CHEICK DIARRA: AFRICA’S WORTHY EXPORT TO NASA No. 41
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International INSIDE
201101
TRENDY SPLASH ...For today’s trendy people
Dating Behaviors that Scare Single Men Away SOFT DRINKS: What They Do To Your Body Patrick Yakowa Abdul-aziz Yari Abubakar
Umaru Tanko Al-makura
Ibikunle Amosun
Abiola Ajimobi
NIGERIA:
Poised For CHANGE As New Leaders Emerge
SPECIAL FOCUS ON 2011 GOVERNORSHIP INAUGURATIONS IN NIGERIA
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Number 41
International
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Inauguration 2011 Against All Odds, SENATOR IBIKUNLE AMOSUN Takes Over As Ogun State Governor 12 I Will Re-write History In Kaduna State - PATRICK IBRAHIM YAKOWA
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Better Days Ahead As SEN. ABIOLA AJIMOBI Takes Charge As Governor Of OYO STATE
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NASARAWA STATE: A Fresh and New Deal with GOV. UMARU TANKO AL-MAKURA In Charge GOV. ABDUL-AZIZ YARI ABUBAKAR: Mission to Change the face of Zamfara State 42
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Society Calabar Celebrates An Efik Union As EDIDIONG & EME Walk Down The Aisle
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Business & Markets Foremost Event Centre THE ATRIUM Opens In Port Harcourt
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Passage
ELDER BENEDICT TARINDOGIYO SYLVA Goes the way of Mortals 41
Departments 8 XCEL People:
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CHEICK DIARRA: Africa’s Worthy Export on...
10 Health Matters: BREAST CANCER: Symptoms, Causes, ...
11 Career Wise: 22 Feminine Talk:
What Chief Executives Really Want Handling Your Ex
40 Moving Up The Ladder: Living Life From The Inside Out
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52 Relationship:
Dating Behaviors that Scare Single Men Away
53 Just In Case:
SOFT DRINKS: What They Do To Your Body
64 Parenting:
Parents & Adolescents
65 Thinking Cap:
The Incredible Power of Attentive Listening!
THE PEOPLES’ VOICE The letter by Johnson Abayomi from Ikotun - Lagos is the Star Letter of this edition and wins our N1,000 prize money. Congratulations. Dear Editor, I r e a d y o u r publisher's article titled “We have kept faith” and I think that really, XCEL has kept faith with not just the readers, but all those who have anything to do with you. For me, XCEL has inspired me greatly because when you guys started in 2000 or thereabout, I never thought you will go this far. Honestly, I saw it as one of those flashy magazines that will grace the newsstands and fade away shortly after. Ironically, you are ten. This is why I said you have kept faith with not just your readers, as I have come to learn from the XCEL story that success requires focus and dedication, and that anything is possible if only you are determined. Thanks XCEL and the entire team for being a lesson to learn. Pius Agiabor Old GRA, PHC Dear Pius, You have said it all, it's always so at the beginning. People will never give you a chance, but it's your determination, consistency and dogged commitment that will pave the way for you. Thank you for being there for us. Dear Editor, How time flies. I was surprised to read in your last edition that XCEL is now 10. Congratulation for a job well done. I am happy to be associated with XCEL for all these years. Kudos to the entire XCEL team. Ade Jafaru. Ikorodu - Lagos Dear Jafaru, It's true that time flies and waits for no one. We are indeed ten and also happy that you were there for us. Thanks for keeping pace with XCEL. Dear Editor, The story of TEN MOST RAVISHING BEAUTIES OF NOLLYWOOD published in your 40th edition was quite good. I think we need stories or packages like that. However, what were your criteria for choosing the ten. I ask because in my opinion your choice or whoever did the listing was unfair to some person like Oge Okoye, Liz Benson and some others. Also, I will like you to do same for the guys in Nollywood. Keep it up. I think you are doing great. Kudos! Jack Isibor Asokoro - Abuja.
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Dear Jack, Thanks for your letter. However, you must remember that as it is often said, “beauty is in the eyes of the beholder” this means for everybody, the list will be different. This is our list and you are entitled to your opinion. We will continue to be fair and unbiased in our judgment. Thanks. Dear Editor, I read the interview granted by your publisher in your 10th Anniversary edition, I must confess that he impressed me. I did not only enjoy reading his experience, but learnt a lot from it as it was a bomb. Congrats! Mr. Publisher. Also, the pictures revealed that XCEL has built contacts with the high and mighty, like the former Head of State, Abdusalami Abubakar, the respected Oba of Benin, etc. I am impressed and I wish you many more resounding successes in the next decade of XCEL. Congratulations! Gbenga Jimoh Ikeja - Lagos. Dear Gbenga, Thanks for all your comments regarding our Publisher. We feel elated that you regard him highly after reading his interview. We here also appreciate him for giving XCEL a direction which we all follow today. Thanks too, for your prayers as we will continue to strive for excellence in the coming decade. God bless you. Dear Editor, Let me start by congratulating you on Health Matters. I was gong through my magazines and I found a topic in your 34th edition, “Sickle Cell Anemia. Two out of four of my children are SS .Unfortunately for me; I couldn't find the 35th edition where you promised to publish the care for Sickle Cell Anemia. It's a long time you publish that and I can't find it to buy now. Please help me by republishing the Care for Sickle Cell Anemia. Thank you. Susanna. Micheal Ojo - Lagos Dear Susanna, Sorry that you missed the 35th edition. However due to our editorial policy, we can not republish the story as you requested, but if at the time you read this material you are yet to get a copy, please send in your e-mail so we can send the soft copy of the article to you. Thanks and make sure you don't miss any edition again.
Dear Editor, Your feature on the “10 MOST OUTSTANDING NIGERIANS” is very
inspiring. The 10 Nigerians you chose are truly deserving of the honor. Continue to celebrate those who climb to the apogee of success through hard work. Congrats to all the XCEL team as you clock 10. Julius Etukudor Calabar Dear Julius, Thanks for your letter. We are indeed glad that you believe in us. Please keep patronizing XCEL. Dear Editor, I lost touch with XCEL for a long time now. However, only recently I ran into an A4 size copy of XCEL special with Mr. President on cover and titled “A Presidents Historic Home-coming” It was interesting as expected, but I want to know if XCEL has changed size. Chris Aledeh Uniben, Ugbowo Campus, Benin Dear Chris, XCEL has not changed size. The XCEL you know remains what it used to be, though extremely improved and gets better each passing day. What you saw is XCEL Special, an offspring of XCEL International Magazine. The XCEL special as advertised on the back of these edition, is a customized edition, tailor-made exclusively for any client who so desire. Thank you. Dear Editor, When I read your 10th Anniversary edition, on your page 6, “XCEL PEOPLE …10 years after” you wrote about African Icons you have celebrated on the page in ten years. You had the likes of Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama, Mariam Makebah, Wole Soyinka, Gabriel Sellassie and a host of others. If truly you have celebrated these men and women in XCEL, then I think you are really in the business of promoting the continent of Africa as you have continually claimed. You are indeed an uncelebrated Africa Ambassador and deserve Kudos. keep it up and never faint in your vision. Johnson Abayomi Ikotun-Lagos Dear Johnson, Indeed we have at various times celebrated men and women of honour who make us proud as Africans. We are proud to say that all those we mentioned have been celebrated. Our promise is to continue in our resolve to continually comb the entire shores of the continent and bring you Africans of honour. Thank you and please keep faith with us.
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litmus test. Soludo may have gone with his era, but he has certainly left Nigerians with mixed feelings. Today, another big masquerade has emerged in the Town square, and he is dancing majestically to the drumbeat and rhythm of those who gained from his short-comings. Once more, the lips of the people-like that of the small noisy cannery bird-sings nothing else, but the four letter word: JEGA!
ot long ago, Nigerians were unanimously singing the praise of Chukuma Soludo, former Governor of the central Bank of Nigeria. He was like the beautiful bride everybody wanted to behold. In fact, the common saying in the lips of many people then was “This is the kind of man we need in this country”. The reasons for this charade of sorts are not farfetched. Soludo, it will be recalled, had championed and made possible, the seemingly impossible merger of the numerous unstable banks in Nigeria into what he called the 25 Mega Banks. It was indeed a mega feat. Afterwards, Soludo said that our banks had become stronger and insulated against incessant and unwarranted financial crashes and had even become immune to the global economic recession that was rocking financial institutions worldwide as at that time. Soludo's statement did serve as a soothing relief to the ears of many troubled Nigerians. It was simply a good talk! It was with this report from nation's financial custodian that many Nigerians proceeded to sleep with their two eyes closed believing that our banking sector had not only become big and strong but had also become presumably reliable. It was not then surprising that Soludo thereafter became a sudden hero, bagging all sorts of awards and recognitions from different organizations, as a beloved son in whom the nation was well-pleased.
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However, no sooner than he left the stage for Sanusi Lamido, than his story went awry. The erstwhile solid and insulated banks which he nurtured, we were told, are hollow and in dare need of intervention. What an irony it was, that the man whom we had just decorated with several laurels, will, in few months, be seen as a valiant who has either deceived Nigerians or worsestill, was not competent enough to know that the sector was in near comatose. After carting away a number of awards, Sanusi is here to clear his mess which is still resonating with some “celebrated bankers” during his regime, now cooling their heels either in EFCC custody, Jail, awaiting trials or battling to secure bail. These are no doubt, evidences to the fact that all is not well with the sector. Nigeria and Nigerians have always taken hookline and sinker, claims or statements from those in authority with little or no attempts made at verifying such claims. This is not only dangerous for our nation, but presents us as a nation of gullible people who lack the wisdom to subject such bogus claims to
When in 2010, professor Attahiru Jega was appointed as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, the action was greeted with widespread applause across board. Nigerians who knew him and his antecedents felt that, for once, we were now on the right path to reinvent our democracy. That was the general impression, and true to it, he did not disappoint anyone in presenting a wonderful blueprint or roadmap towards the conduct of free, fair and credible elections in the country. Jega took advantage of every opportunity he had, on the screen, in the pages of newspapers and anywhere he could find space to perch, to tell Nigerians what he will do and what he would not do. We all applauded this with a belief that, at last we have found the messiah, the right man to the neat job. Jega did excellent Public Relations, co nv i n c i n g N i ge r i a n s t h at t h e electioneering project in Nigeria would not be business as usual as he was poised to hit a sharp departure from the norm. Again, in our usual character of gullibility, we believed him and took things for granted. He conducted a fresh Voters Registration exercise, registering everybody's ten fingerprints to avoid the electoral fraud of multiple registrations and voting. He told us that the era of multiple thumb-printing is over having captured our fingerprints and as usual, we haplessly proceeded to bed with our two eyes closed, believing that we certainly are on course. Time, they say waits for no one. Indeed, the elections have come and gone, but the million dollar question begging for answer on the lips of many Nigerians is whether or not Jega can be said to have truly kept his promises to Nigerians and if at all he did, how many of such promises can we say that Jega actualized? Have we stopped to ponder over this? Have we looked critically at the entire performance vis-à-vis the colossal amount of money approved for the Commission to execute the 2011 general Elections? Have we taken time to look at the cost-benefit analysis in terms of the massive amount spent in importing the data capture machines which were never used for the election? Have we asked Jega why after acquiring such capital intensive equipment and spending such colossal amount, he could not deliver to Nigerians a voting platform devoid of rigging by multiple thumb-printing, as he promised? What sense, for all intents and purposes, does it make to capture voters' fingerprints, yet make no attempt to authenticate the fingerprints before voting after spending over 80 billion Naira of taxpayers money? These and many more questions are begging for answers. Ironically, though typical of our style as Nigerians, nobody seems to care.
When will our country start holding people, especially those in position of trust, accountable for their words? When also, will it dawn on those in authority that promises made to the people are like social contracts where both the people and those in authority are expected to play their roles? I should add that in this case, the people played their part by coming out to vote and even waited for their votes to be counted. But did Jega play his role? The danger is that we run a system where public office holders tell the people what they think they want to hear and not what they will do. Funny enough, those who took advantage of the lapses of Jega and his Commission to thumbprint massively, were the first to congratulate him for doing a wonderful job. What a laughable situation. If with all the billions that was voted for the Elections, Jega could not deliver an election devoid of massive thumpprinting fraud, then we have every reason to give kudos to the operatives of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board who only recently conducted the JAMB examination nationwide and subjected candidates to fingerprint authentication process before entering the examination hall. If they could go this far without a tenth of the noise Jega made and without billions of Naira expended in registering candidates yet, we heard of how “mercenaries” were shut out of the examination halls by the simple technology of fingerprints verification, then Jega certainly owe Nigerians an apology because despite all the hullabaloo which he made, he could not do a fraction of what they did in terms of fingerprint verification. Frankly speaking, in my own opinion, what Jega succeeded in doing was to rewrite the procedure of elections, like making people wait till their votes are counted and pasting results of polling units at the designated centers. After all, in previous elections candidates are also accredited like he did. Jega must be told the truth that this is not in any way a semblance of what he told Nigerians that he would do, and for which that huge amount of money was disbursed. The good news for Jega, however, is that he has no case to answer, just like Soludo never had, because this is NIGERIA! Lest I forget, this edition is a special one as it features for posterity purpose, governorship inaugurations across Nigeria, just as the nation equally makes a grand entrance into her 7th Republic. Some new leaders have emerged and it is our hope that as new leaders in their various States, they will, as they have all promised during their campaigns and in their inaugural addresses, affect the lives of their people as a challenge to some old horses who had for personal reasons refused to touch the lives of their people for good. We pray that their emergence will serve as a new dawn in the administration of governance in Nigeria even as we collectively strive to strengthen our ebullient democracy and propel our country to the heights which the founding fathers dreamt about. Happy reading.
XCEL PEOPLE
CHEICK DIARRA: Africa’s Worthy Export on Space Technology
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es! It is true that Africa may not have unilaterally sponsored any of Man's explorations to the outer space. It is also true that Africa has not been able to gainfully consolidate or even tap into the avalanche of opportunities that is readily available in space science and explorationindeed Africa, truly could be said to be trailing or perhaps even crawling, way behind, in space science technology. However, it will be grossly wrong for anyone to say that Africans have not played any significant role in man's quest to explore the astronomical wonders of the universe. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Some African Scientists have not only played significant roles in the feats recorded by the United State's National Aeronautic and Space Association (NASA) Magellan probe to Venus, the Ulysses probe to the Sun, the Galileo spacecraft to Jupiter, and the Mars Observer and Mars Pathfinder, but have also held very strategic positions in NASA. In this edition, XCEL PEOPLE, your window into the lives of notable African role models with enviable and distinguished legacies in their various fields of endeavor, presents to you one of such Africans--the foremost African space scientist--who has been flying the African flag so very high in space science technology. His name is Chieck Modibo Diarra, a Malian astrophysicist. NASA's First African astrophysicist and key player in the exploration of Mars with the Pathfinder and Sojourner projects, Cheikh Modibo Diarra is without doubt a brilliant scientist
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and a worthy African export. Born in Nioro du Sahel in Mali in 1951, Diarra earned his baccalaureate in Mali and proceeded to study Mathematics, Physics, and analytic mechanics in Paris at the University of Pierre and Marie Curie. After a while, he got bored by his classes and went on an adventure to explore the world, and ended up in the USA at a friend's invitation. It was there that he attended the Howard University in Washington DC where he earned a PhD in Aerospace Engineering. Later, he taught at Howard as a physics professor, until one day he met two recruiters from Caltech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a NASA FFRDA contractor. That's was when, we should announce, that his career with NASA started. Recruited as NASA's first African researcher as an interplanetary navigator, he oversaw five NASA missions, such as the Ulysses mission to the poles of the Sun, the Magellan probe to Venus, the Ulysses probe to the Sun, the Galileo spacecraft to Jupiter, the Mars Observer and the Mars Pathfinder. Owing to hardwork and his result-oriented nature, Diarra later became the director of NASA's “Mars Exploration Program Education and Public Outreach.” He was appointed a goodwill Ambassador for science, technology and enterprise in 1998. However, Diarra did not feel fulfilled with his array of achievements. He was not happy that Africa, his father and motherland was still not catching the raging fire of space science technology which was sweeping through the continents of the world. He frowned at the beggarly and pitiable
posture of Africa as the continent of backward countries who is always lookingup to the Western world for leading without taking the necessary steps, as Mao Tse Tsung will say, to help itself. “I don't believe in the commonly used terms Afro-pessimism and Afro-optimism, one is negative the other is naive. I prefer Afroresponsibility, where Africa is accountable for it's every action and it's every outcome,” he once said. It was against this backdrop that he obtained permission from NASA, in 1999, to work part-time in order to devote himself to education development in Africa, founding the Pathfinder Foundation. He took a further sabbatical in 2002 to found a laboratory in Bamako, Mali for the development of Solar Energy. We should add that in 2000 and 2001 he also served as a goodwill ambassador for UNESCO and was later appointed CEO of the African Virtual University, based in Kenya. Owing to his love for the African continent, he has been involved in programmes for the development of the continent. Little wonder, on the 20th February 2008, he was Cheick Modibo Diarra was currently the chairman of Microsoft Africa. Diarra is not only the Chairman of Microsoft Africa; he is also the VicePresident of the United Nations World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology and has been awarded the African Lifetime Achievement Award and the World Bank's Award for Outstanding Contributions to Science. It is for this reason that we in XCEL decorate this icon with the XCEL SEAL OF EXCELLENCE on our XCEL PEOPLE page, as an excellent achiever of our time!
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AFRICA PERISCOPE
UGANDA: Students Strike over Mobile Phones
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an Giovanni Secondary School in Kanungu District was recently closed after a strike which left a lot of properties destroyed and students injured. According to a senior four student, the strike started after the school authority recovered over 400 mobile phone handsets and three sacks of casual wears that were found in the students' dormitories and threatened to burn them. "The strike begun w h e n t h e administration said they were going to burn the handsets," the student said. Students say the school introduced uniforms for both
weekends, after classes, week days and had abolished casual wear yet the school has less uniforms for the over 1000 students. The complaint had been on for long but the administration did not take heed, making the students opt for a strike. The students also complained that there has not been cooperation between the school head teacher, teachers and students. The district education officer Kanungu, Godwil Bakiiga, said the school will temporarily close until further notice, although the board of governors has fixed a date to meet. The District Police Commander, Kanungu, Moses Semakula, however, attributed the strike to negligence of the school administration.
NAMIBIA: Disputed Hambukushu Land Sold to Foreign Investor
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HE Hambukushu Traditional Authority in eastern Kavango has handed over a disputed piece of land to a foreign investor who plans to build a lodge there.
Kashokora has vowed to remain on the land until he is compensated as per the Traditional Authorities' Act.
The land is situated at Divava village, 207 kilometres east of Rundu in the Mukwe Constituency. John Kashokora is currently occupying the plot.
The Hambukushu Traditional Authority is in possession of a memorandum of understanding that Kashokora signed with a different investor last year for the sale of the same piece of land, without approval from the traditional authority.
However, the leader of the Hambukushu Traditional Authority, Chief Erwin Munika Mbambo, expropriated the land from him last month and gave it to South African investor Mel Henn. During the handover of the land, the chief instructed the investor not to compensate the person who had been living there since 1996, claiming that he was an illegal occupant.
Kashokora sold the land to Trevor Foster, the owner of Nunda Lodge, for N$30 000. The Traditional Authority and certain members of the Divava community are now using that agreement as evidence against Kashokora, claiming that he has already benefited from that piece of land and cannot be compensated twice. The agreement with Foster was declared null and void when Kashokora presented it to the community and the traditional authority for approval. Kashokora now has to reimburse Foster, but is unable to do so.
The investor has already started de-bushing the area with the assistance of 10 local people.
Africa-Middle East: Experts Plan Food Safety in Livestock Trade
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UBAI With increased trade in livestock products offering a possible antidote to high food prices, livestock experts from the Middle East and 12 African countries have met in Dubai to develop a strategy that eliminates the need to impose devastating bans on livestock imports from the Horn of Africa, as prevention against the spread of Rift Valley fever. The strategy should expedite the flow of livestock products while increasing safety of the overall livestock trade in the region. Convened by the African Union's Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the workshop will encourage officials and livestock traders to use a simple “Decision Support Planning Tool” to guide and moderate their responses to Rift Valley fever (RFV)
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outbreaks. The “decision support tool” for RVF was developed by 30 experts and decisionsmakers from across the Horn of Africa with technical assistance from researchers at ILRI, the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and other partners. The tool will be used by chief veterinary officers and other national decision-makers. Its framework identifies the sequence of events likely to occur as the risk of a disease outbreak increases. Rift Valley fever is a mosquito-borne virus found in eastern, western and southern Africa, Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Epidemics emerge periodically with prolonged rains. Climate and land-use changes could
LIBERIA Discovers Arms Cache Near Ivory Coast Border
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huge cache of arms and ammunition has been uncovered in Liberia near the border with Ivory Coast, police say. The haul included rocket propelled grenades, machine guns, assault rifles. A police spokesman said 92 Ivorian refugees were being held for questioning about the weapons. Liberian mercenaries were accused of fighting on both sides during the violence that followed Ivory Coast's disputed election last November. Alassane Ouattara won the presidential poll but the incumbent, Laurent Gbagbo, refused to give up power and had to be removed by force. The BBC's Jonathan Paye-Layleh in Liberia's capital, Monrovia, says both countries have expressed concern about the return to Liberia of mercenaries who fought for Gbagbo. 'Bob Marley' arrested. The area in Grand Gedeh county where the arms were found is one of the places where these mercenaries and militias fled after Gbagbo was arrested on 11 April, our reporter says. The police statement said authorities had uncovered 67 AK-47 rifles, several machineguns, three rocket-propelled grenades and anti-aircraft steel rockets, as well as lots of ammunition. The Liberian police had earlier announced that a mercenary commander known by his nom de guerre "Bob Marley" was in custody. He has been accused by the UN and US-based Human Right Watch of ordering the killing of civilians while fighting for Gbagbo. The elections in Ivory Coast were meant to draw a line under a 2002-03 civil war which left the country split in two, but it led to a stalemate lasting more than four months. This week, the Ivorian authorities said they were setting up a n a t i o n a l commission to investigate crimes committed during the violence. Both Ouattara's forces and those loyal to t h e f o r m e r president are a c c u s e d o f atrocities.
make outbreaks more frequent. A study done by ILRI economists Karl Rich and Francis Wanyoike indicated that the RVF outbreak in 2007 cost Kenya at least $32 million. “We must avoid unnecessary disruptions in agricultural trade between East Africa and the Middle East,” said Prof. Ahmed El Sawalhy, Director, AU-IBAR. “Livestock products must be safe and action concerning disease outbreaks must be in line with the actual threat”. To this end, an animal health certification model suitable for pastoral livestock production systems and that promotes OIE standards has been developed by AU-IBAR in partnership with FAO and the Royal Veterinary College, London. The model is based on risk assessment and involves integration of both upstream animal health inspection and certification at entry points, markets and at the quarantines.
Clinton Urges Africa to Abandon Gadhafi U
.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called for African nations to sever ties with Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and demand his removal. Speaking from a lectern where Gadhafi has often addressed African assemblies, the secretary of state acknowledged the Libyan leader's influence in the 53-member body. But she urged African leaders to stand up for the organization's democratic ideals and take the lead in demanding his ouster. "I know it is true over many years, Gadhafi played a major role in providing financial support for many African nations and institutions, including the African Union, but it has become clearer by the day he has lost his legitimacy to rule, and we are long past time when he can or should remain in power," said Clinton. In the first-ever address by a U.S. secretary of state to the African Union, Clinton called for the continent's leaders to isolate Gadhafi
diplomatically. "I urge all African states to call for a genuine cease-fire and to call for Gadhafi to step aside," she said. "I also urge you to suspend the operations of Gadhafi's embassies in your countries, to expel proGadhafi diplomats, and to increase contact and support for the [rebel] Transitional National Council.”
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five-year-old Nigerian girl, Desiree Alli, who has not yet started primary school, is being hailed as the youngest person ever to pass a GCSE with a C grade in maths. Desiree Alli, from Southwark, south London, set a new record for childhood academic success. Desiree, known as Dee, prepared for the foundation level examination by playing maths games through a specialist tutoring centre. She was “mentored” by nine-year-old Nigerian girl Paula Imafidon, who hit the headlines two years ago when she sat A Level maths alongside her twin brother Peter. The two girls met through informal classes run in a local church by a charity called Excellence in Education which she began attending at the age of four. They perfected her mathematical skills through a game called “beat the calculator”. “I didn't know I was taking the exam I thought it was a game,” she said. “Maths is a big game with numbers and I find it fun. It wasn't very difficult and I found it very easy because it was mostly questions about the difference between numbers. I'm very surprised to be the youngest ever. I'm very proud of myself but it was just a game for me. I spend a lot of time playing number games with friends older than me. I also enjoy singing with my brother and watching TV. When I'm older I would like to be a princess and be rich.” Her mother, Joy, who runs a local nursery, said: “We are very grateful for Dee's association with Paula. It has changed her
And if they will not, then it is time for them to go." In what was billed as a major policy address, Clinton received applause for acknowledging the plight of African women, calling them “the hardest-working women in the world."
Speaking to an A.U. plenary hall packed with diplomats and dignitaries, Clinton hailed the so-called "Arab Spring" bringing about democratic reforms in parts of North Africa and the Middle East.
"So often what they do is not included in the formal economy, it is not measured in the GDP, and yet if all the women in Africa, from Cairo to Cape Town decided they would stop working for a week, the economies of Africa would collapse," she said.
She praised people in countries long ruled by dictators who are now demanding new leadership, often, as she put it, “at the top of their lungs.” “In places where jobs are scarce
5-year-old Nigerian Girl Claims World Record outlook on learning around.” Dee was five years and two months old when she sat the exam. Last year, Dee's brother, Jude, hit the headlines when he sat for Maths at GCSE and made a D. Then, he was six years old. Meanwhile, another Nigerian, Chidera Ota, led the GCSE roll of honour with 15 As. She has gained admission to study Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Maths and Further Maths at A-levels in King's School, Canterbury. Presently, she also studies Latin twice a week during her lunch break. Chidera, 16, attended
and a tiny elite prospers while most of the population struggles, people, especially young people, are channeling their frustration into social, economic and political change," said Clinton. "Their message is clear to us all, the status quo is broken, the old ways of governing are no longer acceptable, it is time for leaders to lead with accountability, treat their people with dignity, respect their rights, and deliver economic opportunity.
Highstead Grammar School, Sittingbourne, Kent. She scored As in English Literature and Language, Maths, Statistics, French, German, Latin, History, Sociology, Chemistry, Biology and Physics. She also made an IT qualification worth three GCSEs. Chidera lives with her Nigerianborn parents, Uchenna and Mercy, who are doctor and nurse respectively. Interestingly, she hopes to be a doctor. “I stayed home a lot and put a lot of work into my GCSEs. I want to become a doctor. And I know it's very competitive. So, I need to do very well to get into medicine,” Chidera said. She added: “I want to go to a top university and I have already looked around Oxford and Cambridge. I think I will like to go to St. John's College at Cambridge.”
East Africa Food Shortages Expected to Affect More People
I
n East Africa, millions people are in need of emergency food assistance because of the prolonged, severe drought. Now a U.N. agency warns that things could get worse. Steady rain is hard to come by in many parts of East Africa. The Food and Agriculture Organization, the FAO, says the region has been hit with two consecutive seasons with “significantly below-average rainfall.” “In the last several years, we're seeing that there are these recurrent droughts, which used to take several years to reoccur. But now that reoccurrence is becoming more frequent,” said Shukri Ahmed, senior economist at the FAO's Global Information and Early Warning System. The drought has destroyed crops and killed livestock, bringing high levels of malnutrition to the region. “Most parts now of Somalia, parts of Kenya, parts of Ethiopia specifically, and even parts of northern Tanzania and some parts of Uganda to the northeast have been affected by less rainfall, infrequent rainfall and a late start of the rainfall. So, this compounded an already problematic region in terms of food security,” he said. The FAO said Somalia
has some of the worst malnutrition rates in the world, with one in four children in the southern part of the country malnourished. Two and a half million people in the country need humanitarian assistance.
In Kenya, nearly two and a half million people in the north and northeast are said to be unable to “meet their basic food and water needs.” These are mainly pastoralist and agro-pastoralist areas. In Ethiopia, the U.N. agency said millions more require emergency food assistance. What's more, the lack of rain is blamed for the deaths of 220,000 cattle in the Borena Zone along the southern border with Kenya. The FAO also said water shortages are expected in the coming months in Djibouti's capital. Making matters worse, Ahmed said, are rising food and fuel prices in East Africa. Ahmed said following the high prices for food and fuel in 2007 / 2008, the region made a good recovery by 2009. Also the price of fuel stabilized.
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M A T T E R S
Breast Cancer: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & Prevention
B
reast cancer is a cancer that starts in the tissues of the breast. There are two main types of breast cancer: Most breast cancers are the Ductal carcinoma type which starts in the tubes (ducts) that move milk from the breast to the nipple while Lobular carcinoma starts in parts of the breast, called lobules, that produce milk. In rare cases, breast cancer can start in other areas of the breast. Many breast cancers are sensitive to the hormone estrogen. This means that estrogen causes the breast cancer tumor to grow. Such cancer is called estrogen receptor positive cancer or ER positive cancer. ` Some women have what's called HER2positive breast cancer. HER2 refers to a gene that helps cells grow, divide, and repair themselves. When cells have too many copies of this gene, cells, including cancer cells grow faster. Experts think that women with HER2-positive breast cancer have a more aggressive disease and a higher risk of recurrence than those who do not have this type. Breast cancer stages range from 0 to IV. Breast cancer that has not spread is called ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), or noninvasive breast cancer. If it spreads, the cancer is called invasive breast cancer. The higher the number, the more advanced the cancer.
SYMPTOMS Early breast cancer usually does not cause symptoms. This is why regular breast examinations are important. However, as the cancer grows, symptoms may include: Breast lump or lump in the armpit that is hard, has uneven edges, and usually does not hurt Change in the size, shape, or feel of the breast or nipple; for example, you may have redness, dimpling, or puckering that looks like the skin of an orange Fluid coming from the nipple may be bloody, clear to yellow, green, and look like pus It is important to know that Men get breast cancer too. Symptoms include breast lump and breast pain and tenderness. However, women are 100 times more likely to get breast cancer than men. For advanced breast cancer, symptoms may include Bone pain, Breast pain or discomfort, Skin ulcers, Swelling of one arm (next to breast with cancer) as well as
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(Part 1)
Weight loss
CAUSES & RISK FACTORS Risk factors you cannot change include: Age and gender: Your risk of developing breast cancer increases as you get older. The majority of advanced breast cancer cases are found in women over age 50. Family history of breast cancer: You may also have a higher risk for breast cancer if you have a close relative who has had breast, uterine, ovarian, or colon cancer. About 20 - 30% of women with breast cancer have a family history of the disease. Genes: Some people have genes that make them more prone to developing breast cancer. The most common gene defects are found in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. These genes normally produce proteins that protect you from cancer. But if a parent passes to you a defective gene, you have an increased risk for breast cancer. Women with one of these defects have up to an 80% chance of getting breast cancer sometime during their life. Menstrual cycle: Women who get their periods early (before age 12) or went through menopause late (after age 55) have an increased risk for breast cancer. Other risk factors include: Alcohol use: Drinking more than 1 - 2 glasses of alcohol a day may increase your risk for breast cancer. Childbirth: Women who have never had children or who had them only after age 30 have an increased risk for breast cancer. Being pregnant more than once or becoming pregnant at an early age reduces your risk of breast cancer. Use of DES: Women who took diethylstilbestrol (DES) to prevent miscarriage may have an increased risk of breast cancer after age 40. This drug was given to the women in the 1940s - 1960s. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): You have a higher risk for breast cancer if you have received hormone replacement therapy for several years or more. Many
women take HRT to reduce the symptoms of menopause. Obesity: Obesity has been linked to breast cancer, although this link is controversial. The theory is that obese women produce more estrogen, which can fuel the development of breast cancer. Radiation: If you received radiation therapy as a child or young adult to treat cancer of the chest area, you have a significantly higher risk for developing breast cancer. The younger you started such radiation, the higher your risk, especially if the radiation was given when a female was developing breasts. Contrary to popular opinion, Breast implants, using antiperspirants, and wearing underwear bras do not raise your risk for breast cancer. There is no evidence of a direct link between breast cancer and even pesticides.
TESTS & DIAGNOSTICS The doctor will ask you about your symptoms and risk factors, and then perform a physical examination of both breasts, armpits, the neck and chest area. Additional tests may include: Mammography to help identify the breast lump, Breast MRI to help better identify the breast lump, Breast ultrasound to show whether the lump is solid or fluidfilled, Breast biopsy, needle aspiration, or breast lump removal to remove all or part of the breast lump for closer examination by a laboratory specialist, CT scan, Sentinal lymph node biopsy and PET scan. If your doctor learns that you do have breast cancer, additional tests will be done to see if the cancer has spread. This is called staging. Staging helps guide future treatment and follow-up and gives you some idea of what to expect in the future.
(To be continued in the next edition)
CAREER
Wise A
survey from IBM's Institute for Business Value shows that CEOs value one leadership competency above all others. Can you guess what it is?
What Chief Executives
Really Want
What do chief executive officers really want? The answer bears important consequences for management as well as companies' customers and shareholders. The qualities that a CEO values most in the company team set a standard that affects everything from product development and sales to the longterm success of an enterprise. There is compelling new evidence that CEOs' priorities in this area are changing in important ways. According to a new survey of 1,500 chief executives conducted recently identify "creativity" as the most important leadership competency for the successful enterprise of the future. That's creativity not operational effectiveness, influence, or even dedication. Coming out of the worst economic downturn in their professional lifetimes, when managerial discipline and rigor ruled the day, this indicates a remarkable shift in attitude. It is consistent with the study's other major finding: Global complexity is the foremost issue confronting these CEOs and their enterprises. The chief executives see a large gap between the level of complexity coming at them and their confidence that their enterprises are equipped to deal with it. Until now creativity has generally been viewed as fuel for the engines of research or product development, not the essential leadership asset that must permeate an enterprise. Needed: Creative Disruption Much has happened in the past two years to shake the historical assumptions held by the women and men who are in charge. In addition to global recession, the century's first decade heightened awareness of the issues surrounding global climate change and the interplay between natural events and our supply chains for materials, food, and even talent. In short, CEOs have experienced the realities of global integration. The world is massively interconnected economically, socially, and politically and operating as a system of systems. So what
does this look like at the level of customer relationships? For too many enterprises, the answer is that their customers are increasingly connected, but not to them.
complexity, they are breaking with traditional strategy-planning cycles in favor of continuous, rapid-fire shifts and adjustments to their business models.
Against that backdrop of interconnection, interdependency, and complexity, business leaders around the world are declaring that success requires fresh thinking and continuous innovation at all levels of the organization. As they step back and reassess, CEOs have seized upon creativity as the necessary element for enterprises that must reinvent their customer relationships and achieve greater operational dexterity. In a nutshell, our findings reveal that creative leaders do the following:
Disrupt Organizational Paralysis. Creative leaders fight the institutional urge to wait for completeness, clarity, and stability before making decisions. To do this takes a combination of deeply held values, vision, and conviction combined with the application of such tools as analytics to the historic explosion of information. These drive decision making that is faster, more precise, and even more predictable.
Disrupt the Status Quo. Every company has legacy products that are both cash and sacred cows. Often the need to perpetuate the success of these products restricts innovation within the enterprise, creating a window for competitors to advance competing innovations. As CEOs tell us that fully one-fifth of revenues will have to come from new sources, they are recognizing the requirement to break with existing assumptions, methods, and best practices. Disrupt Existing Business Models. CEOs who select creativity as a leading competency are far more likely to pursue innovation through business model change. In keeping with their view of accelerating
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Taken together, these recommendations describe a shift toward corporate cultures that are far more transparent and entrepreneurial. They are cultures imbued with the belief that complexity poses an opportunity, rather than a threat. They hold that risk is to be managed, not avoided, and that leaders will be rewarded for their ability to build creative enterprises with fluid business models, not absolute ones. Something significant is afoot in the corporate world. In response to powerful external pressures and the opportunities that accompany them, CEOs are signaling a new direction. They are telling us that a world of increasing complexity will give rise to a new generation of leaders that make creativity the path forward for successful enterprises.
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INAGURATION 2011
Against All Odds,
Senator Ibikunle Amosun Takes Over As Ogun State Governor
B
orn on 25th of January, 1958 to Alhaji Abdu-Lasisi Oyedeni Sanusi Amosun and Alhaja Rafatu Alake Mojisola Amosun (nee Akinbola), Senator Ibikunle Amosun has a unique lineage as he is firmly rooted in two major quarters in Abeokuta. That is, Owu where his father hails from and Egba, his maternal homestead. He started his primary education at the African Church Primary School, Abeokuta between 1965 to1970. He also attended the African Church Grammar School, Abeokuta between 1971 to 1977. He started his tertiary education at the Ogun State Polytechnic, Abeokuta now Moshood Abiola Polytechnic between 1973 to 1983 and later went to the University of Westminster, London, obtaining a Masters degree in International Finance in the year 2000. Gov. Ibikunle Amosun is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria as well as the Institute of Taxation. He started his career with Lanre Aremu & Co. (Chartered Accountants) as an Audit Trainee in 1984 where he rose to become Manager in 1987. He was also with XtraEdge Consulting, as a senior consultant. Currently, Senator Ibikunle Amosun is the Principal partner of Ibikunle Amosun & Co. (Chartered Accountants), established in 1990, an accounting firm of repute with head office in Lagos. In 1991, he married Olufunso Odesanya who hails from Olobado's Compound in Osogbo, Osun State, who is not only a supportive and understanding wife whose philanthropic activities had contributed to the lives of many children in the area of education and welfare, but a quintessential hostess at her husband's many welfare and life-impacting activities and during campaigns. This blissful union has produced four daughters and a son. Why Politics? SIA, as he is fondly called said, “rather
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Sen. Amosun acknowledging cheers from his mammoth supporters than watch helplessly and agonise over the worsening condition of the people, I thought I should step out to give back to humanity what the Almighty has endowed me with�. In 2003, he was elected into the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, where he served as the Chairman, Senate Committee on Commerce, also as Member, in the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Foreign Affairs and Privatization. He was instrumental to some of the landmark reforms of the era, especially in telecommunications, customs and other strategic sectors of the Nigeria economy. He is credited with the sponsorship of the Local Content of solid Minerals Development 2005, Fire Service Commission (Establishment) Bill 2005; and the Income Tax Relief Bill for Sport development 2005, to mention just a few.
proving all the political pundits and calculations wrong. In his inaugural speech, he shocked all with his character and frankness, when he appeal to the Obas & other Kings to excuse him from every Chieftaincy title until after his term in office. He also re-echoed his manifesto and promise to include, free pre and post pregnancy care to include free delivery, drugs and discharge. Free health care for children up to age 5 years and 70 years and above for the elderly. Also he promised an agriculture revolution not witnessed before, infrastructure development, creation of at least 10,000 jobs in his first 100 days in office and many more. His inauguration which was graced by the powerful and the mighty in the political circle
witnessed a mammoth crowd who came to register their support for Senator Ibikunle Amosun. The swearing-in ceremonies was done at the main bowl of the MKO stadium, Abeokuta, with the oath of allegiance and oath of office ritual performed by the chief judge of Ogun State, Justice Oluremi Jacobs amid cheers. Amongst dignitaries at the event were, Chief Olusegun Osoba, former governor of Ogun State, Chief Niyi Adebayo; former governor of Ekiti State. Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Governor of Osun State, Royal fathers, captains of industry, the diplomatic community, ACN members and a host of others.
In 2007, Senator Ibikunle Amosun contested the Governorship Election in Ogun State on the platform of the All Nigeria People Party (ANPP). He is believed in the court of public opinion to have won the election but as a law abiding citizen, he accepted the judicial verdict which gave victory to the People Democratic Party. Still, Senator Ibikunle Amosun’s love to serve his people was not shaking. His loss at the tribunal did not weaken his resolve to occupy the Oke Mosan government office, to better serve the people of Ogun State who have been enjoying his philanthropic gesture. So, when the coast became clear in 2011, Senator Ibikunle Amosun pinched his tent with the Action Congress of Nigeria and emerged as its flag bearer.
Inspecting the Guard of Honour
He won the election with over 60 percent of the total votes cast, beating the candidate of the then incumbent governor and also the candidate of former President, thereby XL
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INAGURATION 2011
Sen. Ibikunle Amosun signing after the oath.
Dep. Gov. Prince Segun Adesegun signing after taking his oath
His Execellency, Ibikunle Amosun & wife
Gov. Amosun takes Oath of Office Deputy Governor takes Oath of Office
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Gov. Ibikunle Amosun & wife welcomes Sen. Adegbenga Kaka
Congratulations Your Excellency
Gov. Ibikunle Amosun, addressing the people of Ogun State
Gov. Amosun & wife with some Royal Fathers
Olufunso Amosun, Chief Niyi Adebayo, HRM Oba Sikiru Adetona & others
Their Excellencies, Chief Segun Osoba & Ibikunle Amosun
Deputy Gov. Prince Segun Adesegun & wife
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INAGURATION 2011
Their Excellencies Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Gov. Amosun and Asiwaju Tinubu
Gov. Ibikunle Amosun & wife in the midst of well-wishers
Their Excellencies share in the moment of joy The Chief Imam, Egba Muslim Community.
Sen. Amosun greeting Chief Segun Osoba.
Gov. Fayemi, Chief Bisi Akande, Gov. Aregbesola, Gov. Amosun & wife with Bola Tinubu.
Gov. Amosun with members of his extended family.
Bishop of Anglican Diocese.
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Justice Oluremi Jacobs, Chief Judge, Ogun State.
Rt. Hon. Tunji Egbetokun Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly .
Army Commander, Commisioner of Police & Director, SSS
Iyalode Lawson, Senator Obadina & others
From 2nd right, Hon. Adekanbi Ishola & Hon. Akinlade Isiaq.
Children in Idire Attire entertaining
The Nigeria Police Musical Band.
The Osoba Musical Band.
A mammoth Crowd, cheering His Excellency
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INAGURATION 2011
AT THE STATE BANQUET
Gov. Ibikunle Amosun and wife with the Victory Cake.
Gov. Ibikunle Amosun
Prince Segun Adesegun & wife with the Cake
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Gov. Ibikunle Amosun and wife with the Deputy Gov. Prince Segun Adesegun & wife
Their Excellencies, Ibikunle Amosun, Segun Adesegun & Segun Osoba with their wives
Gov. Ibikunle Amosun, wife and well wishers.
The Amosuns & Adeseguns
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INAGURATION 2011
Their Excellencies, Gov. Ibikunle Amosun and Chief Segun Osoba.
Ayinde Soaga of NTA Abuja.
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Some members of the Diplomatic Community.
Gov. Amosun enjoying himself at the banquet.
Mrs. Iyabo Odulate
Prince Segun Adesegun, Hon. Allen-Taylor, Hon. Adeleye Oladapo.
HRM Oba Tejuoso and HRM Oba Dosunmu, the Olowu of Owu Kingdom
Guests at the banquet.
Chief Niyi Adebayo greeting Prince Segun Adesegun, deputy gov.
Chief Segun Osoba & wife Derin Osoba.
Children of His Excellency.
Dayo Adeneye D1 & Wife. XL
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BUSINESS & MARKETS
FOREMOST EVENT CENTRE THE ATRIUM OPENS IN PORT HARCOURT
O
n Sunday, the 21st of November, 2010, the city of Port Harcourt played host to the grand opening of The Atrium Facilities: a world class events hub with three multi-purpose halls and an ultra-modern shopping center. The Atrium is situated at the center of Port Harcourt-#28 Stadium Road-a 45 minutes drive from the Port Harcourt International Airport, 3 minutes from the Liberation Stadium and 10 minutes drive from the Rivers State Secretariat and Government House.
It was in every sense, a night of glamour and entertainment as ace comedian, Prince Hezekiah dished out rib-cracking jokes, Samsong and Frank Edward took charge of the music while aceactress Hilda Dokubo compered the event. As usual, your darling magazine XCEL was on ground and finally opens up the album of this memorable ceremony.
It's stylish facilities present the perfect atmosphere for shopping and venue for corporate meetings, receptions, seminars and symposia, presentations, exhibitions, trainings and so much more. Simply put, The Atrium is designed to meet the latest market needs and also provides the most convenient and flexible spaces for all indoor events with a highly competent and motivated staff who leaves no stone unturned in a bid to meet the needs of clients. The event which was not only to officially declare open this magnificent edifice with its underground parking space and well furnished changing rooms, was also used to draw attention to the plight of inmates of the Marillac Centre for the Street Children in Port Harcourt. Okey, Debo, Isioma & Chinwe Ugwu (PMC, The Atrium)
Cutting the event Cake Felix, Ejim, Sandra(The Atrium Staff),Street Child & Sis Emerechi
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Ven. John C. Adubasim & friends The Street Children With Hilda Dokubo & Chinwe
Mr &Mrs Dammy Oruitemeka
Tonye Douglas, Tessy & Bose Ogulu
Victor & Josephine Itonyo, Quantum Business School
Tessy, Hilda, Chinwe & Barr Oge
Prince Hezekiah & Hilda, Mcs
Frank Edward, Hilda, Chinwe, Samsong, Felix & Tessy
Mr & Mrs Bruno & friend
Chinwe & Sandra Ngozi, Vero Ugwu & Udoka
Mr & Dr. (Mrs.) Akim Ricketts with Mr Sam Ogulu XL
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SOCIETY
Calabar Celebrates An Efik Union As
EDIDIONG & EME Walk Down The Aisle
A
brown beauty is one from the crucible of black and white love, reckons Mike Awonyifa, in one of his columns which he wrote sometime in 2007. Awonyifa's analysis, it would seem, turns out to be the appropriate description of Eme Edem Asuquo, the pretty damsel that captured the precious heart of Edidiong Clement Johnson. And on the 11th of June 2011, Edidiong Johnson showed her just how much he adores her: He took her down the aisle in a posh and exhilarating church wedding ceremony which held at Mount Zion Lighthouse Full Gospel Church Incorporated situated at Nigeria's People's paradise - Calabar. After the euphoric church ceremony, it was then the turn of guests, relatives and wellwishers of the couple to be treated to the thrills, beauty, and ecstasy of the culture of the people of Ekpe - in the traditional marriage ceremony that took place shortly after the cathedral ceremony. Reception held immediately after the traditional marriage ceremony at 3A Ekpe Eyo lane, off Uwanse, in Calabar.
Couple by the Seaside before a Boat Cruise
Couple with Bestman & Chief Bride’s Maid
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Couple signing the register
Father & Daughter
Couple in a bright moment
....An elegant pose
Couple with little Bride & Groom
Savouring nature
Groom & Bestman
...time to go Simply elegant Smiles all the way
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SOCIETY
AT THE TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE
Bride on Traditional attire
Couple exchanging drinks
Couple with Groom’s Chairman
Groom on Traditional attire
The Bride
A happy Couple
Bride presents traditional drink to her father
Couple with both family Father hand-over Bride to Groom’s family
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Couple & Bride’s Parents
Couple & Groom’s Parents
Bride with Promise, Sandra, Angel, Joy, Imabong & Nancy
Couple with Groom’s Men
Naira rains on Groom
Bride dancing with friends
Groom’s Chairman & Wife
Bride with traditional Dancers
The Geoom dacing-in to the arena
Groom dancing with Father, Chioma Jesus, Kelvin & J. Martins XL
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HANDLING
YOUR EX H
ave you broken up with your ex? Are you burning with emotions and would like to get back at your ex? Are you wondering the best way to do this? Whether you would like to hit back at, or get back with, your ex, the most effective method is to be nice. Don't be surprised, this is the real secret to your success. Being nice is a powerful tool due to a number of factors. Being nice has a way of melting hearts. If your ex has even just some residues of interest in you, you will be able to heighten it through acts of kindness. People appreciate it when you act nicely towards them. Being nice does not only work when your ex still has some interest. You will still make a score even when your ex is very much against you. Basically, your ex will expect you to have the spirit of revenge. Acting in kindness will take your ex by surprise, giving you an upper hand. Be clear in the fact that you only want to be friends. Don't lead them on just to feed your ego or to see if you can get them back. Being nice to your ex means not hurting them and allowing them to move on. Being nice to your ex isn't as hard as it sounds. That is, if you give it some time. If you try to do it right away it can feel uncomfortable, especially if you parted on bad terms. Try to get in touch with your own emotions. Do all the crying that you need
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to do. Analyze every detail of the breakup with your friends until they don't want to hear it anymore. Just don't get angry. There's no point to it. If you start realizing this now, you may save yourself from a lot of emotional pain in the future. They say the best revenge you can have on someone is to have a better life. I personally believe that's true. Let your ex remember you as strong and confident and as someone that got scooped up quickly by someone else. If you waste your time being bitter and angry always you'll only keep the door shut for your next adventure. He has given you a wonderful opportunity to learn more about life. He has taught you more about what kind of person is right for youand wrong for you. He has given you some great romantic memories of the things that you loved and helped you open your eyes to things that you didn't. Your ex has given you the emotional strength to open up and care for someone and the emotional strength to leave them.
HOW TO CATCH MORE FLIES Have you ever heard of the best method of trapping more flies? It is simple really. Just use honey. Use the same principle towards your ex. Be nice to your ex. This is what will make your ex keep thinking about you. In order for t h i s method t o b e really effective, y o u need to
Felicia Amos
be very sincere in your actions. Trying to fake kindness will just backfire. Being nice to your ex can be a challenge, but it is doable. After all, sometimes you can't avoid them. We have all been there at some point in time dreading that moment. However, when you have the same friends and frequent the same places you are bound to run into them. Be prepared for a chance run in. To do this you may need to go over in your mind what you will say. No matter what their reaction is, stick to the plan. Don't look like a deer in headlights, but instead be cool calm and collected. Smile and be friendly, even to their date if they have one. Always take the high road, otherwise, you come off as a jealous loser. You want to appear as though life is great and you are no worse for the wear because they are gone.
Packaged by: Dare Adesanya
INAUGURATION 2011
Governor Ibrahim Yakowa Governor, Kaduna State
I WILL RE-WRITE HISTORY
IN KADUNA STATE
G
confirm the saying, " the voice of the
of Kaduna State, Mr. Patrick Ibrahim
completely beefed up with everybody,
people is the voice of God," as to
Yakowa, wishes to thank the good people
except military personnel, being subjected
overnor Yakowa's gubernatorial
Publicity, to the governor, Reuben Buhari
state. The turnout was a demonstration of
victory on April 26, 2011 in
on the anniversary which in part read thus:
the love this unassuming but focused leader
Kaduna State can be said to
“His Excellency, the Executive Governor
enjoys from his people. Security was
completely pave the way for the divine
of Kaduna State for their support and
to thorough security checks, while bomb
favour he earlier enjoyed to become the
cooperation in the last one year when he
detecting experts did their job with every
executive governor of the State. You may
assumed
recall that Yakowa was serving as the
Governor of Kaduna State. The last one
office
as
the
Executive
measure of seriousness, scanning every vehicle that was allowed into the venue.
deputy governor to the then governor of the
year has been a challenging time in the
In attendance were renowned politicians
state, Arc. Namadi Sambo, before he
history of Kaduna state. However, the
like Senator Ahmed Makarfi, former
assumed the position of governor on May
support of Kaduna people has been quite
minister of state for Aviation, Hassan Hyet,
21, 2010 following circumstances that can
tremendous to His Excellency, leading to
Alhaji Suleiman Hunkuyi, who contested
be better described as divine intervention.
the successful conduct of the 2011
the governorship primaries election with
Little wonder, when Yakowa celebrated his
general election.�
Yakowa and a host of others. An array of
first anniversary in office on May 21, 2011,
So, on Sunday 29th May 2011, the swearing -
traditional rulers, from all over the State
he did it with open show of gratitude to God,
in ceremony of Governor Yakowa which
were in attendance. Those from southern
while also appreciating the people and
took place at about 10 am at the famous
Kaduna, Yakowa's geographical home were
called for their support. This appreciation of
Murtala Mohammed Square
the people's support was reflected in a
ground
statement issued by the Special Adviser on
witnessed by the low and mighty in the
in
Kaduna
playing
metropolis
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was
led by the chairman, Southern Kaduna traditional council, Chief Ufot Bonnat, while those from the Northern part of the state XL
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INAUGURATION 2011 were led by the Emir of Zazzau, Dr. Shehu Idris to the event. However, the swearing-in event which kicked off at exactly 10am ended an hour later, and by 2pm was a huge success with the colourful parade by members of the Armed Forces and the Nigeria Police. It was indeed a memorable and exciting event. Thereafter, Governor Yakowa hosted some invited guests to a sumptuous lunch at the Umar Musa Yar'adua indoor sports hall, within the same Murtala Mohamed Square. Like a reward for the people's support, in his inaugural speech, soon after he was sworn- in by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Rahila Cudjoe, governor Yakowa promised to re-write history in Kaduna state through the emancipation of the people from poverty by boosting agriculture production in the state. He said his election as the governor of the state has closed the chapter of old ways of doing things in the state, stressing that he would open a new chapter where opportunities and potentials would be opened to the people in order to have a sense of belonging with an overall impact of moving the state forward. In his words, “With my election, an old chapter of our State's history has been closed. No State, ours inclusive, can retain its strength and vitality when the doors of opportunity and potentials are not open to all its people and segments. victory
at
the
polls
has
opened
a
new
chapter
My of
accommodation, hope, inclusiveness and possibility for all people of the State. …In a sense therefore, we are gathered here today to celebrate the strength of our diversity as a gift of God and not an accident of history. …we are in a new era, an era that promises
to
reinvigorate
our
capacity
for
creativity,
productivity and achievement. Our State; that miniature Nigeria; the seat of learning and home to numerous premier institutions and establishments; has the unique history of being the capital of the former Northern Region and remains the His Excellency, Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa
Arrival of Gov. Patrick Yakowa
30
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nerve-centre of the nineteen Northern States. It is poised to
Gov. Yakowa taking salute
once again, regain its glory and vitality.
anyone or group should use a democratic
enhance genuine reconciliation within their
…going forward from here, we must
process as cover to instigate violent
sphere of influence because according to
change our attitude toward each other.
attacks against others. No electoral
him, there could be no development without
We must recognize that violence is the
office is worth the loss of a single life, not
peace.
precursor for war and that peace is better
to mention the numerous lives that were
On his developmental agenda for the state,
than war, as life is better than death. Our
lost in the State.
Yakowa had this to say, “The problems of
watchword must be peace.”
democracy
only
He further noted, “It is inexcusable that
opportunity
to
By its very nature, the
Kaduna State cannot wait. This is not the
their
time for anyone to stand aloof. Those
choices and preferences;
who aspire to lead this State must put
it
offers make
abhors
people known
violence.
I
therefore, condemn in the
their hands on the plough to turn the soil on
which,
their
lofty
promises
of
strongest terms possible,
prosperity, security and well-being to the
the masterminds of the
people will germinate and bear fruit.”
violent conflicts that have
In all, the event offered Governor Yakowa an
bedevilled our State.”
opportunity to enter into a social contract
Gov. Yakowa who firmly
with the people of Kaduna state for having
believes in the role of
given him their votes. According to the
traditional rulers in building
governor, he will give premium to the
and ensuring peace in the
development of Agriculture and solid
society, called on them to re-
Minerals as the foundation for employment
double
and wealth creation, wage relentless war
their
efforts
to
Her Excellency, Mrs. Amina Ibrahim Yakowa Military Parade XL
31
INAUGURATION 2011
Kaduna State Chief Judge, Mrs. Rahila Cudjoe swears-in Gov. Yakowa against poverty, disease and ignorance by providing infrastructure, quality education and healthcare, embark on quick-impact projects in favour of the poor and vulnerable groups, especially women and youths, promising to keep faith with the people and holding the State together and endeavour to take it to a higher level of development. He also promised never to ignore the welfare of the workers of the State who according to him, toil so hard to keep its engine of state running, fight against corruption at all levels of the State, while declaring that the security of lives and property shall be paramount in his consideration at all times. Also as part of his promises, he pledged the readiness of his administration to create an atmosphere where people can do their legitimate business, confident of their safety in their homes and on the streets.
Governor Yakowa further reaffirmed his
pledge to be firm and fair in the discharge of his duties, Gov. Yakowa signs the Oath of Office
stating that he will be Governor for all the people of the State, irrespective of differences in class, ethnicity, religion or social circumstance, stressing that the
Congratulation Your Excellency
strength of the State cannot be built on narrow interests, but must derive from the sum total of the interests that make up its beautiful mosaic. To sum it all up, he left the people with a charge “...as we embark on our historic march, I urge you to help create an environment that will allow new seeds of unity to grow from the ashes of the victims of violence. And may the blood of these innocent people water our solidarity. We have indeed, entered an era of equity, justice, participation, transparency and accountability. In this new era, we must reach out to each other to offer the olive branch of PEACE�
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Gov. Yakowa & Wife, Amina
His Excellency, Gov. Ibrahim Yakowa
Senator Muhammad (left)
Deputy Gov. Alhaji Lebaran Yero takes Oath of Office
...now signs
Deputy Gov. Alhaji Lebaran Yero
XL
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INAUGURATION 2011
Their Excellency, Gov. Patrick Yakowa & wife, Amina with his Dep. Alhaji Mukhtar Ramallan Yero(left)
His Excellency, Gov. Patrick Yakowa acknowledging cheers
34
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Emir of Zazzau Alh. Dr. Shehu Idris congratulates Gov. Yakowa
R-L: Her Excellency, Mrs. Amina Yakowa (r) & Hajia Hauwa Kida
Former Minister for Aviation, Hassan Ayat with Yeriman Zazzau
Sarki Maura in a handshake with Sen. Makarfi.
Sen. Muhammed Makarfi with Amb. Sule Buba
Kaduna State Comm. of Police, Ballah Nassarawa with DG SSS (c)
A cross-section of supporters at the State Box
L-R: Chairman JNI, Alhaji Jafar Makarfi with CAN Chairman Kaduna State
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XL
35
INAUGURATION 2011
GOC 1 Div. Kaduna Maj. Gen. Joseph Soboiki & Wife
Mr. Waje Wajock presenting Gov. Yakowa’s citation
L-R: Comm. for Women Affair, Mariya Dogo & Comm. for Information
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Gov, Yakowa’s Daughters
A cross-section of Dignitaries & Party Stalwarts
Some foreigners at the event
Some Women support Group of Gov. Yakowa
Prayer time
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AT THE STATE BANQUET
National Anthem
Their Excellencies, Gov. Yakowa & wife, Amina
Gov. Yakowa addressing guests at the Banquet
Their Excellencies, Gov. Yakowa & Deputy XL
37
INAUGURATION 2011
Emir of Zazzau
Congratulating Their Excellencies
Alh. Lawal(DOP) & Reuben Buhari(SA, Media)
Sen. Nanadi Usman, Mrs. Makarfi & Hadjia Garkida
A cross-section of Traditional Rulers
Former Chief of Staff with friends
SA Media, Reuben Buhari(2nd right) with friends
Her Excellency takes her turn Their Excellencies head for the sumptuous meal
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Some members of the former Executive Council
Gov. Yakowa’s family members
Hadjias at the event
A cross-section of Security Operatives
A cross-section of Guests
Some of Gov. Yakowa’s Aides
Kaduna State Cultural Troupe entertaining Guests XL
39
Moving Up The Ladder
EMMANUEL AMEH adoyimotivation@yahoo.com
LIVING LIFE from the INSIDE OUT T
houghts are powerful. They can totally revolutionize your life. Thought is the seed of all achievement. The visible world is controlled by the invisible world. The invisible is superior to the visible. The deceptive thing about human nature is that it believes more on what it can see and feel. It is the invisible world that controls this material world. If you must achieve any meaningful thing in this material world you must be a dealer in the right invisible stuff. Your thinking rules your world. Your success is a product of your thinking. Everything in this material world takes its root from thought. In the invisible world, thoughts are tangible things they are real things. One of the most powerful discoveries that man has made in this generation is that man can alter his life by altering his thoughts. Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo of the Kings Way International Church London said “after Salvation the next greatest miracle is the miracle of the mind”. Majority of people don't place much premium on their thoughts. We have not seen it as a resource, which is why we always look at the external. What happens inside you determines what happens to you. The only way life will be different from what it is now is for you to change the way you are thinking. The quality of your life cannot be better than the quality of your thoughts. I don't care who you are, where you come from, what race or religion you may be, what your level of education or economic, culture, skill or talent is, life is lived inside out. You have great potential. You should believe that you can do more, be more, have more, give more and be all that God designed you to be. One reason why we fail to scale the peak of our personal potential is negative
40
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thoughts programming. Many of us are incapable of realizing our potential merely because someone else has given us a negative impression of who we are, what we can be or what we can accomplish. How dare you tell me about me! Nobody has the right to define your life. Don't permit anything to anybody to classify you. Dare to live your life based on what you believe and you desire. Be deliberate about your thoughts. We must learn to challenge conventional thinking. We must deliberately cultivate our minds. Most people leave their minds open for other people and the society to dump their opinions into and with time, they allow this to form their thinking pattern and eventually live their lives based on everybody else expectation. You have more potential to create, communicate and relate than you have been told. You have been mentally programmed to believe in the negative. Clear out and clean out that negative programming and the incredible potential you have will be released within you. Negative thinking can hold us back from discovering and developing our potential. Abraham Maslow one of the great psychologists of this century and creator of “Actualization Psychology” raised this all important question “Why do humans virtually run from their gift to potentialize?” Maslow theorized that everybody would like to be better than they are. We all have within us an impulse to improve ourselves, an impulse toward actualizing our possibilities. Then what holds us back? Maslow said we are blocked by a restraining force he called “the Jonah complex”. Just as Jonah ran away from God, turning his back on the great possibilities that
God had lined up for him, so we fear our own greatness, we evade our higher destiny; we deliberately choose to run away from our best talents. We can stand in the presence of somebody far below us morally and not be afraid, but when we stand in the presence of somebody morally upright, we are uncomfortable. We fear our highest potential. Why do we evade our own possibilities? Why is there a universal fear of an encounter with God? Maslow called it “counter valuing” the fear of a direct confrontation with God. We fear running into God, just as we fear running into our own opportunities and possibilities. So we back away from all of it. The process toward success starts when you open yourself to the possibility of God placing in your consciousness a dream, or desire, an idea, an awareness, an opportunity, a challenge. Every achiever I have met think different from the crowd of non achievers. They believe in themselves, their dream and God. But all human beings have virtually the same potential. The primary difference among the loser, the moderate achiever, the high achiever and the super achiever or perceived genius is what they think, believe and do with their potential. These are as great people! They all have virtually the same potential. However, they have different ideas, they dream different dreams, and they make different commitments. There are no extra ordinary people. They are all very ordinary but they make extra ordinary decisions. Their thinking informs their decisions, their decisions determines their destiny. They have maximized their potential and so can you! Watch what is going on inside you! Your life begins from your thinking. You shall succeed.