January 2011 Timeless

TIMELESS Published Since April 2003

Vol. 9 No. 1

JANUARY 2011

300 NAIRA

Success Habits ...for the New Year As Selected by You - Our Readers

Culture A Dissection of Chimamanda’s “The Thing Around your Neck at Farafina Book Review Style The Coolest Watches Money can Buy Society “My Vagina is Embarrasing...” www.timelessnewspaper.com timelesscourage.blogspot.com

From the Editor-in-Chief

What 2011 Stands For his place in history and enjoy the rest of the money that he ‘acquired’ for as long as God gives him good health and good life and be very glad that he is walking free and working strong and that he still has a lot of friends even in this nation.

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his year will be very interesting in the history of our nation. I am hoping that somehow the Almighty God himself will see us through the situation that we have found ourselves and make the next few years truly remarkable and enjoyable. We can see our politicians jostling and taking position in this great country of ours towards the elections of 2011. Over the last few months, we have seen IBB putting his machinery into place. We have seen several people coming out on his behalf and even from his own utterances; we can tell that he is beginning to really let us know where he is heading to. Atiku has never hidden his ambition and luckily for him was selected as the Consensus candidate of the north.

Then the Igbos are also saying that it is their turn to take center stage come 2015 although no person has actually shown up from that side of the country. They are however busy positioning themselves for the Vice Presidential position to northern candidates in 2011.

What bothers me however is that of all the people that have been showing an interest in leading this nation, I still have not seen that person who is truly interested in leading Nigeria for the sake of Nigeria.

You can see that most of the people that have so far offered themselves are interested more in themselves as rulers of Nigeria rather than Nigeria for the sake of Nigeria. IBB has refused to explain to us even till today what happened to June 12. The last time he said any word about June 12, he said he had spoken enough about the issue yet he has not said anything.

He has not given us any explanation whatsoever. He has not documented what transpired that led to the annulment of June 12. He is just trying to wish June 12 away. IBB should realise that Nigeria has changed whether he likes it or not. Nigeria and Nigerians are not desperate for IBB to become president.

We are not short of people who have the capabilities and competence to rule this nation and can actually make a positive impact on this nation. Nigeria is not anybody’s estate. Nigeria is not the preserve of any individual. Everybody should be able to aspire to the rulership of Nigeria if they have great ideas on how to rule.

IBB in my own opinion should just come out and be very honest with Nigerians over all that he did, take

As for Atiku, he should not think that because he has spent so many years in the corridors of power and he has been a Yar’ Adua faithful, he therefore automatically has a right to the rulership of Nigeria. Atiku should not think that because over the last few years, he has been able to gather his political faithfuls and put together a political machinery that the rulership of Nigeria should automatically be his own. Again, I am not sure that Atiku genuinely has the vision or plan for Nigeria. He somehow seems to have aligned himself with the old school, who just seem to want to have power for the sake of sirens and power. That even has gone permanently in Nigeria and our aspiring rulers should realise that.

We have not been able to feel the power and impact of a vibrant man with a capacity for hard work and the compelling vision. What Nigeria needs is a simple, compelling and purposeful plan implemented and executed with a deep sense of sincerity. Anyone who does not have that should not aspire to the leadership of this nation – period. I do not think that people who cannot seriously account for their wealth or their flamboyant lifestyle should continue to aspire to the leadership of this nation. Nigeria is no longer for sale to the highest bidder. Being generous to people, taking chieftaincy titles and flashing money around should no longer be the prerequisite for governing Nigeria. As a matter of fact, anyone with innumerable chieftaincy titles is a risk to this nation both in physical, extravagance, egoism and spiritual influences. A lot of people may not realise that tribal titles carry with them spiritual agreements that are almost irrevocable.

I am sure that by now everyone will agree that the title ‘Are Ona Kakanfo’ carries with it the curse of unrest, physical violence and premature death in battle.

If Nigerians really love Nigeria, this is the time for us to search for that man; that human being who actually loves Nigeria and is willing to do the right thing for Nigeria. We don’t want anybody to hoodwink us anymore. We don’t want anyone to just feed some of the masses for a season and think that by doing so he has a right to their hearts and soul and therefore he should take over the presidency. We need people who would be honest with us in Nigeria and who would really try to lead and govern this nation according to equity, fairness, the rule of law and the fear of God. We need people who would have a plan and a vision for this nation.

There is no way that we can continue like this as a nation. Anybody who is going to rule Nigeria in 2011 must come to Nigerians and tell us his vision, his ideas and where he is taking us to. He should tell us how he is going to achieve those plans for us. This

is the time for us to know what our potential leaders have in mind to do for us. A lot of the people jostling for the 2011 presidency are not thinking of what they are going to do. They just want to rule. They want to go about in sirens and live in Aso Rock. They want to command all the power and all the resources and of course make money for themselves and for their generations to come. We don’t want that anymore in Nigeria. We want to listen to people that have researched the issues, the problems and the challenges of this nation. We want that person that understands Nigeria and Nigerians and understand the place and context of Nigeria amongst the nations. We want that person who has a plan, a purpose, a vision, a direction and who has a heart for this nation, someone who will take this nation from where it is to where it should be. We don’t want business as usual anymore in this nation. We have too much at stake and we have too much to lose.

Nigeria is one of the most blessed nations in the world and yet because we have consistently had at the helm of affairs people who have neither plans nor thoughts, we are wallowing in abject poverty. Such a situation cannot persist. Therefore I am appealing that the real person that God has chosen to rule this nation should be somewhere and by this time be doing his homework, be planning and be thinking of where Nigeria is heading to. I am also appealing to the generality of Nigerians that when this fellow shows up, we would receive him because we would know that this is the man that God has mandated to take us to where we are going. We are tired in Nigeria of struggling for light, struggling for water, struggling for jobs, struggling for food, struggling for okada and of dying on a daily basis because of lack of medical care and from road accidents. We are tired of not being able to plan and have a direction and of working so hard and having so little to show for it. We are tired of living in constant fear of armed robbers and fear of even the police with their jungle justice.

For the moment we want the real Nigerian president come 2011 to stand up. We don’t want pretenders any more. I am sure that the Almighty himself will hearken to our prayers. 2011 will mark a watershed in the life of this nation. It will mark a turning point for good or for bad in the life of this nation. It will mark the permanency of democracy. It will ensure that we don’t go back, that the military won’t come back anymore and that Nigeria is put on a pedestal for growth. We need freshness and we need a new beginning. So whoever will become the president of this nation come 2011 must be somebody who will not bring back old memories, somebody who will not be a part of the old school and somebody who will bring fresh ideas and take us into the future. I believe that God will certainly help us.

Ituah Ighodalo JANUARY 2011

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Contents

Society

Style What on Earth was He Thinking?

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New Wardrobe, New Look for the New Year

14 Let’s Dream a Intimacy During 22 Little - The 16 Pregnancy Bugatti Veyron Advert Hotlines 08026861642, 08039410443, 01-4358330 Circulation Hotline 08023851601 TIMELESS NEWSPAPER is published by TIMELESS COURAGE PUBLISHING LTD. Plot 144, No. 10, Gbagada Expressway (Road leading to TREM), Beside ISN House, Anthony, Gbagada/Oworonshoki Expressway, Lagos.

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SEPTEMBER 2010

E-mail: timelesscourage@yahoo.co.uk Blog: timelesscourage.blogspot.com Website: www.timelessnewspaper.com Office Telephones 01-8163350, 01-4358330

EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CEO

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Business

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24 26

Understanding IFRS Lord Deming’s 14 Points

Matthew Osarenren CORRESPONDENTS

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Nneka Nwobi

LETTERS

GENERAL MANAGER, SALES & MARKETING

Joseph Anurukem HEAD, CIRCULATION

Olaitan Ogunsemowo “We really need a big change in Nigeria; someone like Jerry Rawlings is needed in our political sector; that’s what I call a change... responding to Pastor Ituah’s article on Leading Change James Ediri Umukoro “Looking back at the era you mentioned, our beloved nation had the potentials for greatness in all ramifications of our social, economic & political life. Hence our nationalist’s fathers fought tooth & nail to grant us independence, as they foresaw a great future for our nation. Today, what they thought was a great future has turned out to be a bleak one. Now, what went wrong with the dream our nationalist’s fathers had for our nation at age 50? A nation that was supposed to be soaring like an eagle across the bright, blue sky at age 50 is now crawling like a wounded lion looking for a place to hide from its adversaries. If only our nationalist’s fathers had an inkling Nigeria would be like this at age 50, if only...” responding to Pastor Ituah’s article on Leading Change Olafadeke Akeju “I marvel when people say the government lacks discipline and isn’t putting things right for the masses. I ask, what has the masses put right for itself? It starts with each individual, it starts in our homes. A number of children believe their parents have to pay for them to get ahead in life. No one sees patience or hard work as virtues. We all dream big but work little.” responding to Pastor Ituah’s article on Indiscipline

Steve Atannoye

MISSION STATEMENT To establish a well Structured, Educative and Informative Newsmagazine based on Sound Moral Values; providing Honest, Unbiased Reportage in Fairness to all.

SEPTEMBER 2010

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Editorial

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Defusing Security Threats in the New - Election - Year

ill 2011 turn out a routine level playing field for all – political parties and every shade of dramatis personae, and the electorate at large alike – every step of the way?

Or will it be lined with mines and booby-traps set to trip off at the slightest provocation, intended to shutdown the nation for selfish and sectional political gains? Countdown is interpreted in some quarters as showdown.

Increasing security threats, in terms of bomb blasts, kidnappings, among many manifestations, have been predicted for this year of upcoming elections.

This is not from any soothsayer or stargazer. Rather, it is from a critical evaluation of the patterns that, sadly, have characterised our polity. The state of insecurity has heightened over the last half decade; it is so lawless and hopeless that the whereabouts of many a kidnapping victim remains unknown.

While it is good for the polity that the political temperature which tends to turn feverish with impeding elections all at once will not necessarily be for every nook and cranny of the country. This is from the not a few recalibrations to the electoral calendar by the judicial arm of government through the upturning of spurious verdicts that had so brazenly and illegally propped up usurpers in power.

Yet the times remain dire, even as the electoral calendar begins to unfold at a faster pace, now that the knife-edge year 2011 is here at last.

A palpable carryover heating up the polity into the New Year is the preponderance of internal wrangling and of acts that heat up the polity, for example the sabre-rattling antics of the ruling party giddy with the confidence of incumbency and a self-appointed mandate to assure their hold on power indeterminably.

Government and electoral services groups must be ready with public security consciousness initiatives as empowerment for the times for the citizenry. The religious imperative is a strong one among our people; it should be explored fully by involving religious bodies in various aspects of electoral preparation.

In the wake of the recent Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor’s standoff with members of the country’s high-maintenance bicameral legislature on their lopsided jumbo pay, which they would rather defend or better still not have talked about (because it is irresponsibly high) we the people must take serious the need explore all possible options to de-fang the dragon by making elective offices less attractive, thus taking away the do-or-die imperative that has become incumbent on elections thus far.

Kidnappings, under various guises and for various purposes, have been spreading like wildfire, an evil wind blowing no one any good – the nation has been watching from the sidelines as hoodlums have reigned largely unchallenged from Abia, Anambra and Delta, to Imo, Ondo and Rivers states, all in the Niger Delta. We must not be deceived into thinking such dastardly acts are confined there. Some of our people ‘play politics’ often with high-stakes dividends for personal aggrandisement only in mind, and not for the developmental purposes of all. And people can take their cue from anywhere.

As we stand at the threshold of a new year, for Nigerians and the rest of the world with us, these are matters wordlessly agitating the psyche of the nation.

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Elections have simply been too ‘winner-takes-all’ affairs, with remunerations and perks of office worthy of the price of an arm and a leg, or to kill for, which challenge for many contenders for office is many times taken literally. Elective office in Nigeria has become way too attractive – for all the wrong reasons.

The expression “do-or-die” which ordinary means, according to the Encarta dictionary, “utterly reckless: involving the determination to risk everything in an effort to succeed,” has now become the catchphrase for all that is undesirable about electoral sparring in Nigeria.

One radical goodwill measure being suggested for adoption is for every candidate to be compelled to

sign a publicly-staged pre-electoral undertaking to abide by the results as posted; any grievances would be reported to the relevant authorities. This would help promote, in some way, the cultivation of the spirit of sportsmanship on the political arena.

While pending electoral murder conundrums that have been perpetrated for political ends over the years in Nigeria, that have left the psyche of the people bruised, at least, like the high-profile political cases of assassinations of Bola Ige, Harry Marshall and Funsho Williams, among others, may never be wikileaked, repeats of such dastardly acts may be forestalled through a series of pre-emptive actions aimed at nipping threats to lives and properties in the bud.

To tweak Lord Acton’s dreadful aphorism in native terms: Power corrupts; here, the smell of absolute power corrupts absolutely. Indeed, just the mere whiff of it has been known to make many salivate, willing to pay ‘any price’ to have it in hand to ravish. We must not let such persons, and their cronies, succeed at our common expense. It is in our power to nip things in the bud.

Those of us who are desirous of making the elections merely routine are more than some in our midst who are bent on having it turn out to be anything but that. The times behove us to keep one step ahead of the naysayers and destabilising elements in our midst.

For example, mischief-makers can be counted on to exploit technology to cause disaffection and mass hysteria. For example, bulk SMS messages may be sent out under anybody’s name or identity, purporting to convey any kind of bogus message, intended to incite to maim and kill in “defense” of vested ethnic, regional or religious interests.

Kidnapping as a weapon of intimidation and extortion, with high-impact prospects for emotional destabilization, has been steadily on the rise in towns and cities across Nigeria. With elections in the air, the situation may degenerate into a season of anomie for the polity as a whole – unless all hands come to deck for ensuring “the hedge” is intact around our families and associates.

It was the American abolitionist and writer Frederick Douglass who warned that “The price of Liberty is eternal vigilance”; it is a warning Nigerians must lay to heart as the countdown to elections at various levels begins.

In the haunting strains of the classic election slogan from another era – dating from Nigeria’s fairest and freest elections which outcome was sacrificed to a as yet undisclosed god on the altar of personal and sectarian aggrandisement – Nigeria is indeed “on the march again.” It is in our hands to ensure it is not toward the edge of the precipice into oblivion.

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events

Democracy as Holism:

The 12th Annual Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe Lecture Political Stability, Security, Peace and Socio-Economic Development as Integrals of Democracy Tola Awoyemi

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he 12th annual Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe lecture took place on November 26, at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, NIIA, Lagos. The former Pakistan President, Mr. Pervez Musharraf, was the keynote speaker and President Goodluck Jonathan was the Special Guest of Honour at the lecture where Chief Arthur Mbanefo, former Ambassador/Special Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations was Chairman. The lecture was titled Democracy as Holism: that the dove may be set free in our land (Political stability, security, peace and socio-economic development as integrals of democracy).

The Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe Foundation, an autonomous entity that is not affiliated to any interest group, political party or movement or any religious organization or society, was established to give further development to the philosophy, principles and value system promoted by Emmanuel Onyechere Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe in the course of his earthly sojourn. It also serves to provide a structured framework for the continuance of his various public spirited works at the level of the individual, groups, and communities.

These include: • Promotion of family and religious values as pre-requisite for fostering a better society; • Provision of financial and other support for the less-privileged and the helpless, especially in the areas of Nutrition, Medicare and Education; and • Stimulation and sponsorship of research on a broad range of issues aimed at spiritual development, poverty alleviation, harnessing human resources and promoting democratic governance, social justice as well as individual and press freedom.

Musharaf spoke on “National Security as a Fundamental to Building Enduring Democracy” under the broader theme of the lecture. Mr Musharaf explained that “democracy must be tailored to the dictates of the local terrain of a country,” warning that “democracy does not end at conducting a free and fair election, as the West always supports.” “Democracy is about ensuring security, equity and balance of welfare for the people in a state” he said.

Mbanefo, who chaired the event, lamented that six months to the end of the current term, about 300 election petitions had not been resolved and urged the judiciary to set up special tribunals to speedily handle election petitions because “justice delayed is justice denied.” Noting that the country was facing serious challenges 50 years after independence on account of inability to hold free and fair elections, the erudite diplomat hoped “that we will get it right in 2011 because the election of a good leader with vision is closely related to good governance.”

He continued: “Since 1999, Nigeria has not had a presidential election which result was generally accepted. This situation only exists in Nigeria.

One cannot imagine why the courts have failed to set up special courts to handle election matters. The voters are the losers if those who truly won elections don’t have their cases resolved before the end of their terms.”

Jonathan, who was represented by the Minister of State (Information), Dr. Labaran Maku, restated his commitment to ensuring credible polls and asked Nigerians “to take their destiny in their hands by ensuring that their votes count and choosing the leader of their choice” because “I hope that the 2011 elections will usher in the cleanest and fairest election in our nation’s history.”

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events

The Kings Daughter RCCG (Apapa Family) holds Annual Women’s Conference

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he Redeemed Christian Church of God, Province 4 (Apapa Family) organized their Arise Annual Women’s Conference 2010 recently at City of David, Dideolu Estate, Victoria Island, Lagos State. The programme hosted by Pastor (Mrs.) Iluyomade was titled ‘The Kings Daughter” and was sponsored by the Handmaidens Women’s Ministry of the church. Special guests at the event included her Excellency, (Mrs.) Abimbola Fashola, the First Lady of Lagos state, Her Excellency (Mrs.) Sarah Sosan, Deputy Governor of Lagos state, Her Excellency (Mrs.) Olukemi Mimiko, First lady, Ondo State and Rev. (Mrs.) Funke Felix-Adejumo.

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events

‘Unshakable Kingdom’ Premiers in Lagos Godwin Thomas

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aranatha Pictures, the movie arm of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission, which produced “Spirit of The Last Days”, “My Dream”, “Dream Again”, “Broken Down Altar”, amongst other movies and soap operas recently premiered its latest movie, “Unshakable Kingdom” at the Grand Ball Room, Eko Hotel and Suites.

The movie, which depicts how the gospel of Jesus Christ prevailed amidst vicious opposition by evil forces in a fictitious kingdom called ‘Ikolaba’, where ritual killings, and human sacrifices were acceptable and well guarded norms starred Nollywood veterans including Justus Esiri, Peter Fatomilola, and Afeez Oyetoro.

In the movie, a village king (of Ikolaba) who heard and accepted the gospel of Christ from missionaries was banished from the village for accepting the message. Before then however, he had sent his son to stay with the missionaries. The son grew up and prospered in business, and later encountered the Lord before returning to his father‘s village to share the Good News of the gospel and demonstrate the power of an ‘Unshakable Kingdom,’ thereby liberating the whole village with the gospel.

Shot on location in Ikorodu town, Lagos, and directed by Muyideen Ayinde, the movie also features promising acts from the church’s movie production ministry. Don Pedro Aganbi, the producer of the movie hinted that the movie production group was a vision of the Presiding Bishop of TREM, Bishop Mike Okonkwo, to preach the gospel through motion pictures.

Speaking at the premier, which also featured a gold carpet reception, Dr. Mrs Giwa who represented the former First lady of Lagos State and the founder of New Era Foundation, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu praised the efforts of the group at producing the epic movie. According to her, “The film will go a long way in educating our children, mummies, and daddies about preaching the gospel” On her part, Dr. (Mrs) Moji Ogunlewe Akinola said that by the reason of the great work, Christianity will be better positioned in the society. “Christianity will be presented truthfully, and in the right context, and we can win souls into the kingdom.”

In his closing remarks, the chief host of the event, Dr. Mike Okonkwo, reiterated the need to spread the gospel through every available channel, and the need for people to draw closer to God, saying that every other kingdom is shakable, but that the kingdom of God alone is unshakable. He also thanked and prayed for all at the event.

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Cover Feature

Success Habits

As selected by you – our readers Ayodeji Jeremiah “Our business in life is not to get ahead of others, but to get ahead of ourselves, to break our own record, to outstrip our yesterday by our today.’ Stewart B. Johnson

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he beginning of a New Year is a time to reflect on one’s life, take stock and plan ahead. We asked our readers to send in their Success Habits for the New Year and got the following major responses. The list is by no means exhaustive but I am sure you will agree with us and with those that sent in these habits that they do cover a lot of ground. These principles as I will like to call them are not rocket science. The question is, are we all going to commit to practising and following them. Every year, we all make so called New Year resolutions but rarely commit to following such. The following are more than New Year resolutions; they are life principles that if you commit to doing them conscientiously, they will change your life in the long run. They have worked for some people, so why can’t they work for everyone. They are not some boogie style ideas or some overtly scriptural practises.

They are common sense ideas. Come to think of it, why won’t reading change someone’s life as you get to learn more about different things? It is time we lay to rest that negative idiom that, ‘if you want to hide something from a black man, put it in a book’. That’s just disgusting.

And what is wrong in being reliable; a sage once told me that ‘if you want to get things done, give it to the person

who is busy and reliable’. No matter how busy a reliable person might be, he will get it done. And what is wrong with being time conscious? Africans and Nigerians in particular have acquired a reputation (albeit a very bad one) for being late to functions. There is even a name for it, ‘the African Time’. So, as we begin another year, let us all resolve to practise the following principles and imbibe it into our lives. It will make a lot of difference.

As we look to transforming our nation, let’s remember that that transformation starts from our families, which is the basic unit of any society and families are made up of individuals like you and me. We say a big thank you to all those who contributed to the making of this cover: Dolapo Taiwo, Mariam Oyindamola Campbell, Adé Fákòyà, Linda Diokpa, Ayo Moses, Adebowale Jeff Johnson, Kehinde Adollo, Amenze Emma-Iyamu and Mark Ighile. So, here we go: Success Habits for the New Year (or for your life for that matter) 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Read widely Work Hard and Work Smart Play Hard Be Reliable Choose Joy

6.

Pray 7.

Have a Positive Attitude 8.

Have a mindset of Continuous and Non Stop Improvement 9.

Have Integrity 10.

Plan and Prepare 11.

Build Positive Relationships 12.

Be Disciplined 13.

Be Time Conscious 14.

Discover Yourself & Express your Passion Read Widely Francis Bacon said ‘Reading maketh a man’. A nice old lady in a nursing home was once asked the secret of her life. Not only had she grown old gracefully, she was full of passion for life even at age 90. She said she travels a lot. Hmmn. The people started wondering how she could be doing so much travelling confined to that nursing home. She answered them, ‘I travel anytime I read books. Books take me anywhere I want to go at anytime.’ True words. Books enable us (when we immerse ourselves in them) to experience different cultures and traditions, and to get to know more about lots of other things beyond what we learnt in school or

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cover feature what we are doing for a living. Books challenge us in ways we can never imagine. Zig Ziglar once said reading one book every week is equivalent of attending one week of lectures in a university system. Gone are the days when people acquired university degrees through distance learning courses posted by mail. Books reorient our minds The mind is defined in the following ways: the ability to be aware of things and to think and feel; the source of one’s thoughts and feelings; the ability to reason; one’s intellectual powers; a person’s thoughts or attention; the ability to remember; a person’s normal mental state. The source of all thinking whether well or bad is from the mind. A good mind brings forth good thoughts. The ability to reason either wisely or foolishly is from the mind so a mind pervaded by wisdom brings forth wise reasoning. A person’s intellectual ability lies in the mind so a developed mind brings forth great intellectual potential. Whatever occupies a person’s thoughts or attention reflects the state of mind of such an individual.

Even the Bible says, “As in water face answers to face, so the mind of man reflects the man” (Proverbs 27:19).

What this is saying is that a man cannot be different from his mind. A man can only be as his mind makes him to be. You look at a man and it tells you the state of his mind and you look at a man’s mind and you see the man. Your mind is a reflection of what you read, what you watch, what you listen to. So, feed your mind with great inspiring, knowledgeable books and see yourself become the better for it.

Work Hard and Work Smart Leke Alder in an interview I had with him said, ‘the word hard work is an oxymoron. No work is easy. If any work is easy then it is not work.’ But then, the question arises, doesn’t every person work hard? I guess we all do (or pretend we do or aspire to do so). But it is not enough to work hard but to also work smart. How do you organise your work? Do you delegate? Do you focus on the urgent and the important immediately and the not urgent but important later and let others handle the urgent but not important and the not urgent and not important. Working hard and smart involves loving your job, organising your work, delegating duties, being proactive rather than reactive, and definitely not telling your boss ‘that’s not my job or I am not the one that does that’. A lot of bosses (and everyone has a boss; even if you own the business, your clients are your bosses) are simple souls who think your job is to do what’s asked of you. So even if you’re assigned a task that is, indeed, not your job, refrain from saying so. Instead, try to find out why your boss is assigning you this task — there may be a valid reason. If you believe that doing the task is a bad idea (as in, bad for the company) you can try explaining why and suggesting how it could be better done by someone else. This may work, depending on the boss. In any case, remember that doing what’s asked of you, even tasks outside your job description, is good karma. Other things that a lot of people do or say that makes their work ‘hard’ includes the attitude of ‘it’s not my fault’, ‘it’s not my problem’, ‘it can’t be done’, ‘I am overqualified for this job’. These kinds of attitudes do not help you go far on the job.

Play Hard Jack Welch, the legendary former CEO of General Electric in his book, Winning said ‘we celebrate our successes.’ Do we give ourselves time to celebrate our successes, as a family, as team, as a company, a church, or even an individual. Do we take time out to relax?

What is our idea of relaxation? More business meetings? Can we create time for humour even when the going gets tough? To be successful in life involves more

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than just working hard and smart, we also need to play hard, relax, celebrate our successes and generally just appreciate life. Birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine, Easter, Christmas are periods to create avenues for you and your team to play and celebrate.

Be Reliable Can people point at you and say that man (or woman) is reliable. Is your yes ‘yes’ and your no ‘no’. Are you trustworthy? If you are given an assignment to do, can you complete it on time without reverting to lame excuses?

Are you willing to do the ‘dirty’ work? Do you pay attention to details? Do you have a rigorous and balanced work ethic? Do you think through all the aspects of your work and develop a road map to getting things done?

Develop an attitude of reliability; it will make ways for you.

Choose Joy Choose to be happy. Choose to celebrate life. Choose joy. Be a magnet for others to want to come around and be around you. Learn how to smile. The smile can become as natural as breathing. Live for today and refuse that the negative feelings that you have in connection with yesterday prevent from achieving your goal in the present. Get over yourself and start giving yourself. Do things that will put a smile on the faces of others. Look for the good in every situation. Happiness is a state of the mind.

Pray Myles Munroe said “God is not only the Author of your vision, but also your continuing Support as you progress towards its fulfilment.” Pray always. Pray harder. Saturate your mind with the Word of God. Pray as if it all depended on God and work as though it all depended on you.

Have a Positive Attitude A recent article and study at Harvard showed that no matter how smart or intelligent someone might be, no one wants to work with him unless he has an upbeat attitude. Be of good mood. Think of your last successes and draw confidence for your current undertakings. If you fail today, recall that tomorrow is the extension of today and that you will be able to test again. Resolve to rise above the failure. Mentally remove the ‘you’ from failure. John Maxwell said ‘Realise that there is one major difference between average people and achieving

people – their perception and response to failure.’ Find the benefit in every bad experience. Create a positive atmosphere around you.

Have a mindset of Continuous and Non Stop Improvement Mediocrity has become an art in Africa. It has gotten so bad that when we see people trying to do things excellently, we call them ‘oversabi’ i.e. they know too much.

We wait until things get broken before we fix them. One of the ways to develop a mindset of non stop continuous improvement is by having a teachable mind and undergoing coaching. Coaching enables you to go farther and faster. A human resources director was once asked to give an advice on leadership especially on how to get the best out of people and he replied listen, listen and listen.

Ken Blanchard said, “I believe providing feedback is the most cost-effective strategy for improving performance and instilling satisfaction.” People who resist coaching always end up in a rut. Age and experience don’t necessarily make us better. Age and experience have a tendency to leave us in a rut doing the same thing, the same way with no one around to spur us toward change.

In the world of athletics, nobody performs his way out of needing a coach. Self-evaluation is helpful but evaluation and feedback from someone else is essential. Cognitive intelligence is a prerequisite for most leadership positions but what distinguishes those who move up to those positions is what someone once referred to as emotional intelligence. This is the ability to be self-aware and selfregulating, empathetic and compassionate and skilled at bringing out the best in people around you, you will hear what you need to know and inspire what they need to do. One of the worst things that can happen to a leader is isolation; when he stops hearing from his troops and becomes the last to know what is going on. That tends to happen if the followers believe that the leader knows it all. Make efforts to constantly improve yourself, your team and your environment.

Have Integrity You may be better at doing something than others. You may be older than the other members of your team.

You may have more experience than those you are leading. You may be so good at what you do. But without character, without integrity, without a reputation, you are just a sitting duck leader. Character is what makes you who you are. It is what gives you your personality. It is what makes you different from others. Character traits are not something you buy from the grocery store. They are developed over the entire period of a person’s life and unlearning the wrong ones can be quite a difficult if not an almost impossible process. The person who has the wrong character trait barely acknowledges that he does unless and until it has caused some serious problems. If you do not have character, integrity and reputation and you are my leader then I can question your authority. I can only go as far as possible with you but not any further. Without those three qualities, your leadership is questionable. Why is it so easy for some people to lie so easily? Why is it so easy for some people not to keep to their words? Why is it that some people so easily play pawns with the life of those they are supposed to be leading? How can a person say one thing and mean entirely another thing? It takes a conscious effort to be a better person and a good human being. There is nothing wrong in being a good and honest person with a good heart and the right attitude. Some people think that because the world is a harsh place filled with all manner of people then you must be one tough cookie to get to the top and achieve your purpose. The world is bad enough as it is with enough mendacious, disreputable and

cover feature untrustworthy people and you will do yourself a whole lot of good by not adding yourself to the number. Be clear about your values, clarify those values and commit yourself to living with them. Living your values gives you a surge of mental strength and well being.

Plan and Prepare Ralph Waldo Emerson said “The world makes way for a man who knows where he is going”. The most frustrated person in the world is the person who has a dream but does not know how to make it come to pass. There is no future without planning. Our imagination enables us in our planning. Ideas when cultivated become imagination. Imagination when developed becomes a plan. A plan when followed becomes reality. When you lack a plan, you miss opportunities. If you don’t have a plan for your life, you will have nothing to refer to ensure that you are on track. Start thinking about where you want to be in one, five, ten, twenty years from now and starting putting down ideas about how you will get there.

Identify your resources and start with whatever you have.

Your dream determines your goals. Your goals (plans) map out your actions. Your actions create results. The results bring you success. Here are some steps to help you in your planning: (i) give some thought to where you are now and how far you are from your dream. (ii) what will it cost you to get to where you are going? In terms of money, time, relationships, present job, comforts/ luxuries. (iii) What are the goals that you will need to accomplish to fulfil your dream? What are your personal spiritual, health, relationship, academic, financial and investment goals?

Build Positive Relationships You need to get involved with people. Like minded people who share in your vision and passions, not those who will pull you down. Zig Ziglar said “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want”. When you begin to act on your vision, it will stir up both those who want to help you and those who want to hinder you. You need to identify those two types of people and nurture the positive ones. We need other people if we are going to be successful in life. Your progress is largely determined by how much people like you and want to help you.

One of the determinants of your success is how well you get along with others and how well you perform as part of a team. Your level of success will be determined by the number of people you know and who know you and like you. The more that people like you and respect you, the more doors they will open for you and the more obstacles they will remove from your path. At every turning point in your life, someone is standing there to either help you or hinder you. Practice the Golden Rule when it comes to people: Treat other people the way you would like them to treat you. Look for ways to put something into a relationship before you think about getting something out. Make a habit of building and maintaining high quality relationships. Virtually all of your problems in life will come as a result of your entering into the wrong relationships and virtually all of your great successes in life will be accompanied by great relationships with good people who help you and whom you help in return.

Be Disciplined Nigerians generally lack discipline, orderly behaviour and prescribed conduct. They lack a way of life that should normally enable a smooth running of affairs.

One of the problems of Nigeria today is indiscipline which is a lack of discipline, a lack of orderly prescribed conduct or pattern of behaviour, a lack of self-control, a contravention of rules or system of rules governing con-

duct or activity and that is why our nation has become such a big challenge. Indiscipline has sort of become a way of life in Nigeria and it is leading to a lot of loss, waste, trauma and hardship for the average Nigerian going about his business and trying to make a living. Most corporations and organisations are run by undisciplined leaders who have a lot of undisciplined staff working for them. You get to a reception and the receptionist is making up her face, reading a novel, picking her hair or chatting away with her friends either on the phone or with other co-workers. You stand there shifting on your leg and coughing trying to get attention, which you don’t get until you finally say you want to see so and so and then she waves her hand to a seat lackadaisically and starts asking you all sorts of questions. Her manner, her conduct, her tone all reek of a lack of training and a lack of discipline. People should learn to line up and queue. People should learn to wait in their own traffic lane when there is a traffic build up. People should learn to respond to traffic instructions. Part of the indiscipline that we have in Nigeria is because of the indiscipline of some of our leaders. The way they move around in their convoys, the way their escorts and their guards behave.

Escort and bullion car drivers drive recklessly on the roads putting other people in danger. Cultivate a habit of discipline everywhere you go and in everything you do.

Be Time Conscious Someone once said the term ‘time management’ is a misnomer. You simply cannot manage time. Time waits for no one. Everyone of us has the same 24 hours in a day. So what we all want to be doing is to be making effective use of time. Why do we have the so-called ‘African Time’ syndrome? Some of the most successful people in the world, the busiest and the most powerful are usually the best managers of time. Every hour of their life is planned for. They know they can’t afford to be loose cannons thrown around by circumstances of each day. They are usually where they want to be when they want to be. Unusual circumstances may make a mess of some hours or days here and there but they still get done what they want to get done when they want it done. It is not because they have aides to assist them that they can achieve this effective use of time but it is in their mindset and has become part of their attitude. Some of our own leaders with all the help they can muster have made it a point of duty to arrive last at functions they are invited to.

Every one of us of course simply follows in their steps. If the Governor is going to get there at 10.00 a.m., I might as well get there at 9.45 a.m. This is for a programme that is supposed to start at 9.00 a.m. Of course the Governor will come in and tell you that it was due to a state function that he was late. Even God advises us in His good book to make the most of the time. A wasted day today becomes a wasted yesterday tomorrow. It cannot be reclaimed. It is a part of your life that has come and gone.

Each present day is actually a part of your future and if not properly utilised is actually a part of your future wasted away. Effective use of time is one of the mind needs of Africans. You get more things done over a planned day than one in which you allow yourself to be drifted aloft by the circumstances of each day.

Myles Munroe said “You will never be successful until you are angry about not doing what you know you should be doing”. You must have great enthusiasm for what you love doing most and enjoy doing it. You must put your whole heart into your vision. Are you passionate about your work? Passion is stamina that says I am going to go after this, no matter what happens. Passion helps you perform well even under pressure and stress.

Passion helps you overcome resistance. Passion means that what you believe is bigger than what you see. Passion keeps you focused on your vision. If you can stop what you are doing and still be happy, then you are not passionate about it. Passion means you are willing to pay the price. Having passion for what you are doing helps you develop a positive attitude. Passion enables you to look for the good in every situation. Passionate people have discovered something more important than life itself. One of the ways to develop passion is to do what you love to do. That is where a lot of us are missing it.

A lot of people are in jobs that they hate with a passion (pun intended). Of course, they end up frustrated.

Wherein lies your passions? Discover it and unleash yourself.

So this year, set goals for yourself to achieve. Read widely. Watch interesting and stimulating programs on the T.V. Browse the web. Know what is going on around you. Don’t get caught up in the daily vagaries of life until life passes you by. Listen more to people who know better than you rather than trying to impress them with cheap talk. Whatever you are doing or are involved in, avail yourself of the latest resources and information.

Don’t be too proud to say, “I don’t know”. Don’t surround yourself with people with negative attitudes who do not want to see you get above them. If someone is doing something that inspires you or someone is better at something you too are involved in, never let go of any opportunity to learn from such a person. Be prepared to take a further step even if the others with you are not interested in doing so. Let us all resolve to improve positively our habits, attitudes, mindsets and thoughts patterns. Change these positively and what comes out of you will be a better individual. A collection of better individuals will ultimately lead to a better nation.

Discover Yourself & Express your Passion

JANUARY 2011

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13

Life & Society FAMILY

RELATIONSHIPS

HEALTH

EDUCATION

SCIENCE

Oh My God, What Was He Thinking?

Folakemi Seun Adeosun

E

mmanuel was everything any woman would love to marry; handsome, tall, loving, caring with sparkling white teeth, which made his smile charming. He had a M.Sc., very intelligent and nothing was difficult for him to figure out; careers, business, medicine, IT, current affairs…anything. To crown it all, he was wealthy, working in one of the leading oil firms in Nigeria.

I got his calls everyday; morning, afternoon and night. It was so bad that sometimes, he spoke with me on phone and chatted with me on-line at the same time. I realized his calls were becoming an addiction, though we were just friends, so I stopped picking some, especially very early in the morning.

But there’s something very interesting about him, he seemed to understand me perfectly well, knew those calls were being scrutinized and not minding, he always called back. He sent me the best mails I have in my inbox, even till now. He told me inspiring, motivational and encouraging words.

Emmanuel always told me, even from the first day of our friendship, that I was his wife, though I laughed each time he said so and that no matter how hard I played to get, I would come back to him, he sounded

so sure.

One day I asked him why he was still single and he said he vowed that his wife would never suffer, so he had decided to work hard, to ensure a secured future for his family. I had just finished my NYSC, managing in a small firm, still searching for a better job and needed an accommodation, so dating was the least of my problems.

Emma was to relocate to Washington last year and so mounted pressure on me, that we should marry before he travelled. This was strange to me, because my belief is that the process of marriage is in stages.

This was someone I had never visited, despite his many invitations to his house and workplace. He did off-shore jobs and organized my visits by air rather that road, many times, but I never accepted any of his tempting and attractive offers.

It wasn’t that I didn’t like him. No, we were close friends; I enjoyed ‘gisting’ with him, but felt strange and restrictive about the whole thing. I couldn’t just say ‘Yes’ to his proposals and felt something was wrong, but unable to figure it out.

In January 2010, he called me from the States to express how painful it was not being able to marry me.

He sounded really hurt and assured me again that he was coming back to marry me. Whao! He couldn’t even date; talk less of marrying another girl there, so he said.

For the first time in our friendship of five years, his words sank to my heart, and I realized I had missed him so much. So I sat down to analyze my reasons not dating him. For crying out loud, I didn’t have any! He wasn’t a bad guy after all. What should I do? I had so many thoughts, one was to call and tell him that I was ready to be his girl. No, I would look cheap! I gave myself few weeks to decide, but it wouldn’t be smart to avoid him and risk his being taken away by another babe.

Barely one week later, one of my aunties challenged me that I didn’t accept her request on Facebook. As at that time, only 20 friends were on my list, Emma wasn’t even among them. I don’t know why. I apologized and added her almost immediately. I added Emma also.

Oh my God, she knew Emmanuel! They were friends. I called to ask Aunty about him. ‘Ann’s father’ she said. I thought there was a mistake somewhere, so I questioned her again. My aunty knew him, his wife and the entire family. She confirmed all I knew about him and even told me his address in the US. It was the same guy! My dear friend was not only married, he had 3 lovely children.

At that point, I started laughing, thinking it was a dream, and could not talk for a few minutes. The whole scenario seemed dramatic. I had a friend highly skilled in deception. The irony of it was that my aunty knew about him and had even encouraged me to give him a chance.

What if we were married at the registry? Thank God, for Facebook. Unlike before, right now, I am a dedicated member.

It’s a common trend, but very wrong for married couples to keep extramarital affairs. Marriage is not a game, once you are in, its forever. Therefore, ensure marrying someone you can stay with forever, so you don’t have to wink at other persons. Also, define every relationship you keep, neither be covetous nor attracted to wealth. It’s not all that glitters that is gold!

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JANUARY 2011

Life & Society

The Learning Curve I learnt a major lesson from my own life that made me realize that the journey to greatness is taken one step at a time but in laboured steps.

When I first got the news I was so excited, it made me so happy that it had happened so soon and when I was not even expecting it. I felt like I had just won the lottery. I was walking on air, nothing could dampen my enthusiasm for I had dreamed about it, imagined it and been taught about it. I had gone through months wondering about how it happened and when I would get a sign it had happened to me.

There was so much information that I was not told, nothing prepared me for the constant tiredness or the sickness or not being able to sleep. No one told me that I would feel like I had been run over by something or feel like a cloth that had been wringed dry.

No one told me that my body would start to play tricks on me or that sleep would be a constant form of respite or that I would begin to feel faint and even on occasions almost faint at the whiff of something, any smell that had begun to suddenly irritate my system.

I had been told some stuff and had seen the look on some. Some people looked like they had just been through a war, so I prayed about it and I was blooming instead. Some I was told threw up at every instant so I prayed again and I only experienced that twice.

Some were all of a sudden extremely nasty, so I called for grace to keep my smile and it worked. On the days when I could have vented my frustration by being nasty, I slept like no mans business.

But then I was learning and I am still learning a major life rule. The good things in life, those really great things that make you wonder how you were ever able to do it. They need a whole lot of work and a healthy dose of perseverance and patience. So in the last few months, I have had great days, those days when I am blooming, when I look nothing like an expectant, there are the bad days when prayer and a lot of sleep are my respite from the onslaught and there are days that are in between when I sway like a pendulum between being extremely playful and happy and then cry for no reason. On such days, I pray extra hard for strength, after all it is a thing of joy but my hormones are having a field day and have turned my body to their football field!

I have also learnt another great lesson. Practice is very different from theory. I look back on those days when I would pen articles on pregnancy style ideas. I thought I knew what it was about, I thought it was easy staying good looking at this time. Now I can look back and say “if only you knew”.

Some might wonder at the change of heart; nothing ever prepares you for the rapid change in size. No one ever tells you that dressing up every morning becomes an experiment in style. Suddenly your style priorities

change. Before I wanted to look lovely, feminine and stylish. All of a sudden, comfort is key, not stylish comfort, just plain comfort! Style can come later.

It is not all bad or sad though, as I have my triumphant days. Those days when I realize that I have won against all odds or those days when the old me shines through all the expansiveness of my new body. The day I got two pairs of maternity jeans that showed my booty in all of its pre expectant glory, I felt ecstatic.

I also got a sexy dress and a skirt that if it could talk would say “pregnant but still smoking hot! Then, there was the day I went to the salon and got this big afro done, I still get compliments for the hairstyle. Or the day I rocked a nice dress with my afro out with my hubby and was getting compliments and stares as well, I was hotter, I just knew it! I cannot help it, once a fashionista, always a fashionista, pregnant or not!

seeing my hubby walk with pride because I am not using pregnancy as an excuse to be frumpy. It takes a lot of will to do this but then, if I did not try, how would I know if it is possible. I am learning new things but I am more confident now, more than ever. I know these words are true that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”!

Adetola Asabo is a warm person who loves to write, likes making new friends and meeting new people.

The University of Lagos graduate of Insurance is extremely confident and comfortable in her skin. She started writing as a form of self expression in secondary school and loves writing about anything that catches her attention. A former Senior Editorial Assistant at TIMELESS, this column is a dream come true for her. Adetola who is happily married says ‘writing is my addiction.’

But it is the little things that bring me the most joy like

JANUARY 2011

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15

Life & Society

Intimacy during Pregnancy Tola Awoyemi

cal fact of life. It is just one more season of your marriage, one that needs sensitive understanding.

P

regnancy can change your appetite for many of life’s simple pleasures, from making dinner to making love. How you will feel about sex while pregnant depends on your individual feelings about sex, your partner’s feelings, and the physical and emotional changes of this particular pregnancy.

There’s one guarantee however, while pregnant you will feel different about sex. For many women, and their partners, this difference is exciting. Some women become aroused more easily, and climax more quickly, pleasurably, and frequently, and many men find their pregnant wives sexier than ever. Yet while some couples experience pregnancy as a peak erotic time in their married lives, others experience a downturn in desire or satisfaction. Fortunately, all of these feelings are normal. Once you and your spouse realize why sex is different during the nine months of pregnancy (and for that matter, the months after birth) you’ll find it easier to adjust to this biologi16

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JANUARY 2011

• First trimester. In the early months fatigue, along with nausea and fear of miscarriage, turns sex into an uncomfortable obligation for many women.

• Second trimester (called “pregnancy’s honeymoon”).

Hormonal surges level off.

Fatigue and morning sickness usually lessen, the fear of miscarriage subsides as the statistical risk decreases, and many women show a surge in sexual desire.

It is not uncommon for men, enjoying the new erotic feelings of their mates; to feel that the sex they didn’t get earlier was worth waiting for. The heightened sensitivity of the erogenous zones is so thrilling to many women that they experience more enthusiasm for sex during the middle months of pregnancy than at any time in their lives.

• Final months. Do not be surprised if in the final months you are too large, too awkward, or too preoccupied with the coming birth to enjoy sex.

In the third trimester, as a ballooning abdomen literally comes between a woman and her partner, most women report that they focus more on becoming maternal rather than being sexual. Even if the body is willing, it may be clumsy.

Tips for Better Sex During Pregnancy Think round, think big. Consider what you’re getting and not what you’re losing. Your new roundness provides more surface area for your lover to see and touch. Any time you feel yourself falling back into your old mindset, call a friend who’s been there and ask her to talk you out of it. Stand in front of a mirror and embrace the new version of yourself. Take pride in your “new” body – give it the respect it deserves.

Give yourself a sexy look. Just because your body is getting bigger doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look your best. Treat yourself to a new hairstyle, change your make-up, and buy a new nightgown revealing what’s appealing. This is likely to spark your mate and push your sexual image up a notch.

Act sexier than you feel. Social scientists have shown that acting can affect feeling. Smiling, for example, causes your brain to release the same chemicals it would if you were actually happy – thereby making you happier. If you act unsexy, you may cause your partner to feel unsexy, making him retreat. If you act sexy, you may soon surprise yourself with feeling sexy!

You are attractive to your mate. If you convince yourself that your blossoming belly is no longer attractive to your husband, you are setting yourself up for a sexual slow down. Besides, this probably isn’t true. It’s the different shape that attracts males. And certainly during pregnancy you will look and act differently than at any other time in your relationship.

Research doesn’t support your assumption that you are not attractive to your mate; most men find their wives’ newly rounded bodies appealing. Your mate is likely to love the fleshy feel and curvy look of your pregnant body.

Have a sex talk. Tell your mate about the way pregnancy is affecting your sexuality; and ask your mate to tell you how he feels about your new look. Each partner should explain his or her feelings. Be sure that he does not interpret your disinterest in sex as disinterest in him, for example, or you don’t assume his confusion over how to touch you now means he’s not interested. By the same token, avoid projecting your sexual uneasiness onto your mate. He will probably find you more attractive than ever.

Share your body. Be sure to include your husband in the pregnancy by being proud of rather than hiding your body’s milestones: your darkened nipples, the first tummy bulge. Focus on what is new and exciting that you will both enjoy only during pregnancy. For example, your new breasts will be “all his” for the rest of the pregnancy, what a turn on, without resorting to silicone! Lie nude together watching and feeling the baby move. Your mate will enjoy side views that he has never before seen. One fun project can be taking “as you grow” photos, month-by-month photos showing, from all angles, your changing pregnant image. Your mate will enjoy his “pin-up wall.”

Have Fun. Have periodic weekend “dates” before baby arrives; after he or she comes you will have less energy for each other. The best time for ambitious sexual retreats is during the middle months of pregnancy, but make an effort to spend romantic time enjoying each other throughout the pregnancy.

Life & Society

“My Vagina is Embarrassing…”

Olutosin Awoyemi

D

efinately that does not sound like a statment I would make being a guy but I am sure it is the thought on the mind of a lot of our ladies.

Think about it, weird vaginal discharge and odour can be quite embarrassing and uncomfortable much less when you start to itch in public.

So let me put it to you, ‘is your vagina embarrassing?’

If your answer is yes, I have decided to enlighten you on vaginal discharge; if your answer is no, still read on as your friend’s answer might be yes and you will be in a position to help.

- It is odourless - It increases during sexual excitement - It increases during pregnancy - It could be relatively copius and thinner in middle of menstrual cycle {ovulation} Your dicharge is abnormal when it has the following characteristics. I have classified symptoms for particular infections. Note: this is not all encompassing but will enable you know when there is a problem

Normal healthy vagina is never absolutely dry but is bathed by some secretions from glands which lines it.

Vaginal discharge could be normal (physiological) or abnormal (pathological). The abnormal can be caused by infections or other causes as cancer. I will be limiting the discussion to the infectious causes.

CANDIDA This is by far the commonest cause of abnormal discharge, some women even think it is normal.

- Profuse, thick, whitish,cheesy discharge - Itching is much and embarrassing - Painful sexual intercourse - Painful urination - Not usually foul smelling

Your discharge is normal if it has the following characteristics .

- It is colourless

Though candida infection occur in most women some women her particularly predisposed to having it.

- Women with diabetes

- Those on broad spectrum antibiotics for along time - Those on immunosupressive drugs {anticancer drugs} - Women who wear tight pants and trousers {Gstrings} TRICHOMONIASIS - Foul smelling - Frothy {foamy} - Creamy or slightly greenish and irritating - There may be itching but not as much as in candida - Painful sexual intercourse - Painful urination - Frequency of urination BACTARIAL VAGINOSIS This infection has led to disharmony between sexual patners because - It has a very pungent fishy smell {smells like fish} the smell increases immediately after sexual intercourse.

- White to grey in colour - Itching is usually absent Vagina infections could cause - Pelvic inflamatory disease - Infertility - Disharmony between sexual patners This is why early diagnosis and treatment is very important PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE - Wear clean underwear and maintain good hygine - After using the toilet cleanup from the front backwards and not the other way in other not to introduce organims from anus to vagina - Douching is not encouraged it could introduce infections into the uterus - Sanitary pads rather than tampoons should be used during manstruation to reduce infection.

- Because other sexually transmitted disease could cause discharge it should be prevented by ABC A- Abstainance B- Be faithful to a patner C- Use a condom TREATMENT Once you notice any of the above abnormal symptoms see a doctor and let your patner also see a the doctor .

Candida – Antifungal Trichomoniasis- Antibiotics And Anti Protzoa Bacteria Vaginosis- Antibiotics Dr. Olutosin Awoyemi is a Medical Doctor and a seasoned Speaker with a passion for Public Health education. He presently works at the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Metta, Lagos.

JANUARY 2011

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17

Living & St yle

FASHION BEAUTY FOOD HOMECARE GADGETS CARS LEISURE

As the New Year comes upon us, many of us are itching for a new look. This is a great time to reinvent ourselves, but unless we are prepared, we may end up repeating the same style faux pas. Here are a few fashion resolutions to help you update your wardrobe and get a new look. Creating a new image for yourself in 2011 is easier than you may think. And you don’t have to break the bank or hire a famous designer to do so.

Solicit your personal style icon It can be easy to get into a personal style rut. And if leaving the house wearing a clean shirt and socks that match constitutes a good style day for you then it may be time to ask for some help. Think of a friend whose style you admire and whose opinion you trust.

We all know someone who looks great all the time, that friend who always seems to look so put together, from her hair style right down to her accessories.

You may not be the best judge of how you appear to other people, so it’s a good idea to ask for some outside help.

Don’t fall victim to the runway Don’t be so quick to buy clothes that look great on the runway or the mannequin in the store. Not all styles of clothing are suited for all body types, and certain colours just don’t complement every complexion. Just because green is the “it” colour of the moment, or because those skinny jeans looked great on that model in the sales ad, doesn’t necessarily mean that they are going to be right for you. It can be tricky to know what styles and colours are best suited for you, but once you figure it out, it can make all the difference in the world when it comes to your wardrobe.

Fashion Resolution Tola Awoyemi

Resolve to buy quality over quantity If your wardrobe seems lacking, but your budget is small, then it can be tempting to buy trendy pieces at bargain prices to get you through the season. The problem is that you’ll find yourself back to square one when the next season rolls around. Instead, invest in foundation pieces. You will wear these clothes more than once per week and the money you spend is worth it. These items should be made of quality fabrics and should be a base colour that works for you. Black is easiest to find, but it does not flatter everybody. Consider other options such as navy, chocolate brown or a darker grey.

Whatever the occasion- OVERDRESS! People used to dress up. A mere half century ago, even housewives who spent all day cooking and cleaning at home did so decked out to the nines in tight-fitting, crisp hourglass dresses, crinolines, and frilly aprons. Granted, we’re not asking you to don petticoats while dusting or other restrictive garments completely inappropriate to the situation, but the time has come to fight back against the widespread Slide into Slobdom. Since there’s nothing sadder than a closet full of gorgeous stuff hanging unworn, even if you don’t have a fancy function to attend, make up your own and dress the part! Break out those shoes you love and that dress you adore from the back of your closet - even for a short trip to get groceries - just because! As long as you’re chic & pulled together, you’ll garner stares, extra attention (at worst, they might whisper: “Isn’t she just a little overdressed for the grocery store?” To which we say Pfft!), but more likely you’ll be that woman of mys-

tery who has everyone dying to know what fabulous after-hours fete you’re just now arriving home from.

Take a picture (It will last longer!)

If there’s one thing we could use more of, it’s time.

And rushing through your morning routine, including dressing yourself, can mean spending your day looking as harried and frazzled as your feel. A great way to eliminate the stress and guarantee you’ll look great on a daily basis is to plan ahead. Take the time to try on! Try on an assortment of outfits: Put it all together -- the clothes and accessories right down to the undergarments that particular outfits require.

Come up with five looks you like and take a photo of each. When the alarm clock rings, you’ll already be one step ahead of your morning routine, and you’ll feel good the rest of the day, knowing you look great.

Place the photos somewhere handy, on your home computer or on your wardrobe closet. You can refer to your ‘looks’ and choose your outfit in no time. It’s a great time-saver, and you can rest assured knowing that each look has been carefully put together instead of thrown on at the last minute.

Get rid of the Ghost of Wardrobes Past Admit it: You’re still hanging onto that little black dress you wore in college and that perfect pair of jeans that fit like a glove -- five years ago. If an item has become too tight, don’t hang onto it for when you “lose 10 pounds.” Clean out your closet and make space for clothes that fit who you are right now.

Having a wardrobe that complements your body will do wonders for your self-esteem and your image.

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Cool High-Tech Watches These highly engineered timepieces make perfect gifts--if you’ve got serious cash.

MB&F Horological Machine No. 4 $160,000

powered by a lithium polymer rechargeable cell that will keep the watch moving for two weeks at a time.

Oh, and it’s bulletproof.

MCT Sequential One Price: $92,000

Why it’s cool: Besides looking like a jet strapped to your wrist? The watch incorporates 311 parts and converts power from a horizontal dual mainspring barrel into two vertical gear trains on two separate dials. (The power reserve on this is 72 hours on a full wind). It took three years to develop and more than 200 hours to build and polish. Only about 30 of them will be made this year.

Bremont U2 About $5,000 for the Limited Edition Why it’s cool: This watch was designed for actual U2 squadron pilots, which means it was tested to 100,000 feet. The case uses shock-resisting technologies (they call it a “Trip-Tick” case) like super-hardened steel components that are also anti-magnetic.

There are three separate models in the consumer U2 line; only 150 of the Limited Edition, which bears the U2 insignia, will be made.

Devon Works Tread One Price: $15,000 Why it’s cool: The Tread One is not actually mechanical, because it’s powered by a rechargeable battery. But a timepiece with four belts at just 0.002 inches thin, each operated by an individual micro-step electric motor, is a mean feat of engineering no matter how you look at it. The motors are 20

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Why it’s cool: The watch has as sequentially moving dial with jump-hour movement and consists of more than 550 parts (anything over 300 is worth bragging about). It looks modern because of its solo watch hand but is classical in its engineering heritage.

Most editions of the line will total only 99 units.

Chanel J12 Rétrograde Mystérieuse Price: $290,000 Why it’s cool: It works in retrograde, as the name suggests: For the first 10 minutes, the hours and minutes are read just like on any other watch. At the 10th minute of the hour, the minute hand reverses direction and moves counterclockwise for 10 minutes. During this time, a small disc near the bottom of the face, labeled with numbers from 11 to 19, tells the exact time. At 20 minutes after, the minutes hand jumps from the top of the hour to the 20 minute mark--and for the remaining 40 minutes of the hour, it tells time normally. All this to make room for nontraditional placement of the winding knob, which juts up from the watch face where minutes 10 to 20 would normally be indicated.

Jules Audemars Chronometer With Audemars Piguet Escapement Price: $266,200 Why it’s cool: It’s revolutionary, in part because the escapement beats at 43,200 vibrations per hour (the equivalent of 6 hertz) and requires no lubrication, which

makes for a super efficient, super light, super reliable timepiece. The case is 46 mm wide, made of .950 platinum and has a sapphire crystal back. It’s waterresistant to 20 meters, has a 56-hour power reserve indicator, and fewer than 30 of them will be made this year.

Piaget Altiplano Price: $18,900 to $19,900 Why it’s cool: It may not look like much, but that’s the point: The Altiplano is the world’s thinnest automatic watch. The Altiplano large-model case that comes in 18-carat white gold with a white dial has 430P mechanical movement that measures 2.1 mm thick. (The entire case is 5.25 mm thick.)

TAG Heuer Monaco Twenty-Four Calibre 36 Chronograph Price: $10,900

The TAG Heuer Calibre 36 movement “floats” inside the oversized (40.5mm) black PVD-coated case, suspended within a steel-tube housing very much like a race car’s driver’s protective cockpit cage, and visible through the dial face and the sapphire crystal caseback.The components are further insulated against shock and torque by a new “composite filter” material used in aerospace and auto racing. Custom built in industrial-grade tungsten, the three arrows of the oscillating weight echoes a GT car’s chrome mags. The large-faced, black-textured dial bears an oversize “24? at 12 o’clock, in honour of the 24 of Le Mans, and the iconic blue and orange livery of Gulf Oil – the same colours TAG Heuer Ambassador Steve McQueen wore in his 1970 film classic, Le Mans.

Living & Style walled closets may be more what you’re looking for.

The right coat-hangers can maximize the space in your closets by hanging more than one item neatly in such a way that you can still find everything you need without having to dig through the bottom of the closet.

Maximize That Small Space!

Titilope Oyelade

M

aking your home a haven of serenity is an issue important to health and harmony.

It’s not easy to relax in a crowded room, but in apartment living, space is often at a premium.

The upkeep of your wardrobe depends greatly on the available storage space. You’ve probably seen the folks who end up keeping their shoes atop the kitchen cabinets, and entire families whose living spaces are buried in the accumulated toys, books, clothes, bedding and furniture of the modern consumer age.

But that’s them, and this is you. Even if you live in a shoe box-sized apartment, there are things you can do to maximize your closet space and put your stuff away. Here are some tips for generating a peaceful feeling in your home wherever you may dwell:

Storage containers that add to your home décor Organizing your home or office is an ongoing process, and suggests that you take time at the end of each day to reorganize your desk, making it easy to find things and get to work the next morning. One of the tricks of organizing is putting things where you can find them again, without having them cluttering up the landscape and getting in the way. File cabinets are perfect for organizing papers by date, alphabet or subject because they make paperwork vertical and simple to page through. Transparent boxes can hold craft items, making it easy to find what you want without rummaging around. Closets contain clothes, but bulky things like sweaters might take up less space stored in boxes. Whatever storage options you choose, you’re in luck, because modern storage can be pretty and functional.

Clearing and Organizing Clutter Make Small Spaces Seem Larger One mistake many people make is in thinking that cleaning doesn’t count unless it’s thorough and completely organized. There’s a lot to be said for hiding

mess until you have time to deal with it: there’s no reason to punish yourself by living in clutter until you can clean it all up! It’s surprising how much more open a room can look when the horizontal surfaces are cleared off, even temporarily. Organization is largely a matter of scheduling periodic maintenance.

Some places in your house (e.g., the coffee and dining table in the living-room) need to be de-cluttered daily. Kitchen food cupboards can be rearranged when you bring home new groceries. Things that get frequent use, like kitchen spices or coffee canisters, should be kept in the open for easy access. Hang pots and pans, towels and clocks on walls. Accomplishing little bits of housework can feel less onerous when you do it in the middle of doing something else.

Things look better in stacks. If you don’t have time to put things away but still need to make a room presentable, simply stacking books and papers, stacking large to small, from bottom to top, can clear horizontal space fast. Choose narrower bookshelves that reach high up the wall rather than wide ones that spread across the floor to maximize open space.

Mount speakers to the wall rather than setting them on the floor.

Hide Unwanted Clutter in a Blanket Box One of the best investments you can make is in a blanket box. Larger than the usual cedar chest, a blanket box comes with a lid, making it possible to stash 45 square feet of books, papers, tools, dishes, yes, even blankets in a tidy, contained space about 5 feet long by three feet wide and deep. Make it a rule: when the lid can’t be easily closed, it’s time to sort and either reorganize or throw things out.

Proper lighting helps you organize a space, because what you can’t see, you tend to forget. You can buy all sorts of lamps or even have pot lights wired into closest and cupboards to help keep you abreast of what’s living in those spaces. We all now have so much stuff, that it becomes difficult to control its spread. I heard that the word “dungeon” came from an ancient word meaning “to forget”. I wonder if today’s basements are merely modern dungeons for stuff. Remember a well sanitized space gives good hygiene and sound health.

One way of keeping control of the fridge is to throw something away every day until the smell is gone.

Sometimes, great big appliances aren’t the best choices for small spaces. A slightly-larger than dormsized fridge can hold enough beverages and apples to keep you nourished (I’ve heard that some people actually clean the fridge at regular intervals: I suppose you could do it that way.)

Entire shelving systems can be created to fit alongside walls or in under-utilized areas. If you have a choice between open and closed shelves or cabinets, choose closed ones. That way you don’t have to look at disorganized shelves and neither does anyone else.

Keep closet doors shut and put things in drawers as you move through your rooms.

Closed shelves look neater than open ones, if you want a grand piece of furniture to hide a few things in, that’s fine. But if you want to spend less money, and you’re looking for serious storage, open wire shelves, bracket shelves and free-standing fabric-

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Living & Style

The Bugatti Veyron:

The most outrageous convertible money can buy Ayodeji Jeremiah

O

kay, it’s the New Year and there is absolutely nothing wrong in dreaming, especially if it’s about this $1.96 million machine called the Bugatti Veyron. I first developed an interest in the Bugatti when I saw an episode of Top Gear where the Bugatti had to race against a fighter jet. Races don’t come much bigger than this one: the Bugatti Veyron against the British RAF’s new Eurofighter Typhoon jet.

A few of the boys from the RAF got a bit upset that it wasn’t a fair fight. So the RAF offered up their base for a proper race: a two-mile sprint between the Veyron and a jet fighter. That’s a mile to the end of the runway and back for the Veyron, while the jet plane, being able to fly and all, had to go a mile straight up in the air and then, well, a mile straight back down again.

A fair fight? Of course not. A close race? You’ll just have to watch that particular episode of Top Gear yourself or see videos of the race online.

Bugatti has always been the epitome of exclusivity, luxury, elegance, style, extraordinary design, and a great passion for automobiles. Unique visions, the strong legacy of legendary sports cars, and highprecision engineering in development, construction, and manufacture distinguish this outstanding automotive brand. The elegant, individual, and independent character of Bugatti automobiles is reflected in the brand logo: the pearl-framed oval sporting 60

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pearls, the stylized initials of the brand’s founder Ettore Bugatti, and the elegantly simple Bugatti word mark have adorned each Bugatti model since 1909.

All Bugatti brand values have been integrated in the Veyron, an aesthetic and engineering masterwork first introduced in 2005, which, like its predecessors, is a match for contemporary racing cars.

The Bugatti legacy dates back to 1901, when the designs and constructions of Ettore Bugatti and his son Jean achieved a perfect synthesis of art and technology. In the 1920s, Ettore Bugatti’s cars were the embodiment of light construction and unmatched technical aestheticism. Jean Bugatti’s bodywork designs had a lasting impact on the style of the 1930s.

The development of the Veyron 16.4 is one of the key milestones of 21st-century automotive engineering. Volkswagen CEO (owners of the Bugatti brand) Ferdinand Piëch made high demands: the designers were to revive the heritage of Ettore Bugatti with this new super sports car. Equally challenging were the impressive technical requirements the exceptional serial production vehicle had to meet: a top speed above 400 km/h and 736 kW (1,000 HP). Yet the Veyron 16.4 unites the dichotomy of elegant form and high-tech function, of grace and power, aesthetics and safety in perfect harmony.

Billed as the fastest production convertible in the world (certified by the Guinness Book of World Records), the limited edition (overall, the firm plans

to produce a total of 150 examples of the roofless Veyron), 1,001HP Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Gran Sport retains the coupe’s 1,001 HP quad-turbocharged 16-cylinder engine but comes with a removable lightweight transparent polycarbonate top as well as an emergency soft top that is stowed away in the trunk.

The Veyron’s exterior styling unobtrusively yet unmistakably quotes classic Bugatti design elements while defining its very own, modern style. Innovations for top performance, high acceleration capacity, and an extensive security system are signature elements of this super sports car. Ettore Bugatti occasionally made technical compromises for the sake of aesthetic integrity. This is the only tradition that was broken in the development of the Veyron 16.4.

While it’s the bigger turbos and intercoolers that make the additional power, the visually distinctive elements of the Super Sport are a revised front end with larger air intakes and the elimination of the rear, high-mounted air intake scoops that have been replaced by low-profile NACA ducts. The tail has been reconfigured around a new air diffuser and a centred exhaust bundle. The Super Sport’s suspension has also been fortified and stiffened to handle the additional power. The body has also been strengthened and will be available unpainted for those who like the menacing King of the Underworld look of clearcoated raw carbon-fibre.

Abidemi O. Akindiji Managing Director / CEO 15A, Suite Abuka Crescent, Off Opebi road, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria.

Tel: 08035801519, 0805579997 DL: 08033202758

Insurance Brokers Services: Facility and Executive protection using private guards Crime prevention and investigation Mobile and static patrol Crowd control and ceremonies security protocol Escort / VIP protection Fire prevention and safety services Cash – in – Transit Marine & Aviation security CCTV / Tracking services Private investigation and specialized security operations Sales, services and installation of security / safety equipment Security consulting services

Foureguard Security Logistics

24 Wilmer Street, Off Town Planning Way, Ilupeju Estate, Lagos, Nigeria D/L 234 802 879 3738, 01-8113390, 234 803 199 5592 E-mail: info@foureguard.com, isaactiptop@yahoo.com. Website: www.foureguard.com

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Understanding IFRS: Its Impact and Implications for your Business What are IASs and IFRSs? IFRSs are International Financial Reporting Standards, and are accounting standards issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). The first standard issued by the IASB was IFRS 1, ‘First-time adoption’, which was issued in 2003; the most recent standard to be issued was IFRS 8 ‘Segment Reporting’. Standards issued by the IASB’s predecessor, the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC), are known as IASs, International Accounting Standards.

Thirty-two IASs are still in force, having been adopted by the IASB. More broadly, the term IFRS refers to the international equivalent to UK GAAP, the set of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles that includes accounting standards, Interpretations (equivalent to Urgent Issues Task Force - UITF abstracts)), the IASB’s Framework and established accounting practice.

Is there a need for a single set of international standards?

It has long been recognised in the corporate sector that there is demand for a single international set of accounting standards. As both business and the financial markets become more global, one financial language aids the preparation, comparability and analysis of financial information for corporate entities.

Some of the benefits for the corporate sector have been seen in merger and acquisition activity where comparable information across different countries has enhanced ease of analysis for acquirers; in raising finance; in communications where one accounting language has enabled companies to produce marketing material and communications that are understood globally by shareholders, analysts and other users.

In August 2008, the US SEC approved its proposed Roadmap related to the eventual use of IFRS by U.S. companies. The proposal foresees mandatory reporting under IFRS beginning in 2014, 2015 or 2016, depending on the size of the issuer. In the UK, companies reporting under UK GAAP would need to adopt either full IFRS or IFRS for SMEs in years from 1 January 2010. This means that a company with a December year end will need an opening balance sheet under IFRS at 1 January 2011. However, indications from the ASB are that this timeline will slip by one year, meaning adoption of IFRS or IFRS for SMEs will be required from 1 January 2013.

Who produces IFRS? The International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC) was formed in 1973 as a part-time committee, which nevertheless produced a large body of work. However, it was recognised that the structure of the international standard setting body needed to be strengthened if a globally acceptable high quality set of standards was to

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be produced. The IASC set up a Strategy Working Party in 1997, which recommended the current IASB structure.

The fourteen-member IASB is professional and largely full-time and has been drawn from a range of constituencies: there are five auditors; three preparers; three users; one academic and two others.

One of the IASB’s objectives is: “to bring about convergence of national accounting standards and International Accounting Standards to high quality solutions”. In order to help achieve this, the Board has fostered close contact with national standard setters.

IFRS in Nigeria Nigeria will join the list of countries using the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) by 2012, following the adoption of the Nigerian Accounting Standards Board (NASB) Roadmap on the IFRS by the Federal Executive Council.

Currently, financial statements prepared for reporting in Nigeria are drawn up in accordance with requirements laid down by CAMA and pronouncements issued by the Nigerian Accounting Standards Board. These Nigerian requirements are, in most cases based on pronouncements issued in the past by the IASB, but are not necessarily fully aligned with the current pronouncements of the IASB (for example certain financial instruments are required to be measured and reported at their fair value under IASB guidelines, whereas under Nigerian requirements these might be measured at historic cost, if any). When IFRS is adopted in Nigeria, Nigerian reporting entities would be using the same reporting framework as their peers worldwide which would enhance the relevance of their reports in the international arena. In addition the greater precision of IFRS would improve the comparability of reports between different entities in Nigeria and could act as a catalyst to further develop the quality and transparence of financial reporting in the country.

Nigeria’s national accounting standards (SASs) are partly based on old IAS, some of which have since been amended or withdrawn by the IASB. Furthermore, the local standards do not cover all the aspects of financial reporting encountered by preparers of financial statements. It is fair, to admit that our standards are partly out of date and are not sufficiently comprehensive to form a basis for preparation of high quality financial statements.

The adoption or convergence with IFRS will require significant re-training of local accountants and a change in the general financial reporting culture of businesses in the country. Convergence with IFRS will result in high quality, transparent and comparable financial statements that are based on modern accounting principles and concepts that

are being applied in global markets. Transparent financial statements will also assist local investors make better investment decisions.

It will also result in local financial statements that are readily understandable and acceptable in global markets. Foreign investors want financial statements that are comparable with those of similar businesses in other parts of the world, for strategic decision making in relation to mergers and acquisitions.

Many foreign investors will require their subsidiaries in Nigeria to report in accordance with IFRS so that the parent company can comply with its reporting requirements in its home territory. Should Nigeria adopt IFRS this would reduce the complication of such subsidiaries having to prepare different sets of records for reporting for local purposes as well as internally, thus facilitating business compliance and adding to the attractiveness for such an investor to start or continue operations in the country.

What will it cost to use IFRS? There are initial costs as organisations move from one set of accounting principles to another.

Experience however shows that early planning and an effective conversion project structure saves costs in the long run. There may also be higher ongoing costs in some areas where the IFRS requirements for information collection, monitoring and disclosure are more rigorous, such as segment reporting.

Identifying the differences that apply to your organisation?

Organisations should start thinking about the differences now. The accounting preparation part of the conversion process should follow a rigorous methodology that includes the following steps: • Listing the differences between your current policies and IFRS: One practical way an organisation might go about identifying the differences is to go through the categories and sub-categories contained in its income and expenditure account and balance sheet line by line.

It should identify the current measurement and presentation policies, along with associated disclosures, and then map this to the requirements of the appropriate IFRS. • Summarising and classifying these differences: This should be done according to the nature of the accounting policy changes: changes of policy that cannot be avoided due to a conflict between current policies and IFRS; optional change of policy – this is where existing policies comply with IFRS, but others would be allowed as well. For example, when IFRS allows two treatments and one of them is your current accounting policy.

• Defining new accounting policies following a rigorous documented process: Identify any application difficulties, the choice and methods of application and any

Business new information that needs to be collected.

• Prepare a summary of all the issues and their proposed solutions • Document the final policy in detail.

• Amalgamating the new rules and accounting information: This should include the new policies adopted but still mention the old policies and detail the changes that are required; provide details of the accounting process to ensure consistent presentation of financial statements and facilitate consolidation (if applicable).

Is conversion to IFRS purely an accounting issue?

No it is not. Accounting is certainly a large part of conversion and the scale of any conversion project will depend on the nature of an organisation and its existing accounting policies. For many entities the change affected many of the items on the balance sheet, financial indicators and performance measures as well as internal and external relationships and strategy.

and ensure that the organisation is operationally ready.

The whole entity will need to be aware of the project and what it involves.

What you should know about Franchise Business

IFRS conversion methodology IFRS adoption requires a rigorous methodology to ensure its strategic success. The key milestones will include: • implementing a suitable project structure with the different levels of the project and everyone’s roles clearly defined; • winning the involvement of all parties and convincing them of the strategic importance of the project for the organisation as a whole; • tackling accounting policies to ensure that they comply with IFRS; • planning the best possible use of human resources and finding new resources where necessary; • defining and implementing a training plan for each category of participants affected by the project; • adjusting information systems to meet the organisation’s new needs and guarantee the best cost/benefit ratio of the change by providing broader, more consistent and reliable information; Will IFRS require additional training for staff?

You should be aware that the conversion to IFRS can affect a large number of people within the organisation and not just the finance department. According to companies that have already converted, the time and effort required to implement appropriate training should not be underestimated.

The first step will be to design an appropriate training programme. Actions will include: • assessment of the skills required by the different participants in the project – management, finance, communications and training people will all have different needs; • assessment of existing IFRS knowledge in the organisation; • assessment of how well resources match skill requirements, which will provide the starting point for a training action plan; • outline training solutions for staff (for example, training courses, elearning) and decide who will carry out the training (for example, advisors, external consultants and/or employees); • prepare a timetable for the training events.

To succeed, the change must be embedded across all functions, involving people at all levels, including subsidiaries. Departments such as finance, internal audit, IT and human resources will all have key roles to play. And depending on internal resources, auditors and consultants may also be involved.

IFRS adoption will require a full project management process to enable good management of the transition period

At the same time the project team might need to understand which issues will require involvement from senior management. Operational staff, including finance staff, will require more detailed accounting training. Certain members of the finance department will need to develop specialist knowledge in the most complex IFRS subjects and everyone involved in the dissemination of financial information will also need training in the new processes Chukwuemeka and tools, such Jude as the accounting manual.

Will IFRS entail a change of systems?

IFRS will provide a fresh opportunity to review the systems and the data produced. The impact of IFRS on information systems will vary from one organisation to the next, depending on their existing system. But generally conversion to IFRS will at least require a rethink of the parts of the system that deliver financial information. Organisations should consider their overall financial reporting systems and not simply the main accounting package.

For some, IFRS conversion may also be the appropriate moment to move internal and external reporting onto the same basis, which could require some fundamental systems changes.

Will IFRS affect Key Performance Indicators?

Companies will need to understand and quantify the prospective impact on their KPIs that may result from adopting IFRS and determine the appropriate message for investors. Given that, upon adoption, prior year comparatives will be restated (e.g., for public companies the prior two years’ income statements will be presented under IFRS), careful analysis and explanation of the historic and future impacts will be critical. Another factor to consider is that investors and other stakeholders may expect KPIs across sectors to become more comparable. Due to the fact that IFRS can affect organizations within a sector differently, any such differences must be communicated clearly.

It’s clear that conversion to IFRS will most likely be the largest single change of accounting policies and procedures ever undertaken by companies worldwide, and is definitely one of the most interesting challenges for the accounting profession.

References 1.

California CPA Education Foundation 2. accountancyage.com 3. ifrs.com 4. blog.accountingcoach.com 5. ifrs.org The above article is published by SIAO, a professional accounting services firm based in Ikoyi, Lagos that provides audit, tax, HR, IT and advisory services. SIAO is a one-stop shop for financial advisory services and business assurance. With a professional staff strength of over 80 highly qualified and dedicated personnel, SIAO has consulted for various clients at all levels in a broad range of services including Strategic planning, Financial advisory, Project evaluation, and Financial systems design and upgrade.

The second step will be to develop a training action plan, but this will be different for each organisation. Training needs will also vary according to the stage the IFRS conversion project has reached. Different groups of people are likely to require separate training content. So while top management will need to understand the reasons for conversion and what’s at stake, the audit committee will need to be familiar with the key issues and impacts of the change on the organisation.

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Business

Lord Edwards Deming:

How His Fourteen-Point Principle Transformed Quality Management Systems (His principles can transform your organization as well) Seun Onanuga for the company.

Deming’s business philosophy is summarized in his famous “14 Points,” listed below. These points have inspired significant changes among a number of leading US companies striving to compete in the world’s increasingly competitive environment. But the 14 Points pose a challenge for many firms to figure out how to apply them in a meaningful way that will result in continual improvement. Leadership Institutes have developed powerful processes for coaching executive teams, and eventually their entire organizations, to begin accomplishing what Deming referred to as “the transformation.” His work is outlined in two books: Out of the Crisis and The New Economics, in which he spells out his System of Profound Knowledge.

The Fourteen Points: Point 1 Create constancy of purpose towards improvement of product and service, with the aim to become competitive and to stay in business, and to provide jobs.

Point 2 Adopt the new philosophy. We are in a new economic age. Western management must awaken to the challenge, must learn their responsibilities, and take on leadership for change.

D

r. W. Edwards Deming is known as the father of the Japanese post-war industrial revival and was regarded by many as the leading quality guru in the United States. He was born on October 14, 1900 in Sioux City, Iowa, approximately in the centre of the continental U.S. and he passed on in 1993. Trained as a statistician, his expertise was used during World War II to assist the United States in its effort to improve the quality of war materials.

He was invited to Japan at the end of World War II by Japanese industrial leaders and engineers. They asked Dr. Deming how long it would take to shift the perception of the world from the existing paradigm that Japan produced cheap, shoddy imitations to one of producing innovative quality products. Dr. Deming told the group that if they would follow his directions, they could achieve the desired outcome in five years. Few of the leaders believed him. But they were ashamed to say so and would be embarrassed if they failed to follow his suggestions. As Dr. Deming told it, “They surprised me and did it in four years.”

He was invited back to Japan time after time where he became a revered counselor. For his efforts he was awarded the Second Order of the Sacred Treasure by the former Emperor Hirohito. Japanese scientists and engineers named the famed Deming Prize after him.

It is bestowed on organizations that apply and achieve stringent quality-performance criteria.

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Point 3 Cease reliance on mass inspection to achieve quality.

Eliminate the need for inspection on a mass basis by building quality into the product in the first place.

Point 4 End the practice of awarding business on the basis of price tag. Instead, minimize total cost. Move toward a single supplier for any one item, on a long-term relationship of loyalty and trust.

Point 5 Improve constantly and forever the system of production and service, to improve quality and productivity, and thus constantly decrease costs.

Point 6 Institute training on the job Point 7 Institute leadership. The aim of supervision should be to help people and machines and gadgets to do a better job. Supervision of management is in need of overhaul, as well as supervision of production workers.

Point 8 Drive out fear, so that everyone may work effectively

Point 9 Break down barriers between departments. People in research, design, sales, and production must work as a team, to foresee problems of production and in use that may be encountered with the product or service.

Point 10 Eliminate slogans, exhortations, and targets for the work force asking for zero defects and new levels of productivity. Such exhortations only create adversarial relationships, since the bulk of the causes of low quality and low productivity belong to the system and thus lie beyond the power of the work force.

Point 11 Eliminate work standards (quotas) on the factory floor. Substitute leadership. Eliminate management by objectives. Eliminate management by the numbers, numerical goals. Substitute leadership.

Point 12 Remove barriers that rob the hourly workers of their right to pride of workmanship. The responsibility of supervisors must be changed from mere numbers to quality. Remove barriers that rob people in management and in engineering of their right to pride of workmanship. This means, inter alia, abolishment of the annual review or merit rating and of management by objectives.

Point 13 Institute a vigorous program of education and selfimprovement.

Point 14 Put everybody in the company to work to accomplish the transformation. The transformation is everybody’s job.

Business

The Johari Window

A

bout 5 months ago we started a series on communication skills development. This year we are bringing to you a whole new series that will be more interactive. We are working on a system where we can take comments at the end of each edition and publish some of the feedbacks in the subsequent edition.

We know that we cannot tell you everything on the pages of TIMELESS, we however hope to answer your questions and clarify some of the concerns you might have on practical solutions that might be required to move your business forward. Therefore, please join us from February 2011 as we bring to you a whole new set of Business articles.

This edition brings to you a very great model that helps individuals and teams better understand themselves. We say thank you to all readers of TIMELESS and do have a tremendous 2011.

Creating Better Understanding between Individuals and Groups The Johari Window is a communication model that can be used to improve understanding between individuals within a team or in a group setting. Based on self-disclosure and feedback, the Johari Window can also be used to improve a group’s relationship with other groups.

Developed by Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham (the word “Johari” comes from Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham), there are two key ideas behind the tool: 1.

That individuals can build trust between themselves by disclosing information about themselves; and 2.

That they can learn about themselves and come to terms with personal issues with the help of feedback from others.

By explaining the idea of the Johari Window to your team, you can help team members understand the value of self-disclosure, and gently encourage people to give and accept feedback. Done sensitively, this can help people build more-trusting relationships with one another, solve issues and work more effectively as a team.

Explaining the Johari Window The Johari Window model consists of a foursquare grid (think of taking a piece of paper and dividing it into four parts by drawing one line down the middle of the paper from top to bottom, and another line through the middle of the paper from side-to-side).

Using the Johari model, each person is represented by

their own four-quadrant, or four-pane, window. Each of these contains and represents personal information – feelings, motivation – about the person, and shows whether the information is known or not known by themselves or other people.

The four quadrants are: Quadrant 1: Open Area What is known by the person about him/herself and is also known by others.

Quadrant 2: Blind Area, or “Blind Spot” What is unknown by the person about him/herself but which others know. This can be simple information, or can involve deep issues (for example, feelings of inadequacy, incompetence, unworthiness, rejection) which are difficult for individuals to face directly, and yet can be seen by others.

Quadrant 3: Hidden or Avoided Area What the person knows about him/herself that others do not.

Quadrant 4: Unknown Area What is unknown by the person about him/herself and is also unknown by others.

The process of enlarging the open quadrant vertically is called self-disclosure, a give and take process between the person and the people he/she interacts with.

As information is shared, the boundary with the hidden quadrant moves downwards. And as other people reciprocate, trust tends to build between them.

The Johari Window in a Team Context Keep in mind that established team members will have larger open areas than new team members. New team members start with smaller open areas because little knowledge about the new team member has yet

been shared. The size of the Open Area can be expanded horizontally into the blind space, by seeking and actively listening to feedback from other group members.

Group members should strive to assist a team member in expanding their Open Area by offering constructive feedback. The size of the Open Area can also be expanded vertically downwards into the hidden or avoided space by the sender’s disclosure of information, feelings, etc about himself/herself to the group and group members.

Also, group members can help a person expand their Open Area into the hidden area by asking the sender about himself/herself. Managers and team leaders play a key role here, facilitating feedback and disclosure among group members, and by providing constructive feedback to individuals about their own blind areas.

Finally, if you require more information or help concerning your team, or you want a comprehensive training needs analysis or empowerment of your workforce, please contact me Adebowale Jeff Johnson via email debojeffjohnson@gmail.com or call 0805 606 2592.

Adebowale Jeff Johnson, a Human Resource Consultant is the founder/ CEO Jeff Johnson Business Solutions and Jeff Johnson Business School. He is also a member, Board of Director, Grace House Worship Centre. Prior to starting his own business, he has worked with firms like Phillips Consulting Limited, SoftSkills Management Consultants, People Prime Limited, and SIAO. He has spoken at several university campuses and is currently writing a paper to develop quantitative analysis and decision making with the use of data to develop business model that will enhance organizational performance.

JANUARY 2011

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27

ARTs

& Culture

books movies music theatre photography exhibitions architecture

At Farafina Book Review, You Feel How True (and Powerful) A Story Is Adeleke “Mai Nasara” Adeyemi Frodo: “I’m all right.”

Sam: “No, no you’re not all right. You’re exhausted…It’s that thing around your neck.”

The invitation to attend avant-garde Nigerian publishing house Farafina’s monthly Book Review, called for 2008 MacArthur “genius” Grant Fellow Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s The Thing Around Your Neck brought wafting to mind a snatch of cinematic conversation from “Lord of the Rings.”

The dialogue is from the last in the trilogy—“The Return of the King”—a work most ominous from ladlefuls of interminable intrigue, something within the clutch of the writer of Thing. The potluck parallel is pertinent: a Review participant would assert that, from his reading, though “highly literary, Chimamanda seems to write with film in mind as well.”

The terse and weary exchange came at a make-or-mar juncture for humanity, at least in the vision of the book writer J.R.R. Tolkien; for his Frodo, pop culture icon, the “thing around your neck” is the Ring of Power.

For Chimamanda (readers and subjects will have only to the first name of the rising literary queen), the audience of December 4, 2010 at Terra Kulture, on Victoria Island, Lagos (in partnership), would say ‘Ring of Power’ is a symbol of how well-rounded the award-winning nouveau niche storyteller—easily the most accomplished Nigerian female writer—succeeded at making her first short story collection, published in 2009.

It came after two roaring book successes, a winning colourful streak that started with the coming-of-age Purple Hibiscus (2003) and carried on with the vicariously cathartic Half of a Yellow Sun (2006).

The present 12-piece collection (all previously published apiece) is an array of stories spun from strong human feelings and foibles, taking on sundry demons, from religious extremism to immigrant headaches, haunted history and pungent familial relationships

Arts & Culture Events Diary

Have your arts and culture events publicised on this page. For your book launch or presentation, arts exhibitions, music releases, film shows, theatre presentations etc. Send details to timeslesscourage@yahoo.co.uk or call 01-4358330 28

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JANUARY 2011

Arts & Culture seething with sibling shenanigans.

They come imbued with the power to engross; but does each story really ring true as a powerful enough statement on how the New African Life is lived, at home and in the Diaspora?

That was the task set for the conclave of bookworms. And came they did, prepared to “carry it for a while” (to echo Frodo’s Sam), regardless of their own exhaustion from having waltzed through Lagos’ legendary traffic. Or perhaps they were showing up to relieve fatigue from the tedium of clichés cluttering their lives, to communally dip into a book by a writer universally attested to be refreshing.

Their leader was the unassumingly cerebral Victor Ehikhamenor: literary connoisseur, visual artist and columnist with Nigeria’s avant-garde award-winning newspaper, NEXT. To set the ball rolling he read the first in line, “Cell One,” on the tragedy triggered by a mother’s smouldering love, is set where the writer grew up, the university town of Nsukka, in Nigeria’s southeast. Many agreed it bears out the age-long aphorisms: “Charity begins at home” and “You reap what you sow”.

The lead reviewer was ready with his verdict on why that story (and indeed every other in the collection) had to be written: “As a society, we tend to live in denial.” In keeping with the straightforward mission of Farafina, his is a clarion call on all to step up the ante of “telling our own stories”—but Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie first to ourselves, to see come true Hispanic American literary theorist Barry L. Lopez’s prediction: “The stories people tell have a way of taking care of them.”Farafina was founded on the vision of bringing the writer of the day (and her kind) to the attention of her native Africa.

Proceedings were moderated by budding literary activist Wana Udobang of Inspiration FM. She would apologise for the weak-strong character of the collection; the writing, she explained, was both pre- and post-Purple Hibiscus, the author’s debut.

The free-of-charge (locals say ‘F.O.C’) event, “organised to boost Nigeria’s reading culture” was, as always was open to all book lovers. For those yet to get a copy of the book before the review, Farafina put up its blurb on their blog and website.

Spicing up the interlude of the day, Dolapo Martin, with stage name D-Tune, came with a string of ballads doled out to his own accompaniment on acoustic guitar; the crooner enjoyed singing as much as his audience relished every strain and turn of lyrics that told the story of sheltered and frustrated love and a father’s unwillingness to let go and let boy.

The gathering returned to grapple, among others, with the searching question: who does Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie write for? Especially given the short story that lent its title to the collection, “The Thing Around Your Neck,” set in Connecticut, in the land of the author’s sojourn and rise to power.

There was also the question of whether Nigerian, nay African, Diaspora stories were not being “churned out” to pander to Western demands for them.

(The lead reviewer of the day has ‘been there’ and, says he, won’t be deterred from “writing up my own, too, for consumption by all!”)

Perhaps the touchiest issue of the day was “whether Chimamanda can be accused of ‘agenda writing’,” a question stirred up by a story in the collection, “The Shivering,” set on the campus of Princeton University, which seemed to demand that the writer bend over backwards to make the protagonist extremely likeable.

Someone wondered if it’s “all a bid to sell his kind to us”—later revealed to be homosexual—“to tell the world we have also ‘arrived’ as a tolerant people, able to handle red-hot buttons with a grin!”

The Farafina Book Review takes a break in January, to resume February 2011; book for the day will be brought to the attention of fans and patrons in the blogosphere, as well as announced in traditional media for the benefit of the general public, well in advance.

Impressively well-attended, the gathering yielded a fistful of insights, despite (perhaps because of) its feistiness. Adjourned, it will reconvene; hopefully bigger, around the promise of—that which rings true and powerful—a story.

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29

All Stars

For Children Ages 6 - 12

Parent’s Section As you start the New Year, teach your child to plan and set targets for the New Year. It is pertinent you help your child with planning and setting resolutions. This probably comes more naturally to you as an adult. As adults, it is common to reflect on the past year and plan for the New Year. This is probably because adults have had more practice. This might take some getting used to for the children. As usual the recommendation remains “Spend a little time with your child”. Guide your child through this process. Together you could reassess your child’s past year. Talk together about your child’s life at school and life at home. Get your child to talk

about relationships with friends siblings ever you do, have realistic expectations. and even with mom and dad. Help them to see what they did well and what they P.S Stick to your own resolutions too! can do better. After this is done help your child set goals or targets for the New Enjoy the New Year.

Year. Remember to make the goals simple and uncomplicated. It could be as simple as “Read a book a week”, as long term as “Learn to play the Piano” or even as profound as “Become a more tolerant person”. Whatever the goal is, be your child’s partner. Remind your child as often as necessary and as gently as possible of the targets set and assist your child in meeting the goals. Be a supportive partner.

Remember you are a collaborator, not a drill sergeant. Sticking to resolutions can be quite difficult even for adults. What-

Children’s Section Dear children

all the things we have learnt about on this page in the past months. Keep them in mind they will come in quite useful.

Have fun. Be good. Study hard and shine like the star that you are. There is little more you can do right now that will bring your parents more joy.

The year has come to an end. Remember

things better. You must always have a plan. Remember there is a saying ‘Who fails to plan, plans to fail’. This plan can cover all the areas of your life including your school work and your behavior. Write it somewhere safe where it will not get missing. Make sure you put it in a place where you will see it daily. As As you go into a New Year, do remember you achieve each goal, you can strike it to plan for the New Year. Start to think off your list. Discuss your list with your parents and ask for help whenever you about it now. What did you do wrong in need it. You might even want to ask for the past year? You want to be sure to avoid doing all the wrong things again or help in making the list. The good thing at least plan to change. What did you do about your parents knowing about your list is that they can encourage you and right in the past year? You want to plan to keep doing those things and do those help you to achieve your goals.

Tayo Olarewaju is the Director of Delightsome Land School, a nursery and primary school in Victoria Island Lagos. She studied Accounting and Educational Leadership and Management. She has been working with children for over a decade. She is passionate about children, enjoys reading and writing and chocolate biscuits. She is married with 3 stars aged between 6 and 12 years and a dog named Scratch.

If you would like to be a part of the All stars team Send your name, date of birth and your phone number (or your mums or dad’s phone no) to 0708 469 9955 or ask your mum or dad to send it by email to delightsomeland@yahoo.com

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PreSchooler activities for Preschool Children from Age 2-5

d

1

VICTORIA TANDOH

Lowercase Letters

Writing the letter d

Circle the lowercase letter d in the sentence below.

Then draw a picture of the sentence.

Where did the dog go?

2

3

d

Draw a line from the gray dot ( ) to the green dot ( ).

Now trace the letter d on the lines below.

Then print the letter d yourself!

d d

7

STICKY FUN Preschoolers can’t handle scissors yet, but will enjoy sticking things onto paper. You could cut faces out of a magazine and let your toddler stick them onto a sheet of paper - Give your preschooler a solid glue stick and supervise him using it. For anything heavier than paper you’ll need non-toxic white PVA glue.

- If your toddler likes tearing paper, you could give him old magazines or tissue paper to tear into strips, ready to stick down - You could also give your toddler cool string foil or leaves, to stick onto cardboard or paper plates.

You could also cut out different coloured pieces of paIf it’s a cold day, dress your preschooler up in warm per for your toddler to stick on to cardboard clothing. Always supervise your child when playing with water.

31 JANUARY 2011 TIMELESS WATER PAINTING If your toddler wants to paint, but you can’t face the mess, you could try out water painting instead. All you need is a bucket of water and a brush or a sponge.

- Stick some paper to a fence or wall. Give your toddler a bucket of water and a brush, roller or sponge to make pictures.

- If you have access to paving slabs, your preschooler could make pictures on those instead, and then watch them vanish as they dry.

- Dribbling water out of a watering can be fun too.

Help your toddler form a circle, square or whatever shapes she chooses.

Sports Bad Losers Kunle Michael

“

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the British, press…”

I was watching CNN with a few friends when Federation International Football Association (FIFA) officially unveiled Russia and Qatar to host the 2018 and 2022 respectively. There were other countries bidding to host the 2018 World Cup. Spain and Portugal wanted to co-host, Holland and Belgium wanted to co-host too, while England signified their interest and readiness to host it until they were all beaten by Russia.

A lot of people frowned at FIFA for choosing Russia. Yes, I agree with the fact that the Russians are the most notorious and indefatigable racists in Europe, this should be enough reason to disqualify them. Spain/Portugal or Holland/Belgium was a huge doubt as FIFA is wary of co-hosting in recent times. England on the other hand appeared the most eligible to host the 2018 Mundial; in terms of organization, the English are well organized and positioned, they have infrastructures second to none.

England press as his major reason for quitting English football. Wyne Rooney’s marriage was highly threatened and his image damaged, which led to lost of form and the latter almost called it quit with Manchester United and English football. There is also John Terry and Wyne Bridge’s Saga, which caused John Terry his England captain hand band.

liver us from the British press…” FIFA later released a statement labeling England as a bad loser in a poll conducted by the 22 existing and active executive committee members. It was crystal clear that not a single member voted in favour of England prompting FIFA to unleash that humiliating statement, labeling the British as bad losers.

It was therefore not a surprise when undercover reporters from BBC posed as delegates to lobby for England’s bid for the 2018 World Cup, filming Amos Adamu of Nigeria and another FIFA executive member from Tahiti football federation, offering them money to buy their votes. This sent cold shivers to the bone marrows of FIFA, which quickly suspended the two officials involved.

I was lost in thoughts trying to come up with reasons why the British press derives pleasure in trapping famous people in order to dent their images. The fact that they are irrational about this is most overwhelming and critical. I am sure anybody in the same shoe with FIFA would have done likewise. How could they have voted them into controversy?

After the vote, 22 members instead of 24 voted in favour of Russia. I am sure their prayers from now on will be “and lead us not into temptation, but de-

The British press should redefine the aim and objectives of their profession and do away with their present attitudinal deficiencies if England must host the World in the nearest future.

The EPL (English Premier League) is the most popular, lucrative and arguably the best league in the world, this surely would have aid publicity and marketing strategies were England given the hosting right. From all indications, the English should have been given the hosting right but their press proved their nemesis.

The English press is irrational in discharging their duties in destructive manners, interfering profoundly in celebrities and stars private lives always waiting for and finding faults to nail them at will. The British press is a renowned deliberate sabotage to progress who derive pleasure in spying on and tempting celebrities and stars etc. in order to jeopardize their success and rubbish their personalities.

The English press nearly destroyed David Becham’s home, Mathew Flamini an ex-Arsenal player cited the 32

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Sepp Blatter, FIFA President

Creche Playgroup Nursery Grade School After School Care Mobile Creches Consultancy Training & Workshops

om home r f y a w a e ... Hom

JANUARY 2011

...excellence through Christ 26, Mabinuori Dawodu, Gbagada Phase 1, Lagos Telephone: 01-8934834, 01-8113816, 08033117630

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Dabar

Insights for Christian Living

When God Takes the Lead Mark Osama Ighile

daughters are recording radical progress.

His leadership strategy is unparallel. As a shepherd, he is calm, calculated, largehearted and patient with his people. He knows their needs and does not allow them to experience lack or shame. He makes the supplies at the right time. Even when the current of urgency seems to overwhelm man, the divine intervention is always apt.

I

t is possible for a man to lead another person into confusion and disarray. Not so with God. An individual may be following his superior for twenty years and later discover that he has been used and dumped. But that cannot be God. The reason for this striking difference in character and mode of operation is not far to seek.

The man who is taking the lead has several limitations and shortcomings: He has his past to tackle and his emotions to battle with. As a human being, he is naturally selfish and self-centered. It is even possible that he may have suffered a spark of confidence crisis that now makes him suspicious of every other person’s intentions, no matter how good and sincere they may be. And above all, he may be deficient in adequate knowledge and sufficient exposure.

But with God, it is a different picture all together.

The Almighty has all things, knows all things and does all things at will. He is too big to be intimidated by the success chart of his creatures.

As a matter of fact, he is excited when his sons and

For the sake of his own — the led, he can ‘still’ the waters. In other words, he leads by commanding the storm around his people to cease and thus ensuring the creation of an environment conducive for spiritual and physical growth. The Bible does not mince words at all. The Psalmist made us to understand that God led his people on safely so that they feared not, but he allowed the sea to swallow up the enemies of his children. (78:53).

Moreover, his leadership brings restoration, a refreshing of all kinds. An additional illustration to that cited above is Isaiah 48:21: And they thirsted not when he led them through the desert, he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them. In a supernatural way also, he ensures that lost glory is returned, battered dignity refined and shattered ego repackaged.

Since you are a function of who you are following, when God is your leader, you become the right person. You naturally begin to do the right thing at the right moment. The Holy Book confirms this truth in Psalms 107:7: And he led them forth by the right way that they might get to the city of habitation. Besides, when God is your leader, you don’t miss the way.

God also leads by giving specific instructions that prevent ultimate destruction. To those who follow and hear him, the warning signals are always sharp.

Because he has the capacity to be present at all plac-

es at the same time, he can tell of the chaotic bends and the deadly bumps. No wonder he leads his own in the day time with a cloud and at night with a light of fire. To the sensitive follower therefore, the pilgrimage becomes a thrilling experience.

Any time he allows those he is leading to embark on a very long and tedious journey, instead of maximizing the benefit of a short cut, it is for their good. It is either to make them avoid an imminent evil or to strengthen them for the battles to come.

Exodus 13:17-18 readily comes to mind in this regard: And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt: But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.

Another aspect of his leadership is his teaching mechanism. He leads his sheep-like folks through a schooling process that runs from infancy to maturity.

He develops them by giving them guidelines that will make them succeed while still pleasing him.

His eyes are on those who have submitted to his leadership. As he takes the lead, he focuses on them.

They are not only the point of his attraction; they are also the product of his attention. And since whatever happens to them has direct bearing on him, he concentrates on them with the full regalia of his majesty and power.

When God leads, you can be sure you will get to your destination, intact: spirit, soul and body.

Pastor Ighile is the President of Scripture Communications Network and Publisher of LeaderSpeak Magazine based in Mowe, Ogun State, Nigeria.

Dabar - Insights for Christian Living The Dabar column is about Christian living. This column is going to deal with real life issues that Christians face in day to day living and the Biblical perspective on these issues with a real life approach to such situations. We will also use this column as a forum to discuss issues affecting Christianity as a whole. As such, letters with issues which can be discussed should be sent to timelesscourage@yahoo.co.uk. Issues to be discussed in the column will be chosen from letters sent in by you our readers. We look forward to hearing from you so we can start treating these issues from next month. Thank you.

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Viewpoint

Amos Adamu’s Travails: the Consequences of Greed and Corruption Akintokunbo A Adejumo

O

n Saturday 16 October 2010, Complete Sports magazine did a poll to its readers titled: “Is Dr. Amos Adamu a Curse or a Blessing to Nigerian Football?” I took my time to trawl through all the comments and feedback left by Nigerians. The result? The overwhelming majority of respondents concluded that, Dr Amos Adamu, erstwhile (now suspended) Nigerian representative on the Board of FIFA, world football’s ruling body, was not only a curse to Nigerian football, but was also a disaster waiting to happen. And happened it did, eyes wide open to the Government of Nigeria.

Now that FIFA has decided to suspend him after their investigations into allegations of bribe-soliciting by two FIFA officials including Amos Adamu of Nigeria, it is now up to us to see the good or bad of Amos Adamu.

With his suspension, the conclusion is that he was guilty.

To me, knowing his long history of corruption, mediocrity and mismanagement, his guilt was never in doubt when the shit hit the fan, and his most recent misdemeanour was spread all over the pages of the newspapers and internet. What surprised me was his naivety and greed. Greed is something else. Of course if you are greedy, inevitably you will be corrupt. Greed has no end. Once you are greedy, you will always be greedy. Even repentance does not solve the vice. Greed is such that you have to be punished, because it is one of the seven deadly sins. It must not go unpunished.

In our Pidgin English, what happened to him was as a result of “long-throat”. Na long-throat kill am! Adamu has been riding rough-shod over Nigeria’s sports administration for almost 20 years. He was Director General of the Nigerian National Sports Commission for ten years before being redeployed in November 2008. Prior to that, Adamu was the Director of Sports of the ministry for 10 years.

Amos Adamu holds a doctorate degree in physical and health education. He was a university lecturer before joining the National Institute of Sports (NIS). He was appointed the Sole Administrator of the Nigeria Football Association in 1992. After success (success?) in this position, he was then posted to the Federal Ministry of Sports as Director of Sports Development and was involved in the administration and organization of the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship in Nigeria and the Nations Cup in 2000.

In December 2000 Amos Adamu was named President for the Organising Committee for the 8th All-Africa Games (COJA) held in Abuja, October 2003, in the newly constructed Abuja Stadium. Adamu advised the government to sell this stadium immediately after the games in order to forestall the vandalisation typical of publicly owned buildings. Subsequently, there was controversy about the conduct of the games organizers.

In 2005, Amos Adamu was picked as a member of the organizing committee for the first ever World Cup Finals in Africa to be hosted in South Africa 2010. In 2006, Adamu led the transformation of the Sports Ministry to the National Sports Commission (NSC). Adamu became an Executive Committee member of the Federation of In-

ternational Football Associationand the Confederation of African Football. In April 2007, Amos Adamu became the President of the West Africa Football Union.

In May 2008, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sports and Social Development in Bayelsa State told members of the Senate Committee on Sports that problems with sports in Nigeria included corruption and dominance by a “cabal” led by Dr. Amos Adamu. In July 2008, Dr. Amos Adamu announced that the Nigeria Sports Commission had initiated an inquiry into allegations of corruption in the local league. The result of that inquiry is still to be made public.

On 6 November 2008, President Umaru Yar’Adua ordered the removal of Dr. Amos Adamu from the post of Director General of the National Sports Commission.

Adamu, the Director General of the National Sports Commission was eventually redeployed to the Ministry of Special Duties after the removal of erstwhile Minister for Sports and Chairman National Sports Commission Abdulrahman Gimba, in a cabinet reshuffle. No reason was given. As of January 2009, Adamu was a member of FIFA’s 24-man executive committee. He was scheduled to appear in a Nigerian court to press a claim for £2.3 million damages he had laid 15 months earlier against a newspaper that published allegations of corruption. In August 2009, Adamu stated that problems in Nigerian sports since his redeployment had vindicated him. (Of course, he will say that, wouldn’t he?).

On 17 October 2010, nemesis and the prayers of patriotic lovers of Nigerian sports caught up with him, when it was reported in the UK Sunday Times that he allegedly agreed to receive £500,000 in order to influence the voting procedure with his vote for the 2018 FIFA World Cup bid. He denied any wrong doing. An investigation

by FIFA banned him and Reynald Temarii from soccer administration.

Adamu just showed the stupid and crazy way officials steal in Nigeria, stealing without sense (not that I condone stealing with smartness). It is well known that FIFA itself is a corrupt body, from the head (Sepp Blatter) to the Board members. The CAF President Issa Hayatou is rogue as well, and he is Adamu’ Godfather.

We can only hope that before the end of the three-year suspension period of Adamu, some level of sanity would have returned to our football at the home front, and will serve as a lesson and deterrent to others in this country who see sports as a means of making stupendous money, and that the right people will be in the right place, to save our moribund and comatose sports, especially football.

We have been sick and tired of Adamu’s interference and stranglehold on Nigerian sport for 20 inefficient and corruption-ridden years. His greed, which knows no bound, has been his downfall, and I am pleased to say, it serves him right. I am someone who has been expecting him to come a cropper for a long time, and he has.

Now that the shit has hit the fan for him, because typically of a greedy man, he would never know when to stop, we may now know how much Adamu made from COJA 2003 when he was the main man in charge, including some highly-placed people in Obasanjo’s government who put a new meaning into “scamming the government”.

The files must be re-opened to ascertain the truth and the EFCC had better have the will and determination to verify them. It is a shame for Amos Adamu to be indicted by FIFA’s disciplinary committee. It is also a shame for our country, Nigeria, that such a highly placed official should be ensnared in such a naïve way, but the positive side is that God is taking out these corrupt people ruining our country one by one. The people Adamu forced on us in the NFF are now facing a battle not to be prosecuted and sent to jail by the EFCC. Do I shed a tear? No way!

Amos Adamu has brought the name of the country into further disrepute, and should be made to face the consequences and the punishment back home in Nigeria (He has been out of the country since the story of his most recent, and I hope, final gross misconduct broke), and let the whole world know that we are serious about eradicating corruption. Nemesis will always catch up with the greedy and the corrupt. It’s just a matter of time. Longthroat no good at all!

Credit should be given to some upright Nigerian journalists like Olukayode Thomas and Patrick Omorodion who have been crusading for years that Adamu is corrupt, and some of whom have suffered the consequences by losing their jobs, as pressure was applied by Adamu on their editors.

Over the years, I have also written and published several articles on this corrupt, highly-placed, influence-wielding and totally ineffective and glory-seeking Nigerian sports official, (“Nigerian Football And Sports: Amos Adamu’s Influence And The Recent NFA Elections – Another Step Backwards”; “Re: Amos Adamu To Investigate Corruption”; “Re: Where Are The Super Eagles?”; “The Death of Nigerian Sports And A Walk Down Memory Lane”; “The Super Eagles, The NFA And The African Nations Cup”) and I will say I am vindicated too.

Amos Adamu

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Podium

Where Are The Nation Builders?

Akintokunbo A Adejumo

“

Nigeria is not a nation. It is a mere geographical expression. There are no ‘Nigerians’ in the same sense as there are ‘English’, ‘Welsh’ or ‘French.’ The word ‘Nigerian’ is merely a distinctive appellation to distinguish those who live within the boundaries of Nigeria and those who do not.” (Path to Nigerian Freedom by Chief Obafemi Awolowo) Nation building refers to the process of constructing or structuring a national identity using the power of the state.

This process aims at the unification of the people or peo-

and rivalry between ethnic groups within the nation. This sometimes resulted in their near-disintegration, such as the attempt by Biafra to secede from Nigeria in 1970, or the continuing demand of the Somali people in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia for complete independence.

To understand the notion of nation-building, one needs to have some definition of what a nation is. According to Carolyn Stephenson (2005), early conceptions of nation defined it as a group or race of people who shared history, traditions, and culture, sometimes religion, and usually

and outside. It means development of human rights: political, civil, economic and social, and the rule of law. But it also means development of sewer systems, and roads, and jobs. Perhaps most important, it means the development of education. Nation-building must allow the participation of civil society, and develop democratic state institutions that promote welfare. Democratic state-building is an important part of that. This is a multi-faceted process that will proceed differently in each local context.

Many commentators on Nigeria’s history and development are always fond of saying Nigeria that is, the country, is an artificial creation of a colonial power, Britain. Let us agree this is true. But is Nigeria the only artificial creation in Africa, or indeed the whole world? Many countries in the world as we have them today are artificial creations.

Even the greatest country in the world, The United States of America was not created by God naturally. It was the ability of men of vision and wisdom and sufferings. Most African counties fall into this artificial creation phenomenon.

So, why is Nigeria deemed as unique? Is it because we have 250 or so tribes? Is this an insurmountable problem, if indeed it is a problem?

It all began with our past heroes and leaders. Look at the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s statement above and you will understand the problem. The late sage, as much as we venerated and adored and believed in him, never believed in one Nigeria, it would appear, from the very beginning, but he tagged along with the other then regional leaders and the colonial masters, Britain to form the country, Nigeria, even though his heart and instinct were against the idea. It seems rather unfortunate. But it was this singular statement and action – and perhaps many more - that has, till the end of time, labelled him as a “tribal leader” and which as we know, denied him from ever leading Nigeria.

ples within the state so that it remains politically stable and viable in the long run. Nation building can involve the use of propaganda or major infrastructure development to foster social harmony and economic growth (Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia)

language. Thus the United Kingdom comprises four nations, the English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh. The people of a nation generally share a common national identity, and part of nation-building is the building of that common identity.

Please, do not get me wrong. I am an unrepentant Awoist, and proud of it too. And I know what I committed to the late sage’s UPN in 1979 when I was just graduating from the university. But with the benefit of hind-sight and truth, we now know why Awolowo never ruled this country, to our eternal regret. Even his political foes have acknowledged that after his death. That was his mistake and he should rue it, even in death. Yet, many of us are sure that the whole of Nigeria would have been better off under his Presidency or leadership.

Originally, nation building referred to the efforts of newly-independent nations, notably the nations of Africa, to reshape colonial territories that had been carved out by colonial powers without regard to ethnic or other boundaries. These reformed states would then become viable and coherent national entities.

Today the word nation is often used synonymously with state, as in the United Nations. But a state is more properly the governmental apparatus by which a nation rules itself.

So who builds a nation? What can be done about nationbuilding is the question (if it should be done) or who should do it, and who CAN effectively do it. The literature is divided over these issues:

Nation-building that will likely contribute to stable international peace will need to emphasize the democratic participation of people within the nation to demand rights. It will need to build the society, economy, and polity, which will meet the basic needs of the people, so that they are not driven by poverty, inequality and unemployment, on the one hand, or by a desire to compete for resources and power either internally or in the international system. This does means not only producing the formal institutions of democracy, but the underlying culture, which recognizes respect for the identities and needs of others both within

Individual statesmen and women: Where are they in Nigeria? Over the past 50 years, what we have seen are nation-destroyers, not nation-builders.

We have been extremely unlucky with our leaders, as well as the followers, at any rate. So, the blame does not lie wholly on the type of leaders our society threw up.

Nation building included the creation of superficial national paraphernalia such as flags, anthems, national days, national stadiums, national airlines, national languages, and national myths. At a deeper level, national identity needed to be deliberately constructed by moulding different groups into a nation, especially since colonialism had used divide and rule tactics to maintain its domination.

However, many new states were plagued by “tribalism”,

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In Nigeria, it has been very difficult to name even one of those people we love to refer to as our Founding Fathers (like the American Pilgrim Fathers) as nation building statesmen. It is really difficult, and this is simply because

Podium their mission then was not to build a nation but rather to build power bases and usurp power by whatever means; by mostly serving sectional or tribal interests, if not their pockets.

Intergovernmental organisations (IGOs), States or Nongovernmental organisations, (NGOs): Here, the issue is not so much which agency, but how the agency functions. Does it simply throw money at the problem? Does it exacerbate tensions by providing money or projects unevenly across ethnic groups or regions in such a way as to generate competition or, worse, security fears? Is its presence so big that it overwhelms the local or national governing structures it is trying to nurture? Is it culturally knowledgeable and sensitive?

Military or Civilian: The military must prepare leaders for nation building, by providing training in “culture; basic law and civics; city planning and public administration; economics; and ethics,” as well as language, and “how a free, democratic government is supposed to work”. Has this happened in Nigeria? The military incursion into government set Nigeria back a hundred years. They have no vision, no purpose, are largely opportunistic and corrupt, and hence have no idea what nation-building is. In fact, the military further polarised an already fractious Nigeria.

Thus, the civilians have not fared better either. Catch-22 situation, isn’t it? And unfortunately for us, it is same set of people, under a democratic dispensation, who are supposed to build the nation better, under peaceful, free and relaxed atmosphere, than under usually draconian military rules.

“The democratic approach to nation building refers to cases in which elected governments operate under inclusive institutions and the leaders behave in ways that strengthen democracy. This approach has the greatest potential for creating a stable multiethnic nation. Unfortunately, Nigerians have not yet successfully pursued this path” (Abu Bakarr, 2004) Indigenous or exogenous actors: Nation-building is an evolutionary process. It takes a long time. One of the problems with outside actors is that they come and they go, but they are still necessary; arguing for the importance of indigenous nation-building does not mean that outside actors should ignore the process.

Role of youth in nation building: The saying goes that “youths are not only leaders of tomorrow, but partners of today” Maybe it’s time to start planting in them for tomorrow’s harvest. During this past US election, the Republicans underestimated the role of youth in politics, something the Democrats used to their advantage.

The government and society at large have equal responsibility to provide the youth with an environment that is conducive to bringing about a mature and responsible youth population for the coming generation to lead a better life.

on brain drain of the thousands of graduates leaving the country for greener pastures. This issue of migration has a negative impact on our nation. Nations are build out of human intellect, migration of our many graduates has a serious implication on us. This means that a nation cannot be built without the recognition and the collective efforts of such graduates. (Abiola Saba) Our Unique Paradox Most Nigerians will readily admit that what affects us the most, is poverty and underdevelopment, which are now buffeted by perennial bad governance and debilitating corruption. Likewise, those who are outside Nigeria looking in, will say the same thing, albeit, with a qualifier; to them Nigeria’s myriad of problems is self-induced. This is often the argument advanced by those who were opposed to any debt forgiveness for Nigeria. They refuse to accept that a nation with so much wealth could be so indigent.

To them, our country and the challenges it faces, presents a unique paradox.

Measuring the Nation Building Process A key challenge, therefore, is the way we manage our affairs. The question for Nigerians is how to realize the principles outlined in the constitutions and thereby promote a stable multi-ethnic nation. Ehiedu Iweriebor (1990) identified six criteria for measuring the progress of the nation building process. These are: leadership, transportation and communication networks, economic development, national education, pedagogical nationalism, and civil society. Though his study outlines the successes and failures of the various Nigerian governments, it fails to explain why a particular type of government might fail or succeed in promoting nation building.

A democratic approach is the best path to nation building in a multi-ethnic country like Nigeria. As we have seen in the Nigerian experience with nation building, it is difficult to pursue a non-democratic means of reform without aggravating internal unrest and international censure. Sadly, the lack of a democratic mandate, poor institutional design, and bad leadership has all made it nearly impossible for successive Nigerian governments to pursue a democratic approach. Many Nigerians are not satisfied with the 1999 Constitution because it failed to address the structural imbalance of the federation (Abu Bakarr, 2004).

Even of more concern is the lack of accountability, the

massive corruption scandals of successive governments, the poor state of the economy, and the fraud that characterized both the 2003 and 2007 elections. “If we continue to have these same levels of corruption and the economy is mismanaged, then the sustainability of democracy will be reduced. The country’s survival will be endangered.”

(Suberu, 1999) Even though the emerging domestic and international political environment has minimized the possibility of a return to military rule, there is a real danger of democratic decay in Nigeria. As we have seen over the past decades, democratic decay is a recipe for chaos and military intervention.

All in all, I will posit, successful nation building is no mean task. The problem with our pseudo-leaders is that they have never taken nation-building, management of resources and people, leadership, seriously. In fact they do not know what it means to be leaders. They are essentially ignorant though educated (even this is questionable) Nation-building and the associated developmental issues require men and women of deep vision; sincerity of purpose; selflessness; genuine love for their country and their people; hardworking; of conscience, integrity, credibility, trustworthiness, honesty, reliable and able; people who do not think of stealing or embezzling; people who do not misuse the authority and power conferred on them, by God or Man; people who do not think that getting to positions of authority is a “do-or-die” affair; people who understand the meaning of nation building, leadership, good governance, rule of law, political emancipation, equality, human and civil rights, civility, freedom of speech, rule of law, diversity and religious tolerance,; people who will shun and will not tolerate tribalism, corruption and nepotism.

These are the people who can build nations.

To my people, how are we building this nation? It is time for all Nigerians to collectively do their part in being nation builders and stop being nation destroyers.

Thanks to my erudite sister, Abiola Saba (Timeless Impact) of Mantua, NJ who contributed in no small measure to this article.

Akintokunbo Adejumo is the Global Coordinator of Champions For Nigeria, (www.championsfornigeria. org ) an organisation devoted to tackling corruption, promoting good governance and celebrating genuine progress, excellence, commitment, selfless and unalloyed service to Nigeria and the people of Nigeria. A graduate of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria (1979) and University of Manitoba, Canada (1985), he also writes on topical issues and has been published in newspapers and internet media including Nigeriaworld.com, Nigeria Today Online, Nigerians In America, Nigeria Village Square, Champions Newspaper, ChatAfrik.com, African News Switzerland, New Nigerian Politics, Gamji.com, Codewit.com, Nigerian Horizon. com, Nigerian Muse.com, and TIMELESS Magazine amongst others.

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Random Musings with Ayodeji Jeremiah

W

e have had what was known as the Stone Age; we have had the agrarian age; we have had the industrial age; we have had the I.T. age and presently we have moved into what is called the age of wisdom; the knowledge age. Knowledge is potential power but it has to be released and used. It is knowledge that is released and used that becomes power. The future will be controlled by those with this power.

For the last two hundred years, neo-classical economics has recognised only two factors of production: labour and capital. This has now changed. Information and knowledge are replacing capital and energy as the primary wealth-creating assets, just as the latter two replaced land and labour 200 years ago. In addition, technological developments in the 20th and 21st centuries have transformed the majority of wealth-creating work from physically-based to “knowledge-based.”

Technology and knowledge are now the key factors of production. With increased mobility of information and the global work force, knowledge and expertise can be transported instantaneously around the world, and any advantage gained by one company or country can be eliminated by competitive improvements overnight. The only comparative advantage a company or country will enjoy will be its process of innovation, combining market and technology know-how with the creative talents of knowledge workers to solve a constant stream of competitive problems and its ability to derive value from information. We are now an information society in a knowledge economy where knowledge management is essential.

So what exactly is knowledge and how can it be obtained? How can knowledge be put to economic purposes? Thomas Jefferson said ‘He who receives an idea from me receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine receives light without darkening me.’ There are different kinds of knowledge that can usefully be distinguished.

Know-what refers to knowledge about “facts”. How

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many people live in New York? What are the ingredients in pancakes? And when was the battle of Waterloo? are examples of this kind of knowledge. Here, knowledge is close to what is normally called information; it can be broken down into bits.

In some complex areas, experts must have a lot of this kind of knowledge in order to fulfil their jobs.

Practitioners of law and medicine belong to this category. Know-what, or knowledge about facts, is nowadays diminishing in relevance. Know-why refers to scientific knowledge of the principles and laws of nature. Know-why is knowledge about the natural world, society, and the human mind.This kind of knowledge underlies technological development and product and process advances in most industries. The production and reproduction of know-why is often organised in specialised organisations, such as research laboratories and universities.

To get access to this kind of knowledge, firms have to interact with these organisations either through recruiting scientifically-trained labour or directly through contacts and joint activities.

Know-how refers to skills or the capability to do something. Know-how refers to the ability to do things on a practical level. Businessmen judging market prospects for a new product or a personnel manager selecting and training staff have to use their know-how. The same is true for the skilled worker operating complicated machine tools. Know-how is typically a kind of knowledge developed and kept within the border of an individual firm. One of the most important reasons for the formation of industrial networks is the need for firms to be able to share and combine elements of know-how. This is why know-who becomes increasingly important. Know-who involves information about who knows what and who knows how to do what. Knowing key people is sometimes more important to innovation than knowing scientific principles. It involves the formation of special social relationships which make it possible to get access to experts and use their knowledge efficiently. It is significant in economies where skills are widely dispersed because of a highly developed division of labour among organisations and experts. For the modern manager and organisation, it is important to use this kind of knowledge in response to the acceleration in the rate of change. The know-who kind of knowledge is internal to the organisation to a higher degree than any other kind of knowledge. Know-where and know-when are also becoming increasingly important in a flexible and dynamic economy.

Learning to master the different kinds of knowledge takes place through different channels. While knowwhat and know-why can be obtained through reading books, attending lectures and accessing databases, the other kinds of knowledge are rooted primarily in practical experience. Know-how will typically be learned in situations where an apprentice follows a master and relies upon him as the authority. Know-who is learned in social practice and sometimes in specialised edu-

cational environments. It also develops in day-to-day dealings with customers, sub-contractors and independent institutes. One reason why firms engage in basic research is to acquire access to networks of academic experts crucial for their innovative capability. Knowwho is socially embedded knowledge, which cannot easily be transferred through formal channels of information.

The implication of the knowledge economy is that there is no alternative way to prosperity than to make learning and knowledge-creation of prime importance.

Knowledge gained by experience is as important as formal education and training. “Tacit knowledge” is knowledge gained from experience, rather than that instilled by formal education and training. In the knowledge economy tacit knowledge is as important as formal, codified, structured and explicit knowledge.

In the knowledge-based economy “learning-by-doing” is paramount.

You have to dedicate yourself to lifelong learning to take advantage of what the future holds. The mind is like a muscle. Just as you have to strain your physical muscles to build them, you have to work your mental muscles to build your mind as well. The more you learn, the more you can learn; just the same way you play a sport, the more you play that sport, the better you get at it. Continuous learning is the key to the 21st century. Don’t let your learning however lead just to knowledge. Let your learning lead to action. Put what you learn into practise. For knowledge to become wisdom, it has to pass through a process known as understanding. Understanding comes through practice.

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