Our Promise... ...In line with
...to Deliver A World-class Magazine
You can now read
International online just like a hardcopy.
...Celebrating People, Events & Places.
Simply log on to our website: www.xcelmediaonline.com and you will be just a click away from the edition of your choice.
Royal Residence, Plot 152, Tombia Street, GRA Phase 1, Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Tel:234-84-461321 (ext. 130), 084-772351 Mobile: 07034443777
CAREER
Wise
Attributes of Effective
CHIEF EXECUTIVES
It is known in civil engineering that every structure of lofty buildings needs strong pillars that can provide a strong and an unshakable support for the building to stand even in stormy weather. This principle also applies to corporate leadership, as absence of the required attributes may lead to ineffectiveness in the system. However, here are eleven pillars for efficiency in corporate leadership: SELF-KNOWLEDGE Efficient Chief Executives are people who know themselves. They know their strengths, their weaknesses, their limitations, their talents, their skills, their dreams and they know their values. They make decisions based on their values. Selfknowledge is a powerful tool that enables great leaders to know what to correct, what to improve, what to maintain, what to develop and it also enables them to know what to learn. RELATIONSHIPS Efficient Chief Executives know how valuable and important relationships are. They take time building good relations with their people. They know that people are the most important resource that one can have and cherish. Good relations with people build trust. Trust is the glue that holds Chief Executives and their staff together. A good chief executive must have fundamental knowledge and understanding of people. This is the reason why their leadership is so excellent. You need to treat your staff as the most important asset you have in your organization. CHARACTER Character is the moral strength to behave in accordance with proper values and morals. It is a serious attribute of an effective chief executive. The former US General, Norman H. Schwarzkof said, "Nineteen nine percent of leadership failures are character failures." People cannot enjoy following a leader whose character is dubious and flawed. An excellent Chief Executive must have a strong character. Excellence in leadership is not possible if character gets neglected. To excel in leadership, you need to develop your character now. If you fail in character, you fail in leadership. POSITIVE ATTITUDE Attitude determines either success or failure of a Chief Executive. Attitude should never be underestimated in leadership. Former Prime minister of England Winston Churchill said, "Attitude is a little thing that makes the big difference." Great leaders have a positive attitude. They don't easily give up when they are faced with problematic situations. They neither retreat nor surrender when times are tough. Instead, they remain positive and hopeful until they reach their destination. Executives with negative attitude make their leadership difficult for themselves because their minds are tattooed with negative thinking. COMPETENCE Competence is the ability to achieve
48
XL
greatest results. Leaders whose leadership is excellent are competent. Where competence prevails, excellence prevails. Competent chief executives know that people cannot admire to follow an incompetent leader. Competence in leaders motivates followers to be competent in their area of work or duty. INTEGRITY Integrity is the balance between words and action. Successful executives act on what they say. They walk the talk. When integrity is absent in a leader, excellence in leadership becomes the mountain to climb. Integrity makes a leader credible. The more credible you are in your leadership, the more excellent your leadership becomes. People are not moved by the sweet words you utter, but by the action accompanying them. When what you say and what you do disagree and contradict each other, your leadership becomes futile. VISION Vision brings the sense of direction, the sense of purpose, the sense of focus and the sense of goal. Great Chief Executives know where they are going and they know where they are taking their people. They have a clear vision for their organization. What makes these leaders great is that they know how to effectively communicate the vision to their people. Vision is the fundamental factor that makes a great difference in leadership. Executives with vision are driven by enthusiasm, passion, commitment and determination to achieve excellent results. Vision is an underlining factor which helps executives to surmount obstacles. COMMITMENT Commitment is the ability to stick to decisions no matter the cost. It involves the sense of follow-through. Great Chief Executives don't just set goals, they give their all to ensure that the goals are accomplished. They do not easily give up when they are confronted with great challenges that pose a threat to goal achievement. They anticipate problems and position themselves to arise to the occasion. They are not easily frustrated by frustrating situations and circumstances from inside and outside of the organization because they are committed to excellent leadership. Committed executives break barriers; they push their way through the walls of limitation until those walls collapse. Their leadership survives any challenge. The reason for this is their commitment to
excellent results. SELFLESSNESS Selflessness is about burying selfishness, wrong motives and personal agenda in the cemetery of failure and ineffectiveness. Good executives put the interests, and needs of their organization above their own interests and needs. They do not pursue to fulfil their own personal agenda but that of their team. Leadership is about the willingness to set aside one's wants, selfish interests, and needs in order to seek the greatest good of the followers, team, division, department or organization. INFLUENCE Excellent leadership is about the ability to influence people to be the best they are capable of becoming. The author of "One Minute Manager" Ken Blanchard states," What is leadership? It is an influence process." People need to be motivated and inspired to action. If there is no influence, there is no motivation and inspiration to achieve great results. After all, leadership is about achieving great results. Excellent executives stand upon the pillar of influence. PRIORITISING Successful Chief Executives know that procrastination is the enemy of excellence in leadership. They know where to focus most of their energy and time. They focus 70% of their time, energy and resources on their strengths, they focus 25% on learning new things and they focus 5% on working on their weaknesses. Good executives prioritise their projects and assignments according to their importance and urgency. When assignments are of a high importance but not urgent, they set deadlines for completion and they get those projects and assignments into their daily schedule. When the assignments are not important but urgent, they delegate them to leaders they have trained and developed. If you want excellence as a Chief Executive, you must know what brings you the greatest return, focus your energy, time and resources on it. Prioritising is the greatest test of leadership. In conclusion, let me reiterate herein that you need to embrace these eleven essential ingredients of leadership if you desire to achieve excellence in leadership. Leadership demands excellence, therefore you must demand excellence from yourself as an executive. I wish you all the best in your quest to become an excellent Chief Executive.
Pix by: Yakubu Akhagbemhe
NIGER DELTA AMNESTY PROGRAMME
Niger Delta Amnesty: Engendering a Positive Transformation for former Niger Delta Militants
A
look around the beautiful hall of the prestigious Sheraton Hotel & Towers, Lagos on that day (August 25) was enough to give even a novice a clue that something spectacular was going to happen. It turned out to be one of the rare programmes that are usually staged for ex-militants who have come to appreciate the essence of the Amnesty Programme initiated by the Federal Government. The initiative sought to compel the former combatants to abandon their weapons and come out of the creeks where they have been engaged in an arms struggle against the Federal Government owing to the infrastructural neglect of the entire Niger Delta region. Although there is an ongoing debate about whether the struggle was appropriate in the first place or not, there seems to be less doubt now about the sense inherent in the Amnesty Initiative. This is because Nigerians are no longer inundated with reports of violence outbreak occasioned by youth restiveness in the Niger Delta. While addressing some of the former fighters, who are now referred to as delegates, on the code of conduct guiding the scheme, just before they traveled out of the country for their sixmonth training, Chief security officer of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Lt. Colonel Adewale Adekoya, warned that anyone who violates any of the codes would face the wrath of the law. He informed the delegates that the fact that they are involved in the amnesty programme does not translate to lawlessness either Nigeria or the host country where they are meant to undergo training.. For the set departing on that day, it was either the United Arab Emirate or the famed country of Mandela, South Africa, hence Col. Adewale warned delegates to desist from acts that could lead to their deportation, as they would face further prosecution if such occurs.
Hon. Kingsley Kuku
Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta, Chairman Niger Delta Amnesty Programme.
www.xcelmediaonline.com
Mr. Larry Pepple, Technical Assistant of the programme who represented the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chairman, Niger Delta Amnesty XL
73 49
Pix by: Basoene George
Larry Pepple, Technical Assistant to the Amnesty Programme
Programme, Hon. Kingsley Kuku reminded the delegates that the pillars of the amnesty programme are, disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration, stressing that everyone involved in the programme is driven by the passion to see that the Niger Delta people are empowered. He therefore called on the delegates to ensure they do things right. He said it pains him when he receives reports that some of them often forget the essence of the trip when they travel, reiterated the fact that the objective of the programme is to see that the participants are empowered so that they can contribute to the GDP of the region and that of the country in a few years to come. Shouts of Shake! Shake!! Shake!!! Recurrently reverberated through the cuisine hall whenever the boys appreciated or commended a speaker for his speech. As such, it was not difficult to know that the delegates, who were to fly out that same day, were happy with the arrangements made concerning their welfare and which has been announced to their hearing. Earlier, a one time Senator and special guest at the occasion, Senator David Brigidi who spoke to the delegates about the need to be worthy ambassadors said: “Personally, I am really delighted that we have come this far. In 2007 when we started, people thought that it was a joke, trying to convince our brothers to lay down arms, come out of the creeks and get to be reintegrated into the civil society. But as this programme has come this far, I think it is one of the most wonderful achievements of this regime. Already the programme is geared towards empowerment, we are not just going to train them and leave them. So I am very convinced and I know that by the time the programme goes full throttle, all of them will be set in total.” Continuing in the post-event interview with XCEL International on how the
50
Senator David Brigidi, Guest Speaker
participants can be empowered on a sustainable basis, Brigidi said “Government can create a fund and then encourage them to start on their own on individual basis. We may have issues with education in the country because of the way we have neglected education for so long but we should all realize that the main reason we are not getting employment for our graduates is as a result of the state of our economy. The economy is not commensurate with the rate at which we turn out graduates, the economy needs to grow in tandem and until we start growing the economy to a certain level that we can absorb the graduates we cannot make much progress. But you can see especially through a programme like this that efforts are being put in place to ensure a turnaround through which people will begin to be creative in how to utilize the skills they acquire. We have to look at other areas of our economy and expand and that is the way to go because it is just not possible for all of us to have whitecollar jobs.” In the same manner, Larry Pepple, the Technical Assistant of the Amnesty Programme, also shared his thoughts with Xcel International. “The process of Amnesty Initiative or what in international parlance is called the DDR programme, is mostly about lessons learnt. If you run through this programme, you would see that modifications keep coming in as we progress further and what I am saying in essence is that I can say it with all sense of humility and responsibility that this programme, initiated by Nigerians, operated by Nigerians with no external funding, is rated the best in Africa. This is because it is the only one worldwide that from conception and up until now, about two years, have not recorded any death. From disarmament to de-mobilisation and now the integration phase. So in my assesment, in giving a rating of 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest, I can vote about 9 and half to the programme.”
Lt. XL Col. Adewale Adekoya, Chief Security Officer
Although pleased with the success recorded so far, Larry Pepple said reports of protests and irrational behaviours of some exmilitants are too infinitesimal to tarnish the achievements of this laudable initiative. He also shed light on plans being put in place to gather support for the delegates after their training. “The integration phase of this amnesty programme has its emphasis on empowerment and by this I mean that we help them to acquire skills but that in itself is not the end. We are also working on job placements for them as well as mentoring and coaching all along. We are working seriously with organisations like SMEDAN for instance, for those involved in entrepreneurship training who are given funding through banks that would be guaranteed in order to ensure the monies do not go down the drain. We are also not restricting ourselves to the oil and gas sector but other areas like manufacturing, agriculture as well as small and medium scale industries. In fact some major companies are in agreement to partner with us and it is a matter of time before you begin to see the result of these as products in the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme,” he elucidated. It will be recalled that at the onset, the Amnesty Programme of the Federal Government received varying sheds of criticism from many Nigerians. However the facilitators can now heave a sigh of relief as the programme has started attracting more and more support from Nigerians both at home and in Diaspora, especially with the new structures being put in place by the Hon. Kingsley Kuku-led administration. With with these reforms, the success of this evidently laudable scheme which has restored peace and calm to a hitherto volatile region, is attainable, as evident in the programme’s slogan - AMNESTY IS WORKING.
Famous Daunemigha
Lawrence Pepple, Major C. E. Amonha & Adi Ibrahim
Senator David Brigidi & Larry Pepple
Remi John (Project Manager, Orientation)
Daniel Biu Ewale
Lt. Col. Adekoya
Phil Williams (r) XL
51
STUDENTS FOR OIL & GAS IN ASU DESI (UAE) & MUNOCH UNIVERSITY IN DUBAI
52
XL
FOE & RADNITZ STUDENTS FOR TRAINING IN SOUTH AFRICA
XL
53
Pix by: Ini Ekpo
SOCIETY
Fashion Betroths Elegance At
NENGI & ISRAEL GOLI'S Wedding Ceremony in Bayelsa state All roads led to the Brekumoh Hapol in Patani, on Thursday 22nd September 2011 when Bayelsa State big boy and Special Adviser to Governor Timipre Sylva on Youth Affairs, Hon. Isreal Sunny Goli, led, a colorful procession of family relatives, friends and Government associates to Delta State, the sacrosanct Big Heart of the Nation to perform the traditional marriage rites to his beloved heart beat, the former miss Nengi Oki. It was at the traditional marriage ceremony and the Church wedding which held about two days later, being Saturday, the 24th of September at the King of Glory Chapel, Government House Yenegoa, Bayelsa State, that Xcel International also witnessed the wedding of fashion and elegance. The stylishly organized traditional marriage ceremony, as you will see in the photo footage, had all the traits of a truly ivy event in all its billing. From the exquisite Arabian patterned stage to the quality presence of elite guests and the brilliant display of the ancestry matrimonial rites of the Patani people of Delta State, Hon. Goli showed Patani people just how much he love their daughter. Hon. Goli's marriage to the pretty Oki is quite instructive as her mother is from his hometownBrass in Bayelsa. So the union appeared to be a sojourn by the Brass family to welcome a beloved daughter to the land of her mother's people. A combination of magnificence, ecstasy, and grace are some of the adjectives that could be employed to describe the dazzling white wedding that succulently blossomed in splendor and grandeur at the King of Glory Chapel, Government House, Yenogoa.
Nengi & Israel
After the church ceremony elapsed, the pretty couple was elegantly driven to the Government House Banquet Hall in a prestigious white Bentley Limousine, on a convoy that was led by a special horse train for a reception that turned out to be a fanfare of some sorts. Wacky MC and situation music act, Julius the incredible Agwu was the compeer of the event which also witnessed aweinspiring performances
54
XL
www.xcelmediaonline.com
Savouring the splendour of the Limousine
from Mo Hits star, Wande Cool, Wakomzy, W4 and a host of other exciting artists who set the beautifully decorated Creek Heaven Banquet Hall in a grooving sensation. The Bayelsa State Cultural Troupe also rendered a special presentation in honour of the couple. Both ceremonies were well attended by top Government functionaries, business moguls and respected traditional rulers, notable among which is the former Governor of Old Rivers State and Amayanabo of Brass Kingdom, King Alfred Diete-Spiff. We now present you some memorable moments of the event which Bayelsans will certainly remember and cherish for a long time to come.
Nengi & Israel in a world of their own
.. All for love
XL
55
SOCIETY
Bride with Little Bride
56
XL
Israel takes the Bible reading
Dad & Daughter
Israel unveils his Bride
Officiating Minister hands over Bride to Mother-in-law
With this Ring...
The Groom takes his turn
www.xcelmediaonline.com
Couple signs the dotted lines
... And they receive their Certificate
Officiating Minister prays for Couple
Couple with Chief Bridesmaid & Bestman
Mr. Jonathan Duomoni & Doris Duomoni
Chief Erefamokuma & King Alfred Diette-Spiff
Sunny Alfred (Ring bearer) ...Displays their Certificate
Israel
XL
57
SOCIETY
Cutting the Weding Cake
58
XL
Couple with Groom’s parents
Couple with Amb. Otiotio & Gloria Izonfor
Siya, Opus & Olali
Couple with Oton Efebo
www.xcelmediaonline.com
Couple with Opus Ere & Douye (ADC to the Governor)
Couple with Officiating Ministers
Wande Cole performs for Couple
... with Mr.& Mrs Tari
More music for the Couple
Couple dancing to the Rhythm from W4
Wacomzay also Performed
New sensation, Waje was not left out
www.xcelmediaonline.com
XL
59
AT THE TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE CEREMONY
Hon. Israel Goli & wife Nengi
Bride recieves drink from her Dad for the Groom
Bride’s Dad blessing the Couple An elegant look
60
XL
SOCIETY
The Groom arrives
His Excellency Werenipre Seibarugu with Israel
The Couple in the Arabian-patterned Stage
His Excellency, Werenipre Seibarugu with the Couple
Israel inspects his Bride
Nairarain on the Bride
Groom receives drink from Bride
Cutting the Marriage Cake Bride & Groom
XL
61
SOCIETY
Israel overwhelmed
Nengi & family
Efe, Nengi & Uleoma
Amiete & Tokoni (Bride’s sisters)
Chief (Barr.) Serena Dokubo (r)
Ebiere, Nengi with Karen & Son
Bride’s friends
Bride’s family celebrating Gladys & Augusta Goli
62
XL
SOCIETY
Chief Victor Sam Ateki & wife
Hon. Ebi & Lucky Yebogha
Chief Serena Dokubo & wife
Hon. Obuebite & Chief Darius Obiene
Opus, Austin & Lucky
Mr. Joseph & Col. Ibrahim
Speaker (BYHA), Amb. Otiotio & Dep. Speaker
Osurusuru, Rt. Hon. Seibarugu (Dep Governor) & Sobobere Appah
Vivian Ere & her women
XL
Bio, Ifiemi & Inatimi
63
Reports by: Obinna Ebogidi
GRACE TO GRASS
GADDAFI’S Infamous Exit
...A Lesson for Sit-tight Leaders
I
t could take an emperor over a hundred years of courage, persistence and employment of astute decisions and indecision in some cases--to build an empire, reckons a popular African saying, but all you need to destroy it is one day of sheer carelessness and poor judgement. This saying recently came alive in the North African State of Libya where the vast empire of one of the most influential leaders of the continent went catastrophically crumbling albeit his selfish desire to hang-on to power after decades of dictatorial rule and channeling the country's wealth to expand his enormous financial empire. This is the pathetic story of Muammar Ghaddafi; the Libyan dictator who was recently killed in his hometown of Sirte by his once loyal followers after holding the nation hostage in an extreme despotic rule which spanned over 42 years. How bad can things get for a stubborn and selfish leader who attempted, against all odds, to silence calls for him to relinquish power to a democratically elected government after subjecting the country and its people to a near fifty years of modern-day colonialization and mass slavery. Unlike his former dictator-friends in Tunisia and Egypt, who had to learn it the hard way that it is easy to feed the multitude, but near-suicidal for the multitude to feed him, the once powerful Ghaddafi had to pay the price of denial with his precious life. Indeed, those who kill with the sword, should--at least, just as the Ghaddafi story has shown--have it at the back of their mind that they just might be killed by the same sword someday. When the revolution to drive-out sit-tight leaders from their palaces and restore the right of mandate to serve to the people first ignited in neighboring Egypt, the former African Union Chairman might have called it a bluff. He might have ignorantly reasoned that his bastion would be isolation. But as Libyan rebels and international press pick through the wreckage and remnants of what was, up until a few months ago, the stronghold of the late Muammar Ghaddafi who would have mischievously celebrated his 42nd anniversary in power on Thursday, September 1st 2011, it is perhaps tempting to revel over the current misfortune of the erstwhile Libyan leader. The reason is not far-fetched, as proponents of history had already predicted, almost to its finest detail, the catastrophe that has now befallen Libya and him. Muammar Ghaddafi was stubbornly attempting to defy history and its lessons and replicate a common attribute of power-drunken sit-tight African leaders who will do almost anything, at whatever cost, to hang-on to power even if it means slaughtering the
64
XL
lives of thousands of citizens. One can only express dismay that the Libyan tragedy, as in the case of Egypt, Tunisia, Mugabe's Zimbabwe, Laurent Gbabo's Cote' Devoir and so many other instances, could have been averted. All it required, as in the Libyan case, was for Ghaddafi to listen to the voice of reason. Today the country that Ghaddafi and his Imperial sons saw as their private property, and swore to fight to the last drop of their blood is little more than a wasteland, with a cash-trapped transitional government in place, no infrastructure, water, electricity, functional hospital, medical supplies or even food. Yet this disaster has been brought about by the late Ghaddafi's refusal to understand that he had overstayed his stretched welcome. It needs little repetition here that the tragedy of Ghaddafi is an object of lesson for all leaders who defiantly fail to learn from the notable and apocryphal example the legendary Nelson Mandela tried to give our continent and the world when he bowed out after just one term as president of the country he more than
Gaddafi’s Corpse as shown on Aljazeera
was a mere 27 years old. It was a v a s t l y p o p u l a r c o u p modeled on a s i m i l a r achievement Muammar Gaddafi b y h i s m e n t o r , Colonel Gamel Abdel Nasser of Egypt. Ghaddafi rode on a crest of mass euphoria bordering on hysteria. Then, within the Arab world and Africa, Ghaddafi cut the image of the archetypal avant-garde. He did not promote himself to a five-star General. He lived in a military barracks and drove himself in military jeeps, without escorts or bodyguards, and ostensibly lived as a Bedouin. It is perhaps his misreading of this popular sentiment that led him to begin to rebuild Libya in his own image. In less than a decade of coming to power, he had dismantled all the traditional institutions of State and replaced them with himself. The be-medaled Ghaddafi who wore eccentric military uniforms and was trailed by a troop of female bodyguards symbolized the man's descent into the cult of his own personality; a man who saw himself as the State. But as the wind of change blows over Tripoli and the rear end of the chick can now be seen, the world now knows that Ghaddafi and his sons did not live an austere life. Behind the facade of the Bedouin tent, lies a vast Disneyland-style compound, two square miles of luxury mansions, sea-front villas, Olympic-size swimming pools, wall-to-wall television, gold encrusted furniture and a cellar full of Champagne. As the world has once again overcome the antics of another sit-tight leader, African leaders must be careful not to bring the name of the continent to disrepute. We must come together to nail the coffin, once and for all, of bad leadership and poor management of our resources by power drunken leaders. We must insist on productivity and accountability in governance. Therefore, we must not allow another Ghaddafi to rise again!
anyone else fought to liberate. The sight of Ghaddafi on the run offering to transfer power at a time when he had absolutely no power to hand over is instructively a poignant and pathetic one. It is the final injunction to leaders who seek to defy history and its lessons. In neighboring Cote' Devoir, despotic Laurent Gbabo and his wife were finally apprehended in their former bedroom in the presidential villa sometime in April, 2011 and embarrassingly thrown out of office after several months of refusing to cede power to a democratically elected government to be led by Qattara. A s L i b y a Libyans celebrating Ghadaffi’s fall at Martyrs Square in Tripoli crumbles and his family and sympathizers all over the world are besieged with grieve over his shameful death, it is easy to forget the rise of the dictator. When he came to power in 1969 through the bloodless overthrow of King Idris 1, Ghaddafi
RELATIONSHIP
Ditching your
Bad Habits O
ur relationship with others is a very fundamental aspect of our lives. Therefore, how cultured, mannered we are, our character, habits, behavior, call it what you may, comes to the forefront of our dealing with people. Our friends, male and female, our family members, just name it. We all know we should stop all these bad habits like nail biting, procrastination, impatience, sleeping late, smoking. They all go a long way in affecting our relationships with others, even in the work place. These habits can sabotage our relationship with people around us. How many habits do we keep resolving to give up only to decide its too difficult, smoking, biting your nails, losing your keys, its quite tough to stop something that has become deeply ingrained in your behavior. But even if you feel as though you're hard-wire to think and act a certain way that doesn't mean you stuck for life and can't change if you want to. (Author of 'change one habit, change you life' (book surge). Any habit can be changed, some of them in three to five weeks, she says. The trick is to keep trying and to focus on your success rather than your weakness, which are actually just part of the process. The best strategy is to start with a single habit, rather than attempting a complete over haul. The feeling that comes with just one success will leave you feeling more confident, more in control and make it easier to tackle the next nasty habit, GETTING IMPATIENT: We live in a society of instant gratification. Many of us get annoyed if it takes 30 seconds to download info from the internet or if we're on hold for more than a minute when we call an office or delayed when we want something done for us by someone, a friend, partner or relation. But we should know that consent agitation can result in high blood pressure, digestive problems and a constant feeling of dissatisfaction, freeing ourselves from that constant sense of urgency and experiencing true calm can be liberating. 'I get very impatient when things don't go my way or as I planned,' said Ego a banker friend of mine, especially when it comes to time keeping, making appointments or even friends disappointing one another. And sometimes this can have a negative effect on friends and family members. Some psychologists believe the trick for such impatience is to use that nervous energy for something else. For example if someone is driving like an imbecile in
front of you, just calm down by breathing deeply and thinking of happy thought of someone you love. You can also see that waiting time as a mental mini holiday from your crazy day. You can also view the frustrating situation as a learning experience, knowing that the situation will pass helps to keep your mind calm. SWEARING: As much as some situations call for a loud four letter word, most of us don't actually want to sound like an extra from the sopranos. People often judge us by what comes out of our mouth and if every second word start with an F' or an S, you can look and some like a punk, unprofessional at work or offend family or friends. If you come from a tradition family or your partner is a conservative person, it means you have to make a conscious effort when ever you are around them to watch your mouth. Culture differs from place to place. According to Yinka, a lawyer, she says that despite how long they lived abroad when she comes home she has to watch her language. She doesn't use swear words and as a matter of policy, she doesn't use swear words. You can substitute word like 'F' for fun and 'S' SUGAR. LOSING THINGS: Putting items down without thinking is the main reason you can end up spending hours every week frantically digging around for them. It is better to have a permanent place for items and if an item doesn't have a permanent place then create one. And if you still can't find your stuff, repeat to yourself while you're holding your keys. 'Don't put them down, put them away,' and a few weeks of repetition and you'll get used to it. If you are always saying “I am disorganized, I always lose documents, receipts or people� things, learning to create a place for documents or things you're keeping for someone. It will help get you organized.
battle. You're more likely to stick it out if you have a plan, and that plan could include medication, professional counseling and a list of activities to substitute when you crave cigarette. For some the hardest part of quitting is socializing at a party or when with friends without having a cigarette in your hand. Going to bars and clubs is especially hard when you associate drinking with smoking. It is better to hang out with friends who do not smoke instead of the usual puff adder friends. PROCASTINATION: The longer you can put off some work project or money talk with your guy, the more dreaded it becomes. The situation becomes worse and sometimes unmanageable and the more the stress build. Yet we are all guilty of procrastinating and it is especially big among perfectionists. They often feel they don't have the time or ability to do projects perfectly so they delay doing them. The solution is to break big scary tasks into manageable small ones, According to Gallagher a psychologist, he say, take 15 minutes to gather together receipts and papers, Do another 15 minutes tomorrow, sharpening pencils and organizing paper works, keep up the 15minute check and you'll get the job done. LIEING: Everyone knows that lying is not good, most often once you start lying you can't stop, you most often have to tell another lie to cover up that which you have just told. According to some people, they are white lies, lies told which mean no harm. Told to protect a person, but most often when a relationship is built on lies it come crashing one day. It is very disastrous. It is safer and better to start a relationship or friendship based on the truth. It is either the person accepts or does not accept.
SLEEPING LATE: It is a vicious cycle, you stay up way too late, zoning out in front of the TV and keep hitting the snooze button the next morning at work, on the bus to work or during classes in school. Some people camp in front of the TV not knowing when to call it a night, some people are perpetual late night crawlers. SMOKING: Everyone know that smoking is bad news but even women who desperately want to quit must be prepared for a tough
www.xcelmediaonline.com
XL
65
G
T
With Olawale Osolo
Are We Losing The Battle Cap Against Crime? I N H I N K
- Boko Haram Suicide Bomber Attacks UN Building, Kills Over 35 With More Than 100 Injured! - 16 Billion Dollar Down The Drain In Power Project, Without Anything To Show For It! - Three (3) Month Old Baby Kidnapped: As Abductors Demand N100 million Ransom! - Bank Robbers Kill 7 Cops, Makes Away With Undisclosed Amount of Money Running Into Millions! - Two Year-old Baby Raped By 65-year old Uncle!
I
f you have been following the news lately, you most definitely would have noticed that such despicable headlines are the screaming crimes glossing the media terrain these days. Do you feel safe in your neighbourhood, especially at night? Do you feel secure working in a bank or inside a notable government parastatal? Has your family been affected by crime lately? Even countries and cities (e.g Norway and Jos in Nigeria) once considered relatively safe for habitation by millions of people are now a shadow of their former identity because of the daunting surge of crime and violence. No matter where you live in the world, every day seems to birth another crop of lurid crimes. Therefore, it is reasonable to ask if present deterrents, penalties, and prison terms are working. You might even wonder, especially in a country like ours, if jail terms reform criminals? More importantly, is society addressing the root cause of crime? After a taste of Nigerian prison, a criminal often times than not, becomes shrewder and more cautious. He continues his exploitative way of life and commits even more shocking crime while perfecting how not to get caught again. In effect, the prison then often becomes training camps for criminals, inadvertently helping to hone their antisocial skills. Ex-Governors, Ministers, Bank CEOs, Senators and Representatives and other public servants, after their celebrated arrests in the media, get released to enjoy the loot without any disturbance, most times in the name of Plea Bargain. What is more, many crimes go unpunished, leading people to conclude that crime does pay. This belief can make them bolder and more daring. Indeed the Holy Bible was punchy when it declared, “Because sentence against a bad work has not been executed speedily, that is why the heart of the sons of men has become fully set in them to do badly.”
66
XL
Is crime the only option that some people have to survive? Can we conveniently say that it is the burden of poverty that leads people to rob a bank? Would one also be in order if he assumes that it's the same poverty that makes a governor or a Bank Executive to siphon the resources put in his care for the good of all? I plead to disagree. If for anything, it definitely would not be poverty. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. The key word in this matter, in my opinion, is choice. Humans have been naturally endowed to freely choose the course they want to take, even under difficult circumstances. If not, how is it that millions of us struggle daily to cope with social injustice and poverty without embracing crime even in the face of, sometimes deliberate economic oppression by some of our leaders. As Samenow rightly puts it: “Criminals cause crime, not bad neighborhoods, inadequate parents, or unemployment. Crime resides within the minds of human beings and is not caused by social conditions”. Another factor that is responsible for this rapid upsurge in criminal activities in our society is, for all intents and purposes, the world's corrupt emphasis on money, pleasures, and instant gratification. Sadly, by way of movies, video games, literature and bad role models, the society promotes these traits which only triggers criminal elements to action. It is high time our society takes very cogent stand on this matter before criminally minded people turn our once peaceful country to war turn zones and crime ravaged States like Somali, Afghanistan and South Africa. The task to return sanity to our society must be seen as a collective responsibility and every stakeholder must be seen as playing their own role in the collective struggle for a better tomorrow.
The Judiciary must as a matter of urgency take up responsibility ridding our beloved Motherland of this conflagration. It should endeavor to deliver justice to everyone irrespective of his or her social status. Justice should not be bought and sold; neither should it be imposed or negotiable. Any case brought before it should be judiciously expended and in a case of miscarriage of justice, the erring judicial officer should be dealt with so as to rekindle the confidence people repose in the judiciary. The anti-graft agencies like the EFCC, ICPC and all other security agencies should be up and doing. They must rise up to the occasion and purge our country of corrupt public office holders. As an in-house test, people with questionable characters should not be appointed to direct the agencies. On its part, the National Assembly should ensure the enactment of enabling laws to strengthen them so as to make them perform optimally. There should be no undue interference from the Justice Ministry or the Presidency, as is currently obtainable. Religious institutions and moral crusaders can also help by teaching their followers to place less emphasis on self aggrandizement especially those that occupy public offices. They should promote the ideals of patriotism and nationalism as well as the honour in selfless service. Much as I will want erring past executives of States and Banks to be adequately prosecuted, it would actually do both the ex-leader and followers extreme good if the latter can invest his wrongly acquired wealth on meaningful philanthropic ventures and begin to live decently. Past experiences have shown that people with disparaging criminal background can actually change, that is, if they make up their minds. What is simply required is a willingness to adjust one's attitudes,