments as a spinster in a memorable way. I have planned quite a lot of showers for clients and I must say every one of those showers have been different. Common to all though is a favorable location that can accommodate the number of guests expected with a good ambience as well as provision for food or small chops and drinks, games to play, music, costumes and decorations ,
gifts and of course cakes,” Ilechukwu said. Though some ladies do not care much for the bridal shower idea for reasons best known to them, many ladies look forward to it as they create groups on social media and also establish a planning committee where friends get to donate and contribute and generally plan towards the success of the event. A baby shower comes after a bridal shower. A baby shower is a gift presenting party that is done during a woman’s pregnancy which is meant to welcome the new born to the world. This party is often organised again by family and close friends. It usually takes place within a month of the mother’s expected due date. Sometimes an expectant mother creates a baby registry containing most of the items the baby would need and sends this registry to close friends and family so they can pick items they can afford for the baby. These gifts are then brought to the baby shower and presented to the mother. Baby showers can hold anywhere but many people prefer it’s held at the home of the expectant mum because it is a much small-
er ceremony. Chinuru Efeyini, a first time mum says she had a baby registry and also had a baby shower for her baby before he was born. Sharing how it went, she said, “I hadn’t attended a baby shower before mine but I knew I was going to have one because I saw so many beautiful pictures and heard so many nice stories about baby showers. I got the idea of a baby registry from an online group of mothers and expectant mothers. My friends were very supportive and they all brought gifts for the baby while I cooked for them and also made provisions for music and we all shared baby memories and played fun games at home. They prayed for me and it was really cool.” ‘’I advice all expectant mums to have a baby shower because it makes you feel so good about the beautiful baby you are about to welcome into the world,” she added. One cannot talk about baby showers without talking about the baby nursery, a new and fast growing trend today. A nursery is usually a bedroom within the house set aside for the baby. It is decorated and planned to create a theme the parents want for the baby. A typical nursery would contain a crib, a table for diaper changing, toys and a toy box as well as other necessary items the baby would need till he/she is a toddler, preferably until a younger child is born. In some cases the room remains the child’s room till teenagehood. The challenge many Nigerians face with this is most times there is not enough rooms in the house to devote an entire room just for a baby. What some parents do is to create a really small space within a room and call it the ‘baby corner’, decorating it mostly with wall papers.
56 OPINION
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Khadija Abdu Iya Searching Inward 07033726351 (Text only) searchinwards@yahoo.com 0708 370 1955 cedarministriesintl@yahoo.com
In My Kinsman’s Shoes
W
e have raised issues on philanthropy in this column so many times such that I have had people write in, asking if I have an NGO and how they can help; good gestures anyway-thanks. It’s difficult to accept money from people you don’t know, especially not in the country’s current state of security. Well, I recently met a very interesting personality and listened to his beautiful stories – it was truly an amazing encounter. This left me dumbfounded and at the same time, very inspired! It is a story I can’t help but share. Foolhardy The adage that says we should always put ourselves in other people’s shoes was what my protagonist did, literarily; an act many lack the capacity to execute mentally, much less physically. I mean wearing someone’s shoes for a change and understanding where it pinches... this guy actually switched lives for one day with his mai guard (security man). He asked him to sleep indoors while he takes over the watch of his own house for one day. “That day seemed like a whole year to me, Khadijah,” he said to me almost in a whisper. “I counted every second of those moments, and anytime I checked my wristwatch, it felt like the watch was suspended in time and wasn’t working at all. At the thousandth time I checked again, it was still 3am and I became transfixed with fear. I started scolding myself on why I had go on such a foolhardy adventure…,” he added. Dreamland “I experienced fear in its pure form,” he continued. “There were noises from some animals I didn’t even know existed at the back of my house that day and I wondered what kind of breed made such noises? I broke into sweat when I imagined how huge (or even wild) those animals could be! I wondered what would happen if they decided to pay a visit to my home that night. I continued to torment myself mentally with my paranoia. At some point I imagined what if armed robbers decide to visit. It would not be funny to see me man the gate. I questioned my decision to do it and felt at that moment that I was stupid to be so curious about knowing what the mai guard was going through by putting myself in his shoes… Oh yes, the mosquitoes found themselves a very healthy able-bodied prey that night to feast on. The mental and physical torture left me perspiring furiously, yet something in me wouldn’t give up that experience. I reasoned it would not speak well of me to ask him to come back to his post when he was already fast asleep. ‘I’m sure he is in his own dreamland now,’ I thought. “Sunset is one of the most beautiful gifts ever; I was overwhelmed with grat-
itude to God that day! Khadijah, it was an awesome experience! God actually inspired me that day …,” he effused. A New Ray of Sunshine “My whole perspective about life changed that night and I began to question the trifle I pay the man. I wondered if it can ever make up for every second that he puts his life in danger to protect me and my family. I had taken a little glance at his life, tasted a bit of what our domestic staff go through, and for what? Pittances we call salaries? Soon after that experience, a renewed feeling of respect and love filled my heart for that man, so much that I now go out of my way to do things for him. Sometimes, I drop him off at his family house or wherever he is going. All in gratitude for the pains he goes through daily to take care of me and my family. Consequently from there on, I asked him to go to the guest chalet whenever he so wish and didn’t have to be at his post all the time, provided he can monitor movements from that position. “My generosity made him tell me one day that his colleagues in the neighbouring houses think he has a fetish hold on me. We both laughed it off,” he concluded. Greatness of Character As I listened intently to this incredible personality, I wondered what made him who he is. I asked about his family background, his parenthood and nothing he told me would have triggered the greatness of his personality. “God may have just created this kind of person from another planet,” I thought. I mean this is a man who isn’t by any means a small personality; he has all it takes to be called one of the richest men in Nigeria… Matan Kulle I think Oprah would be green with envy trying to measure up to the number of rural women and men’s lives he has been able to reach and touch in significant ways in his home town, especially those called matan kule (the women in bondage). “The matan kule initiative was borne out of curiosity,” he said. “Each year, I normally throw these huge Christmas parties in my home town; it is an avenue to meet the locals to understand and help them with their issues. But last year, I thought “why not do something for the Muslims too?” So I threw a Salah party, though not before I sought the permission of the district heads, imams and all the religious leaders of my home town, insisting that every person coming for the gathering must come with their spouses and their children. I just wanted to get to know my own people more and I don’t think there’s a better way to do that other than through a gathering of that nature,” he said. “Khadijah,” he said looking dreamily into the horizon, “It was at that gathering I met some of these ladies called matan kule. One par-
ticular lady caught my attention and then I called her and her husband. She was cowering and kind of hiding her face under a shroud. Her wrapper was almost coming off her skin as most of it was tattered! I think that was what attracted the couple to me. I asked her how long she has been married. She said for 13 years and in the whole of the 13 years Khadijah, her husband bought her only four wrappers!” He raised four of his fingers for emphasis. “I looked at the husband and asked him why? He said, ‘oh, but she doesn’t go out now…’” No Small Measure “’They’re supposed to be out of everyone’s sight anyways,’ he shrugged nonchalantly, ‘so what’s the need of buying her clothes when she wouldn’t even need it.’ So you don’t think there’s anything wrong with buying your wife a wrapper even when she hides herself?” I asked him. “What do you do for a living?” I pressed further. ‘I mend shoes.’ ‘Shoes? In this town?’ I asked him. “How many people have the time to mend their shoes with the poverty rate here?” To cut long story short, that was when I started giving these women, especially women in that state, a loan. As soon as they complete payment and are buoyant financially, they nominate someone else to benefit and go through the same procedure. This has in no small measure empowered them and has fostered harmony and love in the community so much that no one can come between them now. You won’t believe that amongst all the women who collected the loan, over 90 per cent of them have paid back, while the men who benefited from like loans have only about two to three per cent pay back! “The system I put in place was to ask them nominate another woman who is in dire need to benefit from it after paying back. Over 250 persons have benefited from this interest-free loan,” he revealed. As he narrated all this, I requested to meet and talk to these women and possibly do a story on them. One of them I spoke to couldn’t stop talking and kept stressing that I should thank this wonderful man for her. She was profuse in her gratitude and went ahead to call another lady to join her. I was overwhelmed with all kinds of emotions…
Accountability How many wealthy Nigerians do we have? Only less than 1 percent actually have the interest of their community at heart. Even to put themselves in their communities’ shoes mentally is a tall order for most of them. It is also sad that our leaders are the worst of this breed. If only every Nigerian leader is sensitive to the situation of the citizenry they have sworn to take care of, I don’t think any dime of the money given to them in trust would go down their throats, let alone enter their stomachs. Recently, the finance minister asked us all to hold our various representatives accountable for the moneys and allocations given to them that they can hardly account for. No Sustainability Plan These are our entitlements which hardly get to most people. The philanthropic acts and largesse of this incredibly great man cannot all be mentioned on this page. But one thing that strikes me most about him is the fact that he is humane enough to walk the streets of his home town and discover these people himself. What spurs him on to continue his projects is that, he said to himself “just do it” and wherever he stops, God in His infinite mercy would continue. He said, “So I thought even if I have to feed them for just one month or give them the loans for a while, I would just do it. Nothing has made me happier and guess what, God kept finding new ways to help me to take care of these people… I get my rewards every day I go to bed and wake up in the morning to see another day. I recently had an accident and I know it is the largesse of the Almighty God that kept me alive to be able to care for more people.” How to Fish This is a man whom you ask for money and he would first ask what you would do with it. When you give satisfactory answers, he gives you enough to make you self-sufficient. He teaches you to fish and not to continue to come back and ask. He makes you a man… My father told his children that poverty is by choice. So if you rise above every situation you find yourself, you would surely overcome poverty if you find the right attitude… The most incredible aspect of his philanthropy is that apart from his concern for the less privileged, it takes someone with a depth of capacity to love without being tainted by creed, tribe or all the other stupid stereotypes that keep tearing us apart. This is someone with lots of love inside of him and enough to give it to as many people who are lucky to cross paths with him… he is that person that can go to lengths to step into the shoes of his domestic staff and experience exactly what it means to be in those shoes…These are traits that everyone of us must adopt and emulate so that the world can be a better place for us all… Yes, I am not going to mention his name in order not to embarrass him and even if he is not embarrassed, many would think he paid me to write this; and no, he is not warming up for 2015 elections, but watch out for a full feature on this great man in our new magazine application coming out soon – S. I Magazine. The magazine is devoted to bringing to you all those faceless people impacting tremendously on their communities. Watch out for it soonest ….Keep searching. Have a beautiful and fulfilling Ramadan.
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MEN’S HEALTH
Know Your Risk factors In Controlling Stroke
Before you head home at the end of the day, take a few minutes to practice a stressmanagement technique, such as meditation or deep breathing.
Striking A Healthier Work-Life Balance TUNDE OGUNTOLA
Managing your stress level can make you up to 2.4 years younger. Leave job stress at the office. A study suggests that stress at work may be even more detrimental to your personal relationships than work exhaustion, and chronic stress may increase your risk of heart disease. Before you head home at the end of the day, take a few minutes to practice a stress-management technique, such as meditation or deep breathing. Also, take the scenic (natural quaint) route home. Research suggests that viewing natural scenery helps reduce stress and promote a healthy work-life balance. Although, it can be tempting to rack up hours at work, especially if you’re trying to earn more money or manage an ever-increasing workload, your home life will take a hit. Hence, you should also consider other consequence such as fatigue, lost time with friends and loved ones and increased expectations. As long as you’re working, juggling the demands of career and personal life will probably be an ongoing challenge. Consider these ideas to find the work-life balance that’s best for you: •Track your time Pay attention to your daily tasks, including workrelated and personal activities. Decide what’s necessary and what satisfies you the most. Cut or delegate activities you don’t enjoy or can’t handle — or share your concerns and possible solutions with your employer or others. •Take advantage of your options Ask your employer about flex hours, a compressed workweek, job sharing, telecommuting or other scheduling flexibility. The more control you have over your hours, the less stressed you’re likely to be. •Learn to say no Whether it’s a co-worker asking you to spearhead an extra project or your child’s teacher asking you to organize a class party, remember that it’s OK to
respectfully say no. When you quit accepting tasks out of guilt or a false sense of obligation, you’ll have more time for the activities that are meaningful to you. •Leave work at work With the technology to connect to anyone at any time from virtually anywhere, there might be no boundary between work and home unless you create it. Make a conscious decision to separate work time from personal time. When you’re with your family, for instance, keep your laptop in your briefcase. •Manage your time Organize household tasks efficiently, such as running errands in batches or doing a load of laundry every day, rather than saving it all for your day off. Put family events on a weekly family calendar and keep a daily to-do list. Do what needs to be done and let the rest go. •Bolster your support system At work, join forces with co-workers who can cover for you — and vice versa — when family conflicts arise. At home, enlist trusted friends and loved ones to pitch in with child care or household responsibilities when you need to work overtime or travel. •Nurture yourself Eat a healthy diet, include physical activity in your daily routine and get enough sleep. Set aside time each day for an activity that you enjoy, such as practicing yoga or reading. Better yet, discover activities you can do with your partner, family or friends — such as hiking, dancing or taking cooking classes. •Know when to seek professional help Everyone needs help from time to time. Remember, striking a healthy work-life balance isn’t a one-shot deal. Creating work-life balance is a continuous process as your family, interests and work life change. Periodically examine your priorities and make changes, if necessary to make sure you’re keeping on track.
Mistakes That Aid Least Effective Exercises • Lack of intensity. Do you see your gym time as the perfect way to catch up on your reading? Are you leaning on the machines? Lots of people are just going through the motions, even though they may look like they’re working out. Most people think that as long as they’re moving, they’re going to lose weight, hence, if the intensity is not at the level that it needs to be at, it’s almost a waste of time exercising. Lot of individuals talk with each other in the gym next thing they know, an hour has passed and the amount of time they have actually spent exercising is relatively low. So focus on your workout and save the chit-chat for the juice bar. Always training in the ‘fat burning’ heart rate zone. You’ve seen those charts on the cardiovascular machines that list “zones.” But in the so-called “fat-burning zone,” your training intensity isn’t very high, usually 65%-70% of your heart rate. Research, however, has shown that the higher the intensity, the more calories you burn not only while exercising, but after you leave the gym, when your body benefits from an “after-burn” mode. It’s as if you turn off your car engine, but the hood is still warm. The same thing happens with the body. You need to make sure that your intensity is higher than that chart. • Overestimating caloric expenditure. Don’t let the number on the screen of your cardio machine fool you, either. That’s a very general number and there are a lot of variables that play into that. As the machine may say that you’ve expended 500 calories, but you could only be burning 250.
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Ayurvedic Medicine: Grape Fruit Citrus xparadisi
Grapefruit tones an oily skin and scalp, is helpful in treating acne and congested pores. Refreshing grapefruit oil is expressed from the peel of the fruit, cultivated mainly in California, Florida, Brazil, and Israel. It has a fresh, tangy citrus scent that enlivens the mind and disperses feelings of gloom. Unlike many citrus oils, grapefruit does not increase the skin’s sensitivity to sunlight. RECIPE Wake-Up Shower Gel Mix 2 drops grapefruit, 2 drops petit grain, 1 drop rosemary with a dollop of unscented shower gel and work to lather with a sponge. DATA FILE Properties and Uses Grape fruit is diuretic, detoxifying,
and cleansing to the kidneys. It also has a stimulating effect on the lymphatic system. Because of these properties it helps to relieve fluid retention and eliminate the toxins that cause cellulite. It is also beneficial in a massage blend to ease stiff muscles after exercise. Grapefruit tones an oily skin and scalp, is helpful in treating acne and congested pores, and can be applied neat to cold sores. It also stimulates digestion and improves immunity to infection. As an antidepressant, grapefruit oil enlivens the mind, relieves anxiety, and combats nervous exhaustion. INFORMATION Blends well with orange, lemon, sandalwood, bergamot, neroli, lavender, cypress, rosemary, geranium, juniper, cardamom, coriander, and other spice oils. CAUTION Do not take internally and keep out of the eyes. Like other citrus species, grapefruit is high in vitamin C and is a good protection against infectious illnesses
Herbal Clinic With Buki Fagbenle
Tel: (SMS only) +234-705-983-1992; Email: buki.fagbenle@leadership.ng
Natural Treatment Hypertension Part 4 Garlic Garlic called Allium sativum(Yoruba Ayuu; Hausa - tafarnuuwa; Igbo -ayo) has been thoroughly investigated for its ability to lower raised cholesterol and triglycerides ( which go hand in hand with high blood pressure) and to lower high blood pressure. My first advice to anyone with raised blood pressure who is not on warfarin or aspirin ( or on any other blood thinning medication) is to start eating a bulb of garlic or a whole onion last thing at night - for 2 weeks, then recheck your blood pressure and if it is normalised, eat a handful of cloves everyday for maintenance. Garlic is a mainstay of any circulatory or respiratory problem as far as I am concerned. I use garlic for virtually everything really but its proven benefits on the cardiovascular system cannot be surpassed by any other herb. Water leaf Talinum triangulare: Yoruba-Gbure /Igbo-Ntu Oka or mgborodi / Efikmononikon. According to Father Adodo of PaxHerbal in Edo State, cut a handful of the roots and boil in one litre of cold water. Drink half a glass twice daily – do this for a month and then check your pressure before continuing for another month. I also prescribe the same water leaf to gently steam with snails and garlic - eat at least twice a week. Another remedy “poached” from Father Adodo, is to blend 10 bulbs of garlic in 2 bottles of coconut water (1.5litres) and 4 bottles of water(3 litres). I would actually use 2 bottles of water (1.5litres) to start with, until symptoms are better then up to 4 bottles later. Dosage is one shot (60ml) thrice daily for 4 weeks. One highly effective remedy for hypertension is Ficus exasperata Vahl, called sandpaper tree in English, Asesa or anwerenwa in Igbo, Epin in Yoruba, Okpo in Efik and Baure in Hausa. One handful of the contused fresh leaves are
LIVING HEALTHY AT 70 AND ABOVE
Aging: Nature or Nurture? Looking at your relatives’ medical histories is like peering into a crystal ball. You get a glimpse at your future but not the whole picture. You can’t change the genes you inherited, but you can avoid habits that contributed to your family’s health problems. Some people can have a family history of heart disease, but it’s actually a history of smoking,
overeating, and (an-inactive) lifestyle. And if you adopt that lifestyle, you’re going to run into the same problems your parents did. Lifestyle was a big factor in Ogechi’s family: Her father was overweight, and her younger brother, a smoker. Take preventive action now to help make sure you’re healthy into your 60s, 70s, 80s, and beyond. You must remain active and engaged.
By that, I mean physically and mentally active and socially engaged. Aerobic and resistance exercises, a balanced diet that’s low in saturated fat and high in fruits and vegetables, and brain games and social outings to keep you sharp. Get your immunizations, your cancer screening tests, your cardiac and osteoporosis risk factors assessed before you have those problems,
squeezed in a litre of clean cold water (similar to the way bitter leaf’s bitter constituent is extracted in water). Drink a glassful thrice daily. The following native herbs were outlined as being effective for hypertension in ‘A textbook of medicinal plants from Nigeria’, edited by Professor Tolu Odugbemi: Bauhinia thonningii (kalgo in Hausa) -leaves can be boiled and used as a bath to prevent pregnancy induced hypertension. Sterculia setigera (kukkuuki in Hausa) -The bark is infused in water and resultant infusion is taken regularly to treat hypertension. I cannot overemphasise the importance of involving your healthcare practitioner in managing high blood pressure both allopathically and herbally. Hypertension is a deadly disease, please do not take it for granted and self medicate with impunity. Summarising In summary you should control your high blood pressure by losing excess weight, eliminating or replacing common salt with potassium salt, limit alcohol consumption, decrease cholesterol and fat, exercise regularly, control stress, avoid lead, cadmium and air pollution, take your medication to decrease very high blood pressure before you gradually reduce and replace with herbal medicine and good nutrition/supplementation - working closely with your healthcare practitioner. Speak to your doctor if you have any side effects or complications from the allopathic medications and don’t just stop taking them. Another major factor is to stop SMOKING. You can lower your blood pressure through lifestyle changes which will lead to a reduction or total elimination of the need to take medications. If there is a family history of hypertension, check your blood pressure at least once a month. You can do it. Remain positive and focused. Do have a healthy, clean air, offal free weekend!
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Live Well Tips
Live well tips are NOT medical advice. Please consult your doctor before taking medicine or supplement, changing diet or exercise. • Tap to the rhythm of your heart beat. If it is hard to do, rest one hour and repeat. If it is still hard it may be a rhythmia, please see a doctor. • Usually symptomless high BP can cause fatigue, buzzing ear noises, headaches, nose bleeds or chest pain. If you have these, check your BP • If you have cuts or wounds that are very slow to heal, it may be because of diabetes. Please get a blood sugar test. Do you know that every time you lick a postage stamp, you’re consuming 1/10 of a calorie? With one being ‘you are famished and 10 being you are full’ always stop eating when you are at a 5 or 6! • Testicular cancer most likely strikes males after puberty (ages 10 -55). Good idea to get it checked, especially if you feel any lumps or pain. • Take honey before a workout (three table spoons). It’s a good source of energy as sports drinks or gels.
PHOBIA Ophidiophobia Fear of snakes Ophidiophobia is the overwhelming fear of snakes. Often, people think about snakes as always being poisonous and dangerous. Though this may be true sometimes, it is important to know that every snake is not deadly, and the ones that are venomous will not always attack you every time there a confrontation. Adults with ophidiophobia generally realize that their fears are products of their thoughts and that their fear may be more or less baseless. Ophidiophobic people are wary about snakes and are on a constant vigil especially when they are outdoors such as in camps. They may want to ensure and check many times prior to entering a room or corners. Their fear about snakes is generally rooted in childhood events that has caused trauma. The affected individual tends to
visualize and remember the incident with an increased magnitude and in great detail. Depending on the intensity of the fear, symptoms may vary among individuals. While some people get afraid only on exposure to snakes, some dread snake photos or images and some with an extreme fear of snakes may even not like any mention about snakes. An effective method for ophidiophobia treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy. During the course of this therapy, a person is encouraged to speak about the fear to a therapist. Such conversation may include past encounters with snakes, childhood events that caused trauma or dreams related to the object of fear. Gradually, with improvement, the patient gains enough confidence to live a normal life without fear of snakes.
Your Sexual Health Questions Answered! How do people get HIV? A person gets HIV when an infected person’s body fluids (blood, semen, fluids from the vagina, or breast milk) enter his or her bloodstream. The virus can enter the blood through linings in the mouth, anus, or sex organs (the penis and vagina), or through broken skin. Both men and women can spread HIV. A person with HIV can feel okay and still transmit the virus to others. Pregnant women with HIV also can pass the virus to their babies. Common ways people get HIV: • •
Sharing a needle to take drugs Having unprotected sex with an infected person You cannot get HIV from: • Touching or hugging someone who has HIV/ AIDSSharing cups, utensils, or telephones with someone who has HIV/AIDS • Bug bites Can A Person With Syphilis Spread The Disease? Yes. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease. A person with syphilis can spread the infection during the first two stages of the disease. If you come in contact with an open sore (first stage) or skin rash (second stage), you can pick up the bacteria that cause the infection. If the bacteria enter your body through an opening such as the penis, anus, vagina, mouth, or broken skin, you can get syphilis.
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Think Yourself Thin With Zahra Bakari - Imam
08183666800 (text only) thinkyourselfthin@yahoo.com, twitter@thinkurselfthin
FIRST AID Eye Injuries The eye can be bruised or cut by direct blows or by sharp, chipped fragments of metal, grit, and glass. All eye injuries are potentially serious. Even superficial grazes to the surface (cornea) of the eye can lead to scarring or infection, with possible deterioration of vision. A penetrating wound may rupture the eyeball and allow its clear fluid content to escape. Although this type of injury is very serious, it is now possible to repair eye wounds, and the sight in the eye may not be lost. RECOGNITION • Intense pain in the affected eye, with spasm of the eyelids. There may also be: • A visible wound. • A bloodshot appearance to the injured eye, even if there is no visible wound. • Partial or total loss of vision. • Leakage of blood or clear fluid from a wound, possibly with visible flatten-
ing of the eyeball. TREATMENT YOUR AIMS ARE: • To prevent further damage. • To arrange transport to hospital 1. Lay the casualty on her back, holding his/her head to keep it as still as possible. DO NOT touch or attempt to remove an embedded foreign 2. Tell the casualty to keep both eyes still; movement of the “good” eye will cause movement of the injured one, which may damage it further. 3. Ask the casualty to hold an eyepad, or sterile dressing, over the injured eye. This discourages the casualty from moving the eye and protects it from infection. If it will take some time to obtain medical help, bandage the pad in place for her. 4. Take or send the casualty to hospital
JOKES Ears Put Back On A man lost both ears in an accident. No plastic surgeon could offer him a solution. He heard of a very good surgeon in Nigeria, and went to him. The new surgeon who is an Igbo man examined him, thought a while, and said: ‘’Yes, I can put you right.” After the operation, bandages off, stitches out, he goes to his hotel. The morning after, in a rage, he calls his
surgeon, and yells: “You idiot, you gave me a woman’s ears.” “Well, an ear is an ear, it makes no difference whether it is a man’s or a woman’s.” “You’re wrong, I hear everything, but I don’t understand a thing!”
Losing weight during Ramadan
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amadan is an excellent opportunity to shed some extra pounds. You are already resetting your metabolism by the protracted, long overnight fast, as well as the daily fasting. Your metabolism resets and your body begins to change the way it does things. Weight loss during the first few days is just dehydration. It may be exciting to see that you lost 2-3 pounds in the first day or two, but that’s all water loss and dehydration. No human can lose 2 pounds of fat overnight. Its just water. But it’s still exciting! So how can we maximize weight loss during Ramadan? The most important factor is to avoid gorging or “binge eating” at night. We have found that gorging once a day is the fastest way to gain weight. Your body thinks it’s in a state of famine, and will store everything you eat as fat, because it is worried about food supply. Further, eating once a day scares your body and your body starts to shut down and slow down your metabolism. You don’t want to slow down your metabolism or you will gain weight. Eating small meals through out the evening and morning (after sunset) is the best way to maintain an adequate metabolism level and avoid the highs and lows of blood sugar associated with eating one massive meal. After eating a large meal, our blood sugar level increases. In response to this, our pancreas secretes a ton of insulin to bring the levels back down. That extra sugar is stored as fat. That is very bad. We want to eat small, well proportioned meals and snacks throughout the evening to avoid the sudden rise in blood sugar. We want to maintain an even and balanced level of blood sugar. Certain foods raise blood sugar levels more than others, and we will discuss that thoroughly. Why do I feel hungry? A lot of people ask why they don’t feel hungry throughout the day if they skip Suhr (breakfast meal before dawn), but are starving by 9AM if they eat Suhr. It all comes down to blood sugar levels. Eating a massive meal in the early morning hours (before dawn) leads to a large surge in blood sugar and a subsequent secretion of a lot of insulin to help bring down your sugar level. In about 2-3 hours your blood sugar levels will drop to lower than normal, and this triggers a hunger response. By 9AM you will feel like you are starving. And you have the whole day left. By noon that feeling will go away, but why do you want to do that to yourself? You can avoid that problem by eating the right things throughout the evening and early morning and you can avoid this feeling of hunger. Later on I will discuss what you can eat to minimize the hunger response. To fulfill the religious recommendation of Suhr (not obligation), just wake up and drink
some water. Water has no consequences in terms of blood sugar levels. You could also just skip it altogether and continue the overnight fast into the day, you are already living off your fat stores, and can continue to do so throughout the day. You won’t feel hungry. Overnight, your liver makes sugar for you to live off of, but can only do so for a limited period of time. If you continue this overnight fast into the day, you can start living off your fat stores. Isn’t that the best way to lose weight? By burning fat?So what can you eat?What we are talking about is “Glycemic Index”. This is a measurement of your blood sugar response to certain foods. For example, consuming 50 grams of pure white sugar, has a glycemic index of 111. That’s really high. The idea is to eat foods that don’t raise your blood sugar level. This will keep you from feeling hungry and will fill you up with very healthy food choices. Vegetables like celery, lettuce, cucumbers, onions, and spinach have a glycemic index of less than 15. They have almost no effect on your blood sugar levels. Berries like strawberries, blue berries, raspberries as well as apples, have a glycemic index of 20-30 and are better than other fruit options. Some fruits like mangos and bananas have a glycemic index in 40-55 range. The fruit with the highest glycemic index is a pineapple with a GI (glycemic index) of about 66. This is still better than eating bread and baked goods. Some vegetables are higher in sugar than others and have a higher glycemic index. Potatoes, corn, tomatoes (really a fruit), and carrots are all higher in simple sugars than other more fibrous vegetables. In fact, a baked potato has a GI of 115! That’s about as high as it gets. The reason is that a baked potato is so processed, that it is very easy for our stomach to get at the simple sugars. The stomach has to do almost no work at all to get to the sugars. They are all there and readily accessible. Leaving the skin on and eating the baked potato with the skin, decreases the GI to 98, but it’s still high. The skin acts as a fibrous buffer that keeps some of the sugars away from the stomach. The more fiber you eat, the harder it is for the stomach to get at the sugars. Leave the peel on apples, cucumbers, peaches, apricots, dates, kiwis, and other edible peels. Eat a lot of fiber! Foods with the highest glycemic index are baked goods and simple carbohydrates like bread, cake, desserts, pasta, rice, potatoes, fruit juices, candy, soda, pop, and coffee and tea that you put a lot of sugar into. Some of these have glycemic indices as high as 100 or more. The food with the highest glycemic index is Corn Flakes breakfast cereal with a GI of 132. Breakfast cereals have some of the highest GIs. Instead eat real oatmeal with fruits slices! Real oatmeal doesn’t have as high of a GI as the prepackaged ready to eat stuff. Or make your own yogurt parfait with real fruit slices and sprinkle oat meal on top.
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my secret life Saturday, July 5, 2014
Sneaking Out From School For Delicacies Is My Favourite Memory– Ummulkhairi Usman, Beautician My parents are... Alhaji Muhammad Mukhtar Usman and Hajiya Laila.S.Usman Household I grew up in... I grew up as the third in a family of one boy and three girls. My favourite childhood memories... I remember how we used to sneak out of school during school hours to a house near our school where we would buy a local dish known as danwake. Most times we got caught when we went back to school and that meant receiving several lashes of the cane from our teachers. Craziest thing I’ve ever done...Let me see. I have done quite a number of crazy things but the one that makes me laugh whenever I remember is using a razor blade to tear my school bag whenever I got tired of it, so that I could be given a new one. My biggest regret... not being able to see my best friend (Habiba) shortly before her death (may she continue to rest in peace). As a child I wanted to be...a medical doctor. How it all started... I saw a handbag with my friend (Fatiha Datti) which I really admired. I was shocked when she told me she made it herself. She took me to the school and I enrolled. I became a translator because as a critic of subtitles on Hausa movies, I didn’t like what was being done. Two of my friends, Hassan Giggs, a movie director and Aminu Bacci, an editor advised that I should try my hands at it if I feel I could do better than what we already have. My motivation comes from... members of my immediate family, friends and all those around me. They always praised my work, either in the movie industry or the items I make and that always makes me want to do better. Whenever I look in the mirror... all I see is a pregnant cloud of success forming above me, and I am expecting a heavy downpour soon. My thoughts on beauty...a beautiful face and body are a woman’s pride and a well-dec-
Identified Poor or lack of leadership trainings has been identified as the reason for the current bad leadership and governance qualities in African and in some parts of Europe. In an interview, the chairman/ executive director, African Legacy International, Engr. Innocent Ogu noted that Africa and some parts of Europe are dire need of thorough-bred leaders who are equipped for effective governance.
Warned The Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG Ballah Nasarawa in charge of security during the Ekiti governorship elections has warned the state’s indigenes against taking the law into their hands, following the outcome of the election. Nasarawa gave the warning in a statement made available to LEADERSHIP Weekend where he urged members of the public to maintain their calmness and eschew violence.
Canvassed
Ummulkhairi
orated home compliments a woman’s nature! Last time I cried was...when I saw a woman with a broken leg lying helplessly on the roadside; she had just had a bike accident and the cyclist took to his heels. To cap it all, she was very old, I was touched by her situation and I couldn’t control my tears. I’m afraid... for my dear country; with the bombings here and there, I don’t know what tomorrow will look like for us Nigerians. May Allah help and protect us all. In five years’ time...I see me and my business becoming one of the household names on the lips of every Nigerian. I see success, In shaa Allah!!!
Life In Brief Ummulkhairi Usman is an indigene of Kaduna State where she attended both her primary and secondary education at Sheik Abubakar Gummi College, before proceeding to Kaduna Polytechnic for an intermediate certificate in mathematics and computer. Ummulkhairi also had a diploma certificate in science laboratory technology from the same institution before proceeding to Bayero University, Kano where she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in microbiology. She is the managing director/chief executive officer, Khayri’s Pride, an outfit that specialises in beauty, production of ladies accessories like handbags, purses, wallets, household items like beddings, baby-sets, kitchen-sets, throw pillows, curtains, puffs and air-fresheners. She is also involved in tailoring/fashion design, interior decoration and movie translation, among others. Interview by Amina Alhassan Ahman photo By Ummulkhairi Usman
Former Minister of Police Affairs, Adamu Maina Waziri, has canvassed consultation and dialogue as a means of resolving insurgency and youth restiveness in Nigeria. Adamu who stated this in an interview noted that since the country is now a democracy, its first weapon of conflict resolution should be consultation and dialogue, and not the use of force.
Burnt Irate soldiers on Friday went on rampage in the ever busy Ikorodu Road, burning at least eight Lagos Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) buses over the killing of their colleagues. Our correspondent learnt that the tragic incident which occurred around 9.00am at Palm grove inward Anthony was ignited when a BRT bus crushed a soldier who was riding a motorcycle prohibited on the dual carriage way with his colleague
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Widows, Society And The Conspiracy Of Silence BY Kuni Tyessi, Abuja
Widowhood comes with pain, grief and depression, especially for women without education and good jobs to fall back on. In different parts of Nigeria, the plights of widows differ, depending on ethnicity and culture and often times, they face rejection from the families of their deceased husbands as well as the members of their communities. Survey shows that many widows going through these traumatic and horrendous experiences are likely to experience psychological and emotional breakdown. Ruth Moti, 27, lost her husband two years ago and had nothing to fall back on after the tragedy. Ruth, who was tearful while speaking to this reporter, said feeding has been a great challenge, adding that her landlord may likely eject her out of the one room apartment she currently occupies with her two children, situated in one of the satellite towns in Abuja. “I have gone through a lot since the death of my husband, sometimes I feel like taking my life; the suffering is too much and unbearable. Since the death of my husband, his family has not asked me how I’m coping with the children, knowing full well that I have nothing tangible doing,” she said. Widows are an integral part of every society yet, little is known about them and the challenges they face. They are seldom captured in statistics, unnoticed by researchers, often neglected by laws and development strategies, making their situation invisible. In Nigeria, the population of widows is steadily increasing as a result of the recent spate of terror attacks unleashed on the society by some violent groups in various parts of the country. Nigeria is not alone in this spate of violent attacks that have claimed many lives, especially men. It was in an effort to cushion the effects of widowhood that the United Nations some four years ago introduced ‘International Widows’ Day’. International Widows Day (IWD) was introduced primarily to address poverty and injustice faced by widows and their children in many countries and was officially recognised by the United Nations in 2010 and is observed annually on June 23rd. The first officially recognised International Widows’ Day was marked on June 23, with a conference held in the United Nations headquarters in New York and it has become a global observance.
The Widows’ Day was initiated by the Loomba Foundation in 2005. The plight of widows worldwide has been the foundation’s focus since it was established in 1997. According to its founder, Raj Loomba, women in many countries experience great hardship after their husbands die. The observance falls on June 23rd because Loomba’s mother became a widow on that date in 1954. Like Loomba Foundation, the Rock of Ages Empowerment Foundation founded by Evangelist Ignatius Newman Ezeigbo in 2010, was also primarily established to cater for widows by empowering them financially and engaging them in poverty eradication activities, and has been described as an outstanding NGO that is perfectly charting the way forward for every widow in Nigeria. In the words of Evangelist Newman, “our foundation will go beyond alleviating poverty, but dealing with it from the root to make the women financially independent and remain in charge of their various means of livelihood.’’ Rock of Ages, according to its founder, is crafted along the lines of the dreams and aspirations of the Loomba Foundation with a commitment to empowering widows and eradicating poverty, alleviate their situation and to also assist them in legal matters. He further disclosed that the foundation has built houses for widows and has as well taken legal actions to enforce widow’s rights and their fundamental human rights. During this year’s celebration tagged: “Joy to the Widows”, over 140 sewing machines valued at N25, 000.00 each were distributed to 140 widows who had undergone training under the supervision of the foundation; another set of 136 widows were given the sum of N20,
000, 00 each to start small scale catering services, having also undergone training. Also shared amongst the widows were 1200 bags of rice, as monthly empowerment for widows and other vulnerable groups. The foundation has so far empowered about 5,000 widows since its inception, with various skill acquisition trainings conducted. In 2011, about 1000 widows were given N10, 000 each for petty trading, bags of semovita, cartons of Indomie noodles, free medical treatment for B.P, diabetes, malaria and typhoid fever. In 2012, 440 widows received N4.4million to set up small and medium scale enterprises and not less than 3500 bags of rice, among other food items, were distributed to them as well as free medical treatment. In 2013, about N11million was given out to 3560 widows after undergoing training in various skill acquisition programmes. There has been monthly distribution of various food items, free medical treatment; clothing materials and wrappers. The foundation is planning to provide housing units to accommodate some of these widows who have no place to call their own and also to build skill acquisition cum training centres where these widows could be trained for various skill acquisitions. Hitherto, the foundation has been sponsoring some of these widows’ children in various government primary and secondary schools on a relatively small scale; but as part of their future plans, the foundation has resolved to continue with the same on a larger scale. According to the founder, “The mode of operation will be made clear to the widows during their monthly meetings. Our reasons for taking up this widow’s children education are to ameliorate the burden on these women and
to ensure that the children are not deprived of their fundamental right to education.” In an apparent indictment of government on the obvious neglect of the plight of the widows, Evangelist Newman called on both the government and the larger society to aid the cause of widows, by initiating programmes and projects that are aimed at ameliorating their plights. “There should be policies and programmes that will take care of the overall welfare of widows and other vulnerable groups in the society. There should be enlightenment programmes on issues relating to their health, as most of these women die of diseases that could have been averted assuming that those diseases were detected early,” he said. “The federal ministry of health should take the primary health care services to where these women can have easy access to them at a highly subsidised rate. “The federal government should as well set up skill acquisition centres where these women would undergo various training with a view to making them self-reliant. Government should equally ensure that these programmes and services actually get to the targeted groups.’’ Acknowledging the pace setting efforts of the NGO “who took it upon itself to recognise and celebrate this group who are an integral part of every society yet, little is known about them and the challenges they face,’’ the minister for women affairs, Hajia Zainab Maina, described the neglect of widows as most disturbing. The minister affirmed that “the widows are seldom captured in statistics, unnoticed by researchers, often neglected by laws and development strategies making their situation invisible. “I am optimistic that this celebration organised by the RAEF will go a long way in giving our widows a sense of belonging and ameliorate the mental trauma of loneliness and non-recognition they have suffered. “I also call on other NGOs working in this area and private entities to partner with the government to alleviate the situations of widows in Nigeria by providing empowerment for these women.” Stakeholders that marked the International Widows’ Day were united in their view that government is guilty of neglecting the welfare of a greater population of the widows, by the glaring absence of any publicised cause of action in this direction.
In Nigeria, the population of widows is steadily increasing as a result of the recent spate of terror attacks unleashed on the society by some violent groups in various parts of the country
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Don’t Politicise Food Security Issues – Sokoto Agric Commissioner BY WENESO OROGUN, Abuja While many critics still continue to doubt Nigeria’s ability to meet her rice consumption needs from domestic production by 2015, the Sokoto State commissioner for agriculture, Muhammed Arzika Tureta, has counselled against politicising food security issues in the country. The commissioner stated this in a recent electronic mail interview with LEADERSHIP Weekend, where he emphasised that Sokoto and neighbouring states have been experiencing a quantum leap in the production of rice in the past two years of collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The former APC Chairman for Sokoto State expressed confidence in the future viability of Nigeria’s agriculture but warned that in order for this to be possible, the nation must deal with her current socio-political problems so as to usher in peaceful co-existence. On the population of farmers registered in Sokoto State for the government’s growth enhancement support, the commissioner disclosed that, “recently we registered 330,523 farmers for this year,” an increase over previous years. He showed how Sokoto State has fared in the past three years stating that there has been real increase in rice production and that the state government has been supportive of the federal government rice revolution. “Sokoto state is doing very well in agriculture. Governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wamako is giving us 100 per cent support. Whatever request is from the Ministry of Agriculture, he will honour it. That is why the ministry is moving. Sokoto state farmers are very grateful to the Minister of Agriculture and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture. When you go out now to see for yourself, you will see our farmers and they are doing very well in terms of food security. Now they have a lot to do. They harvest whatever crop they have in Sokoto in large quantity and that is why they are very happy. We have very happy farmers all over the state,” Tutera said. He chronicled how the increase in rice production came about and where the rice is produced, saying, “In terms of rice
Tureta
production in Sokoto state, I think we rank very high. We have local governments like Kebbe, Tambuwal, Wurno, Silame, Kware, Wamakko and Goronyo that produce rice in large quantity.” He expressed confidence that “the whole state can rely on these local governments for rice.” In Tureta’s observation, the rice farmers in Sokoto State are in for good times, saying, “our rice farmers are getting a lot of money. They are comfortable with the way and manner the Agricultural Transformation Agenda is to them. They are being assisted by the federal and state governments so that they produce more.” Expressing his confidence further, the commissioner said, “when you go round, you will see what I am saying.” He gave copious encomiums to his state government, the federal government and the minister of agriculture, saying “farmers in Sokoto State are really very happy with the minister for his initiatives in agriculture. They are also happy with the governor for giving them all necessary assistance in terms of soft loans. The (state) government is taking responsibility of interest on most of the loans given to them. Farmers are now happy with the present administration. I am happy with the minister and we give him 100 per cent support for what he is doing in agriculture.” On whether it makes sense to ban importation of rice and whether Nigeria is prepared to
produce to meet the local consumption needs, Tureta has this to say, “I am 100 per cent in support of that. I believe our farmers are all ready for that. Give the farmers support and they will deliver. The target of 2015 is realisable in terms of the rice we produce all over the country. We have some states, not only Sokoto State, that are producing rice in large quantity but because they are not being taken care of and there is no coordination, the value is not seen. But when there is coordination all over the states, I believe we can feed our nation. “We can feed Nigeria, without necessarily bringing rice from outside,” Tureta enthused, “because our farmers are determined. They are ever ready.” In his state, in particular, and in some neighbouring states, he stated, “Look! In some areas here in Sokoto State – not only in Sokoto State, but in Kebbi and so on – we harvest almost three times in a year. When you go round, you will see it for yourself. You will hear from the farmers. When you go to the field, you will talk to them and they will tell you this. So, if they can be encouraged, I assure you the target of 2015 can be realised.” Tureta also dismissed political sentiment while assessing the reality of rice production in Sokoto, saying, “in terms of food security, there is no politicisation in the area of food production. When you go round, you will see that our people are doing very well, he pointed out.
“Do you have the yardstick? he asked. You don’t have the yardstick to measure, but I have,” he responded, pressing home his point, adding that, “when it is time for going to Mecca, you see our farmers. They are the first people to pay for their seats for hajj. Go and see some of them using flashy cars. They don’t have any other business apart from farming. Their children are well fed, and they wear the best clothes and so on.” The improved welfare and increased purchasing power “will show you that our farmers are doing well,” Tureta volunteered, adding that, “definitely, the productivity is really increasing, not decreasing. So, forget about politics. The minister is doing very well. People are seeing a lot of changes in our way of life. We are happy with the way and manner we are being taken care of. The state government and federal government are doing very well in assisting the farmers. When this assistance continues to come, Nigeria will be self-sufficient in food production. That is our target. “The dry season farming introduced by the federal government and supported by the states,” he indicated, has set off a revolution, using high yielding varieties (FARO 44 and FARO 52) of rice which have helped to improve their productivity. In his observation, “Nigeria will surprise the world if the current agricultural policies are sustained.”
We can feed Nigeria, without necessarily bringing rice from outside
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Traders and buyers at the market
GSM Village: Abuja’s IT Gadgets Hub Abuja GSM Village offers great opportunities for youths, especially young school leavers looking for employment. DAVID ADUGE-ANI writes that the village harbours thousands of Nigerian youths who would have otherwise been roaming the streets in search of unavailable jobs.
T
he popular Abuja GSM village is presently located in area 1 Abuja, behind the NNPC mega filling station. Before now the market was operating at the central area of Abuja, near the federal secretariat but was later relocated. In February, 2010 the market was moved to the new site, which is considered to be more conducive for the traders and artisans. Abuja GSM Village is full of entrepreneurship at its best. Many residents of the capital city and it’s environs visit this market to either buy/ mobile phones and accessories or repair same. You can find laptop engineers, software engineers, mobile phone technicians, food vendors and even people who retail gas in the open air. All kinds of phones are brought back to life due to the ingenuity of these mostly young people who are determined to succeed in a country with very few opportunities. The outgoing chairman, Association of Abuja GSM Villager Traders, Ndubuisi Egbo (a.k.a Ibu), told newsmen that the village harbours over 5,000 youths, who would have been roaming the streets looking for non-existing employment opportunities. “The village
harbours about 732 members. Then each of the members have about three attaches which summed up the number to over 5,000 youths, legitimately. They are assisting us very well. If other agencies are doing this type f gesture many youths will not be roaming the streets due to lack of jobs.” he said. A trader in the market, Chris Eze, told our correspondent that for anyone to be a member of the market he/she must have something to do in the market, meaning that that such a person must own a shop or that he/she is attached to somebody in the market. “For you to be a member of the market you must have something to do in the market. That is you must own a shop or that you are attached to somebody in the market. Then if you want to be a member of the association you go through the process as recommended and get registered”, he said. The chairman, Taskforce in the market, Salisu Abdullahi Loko said that a lot graduates have been offered employment in the market. “Many graduates have found employment in the market. It is due to our effort that has encouraged them to settle”, he said. “We have the cheap and good quality here in the village. We
also have the best technicians at the lowest rate which you cannot find in other places within the city”, Loko said. Mr Eze in an interview disclosed that the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) gave members of the village their present plot, but the traders themselves contributed money individually to build their shops, using government prototypes in the buildings. According to the outgoing chairman, Mr. Egbo, “We must commend the FCT administration for providing the village for youths to be engaged in their means of livelihood. The government gave us the land, but the shops were built by the individual traders on personal contributions. For now we are staying in the area on a temporary base”, he said. However the Abuja GSM is not without challenges. Some of these challenges include poor electricity, activities of touts, insecurity, poor infrastructure, such as parking space and poor leadership, among others. Eze pointed out that there are so many technicians in the market who don’t have enough electricity for their jobs. “We run on generators. We spent as much as N300 for a technician each day. This amounts to millions of naira if you calculate what all
the technicians in the market spent daily for generator. This is because there are about 780 shops that use a common generator which they subscribe to and pay daily”, he said. He continued; “The major problem we have here is that of leadership problem. Our leaders are not sincere to themselves, because we have our monthly dues and other means of generating money in the market, but regrettably they don’t utilise our money in a way that others will benefit from it. They use our common money for their selfish ends. “We have tried for them to give us what we need, but they have failed us. We know that the infrastructure, like roads and electricity are supposed to be put in place by the government. But as an association we are supposed to put certain things on ground on our own efforts, but they are not there due to bad leadership” He also accused the present leadership in the market of supporting the activities of touts in the market. “That is why the number touts in the market are growing daily”, he said. However, the outgoing chairman, Mr. Egbo told newsmen that the administration has just completed building of the shops in the market and is presently consulting relevant agencies so as to have stable electricity in the market. “We just completed the building of this market. We are consulting various agencies so that we have stable electricity in the GSM village. Just as you know that a journey of thousands miles starts with a step, we are working to having stable light in the market”, he said. He stated that touts are common thing in all the markets in the FCT, adding the leadership in the market is doing everything possible to reduce the activities of touts in the market. “In every market in FCT there are people who do not own shop, but they still come there to make their daily bread from the market. As an administration we have been doing our best to rest the bad effects of touts in the GSM village through the collaboration of the security agencies. The government agencies have been of great assistance to us, not only in GSM village that you find touts, they are in other markets across the FCT”, he said. The taskforce chairman, also disclosed; “We are trying our efforts to stop the activities of the touts in the village. As taskforce chairman we have been arresting touts in the market and handing them over to the police for prosecution”
Many graduates have found employment in the market
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Politics Editor Weeklies: UCHENNA Awom
Akpabio’s Pension Law Not In The Interest Of The State – Senator Etok Recently the Akwa Ibom State governor signed into law a bill for the retirement benefits for former governors and their deputies, which was greeted with outrage within and outside the state. Senator Alloysius Etok, in this interview with MBACHU GODWIN NNANNA says the pension law is daylight robbery of the state’s treasury and not in the interest of the state. A bill for retirement benefits for former Akwa Ibom State governors and deputies was signed into law recently, what’s your take?
I wonder whether they were in their right senses when they passed the bill into law
For me it is the height of insensitivity to the people of the state and should not be encouraged. It is an open robbery of the state treasury. There is no way the governor can make legislation for N100 million on medical treatment alone. It is unacceptable! I was told he wants to withdraw it; I challenge him to publish what he has paid to former governors. I want the governor to state categorically how much he paid Attah , Etelbert, late Akpan Isemin, Ekpeyoung this year. Let him state how much he has paid so far, so we will know if he has paid. ” You can see the outrage that greeted the announcement within and outside the state which simply means that it is unacceptable and should not be allowed to stand. It is unpopular. The bill was duly passed into law by the Akwa Ibom house of Assembly before it was sent to the governor, what do you make of this?
Members of the Akwa Ibom assembly who passed that retirement benefit bill into law, not minding what the state is going through, should cov-
er their faces in shame. It goes to show the kind of legislators we have in the state. I am personally disappointed with the action of the state legislators. The lawmakers at the state Assembly were selfish for passing such a bill into law. I wonder whether they were in their right senses when they passed the bill into law. Do you believe in the zoning formula announced by the state governor that Eket senatorial zone should produce the next governor?
Every leader must tell the followers the truth. The purported zoning was conceived in deceit by the leader of the party in the state. One wonders why he has turned around and is now asking for zoning. When the former governor, Obong Victor Attah wanted to zone he consulted people. I am not against zoning, but the governor has not consulted us. He has to consult widely and discuss it with stakeholders of the party. He wants zoning now because he is quarrelling with the former secretary to the state government Umanah. People don’t believe any longer; he has to consult and tell us the truth, otherwise the zoning is unacceptable. Delegates at the CONFAB have recommended that leg-
Etok islators work part-time to reduce cost and friction in the polity, what is your view?
I think that they got it wrong, if we want part-time for legislators it means that we don’t want the people to do the job. The job of a legislator is tedious and requires commitment; it is not a job you can do part time. If you don’t give adequate attention to it you will not get the right results. People don’t look at a legislator’s job beyond the surface; they don’t know that it is demanding. Anybody recommending that does not want democracy in Nigeria to mature. What we need is to strengthen our democratic processes. What exactly is the senate doing to improve the lives of pensioners?
We in the senate are saddled with the task of making sure that the pension system
in Nigeria is streamlined and effective. We are working towards the passage of the pension reform bill and ensuring that the bill is implemented when passed. We have gone further to provide avenues for pensioners to make presentations in the payment of pension. We also channel the reports and complaints we gather to the appropriate quarters for action. We have equally provided funds to help pensioners on a wide spectrum. We are working on the pension commission where the director-general and the commissioners will not go at the same time. This has created crisis in the past where both the DG and the commissioners leave office, thus creating a vacuum. We urge the federal government to pay all outstanding arrears and harmonisation of pensioners.
This Week On Backlash
The Ekiti governorship election has come and gone, but its outcome, which saw the defeat of the incumbent All Progressives Congress (APC) governor, John Kayode Fayemi by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Peter Ayodele Fayose, will continue to reverberate throughout the country’s political landscape. The APC has declared its readiness to challenge the defeat in court. In turn the PDP lashed back saying APC are sore losers.
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Backlash
APC To Challenge Ekiti Election
This act of impunity was targeted solely at the opposition, and it runs against global standards
The All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership are still weeping over their staggering loss in the last election. Penultimate Thursday the party said it will challenge the results of the governorship elections in Ekiti State in court. In a communiqué issued after the party’s inaugural national working committee meeting held at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, the party declared that it will challenge in court some constitutional breaches that were noticed during the election. The communiqué, read by its national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, stated: “In order to prevent a recurrence of what happened in Ekiti, especially the militarisation of the process, the harassment and intimidation of citizens, especially those in opposition, my party has decided to challenge in court some of these constitutional breaches and will also encourage our leaders and supporters, who were arrested, harassed and intimidated to seek the enforcement of their constitutionally-guaranteed fundamental rights, that were recklessly abridged by security agencies. “We believe that the events leading to the d-day in Ekiti ne-
gate the principles of a free, fair and credible election. From the militarisation of the election to the police attack on our supporters, arrest and detention of our leaders across the state and the use of huge funds to induce voters, the federal authorities skewed everything in favour of the PDP.” According to him: “With thousands of armed troops, police, state security and civil defence personnel deployed to Ekiti, the state was simply under a total lock down. While we believe that the police and the civil defence indeed have a role to play in providing the necessary security for the election, we do not see why soldiers and NDLEA operatives who were armed to the teeth need to be deployed to a non-belligerent situation like an election, especially at a time that their services were more needed in the north-eastern part of Nigeria where over two hundred abducted girls are still missing and where innocent Nigerians are being killed daily.” Mohammed threw the following posers: “who ordered the deployment of the troops and for what purpose? Who gave the orders to stop Gov. Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State from reaching Ado-Ekiti,
as the army captain who stopped and threatened to shoot him said he had orders from above?” “It is worth mentioning that the physical prevention of Gov. Amaechi from joining his colleagues at the final campaign rally of Gov. Fayemi in Ekiti is a direct function of the unnecessary deployment of troops to Ekiti for the election. This event will go down as the biggest affront to democracy in our country in recent times. “Also worth mentioning is the flagrant abuse of national institutions that led to the country’s aviation authorities shutting down airports in Akure and elsewhere on the same day that our party had its last campaign rally in Ado-Ekiti. This act of impunity was targeted solely at the opposition, and it runs against global standards. Airports are never shut without the issuance of a NOTAM -Notice to Airmen.” He asked: “Again, who gave the orders for the closure of these airports?” Mohammed further alleged that without any reason, security personnel arrested APC leaders and supporters across Ekiti and ferried them far away from where they could vote or monitor
Lai Mohammed
the conduct of the election, adding that this was an attestation to the fact that the security operatives were in the state more for sinister motives than just to provide security for the election. He said: “In fact, the compromise by the security operatives became more obvious when a socalled special task force comprising of military, police, SSS and NDLEA officers were summoned to a meeting Friday afternoon – a day before the election, near the Tantaliser fast food eatery at AdoEkiti.”
Plight Of Grassroots People Motivated Me Into Politics – Katsina-Alu tate business for some time now. What has been your experience so far? The real estate sector is very interesting especially in big cities like Abuja
Bem Katsina-Alu is the son of a former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu. He is an aspirant to the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under the platform of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 election. In this interview with DAVID ADUGE-ANI he speaks on what motivated him to go into politics and other national issues. What motivated you to go into politics? Yes, I was motivated into Nigeria politics by the care and love for the people, especially those at the grassroots. I have discovered that one could help those at the grassroots to stand on their feet and live proper life. In doing that you need to seek ways of assisting them, not only by giving them cash, but also by making laws that can help them. On the streets, you see how some Nigerians struggle to make just N200 a day. If you asked me I will say that it very bad. So what motivated me to go into politics was the plight of those at the grassroots and their inability to make end meet. What then is your impression about those who have
represented AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency in the past? I am not ready to assess anybody. For me, they have done their best at one point or the other, but from what I see in places such as Karu and Nyanya, you don’t see much progress, because it is still the shadow of its former self. This is because people from those areas are still struggling to come into town in order to earn a living. If this places where developed, residents would not be living under such a condition they live. So, what I have seen so far is not impressive and there is the need to change things. What is your take on the issue of the original indigenes of Abuja?
Katsina-Alu
The original indigenes of Abuja like every other Nigerian are all human beings. The FCT as we know is a beacon of hope for everybody. But the indigenes who have been here even before the capital territory was created cannot be denied their inheritance. We must respect the rights of the indigenes. For now Abuja is the capital of Nigeria and everybody has the right to live. If government wants to take over any land from the indigenes, it should be done with mutual agreement with them and not by force. You have been in the real es-
What does it take for an individual to have an affordable house in Abuja? I believe that the issue of people not being able to afford accommodation in a city like Abuja, can be traced to poverty and other related issues. It also goes down to exclusion. All over world, we have people who had support to get a house. What has been the issue of social housing in Nigeria? The issue boils down to how our banking sector is regulated. This is because if the mortgage system in the country is fair and at end of the day one can borrow at a regulated rate, it will assist people. I think we should be able to stop giving people 10 year mortgage terms. Instead it should be extended to 20 years or even 30 years and at a reasonable rate, so that people would be able to afford it.
What I have seen so far is not impressive and there the need to change things
weekend politics 67
Saturday, July 5, 2014
It has shown that it is a party of desperate, frustrated and violent individuals promoting a janjaweed ideology
The PDP, as expected, lambasted the leadership of All Progressives Congress (APC) for not accepting the processes and outcome of the June 21 governorship election in Ekiti State, calling the party a ‘bad loser.’ It could be recalled that Ayodele Fayose, the PDP’s candidate in the election penultimate week, polled 203,390 votes, while the incumbent, Dr Kayode Fayemi of APC, polled 120,433 votes. National publicity secretary of PDP, Olisa Metuh, posted the demeaning remarks in a statement in Abuja, a terse reaction to APC’s threat to challenge the outcome of the election in court. Metuh said the position of the APC national leadership over an election widely accepted as one of the freest, fairest and most credible elections in Nigeria, and in which their candidate, Governor Kayode Fay-
emi, had also conceded defeat, demonstrates their ‘preference for anarchy and blind homage to nihilism and destruction of the democratic order.” “The APC has once again confirmed that it is nothing but a chaotic organisation, totally averse to democracy and orderliness,” adding, “It has shown that it is a party of desperate, frustrated and violent individuals promoting a janjaweed ideology.” PDP stated further: “This is a party that is fully aware that it was trounced in all the local governments of the state and even lost in the polling units and wards of its campaign director-general and that of its deputy national chairman, yet it is bent on fomenting trouble to disrupt the peace in Ekiti State, apparently out of frustration that it did not get the chance to rig the polls. “We restate our commendations to security agencies for
the roles they played in maintaining law and order and providing level playing ground for all parties before, during and after the election. “We, however, wish to alert of an orchestrated plot by the APC to now use the instruments of wild allegations and spurious claims to set the stage to unleash mayhem on Ekiti,’’ the statement said. It alleged that the APC intended to use imported armed thugs to achieve its objectives in this regard. The statement, therefore, urged Nigerians to note this and hold the APC responsible should there be any breakdown of law and order in Ekiti State. The die is cast, but some chieftains of the APC are saying that they are only going to challenge the processes leading to the election. Chief among the complaints is what the party tagged ‘militarisation of the environment,’ by blocking
the lashback
You are Bad Losers – PDP
Muazu
APC governors from attending a mega rally of the party two days to the election. By and large, PDP and some political analysts are positing that recourse to court to challenge the election will be an exercise in futility.
‘Sylva Is Not A True Niger Deltan’ The coordinator of House To House Campaign Organisation for Democracy, Ben Ogidi, responds to former Bayelsa State governor, Timipre Sylva, who has written off the chances of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 elections, in this interview with Onukogu Kanayo Jubal. Recently, in a newspaper report, the former governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva wrote off President Goodluck Jonathan’s chances for 2015. As the coordinator of House To House Campaign Organisation for Democracy, a body which has helped the president’s campaign, do you agree with him? First off, I will answer the question objectively. President Goodluck Jonathan was elected in 2011, under very unusual circumstances. Since then, he has grown in leaps and bounds and, despite the situation; we cannot say his performance has been abysmal. True, the challenges have been there and, according to all intents and purposes, we welcome new opposition. It will only make the victory of 2015 totally overwhelming. As for the chances of the incumbent, House to House is just a campaign organisation committed to ensuring that the ground work is done. When all is said and done in 2015, everything will be hinged on this groundwork at the grassroots and the conviction of Nigerians. There is no time for small talk. If the All Progressives Congress (APC) wants to talk, it cannot do
Ogidi
Have you ever seen a drowning man clawing the grasses on the banks for support? That man is Sylva. As for the emergence of Seriake Dickson as governor, Sylva could not do any better. The style of governance, administrative knowhow, infrastructural development, construction of road network, economic development, youth empowerment, security and a number of others of both men are different and Dickson’s is more acceptable. If Sylva claims that the people miss him greatly, why was he stoned sometime back?
dispose Sylva for Dickson. Sylva did it to himself. Even Sylva knows that if he had proved himself a true Niger Deltan, he would have still been governor today. He shot himself in the leg; he had no blue-print for the state, he proved time and time again that he was bereft of ideas on how to run the state. Having white elephant projects with big names is not enough; they need to be active and very much peopleoriented. If you read that interview, you come off with one conclusion: Sylva is an eternally bitter man and that nature is to the detriment of his party. This is proof that he is a rash man. People like him expect the president to be spontaneous and, as a result, destructive, without considering the plight or interests of more than 150,000,000 Nigerians. Is that the kind of governor we would have given to Bayelsans? Sylva has his eyes on the governorship of Bayelsa which is why he changed base; it is not as if he believes in the ethics of his new party.
Sylva also alleged that the president “was mistakenly elected in 2011 and the mistake will be corrected in 2015”. As the coordinator of House to House, does this present a challenge to you? I respect the fact that Sylva may have had his differences with both the president and Dickson, the current governor, but it is no passport to raising the hopes of Nigerians in vain. If the election of President Jonathan was a mistake, which Sylva the crusader needs to correct, then so was the election of former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and the late Yar’Adua. So, what he is he talking about? He failed a simple assignment in Bayelsa and now he has his sights fixed on the presidency? God, it is ridiculous. If I do agree with him, which I do not, that this president must be swept away, who do we replace him with; he and his ilk? That will be utterly disastrous for him and Nigeria. Sylva is the only Niger Deltan I have seen who does not know his limits.
so through the former governor. He is only a spent fellow who failed his first primary assignment. How has the House To House Campaign Organisation for Democracy fared since the last presidential election in 2015? Back then, we were just trying to drum-up support for President Goodluck Jonathan, who was then vice president, to be elected president. We had about 500,000 volunteers who were of voting age. That was back at the beginning. Today, we have more than 5,000,000 volunteers all over the country. For an organisation with such an honest, simple motive of creating a huge supporter-base for the president, we have made huge progress. Whatever any one is saying, with all due respect, is secondary. Throwing words back and forth does not affect a single vote. Sylva and his ilk have not even presented a blue-print of how they will run Nigeria, if, accidentally, it falls into their laps. So, how do they hope to convince Nigerians of their capability? In Ekiti, we saw how arrogance cost them the governorship. Where was Sylva? Hiding, as always. It’s not time to bandy words; it is time to lay the ground-work and I will advise Sylva and his ilk to get down to work. There’s no time for horse-trading. Could it be that Sylva still bears the president some grudge for the way he was side-stepped for the current governor, Seriake Dickson to emerge? Like I told people back then and still do now, the president did not
When all is said and done in 2015, everything will be hinged on this groundwork at the grassroots and the conviction of Nigerians. There is no time for small talk
68 OPINION
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Pastor T. O. Banso Faith 08155744752
T He will give you new people. You don’t own the church or the ministry
oday, I want to continue in this series by looking at another aspect of church abuse. I believe God will bless you as you read in Jesus’ name. Neglect of ministerial duties Failure of pastors to perform their ministerial duties while focusing on what they can benefit from the members is another abuse of the church. God rebuked the shepherds who did this in Israel, and this is applicable to the church today. “Then this message came to me from the LORD: ‘Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds, the leaders of Israel. Give them this message from the Sovereign LORD: Destruction is certain for you shepherds who feed yourselves instead of your flocks. Shouldn’t shepherds feed their sheep? You drink the milk, wear the wool, and butcher the best animals, but you let your flocks starve. You have not taken care of the weak. You have not tended the sick or bound up the broken bones. You have not gone looking for those who have wandered away and are lost. Instead, you have ruled them with force and cruelty. So my
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Church Abuse (10) sheep have been scattered without a shepherd. They are easy prey for any wild animal. They have wandered through the mountains and hills, across the face of the earth, yet no one has gone to search for them. ‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, you abandoned my flock and left them to be attacked by every wild animal. Though you were my shepherds, you didn’t search for my sheep when they were lost. You took care of yourselves and left the sheep to starve. Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD. This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I now consider these shepherds my enemies, and I will hold them responsible for what has happened to my flock. I will take away their right to feed the flock, along with their right to feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths; the sheep will no longer be their prey.” (Ezek 34:1-10 NLT) Abuse of the sheep God used the relationship between the shepherds and the sheep in Israel to show the picture of the neglect of the people of Israel by a
selfish and irresponsible leadership. God did this because the people of Israel were familiar with this sheepshepherd relationship because it was a common thing in their society. He called the people, sheep and the leaders, shepherds. It is not a coincidence that ministers of the Gospel are called shepherds and the church is called sheepfold and each member a sheep. From Ezek 34:1-10, the following abuse of the sheep by the shepherds took place as they failed to perform their responsibilities: • Feeding themselves with the sheep’s fat instead of feeding their flocks; taking care of themselves and leaving the sheep to starve. • Clothing themselves with the sheep’s wool • Not strengthening the weak sheep • Not taking care of the sick sheep • Not binding the broken sheep • Not seeking the lost sheep • Ruling with force and cruelty •Not being available for the sheep; abandoning their flocks to be attacked by every wild animal.
We see a manifestation of these abuses of the sheep in the church today – leaders who focus on themselves and their families alone, using the church of God to satisfy their selfish interests. They are more concerned about the perquisites of office than the duties. They see every gathering of God’s people as opportunity to raise money to finance their greed and insatiable desire for a flamboyant lifestyle and fame. “Do you think this Temple, which honors my name, is a den of thieves? I see all the evil going on there, says the LORD.” (Jer 7:11 NLT) Yes, God sees what is going on in the church, and will not allow it to continue; He will come with His judgment as He did in the past. I believe you received something from the Lord today. Be a doer of the word. See you next week. TAKE ACTION! If you’re not born again, kindly say this prayer now: “0 Lord God, I come unto you today. I know I’m a sinner and I can’t save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK
Friday Ebinyi Impactful View impactfulview@gmail.com
Many people find it difficult to define the purpose of life or living. Many do not know what to live for. Unfortunately, if you don’t live for anything, you will fall for everything. Lack of purpose in life leads to lack of fulfilment and joy. Many people commit suicide because they have no purpose and fulfilment in life. What is the purpose of life? Though the answer to this question may not be the same for every matured person, however, almost everyone, irrespective of background, experience and exposure consciously or unconsciously asks this question. The earlier an individual finds answer to this question, the better. No matter how a person zealously pursues a wrong direction to his or her desired or imagined destination, he or she cannot get there. It is therefore important to set out one’s purpose early in life and ensure that it is eternally rewarding. Robert Bryne says “The purpose of life is a life of purpose.” Eraica
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Purposeful Living
Chan explains that “Life without a purpose is like an unsharpened pencil; it has no point.” The discovery of the purpose of living is important for everybody. Death is a common denominator for every living soul. Shakespeare says ‘It will come when it will come.’ Whether somebody thinks of life after death or not, death is sure to come, one day. The fear of death is not a good response to the issue of purpose for living. Brain Weiss observes that “we are frightfully concerned with our own deaths, sometimes so much so that we forget the real purpose of our lives.” However, it is not too late for you to discover the purpose for living once you are still alive and reading this article. Many people live only for pleasure of the flesh. Many live to acquire wealth they think can be stored up for generations unborn. Many live to break special records and get fame. The irony of these possessions is that they do not give satisfaction, yet there is the desire
to have more. Ecclesiastes 5:10 says: He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this also is vanity. I once read the story of a Warlord who conquered many lands when he was alive. This man, when he was about to die told people around him that his coffin should be carried by the best doctors to his graveyard. Also, his money should be distributed on the streets on the way to his graveyard. Lastly, his hands should be allowed to hang outside the coffin. The first instruction was to let people know that even best doctors cannot rescue from death. The second instruction was to show the vanity of money, while the third instruction was to let the mourners know we brought nothing into the world and surely we are going back with nothing. According to the Holy Writ: Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have created
him. Here, the purpose of living is well defined: To show the glory of God, just as it is further anchored in the Scriptures: But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. It is clear that the purpose for living in this scriptural verse is to show forth the praises of God. God loves us and His commandments are clear. Many people that commit atrocities in the society also go to places of worship. We observe in our society increase in religiosity without righteousness. In this kind of situation, it is logical to believe that whatever makes us free from sin will also qualify us to make heaven. The only way out of sin is repentance and faith in the provision made by God through Jesus Christ the Saviour. The purpose of life is not completely fulfilled if there is no assurance of eternal rest with God.
The earlier an individual finds answer to this question, the better
OPINION 69
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Udenta, Tan And Gej: Decoding An Intriguing Combination BY ARC AJAYI OLAKUNLE THOMAS
The Nigeria economy is now said to be the biggest and strongest in the continent of Africa
A toad does not run in the hot afternoon sun for nothing, the popular adage goes. It must be running away from something very bad or running to something very good. Udenta O. Udenta, is without any shadow of doubt a masterful speaker and consummate polemicist, a humanist and quintessential advocate of radical politics with a pragmatist bent of logic. He is and suspected to habour Marxist ideological tendencies since he cut his teeth in the student union movement in the 1980s, the Eastern Mandate Union (EMU), the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) and as the founding National Secretary of Alliance for Democracy (AD). Strangely, he has lately taken the national media by storm under the platform of TAN –Transformation Ambassadorsof Nigeria- advocating the virtues and achievement of President Goodluck Jonathan. Strange . Udenta is a social critic of note and an anti-estab-
lishment power player and not anybody’s praise- singer. Not by any stretch of the imagination. TAN? Possibly one of these propaganda platforms set –up by supporters of the government of the day to misinform a gullible public? A closer look at this intriguing mix points to something deeper than meet the eye. How could, or rather put more succinctly, what are the president’s achievements that made an Udenta drop his boxing gloves of a virulent critic of anything crass and begin to undertake a blistering advocacy of the landmark achievements of the Jonathan administration? I took a deeper look. There must be something useful in a fish – head, as the saying goes. Both Udenta and President Jonathan are former University dons. The name TAN does indeed sound like an activist platform for the propagation of the president’s transformation agenda. They fit the bill. TAN has churned out a plethora of world –class television adverts running daily on AIT and NTA. Perhaps, the beginning of Udenta, TAN and GEJ conver-
gence is to be foundon the webwww.tan.org.ng. This is the key that has unlocked the under – publicized numerous achievements of President Goodluck Jonathan that are now in the hands and mouths of Udenta and his formidable associates whose identity have been the best kept secret so far. Let truth be told. No Nigerian President before Jonathan achieved in their first –term in office what he has achieved. A forensic and comparative analysis of his first –term Landmark achievements in Agriculture, Aviation, Al majiri education, roads, railways and coaches, waterways, sea and river ports as well as the war against fake and substandard products and drugs are more than his predecessors can claim in their first – terms. His privatization of the power sector and endorsement and heavy patronization of vehicle assembling and manufacturing private sector initiatives have no precedents in the Presidential history of Nigeria. The Nigeria economy is now said to be the biggest and strongest in the continent of Africa.
From Udenta and his team of tenacious comrades inTAN, we have learned that President Jonathan is on the verge of a frontal attack on graduate unemployment through a government – private sector initiative soon to be made public. Wonderful. TAN’s spectacular advertisements on television and numerous press releases and personality interviews have made the public debate on the transformation agenda of President Jonathan more robust. The promos on agriculture and Al majiri education shown on AIT daily are iconic. The achievements of President Jonathan in his first –term in office are true and verifiable. In the teeth of opposition venom and contrived security mine –fields, his traducers are determined to sweep his achievements under the carpet and highlight to the Nigerian public only acerbic criticisms of Mr. President and his administration. Arc Olakunle Thomas is an Ibadan based architect and the National President of Environmental Renewal Movement (ERM).
Why I Disagree With Transparency International BY MALAMI UMARU HASSAN
The withdrawal of the court case against Mohammed Abacha by the federal government has elicited mixed reactions from difference quarters. One of the reactions came from Transparency International (TI) which criticized the withdrawal of the charges and demanded Mohammed Abacha be charged again. This is double jeopardy. We can all recall that Mohammed Abacha was once detained by the former President Obasanjo administration. Lest I am misunderstood, there is no reason to support corruption by the Abacha or anybody else in Nigeria. However, I would have expected sincerity from Transparency International in this matter. Since 1999, the recovery efforts of monies from the proceeds of corruption seem to have been concentrated on the Abachas, despite the billion after billions that continue be stolen from Nigeria. Where was Transparency International when former President Obasanjo withdrew corruption charges against Mr. Joseph Makanjuola, a former Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Defense? Transparency International was never on record ever raising eye brows against the selfish decision of Obasanjo, who was their former board member, to withdraw corruption charges against
his own cousin. I detest double standard by Transparency International. The Abachas have cooperated fully with the Federal government since 1999 to release monies illegally transferred abroad. From Switzerland alone, the Abachas have surrendered $700 million and another $480 million are currently expected from the United States. Is it not strange however that the entire efforts to recover looted funds are concentrated on the Abachas? Does it mean the entire diversion of public funds to foreign banks was committed by General Abacha? What happened to the billions of dollars stolen from Nigeria after Abacha and are still being stolen with impunity? Former President Obasajo was described as “stone broke” in 1999 by General T.Y. Danjuma. He told the Guardian newspaper that Obasanjo was living on the financial life support of his friends in 1999. Today, however, Obasanjo is a multi-billionaire, with huge investments here and there, including a private University. What is the magic behind his sudden transformation to overnight billionaire when he was elected President in 1999? Did Obasanjo win a multi-million dollar jackpot after leaving office? Could public office holder have become a billion-
aire from his legitimate salaries and allowances? Why didn’t the late President Umaru Musa Yar’dua become a billionaire? Why didn’t Obasanjo declare his assets publicly when leaving office? Why didn’t he copy the example of Umaru Musa Yar’dua by waiving his constitutional right to declare his assets in camera? In 1999, Obasanjo declared N20, 000 in his account before the code of conduct Bureau. In 2007, however when he was leaving office, Obasanjo didn’t follow his own moral standard of transparency by declaring his assets publicly. Where was Transparency International then? Does this Transparency watchdog think Nigeria can fight corruption and recover looted funds by concentrating the entire efforts on the Abachas? Obasanjo was their former board member. Why didn’t they marvel at his sudden wealth? Did corruption end in Nigeria with the death of Abacha? Is corruption still not growing like weed in Nigeria? Why is there is no energy and zeal towards the recovery of looted funds by other corrupt Nigerians? Does Transparency International think the Abachas should be singled out and crucified out of proportion, despite agreeing to return millions of dollars to the country? Which corrupt public office holders in Nigeria have so far being sub-
jected to repeated pursuit like the Abachas? Is it because their father is dead? If all corrupt Nigerians would be sincerely pursued in foreign courts to recover looted funds like the Abachas, Nigeria would have achieved more progress. We cannot achieve progress in loot recovery if those who have cooperated are subjected to vindictive pursuit as Transparency International was suggesting. Was there any sincerity in Obasanjo’s policy of fighting corruption? It is surprising why Transparency International was criticizing President Jonathan for not showing the so-called Zero tolerance for corruption. It is either the Transparency watchdog has short memories or it is trying to put the wool over our eyes. Where was Transparency International when former President Obasanjo was using bribery and corruption to remove recalcitrant National Assembly leaders? Where was Transparency International when Obasanjo was using bribery and corruption to achieve his third term ambition? Why didn’t the Transparency watchdog criticize Obasanjo with the same acerbity it is criticizing the Jonathan administration? I don’t trust Transparency International anymore because of its double standards. HASSAN wrote in from Garki Abuja.
Where was Transparency International then?
70 NEWS
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Doctors’ Strike: Private Hospital Demands N.5m To Incubate Baby ➔ FROM PAGE 6
sity Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, a young man who identified himself as Dayo Adeyeni brought his uncle to the accident and emergency unit for urgent medical attention but they were turned back as the guards told them the doctors were on strike and no one would attend to them. But Bisi Omotosho, whose sister has been on admission since last Saturday, said the doctors were kind enough to attend to
her sister. She expressed the hope that they would keep attending to the patients in the ward while the strike was ongoing. Security officials at the hospital however told LEADERSHIP Weekend that the doctors that were attending to patients in the ward were those hired on a contract basis. At the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, the hospital was scanty as it had been during the recent strike embarked upon by the resi-
dent doctors. According to the vice president of the Association of Resident Doctors, LUTH chapter, Dr Akinkunmi Afolabi, “Doctors at LUTH are not working; we are observing a total compliance with the strike. If you see any doctors working around, they are only doing referrals for their patients to go to other hospitals where they can get medical care. Although the strike is painful, the government needs to correct some segments of the
health sector.” The Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi, and other public hospitals in Benue State were also shut to the public when LEADERSHIP Weekend visited. Doctors at public hospitals in Makurdi, Gboko, Otukpo and other local government areas were also not attending to patients, but it was observed that nurses and administrative staff of the affected hospitals were seen performing their duties, just as the patients that needed
urgent medical attention by the doctors were seen leaving the hospitals, disappointed. Doctors’ action is breach of agreement The federal government has faulted doctors’ ongoing strike, saying that they breached the agreements reached between them. The minister of health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, who was addressing the media yesterday in Abuja on the industrial action embarked upon
by doctors since Tuesday, July 1, said that both the government and the NMA signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) which addressed all the contentious 24 issues presented by the NMA. He said, “To be sure, almost all the issues in contention were either issues that had been satisfactorily resolved or issues that could be treated merely through administrative mechanism.” The signed MoU was to have apprehended the nationwide strike that was threatened by the association but the NMA jettisoned the MoU and proceeded on strike, he said. He, however, added that despite reneging on the MoU, the government immediately invited the NMA to a series of meetings on July 1, yet this could not dissuade the NMA from the strike they had embarked on. Another meeting that was planned for July 2 was aborted when the NMA officials failed to show up. “However, the NMA honoured another meeting scheduled for Thursday, July 3, 2014, under the auspices of the secretary to the government of the federation. In attendance were the governor of Delta State, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, the minister of health, the minister of labour and productivity, the minister of state for health, the senior special assistant to the president on public affairs, the chairman of the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, the permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health, and other relevant senior government officials,” he said, adding that, at the end of the meeting which lasted 10 hours, another MoU was signed. “As I speak to you, the government has met its own side of the MoU and it is expected that the members of the NMA would, from today, begin to respond and attend to all emergency cases in public hospitals in the spirit of this understanding.” The minister said the federal government is not unaware of the suffering and hardship that the strike action has imposed on the generality of Nigerians.
DAY With
Ishaku Kigbu
Saturday, July 5, 2014
24
Germany, Brazil Through To Semifinals Germany and Brazil are through to the quarterfinals of the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Mats Hummels’ header in early first half proved enough for Germany to beat France 1-0 in the first quarterfinal match at the Maracana yesterday. Host Brazil beat Columbia 2-1 in the second
quarterfinal game to go through. The two teams will meet in the semi-final on Tuesday. In a game of few clear chances, Germany keeper Manuel Neuer denied France a chance of an extra 30 minutes when he blocked Karim Benzema’s effort deep into stoppage time.
“It wasn’t easy today. It was brutally hot, especially in the sun. We did it as a team,” said Germany captain Philipp Lahm. “We were well organised. These were two good teams against each other. We got the first goal and they had to come to us. It’s clear that you’re not going to have an
easy opponent in the quarter final.” France coach Didier Deschamps rued a game that got away from his side. “We had our chances. But they had more experience than we did. They had us under control and they controlled that one goal lead well,” he said.
Germany’s players wander back for kick-off after congratulating Hummels on his impressive header
DSS Operatives Seal Off NFF, Quiz Maigari BY SALIFU USMAN, Abuja
Scores of armed operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) yesterday sealed off the office of the Nigeria Football Federation. The DSS operatives, it was learnt, stormed the headquarter of the NFF in Wuse Zone 7, Abuja in four Hilux vans. The siege followed the earlier arrest of the embattled NFF president, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, who was picked up in the early hours of yesterday at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, by the DSS on arrival from Brazil. Though he since been released, no official reason was given for his arrest and the takeover of the NFF’s office by the security operatives. A staff of NFF, who spoke on anonymity to LEADERSHIP WEEKEND Sport, said the arrest of the embattled NFF president, and the sealing off of the
secretariat was to prevent him, members of the executive committee of NFF and management staff from gaining access to their offices, following a High Court order restraining them from running the affairs of Nigerian football pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction filed before it. “There was a Court order from Jos restraining them from running football,” he said. Justice P.L Lot of Plateau State High Court, on Thursday granted an Order of Interlocutory Injunction, restraining Aminu Maigari, his Executive Committee members and the NFF Congress, from running the affairs of Nigerian football forthwith, pending the determination of the Motion on Notice before the court by filed by Plaintiff, Mrs Ebiakpo Rumson Baribote, the owner of Nembe FC.
In granting the order, Justice P.L. Lot also ordered a mandatory injunction compelling the 4th defendant (Minister of Sports) to appoint a senior member of the civil service in the NFF to command, control and manage the affairs of Nigeria football. Following the court’s declaration, the Minister of Sports, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, appointed Lawrence Katiken, the most senior staff at the NFF, to take over as acting Secretary-general till when the matter is sorted out. Meanwhile, a meeting of football stakeholders, comprising 36 state FA chairmen and the FCT is expected to hold today in Abuja to deliberate on a way forward for Nigeria football. LEADERSHIP WEEKEND Sports reliably gathered that the meeting is being summoned by the newly-appointed acting NFF SecretaryGeneral, Lawrence Katiken.
Off Pitch Issues Must Be Settled Before Big Tourneys – Oliseh BY ISHAKU KIGBU, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Former Super Eagles captain who is in Brazil as a member of FIFA Technical Study Group has pointed out the possible panacea to the reoccurring problems African teams always fighting over allowances during big competitions like the World Cup and Olympics thereby embarrassing their nations. He said the best thing is for both the players and authorities settle their off the pitch challenges before competitions.
At the 2014 World Cup still ongoing Cameroon and Nigerian players agitated over allowances and bonuses-incidents that many claimed was partly responsible to their early exits. No African team has reached the semi final stage in a World Cup even though Ghana was a penalty kick away from the mark in South Africa in 2010. Oliseh said there are quality players but off the pitch worries are mostly responsible. “We have the quality. Ghana were within one penalty (in a shootout) of
reaching the semifinals four years ago. But what we need is a solution so that everyone is satisfied before the tournament starts. It’s going to be better for everyone if we don’t have to talk about off the pitch issues. Personally, I find it very painful.” The former Super Eagles midfielder said commitments to needs of huge extended family of African players are some of the reasons why they haggle over money with their federations during the World Cup. Oliseh refuted claims that the players are greedy.
Danagogo speaks on Super Eagles’ World Cup exit Nigerians were expectant and the Eagles also had all it takes to have progressed, but the injuries suffered by some key members of the team did not help their cause at all
Yesterdays’ Quarterfinals Results • France 0-1 Germany • Brazil 2-1 Colombia
Todays’ Quarterfinals Matches • Netherlands vs Costa Rica • Belgium vs Argentina
Danagogo
Eagles’ World Cup Exit: Danagogo Pleads For Understanding The minister of sports, Tammy Danagogo has pleaded for Nigerians understanding over recent happenings in the football fraternity following the second round exit of the Super Eagles from the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The Nigeria Football Federation had double-speak on the team’s itinery after its image maker had told the press the team was leaving after 24 hours of exit but the team’s media officer later said on Friday apparently to confuse and shield the Nigerian press from getting information from the boys. As at the time Eagles media man was saying Friday, the team was already airborne to London. Upon failure of the Super Eagles to go beyond the round of 16, following their 0-2 loss to France which elicited a lot of reactions from Nigerians, Senate President who visited the team in Brazil called for restructuring in Nigeria football and on Tuesday the minister issued a statement through his media officer advising the NFF to thread carefully on the sack of Keshi. Then on Wednesday the Federal Executive Council Meeting passed a vote of confidence on Keshi and the team saying the team did well and Thursday, a Jos High Court announced the sacking of the Aminu Maigari led board. By Friday morning, Maigari was reported arrested by security operatives and the NFF taken over by men of the State Security Services, (SSS). In all these happenings including the failure of Eagles to advance beyond the second round stage, the National Sports Commission boss said Nigerians should understand. He also said Nigerians must not be too harsh on the team and coaches. While agreeing that the Super Eagles had all it takes to progress in the competition, he reminded Nigerians that the injuries suffered by key members of the team did not help their course in the competition. “Nigerians were expectant and the Eagles also had all it takes to have progressed, but the injuries suffered by some key members of the team did not help their cause at all,” he said. By Ishaku Kigbu, Sao Paulo, Brazil
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I HAVEN’T GOT THE FIGURE FOR JEANS — Margaret Thatcher
05.07.14
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FOR GOD AND COUNTRY
No. 439 N300
The Weekend Column Capt Daniel Omale
A
As of today, none of the airports is completed, but, still, the country has been submerged in a debt of N148 billion
ccording to one of the newspapers, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria said that the debt accrued from the remodelling of the airports across the country was inflated by N26bn. FAAN said that the actual debts for the remodelling stood at N148bn, against N174bn that was announced by the Senate Committee on Aviation. In 2011, the federal government embarked on the rehabilitation, expansion and restructuring of airport terminals, the building of 14 fresh cargo terminals, provision of equipment for the Accident Investigation Bureau and the Nigeria Meteorological Agency. FAAN said the projects were planned in three phases and it gave the contract value of the Phase 1 as N12.81bn. It added that the total amount already paid was N11.22bn, with an outstanding balance of N1.58bn. It also said that the contract value of the Phase 2 of the projects was N93.43bn, while the total amount disbursed to the contractors was N53.97bn, leaving a balance of the N39.50bn. According to a statement obtained on Tuesday, the third phase of the projects still at an infant stage has a contract value of N63.02bn, while the total amount already paid is N4.21bn, with an outstanding payment of N58.81bn. The statement said, “The subtotal of the debts therefore is N99.85bn, which when added to the debts already approved by the Federal Executive Council at N48.37bn brings the total outstanding debts to N148.23bn. This amount from FAAN differs from the N174bn that was declared by the Senate Committee on Aviation by about N26bn.”
Airport Remodelling Debt Inflated By N26bn? daniel@leadership.ng
The statement added that the former aviation minister had, in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Senate and House committees on Aviation, made fiscal provisions for the funding of these projects which were later abandoned, “hence the accrual of the debts.” The foregoing shows how corrupt, deceptive and unrealistic politicians in government have become. First of all, the fact that the former minister of aviation, Stella Oduah, embarked on renovating 22 airports at the same time is fraudulent in every sense of the word. How can a rational person commit the Ministry of Aviation to such colossal expenditure at once? As of today, none of the airports is completed, but, still, the country has been submerged in a debt of N148 billion, even before the lawmakers added their share of N26billion. Even the N148 billion authenticated by FAAN, in my opinion, is equally inflated. There is no way that Nigeria will ever recover from scores of fraudulent activities in government. There is no country that is free of corrupt government officials, but the magnitude, latitude and impunity of how Nigerians loot the public treasury is what differs. A Nigerian is capable of stealing all available funds in government coffers if he or she has access or leeway to it. This is what makes it hard for the country to grow and prosper. There seems to be an underlining competition among top public servants in the country as to how much an individual can loot, without any form of retribution, in a given time; because, it has become obvious that, within a
space of time, newly appointed government officials issue out unrealistic and fictitious contracts in the name of public service and rendering of the ever-elusive dividends of democracy, all in the name of acquisition of imaginary social status. Behind the façade is the absolute lust for vanity. The world is changing and governments all over are clamouring for free, private sector-driven market economy. Only four of Nigeria’s airports are viable enough to run on their own; the rest must receive subvention from government. It is unwise for this government or future governments to continuously embark on a senseless airport remodelling project, which has become a conduit pipe for thieves. As long as the development, renovation and operation of our airport terminal buildings remain with government, looting in the name of airport remodelling will continue. It’s time for private investors to take control of all but four of the major airports in the country.
08054102747 (text only)
Also, the standing debt figure of N148 billion must be properly scrutinized. This is another fraud perpetrated by Oduah’s administration. The more we allow thieves in government, the more the country loses. We have been saying this all along: it is insane to invest huge, public funds into remodelling unviable airports at the same time, all in the name of finding avenue to loot the national treasury.
GHANA MUST GO Jonathan's incompetence affecting Nigeria... — Balarabe Musa
Tell him in Ijaw!
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