Due to the fact that married couples do some strange sexual stuffs, sex-related injuries are very common and they happen simply because somebody gets a little carried away.
How common are sex injuries? From the number of various clients visiting my office, I do have comprehensive statistics of at least one-third of adults suffer some form of injury related to sex each year. While sexual activities are highly physical, like any physical activity, they come with risks of injury. Although many can be prevented with bit of preparations and improved communication between couples, but love-making sometimes can really be a battlefield and getting hurt in the heat of passion could be a subject seldom discussed.
The most common sex injuries are a pulled muscle, back injuries and heart attack. Did you know that penis can ‘break’ when it is erect. While an erection contains no actual bones, the penis does contain tubes that fill with blood during an erection. It’s the lining of these tubes that can rupture in response to heavy trauma or bending.
One client describes this, “My wife climbed on top. While thrusting her hips back in forth against my thrust rhythm, she decided to lean back without communicating this to me and I was not prepared for her quick descent backwards. I knew it was broken. Oh, it’s so painful.”
A broken penis is often accompanied by a snapping sound and dark bruising and requires immediate attention. Penile fractures are not actually fractures but rather a hard tear in the tissue of the penis. They occur when the erect penis is bent forcefully; there may be a popping or cracking sound. It affects about 10 per cent of men. Penile fractures are relatively uncommon, so you can still have fun doing lots of thrusting and bending in the bedroom. Just be wary of any quick movements that might bend the shaft excessively; so pay close attention.
Muscle strains are common during any type of physical activity and sex is no exception. Considering the fact that you can burn around 200 calories in a 30-minute sex session, it’s no surprise that many spouses report sex as the cause of many injuries. And since sexual arousal can release endorphins that reduce the experience of pain, these couples don’t realise they’re hurt until after sex is over. To help prevent muscle strains, pick positions that are comfortable. If they are not, make small adjustments to the angle of your hips or use your partner’s hands for more support.
You can get ‘burnt’ down below, I had one woman who came in because her husband had performed oral sex on her too quickly after eating a spicy meal and drinking spicy ‘pepper-soup’ and she sustained painful sore burns from the hot sauce.
Common bumps and bruises are what happen daily, in the heat of the moment, it’s easy to smack your head against the headboard or scrape your knees along the carpet. Many of these injuries can be prevented by purchasing lots of pillows and creating a soft nest in and around your bed. Not only do pillows provide padding for soft landings, but they can be used when trying new positions.
Be careful; objects can easily lodge into your vagina. When inserting objects or sex toys into your vagina, smooth-edged toys with a flared base are recommended to ensure nothing gets lost in your uterus. Natural lubricants are also essential to sex play, as they help minimise friction and reduce the risk of small tears that can lead to infection. Sometimes these objects can lead to small tears or cuts in the vagina, which can occur when sex is more vigorous and there isn’t enough lubrication. Women will often not feel any pain until after sex, because sexual arousal usually raises pain tolerance. But if the cuts are sizeable and bleeding doesn’t stop on its own, a woman should seek medical attention to prevent infection. ….. To be continued next week.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. Sex and sports don’t mix:
My wife is a sports lady; she plays table tennis for a big club in the state. Ever since she became popular in the game, my sexual need has become a thing of insignificance. Each time I plead with her, all she says to me is ‘sex and sports don’t mix. I need my energy for my career and we need the money for a better life.’ My need is no longer her concern. What do I do?
- Mr. David Ogundipe
Sports stars earn millions, they are celebrities. Male sports stars are generally in great shape, however, this great shape may trigger high level of sexual activity which can actually be detrimental to their careers because of the strain it piles on their joints and muscles on top of their already demanding training schedules. But it has been discovered that this may not be the case for a female sports star. Sex therapist recognises the fact that the situation for female athletes is often very different, that is, sexual intercourse increases their alertness and readiness to perform. So, take time to explain this to your wife with a loving attitude and be her friend also.
2. I am sick and tired of my wife making expensive jokes about my penis
I think my wife is a sex sadist or what should I say? Each time it is time for us to make love, she naturally derives pleasure in making jokes about my penis. If it is not about the size, it will be about the shape or about the performance or about the colour. She has a way of saying something nasty that will immediately deflate my libido and arousal. One day, I had to beat her up after her nasty joke but she always claims it is a way of getting her in the mood for sex. I am confused. What can I do?
- Sunny Kingsley
One of the first-class counsel I give to couples about to wed is never to make jokes about their partners’ sex organs, because the most toxic thing you would want to do to really turn anyone off is to make a funny comment about his penis, her breast or vagina. Partners take these comments and jokes very personal and it can affect their total well-being for life. Let your wife know that your penis is like the centre of a man’s world, and tell her every man is so sensitive about it. So, if during sex or right before it, she passes funny comments to get herself in the mood for sex, she has not only destroyed your mood but also rejected your person. This is the worst thing she could do to turn you off completely.
3. I can’t explain what my wife wants?
Can you kindly explain the science of a female desire linked to her breast? I am clueless how to satisfy my wife’s fantasies, she only gets aroused when I only satisfy her breast. To her, I should treat her breast in a special way but all my efforts have amounted to a rigid stony ground on bed. How do I get through her? Do you have an idea how to give her breast a special treat? And she is really busty anyway.
- Nurudeen Oba
First and foremost, you have to mentally register her breast as one of your ‘turn-ons.’ Once in a while, deliberately let your eyes wander around her breasts and before you know it, you will begin to discover how absolutely gorgeous those breasts are. Make it a habit to be fascinated with her breasts each time she lifts her shirt over her head, and watch as her large breasts bounce whenever she moves around. You will realise that sometimes, you will notice a hard on by just looking at her breasts. It will really become a turn-on. During the time for love making, make sure your eyes roam on her breasts. Encourage her to laugh; this will make her breasts to jiggle. Learn how to undo the hook of a brassier in a very seductive manner, allowing her bra to hang loose over her large breasts; this will make the nipples hard, standing at attention and begging to be sucked. At such moment, take each one of them in your mouth and suck gently. What you will notice is that immediately your wife will throw her head back and groan softly, then let out a cry of pleasure and invariably collapse in pleasure. At this point, you have given her breasts a good treat which will make her satisfy you also. When it comes to the craving for sexual variety, researchers have discovered that women want sex just as much as men do, but men do not take out quality time to locate their hot spots.
4. My husband was an ex-hardcore sex worker
With my husband, sex irritates me big time. I don’t even enjoy it anymore all because my husband was an ex-hardcore sex worker. Each time we are making love, my husband must scream so hard and say some dirty languages. As a matter of fact, he is so obsessed with dirty talks and the worst of it all is that he mentions some strange names that make me think promiscuity just runs in his veins. If sex is not on agenda, my husband is a nice, kind-hearted person, but as soon as it’s time for sex, I feel like an ‘ileya’ ram going to be slaughtered’. This looks like a sex prison to me, please help.
- Mamiska Itanda
Have you ever sat your husband down and really had a heart to heart discussion about this? If no, you just have to summon courage and nicely share your fears with him. While discussing with him, let him know that mentioning names of ex-sex-partners is the height of low respect for you. Let him know that you deserve some respect as the legal wife. On the other hand, you should know that some spouses regard screaming as sexy. But many spouses do not realise that screaming can only be sexy if their partner is also a screamer. Most of the time, partners could get turned off when their ear drums are getting ready to explode. For hardcore sex workers, who have formed the habit of screaming, they just have to deliberately work on it to change if it is offensive to their partners. Try to turn down the volume. Besides, the neighbours may hear you! Same precaution goes for obsessive dirty talk.
Saturday, 16 November 2013
MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT HIV/AIDS
A medical research report in Nigeria has come up with a figure that over 7 million Nigerians have been medically proven to live with HIV while close to 5 million have been suspected to be positive to HIV. But these people have not come out boldly to either be tested for HIV or treated due to the myths and misconceptions surrounding the infection. It has also been noted that all over the world, HIV should have become a forgone issue if majority of the world populace had developed a positive disposition towards the virus and various methods of treatment, control and possible eradication.
For nearly 30 years, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) have been shrouded in many myths and misconceptions. Although unanswered questions about HIV remain, researchers have learned a great deal. Here are the top few myths about HIV, along with the facts to dispute them.
It is believed that one can get HIV by being around people who are HIV-positive. But evidence shows that HIV is not spread through touch, tears, sweat, or saliva. You cannot contract HIV by breathing the same air as someone who is HIV-positive; by touching a toilet seat or doorknob handle after an HIV-positive person; by drinking from a water fountain; by hugging, kissing, or shaking hands with someone who is HIV-positive; by sharing utensils with an HIV-positive person or by using exercise equipment at a gym. But you can definitely get it from infected blood, semen, vaginal fluid, or mother’s milk.
It is also a held-belief that people should not worry about becoming HIV positive, that new drugs will keep any one well. This is a misconception because, inasmuch as antiretroviral drugs are improving and extending the lives of many people who are HIV-positive, many of these drugs are expensive and produce serious side effects. None yet provides a cure. Also, drug-resistant strains of HIV make treatment an increasing challenge.
An average man believes that one can contract HIV from mosquitoes, because HIV is spread through blood. People have been worried that biting or bloodsucking insects might spread HIV. Several studies, however, show no evidence to support this even in areas with lots of mosquitoes. When insects bite, they do not inject the blood of the person or animal they have last bitten. Also, HIV lives for only a short time inside an insect.
In the early years of the scourge, the death rate from AIDS was extremely high. But today, antiretroviral drugs allow HIV-positive people and even those with AIDS to live much longer, normal, and productive lives. Neither is AIDS a genocide phenomenon; an HIV victim can live his life to the fullest.
Another belief is that HIV victims receiving treatment can’t spread the virus; yes they can. Although when HIV treatments work well, they can reduce the amount of virus in the blood to a level so low that it doesn’t show up in blood tests. Research shows, however, that the virus is still ‘hiding’ in other areas of the body. It is still essential to practise safe sex, so you won’t make someone else become HIV-positive. Couples who are both HIV positive have many reasons to practise safer sex and please do not believe that while practising safer sex wearing condoms can protect you both from becoming exposed to other (potentially drug resistant) strains of HIV.
Remember that sometimes, a partner can be HIV-positive and not have any symptoms for years. The only way for you or your partner to know if you’re HIV-positive is to get tested. It’s also true that oral sex is less risky than some other types of sex. But you can get HIV by having oral sex with either a man or a woman who is HIV-positive. So couples should always use a latex barrier during oral sex.
QUESTION/ANSWERS
1. She fears she may also be infected for life
How do I deal with itchy eczema that is permanently on my pubic area? I have noticed this since I was a child. Back then, it always prevented me from sleeping well and the best my parents could do was to assure me it would disappear with age. I have treated it with anything available all to no avail. Now after a few years of marriage, my wife does not only tease me but after frantically trying to help cure it, she has stayed away from our bed. She says she will return when I find a permanent solution to it. She fears she may be also infected for life. Besides, the scare from the itching makes her irritated. What can I do?
- Mr. Baidola Kuba
Because eczema is so visible, it can lead to self-esteem issues and sexual humiliation. Long time eczema can be a bit difficult to cure, especially when you have applied different medications to no avail. The other option you have is to go natural. How you wash your skin is important. Always take a cool bath every day and use a gentle cleanser instead of soap and avoid scrubbing that area. While the area is still damp, apply local shea-butter with honey as moisturizer. Do this two to three times a day, including after bathing and every time you make use of toilets.
Try not to scratch or rub your skin when it itches. This will only worsen the itching and inflammation. When you scratch, you can break the skin and open it up to infection. Instead, rub local pap smear or white part of the egg on the surface; this can help control itching and soothe the skin. Avoid irritating pants or trouser fabrics like wool or coarsely woven materials. Wash all new underwear / clothes before you wear them in order to remove potentially irritating chemicals. Use a mild laundry detergent that doesn’t have fragrance or dyes. Rinse your underwear/clothes twice to remove traces of soap. When you’re too hot, your eczema can get worse. High temperatures can make you sweat, which can make the pubic area itchy and irritated. In cold season, heated cover clothes often have low humidity, which dries skin and causes itching. Avoid using lots of blankets so you won’t sweat while you sleep. And take a cold shower after you exercise.
2. He has no feelings for me
I’ve been married for eight years and I love my husband dearly. But sometimes when we make love, it seems like he has no feelings for me but only for himself. He is a little rough at times. Afterward, I can’t help feeling I’ve been taken advantage of. I want to enjoy sex, but I feel degraded because of his approach. What can I do to resolve this problem?
- Moji Mojola Lawrence
It’s as if you’re preparing a sumptuous, elaborate feast of your husband’s favourite food but there’s no plate set for you on the table. You’re left out of your own sexual relationship, which must be lonesome and frustrating. Not much can happen to change this until your husband really hears your hurt. Your letter doesn’t indicate that you’ve tried to talk to him about this. Don’t expect him to read your mind or that he should know. Be prepared to verbalise your needs, feelings, and desires. Think about how you are expressing them now. Feelings have a way of coming out, often non verbally. Maybe your husband will catch on if you try a different technique for expressing your feelings. It often helps to use first-person statements or emotional word pictures. As you express your feelings, find out about your husband’s feelings too. Don’t assume that he intends to be unfeeling or unkind. Sometimes, what comes across as sexual selfishness may be something else, such as fears or frustration in disguise. Maybe he has even been wishing all along that you wouldn’t hold back, not realising that his own behaviours are keeping you from becoming vulnerable. He may actually welcome your suggestions and some solutions.
3. If wishes were horses, beggars will ride
I trust you can come to my aid. I am a happily married man in my late 60s who can no longer perform sexually as well as I used to; or as I would have loved to. Maybe it is what you call ‘mid-life sexual crisis.’ Getting an erection is not my problem, but the erection is not sufficiently hard and I am not able to maintain the erection for a reasonable length of time. Sometimes while in the middle of the act, I simply lose erection, even before ejaculation. I do not have the problem of quick ejaculation because if my erection is hard enough and I am able to sustain the erection, I can experience a delayed ejaculation. I would at least wish to go for two rounds of sex before I stop and this will satisfy my wife, who luckily is very understanding. In short, I need to do something about it and quick if I am not to frustrate my wife who is some 15 years younger. She does not deserve to be frustrated. Can you please recommend to me which supplements will be best for my situation? My wife thinks I can’t be helped. She said if wishes were horses, beggars will ride. Please prove her wrong.
- Babs Okafor
First and foremost, I would appreciate it if you can practise more of kegel exercise and also take a lot of vegetable and local spices such as ginger, garlic, walnut, bitter kola and the likes. Drinking of local vegetable fluid, coconut water would help in rejuvenating the nerves, veins and arteries of the penis. From the look of things, your erectile challenge is more of age-related than any other. You can use some of our natural herbs from Vietnam. These herbs have put smiles on the faces of many people suffering from erectile challenges.
4. Normal testosterone but no sexual drive
I am 38 and remarried in March 2013. My doctor tested me twice this year and I have normal and healthy testosterone levels, but I feel as if I have no desire to have sex. This problem happened during our first week being married. I have a very hard time getting an erection, and an even harder time keeping an erection. Neither self-stimulation nor with the aid of sexual mental or graphic images seem to help. Most times, I can go flaccid as soon as I want. I also have a hard time enjoying it during sex, I rarely feel anything. Often I have to check the shaft of my penis during sex to verify that I still have an erection, because I barely feel anything. I never had this problem before I got remarried. I was able to easily (willingly and unwillingly) get an erection and sustain it several times a day. My thoughts were often crowded with the desire to be sexually involved. I have often wondered if I’m going through unusual stress, but that is not the case either. In the past, stress has always increased my desire for sex. Do you think there’s something psychological going on?
- Jimson
Have you checked your blood sugar recently? High blood sugar can block the formation of hormone that causes the relaxation of the blood vessels in your sex organ so that it swells and becomes harder but not feeling. And also, when last did you check your oestrogen levels…? (All males have some oestrogen, just as all women have some testosterone); they may be a little high; if that is the case, you need to balance it up. If your hormones, testosterone and oestrogen are all still normal, it is probably psychological. You said it happened virtually overnight, beginning a week or so after you got married; maybe, (I mean no disrespect) it has something to do with your new wife. Has she offended you and it is hard for you to forgive her? Or is she not looking the way you imagine while on bed? Maybe some sexy lingerie would help; there may also be a need for you to do some thinking ‘out of the box.’ Do some ‘non-conventional’ things; use your imagination, and as long as you don’t hurt each other, it’s okay to try!
For nearly 30 years, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) have been shrouded in many myths and misconceptions. Although unanswered questions about HIV remain, researchers have learned a great deal. Here are the top few myths about HIV, along with the facts to dispute them.
It is believed that one can get HIV by being around people who are HIV-positive. But evidence shows that HIV is not spread through touch, tears, sweat, or saliva. You cannot contract HIV by breathing the same air as someone who is HIV-positive; by touching a toilet seat or doorknob handle after an HIV-positive person; by drinking from a water fountain; by hugging, kissing, or shaking hands with someone who is HIV-positive; by sharing utensils with an HIV-positive person or by using exercise equipment at a gym. But you can definitely get it from infected blood, semen, vaginal fluid, or mother’s milk.
It is also a held-belief that people should not worry about becoming HIV positive, that new drugs will keep any one well. This is a misconception because, inasmuch as antiretroviral drugs are improving and extending the lives of many people who are HIV-positive, many of these drugs are expensive and produce serious side effects. None yet provides a cure. Also, drug-resistant strains of HIV make treatment an increasing challenge.
An average man believes that one can contract HIV from mosquitoes, because HIV is spread through blood. People have been worried that biting or bloodsucking insects might spread HIV. Several studies, however, show no evidence to support this even in areas with lots of mosquitoes. When insects bite, they do not inject the blood of the person or animal they have last bitten. Also, HIV lives for only a short time inside an insect.
In the early years of the scourge, the death rate from AIDS was extremely high. But today, antiretroviral drugs allow HIV-positive people and even those with AIDS to live much longer, normal, and productive lives. Neither is AIDS a genocide phenomenon; an HIV victim can live his life to the fullest.
Another belief is that HIV victims receiving treatment can’t spread the virus; yes they can. Although when HIV treatments work well, they can reduce the amount of virus in the blood to a level so low that it doesn’t show up in blood tests. Research shows, however, that the virus is still ‘hiding’ in other areas of the body. It is still essential to practise safe sex, so you won’t make someone else become HIV-positive. Couples who are both HIV positive have many reasons to practise safer sex and please do not believe that while practising safer sex wearing condoms can protect you both from becoming exposed to other (potentially drug resistant) strains of HIV.
Remember that sometimes, a partner can be HIV-positive and not have any symptoms for years. The only way for you or your partner to know if you’re HIV-positive is to get tested. It’s also true that oral sex is less risky than some other types of sex. But you can get HIV by having oral sex with either a man or a woman who is HIV-positive. So couples should always use a latex barrier during oral sex.
QUESTION/ANSWERS
1. She fears she may also be infected for life
How do I deal with itchy eczema that is permanently on my pubic area? I have noticed this since I was a child. Back then, it always prevented me from sleeping well and the best my parents could do was to assure me it would disappear with age. I have treated it with anything available all to no avail. Now after a few years of marriage, my wife does not only tease me but after frantically trying to help cure it, she has stayed away from our bed. She says she will return when I find a permanent solution to it. She fears she may be also infected for life. Besides, the scare from the itching makes her irritated. What can I do?
- Mr. Baidola Kuba
Because eczema is so visible, it can lead to self-esteem issues and sexual humiliation. Long time eczema can be a bit difficult to cure, especially when you have applied different medications to no avail. The other option you have is to go natural. How you wash your skin is important. Always take a cool bath every day and use a gentle cleanser instead of soap and avoid scrubbing that area. While the area is still damp, apply local shea-butter with honey as moisturizer. Do this two to three times a day, including after bathing and every time you make use of toilets.
Try not to scratch or rub your skin when it itches. This will only worsen the itching and inflammation. When you scratch, you can break the skin and open it up to infection. Instead, rub local pap smear or white part of the egg on the surface; this can help control itching and soothe the skin. Avoid irritating pants or trouser fabrics like wool or coarsely woven materials. Wash all new underwear / clothes before you wear them in order to remove potentially irritating chemicals. Use a mild laundry detergent that doesn’t have fragrance or dyes. Rinse your underwear/clothes twice to remove traces of soap. When you’re too hot, your eczema can get worse. High temperatures can make you sweat, which can make the pubic area itchy and irritated. In cold season, heated cover clothes often have low humidity, which dries skin and causes itching. Avoid using lots of blankets so you won’t sweat while you sleep. And take a cold shower after you exercise.
2. He has no feelings for me
I’ve been married for eight years and I love my husband dearly. But sometimes when we make love, it seems like he has no feelings for me but only for himself. He is a little rough at times. Afterward, I can’t help feeling I’ve been taken advantage of. I want to enjoy sex, but I feel degraded because of his approach. What can I do to resolve this problem?
- Moji Mojola Lawrence
It’s as if you’re preparing a sumptuous, elaborate feast of your husband’s favourite food but there’s no plate set for you on the table. You’re left out of your own sexual relationship, which must be lonesome and frustrating. Not much can happen to change this until your husband really hears your hurt. Your letter doesn’t indicate that you’ve tried to talk to him about this. Don’t expect him to read your mind or that he should know. Be prepared to verbalise your needs, feelings, and desires. Think about how you are expressing them now. Feelings have a way of coming out, often non verbally. Maybe your husband will catch on if you try a different technique for expressing your feelings. It often helps to use first-person statements or emotional word pictures. As you express your feelings, find out about your husband’s feelings too. Don’t assume that he intends to be unfeeling or unkind. Sometimes, what comes across as sexual selfishness may be something else, such as fears or frustration in disguise. Maybe he has even been wishing all along that you wouldn’t hold back, not realising that his own behaviours are keeping you from becoming vulnerable. He may actually welcome your suggestions and some solutions.
3. If wishes were horses, beggars will ride
I trust you can come to my aid. I am a happily married man in my late 60s who can no longer perform sexually as well as I used to; or as I would have loved to. Maybe it is what you call ‘mid-life sexual crisis.’ Getting an erection is not my problem, but the erection is not sufficiently hard and I am not able to maintain the erection for a reasonable length of time. Sometimes while in the middle of the act, I simply lose erection, even before ejaculation. I do not have the problem of quick ejaculation because if my erection is hard enough and I am able to sustain the erection, I can experience a delayed ejaculation. I would at least wish to go for two rounds of sex before I stop and this will satisfy my wife, who luckily is very understanding. In short, I need to do something about it and quick if I am not to frustrate my wife who is some 15 years younger. She does not deserve to be frustrated. Can you please recommend to me which supplements will be best for my situation? My wife thinks I can’t be helped. She said if wishes were horses, beggars will ride. Please prove her wrong.
- Babs Okafor
First and foremost, I would appreciate it if you can practise more of kegel exercise and also take a lot of vegetable and local spices such as ginger, garlic, walnut, bitter kola and the likes. Drinking of local vegetable fluid, coconut water would help in rejuvenating the nerves, veins and arteries of the penis. From the look of things, your erectile challenge is more of age-related than any other. You can use some of our natural herbs from Vietnam. These herbs have put smiles on the faces of many people suffering from erectile challenges.
4. Normal testosterone but no sexual drive
I am 38 and remarried in March 2013. My doctor tested me twice this year and I have normal and healthy testosterone levels, but I feel as if I have no desire to have sex. This problem happened during our first week being married. I have a very hard time getting an erection, and an even harder time keeping an erection. Neither self-stimulation nor with the aid of sexual mental or graphic images seem to help. Most times, I can go flaccid as soon as I want. I also have a hard time enjoying it during sex, I rarely feel anything. Often I have to check the shaft of my penis during sex to verify that I still have an erection, because I barely feel anything. I never had this problem before I got remarried. I was able to easily (willingly and unwillingly) get an erection and sustain it several times a day. My thoughts were often crowded with the desire to be sexually involved. I have often wondered if I’m going through unusual stress, but that is not the case either. In the past, stress has always increased my desire for sex. Do you think there’s something psychological going on?
- Jimson
Have you checked your blood sugar recently? High blood sugar can block the formation of hormone that causes the relaxation of the blood vessels in your sex organ so that it swells and becomes harder but not feeling. And also, when last did you check your oestrogen levels…? (All males have some oestrogen, just as all women have some testosterone); they may be a little high; if that is the case, you need to balance it up. If your hormones, testosterone and oestrogen are all still normal, it is probably psychological. You said it happened virtually overnight, beginning a week or so after you got married; maybe, (I mean no disrespect) it has something to do with your new wife. Has she offended you and it is hard for you to forgive her? Or is she not looking the way you imagine while on bed? Maybe some sexy lingerie would help; there may also be a need for you to do some thinking ‘out of the box.’ Do some ‘non-conventional’ things; use your imagination, and as long as you don’t hurt each other, it’s okay to try!
Who emerges as Anambra governor?
EZEEMO, NGIGE, NWOYE or UBA?
Today, a sizable proportion of the 1.87 million voters in Anambra State is expected to participate in the election of a governor for the 22-year-old state. Any of the candidates of the various political parties, who emerges as governor, would take oath of office on March 17, 2014.
The last time the people of Anambra voted on February 6, 2010, more than half of the voting population could not find their names in the voters’ register. At the end of the day, only about 300,000 people voted, just a little less than 20 per cent of the voting population.
But today, all the participants in the election have certified that the voters’ register is in good shape after several reviews by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The race had been long and windy for most of the candidates. But at the end of the day 23 men, no woman, are on their marks, getting ready for the final dash across the finishing line today.
Up till Thursday last week, when the Supreme Court declared former student leader, Tony Nwoye as being eligible to contest, one of the major political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party, was not certain about whether it would eventually present a candidate for the election.
So, it turned out a relief for the PDP that finally, Nwoye would, would be its standard-bearer in the election. Whether the late entry would take a toll on the party’s performance in the election is a matter to be determined by the electorate. Some other political parties have issues similar to the PDP’s as there are subtle disputes over candidatures.
Issues that could shape the election
Four years ago, the issue of zoning of the governorship was not on the agenda. Of the six top contenders for the office of the governorship then, three of them; Dr. Chris Ngige (Action Congress), Peter Obi (All Progressives Grand Alliance) and Uche Ekwunife (Progressive Peoples Alliance) were from the Anambra Central Senatorial Zone, the other three, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo (Peoples Democratic Party), Andy Uba (Labour Party) and Nicholas Ukachukwu (Hope Democratic Party) were from the Anambra South Senatorial Zone; and this was not considered a serious issue during the election. In this election, however, zoning became prominent after the people of Anambra North Senatorial Zone declared that nobody from the zone had been elected governor since the state was created in 1991 Thus began the clamour for Anambra North to produce the governor.
Incidentally, Anambra North zone is the least developed in terms of infrastructure and human resources. Their leaders had reckoned that the zone’s limited access to government must have been responsible for the slow development of the area. They, therefore, moved that for them to support any political party such a party must zone its governorship candidacy to Anambra North.
After many meetings and declarations by political leaders from the zone, the state Governor, Peter Obi, was sold on the idea of Anambra North producing the next governor of the state.
He repeatedly explained that his position was in the interest of equity and fair play. After an initial resistance from some members of his party, the governor had his way and member of the party, Chief Willie Obiano, emerged at APGA candidate.
The PDP eventually elected its own candidate, Mr. Tony Nwoye, from Anambra North, a development that thrown the race wide open given the fact that the two other prominent candidates, Ngige and Ifeanyi Uba of the Labour Party come from Anambra Central and Anambra South respectively. Those who have argued against zoning have said that allotting the position of governor to zones in rotation could divide the state along sectional lines. They have also said that zoning had the potential of promoting mediocrity over merit. Also, they argued that zoning had never been an issue within Anambra political class, which had always contested the governorship of the state irrespective of zones.
‘Godfather politics’ also came up for debate during the electioneering. Apart from the candidate of the Labour Party, Ifeanyi Uba, and that of the Progressive Peoples Alliance, Godwin Ezeemo, who are believed to be personally funding their elections, virtually all the other candidates have godfather figures behind them.
Instructively, none of the candidates actually appeared with blueprints on how to end the major concerns of the people, which are mainly insecurity, provision of water and poor state of roads.
At a point the campaigns degenerated into mudslinging and destruction of the campaign posters and billboards of opposing candidates.
Then came the political debates organised by broadcast organisations and interest groups in the state. These debates exposed the public speaking capabilities of the candidates.
At the end of the campaigns, certain messages came out about the agenda of the five leading candidates. Obiano of APGA kept emphasising his resolve to continue with the programmes of Governor Peter Obi anchored on the Anambra Integrated Development Strategy. He, however, added a four-sector development agenda anchored on industrialisation, agriculture, oil and gas and education.
Ngige of APC, who was governor between 2003 and 2006, anchored his campaign on the need to return him as governor to complete the developmental programmes, he initiated when he was governor. Ubah of the LP promised to deploy his entrepreneurial skills to attract development to the state, a similar campaign approach by Ezeemo of PPA.
The PDP candidate, Tony Nwoye, whose candidacy was only secured barely a week before the election, scarcely made out a programme of action. He did not participate in any of the political debates. His camp spent most of the time left consulting traditional rulers, opinion leaders and the respective leaders of their town unions. Whichever way the people vote today will depend on the sentiments of where the candidate comes from, political party affiliation and pecuniary factors. While the Catholic Church played an influential role in past elections, the Church’s influence might not make much difference this time around because all the top contenders are Catholics who have contributed substantial support to the church.
Chances of the major contenders
To many observers, the election is too close to call. Some people have predicted that the winner might not emerge at the first ballot, given that the eventual winner will not only have to win the majority of votes cast, but will also have to have a spread of votes, winning at least 25 per cent of the votes in 14 of the 21 local government areas. The way it looks, it is only the PDP and APGA candidates that can have the needed spread given the nature of their support base, which cuts across the entire state. APC looks good to garner huge votes and if it wins the majority vote, its win might be flawed in spread of votes. APC’s candidate has a cult following among the masses, he is most popular in the two Idemili local government areas, which incidentally have the highest voting populations.
Banking on the incumbency factor, Obiano of APGA could come out with a good spread of votes and he is expected to lead in local governments like Anaocha, where the governor comes from, Anambra West, Ogbaru, Onitsha North, Onitsha South, Awka North, Njikoka and one of the Orumba local government areas. Anambra East where both the PDP and APGA candidates come from could be fairly shared by the two parties. The PDP candidate, Nwoye is blessed with a large membership base of the PDP which is spread across the state. He is most likely to win in Ayamelum, Oyi, Dunukofia and Ihiala. The divisions within the ranks of the party may create problems for him in Nnewi South and Aguata.
The Labour Party candidate, Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah, is very likely to win in his home local government, Nnewi North and Ekwusigo. He will have sprinkling of votes across a few other local government areas, considering that his party has little traditional support bases across the state. The fifth candidate is Godwin Ezeemo, who has been very active in the field and whose philanthropic gestures might win him some good support from the voters. But his impact may not be very strong, even in his home local government, Aguata.
Significance
The governorship election in Anambra State is significant for a number of reasons. One of them is that it is one state where the influence and clout of the ruling party at the federal level, the PDP, has been cut down drastically. In the last election held on February 6, 2010, the PDP came a distant third behind the Action Congress of Nigeria and the All Progressives Grand Alliance. In other states, it has been PDP winning or coming second.
Curiously, PDP is the party from which virtually all the other parties emerged following irreconcilable differences within the ranks of the party.
Since 2003, the governorship election in Anambra State has always presented a keen contest among four or more parties, thus giving the electorate a wide range of choices to make.
In 2003, it was APGA represented by Peter Obi, ANPP represented by George Muoghalu, Alliance for Demcoracy represented by the then Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju and PDP represented by Dr. Chris Ngige. The election was manipulated in favour of the PDP. But the court reversed that three years later and declared Obi the winner. Since then the governorship election in Anambra State has elicited passionate attention.
Home to some the world’s most creative entrepreneurs, Anambra, however, presents a picture a poorly governed state, whose abundant human and material resources had often fallen in the hands of wrong managers.
Former Vice-President Alex Ekwueme, who is one of the founding founders of Nigeria’s present democracy and a prominent citizen of the state when asked to identify the problem with Anambra State, said: “Anambra State is all chiefs, no Indians.” It is an indication that there cannot be an effective leadership in a community where everyone considers themselves good enough to lead, and not to follow. The incumbent governor, Peter Obi, shocked by the parlous state of affairs in Anambra since it was created raised a poser in his campaign posters in 2003; “Is Anambra Cursed; or Are We the Cause?” The eight years he spent governing the state would have given him an answer, which he is yet to make public.
Today, a sizable proportion of the 1.87 million voters in Anambra State is expected to participate in the election of a governor for the 22-year-old state. Any of the candidates of the various political parties, who emerges as governor, would take oath of office on March 17, 2014.
The last time the people of Anambra voted on February 6, 2010, more than half of the voting population could not find their names in the voters’ register. At the end of the day, only about 300,000 people voted, just a little less than 20 per cent of the voting population.
But today, all the participants in the election have certified that the voters’ register is in good shape after several reviews by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The race had been long and windy for most of the candidates. But at the end of the day 23 men, no woman, are on their marks, getting ready for the final dash across the finishing line today.
Up till Thursday last week, when the Supreme Court declared former student leader, Tony Nwoye as being eligible to contest, one of the major political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party, was not certain about whether it would eventually present a candidate for the election.
So, it turned out a relief for the PDP that finally, Nwoye would, would be its standard-bearer in the election. Whether the late entry would take a toll on the party’s performance in the election is a matter to be determined by the electorate. Some other political parties have issues similar to the PDP’s as there are subtle disputes over candidatures.
Issues that could shape the election
Four years ago, the issue of zoning of the governorship was not on the agenda. Of the six top contenders for the office of the governorship then, three of them; Dr. Chris Ngige (Action Congress), Peter Obi (All Progressives Grand Alliance) and Uche Ekwunife (Progressive Peoples Alliance) were from the Anambra Central Senatorial Zone, the other three, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo (Peoples Democratic Party), Andy Uba (Labour Party) and Nicholas Ukachukwu (Hope Democratic Party) were from the Anambra South Senatorial Zone; and this was not considered a serious issue during the election. In this election, however, zoning became prominent after the people of Anambra North Senatorial Zone declared that nobody from the zone had been elected governor since the state was created in 1991 Thus began the clamour for Anambra North to produce the governor.
Incidentally, Anambra North zone is the least developed in terms of infrastructure and human resources. Their leaders had reckoned that the zone’s limited access to government must have been responsible for the slow development of the area. They, therefore, moved that for them to support any political party such a party must zone its governorship candidacy to Anambra North.
After many meetings and declarations by political leaders from the zone, the state Governor, Peter Obi, was sold on the idea of Anambra North producing the next governor of the state.
He repeatedly explained that his position was in the interest of equity and fair play. After an initial resistance from some members of his party, the governor had his way and member of the party, Chief Willie Obiano, emerged at APGA candidate.
The PDP eventually elected its own candidate, Mr. Tony Nwoye, from Anambra North, a development that thrown the race wide open given the fact that the two other prominent candidates, Ngige and Ifeanyi Uba of the Labour Party come from Anambra Central and Anambra South respectively. Those who have argued against zoning have said that allotting the position of governor to zones in rotation could divide the state along sectional lines. They have also said that zoning had the potential of promoting mediocrity over merit. Also, they argued that zoning had never been an issue within Anambra political class, which had always contested the governorship of the state irrespective of zones.
‘Godfather politics’ also came up for debate during the electioneering. Apart from the candidate of the Labour Party, Ifeanyi Uba, and that of the Progressive Peoples Alliance, Godwin Ezeemo, who are believed to be personally funding their elections, virtually all the other candidates have godfather figures behind them.
Instructively, none of the candidates actually appeared with blueprints on how to end the major concerns of the people, which are mainly insecurity, provision of water and poor state of roads.
At a point the campaigns degenerated into mudslinging and destruction of the campaign posters and billboards of opposing candidates.
Then came the political debates organised by broadcast organisations and interest groups in the state. These debates exposed the public speaking capabilities of the candidates.
At the end of the campaigns, certain messages came out about the agenda of the five leading candidates. Obiano of APGA kept emphasising his resolve to continue with the programmes of Governor Peter Obi anchored on the Anambra Integrated Development Strategy. He, however, added a four-sector development agenda anchored on industrialisation, agriculture, oil and gas and education.
Ngige of APC, who was governor between 2003 and 2006, anchored his campaign on the need to return him as governor to complete the developmental programmes, he initiated when he was governor. Ubah of the LP promised to deploy his entrepreneurial skills to attract development to the state, a similar campaign approach by Ezeemo of PPA.
The PDP candidate, Tony Nwoye, whose candidacy was only secured barely a week before the election, scarcely made out a programme of action. He did not participate in any of the political debates. His camp spent most of the time left consulting traditional rulers, opinion leaders and the respective leaders of their town unions. Whichever way the people vote today will depend on the sentiments of where the candidate comes from, political party affiliation and pecuniary factors. While the Catholic Church played an influential role in past elections, the Church’s influence might not make much difference this time around because all the top contenders are Catholics who have contributed substantial support to the church.
Chances of the major contenders
To many observers, the election is too close to call. Some people have predicted that the winner might not emerge at the first ballot, given that the eventual winner will not only have to win the majority of votes cast, but will also have to have a spread of votes, winning at least 25 per cent of the votes in 14 of the 21 local government areas. The way it looks, it is only the PDP and APGA candidates that can have the needed spread given the nature of their support base, which cuts across the entire state. APC looks good to garner huge votes and if it wins the majority vote, its win might be flawed in spread of votes. APC’s candidate has a cult following among the masses, he is most popular in the two Idemili local government areas, which incidentally have the highest voting populations.
Banking on the incumbency factor, Obiano of APGA could come out with a good spread of votes and he is expected to lead in local governments like Anaocha, where the governor comes from, Anambra West, Ogbaru, Onitsha North, Onitsha South, Awka North, Njikoka and one of the Orumba local government areas. Anambra East where both the PDP and APGA candidates come from could be fairly shared by the two parties. The PDP candidate, Nwoye is blessed with a large membership base of the PDP which is spread across the state. He is most likely to win in Ayamelum, Oyi, Dunukofia and Ihiala. The divisions within the ranks of the party may create problems for him in Nnewi South and Aguata.
The Labour Party candidate, Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah, is very likely to win in his home local government, Nnewi North and Ekwusigo. He will have sprinkling of votes across a few other local government areas, considering that his party has little traditional support bases across the state. The fifth candidate is Godwin Ezeemo, who has been very active in the field and whose philanthropic gestures might win him some good support from the voters. But his impact may not be very strong, even in his home local government, Aguata.
Significance
The governorship election in Anambra State is significant for a number of reasons. One of them is that it is one state where the influence and clout of the ruling party at the federal level, the PDP, has been cut down drastically. In the last election held on February 6, 2010, the PDP came a distant third behind the Action Congress of Nigeria and the All Progressives Grand Alliance. In other states, it has been PDP winning or coming second.
Curiously, PDP is the party from which virtually all the other parties emerged following irreconcilable differences within the ranks of the party.
Since 2003, the governorship election in Anambra State has always presented a keen contest among four or more parties, thus giving the electorate a wide range of choices to make.
In 2003, it was APGA represented by Peter Obi, ANPP represented by George Muoghalu, Alliance for Demcoracy represented by the then Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju and PDP represented by Dr. Chris Ngige. The election was manipulated in favour of the PDP. But the court reversed that three years later and declared Obi the winner. Since then the governorship election in Anambra State has elicited passionate attention.
Home to some the world’s most creative entrepreneurs, Anambra, however, presents a picture a poorly governed state, whose abundant human and material resources had often fallen in the hands of wrong managers.
Former Vice-President Alex Ekwueme, who is one of the founding founders of Nigeria’s present democracy and a prominent citizen of the state when asked to identify the problem with Anambra State, said: “Anambra State is all chiefs, no Indians.” It is an indication that there cannot be an effective leadership in a community where everyone considers themselves good enough to lead, and not to follow. The incumbent governor, Peter Obi, shocked by the parlous state of affairs in Anambra since it was created raised a poser in his campaign posters in 2003; “Is Anambra Cursed; or Are We the Cause?” The eight years he spent governing the state would have given him an answer, which he is yet to make public.
Thisday bomber bags life jail with hard labour
Mustapha Umar, the Boko Haram member who bombed a plaza housing the offices of some newspapers in Kaduna in April 2012, was on Friday convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labour by an Abuja Federal High Court.
Three persons lost their lives in the bomb attack in the premises of SOJ Plaza, located at R9, Kontagora Road, by Ahmadu Bello Way, Kaduna, which is occupied by Thisday Newspaper, The Moment Newspaper and The Sun Newspaper.
Justice Adeniyi Ademola, who delivered judgment in the one-count terrorism charge filed against Umar by the Federal Government amid tight security at the court premises, awarded the sum of N150m as compensation to the families of the three persons who died in the incident.
Justice Ademola convicted and sentenced Umar for violating provisions of the Terrorism Prevention Act, 2011.
In the course of the trial, which lasted just seven months, the prosecution, led by S. S. Labaran, called a total of 10 witnesses, including police officers who rescued Umar from a mob which attempted to lynch him after he survived the suicide bomb attack.
Umar, 34, incurred injuries from the attempted suicide attack, as well as beatings he received from the mob.
Interestingly, the police officers had informed the court that at the point of his rescue from the mob and subsequent arrest, Umar had wept bitterly, expressing regrets that his failure to die in the attack had cost him an opportunity to make heaven as a martyr.
The witnesses also told the court that Umar carried out the attack with a white Honda Academy car with registration No. AL 306 MKA, which was laden with improvised explosives, including 12 camp gas cylinders which were collectively wired to the steering of the vehicle.
Although Umar had said that the white Honda Academy belonged to him, the prosecution witnesses had informed the court that the plate number on the vehicle belonged to a different car, whose owner was killed when it was snatched at gun point.
Besides the testimony of the witnesses, the prosecution’s major evidence against Umar was the video recording of an interview in which he admitted the charge, shortly after his arrest.
In the said video, which was tendered and played in court, a relaxed Umar was seen owing up to the crime, and explaining his motive for carrying out the bomb attack – which was largely to avenge an alleged insult on Prophet Mohammed by Thisday Newspaper.
After the video had been tendered and played in court, Umar, who admitted that he was the person in the video, recanted his confession, claiming that he confessed under duress.
Denying the charge, he claimed that he was an innocent bystander at the premises of SOJ Plaza, having come there to sell perfumes on the day of the bomb attack.
But after evaluating the oral evidence of the witnesses as well as that of Umar, who testified in his own defence, Justice Ademola held that the prosecution witnesses were articulate and reliable.
Three persons lost their lives in the bomb attack in the premises of SOJ Plaza, located at R9, Kontagora Road, by Ahmadu Bello Way, Kaduna, which is occupied by Thisday Newspaper, The Moment Newspaper and The Sun Newspaper.
Justice Adeniyi Ademola, who delivered judgment in the one-count terrorism charge filed against Umar by the Federal Government amid tight security at the court premises, awarded the sum of N150m as compensation to the families of the three persons who died in the incident.
Justice Ademola convicted and sentenced Umar for violating provisions of the Terrorism Prevention Act, 2011.
In the course of the trial, which lasted just seven months, the prosecution, led by S. S. Labaran, called a total of 10 witnesses, including police officers who rescued Umar from a mob which attempted to lynch him after he survived the suicide bomb attack.
Umar, 34, incurred injuries from the attempted suicide attack, as well as beatings he received from the mob.
Interestingly, the police officers had informed the court that at the point of his rescue from the mob and subsequent arrest, Umar had wept bitterly, expressing regrets that his failure to die in the attack had cost him an opportunity to make heaven as a martyr.
The witnesses also told the court that Umar carried out the attack with a white Honda Academy car with registration No. AL 306 MKA, which was laden with improvised explosives, including 12 camp gas cylinders which were collectively wired to the steering of the vehicle.
Although Umar had said that the white Honda Academy belonged to him, the prosecution witnesses had informed the court that the plate number on the vehicle belonged to a different car, whose owner was killed when it was snatched at gun point.
Besides the testimony of the witnesses, the prosecution’s major evidence against Umar was the video recording of an interview in which he admitted the charge, shortly after his arrest.
In the said video, which was tendered and played in court, a relaxed Umar was seen owing up to the crime, and explaining his motive for carrying out the bomb attack – which was largely to avenge an alleged insult on Prophet Mohammed by Thisday Newspaper.
After the video had been tendered and played in court, Umar, who admitted that he was the person in the video, recanted his confession, claiming that he confessed under duress.
Denying the charge, he claimed that he was an innocent bystander at the premises of SOJ Plaza, having come there to sell perfumes on the day of the bomb attack.
But after evaluating the oral evidence of the witnesses as well as that of Umar, who testified in his own defence, Justice Ademola held that the prosecution witnesses were articulate and reliable.
Thursday, 14 November 2013
A message to social banks
Right before I planned my trip to that town, I had it all mapped out. I could still remember the streets and the location of the house where I grew up. Unfortunately, upon getting there, I was lost.
Things were not the way I left them. Things have changed. Buildings have been remodelled, new ones have been built and even the house I lived in has changed. As I ponder on this, I realised that changes have occurred in our lives and businesses. Yesterday’s customers are not where they used to be. They have moved but banks still think they are still where they left them yesterday. Today’s customers now spend more time on social media platform; thanks to mobile phones.
Recently, Facebook’s Director of Product Management for Platform Monetisation, Deborah Liu, said to banks at Money2020, “Your customers are here – engage them here.” More bank customers spend as much as 25 per cent of the time spent on mobile devices on Facebook and other social media platforms. Only a few Nigerian banks are doing pretty well on social media; others are only updating their platforms. This should serve as a wakeup call for banks to look hard at how their customers are using social media and see if their social media efforts are sufficient.
According to The Global Retail Banking Digital Marketing Report 2013, the average spending on social media for banks now is “miniscule,” and has “plateaued.” More can be done on the social media platform for banks apart from engagement and interaction. Some banks feel it is easy to go social but do they really scale? Social media can work for banks in two ways: as a channel and a disrupter.
Social media can serve as a channel, a communication conduit that has the potential to strengthen the relationship between banks and customers in ways dating back to the glorious days of relationship banking, when bankers knew their customers by sight. Social media helps your brands to be human. It helps large banks build human relationships at scale. Relationships are created and retained via social media not by Customer Relation Management software. Gathering data about customers is not being social. As more than 50 per cent of Africa’s populations are in their 20s, things are changing; expect more changes. Retail banking has changed to “Social Retail Banking”.
Going social can also disrupt the way banks interact with customers. There is information flowing on social media about your bank. Information flows both ways in the social media conversation and this can work to the bank’s benefit or harm. Social media brings tremendous complexity for banks. Social media is disrupting the way people functioned over the years. Customers are connected at an unprecedented scale. They now have more information about anything at their disposal. More specifically, customers may have more information than the marketing person speaking with them may have.
This may also pose a great challenge for brand management. Bank marketers operating over social media represent their organisations. People feel they are talking not to a person, but to the bank. When a customer has a problem with a bank attendant, say the customer service, for instance, if he dislikes or registers his discontentment with the person, he actually takes his disapproval up with the bank socially. Check the social media sphere to prove me wrong. In fact, check your social media platforms.
Since there might be complexity in managing social media for banks, here are my suggestions:
Implement a bi-directional conversation across all social media platforms: Banks using social media use it mainly for conversation — to enhance customer care. Make your conversation more bi-directional. This enhances your retail marketing. It reaches your customers right on time, transact business with them and likewise put them in the customer retention funnel. Bi-directional conversation is connecting. Let it work across your platforms.
Your customers do not trust you: We are talking about their money here. Do you think they trust you? So, narrow your message. Creating a hype or buzz via social media, which is what many banks are doing, does not make them social organisations. Every customer wants to know how good a firm is. However, achieving this is not by throwing your adverts on their faces. Relate, connect and engage with them. Interestingly, the place to accomplish this is the social media.
Mobile and social are collaborating to transform the way consumers interact with the world. Today’s customers do not care about you, but you need them. They do not have time to look for you; let your social networks find them wherever they are. Let your customers transact business in a place they actually want to be. Will you find them on social media?
Things were not the way I left them. Things have changed. Buildings have been remodelled, new ones have been built and even the house I lived in has changed. As I ponder on this, I realised that changes have occurred in our lives and businesses. Yesterday’s customers are not where they used to be. They have moved but banks still think they are still where they left them yesterday. Today’s customers now spend more time on social media platform; thanks to mobile phones.
Recently, Facebook’s Director of Product Management for Platform Monetisation, Deborah Liu, said to banks at Money2020, “Your customers are here – engage them here.” More bank customers spend as much as 25 per cent of the time spent on mobile devices on Facebook and other social media platforms. Only a few Nigerian banks are doing pretty well on social media; others are only updating their platforms. This should serve as a wakeup call for banks to look hard at how their customers are using social media and see if their social media efforts are sufficient.
According to The Global Retail Banking Digital Marketing Report 2013, the average spending on social media for banks now is “miniscule,” and has “plateaued.” More can be done on the social media platform for banks apart from engagement and interaction. Some banks feel it is easy to go social but do they really scale? Social media can work for banks in two ways: as a channel and a disrupter.
Social media can serve as a channel, a communication conduit that has the potential to strengthen the relationship between banks and customers in ways dating back to the glorious days of relationship banking, when bankers knew their customers by sight. Social media helps your brands to be human. It helps large banks build human relationships at scale. Relationships are created and retained via social media not by Customer Relation Management software. Gathering data about customers is not being social. As more than 50 per cent of Africa’s populations are in their 20s, things are changing; expect more changes. Retail banking has changed to “Social Retail Banking”.
Going social can also disrupt the way banks interact with customers. There is information flowing on social media about your bank. Information flows both ways in the social media conversation and this can work to the bank’s benefit or harm. Social media brings tremendous complexity for banks. Social media is disrupting the way people functioned over the years. Customers are connected at an unprecedented scale. They now have more information about anything at their disposal. More specifically, customers may have more information than the marketing person speaking with them may have.
This may also pose a great challenge for brand management. Bank marketers operating over social media represent their organisations. People feel they are talking not to a person, but to the bank. When a customer has a problem with a bank attendant, say the customer service, for instance, if he dislikes or registers his discontentment with the person, he actually takes his disapproval up with the bank socially. Check the social media sphere to prove me wrong. In fact, check your social media platforms.
Since there might be complexity in managing social media for banks, here are my suggestions:
Implement a bi-directional conversation across all social media platforms: Banks using social media use it mainly for conversation — to enhance customer care. Make your conversation more bi-directional. This enhances your retail marketing. It reaches your customers right on time, transact business with them and likewise put them in the customer retention funnel. Bi-directional conversation is connecting. Let it work across your platforms.
Your customers do not trust you: We are talking about their money here. Do you think they trust you? So, narrow your message. Creating a hype or buzz via social media, which is what many banks are doing, does not make them social organisations. Every customer wants to know how good a firm is. However, achieving this is not by throwing your adverts on their faces. Relate, connect and engage with them. Interestingly, the place to accomplish this is the social media.
Mobile and social are collaborating to transform the way consumers interact with the world. Today’s customers do not care about you, but you need them. They do not have time to look for you; let your social networks find them wherever they are. Let your customers transact business in a place they actually want to be. Will you find them on social media?
Wednesday, 13 November 2013
EXPOSING THE PATHETIC LIES OF NANS PRESIDENT YINKA GBADEBO.
BY INIBEHE EFFIONG
"Conscience is like an open wound only truth can heal it"
=Utman Dan Fodio.
Fellow Nigerians, ever concious students and comrades in the struggle. I greet you all.
Yesterday, Mr Yinka Gbadebo a.k.a Ayelefe, the NANS President, posted a bilated quasi responds to my article on Sahara Reporters which has gone viral on net.
In an attempt to confuse gullible Nigerian students and the general public, he lied serially & distorted facts just to assert himeself as a responsible fellow.
Before proceeding, let me opine that what Yinka posted does not qualify as a reply to my article as he deliberately evaded the salient and incontrovertible facts stated in my article. Accordingly, I will limit my comments here to the laconic averments in his post.
LIE NO. 1,
The most offensive of his lies is his averment that he "secured" the release of 40 out of the 44 UNIUYO students arrested & detained on June 12 in collaboration with Ubon Marcus the NANS Vice President Special Duties & the UNIUYO SUG President. He also lied by saying that the remaining 4 students could not establish their studentship.
The truth is that Yinka did not contribute in anyway to the release of those students.
When those students were arrested, I was contacted initially by Mr. Yinka Sadam (the ex-NANS President & Ayefele's close ally) on the 6th of July, 2013, at about 12:30am. This was after he had read my first article on the matter on Sahara Reporters. He appluaded my efforts and promised that something will be done. Ayefele then contacted me directly. We exchanged calls and sms frevently.
The release of the 40 students out of the 44 can be attributed to two initiatives;
1)Parents of the students.
2) Civil Liberties Org(CLO)/ the SUG President of UNIUYO.
First, let me say that the 40 students so far released regained freedom through the order(s) of the State High Court. Non, I repeat non of the students was released based on political intervention. Yinka Gbadebo & Ubon Marcus were talking about political solution which they never succeeded
I contacted an Abuja based Human Rights Lawyer, Mr (Barr) Abdul Mahmud, the Chairman of the Public Interest Lawyers League (PILL) who is himself a former NANS President. He accepted to represent all the students in court pro bono (free of charge). His only condition was that I should get the NANS President to issue him with a Letter of Authority to represent the students to avoid the embarrassment of being seen as a busy body. I spoke with Yinka Gbadebo, Yinka Sadam & Ubon Marcus severally on this issue requesting them to just issue a Letter of Authority but NOTHING WAS DONE.
Majority of those students had personal lawyers hired by their families to secure their release. What the liar Gbadebo does not know is that I established contacts with atleast 80% of the families of those students.
The first student that was release is Ede Joshua, my colleague in the Law Faculty. He was represented by a lawyer from the Christian Lawyers Fellowship of Nigeria. NSRM followed him to court.
Again, students whose families had no lawyers were represented pro bono (free) by lawyers hired by CLO which I happen to be the Assistant State Secretary in Akwa Ibom. The SUG President merely provided some logistics.
I facilitated their release by assisting some of the CLO lawyers with information & contacts with families of those students some of which thought I was the SUG President but I corrected them.
NSRM visited them in Prison on more than one occassion.
They were not released at once but occassionally.
All of them spent atleast 1 month in custody.
LIE NO. 2
Ayefele lied by posting that he took action on the killing of 4 students in Nasarawa. Yet, the evidence he provided shows otherwise. The Link attached to his post shows that the protest to the Army Headquaters was led by Late Comr Donald, NANS Senate President.
LIE NO. 3.
He claimed that he went to Damaturu when Boko Haram killed students. Please check the Link he attached. His Media Consultant, Maxwell, only issued a Press Statement.
LIE NO. 4
Instead of responding to my averment that he misappropriated donation by FERMA Chairman for Donald's burial, he went boasting about completing a house in his honour. I challenge Yinka to deny that millions of naira was not donated and embezzled by him.
If he does that then I will come out with more facts since the big masquarade has chosen to dance naked.
Note that in my article, I admitted that Yinka's only action(s) are normally; compromised protests and empty press statements.
I never said he should be held responsible for these killlings,
I said he has not done anything effective to stop it or bring culprits to justice.
Refering me to a psychiatric hospital is childish.
Now, I leave the judgment to men of conscience to decide who is a liar between Inibehe Effiong National President of NSRM & Yinka Gbadebo
"Conscience is like an open wound only truth can heal it"
=Utman Dan Fodio.
Fellow Nigerians, ever concious students and comrades in the struggle. I greet you all.
Yesterday, Mr Yinka Gbadebo a.k.a Ayelefe, the NANS President, posted a bilated quasi responds to my article on Sahara Reporters which has gone viral on net.
In an attempt to confuse gullible Nigerian students and the general public, he lied serially & distorted facts just to assert himeself as a responsible fellow.
Before proceeding, let me opine that what Yinka posted does not qualify as a reply to my article as he deliberately evaded the salient and incontrovertible facts stated in my article. Accordingly, I will limit my comments here to the laconic averments in his post.
LIE NO. 1,
The most offensive of his lies is his averment that he "secured" the release of 40 out of the 44 UNIUYO students arrested & detained on June 12 in collaboration with Ubon Marcus the NANS Vice President Special Duties & the UNIUYO SUG President. He also lied by saying that the remaining 4 students could not establish their studentship.
The truth is that Yinka did not contribute in anyway to the release of those students.
When those students were arrested, I was contacted initially by Mr. Yinka Sadam (the ex-NANS President & Ayefele's close ally) on the 6th of July, 2013, at about 12:30am. This was after he had read my first article on the matter on Sahara Reporters. He appluaded my efforts and promised that something will be done. Ayefele then contacted me directly. We exchanged calls and sms frevently.
The release of the 40 students out of the 44 can be attributed to two initiatives;
1)Parents of the students.
2) Civil Liberties Org(CLO)/ the SUG President of UNIUYO.
First, let me say that the 40 students so far released regained freedom through the order(s) of the State High Court. Non, I repeat non of the students was released based on political intervention. Yinka Gbadebo & Ubon Marcus were talking about political solution which they never succeeded
I contacted an Abuja based Human Rights Lawyer, Mr (Barr) Abdul Mahmud, the Chairman of the Public Interest Lawyers League (PILL) who is himself a former NANS President. He accepted to represent all the students in court pro bono (free of charge). His only condition was that I should get the NANS President to issue him with a Letter of Authority to represent the students to avoid the embarrassment of being seen as a busy body. I spoke with Yinka Gbadebo, Yinka Sadam & Ubon Marcus severally on this issue requesting them to just issue a Letter of Authority but NOTHING WAS DONE.
Majority of those students had personal lawyers hired by their families to secure their release. What the liar Gbadebo does not know is that I established contacts with atleast 80% of the families of those students.
The first student that was release is Ede Joshua, my colleague in the Law Faculty. He was represented by a lawyer from the Christian Lawyers Fellowship of Nigeria. NSRM followed him to court.
Again, students whose families had no lawyers were represented pro bono (free) by lawyers hired by CLO which I happen to be the Assistant State Secretary in Akwa Ibom. The SUG President merely provided some logistics.
I facilitated their release by assisting some of the CLO lawyers with information & contacts with families of those students some of which thought I was the SUG President but I corrected them.
NSRM visited them in Prison on more than one occassion.
They were not released at once but occassionally.
All of them spent atleast 1 month in custody.
LIE NO. 2
Ayefele lied by posting that he took action on the killing of 4 students in Nasarawa. Yet, the evidence he provided shows otherwise. The Link attached to his post shows that the protest to the Army Headquaters was led by Late Comr Donald, NANS Senate President.
LIE NO. 3.
He claimed that he went to Damaturu when Boko Haram killed students. Please check the Link he attached. His Media Consultant, Maxwell, only issued a Press Statement.
LIE NO. 4
Instead of responding to my averment that he misappropriated donation by FERMA Chairman for Donald's burial, he went boasting about completing a house in his honour. I challenge Yinka to deny that millions of naira was not donated and embezzled by him.
If he does that then I will come out with more facts since the big masquarade has chosen to dance naked.
Note that in my article, I admitted that Yinka's only action(s) are normally; compromised protests and empty press statements.
I never said he should be held responsible for these killlings,
I said he has not done anything effective to stop it or bring culprits to justice.
Refering me to a psychiatric hospital is childish.
Now, I leave the judgment to men of conscience to decide who is a liar between Inibehe Effiong National President of NSRM & Yinka Gbadebo
Yinka Gbadebo-Led NANS, Blood Of Nigerian Students And The Ghost Of Stewardship
By Inibehe Effiong
Nigerian Students under the aegis of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) have had successive presidents leading them. NANS which was birthed in 1980 as a successor to the National Union of Nigerian Students (NUNS) which was proscribed by the despotic and anti-students military dispensation of Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo has been terribly and serially abused, exploited, factionalized, monetized and wickedly politicized. The emergence of Mr. Yinka Gbadebo a.k.a Ayefele as the 26th president of NANS at its last Convention held in Uyo on the 18th December, 2012, is a terrible mistake of history that will haunt the student movement in Nigeria for years to come.
Ayefele who was rusticated from the Ekiti State University (EKSU), for assaulting the University’s Vice Chancellor is currently a diploma student of Local Government Studies at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile/Ife, Osun State. Incidentally, he was born on 26th of April, 1980 – the same year that NANS came into existence. Thus, one would have expected him to take cognizance of the historicity of his emergence as NANS president.
Under the watchful eyes of Yinka Gbadebo as NANS president, the blood of innocent Nigerian students have been unabatedly wasted with atavistic impunity especially by the Nigeria Police Force, an institution acknowledged by it present head, IGP Abubakar, as a killer squad. Few examples will suffice.
On 25th February, 2013, four students of the Nasarawa State University were gruesomely murdered while protesting against water scarcity and power outage. About seventeen students were arrested.
Two days after, on February 28, 2013, Seyi Fasere, a 400 level student of the Ekiti State University was shot dead by the Police. He had gone to his home town Ilupeju to collect his tuition and on his way back, the bus conveying him ran into armed robbers at Oye Ekiti. The driver veered off the road while all occupants disembarked and fled into the bush. Several minutes after the armed robbers had left; Police came, combed the bush and found Seyi Fasere hiding like all others. However, the one hundred thousand naira he had collected from his parents for his school fees was found on him and this as far as the Police were concerned was enough evidence that he was an armed robber. He was taken to the Police Station and shot dead by a Police man notoriously known as “Akobi Esu” (Devil’s Firstborn).
Again, on 27 May, 2013, Ahmed Dayo, an ND I student in the Department of Accounting of Kwara State Polytechnic was shot inside a cab by Police men escorting a bullion van belonging to a first generation bank. Reportedly, the armed Police escort stopped the taxi and attempted to shoot at one of its tyres because it was getting too close to the bullion van. Unfortunately, instead of the bullet hitting the tyre, it hit Dayo in the vehicle and damaged one of his legs.
Likewise on the same 27 May, 2013, Ibrahim Momodu, a student of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) was shot dead by CSP Carol Afegbai, the Divisional Police Officer of Ogida Division.
On 12th June, 2013, students of University of Uyo (UNIUYO) embarked on a peaceful protest, the protest lasted for several hours without any representative of the University Management or the corrupt and docile Student’s Union Government coming out to address the protesting students, instead, anti-riot police men were invited to suppress the protest. In the most unprofessional manner the trigger happy police men fired teargas canisters and live bullets endlessly and carelessly leading to the death of Kingsley Udoette, a 200 level Zoology student of the University. He was hit apparently by a stray bullet of the warring Police men since no other person has been identified to have fired a shot during the duration of the crisis.
44 innocent and poor students were indiscriminately arrested mostly at the male hostel of the University at Udi Street in Uyo which is situated outside the premises of the University and on the streets while struggling to return home following the closure of the school. I did everything within my power to secure the freedom of those students form unlawful detention, including media campaign (two of my articles titled: 1) Unlawful Detention of UNIUYO Students and (2) Still on the Unlawful Detention of UNIUYO Students: A Month After, were published by Sahara Reporters and other media platforms). In the course of this particular struggle, which is yet to end, I was contacted severally by phone by Yinka Gbadebo, I impressed on him about the pathetic situation of those students and the need for him to act timely. He promised to take necessary actions to secure the release of those students. Yinka Gbadebo reneged; he totally turned a blind eye and deaf ear to this case. As at today, Friday 8th November, 2013, 4 out of the 44 UNIUYO students arrested since the 12th June when that crisis broke out are still being detained at the Uyo Prisons, almost five months after the crisis.
I will not say more on this very case here, except that Comrade Donald Onukaogu the late Senate president of NANS and four others died on their way to intervene in that crisis. Instead of giving his dead colleagues a “befitting burial” Yinka Gbadebo saw their death as another opportunity for pecuniary gains and self-aggrandizement. Engr. Jide Adeniji the Chairman of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), and Patron of NANS reportedly donated millions of naira to NANS for the burial of the late NANS leaders. The money was grossly misappropriated resulting in a scandal which Yinka has battled fruitlessly to suppress.
Many more students have been murdered in cool blood under the dispensation of Yinka Gbadebo, including those killed by the Boko Haram sect in the Kano College attack and other places. Yinka Gbadebo-led NANS has done practically nothing to arrest the lust for blood of Nigerian students by the Police or bring the culprits to justice except pockets of compromised protests and empty press statements. I doubt if NANS has a record of these killings.
Yinka Gbadebo has done incurable damage to the memory of the fallen martyrs and living heroes who led NUNS/NANS and the student’s movement in Nigeria responsibly and fearlessly. He should look into history, not all his predecessors exuded his current perfidious character, (Segun Okeowo, Kunle Adepeju, Akintunde Ojo, Chima Ubani, Chris Abashi, Omoyele Sowore, Emma Ezeazu, Chris mammah, Banji Adegboro, Ben Oguntuase, Olusegun Adeboro, Labaran Maku…) are great examples of student leaders who tested battle and stood for principles in the many theatres of war, (anti-SAP and removal of oil subsidy riots between 1989 and 1991, June 12 protests, anti-military campaigns, etc).
What will be the legacy of Yinka Gbadebo? Instead of taking a responsible and pro-student stance in the likely to be ended four months old ASUU strike, he has chosen the side of the oppressor. He has taken over the propaganda machinery of a government that does not appreciate the sanctity of agreements from Doyin Okupe, Reuben Abati, Labaran Maku and Reno Omokri. Today, we have a NANS president who speaks out of the abundance of the stomach, a NANS president without integrity, principles and accountability, a NANS president who is a willing tool in the hands of a corrupt political class. The order day, he travelled to Onitsha in Anambra State to endorse the candidature of Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah for the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Anambra State (a man linked to fuel subsidy fraud and whose company, Capital Oil and Gas, has been taken over by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria because of his indebtedness).
Yinka Gbadebo finds it pertinent to issue a strong worded press statement castigating the political killing(s) in Ekiti State which he blamed on Governor Kayode Fayemi but cannot secure the release of UNIUYO students in custody or bring to justice those who take delight in shedding of innocent blood of Nigerian students.
Nigerian students and Nigerians in general should stop taking Yinka Gbadebo and his gang seriously. He had since lost the legitimacy to remain in office. Whenever the history of student’s movement in Nigeria is told, the name Yinka Gbadebo will be remembered not for accountability, integrity or principles but for treachery, indiscipline and inanities.
Let me end by adverting the minds of Yinka Gbadebo and other student leaders who belong to his cast of mind, who trade with the blood of innocent, voiceless and helpless Nigerian students that there is a ghost of stewardship that will hunt them in the fullness of time.
Inibehe Effiong is a Final Year Law student of UNIUYO, Human Rights Activist and National President of Nigerian Student’s Rights Movement (NSRM).
e-mail: inibehe.effiong@yahoo.com
Nigerian Students under the aegis of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) have had successive presidents leading them. NANS which was birthed in 1980 as a successor to the National Union of Nigerian Students (NUNS) which was proscribed by the despotic and anti-students military dispensation of Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo has been terribly and serially abused, exploited, factionalized, monetized and wickedly politicized. The emergence of Mr. Yinka Gbadebo a.k.a Ayefele as the 26th president of NANS at its last Convention held in Uyo on the 18th December, 2012, is a terrible mistake of history that will haunt the student movement in Nigeria for years to come.
Ayefele who was rusticated from the Ekiti State University (EKSU), for assaulting the University’s Vice Chancellor is currently a diploma student of Local Government Studies at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile/Ife, Osun State. Incidentally, he was born on 26th of April, 1980 – the same year that NANS came into existence. Thus, one would have expected him to take cognizance of the historicity of his emergence as NANS president.
Under the watchful eyes of Yinka Gbadebo as NANS president, the blood of innocent Nigerian students have been unabatedly wasted with atavistic impunity especially by the Nigeria Police Force, an institution acknowledged by it present head, IGP Abubakar, as a killer squad. Few examples will suffice.
On 25th February, 2013, four students of the Nasarawa State University were gruesomely murdered while protesting against water scarcity and power outage. About seventeen students were arrested.
Two days after, on February 28, 2013, Seyi Fasere, a 400 level student of the Ekiti State University was shot dead by the Police. He had gone to his home town Ilupeju to collect his tuition and on his way back, the bus conveying him ran into armed robbers at Oye Ekiti. The driver veered off the road while all occupants disembarked and fled into the bush. Several minutes after the armed robbers had left; Police came, combed the bush and found Seyi Fasere hiding like all others. However, the one hundred thousand naira he had collected from his parents for his school fees was found on him and this as far as the Police were concerned was enough evidence that he was an armed robber. He was taken to the Police Station and shot dead by a Police man notoriously known as “Akobi Esu” (Devil’s Firstborn).
Again, on 27 May, 2013, Ahmed Dayo, an ND I student in the Department of Accounting of Kwara State Polytechnic was shot inside a cab by Police men escorting a bullion van belonging to a first generation bank. Reportedly, the armed Police escort stopped the taxi and attempted to shoot at one of its tyres because it was getting too close to the bullion van. Unfortunately, instead of the bullet hitting the tyre, it hit Dayo in the vehicle and damaged one of his legs.
Likewise on the same 27 May, 2013, Ibrahim Momodu, a student of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) was shot dead by CSP Carol Afegbai, the Divisional Police Officer of Ogida Division.
On 12th June, 2013, students of University of Uyo (UNIUYO) embarked on a peaceful protest, the protest lasted for several hours without any representative of the University Management or the corrupt and docile Student’s Union Government coming out to address the protesting students, instead, anti-riot police men were invited to suppress the protest. In the most unprofessional manner the trigger happy police men fired teargas canisters and live bullets endlessly and carelessly leading to the death of Kingsley Udoette, a 200 level Zoology student of the University. He was hit apparently by a stray bullet of the warring Police men since no other person has been identified to have fired a shot during the duration of the crisis.
44 innocent and poor students were indiscriminately arrested mostly at the male hostel of the University at Udi Street in Uyo which is situated outside the premises of the University and on the streets while struggling to return home following the closure of the school. I did everything within my power to secure the freedom of those students form unlawful detention, including media campaign (two of my articles titled: 1) Unlawful Detention of UNIUYO Students and (2) Still on the Unlawful Detention of UNIUYO Students: A Month After, were published by Sahara Reporters and other media platforms). In the course of this particular struggle, which is yet to end, I was contacted severally by phone by Yinka Gbadebo, I impressed on him about the pathetic situation of those students and the need for him to act timely. He promised to take necessary actions to secure the release of those students. Yinka Gbadebo reneged; he totally turned a blind eye and deaf ear to this case. As at today, Friday 8th November, 2013, 4 out of the 44 UNIUYO students arrested since the 12th June when that crisis broke out are still being detained at the Uyo Prisons, almost five months after the crisis.
I will not say more on this very case here, except that Comrade Donald Onukaogu the late Senate president of NANS and four others died on their way to intervene in that crisis. Instead of giving his dead colleagues a “befitting burial” Yinka Gbadebo saw their death as another opportunity for pecuniary gains and self-aggrandizement. Engr. Jide Adeniji the Chairman of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), and Patron of NANS reportedly donated millions of naira to NANS for the burial of the late NANS leaders. The money was grossly misappropriated resulting in a scandal which Yinka has battled fruitlessly to suppress.
Many more students have been murdered in cool blood under the dispensation of Yinka Gbadebo, including those killed by the Boko Haram sect in the Kano College attack and other places. Yinka Gbadebo-led NANS has done practically nothing to arrest the lust for blood of Nigerian students by the Police or bring the culprits to justice except pockets of compromised protests and empty press statements. I doubt if NANS has a record of these killings.
Yinka Gbadebo has done incurable damage to the memory of the fallen martyrs and living heroes who led NUNS/NANS and the student’s movement in Nigeria responsibly and fearlessly. He should look into history, not all his predecessors exuded his current perfidious character, (Segun Okeowo, Kunle Adepeju, Akintunde Ojo, Chima Ubani, Chris Abashi, Omoyele Sowore, Emma Ezeazu, Chris mammah, Banji Adegboro, Ben Oguntuase, Olusegun Adeboro, Labaran Maku…) are great examples of student leaders who tested battle and stood for principles in the many theatres of war, (anti-SAP and removal of oil subsidy riots between 1989 and 1991, June 12 protests, anti-military campaigns, etc).
What will be the legacy of Yinka Gbadebo? Instead of taking a responsible and pro-student stance in the likely to be ended four months old ASUU strike, he has chosen the side of the oppressor. He has taken over the propaganda machinery of a government that does not appreciate the sanctity of agreements from Doyin Okupe, Reuben Abati, Labaran Maku and Reno Omokri. Today, we have a NANS president who speaks out of the abundance of the stomach, a NANS president without integrity, principles and accountability, a NANS president who is a willing tool in the hands of a corrupt political class. The order day, he travelled to Onitsha in Anambra State to endorse the candidature of Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah for the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Anambra State (a man linked to fuel subsidy fraud and whose company, Capital Oil and Gas, has been taken over by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria because of his indebtedness).
Yinka Gbadebo finds it pertinent to issue a strong worded press statement castigating the political killing(s) in Ekiti State which he blamed on Governor Kayode Fayemi but cannot secure the release of UNIUYO students in custody or bring to justice those who take delight in shedding of innocent blood of Nigerian students.
Nigerian students and Nigerians in general should stop taking Yinka Gbadebo and his gang seriously. He had since lost the legitimacy to remain in office. Whenever the history of student’s movement in Nigeria is told, the name Yinka Gbadebo will be remembered not for accountability, integrity or principles but for treachery, indiscipline and inanities.
Let me end by adverting the minds of Yinka Gbadebo and other student leaders who belong to his cast of mind, who trade with the blood of innocent, voiceless and helpless Nigerian students that there is a ghost of stewardship that will hunt them in the fullness of time.
Inibehe Effiong is a Final Year Law student of UNIUYO, Human Rights Activist and National President of Nigerian Student’s Rights Movement (NSRM).
e-mail: inibehe.effiong@yahoo.com
Iyayi: NBA calls for investigation into car crash
» IHUOMA CHIEDOZIE, ABUJA
The Nigerian Bar Association on Wednesday called for investigations into the car crash that resulted in the death of a former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Prof. Festus Iyayi.
Iyayi died in a car crash that involved the convoy of Kogi State Governor, Idris Wada, on Tuesday.
NBA President, Okey Wali, SAN, who reacted to Iyayi’s death in a statement, said the association received the news with shock and sadness.
“We sincerely hope that the circumstances of the ghastly motor accident will be investigated towards ensuring better safety on our roads,” Wali said.
Expressing shock and sadness at the development, the NBA President also described Iyayi as a great patriot.
Wali said, “It is with shock and sadness that we received the news of the death of the former President of ASUU, Professor Festus Iyayi.
“He was a great patriot, who no doubt contributed tremendously as ASUU President to nation building and educational development in our country Nigeria.
“Our deepest condolences go to his family and the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
“May the gentle soul of late Professor Festus Iyayi rest in perfect peace. Amen.”
- PUNCH News
The Nigerian Bar Association on Wednesday called for investigations into the car crash that resulted in the death of a former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Prof. Festus Iyayi.
Iyayi died in a car crash that involved the convoy of Kogi State Governor, Idris Wada, on Tuesday.
NBA President, Okey Wali, SAN, who reacted to Iyayi’s death in a statement, said the association received the news with shock and sadness.
“We sincerely hope that the circumstances of the ghastly motor accident will be investigated towards ensuring better safety on our roads,” Wali said.
Expressing shock and sadness at the development, the NBA President also described Iyayi as a great patriot.
Wali said, “It is with shock and sadness that we received the news of the death of the former President of ASUU, Professor Festus Iyayi.
“He was a great patriot, who no doubt contributed tremendously as ASUU President to nation building and educational development in our country Nigeria.
“Our deepest condolences go to his family and the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
“May the gentle soul of late Professor Festus Iyayi rest in perfect peace. Amen.”
- PUNCH News
Arik Air staff nabbed with cocaine
Two staff of Nigeria’s largest airline – Arik Air have been arrested at the
Heathrow Airport in London for suspected drug trafficking, Nigeria’s anti-drug agency boss, Ahmadu Giade confirmed on Tuesday.
The Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency disclosed they had opened investigations after the Arik Airline workers were allegedly caught with cocaine.
NDLEA spokesperson, Mitchell Ofoyeju said the allegations constituted a national embarrassment.
“We are aware of the arrest and we have opened an investigation”, Ofoyeju said.
Sources told PMNews early today [May 21] that the two Arik Air staff were arrested for cocaine.
They left the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, on Tuesday morning and arrived Heathrow about six hours later, the source said.
Banji Ola, Arik Air spokesperson said he did not have details. Ola did not know when the plane left Lagos and did not even know the names of the cabin crew involved.
“We are aware of the arrest and we have opened an investigation,” Ofoyeju said.
Banji Ola, Arik Air spokesperson said he was not aware of the incident or flight details.
In December 2011, a 29-year-old Arik Air cabin crew, Ms. Chinwendu
Uwakaonyenma Ogbonnaya was arrested in London for drug trafficking.
She was jailed for five years last year. After serving her jail term in London, Ogbonnaya is expected to be deported back to Nigeria.
TB Joshua and Pastor Oyakhilome are labelled cultists
Ghanaian Bishop Isaac Owusu Bempah, Founder and Leader of the Glorious Word Power Ministries International, has labeled two of Nigeria's celebrated pastors as partners in winning souls for the devil.
In the words of the controversial Owusu Bempah, the founding President of Believers' LoveWorld Incorporated, also known as "Christ Embassy", Dr Christian Oyakhilome (popularly known as "Pastor Chris") and General Overseer of The Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Prophet Temitope Balogun (aka TB) Joshua, are not "true men of God", but leaders of occults, winning souls for the devil.
This claim, according to Owusu-Bempah, is based on God's revelation to him in a vision as well as his own analysis of the scripture, works and conduct of the two
popular heads of two religious organisations in Africa.
Owusu-Bempah said he once heard Pastor Chris saying he saw nothing wrong with homosexuality and lesbianism, and wondered which true man of God would lead his flock with such beliefs.
"No doubt he [Pastor Chris] is a friend and partner of TB Joshua", Owusu-Bempa noted last week, claiming both men are dubious men of God who have a pact
with the devil.
For Owusu Bempah, Nigerians have allegedly realized the dubious character of the Nigerian televangelist faith healer and founding president of Christ Embassy and his partnership with TB Joshua and have consequently chased him out of the country to South Africa, where he presently resides.
On TB Joshua, Owusu-Bempa claimed he once saw him with his feet on the floor preaching, an incident he said revealed to him that TB Joshua was not from God.
"When you see anyone claiming to worship God who worships with his feet on the ground, he's an occultist. And TB Joshua is an occultist.
"Ask yourself how TB Joshua, who claims God called him, worships with his feet on the ground? Let me tell you if you go to any church and you see the
leader worshiping with his feet on the ground, it's a sign of demonism; it's occultic. People like that follow spirits that are not of God. It is occultic."
According to him, God later revealed that TB Joshua was an occultist who did not draw his spiritual powers from God.
"Some time ago, I used to like TB Joshua. I was watching him on television, and the Lord opened my eyes. I saw him with horns on his head, and he had the face of a wolf. His tongue was that of a snake and he had blood smeared
all over his mouth."
"Immediately, I rushed into my bedroom, and the Lord told me that he wasn't from Him, but was working under the authority of bad spirits," the pastor added. "That was when I realized TB Joshua was demonic and not of God."
The man who has himself been labeled a false prophet by some of his critics, advised Ghanaians not to be misled by signs of wonders and so-called men of God whose powers do not come from God.
He also accused TB Joshua in particular of sometimes faking miracles to win the confidence of his flock. "He can perform a clean miracle today and contaminate it with a lot of fake ones".
Joshua claimed his "own junior pastor went to his church to be healed. He was forced to sit in a wheel chair and made to claim before the cameras that he had received his healing even though he hadn't. He returned to the country and within two weeks, he passed away", Owusu-Bempah stated.
He again cautioned Ghanaians not to be in a hurry to attend the services of Prophet TB Joshua since he is the"anti-christ."
"If you are a pastor who worked under him and he gets to know you want to reveal his secrets, he kills you directly," Owusu-Bempah alleged.
"If no one is willing to say this, I will say it: TB Joshua is the anti-christ and an agent of the devil... I know of a pastor who attended his church, and when he should tell you about what he saw, your mouth would drop," he stated.
Genevieve relocates her parents
Star actress, Genevieve Nnaji is putting a broad smile on the faces of her aged parents and siblings. She has just moved them from Egbeda, a Lagos suburb to highbrow and upscale Lekki, Lagos. Her dad and mum in their late 60s and 70s respectively, according to sources close to the family were full of excitement about the move.
Genevieve, according to the source had in recent time found it challenging to check on her parents due to distance, besides, she felt her dad who could hardly
walk due to old age on his own would be closer to her and receive adequate medical care. On few occasions that she has visited, fans, especially boisterous school children had swarmed her. Since the relocation, her mum, who has been a very active member and President of the Catholic Women's Association Wing of the St. Louis Cathedral, Egbeda, has not been regular in the church though a family source said she has completed her tenure as the President and a fresh election brought in a new President. The mother now attends a church close to their Lekki home. The family now lives together as one and that really makes Genevieve happy.”
Until the movement the family has stayed the better part of their lives in Egbeda.
Genevieve actually started her career from 11, Olugbede Street, Egbeda, where she lived with her parents in one of the apartments in a four block of flats. As soon as she started having a rising profile, earned fatter cheques, and endorsements, she moved them to another place also in Egbeda six years ago. When her fame grew bigger, she relocated them to another spacious and expansive apartment, situated in a block of nine flats in 7/9 Aderibigbe Sokunbi Street, Egbeda.
When we visited the last apartment, the Nnaji's former neighbours described the Nnajis as peaceful, loving and elderly neighbors. “We will miss Genevieve's parents for their love to all, they are very peaceful, their children too. Though
the husband is always indoors due to old age, his wife cares a lot for him. We will miss the star presence that Genevieve brings to the neighbourhood each time she visits.
Yvonne okoro speaks on nudity in movies
Yvonne Okoro warmed herself into the hearts of movie lovers in 2002 her first movie got her six nominations for AMAA 2013, but got angry backlash from public
for the dress she wore to the event which gave a good view of her sexy cleavage, her fashion signature has been using dresses or clothes that cover her sexy and vital parts,
but not again, she had hinted that she won't hesitate to show boobs on 'Fashion 101' TV show and that she decided to vary her style – the reason for wearing the dress
to last year.
Yvonne is very single right now. She wants the men to wait for a while; she thinks she wants to continue living with them. She is single and thinks she haven't had the time
too. She is always on guard because she wants to know the kind of people who come to her.
She has this to say for the love of Ghanaian actresses love their bodies, she explains, 'Our culture does not allow topics like sex and nudity but in a way sometimes I think we are also being hypocritical. A Hollywood movie will come,
we will watch it and be happy and compliment them. I think if you are going to do nudity, you should not do it in a tacky way. It should be done with what will conform to our culture. I think it is about choice, if you think you want to remove yourself and think it will help your character and you don't have a problem with it, it is fine.
Terry G mobbed at location in Ogba, Lagos
The fact that the headman of TGP
Entertainment and hip-hop musician, Terry G is still the delight of most music lovers,
and especially amongst his fans came calling recently when he got mobbed by residents of Ogba in Lagos State.
This dreadlocked musician who came to Ogba for his career documentary video shoot tagged, Fans Assembly, which interestingly he would be headlining on its season 1 version.
As residents began to throng the location from their various houses to catch a glimpse of the Akpako Master, it could be recalled that the crowd nearly disrupted the shoot, not until his manager, Ozone rescued the day by securing Nigezie television's studio.
However, Fans Assembly as the name implies would be having the Run Mad crooner as the headliner of its season 1, also as it is aimed at getting him close to his fans who would be asking him raw questions concerning his career.
Interestingly, media personality, Ugochukwu Favour-Mayor would also be anchoring the show while camera rolls on them. To spice it up, some undisclosed Nollywood acts are expected to roll with the dual, no matter it would be on the attached rib-cracking comedy skits that will keep viewers spellbind to it with
laughter.
Women and anal bleaching
Adult film stars have set a lot of trends for women. They inspire new positions in the bedroom and new games to play with their partners. They also inspire some strange fashion trends. Brazilian waxing is on the rise due to adult movie stars having no hair down there. Women seem to think that this is what men truly want so they spend a ton of money and go through a lot of pain for it. Now there is a new potentially painful and unsafe trend that is picking up. That trend is an@l bleaching.
An@l bleaching is when a bleaching acid is placed on the @nus to lighten the skin. This is after you have already gone through a painful wax job as well. Most spas will charge $100-$150 per session. After that they will sell you a kit that has bleaching lotion or gels that you can use at home. When you are doing the treatment at the spa it takes around 20 minutes. It could take quite a few applications before you see any results depending on how dark your skin is. Some of the kits that you can bring home even include a bleaching cream that you put on your vulv@ to lighten that as well.
Doctors say that this process comes with risks and should not be performed by anyone other than a doctor if you feel that it must be done. There are many different things that can happen because of the bleaching, include strictures and tears in the @nus which makes bowel movements excruciating. Even if you have it done by a doctor, there is still a risk of a burn or scarring because of the harshness of the bleach. Keep in mind if you feel that you want this done, it is not permanent. You will have to keep doing it over and over and could have potentially serious side effects.
Festus Iyayi: Death at the peak of struggle
AKEEM LASISI writes that radical scholar and writer, Prof. Festus Iyayi, who died in a road accident on Tuesday, was a committed promoter of a just social system
Death hit the Nigerian academia and the literati hard on Tuesday as non-conformist scholar and writer, Prof. Festus Iyayi, passed away in a road accident.
The death of the one-time president of the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities and winner of the Commonwealth Writers Prize occurred about seven months after the country lost another legendary writer, Prof. Chinua Achebe.
While it had also lost some other writers – including Larinde Akinleye and Femi Fatoba – and many other people in road crashes, the violent circumstance of Iyayi’s death may also remind followers of African literature of that of Ghanaian writer Kofi Awonoor-Williams, who was killed in Kenya by terrorists in September this year.
But what many would find instructive is the fact that Iyayi died in the course of prosecuting the battle in which ASUU has engaged the Federal Government, fighting for the revitalisation of the university system, in the past four months. He was on his way to Kano, alongside other members, where they wanted to attend a congress that would take a decision on the possibility of calling off the ASUU strike.
People who believe in the prophetic power of writers may thus find cause to, in retrospection, attach more importance to one of the popular statements from Iyayi’s novel, Heroes — “… those who carry the cross for society always get crucified in the end …”
Yet, the fact that the bus that Iyayi and co. were said to have been hit by a car in the convoy of Kogi State Governor, Idris Wada, has compounded the anger and frustration of many Nigerians who are lucky enough to be living – and not dead – witnesses to the recklessness that convoys of many political office holders display.
Reacting to the news of Iyayi’s death, the President of the Association of Nigerian Authors, Prof. Remi Raji, says the development is a sad commentary on not just the contradictions in the country’s educational system but also manifestations of political recklessness.
Raji says, “That Prof. Iyayi’s death is linked to the recklessness of the convoy of a governor once again shows the irresponsibility of many political office holders. We have talked about it many times. It is about what I call siren senselessness. You have to clear the way because somebody is going to buy yam for a governor’s wife.”
Meanwhile, while Raji notes that Iyayi’s portrayal of bourgeoisie characters gripped his imagination as a university student, other stakeholders have paid tributes to the deceased. Poet and critic, Odia Ofeimun, says Iyayi was a man “who should not be dead.”
According to Ofeimun, he was a good person who never betrayed the people he stood by.
He adds, “Festus Iyayi saw life as a struggle. He believed that those who struggle must stand by their own. This is part of what defined his relationship with ASUU. Whether he lost his job or jailed for the cause of ASUU, he stood by the union all through. The last time I saw him, it was on the television. That was when the lecturers were demonstrating in Benin. He was with them in his academic gown.”
Ofeimun says Iyayi also remained a committed writer till death. He notes that although social struggle ate deep into his time, he kept writing, to the point that he had works he had not published.
“When it mattered to talk about commitment in literature, Iyayi wrote sensible literature, something sensible to anyone who believes he should not be afraid of his belief,” he explains.
Similarly, a Senior Lecturer at the Department of English, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Dr. Chijioke Uwasoba, describes Iyayi as a great man in the field of literature, while US-based scholar and writer, Prof. Okey Ndibe, says Iyayi was one of the most “intrepid social voices” the country has ever produced.
Born in Edo State in 1947, Iyayi’s family is said to have lived on little means but instilled in him strong moral lessons about life. According to a profile, he started his education at Annuciation Catholic College in the old Bendel State popularly known as
Death hit the Nigerian academia and the literati hard on Tuesday as non-conformist scholar and writer, Prof. Festus Iyayi, passed away in a road accident.
The death of the one-time president of the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities and winner of the Commonwealth Writers Prize occurred about seven months after the country lost another legendary writer, Prof. Chinua Achebe.
While it had also lost some other writers – including Larinde Akinleye and Femi Fatoba – and many other people in road crashes, the violent circumstance of Iyayi’s death may also remind followers of African literature of that of Ghanaian writer Kofi Awonoor-Williams, who was killed in Kenya by terrorists in September this year.
But what many would find instructive is the fact that Iyayi died in the course of prosecuting the battle in which ASUU has engaged the Federal Government, fighting for the revitalisation of the university system, in the past four months. He was on his way to Kano, alongside other members, where they wanted to attend a congress that would take a decision on the possibility of calling off the ASUU strike.
People who believe in the prophetic power of writers may thus find cause to, in retrospection, attach more importance to one of the popular statements from Iyayi’s novel, Heroes — “… those who carry the cross for society always get crucified in the end …”
Yet, the fact that the bus that Iyayi and co. were said to have been hit by a car in the convoy of Kogi State Governor, Idris Wada, has compounded the anger and frustration of many Nigerians who are lucky enough to be living – and not dead – witnesses to the recklessness that convoys of many political office holders display.
Reacting to the news of Iyayi’s death, the President of the Association of Nigerian Authors, Prof. Remi Raji, says the development is a sad commentary on not just the contradictions in the country’s educational system but also manifestations of political recklessness.
Raji says, “That Prof. Iyayi’s death is linked to the recklessness of the convoy of a governor once again shows the irresponsibility of many political office holders. We have talked about it many times. It is about what I call siren senselessness. You have to clear the way because somebody is going to buy yam for a governor’s wife.”
Meanwhile, while Raji notes that Iyayi’s portrayal of bourgeoisie characters gripped his imagination as a university student, other stakeholders have paid tributes to the deceased. Poet and critic, Odia Ofeimun, says Iyayi was a man “who should not be dead.”
According to Ofeimun, he was a good person who never betrayed the people he stood by.
He adds, “Festus Iyayi saw life as a struggle. He believed that those who struggle must stand by their own. This is part of what defined his relationship with ASUU. Whether he lost his job or jailed for the cause of ASUU, he stood by the union all through. The last time I saw him, it was on the television. That was when the lecturers were demonstrating in Benin. He was with them in his academic gown.”
Ofeimun says Iyayi also remained a committed writer till death. He notes that although social struggle ate deep into his time, he kept writing, to the point that he had works he had not published.
“When it mattered to talk about commitment in literature, Iyayi wrote sensible literature, something sensible to anyone who believes he should not be afraid of his belief,” he explains.
Similarly, a Senior Lecturer at the Department of English, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Dr. Chijioke Uwasoba, describes Iyayi as a great man in the field of literature, while US-based scholar and writer, Prof. Okey Ndibe, says Iyayi was one of the most “intrepid social voices” the country has ever produced.
Born in Edo State in 1947, Iyayi’s family is said to have lived on little means but instilled in him strong moral lessons about life. According to a profile, he started his education at Annuciation Catholic College in the old Bendel State popularly known as
Tuesday, 12 November 2013
Kanye” loses Popularity Because of Kim k
Kanye West’s popularity on the downslide after getting horizontal with Kim K – industry analysis. In less than two years, the 19-time Grammy-award winner’s likability has nosedived by a whopping 66 percent, according to the influential Q scores, a closely watched measure of recognition and popularity that marketers use to evaluate celebrities’ appeal.
Before West began dating the 33-year-old Kardashian star in April 2012, his score was high — a 17 among women aged 18-49.What’s more, the 36-year-old father-of-one was rated even more lofty — a score of 19 — among men 18-34 dating as far back as February 2011.
But shockingly, West’s popularity has plummeted to a mere 3 among women 18-49, the latest results from September reveal. He’s hemorrhaged popularity among his core fan base of men too, but not as significantly as women: West’s most recent Q Score among the 18-34 male demographic was a lowly 13
5 Bizarre Phobias
1. DEIPNOPHOBIA: The Fear of Dinner Conversation.
Dinner conversations can be awkward at times but some people can’t stand the thought of having to conversation during dinner.
2. MAGEIROCOPHOBIA: Fear of Cooking
Having the fear to cook can cost you money and eating out far too much.
3. EISOPTROPHOBIA: Fear of Mirrors
The fear people have of mirrors is grounded under the assumptions that the mirror is connected to the supernatural world. They believe in superstitions that broken mirrors cause bad luck.
4. DEMONOPHOBIA: Fear of Demons People who have fear of demons can’t stand being in dark places and believe that demons are out to get them. They also fear scary movies or even conversations about them.
5. PENTHERAPHOBIA: Fear of Mother-in-Law
I am sure that most married people have, at one time or another, suffered from this terrible fear. This fear is one that is so common in Western society that it frequently appears in movies and other forms of entertainment.
Dinner conversations can be awkward at times but some people can’t stand the thought of having to conversation during dinner.
2. MAGEIROCOPHOBIA: Fear of Cooking
Having the fear to cook can cost you money and eating out far too much.
3. EISOPTROPHOBIA: Fear of Mirrors
The fear people have of mirrors is grounded under the assumptions that the mirror is connected to the supernatural world. They believe in superstitions that broken mirrors cause bad luck.
4. DEMONOPHOBIA: Fear of Demons People who have fear of demons can’t stand being in dark places and believe that demons are out to get them. They also fear scary movies or even conversations about them.
5. PENTHERAPHOBIA: Fear of Mother-in-Law
I am sure that most married people have, at one time or another, suffered from this terrible fear. This fear is one that is so common in Western society that it frequently appears in movies and other forms of entertainment.
7 Things Your Friends Don’t Need To Know About Your Relationship
I’m a firm believer that you should share your life with your friends and that it’s important to be able to vent to them about the things in your everyday life. That being said, there are SOME things you should NOT tell your friends about your relationships. This is my list of the things not to tell your friends about your relationships.
1. FIGHTS
It’s okay to tell your friends about your relationship, it’s even okay to tell them when you get into a fight. But never go into the specifics unless you’re asking for an HONEST opinion. Friends that ask you to tell them if they’re being crazy about a fight that they’re having but don’t actually want to hear your opinion, are awkward people. So lets all keep our domestics to ourselves.
2. Séx
Don’t tell your friends the specifics of your séx life. Don’t tell them about any kinks your partner has because from that point on, your friend will never be able to look them in the eye again.
3. MONEY PROBLEMS
It’s okay to talk to your friends about money problems of your own but it’s not okay to bring your significant other’s finances into that conversation. A lot of people are very sensitive about what they perceive as weakness and that’s never a line you want to cross.
4. CHEATING (IF YOU’RE WORKING IT OUT)
If someone cheats on you and you dump them, feel free to tell all of your friends (and a few strangers) how much of a scumbag they are. But, if you’re working it out, NEVER tell your friends that your significant other has cheated. You may forgive them because you love them but your friends love you, and they won’t.
5. PROBLEMS IN THE BEDROOM
Once again, once you talk about this with your friends, they will never look at your partner the same way again. Your friends don’t need to know if you need to talk your significant other in for little blue pills. That’s something you should keep between you and your partner.
6. YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER’S PROBLEMS
Your friends are YOUR friends, and your partners problems really aren’t yours to share. Let your partner talk about their problems with whoever they choose. It’s not fair for your friends to know everything about your significant other’s life.
7. YOU SIGNIFICANT OTHER’S PAST RELATIONSHIPS
Once again, your friends are YOUR friends. They don’t need to know that four years ago the person you’re with had his heart broken by an even woman named Tina. If that’s something they want to share with your friends, let them. But that isn’t exactly your place. I know that we all want to believe that we live in a world like Séx and The City where we can all sit down with our girlfriends and discuss everything about everything in our lives. But, the truth is martinis and cosmos and endless conversations might be great on TV, but in real life they can get a little awkward when you see your Carrie’s Big on the street.
1. FIGHTS
It’s okay to tell your friends about your relationship, it’s even okay to tell them when you get into a fight. But never go into the specifics unless you’re asking for an HONEST opinion. Friends that ask you to tell them if they’re being crazy about a fight that they’re having but don’t actually want to hear your opinion, are awkward people. So lets all keep our domestics to ourselves.
2. Séx
Don’t tell your friends the specifics of your séx life. Don’t tell them about any kinks your partner has because from that point on, your friend will never be able to look them in the eye again.
3. MONEY PROBLEMS
It’s okay to talk to your friends about money problems of your own but it’s not okay to bring your significant other’s finances into that conversation. A lot of people are very sensitive about what they perceive as weakness and that’s never a line you want to cross.
4. CHEATING (IF YOU’RE WORKING IT OUT)
If someone cheats on you and you dump them, feel free to tell all of your friends (and a few strangers) how much of a scumbag they are. But, if you’re working it out, NEVER tell your friends that your significant other has cheated. You may forgive them because you love them but your friends love you, and they won’t.
5. PROBLEMS IN THE BEDROOM
Once again, once you talk about this with your friends, they will never look at your partner the same way again. Your friends don’t need to know if you need to talk your significant other in for little blue pills. That’s something you should keep between you and your partner.
6. YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER’S PROBLEMS
Your friends are YOUR friends, and your partners problems really aren’t yours to share. Let your partner talk about their problems with whoever they choose. It’s not fair for your friends to know everything about your significant other’s life.
7. YOU SIGNIFICANT OTHER’S PAST RELATIONSHIPS
Once again, your friends are YOUR friends. They don’t need to know that four years ago the person you’re with had his heart broken by an even woman named Tina. If that’s something they want to share with your friends, let them. But that isn’t exactly your place. I know that we all want to believe that we live in a world like Séx and The City where we can all sit down with our girlfriends and discuss everything about everything in our lives. But, the truth is martinis and cosmos and endless conversations might be great on TV, but in real life they can get a little awkward when you see your Carrie’s Big on the street.
Nigerians query Abati over "Internet-age Presidency"
Presidential Assistant on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, has been severely criticised for describing the Goodluck Jonathan Administration as the “first Internet-age Presidency” Nigeria ever had.
In an interview posted on his personal website, Abati stated that the proliferation of online platforms and the various social networking sites had made his job as the President’s spokesman tasking.
He said that though social media forms may be seen as symbols of the freedom of expression, many “sadists, psychopaths, mischief-makers, Luciferian characters and their cheerleaders,” were “exploiting” them to cause public disaffection.
He accused some Nigerians of using the freedom online platforms offer to utter “nonsense”, adding that such people hide their identity, tell lies and say things they would not ordinarily say in the open.
He said, “There is no doubt that the Jonathan Presidency is effectively the first Internet-age presidency that Nigerians have had. The Internet didn’t start in his time, you know. Under former President Olusegun Obasanjo the Internet was there and the social media in Nigeria was just emerging as a tool of socio-political engagement.
“Under late President Yar’adua too, it was beginning to find its roots. But under President Jonathan, the social media has become an explosive, unavoidable phenomenon such that as spokesman to the President, I have to deal with an entirely different kind of communications and public relations template. I doubt if any spokesman in this office before has had to deal with the same scope of Internet penetration.”
Abati said that though he makes use of the social media for publicity purposes and as an observatory for monitoring tenor of public discourse, the associated online networks were an “imperfect medium.”
“Today, everybody is a journalist. All you need is a phone, an i-Pad and access to the Internet. You can set up your own blog; you can rely on a BlackBerry smartphone, and you don’t need a licence. But the question is: who guards the guardians? I think that is a relevant question. Otherwise, the social media could do more harm than good in many circumstances,” Abati added.
But Nigerians, who read the interview online, wondered if the “Internet-age Presidency” referred to by Abati should be a hindrance to development and the fight against corruption.
The respondents said they were surprised that the presidential aide would preoccupy himself with such a description of the presidency when there were many issues begging for attention in the Nigerian polity.
Some of them asked Abati if his description of the Jonathan Presidency should be counted as an achievement.
One Ali Flab on Twitter asked, “When did you people start using Facebook, Twitter and YouTube in Nigeria? Why not say that he (Jonathan) is the Chief Executive Officer of social media.”
On Facebook, one Akinola Dhikrullah said he agreed with Abati’s position. But he added that it had had no positive effect on the welfare of the people.
“We can say yes, but how has that put food on the table of the masses? Does he operate any social media account by himself? If no, that means the essence of creating one is defeated,” Dhikrullah said.
Another respondent, Seun Fakuade wrote on Twitter, “I’m glad how that (Internet-age Presidency) has transformed Nigeria. Hallelujah. Keep wallowing in your delusions your lordship King Reuben.”
Also on the same social network, one Awobode Emmanuel wrote, “Is it the Internet that will bring about development in Nigeria? The President should focus on governance.”
Commenting on Abati’s website after reading the interview, one Okey urged the Jonathan administration to take the fight against corruption seriously.
“This is a powerful interview. I only have a point to make: which is that a lot more needs to be done about corruption. I’m not talking about beheading anyone, just simple justice. The law needs to be seen to be effective, if things are going to change. For the depth of depravity Nigeria has reached, quietly strengthening our institutions is not enough. In government today people are stealing left and right,” he wrote.
In an interview posted on his personal website, Abati stated that the proliferation of online platforms and the various social networking sites had made his job as the President’s spokesman tasking.
He said that though social media forms may be seen as symbols of the freedom of expression, many “sadists, psychopaths, mischief-makers, Luciferian characters and their cheerleaders,” were “exploiting” them to cause public disaffection.
He accused some Nigerians of using the freedom online platforms offer to utter “nonsense”, adding that such people hide their identity, tell lies and say things they would not ordinarily say in the open.
He said, “There is no doubt that the Jonathan Presidency is effectively the first Internet-age presidency that Nigerians have had. The Internet didn’t start in his time, you know. Under former President Olusegun Obasanjo the Internet was there and the social media in Nigeria was just emerging as a tool of socio-political engagement.
“Under late President Yar’adua too, it was beginning to find its roots. But under President Jonathan, the social media has become an explosive, unavoidable phenomenon such that as spokesman to the President, I have to deal with an entirely different kind of communications and public relations template. I doubt if any spokesman in this office before has had to deal with the same scope of Internet penetration.”
Abati said that though he makes use of the social media for publicity purposes and as an observatory for monitoring tenor of public discourse, the associated online networks were an “imperfect medium.”
“Today, everybody is a journalist. All you need is a phone, an i-Pad and access to the Internet. You can set up your own blog; you can rely on a BlackBerry smartphone, and you don’t need a licence. But the question is: who guards the guardians? I think that is a relevant question. Otherwise, the social media could do more harm than good in many circumstances,” Abati added.
But Nigerians, who read the interview online, wondered if the “Internet-age Presidency” referred to by Abati should be a hindrance to development and the fight against corruption.
The respondents said they were surprised that the presidential aide would preoccupy himself with such a description of the presidency when there were many issues begging for attention in the Nigerian polity.
Some of them asked Abati if his description of the Jonathan Presidency should be counted as an achievement.
One Ali Flab on Twitter asked, “When did you people start using Facebook, Twitter and YouTube in Nigeria? Why not say that he (Jonathan) is the Chief Executive Officer of social media.”
On Facebook, one Akinola Dhikrullah said he agreed with Abati’s position. But he added that it had had no positive effect on the welfare of the people.
“We can say yes, but how has that put food on the table of the masses? Does he operate any social media account by himself? If no, that means the essence of creating one is defeated,” Dhikrullah said.
Another respondent, Seun Fakuade wrote on Twitter, “I’m glad how that (Internet-age Presidency) has transformed Nigeria. Hallelujah. Keep wallowing in your delusions your lordship King Reuben.”
Also on the same social network, one Awobode Emmanuel wrote, “Is it the Internet that will bring about development in Nigeria? The President should focus on governance.”
Commenting on Abati’s website after reading the interview, one Okey urged the Jonathan administration to take the fight against corruption seriously.
“This is a powerful interview. I only have a point to make: which is that a lot more needs to be done about corruption. I’m not talking about beheading anyone, just simple justice. The law needs to be seen to be effective, if things are going to change. For the depth of depravity Nigeria has reached, quietly strengthening our institutions is not enough. In government today people are stealing left and right,” he wrote.
I’ll never return to Chime again – Clara Chime
Mrs. CLARA Chime on Monday left the Government House in Enugu claiming she had been under pressure to remain as wife of the Enugu State Governor, Sullivan Chime.
She said she would have walked away from the marriage during the period Chime was sick and was away for five months, but remained on “very compassionate grounds.”
Mrs. Chime said her thinking was that the sickness would change the governor’s ways towards her but that he got worse months after his return from cancer treatment abroad.
According to her, on many occasions she attempted to leave but her family members, for pecuniary reasons, insisted she stayed put.
She said even when it was apparent that Chime no longer wanted the marriage, her family would not let her go.
She disclosed this through the mobile phone of one of her male siblings, about four hours after she eventually packed out from the Governors’ Lodge on Monday.
The sibling declined revealing his identity to The PUNCH, but stated that he was one of the few family members who supported Mrs. Chime’s agitation to quit the marriage.
He said if he revealed his identity, it could cause a stir between him and other family members with whom members of the Chime family were still holding meetings on the matter.
He claimed that Chime had long lost interest in the marriage but held forth because he (Chime) didn’t want his image stained.
“So there was no need joining other family members into forcing her to remain in a marriage that he (the governor) was no longer interested in,” said the source.
He said, “Governor Sullivan Chime just wanted to keep her within the lodge for fear that she could open up on certain things she knew about him if she was allowed to leave unceremoniously.”
When the source eventually brought Mrs. Chime on the phone to speak with our correspondent, she said, “I regained my freedom to move around on Saturday and I eventually forced my way out of that place (Government House) today (Monday).”
She said, “I am not the one who is sick, but I became sick because of the way I was treated. There are some things people would do to you that make you sick or even die.”
“After treating myself, I will never go back there again. I will not even wish my enemy to marry in that kind of place again.”
When contacted, the state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Chuks Ugwuoke, said he just returned from Lagos and was not aware.
“I have been away in Lagos and cannot speak on anything I don’t know of, especially when it is a family matter. I will call you as soon as I am briefed,” Ugwuoke said.
Meanwhile, a Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Fred Agbaje, has called on the National Human Rights Commission to probe further into the issue between Chime and his wife.
Agbaje said in a statement on Monday that as personalities who lived on public fund,
the citizenry deserved to know the truth about the situation and Clara’s true state of health.
He said both the governor and his wife might not have told the whole truth about the issue.
He said, “There must be an end to sinking lies. The Chimes of this world need another fatter lies to cover their present lies. The truth is that one Mrs Clara Chime is ill. To cover her public odium, she was cleverly and unconstitutionally detained by Chime.
“As for the NHRC, they need to do more research into the Chimes’ affairs and expose every unconstitutionalities, not the present contradictory conflicting charade comming out of the commission.”
- Punch News
She said she would have walked away from the marriage during the period Chime was sick and was away for five months, but remained on “very compassionate grounds.”
Mrs. Chime said her thinking was that the sickness would change the governor’s ways towards her but that he got worse months after his return from cancer treatment abroad.
According to her, on many occasions she attempted to leave but her family members, for pecuniary reasons, insisted she stayed put.
She said even when it was apparent that Chime no longer wanted the marriage, her family would not let her go.
She disclosed this through the mobile phone of one of her male siblings, about four hours after she eventually packed out from the Governors’ Lodge on Monday.
The sibling declined revealing his identity to The PUNCH, but stated that he was one of the few family members who supported Mrs. Chime’s agitation to quit the marriage.
He said if he revealed his identity, it could cause a stir between him and other family members with whom members of the Chime family were still holding meetings on the matter.
He claimed that Chime had long lost interest in the marriage but held forth because he (Chime) didn’t want his image stained.
“So there was no need joining other family members into forcing her to remain in a marriage that he (the governor) was no longer interested in,” said the source.
He said, “Governor Sullivan Chime just wanted to keep her within the lodge for fear that she could open up on certain things she knew about him if she was allowed to leave unceremoniously.”
When the source eventually brought Mrs. Chime on the phone to speak with our correspondent, she said, “I regained my freedom to move around on Saturday and I eventually forced my way out of that place (Government House) today (Monday).”
She said, “I am not the one who is sick, but I became sick because of the way I was treated. There are some things people would do to you that make you sick or even die.”
“After treating myself, I will never go back there again. I will not even wish my enemy to marry in that kind of place again.”
When contacted, the state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Chuks Ugwuoke, said he just returned from Lagos and was not aware.
“I have been away in Lagos and cannot speak on anything I don’t know of, especially when it is a family matter. I will call you as soon as I am briefed,” Ugwuoke said.
Meanwhile, a Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Fred Agbaje, has called on the National Human Rights Commission to probe further into the issue between Chime and his wife.
Agbaje said in a statement on Monday that as personalities who lived on public fund,
the citizenry deserved to know the truth about the situation and Clara’s true state of health.
He said both the governor and his wife might not have told the whole truth about the issue.
He said, “There must be an end to sinking lies. The Chimes of this world need another fatter lies to cover their present lies. The truth is that one Mrs Clara Chime is ill. To cover her public odium, she was cleverly and unconstitutionally detained by Chime.
“As for the NHRC, they need to do more research into the Chimes’ affairs and expose every unconstitutionalities, not the present contradictory conflicting charade comming out of the commission.”
- Punch News
OUTCOME OF TODAY'S MEETING BETWEEN THE PRO-CHANCELLOR AND STUDENT UNION LEADERS OF UNIUYO.
At today's meeting between the Pro-Chancellor of University of Uyo and Student Union Leaders, the report of the Governing Council Investigative Panel into the crisis that erupted on June 12 in the school which led to serious destruction, arson, arrests, death and closure of the school was made public.
The following decisions emerged;
1) The Vice Chancellor was found not culpable and exonerated.
2)The Deputy Vice Chancellors were found culpable and directed to be warned in writing.
3) The Dean of Students' and Chief Security Officer were found culpable and their appointments are to be terminated.
4) The cost of properties damaged was assessed at N122 million.
5)Students of the Faculty of Engineering are to pay a surcharge of #10,000.
6) Other students are to pay a surcharge of #7,500.
7)About 16 students tagged "Ring Leaders" have been recommended for expulsion.
Courtesy: Inibehe Effiong
The following decisions emerged;
1) The Vice Chancellor was found not culpable and exonerated.
2)The Deputy Vice Chancellors were found culpable and directed to be warned in writing.
3) The Dean of Students' and Chief Security Officer were found culpable and their appointments are to be terminated.
4) The cost of properties damaged was assessed at N122 million.
5)Students of the Faculty of Engineering are to pay a surcharge of #10,000.
6) Other students are to pay a surcharge of #7,500.
7)About 16 students tagged "Ring Leaders" have been recommended for expulsion.
Courtesy: Inibehe Effiong
Mikel, Moses up for BBC award
Victor Moses and John Mikel Obi are among five players shortlisted for 2013 BBC African Footballer of the Year Award.
As Yaya Toure has another chance to win his inaugural BBC African Footballer of the Year award after making the shortlist for the fifth straight year.
Also joining the Manchester City and Ivory Coast star among the five nominees for the 2013 edition announced Monday were Nigerians Victor Moses and John Obi Mikel, Burkina Faso’s Jonathan Pitroipa and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Gabon.
Aubameyang, Pitroipa, Mikel, Moses and Yaya
The winner, who will be announced on December 2, will be chosen by a fans’ text and website vote after the shortlist was drawn up by 44 journalists from across Africa.
None of this year’s five contenders have yet won the award, while Pitroipa and Aubameyang are the first nominees from their respective countries.
The 24-year-old Aubameyang ended the 2012/13 season with 19 goals for Saint Etienne, which put him second in the list of top scorers in the French Ligue 1, while he also helped them win the French Cup to claim his first trophy as a professional.
His form then saw him earn a pre-season transfer ahead of the current European campaign to Champions League runners-up Borussia Dortmund, and he has already scored seven goals in 11 games for the German side.
Pitroipa has already won one major award, with the 27-year-old winger named player of the tournament at the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa after helping surprise package Burkina Faso reach the final.
Meanwhile Mikel and Moses both starred for Nations Cup winners Nigeria as the Super Eagles lifted the trophy for the first time in 19 years.
The 26-year-old Mikel also won the Europa League with Chelsea, for whom Moses, 22, scored six goals in 2013 before joining English Premier League rivals Liverpool on a season-long loan, where he also scored on his debut for the Merseysiders in September.
However, his tally has been topped in 2013 by midfielder Toure who has 13 goals so far for the calendar year including several superb free-kicks, although his form was not enough to ensure City retained a Premier League title won last season by local rivals Manchester United.
As Yaya Toure has another chance to win his inaugural BBC African Footballer of the Year award after making the shortlist for the fifth straight year.
Also joining the Manchester City and Ivory Coast star among the five nominees for the 2013 edition announced Monday were Nigerians Victor Moses and John Obi Mikel, Burkina Faso’s Jonathan Pitroipa and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Gabon.
Aubameyang, Pitroipa, Mikel, Moses and Yaya
The winner, who will be announced on December 2, will be chosen by a fans’ text and website vote after the shortlist was drawn up by 44 journalists from across Africa.
None of this year’s five contenders have yet won the award, while Pitroipa and Aubameyang are the first nominees from their respective countries.
The 24-year-old Aubameyang ended the 2012/13 season with 19 goals for Saint Etienne, which put him second in the list of top scorers in the French Ligue 1, while he also helped them win the French Cup to claim his first trophy as a professional.
His form then saw him earn a pre-season transfer ahead of the current European campaign to Champions League runners-up Borussia Dortmund, and he has already scored seven goals in 11 games for the German side.
Pitroipa has already won one major award, with the 27-year-old winger named player of the tournament at the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa after helping surprise package Burkina Faso reach the final.
Meanwhile Mikel and Moses both starred for Nations Cup winners Nigeria as the Super Eagles lifted the trophy for the first time in 19 years.
The 26-year-old Mikel also won the Europa League with Chelsea, for whom Moses, 22, scored six goals in 2013 before joining English Premier League rivals Liverpool on a season-long loan, where he also scored on his debut for the Merseysiders in September.
However, his tally has been topped in 2013 by midfielder Toure who has 13 goals so far for the calendar year including several superb free-kicks, although his form was not enough to ensure City retained a Premier League title won last season by local rivals Manchester United.
ASUU STRIKE UPDATE: UI, ABU, others support suspension of strike
More units of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, including the University of Ibadan and Ahmadu Bello University chapters, have voted for the suspension of the strike by the union during chapter congresses held nationwide.
The union met with a Federal Government team led by President Goodluck Jonathan last Tuesday in Abuja.
Government has promised to inject N220bn yearly into the public universities for the next five years.
The ASUU leadership, after briefing the zonal coordinators on the offer, had directed the local branches to organise congress meetings between Friday last week and Tuesday (today).
This is to enable all the lecturers to make input into the action the union would take after its NEC meeting on Thursday.
As at press time on Monday, 20 of the 28 chapters that had concluded their meetings supported the suspension of the strike, while the remaining eight preferred that the varsity teachers pressed on with the strike.
The teachers in the University of Abuja, for instance, supported the suspension of the strike but listed conditions that must be met by the Federal Government.
A source at the meeting on Monday said the congress demanded that the withheld three months salaries of the lecturers must be paid.
“Members also demanded for commitment on funding. We also want assurance from government that no lecturer will be victimised on the account of participating in the strike. We also asked that the template for sharing the earned allowance should be prepared within the next two weeks,” the source added.
The conditions were the same for Nasarawa State University, which voted for continuation of the strike.
Chairman of ASUU in the school, Dr. Theophilus Lagi, told our correspondent after the congress that as far as his members were concerned the strike should continue.
He said, “There are certain grey areas that must be cleared. The ‘no work no pay’ policy must be sorted out. Government must pay lecturers the arrears.
“We also need evidence that the N200bn that government promised to release this year is in the central bank. We are not going to suspend the strike until the money is there and available for sourcing. That is the position of the congress.
“Nobody trusts government. They have been making promises since 2009 and nothing has been implemented except the N30bn earned allowances.
“Secondly, the 2009 agreement is due for review; nothing has been said about that. Lecturers have been denied salary for three months, those monies must be paid.”
Among the universities that supported that the strike be called off are Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; Federal University of Technology, Minna; University of Lagos; University of Ibadan; University of Calabar; University of Port-Harcourt; Federal University of Technology, Akure; Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto; and Ekiti State University.
The list also include the Federal University of Technology, Owerri; Delta State University; Bayero University Kano; Imo State University; Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta; and Olabisi Onabanjo University, among others.
On the other hand, majority of lecturers at the University of Benin; and University of Jos wanted the strike to continue.
However, in the Bauchi zone of the union, five universities voted for continuation of the state strike, while the remaining three threw their weight against the continuation of the strike.
The union met with a Federal Government team led by President Goodluck Jonathan last Tuesday in Abuja.
Government has promised to inject N220bn yearly into the public universities for the next five years.
The ASUU leadership, after briefing the zonal coordinators on the offer, had directed the local branches to organise congress meetings between Friday last week and Tuesday (today).
This is to enable all the lecturers to make input into the action the union would take after its NEC meeting on Thursday.
As at press time on Monday, 20 of the 28 chapters that had concluded their meetings supported the suspension of the strike, while the remaining eight preferred that the varsity teachers pressed on with the strike.
The teachers in the University of Abuja, for instance, supported the suspension of the strike but listed conditions that must be met by the Federal Government.
A source at the meeting on Monday said the congress demanded that the withheld three months salaries of the lecturers must be paid.
“Members also demanded for commitment on funding. We also want assurance from government that no lecturer will be victimised on the account of participating in the strike. We also asked that the template for sharing the earned allowance should be prepared within the next two weeks,” the source added.
The conditions were the same for Nasarawa State University, which voted for continuation of the strike.
Chairman of ASUU in the school, Dr. Theophilus Lagi, told our correspondent after the congress that as far as his members were concerned the strike should continue.
He said, “There are certain grey areas that must be cleared. The ‘no work no pay’ policy must be sorted out. Government must pay lecturers the arrears.
“We also need evidence that the N200bn that government promised to release this year is in the central bank. We are not going to suspend the strike until the money is there and available for sourcing. That is the position of the congress.
“Nobody trusts government. They have been making promises since 2009 and nothing has been implemented except the N30bn earned allowances.
“Secondly, the 2009 agreement is due for review; nothing has been said about that. Lecturers have been denied salary for three months, those monies must be paid.”
Among the universities that supported that the strike be called off are Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; Federal University of Technology, Minna; University of Lagos; University of Ibadan; University of Calabar; University of Port-Harcourt; Federal University of Technology, Akure; Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto; and Ekiti State University.
The list also include the Federal University of Technology, Owerri; Delta State University; Bayero University Kano; Imo State University; Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta; and Olabisi Onabanjo University, among others.
On the other hand, majority of lecturers at the University of Benin; and University of Jos wanted the strike to continue.
However, in the Bauchi zone of the union, five universities voted for continuation of the state strike, while the remaining three threw their weight against the continuation of the strike.
The Blessing of Oil: A peculiar mess
By Les Leba
Our parlous economic predicament is generally regarded as a “resource curse”, a phenomenon, which the free encyclopedia defines as a paradox of plenty, in which countries with abundant revenue from mineral resources show less economic growth with a beleaguered manufacturing sector when compared with other countries with less resource endowments.
The causes of such paradox are said to include exposure to global commodity market swings; weak and corrupt institutions, which condone fraudulent diversion from revenue streams from such mineral exploitations; government’s mismanagement of resources, and expected appreciation of a nation’s real exchange.
Let us briefly examine the identified causes of resource curse from the Nigerian perspective!
In reality, global commodity market swings cannot be responsible for the parlous state of our economy, as crude oil price climbed from less than $4/barrel to stabilise at over $100/barrel in the last three or so decades, while improved extraction technologies also more than doubled daily production output to about 2.5bn barrels; furthermore, price and output swings are often few and short-lived.
Conversely, we cannot dismiss the incidence of weak and corrupt institutions as a contributory cause of our inability to translate our huge resource endowment into a blessing for our people.
Incidentally, lately, in a report titled “Swiss Traders’ Opaque Deals in Nigeria”, a Swiss non-governmental advocacy organization, called ‘Berne Declaration’ accused the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) of conniving with major Swiss oil trading companies to drain Nigeria of billions of dollars revenue through the sale of crude oil below market value!
Consequently, ‘Berne’ report alleges that NNPC plays a significant role in maintaining the so-called resource curse. Prominent amongst NNPC’s reported shady deals are its partnership with Vito and Trafigura corporations, (two Geneva based commodity trading firms, which are registered in Bermuda, where they do not pay any tax). These two companies, incidentally, paid over $6.7bn for about 27 per cent of Nigeria’s crude oil exports in 2011.
The ‘Berne’ report further decries the unfortunate reality that Nigeria is the only major oil producing country that sells 100% of its crude to private traders rather than marketing it itself, and benefitting from the resulting added value! The report wonders why NNPC continues to allocate over 400,000 barrels of crude daily to its ‘comatose’ refineries, “as if they were operating at full capacity, while the excess allocations are sold at knockdown prices or exchanged for refined petroleum in shady swap contracts”!
The Berne report identifies the ‘MRS’ Group and its subsidiary, Petrowest Services SA amongst other culprits, which include Ontario Oil and Gas, allegedly owned by Ugo-Ngadi Adahoha. Others are the RahaManiyya Group, the Tridax Energy and Mezcor Limited, which were traced to allegedly close associates and the younger brother of the Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison Madueke!
Furthermore, ‘Berne’ report also identified government mismanagement of resources as being contributory to our predicament of resource curse. This observation is underscored, for example, by our nation’s lopsided fiscal strategy, which, in spite of our severe infrastructural deficit, steadily commits over 70% of federal and state budgets to recurrent expenditure!
The Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala,’s promise to redress the expenditure imbalance with just 1-2% incremental rise in annual capital budgets does not demonstrate a convincing resolve!!
Worse still, a fiscal strategy, which accommodates over N2tn fuel subsidy (i.e. equivalent of about 40% of 2013 federal budget) annually is undoubtedly a misguided approach to successful planning!
Besides, Nigerians have wondered why better-endowed oil producing countries can earn respectable levels of income from a levy of a reasonable sales tax on fuel, while the Nigerian government conversely pays out a horrendously large component of its crude revenue as subsidy!
It is inconsequential that a significant proportion of the 35m litres daily fuel supply is smuggled to neighbouring countries, nor does it seem to matter that ‘briefcase’ fuel importers are paid billions of naira in fuel subsidies, even when they have not brought in a drop of P.M.S!
Worse still, government’s attempt to support the poor with over 50% subsidy on kerosene prices has been largely undermined, as NNPC’s porous regulatory structures and systems appear to deliberately create huge opportunities for excessive profiteering, in its partnership with fraudulent fuel importers!
Real exchange rate appreciation as increasing crude resource revenue flow into the economy, has also been identified as a responsible factor for resource curse. But herein lies the obvious contradiction in our own nation’s experience, as bountiful forex revenue earnings and vastly extended imports’ demand cover in the last three decades, somehow failed to stop the naira exchange rate plummeting from 1:1 to over N170=$1.
Consequently, in the Nigerian context, there is a contradiction in the notion of the ‘Dutch Disease’ as increasing oil revenue has led to a much weaker naira, rather than the realistic expectation of a stronger exchange rate, which may have created a challenge to the manufacturing sector’s competitiveness.
The main reason for above contradiction in exchange rate valuation can be easily traced to the process by which CBN infuses export crude dollar revenue into the economy; the CBN’s substitution of naira allocations for dollar revenue constantly ensures that the ensuing excess naira liquidity ultimately weakens our naira, when pitched against CBN’s rationed weekly dollar auctions!
Consequently, we have the paradox of increased dollar revenue instigating excess naira liquidity and ultimately a lower naira/dollar exchange rate!!
The above fraudulent rape of our resources notwithstanding, salt is further rubbed into our injury as poverty deepens in communities, which host oil exploration and exploitation, as both local and international oil majors defile the agricultural landscape and jeopardise the traditional mainstay of of subsistence fishing!
In a recent report, Amnesty International also claims to have fresh evidence that Shell falsifies and manipulates oil spill investigations, and documents in Nigeria, and also mischievously blames sabotage for oil spills, which are sometimes caused by corrosion in its own aging pipelines.
Regrettably, there is yet no indication that the corporate rape of our resources with the partnership of NNPC is about to end!!
Our parlous economic predicament is generally regarded as a “resource curse”, a phenomenon, which the free encyclopedia defines as a paradox of plenty, in which countries with abundant revenue from mineral resources show less economic growth with a beleaguered manufacturing sector when compared with other countries with less resource endowments.
The causes of such paradox are said to include exposure to global commodity market swings; weak and corrupt institutions, which condone fraudulent diversion from revenue streams from such mineral exploitations; government’s mismanagement of resources, and expected appreciation of a nation’s real exchange.
Let us briefly examine the identified causes of resource curse from the Nigerian perspective!
In reality, global commodity market swings cannot be responsible for the parlous state of our economy, as crude oil price climbed from less than $4/barrel to stabilise at over $100/barrel in the last three or so decades, while improved extraction technologies also more than doubled daily production output to about 2.5bn barrels; furthermore, price and output swings are often few and short-lived.
Conversely, we cannot dismiss the incidence of weak and corrupt institutions as a contributory cause of our inability to translate our huge resource endowment into a blessing for our people.
Incidentally, lately, in a report titled “Swiss Traders’ Opaque Deals in Nigeria”, a Swiss non-governmental advocacy organization, called ‘Berne Declaration’ accused the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) of conniving with major Swiss oil trading companies to drain Nigeria of billions of dollars revenue through the sale of crude oil below market value!
Consequently, ‘Berne’ report alleges that NNPC plays a significant role in maintaining the so-called resource curse. Prominent amongst NNPC’s reported shady deals are its partnership with Vito and Trafigura corporations, (two Geneva based commodity trading firms, which are registered in Bermuda, where they do not pay any tax). These two companies, incidentally, paid over $6.7bn for about 27 per cent of Nigeria’s crude oil exports in 2011.
The ‘Berne’ report further decries the unfortunate reality that Nigeria is the only major oil producing country that sells 100% of its crude to private traders rather than marketing it itself, and benefitting from the resulting added value! The report wonders why NNPC continues to allocate over 400,000 barrels of crude daily to its ‘comatose’ refineries, “as if they were operating at full capacity, while the excess allocations are sold at knockdown prices or exchanged for refined petroleum in shady swap contracts”!
The Berne report identifies the ‘MRS’ Group and its subsidiary, Petrowest Services SA amongst other culprits, which include Ontario Oil and Gas, allegedly owned by Ugo-Ngadi Adahoha. Others are the RahaManiyya Group, the Tridax Energy and Mezcor Limited, which were traced to allegedly close associates and the younger brother of the Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison Madueke!
Furthermore, ‘Berne’ report also identified government mismanagement of resources as being contributory to our predicament of resource curse. This observation is underscored, for example, by our nation’s lopsided fiscal strategy, which, in spite of our severe infrastructural deficit, steadily commits over 70% of federal and state budgets to recurrent expenditure!
The Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala,’s promise to redress the expenditure imbalance with just 1-2% incremental rise in annual capital budgets does not demonstrate a convincing resolve!!
Worse still, a fiscal strategy, which accommodates over N2tn fuel subsidy (i.e. equivalent of about 40% of 2013 federal budget) annually is undoubtedly a misguided approach to successful planning!
Besides, Nigerians have wondered why better-endowed oil producing countries can earn respectable levels of income from a levy of a reasonable sales tax on fuel, while the Nigerian government conversely pays out a horrendously large component of its crude revenue as subsidy!
It is inconsequential that a significant proportion of the 35m litres daily fuel supply is smuggled to neighbouring countries, nor does it seem to matter that ‘briefcase’ fuel importers are paid billions of naira in fuel subsidies, even when they have not brought in a drop of P.M.S!
Worse still, government’s attempt to support the poor with over 50% subsidy on kerosene prices has been largely undermined, as NNPC’s porous regulatory structures and systems appear to deliberately create huge opportunities for excessive profiteering, in its partnership with fraudulent fuel importers!
Real exchange rate appreciation as increasing crude resource revenue flow into the economy, has also been identified as a responsible factor for resource curse. But herein lies the obvious contradiction in our own nation’s experience, as bountiful forex revenue earnings and vastly extended imports’ demand cover in the last three decades, somehow failed to stop the naira exchange rate plummeting from 1:1 to over N170=$1.
Consequently, in the Nigerian context, there is a contradiction in the notion of the ‘Dutch Disease’ as increasing oil revenue has led to a much weaker naira, rather than the realistic expectation of a stronger exchange rate, which may have created a challenge to the manufacturing sector’s competitiveness.
The main reason for above contradiction in exchange rate valuation can be easily traced to the process by which CBN infuses export crude dollar revenue into the economy; the CBN’s substitution of naira allocations for dollar revenue constantly ensures that the ensuing excess naira liquidity ultimately weakens our naira, when pitched against CBN’s rationed weekly dollar auctions!
Consequently, we have the paradox of increased dollar revenue instigating excess naira liquidity and ultimately a lower naira/dollar exchange rate!!
The above fraudulent rape of our resources notwithstanding, salt is further rubbed into our injury as poverty deepens in communities, which host oil exploration and exploitation, as both local and international oil majors defile the agricultural landscape and jeopardise the traditional mainstay of of subsistence fishing!
In a recent report, Amnesty International also claims to have fresh evidence that Shell falsifies and manipulates oil spill investigations, and documents in Nigeria, and also mischievously blames sabotage for oil spills, which are sometimes caused by corrosion in its own aging pipelines.
Regrettably, there is yet no indication that the corporate rape of our resources with the partnership of NNPC is about to end!!
How To Win An Argument
1. What are Your Goals?
Although there are those who argue for arguments sake, most of us only become embroiled in conflict when something upsets us. Ultimately, the objective of any argument is to win – but you can only win if you have defined what you are hoping to achieve. For example, perhaps you simply want to change somebody’s view point or defend yourself against an accusation?
2. Hold Your Tongue
You are coiled like a spring, angry and ready to pounce. The last thing you feel like doing right now is letting the other person have their say! But actually, listening is a key strategy in winning the
day! First of all, it allows you to formulate a decent counter to each of your opponent’s points and secondly, it will take a little of the sting out of the fight.
3. Repeat – Repeat
A misunderstanding can quickly escalate a battle into a full and bloody war! Repeat your opponent’s arguments, taking care to keep your tone free from anger – this will ensure you have understood their points and demonstrate that you are listening.
4. Stormy Seas
There are times when emotions flood like a spring tide in a storm. Waves of anger swell, blown by frustration and clouded by hurt. It may be hard, but to control an argument, you must learn to control yourself. Steer your ship to tranquil waters, a clear head will help you better make your point!
5. Lowering the Tone
Sometimes a need to make a point can combine with frustration and anger, only to manifest as a garbled message delivered in an angry tone. The fact is that while it is natural to want to shout, a calm voice and a sensitive tone will help you better make your point and also disarm your opponent.
6. Focus Your Aim
If you throw a single stone at a specific target, your focus means you are likely to knock it over. Conversely throwing a hand full of pebbles in the general direction of that same target actually reduces your chance of success. Arguments are the same, stay on topic, focus on a single point at a time!
7. Don’t be Personal
When we argue we are more prone to say things we don’t mean, things we might later regret in the calm light of day. Keep your argument focused and avoid being personal. Making comments that are off topic won’t help your argument but may damage your relationship.
8. Keep an Open Mind
When discussing the points of your disagreement you may feel that some of your opponent’s arguments carry some weight. Don’t be afraid to concede a battle in order to win the war. Remember that the wise will listen, weigh each point and be big enough to admit when you are wrong!
9. Mountains and Moles
Try not to argue in front of others, a molehill can quickly become a mountain if fuelled by numerous opinions. Don’t let the waters become muddied by straying off subject, keep to the points you are arguing and stay focused!
10. Enjoy the moment
When a sprinter crosses the line, they slow quickly to a standstill, the victory theirs, they are happy to revel in the winning. Don’t be so caught up with the ebb and flow of an argument that you actually miss the point where you have won!
11. Respect Retreat
There is nothing worse than swallowing your pride, admitting you were wrong only to then be ridiculed. Allow your opponent to retreat with dignity and remember that it takes a lot for somebody to withdraw – that deserves your respect! A smile and a lighter mood is a much smarter way to move things on!
SOURCE: www.dailysmash.co.uk
Although there are those who argue for arguments sake, most of us only become embroiled in conflict when something upsets us. Ultimately, the objective of any argument is to win – but you can only win if you have defined what you are hoping to achieve. For example, perhaps you simply want to change somebody’s view point or defend yourself against an accusation?
2. Hold Your Tongue
You are coiled like a spring, angry and ready to pounce. The last thing you feel like doing right now is letting the other person have their say! But actually, listening is a key strategy in winning the
day! First of all, it allows you to formulate a decent counter to each of your opponent’s points and secondly, it will take a little of the sting out of the fight.
3. Repeat – Repeat
A misunderstanding can quickly escalate a battle into a full and bloody war! Repeat your opponent’s arguments, taking care to keep your tone free from anger – this will ensure you have understood their points and demonstrate that you are listening.
4. Stormy Seas
There are times when emotions flood like a spring tide in a storm. Waves of anger swell, blown by frustration and clouded by hurt. It may be hard, but to control an argument, you must learn to control yourself. Steer your ship to tranquil waters, a clear head will help you better make your point!
5. Lowering the Tone
Sometimes a need to make a point can combine with frustration and anger, only to manifest as a garbled message delivered in an angry tone. The fact is that while it is natural to want to shout, a calm voice and a sensitive tone will help you better make your point and also disarm your opponent.
6. Focus Your Aim
If you throw a single stone at a specific target, your focus means you are likely to knock it over. Conversely throwing a hand full of pebbles in the general direction of that same target actually reduces your chance of success. Arguments are the same, stay on topic, focus on a single point at a time!
7. Don’t be Personal
When we argue we are more prone to say things we don’t mean, things we might later regret in the calm light of day. Keep your argument focused and avoid being personal. Making comments that are off topic won’t help your argument but may damage your relationship.
8. Keep an Open Mind
When discussing the points of your disagreement you may feel that some of your opponent’s arguments carry some weight. Don’t be afraid to concede a battle in order to win the war. Remember that the wise will listen, weigh each point and be big enough to admit when you are wrong!
9. Mountains and Moles
Try not to argue in front of others, a molehill can quickly become a mountain if fuelled by numerous opinions. Don’t let the waters become muddied by straying off subject, keep to the points you are arguing and stay focused!
10. Enjoy the moment
When a sprinter crosses the line, they slow quickly to a standstill, the victory theirs, they are happy to revel in the winning. Don’t be so caught up with the ebb and flow of an argument that you actually miss the point where you have won!
11. Respect Retreat
There is nothing worse than swallowing your pride, admitting you were wrong only to then be ridiculed. Allow your opponent to retreat with dignity and remember that it takes a lot for somebody to withdraw – that deserves your respect! A smile and a lighter mood is a much smarter way to move things on!
SOURCE: www.dailysmash.co.uk
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