Ban condemns bombing in N’Djamena

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has condemned the bombings on Monday in N’Djamena, Chad, which reportedly killed 25 people and injured dozens of others.
In a statement issued by the UN Spokesman, Stephane DuJarric in New York, Ban extends his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to the Government and people of Chad.
“He wishes a speedy recovery to those injured in the attack.
“The Secretary-General commends Chad for its courageous role in the fight against Boko Haram.”
Ban stressed the importance of enhanced collaboration among countries in West and Central Africa in order to more effectively combat the threat of Boko Haram.
In this regard, he welcomes positive developments in the actual operations of the Multi-National Joint Task Force.
The Secretary-General reiterates that States must ensure that all measures taken to address the Boko Haram threat complied with all their obligations under international humanitarian, human rights and refugee law.

Five Irish students die, 9 others injured in US balcony collapse

Five Irish students died and nine others were injured when a balcony collapsed at a party in Berkeley near San Francisco in the US, the Irish government said on Tuesday.
The Irish Foreign Affairs Minister, Charlie Flanagan, said in a statement in Washington that “I understand from both the police and indeed the hospital that five Irish citizens have lost their lives.
“There are a number of other students in the apartment, at what I understand to have been a 21st birthday party.
“The injured students are being treated at a nearby hospital,” Flanagan said.
Flanagan said he understood that eight or nine people were injured in the collapse and all of them were Irish students.
“It is an appalling tragedy, an appalling loss of life for young people whose hopes and dreams of the future have suddenly and without notice been shattered,” he said.
News reports said that hospitals at Berkeley and nearby Oakland and Walnut Creek were treating the injured, while several fire crews responded to the collapse.
The foreign ministry said the Irish consul in San Francisco was in close contact with U.S. authorities.
All of the students were reportedly travelling in the US under non-immigrant visas issued to participants in exchange programmes.

Egyptian court confirms Morsi’s death sentence

Mohamed Morsi, former president of Egypt

The Cairo Criminal Court on Tuesday confirmed the death sentence for deposed president Mohammed Morsi for orchestrating a prison escape during the 2011 uprising that toppled long-time ruler Hosni Mubarak.
Prosecutors charged that Morsi and other leaders in the Muslim Brotherhood conspired with foreign Islamist organisations to storm prisons during the 2011 uprising.
Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohammed Badie, former parliament speaker, Saad al-Katatni and three other co-defendants also received the death penalty in the case.
In a related case, three Muslim Brotherhood leaders were sentenced to hang for conspiring with foreign powers.
Morsi and 16 others received life sentences in that case.
Morsi appeared calm but impassive as a local television showed him from time to time inside a soundproof defendant’s cage while presiding judge Shaaban al-Shami read out the lengthy judgment.
He the judgment he praised the 2013 demonstrations that preceded Morsi’s ouster by the military.
The Brotherhood has dismissed the case as a political farce. Amnesty International described the trial as “grossly unfair.”
The charges were brought after the military, then headed by Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi, who has since been elected president, deposed Morsi in July 2013.
Morsi and other Brotherhood leaders were among thousands of prisoners who were freed in disputed circumstances during the chaos of the 2011 uprising.
Prosecutors said that heavily armed Hamas militants infiltrated Egypt from the Gaza Strip and stormed three prisons where its members as well as the Brotherhood leaders were held.
The Brotherhood leaders had been arrested shortly after protests against Mubarak broke out.
The death sentences are subject to an automatic appeal. Other sentences can also be appealed by both defence and prosecution.
The Muslim Brotherhood, which came first in parliamentary as well as presidential elections after the fall of Mubarak, has been subjected to a fierce crackdown since Morsi’s ouster.
Hundreds of mainly Islamist demonstrators have been killed in clashes with security forces or in the break-up of protests.
Activists say more than 40,000 people, mainly Islamists, have been detained or prosecuted.
According to the official National Council for Human Rights, 700 members of the security forces have also been killed. Most of them fell victim to jihadist groups.
The Egyptian authorities have designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation after blaming it for a spate of deadly attacks.
The Islamist group has repeatedly denied the charge, accusing the government of oppression.

White gunman at large after killing 9 black persons at Charleston church

Worshippers embrace following a group prayer across the street from the scene PHOTO: abcnews

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Worshippers embrace following a group prayer across the street from the scene
PHOTO: abcnews

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) – A white gunman was still at large after killing nine people during a prayer service at a historic African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina, the city’s police chief said on Thursday, describing the attack as a hate crime.
Officers with dogs searched the streets for the suspect, whom police described as a 21-year-old white man with sandy hair wearing a sweatshirt, jeans and boots.
Gunfire erupted inside Emanuel AME Church in downtown Charleston on Wednesday night, Police Chief Gregory Mullen said.
The gunman had yet to be caught hours after the attack and was considered extremely dangerous, he said.
“To have an awful person come in and shoot them is inexplicable, obviously the most intolerable and unbelievable act possible,” Charleston Mayor Joe Riley told reporters. “The only reason someone could walk into a church to shoot people praying is out of hate.”
The shooting called to mind a 1963 bombing of an African-American church in Birmingham, Alabama, that killed four girls and galvanized the civil rights movement of the 1960s.
The Charleston church is one of the largest and oldest black congregations in the South, its website says. It has its roots in the early 19th century, and the current building, completed in 1891, is considered a historically significant building, according to the U.S. National Park Service.
The attack follows the April shooting of an unarmed black man in North Charleston by a white police officer. The officer has been charged with murder in that case, one of a number of deaths of unarmed black men in encounters with police that have raised racial tensions in the United States.

A man looks on as a group of people arrive inquiring about the shooting
PHOTO: nydailynews

Soon after the shooting, a clutch of men stood in a circle in front of a hotel near the church, one of many landmark buildings in the city.
“We pray for the families, they’ve got a long road ahead of them,” Reverend James Johnson, a local civil rights activist, said during the impromptu prayer service.
The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and other agencies have joined in the investigation, Mullen said.
Eight victims were found dead in the church, Mullen told reporters, and a ninth person died after being taken to hospital. One other person was wounded and was being treated at a local hospital, Mullen said.

None of the victims were immediately identified. But the Reverend Al Sharpton, the New York-based civil rights leader, said in a tweet that the Reverend Clementa Pinckney, the church’s pastor and a member of the state Senate, was among the dead.
After the shooting, a bomb threat was reported near the church, Charleston County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Eric Watson said, and people who were gathered in the area were told by police to move back.
Mullen said that the all-clear had been given after checks following the bomb threat.
A police chaplain was present at the scene of the shooting, and a helicopter with a searchlight hovered overhead as officers combed the area.
Following the attack on the church, Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush, the former governor of Florida, cancelled an appearance in Charleston that had been scheduled for Thursday morning.
“Governor Bush’s thoughts and prayers are with the individuals and families affected by this tragedy,” his campaign team said in a statement.

Boko Haram kills 30 in attacks on Niger villages

Boko Haram’s Abubakar Shekau and his lieutenants

NIAMEY, (Reuters) – Boko Haram militants attacked two villages in southern Niger’s Diffa region overnight, killing at least 30 civilians, two security sources said on Thursday.
It was the second major cross-border attack by the Nigerian Islamist group this week and follows twin suicide bombings in Chad’s capital on Monday that killed at least 34 people.

Sweden Coach Rejects Falcon’s Job

Though the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has not made it official to hire Sweden coach, Pia Sundhage has said she is not ready to handle Nigeria’s senior female team, the Super Falcons.

Sundhage has declared she is “not good enough” to handle African champions as her team sweat to know if they will qualify for the knockout rounds of the Women’s World Cup.

AfricanFootball.com first reported that top officials of the NFF are considering Sundhage to take over the Falcons after they crashed without trace at the World Cup in Canada under the watch of Edwin Okon.

But after seeing her team pick three points from as many matches, scoring four goals and conceding four, former coach of the United States Sundhage noted that she may not be up to take up the chance to coach any Nigerian team right now.

“You know what, today I don’t think I am good enough to coach in Nigeria,” she stated.

•Coach Pia Sundhage of Sweden at the ongoing Women’s World Cup in Canada

Pia Sundhage led her team to a 3-3 draw with Nigeria in their first group game before holding USA to a goalless draw and forcing Australia to a 1-1 draw in the final group game. They would now have to await the outcome of matches in Groups E and F to know their fate at the World Cup.

Meanwhile, Vice President of the NFF, Barrister Seyi Akinwumi has urged Nigerians not to see the Super Falcons ouster from the group stage of the ongoing FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada as a disappointment.

Akinwumi said that the Nigerian squad are still some distance off from being world beaters, and so it will not be that easy to get favourable results against some of the household names in women football.

Akinwunmi noted that the girls did well to have been able to stand their ground against their more illustrious opponents in the competition.

“We have a team with good players, we conquered Africa but have not dominated the world stage and we know this. The American team had players with over a decade of experience at that level but our young girls stood up to them and I think for that we can’t put them down

“They’ve done quite well, to be honest but we also understand that everybody must work harder to get to the level we want,” Akinwunmi, who is also the chairman of Lagos FA.

FIFA Women’s World Cup: Cameroon Vow To Defend Africa

Cameroon have declared their readiness to carry the flag of Africa all the way at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada.

Cameroon became the only African country left in the tournament after African champions Nigeria and Cote d’ Ivoire were sent packing in the group stage.

Nigeria managed only a draw at the tournament, while Cote d’ Ivoire lost all three group games.

•Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses at the Women World Cup in Canada

Cameroon, on the other hand, finished second behind Japan in Group C after they beat Ecuador 6-1 and came from behind to beat Switzerland 2-1 in their final group game.

“Just the fact that we qualified we know we are not only defending the colours of Cameroon, but we are also defending the colours of Africa,” stated Cameroon coach Enow Ngachu.

“Compared to Nigeria, Cameroon is a small team. I said it we are still learning. We came here to learn.

“We are not under any pressure. And since Nigeria is eliminated, we shall continue to play and defend the colours of Africa.”

Cameroon will now face China in the Round of 16 of the World Cup.

Legal Framework Regarding Strikes In Nigeria

However, what was thought to be a temporary wartime measure was entrenched in the law by virtue of the Trade Disputes Act of 1976. The Act has severely circumscribed the workers right to strike and introduced both voluntary and compulsory settlement of disputes. The Act provides an elaborate procedure for the settlement of trade disputes, including the process of Mediation, Conciliation, Arbitration, and the National Industrial Court.

Section 17 of the Trade Disputes Act makes it an offence for an employer to declare or take part in a lock-out or for a worker to take part in a strike action or perform any act preparatory to organizing a strike. Any person who contravenes this provision is liable to a fine of N100.00 or to imprisonment for six months. In the case of a body corporate, a fine of N1,000.00 is prescribed. Accordingly, Section 17 seems to have completely impaired the right of workers to strike in Nigeria.

Looking at the marginal notes to section 17, which read ‘Prohibition of lock-outs and strike before issue of award of National Industrial Court’, one might argue that it is not the intention of the Legislature to ban strikes generally. There is no doubt that marginal notes do no not form part of a law, but one might be persuaded by the view of the Supreme Court in Olowo v. Alegbe (1983) 2 S.C.N.L.R.35where Kayode Eso, JSC observed as follows:

“Though in modern times marginal notes do not generally afford legitimate aid to the construction of a statute, at least it is permissible to consider the general purpose of a section…with the marginal notes in mind”

However, the effect of section 17 seems to be the complete prohibition of strikes. By virtue of section 17(1), workers cannot go on strikes unless they observe the dispute settlement procedures. If, at the end of the processes, workers are dissatisfied with the award of the National Industrial Court whose decision is final, then by virtue of section 17(3) they must go through the whole process of dispute settlement all over again. The law has apparently created a vicious circle of compulsory arbitration from which the workers cannot escape. By implication, the right to strike seems to have been smartly circumvented by the Legislature.

It is difficult to see how trade unions could sidestep the ingenious and well calculated obstacles placed in their way before embarking on strike actions. Consequently, it may not be far from the truth to conclude that strikes are banned by the Trade Disputes Act. Some writers on Labour Law (such as Ogunniyi and Emiola) have argued that the right to strike is explicitly abundant in Nigeria, but it is no clear how this is so.

The Right to Strike in the Trade Union (Amendment) Act 2005

The Trade Union (Amendment) Act 2005 contains further serious restrictions on the freedom to strike in Nigeria. Section 6(d) of the Act amended Section 30 of the Trade Unions Act 1990 by inserting new subsections (6), (7), (8) and (9) immediately after the existing subsection (5). The new section 30(6), (7), (8), and (9) now stipulate the conditions that must be satisfied before strikes and lock-outs can take place and would appear to have dealt a further blow to any trace of the right to strike in Nigeria, due to the following:

1) Workers in Essential Services

In Nigeria, the Trade Disputes (Essential Services) Act (Chapter 433, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990) prohibits workers in essential services from going on strike. The list of ‘essential service’ includes, inter alia, the public service of the Federation and the states, workers involved in health and sanitation, fire service, Central Bank of Nigeria and corporate bodies carrying on banking business. This prohibition is retained by the 2005 Act. Workers in “Essential Services” are expressly barred from embarking on strike actions by section 30 (6) (a).

Such workers include those in the education and health sectors, as well as public servants in Nigeria and all other sectors categorized as essential services. In any event, workers in essential services must go through arbitration and the determination of the National Industrial Court shall be final in such disputes. This clearly forecloses the possibility of a strike action by workers in essential services.

The Trade Disputes (Essential Services) Actprovides penalty by way of a fine of N10, 000.00 for employers and a fine of N200.00 and/or 6 months’ imprisonment for members and officials of trade unions who violate the law. Same is reinforced by the Trade Union (Amendment) Act 2005.

The only remarkable difference here is that whereas the former law provides for N10,000.00 for employers and N2,000.00 or six months’ imprisonment against members and officials of trade unions, the penalty in the new law penalty is applicable across the board to any person, trade union or employer who may violate the law.

2) Workers in Non-Essential Services

For other workers, the restrictions seem to be of the same effect. As with section 17 of the Trade Disputes Act, it will be difficult to embark on a legal strike, since the provisions for arbitration under section 17 of the Trade Disputes Act must be complied with before any strike action can take place.

3) Dispute Settlement Procedures

As already stated, the arbitration procedure is rather difficult and interminable and it must be taken to have been intended as a measure to forestall the possibility of legitimate industrial action by workers. This is rather made worse by the severity of sanctions attached to any breach of stipulated conditions. Since the law retains the compulsory and interminable arbitration procedure of section 17 of the Trade Disputes Act, it means that strike action is presumed to be prohibited in Nigeria.

Burning Issues To Consider

When it comes to weight loss, it seems like everyone has a miracle trick, a no-fail plan, or a waist-changing secret you’ve got to try. Problem is, few of them actually work. We dug up some common myths you should avoid, so you can build a better body—the healthy way.

1. Adopt a gluten-free diet

If you have a gluten intolerance, that’s one thing. But if you’re just cutting the protein for weight loss, you may end up disappointed in the results. After all, gluten-free foods can be high in calories, too.

2. Skip meals

Skipping meals may actually increase belly fat, according to a study published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. The researchers suggest spreading your calorie consumption throughout the day to keep your insulin steady.

3. Cut out all “unhealthy” foods

While it’s smart to limit unhealthy foods, taking it to the extreme by eliminating entire food groups is a bad idea: (a.) you’re more likely to feel deprived, making your diet unsustainable, and (b.) taking healthy eating to the extreme is an eating disorder known as orthorexia.

4. Drink lots and lots of juice

Go ahead and drink your favourite green juice for breakfast or as a snack, but remember that an all-liquid diet plan can deprive your body of crucial nutrients—and muscle definition.

5. Cook all of your meals

It’s true that cooking your meals gives you more control over the ingredients, but remember: You need a diet you can sustain. Check out our experts at Body Confidence Fitness Kitchen to help yourself make healthy decisions everywhere you go.

6. Only indulge on “cheat days”

“A cheat meal is preferable to a cheat day because people tend to eat a week’s worth of calories in a day when they are given such blank cheque ,” Jennifer Cohen, a celebrity trainer and author of Strong Is the New Skinny told us (check out In Defense of Cheating on Your Diet). Treat yourself sporadically and you’ll be less likely to snap.

7. Eat low-fat versions of foods

Don’t let organic-looking packaging or healthy-sounding labels keep you from reading the nutrition panel and ingredient list. Many times these products are still loaded with sugar.

Please read on……

As a lover of sweet foods all her life, she takes about six cubes of sugar with her tea so  she thought that three  cubes of sugar in her tea wouldn’t hurt. She also bought her favourite kind of assorted  sweets and an extra packet of sugar and put them in a secret place  in her bedroom. No one knew, she thought; it was a foolproof scheme. But after supper one night, she left the family circle in the living room and tiptoed to her room secretly to have a piece of her favourite sweets. One piece didn’t quite do it, so she had one more. Those two didn’t quite satisfy her,either. Unable to stop, she ate herself into a diabetic coma!

The panic and confusion that followed sent shock  wave throughout the household and neighbourhood. It was quite a spectacle when she was rushed to a nearby hospital. About  a day later after so much money had been expended, she was back home feeling guilty and embarrassed for having been so foolish. That was the horrible experience of a  woman I know.

She was  overweight for her height and frame,  then she began to have the symptoms of frequent urination, insatiable thirst, dizziness and headaches. When she went to her physician  for an examination, he diagnosed her condition  as diabetes (too much sugar in the blood) she was put on a strict diet, with injections of insulin every morning. All sweets and sugar were strictly forbidden. The doctor made this very very plain.  (Today’s cost may be higher than yesterday’s)

In Nigeria, a 2007 research reports by Fasanmade showed that statistical indices from teaching hospitals, including Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) indicate that diabetes now trail AIDs and Hypertension as the most deadly diseases in adult medical wards. In addition, diabetes was responsible for the highest number of amputation, kidney failure, and stroke.

The type-two diabetes which is also known as adult diabetes because of it’s prevalence in adult is becoming more common in children. This may be attributed to sedentary and extreme adoption of westernized lifestyle

Component of metabolic syndrome also leads to insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone, required to get cells to open up and let glucose in. Insulin resistance occurs when cells don’t have enough insulin receptors or insulin receptors don’t work properly.

While metabolic syndrome is not a direct cause of diabetes it is a predictor of the disease. For individuals who have metabolic syndrome, the risk of developing diabetes is two and half to four times greater than those who do not have the condition. And the more the risk factor for metabolic syndrome, the more likely for one to develop diabetes.

Several health issues have emerged during the past decades because of their particular relevance to or importance for men and women These include eating disorders, which mostly afflict  young men and women; HIV and AIDS, which traditionally has been considered a male disease, but to which women have been shown to be more vulnerable; heart disease, which also is largely seen as a man’s disease in spite of the significant mortality it causes to women.

There are two types of diabetes

mellitus: Type 1, or juvenile diabetes, occurring mostly in children and young adults and Type 11, adult onset diabetes. The disease is caused from a defect in insulin production by the pancreas . Insulin is needed by the body to utilise glucose for energy. In addition, juvenile-onset diabetes is caused by  a failure of the body to produce insulin, which is needed for the metabolism of carbohydrates(starches and sugar). In maturity onset  diabetes, the body cells have an inability to respond normally to insulin. In both types blood sugar fails to penetrate body cells, and they become deprived of vital energy. It is like a “water, water everywhere , and not a drop to drink” situation.

For maturity-onset diabetes lowering one’s body weight to normal and keeping it there  eliminates the condition  in many cases. Juvenile -onset diabetes, on the contrary, is not usually reversible.

Diabetes complications are the third leading cause of death in Nigeria. Diet affects this disease as much as it does cancer. Overweight people who eat diets high in refined processed foods and sugary goodies and low in fibre are more likely  to develop diabetes as they grow older.

PRINCIPLES TO FOLLOW

Are you one of those battling with excess weight? If you have decided  that you need to lose those excess pounds, here are a few basic  principles for you to follow:

1. Decrease your intake of

  – meat( beef, lamb,pork, and pork products)

  -fat (fatty meats, fried foods, butter, oil,etc)

  -sugars (sweets,candy, refined sugars, etc)

  -White-flour baked goods (bread, cakes, doughnuts, etc)

  -total calories (from all food groups)

2. Increase your intake of:

    – fresh vegetables ( plain,with no oil or sauce)

    – fresh fruits and unsweetened fruit juices

    – freshly squeezed vegetable juices( ugu, carrots, bitter leave juices etc.

  – grilled or boiled fish and chicken, without oil or skin (Remember very little meat is ideal.)

  – whole grain products ( bread, cereal, foods.

This simple plan will help you to lose weight safely and will bring about a permanent change in your eating habits.

Diabetics should eat a protein portion and carb portion of the same size at each meal. Take a little fat with these foods too. Eating a wide variety of non-starchy vegetable will fill you up without affecting insulin levels. You can enjoy salads with healthy salad  dressings since fat is not the issue for you. ( fat must have the good cholesterol ).

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: A PLUS

Exercise provides the rare multidimensional benefits of improved physical and mental health, and morning exercise appears to give workers an edge. Studies show that a 20 minute workout can boost your mood for hours afterward. “It is so easy to put things off, but when people exercise in the morning, in many cases they did so because over time they realized that working out in the morning puts you in a better mood and you’re more productive and you have more energy throughout the workday.  People with high levels of wellbeing have been careful to work out early in the morning and not to have heavy meals throughout the day.”

Tips on making morning workouts a routine:

Find a partner. It’s easier to brush off a workout when you’re only accountable to yourself, so find a workout friend who can help you stay on track. “Get used to running and jogging in the morning with a friend who lived in your neighbourhood. “That’s a big motivating factor—having someone there to work out with, especially in the morning, because it’s so easy to hit the snooze button. But knowing that he/ she would be there waiting for you. Regular exercise helps prevent these chronic diseases.

You don’t have to wait for a special day to start your exercise routine, you can start right now, this is because most people know physical activity, such as regular exercise, is important for weight loss and optimal health. What some people do not realize is being physically inactive is considered a risk factor for several illnesses and medical conditions. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 2 million people worldwide die from conditions related to physical inactivity. People of all ages, from children to the elderly, can suffer negative consequences.

Don’t Let PDP Rise Again, Group Tells APC

A coalition of civil society groups under the aegis of Civil Society Coalition For Good Governance, CSCGG, on Thursday morning appealed to the All Progressives Congress, APC, to remain united and strong enough to ward off the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from returning to power in Nigeria.

At a press conference held at the Airport Hotel in the Ikeja area of Lagos, Nigeria, the groups further urged all politicians in the APC to recognise the importance of party supremacy in their dealings and activities as well as the sacrifice made by the party’s national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to redeem the country through President Muhammadu Buhari.

“The controversial circumstances leading to the emergence of Bukola Saraki as Senate President and Yakubu Dogara as Speaker of the House of Representatives have tended to create bad blood within the ruling party and constitute a cog in the wheels of democratic progress.

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu

“While we grant politicians their rights to pursue their political aspirations, we also believe strongly that party men and women should always subject themselves to party discipline so as to allow for cohesion and smooth operations and implementation of party programmes.

“It is our position that since the party was the vehicle through which individuals won elections into offices, and as long as there is so far, no provision for independent candidacy, all party members must subject themselves to party discipline.

“We call on the APC to henceforth invoke its disciplinary processes against any party member who conducts himself or herself in any manner that violates party discipline or undermines the collective interest of the party.

“The mischievous gang up between the new leaders of the National Assembly and the defeated PDP should warn the leaders of the APC that the unfinished task of neutralising the PDP with its nauseous effects on the Nigerian polity for the past 16 years needs their attention.

“Nothing should be done to reward the PDP which has mismanaged power and politics in Nigeria for the past 16 years, while APC was the opposition,” the groups, which have Comrade Declan Ihekaire and Mohammed Kudu Abubakar as Deputy Conveners and Vince Bakare as Secretary, said.

In the speech read by Ihekhaire, the CSCGG further said: “we have noted the ridiculing by political lilliputs desperate to cling unto any straw to demean and diminish the towering political profile of Ashiwaju Ahmed Tinubu.

“We see their claim that the present conspiracy by the negative forces to take the leadership of the National Assembly has dwindled the stature of Asiwaju Tinubu as the vain gloating of defeated and conquered political vassals.

“By insisting on adherence to party’s position in the election of the officers of the National Assembly, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was advancing the interest of the party he midwifed and with which he retired a huge cache of political wayfarers in Nigeria.

“The coalition sees Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a towering political icon that wrote the scripts of the change we have today and equally, see the struggle by the political lightweight to ridicule him as the vain efforts of defeated dwarfs that see the rise of their political fortunes in an endless chase of the shadow of Aiwaju Bola Tinubu. No doubt, this will fail.”

The groups advised that the APC must begin to impose sanctions on members who go against the party to discourage a repeat of the ‘political coup’ that played out recently at the National Assembly.

The groups added that since the party leadership has agreed to work with the leadership of the National Assembly in national interest, “the coalition hereby calls on all party members to henceforth embrace party discipline, show loyalty to the party and work towards the party’ programme and manifesto for the overall good governance and national development.

“We must remind all party members that it was the party’s manifesto and programme of change that endeared Nigerians to it and earned it the massive votes of Nigerians who had been yearning for change,” the groups said.

Dangote Takes Cement Empire To Asia

Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, says he’s expanding his cement empire to Asia and it will be operational in 30 months.

According to bloomberg.com, the 58-year-old Nigerian billionaire said Dangote Cement Plc should complete a factory in Nepal by the end of 2017. It has received 90 percent of the regulatory approvals needed to start construction in the south Asian nation hit by two earthquakes this year, he said.

“It’s going to be one of the first factories for us to build outside our comfort zone, outside Africa,” Dangote, wearing white traditional robes, said in a June 16 interview at his office in Nigeria’s commercial hub, Lagos. Further expansion beyond Africa mainly “will happen through acquisition,” he said.

Dangote, who has never visited Nepal, will invest $400 million in the country to build a cement plant with a capacity of as much as 2 million metric tons. He’s also eyeing South America and surveying for limestone in Brazil, where he registered a company two years ago.

Aliko Dangote, President Dangote Group

Nepal’s government estimates reconstruction costs from April’s quake, which killed thousands, alone will exceed $10 billion, even before the country was hit by a separate 7.3 magnitude temblor last month.

“It will be a major boost for them, especially with what happened,” Dangote said. “They don’t produce cement at the moment, they import mainly from India.”

There is room for Dangote to move into Nepal, said Andy Gboka, a fund manager at Bellevue Asset Management AG, which manages more than $5 billion and holds Dangote Cement shares.

“There is not enough production capacity and unfortunately you saw what happened with the earthquake and the infrastructure that was damaged,” Gboka said by phone from Zurich. “Even though this is coming from a negative event, there is a strong growth story in the Nepal region.”

The tycoon, with a net worth of $15.4 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, has made the vast majority of his fortune in African cement production. He also has interests including sugar and more recently oil refineries in Nigeria.

Dangote’s charity gave $1 million to Nepal’s government after the deadly earthquakes. He said he has made more than 20 billion naira ($100 million) of donations in more than two years, mainly in African countries such as Nigeria, Niger, Kenya, Tanzania and Ebola-hit nations in West Africa.

He denied that his foundation gave only to countries where he has business interests, citing a $2 million donation given to Pakistan in 2010 through the United Nations World Food Programme after the country was hit by flooding.

“I’ve only been to Pakistan on transit maybe 20 years ago,” Dangote said.

Dangote Cement has been expanding in new African markets to tap demand for building materials as governments invest in infrastructure. The company is planning $1 billion in capital expenditure this year to increase capacity from 29 million tons.

His moves to dominate the African market haven’t been without some snags. Dangote said the building of a $350 million cement plant in Niger, announced in 2013, was delayed after some “internal fault” at the company, which has been addressed. He declined to elaborate further.

Construction on the Niger factory will start this year and will take 26 months to complete, he said.

Dangote has also seen his wealth decline $3.1 billion this year as the share price in his cement business has fallen 13 percent in the same period, more than the Nigerian Stock Exchange All Share Index, which has slumped 3.4 percent. Nigeria’s local currency, the naira, is down 7.8 percent so far in 2015 against the dollar.

“In the future we will try and replicate the other businesses outside Nigeria,” Dangote said, referring to his interests other than cement. “But we have so much we’re invested in right now, so we want to continue with just cement, cement, cement for the next two, three years.”

Why Visa Rejection Do Not Halt Nigerian Immigrants

Novelist and writer Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani considers why Nigerians put their lives at risk and opt for dangerous routes to Europe when they fail to get visas.

Even the official route for Africans wishing to visit the West is paved with indignity. I still have vivid memories of my first visit to the British High Commission in Lagos a little over a decade ago.

The swarm of sweaty applicants in the unending queue, many of whom had arrived as early as 04:00.

The battalion of whispering men who besieged me as soon as I arrived, offering to manufacture whatever document I required, be it bank statements or medical reports.

The fiery brouhaha that ensued from time-to-time over a newcomer’s attempt to sneak into the front of the line.

Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani

Sometimes, it was simply an enterprising tout giving room to the person who had hired him to save a place. Not every Nigerian was cut out for the strain of standing in the open for several hours.

Lashed with whips

Finally, at noon, a pot-bellied security man relieved us of our misery and opened the doors to the visa-processing section. “No rushing,” he barked. Those behind kept elbowing those in front. The strong continued pushing the weak aside.

Seeing their superior so blatantly ignored, the scrawnier security men lashed out with their short whips without caring which of us might be pregnant or too frail for that kind of physical abuse.

Yelps, wails, screams erupted from the crowd. And yet, we continued to push our way in for a chance to get interviewed for a visa.

It did not matter whether you only wanted to visit the UK or if you intended to settle. The torturous process was the same.

All this was nothing compared to the commotion at the American Embassy just down the road, which had probably quadruple the number of applicants the British did.

But oh the joy when someone succeeded in getting a visa to Europe or America. Oh the outbursts of exhilaration in families.

Sometimes, successful applicants stood in front of their congregations during “testimony time” at church, to declare God’s miraculous goodness in granting them a visa.

“The devil tried to stand in my way but I kept trusting that the same God who parted the Red Sea would do it for me,” they said.

Inspired shouts of “Praise the Lord!” sprang up from the congregation. Many of these people had not been granted an immigrant visa, only a visitor’s visa that would expire in months. Yet they had no plans of returning anytime soon.

‘Andrew, Don’t Check Out’

In the 1980s, the Nigerian government tried, through a series of adverts on national television, to discourage its citizens from abandoning their country as the economy steadily got worse.

The “Andrew, Don’t Check Out” adverts became quite popular, but I do not know that they helped to forestall Nigerians checking out in droves. As we say in Nigeria, “Who no like better thing?”

People have come to believe that living in the West has the ability to radically transform the quality and status of one’s life, family and community. To many who fail to get visas, it is still worth every danger to emulate this.

They have seen migrants’ relatives riding sleek cars and erecting mansions. Family homes getting a constructed borehole in the backyard with neighbours allowed from time-to-time to come in with containers and fetch drinking water.

Those who stayed home have struggled to complete their first degrees in Nigerian universities where strikes by the lecturers often ground education to a halt, while their former classmates – the visa migrants – amass advanced degrees from foreign schools.

And whenever these exceedingly educated migrants finally amass the courage to return to Nigeria, they are accorded greater respect and position than those with a local education.

Risk takers

Those who queued up at embassies usually felt reasonably qualified to meet the stringent visa requirements.

But there were those who would never be able to meet these conditions, yet who desperately desired to, like others, graze where the grass was greener – and someone would tell them about a route through Libya. Stories of migrants who do make it across the Mediterranean inspire others to risk their lives

For every applicant who fails to hoodwink embassy staff with tall tales and fake documents, there are others who succeed.

For every boat that sinks in the Mediterranean, there are those that make it across.

These success stories continue to motivate aspiring immigrants.

Of course, there are those stories of migrants who end up making a living from wiping bottoms in old people’s homes.

But the folks back home do not really care as long as the foreign exchange continues to arrive – currencies superlatively muscular against the increasingly weak Nigerian naira.

Many embassies in Nigeria, unable to cope directly with the influx at their gates, now contract out the collection of visa application documents.

African governments did not care when their people were being whipped into order at embassies right on their own soil.

Now they are not pretending to care about those drowning in the deep, blue Mediterranean.

Alade Market: Shame Of A Mega City

Gaseous emission emanating from hundreds of small generators envelop the atmosphere, polluting the air, contributing to the depletion of the ozone layer. Deafening noise from the generators pollute the ambience unabated. The environment is unkempt with filth in every nook and cranny. Squatters have converted makeshift structures into their permanent abode.

This is Alade Market located at the heart of Ikeja, capital of Lagos State, and the third largest mega city in the world. The situation at this market is very sad. Traders have resisted several attempts by the Ikeja Local Government to rebuild the market to befit the mega city status accorded Lagos.  The market sits at the hub and commercial centre of Lagos. An aerial view of the market depicts  the opposite of what a modern market in the hub of Lagos should be.

A front view of the market portrays a repulsive image. Some metres away, the frontage is always messy irrespective of time one visits the market. Vehicles are often park just about anywhere creating undue congestion just before Allen roundabout. This is not because the market does not have parking lots of its own, but the parking lots have been illegally converted into shops.

Investigation revealed that there are over 200 illegal shops all over the place, apart from about 300 shops that were legally constructed. In April, 2013, a fire gutted the market, compromising the structural integrity of many structures in the market, according to a test carried out by the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.

According to a report signed by a Director in the ministry, D. A. Rufai a test carried out after the fire outbreak revealed that the structures had become defective and the market seriously overcrowded. The report specified the need to rebuild the market, which had been in existence for 30 years.

Aside the report, the market has been converted for dual purpose. There has been complaints that hundreds of traders have turned the market into their residence. Several traders use their shops for dual purposes, first for trading and second as residence, which has altered the original plan of the market. Also, noxious emissions emanating from over 200 generators that power different shops in the market has devastating effects on human health. Traders are daily confronted with carbon emitted by the generators.

According to the Executive Secretary, Ikeja Local Government, Adekunle Adeokun, the dangerous emission from the generators are life-threatening, while the storing of petrol in the market to power the generators could lead to fire outbreak any time.

Residents of the area had for long been calling on the Lagos State Government to salvage the situation of the market to protect the ambience and to lift the status of the market to befit the mega city status of Lagos.

Residents are of the view that Alade Market is a disaster waiting to happen. Though there are plans to develop the market, the traders are resisting the proposal of Ikeja Local Government to relocate them to a newly built market. Recently traders in the market protested to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s office, accusing the Ikeja Local Government of trying to forcefully evict them from the market. The protesters were led by Sulola Odunsi-Daina.

Odunsi-Daina said relocating the market would lead to loss of patronage and displacement of about 1,000 shop owners and traders. According to her, there “are 300 shops and 700 K-clamps, thereby bringing the number of traders to 1,000.  Odunsi-Daina admitted that a new place had been built for the traders, but noted that only 120 shops “have been built. What will be the fate of about 880 traders? The new site is not environmentally friendly because it is close to canal. It is not habitable. Aside, it is a slum. The shops there are a far cry from the ones currently in Alade Market.”

Alade Market, Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos

The Iyaloja of Ikeja, Mrs. Adia Apena faulted the claims of Odunsi-Daina that there was a plan to forcefully evict the traders from the market, saying that the plan to rebuild the market had been in the pipeline about a decade ago, adding that ever since, the traders had been told that they would be relocated for works to commence on rebuilding of the market.

“Since another place has been provided for them, it becomes imperative for them to cooperate with the local government and the developer. But the developer and the market leaders have to agree on terms and conditions of re-allocation. Once this aspect is resolved, the traders will relocate to the new site,” she said.

Also, the council’s Executive Secretary, Adeokun, said there was no plan to forcefully evict the traders from the market. “The traders are economical with the truth because the council has no plan to forcefully evict them from the market. We are only discussing terms and conditions of relocating to the new site, which the developer, Master Reality International Concept Limited said, is 65 per cent completed,” he explained.

He added that the current status of Alade Market is a blemish on Africa’s model megacity, stressing that the council proposed to turn the market into a first-class centre of commerce in West Africa.

“The proposal has been on for one decade. In 2005, all the stakeholders agreed to relocate from the market because it no longer befits the megacity status of Lagos. Had it been the traders relocated when the proposal to redevelop the market was first conceived one decade ago, Alade Shopping Mall would have been the first shopping mall of international standard in Lagos State.

“The proposal of the shopping mall would have been open in Ikeja before the advent of Shoprite. The rationale behind the conception of the proposed shopping mall has to do with the need to build a befitting centre of trade and commerce safe and secure for business transactions.

“The market was originally constructed more than 30 years ago. The market has lost its beauty; become structurally weak and did not fit into the status of Lagos mega city again. The shortcoming calls for the need to dismantle the market and develop a befitting one. All the stakeholders earlier agreed to the relocation plan. Originally, the current Alade Market, “has only 300 shops, but the entire market has been converted into shops, which violates the initial plan of the market. There are over 200 generators in the market. This portends grave consequences if the situation continues. It has to be arrested now,” he explained.

The Executive Secretary said there was no way the council could forcefully evict the traders without providing the right alternative. “We cannot throw them out. We have a relocation plan for them. The developer has started developing the new site, which has bigger parking lots and other facilities. We have purchased 350 KVA generator that will serve the entire market; so, there will not be need for each shop owner to bring in their generators.”

Managing Director, Master Reality International Concept Limited, Lai Omotola said Alade Shopping Mall was structured around a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) arrangement and designed to fit into the megacity status of Lagos State, adding that the concession agreement to redevelop the market was struck on 17 August, 2010 with Ikeja Local Government.

According to him, the agreement includes the relocation plan for the traders currently trading in the market, adding that about 200 shops had been completed on the new site.  “About 126 shops are half done. So, we have built 326 shops. These are more than 300 shops originally built in the market. The concerned traders are the root cause of the relocation crisis in the market. The concerned traders are not actually the legal tenants of Ikeja Local Government. Most of the allotees are not using their shops for private businesses.

The allotees have been renting out their shops to the concerned traders over the years. As we speak, there is conflict between the concerned traders and the allotees. So, the concerned traders are the ones protesting against the relocation plan. But the good news is that some of the allotees have started paying money.”

“The new site is 65 per cent completed. The market people are part and parcel of the relocation plan from the inception. The traders were part of the ground breaking and had visited the relocation site at different times after we started the construction of the temporary market,” he explained.

Omotola stated that after visiting the site, the market wrote a letter to the local government complaining about the relocation site. The letter was signed by the Iyaloja of Alade Market, Mrs. Elizabeth Adenuga and dated 11 July, 2014. The letter contained a nine-point demand, aimed at making the relocation site conducive.

In the document, the market women asked the council to provide adequate security, transformers, day care centre, drainage channels, health centre, additional shops, access road, beautification of the environment, adequate toilet facilities, parking lots and modalities of the allocation of shops.

The local government assured the market women of fair treatment. In a reply dated 11 August, 2014, the immediate past Chairman of the local government, Wale Odunlami said the shops would be allocated to original owners, noting that the council did not recognise those trading in the market illegally.   

According to him, the issue of drainage had been resolved with the Office of Drainage Service, Lagos State Ministry of the Environment to protect any form of flooding, adding that the drainages would be well-channelled and a link bridge constructed over it. This, he said, formed part of the terms and conditions agreed upon in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the developer and the ministry.

The five-page agreement, which was mediated by Lagos State Ministry of Justice, was signed by the then Permanent Secretary, Drainage Service, Muyideen Akinsanya in the presence of Mr. Olakunle Adegbite of the ministry and the Managing Director of Masters Reality International Concept Limited, Omotola.   

Odunlami, thus, said the drainage “has been resolved,” noting that an arrangement “has been made for day care centre, health clinic and car part.” Contrary to the Alade Market where parking is a challenge, the former council chairman said the proposed car park “has parking lots for about 100 vehicles of different categories.”

Currently, the value of shops in Ikeja ranges from N400,000 to N500,000. But Odunlami noted that the local government had subsidised rent “to N150,000 for a shop and N50,000 for a K-clamp per annum in order not to impoverish the market women.

But Omotola lamented that despite the assurance by the council, the market women did not make commitment, saying that the bank had refused to release more money unless the market women show commitment as the bank does not want to continue financing the new site when the relocation issue had not been addressed.

“The bank wanted to be sure of the repayment of the facility we have taken to execute the project. That was why the local government asked them to begin to pay so that the developer can complete the relocation site. The traders need to show commitment so that the bank can see we have agreed on the relocation plan. That is why the local government wrote them a letter directing them to start paying their rent.

“The relocation site is more spacious than Alade Market. The new site is built on 32 plots while the Alade Market has just 16 plots. So, there is no need for the market women to complain about space. All the facilities they have demanded for are already part of our original plan. Their concern has been addressed. But the market people are not cooperating enough with us to execute the project,” he decried.

He lamented that the approach of the market people to the relocation plan had grave effect on foreign direct investments (FDIs) and public private partnership (PPP) arrangement in Nigeria, lamenting that their approach was affecting its business already.

“We are indebted to the bank. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has issued a directive, asking all the debtors in a letter to pay up by July 31. The names of all debtors that fail to comply before the deadline would be published in national dailies and blacklisted from borrowing. The implication is that such debtors will no longer have access to credit facilities to fund their business initiatives and projects. That is the end of business for such debtors. If the bank cannot borrow you money, how can you do business? Other subscribers think the project is a fraud and scam,” he said.

Omotola appealed to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to resolve the impasse because “our investment suffers serious setback and our overseas investors are threatening to recall their funding,” adding that the deposition of the market people was a negative advertisement for the PPP.

Make greater sacrifice during Ramadan, says Fayose

Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose

Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose has reiterated the need for Muslims in the country to use the Ramadan fasting period to offer prayers to Allah for the peaceful co-existence of the country while also giving their minds and hearts to teachings by Islamic Scholars during the fasting period.
Governor Fayose, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, said that the great Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (PBUH), described Ramadan fasting as a shield against vices and noted that it was important for Muslims to assist the country with prayers during this Ramadan period.
He said: “Fasting as one of the five pillars of Islam should not be just a period for abstaining from food and drink, the period should also be used to make greater sacrifice by praying fervently for the country.”
The governor called on Muslims in the country, especially those in Ekiti State, to open their minds to sermons by Islamic scholars during the period, saying “during this 30 days fasting period, the Holy Quran will be read, Hadith (Actions and sayings of the Holy Prophet) of the Holy Prophet and Tesfir (Sermons of knowledgeable scholars) will be listened to. It is my plea to our Muslim brothers and sisters to open their hearts and minds to the Tesfir of the Holy Month of Ramadan and allow themselves to be guided by them.”
Governor Fayose congratulated Muslims in the country for seeing the beginning of the 30 days fasting period and prayed that they will all see the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
“It is my prayer to the Almighty Allah (SWT) that all the supplications that will be made for our state and country during the fasting period will be acceptable to Allah (SWT),” he said.

Nigeria raises 144 bln naira in Treasury bills; yields mixed

Godwin Emefiele, CBN Governor

LAGOS, (Reuters) – Nigeria raised 143.64 billion naira ($723 million) in Treasury bills with mixed yields, the central bank said on Thursday.
Total bids for the notes stood at 275.30 billion, up from 253.82 billion naira at the last auction on June 3, it said.
The bank said it sold 26.30 billion naira worth of 3-month bills at 10 percent, up from 9.79 percent at the previous sale. It sold 25 billion naira worth of the six-month paper at 12.7 per cent, unchanged from the last auction.
The bank said it sold 92.34 billion naira worth of the one-year note at 12.80 percent, down from 12.99 per cent.

Stop harassing marketers, DPR tells task force

Austin Olorunshola, DPR Director

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) on Wednesday appealed to the State Task Force on Petroleum against harassment, extortion and intimidation of marketers.
The Operations Controller of DPR in Eket, Mr Asuquo Antai, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Eket.
“It is not proper for the state task force to harass anybody that is doing oil and gas business under licence, these people were licenced under the DPR.
“It is expected that the state task force operations will complement the work of DPR, not negate what we are doing.
“But when the task force goes out to neither seal petrol stations nor pick locked up marketers, it becomes another issue all together,” Antai said.
He said the state government does not have powers to regulate and monitor oil and gas activities in the country.
“It is the prerogative of the Federal Government to regulate and monitor oil and gas activities all over the federation.
“The Federal Government in its wisdom set up the DPR laws to carry out these functions; DPR has been doing this diligently.
“It is not out of place for the state to ensure that business activities within its area of authority are done under control and in line with the rules of the land,” he said.
The DPR boss decried the situation where the state task force sealed petrol stations and lock up marketers in the state.
He said that when the task force observed lapses, they should report to DPR officials for necessary action.
“I can tell you that members of the task force have never been to the DPR office; I don’t know the members of the task force, I don’t know their mode of operation.
“So we don’t have a working relationship, the marketers had decided to take the issue to court,” he said.
Antai urged the task force to allow DPR carry out its functions and not to take laws into its hands.

Governors Forum: PDP State chairmen congratulate Mimiko

Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State

The Chairmen of state chapters of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have congratulated Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State on his emergence as the chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum (PDPGF).
Mimiko, former deputy chairman of the forum was elected on Wednesday at a meeting of the PDP governors in Abuja to replace Godswill Akpabio, the immediate past governor of Akwa Ibom State who is now a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Speaking in an interview, the chairman of the Conference of PDP Chairmen, Dr. Emmanuel Agbo, stated that the election of Mimiko to steer the ship of the PDPGF was a welcome development.
According to Agbo, who is the Benue State PDP chairman, Mimiko’s emergence was a manifestation of the explicit confidence his fellow PDP governors have in him.
He assured the new PDPGF helmsman of the total support of the Conference of PDP chairmen, noting that they will work closely with him and other stakeholders of the PDP to reposition the party and launch it back to power at the centre in 2019.
“I want to congratulate His Excellency Governor Olusegun Mimiko for emerging as the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum (PDPGF). This is a clear testimony of the tremendous confidence his colleagues have in his person particularly in this time in the life of our great party. It is a call to national leadership and I want to assure him of the support of the Conference of PDP state chairmen.
“He is equally assured of my total support as we collectively navigate out of the morbid waters of defeat to the smooth sail of victory which is imminent. I pray God to guide him as he adds this onerous responsibility to the already enormous responsibility of governance in his state.”
Dr. Agbo further stated that he has no doubt that Mimiko would live up to expectation in the new assignment as a mature politician and purposeful leader fully committed to the advancement of PDP and sustenance of democracy in Nigeria.

MARRIAGE & RELATIONSHIP COMMANDMENTS FOR MEN

1. Always call your wife to find out how her day is going.
2. Don't ever forget her birthday or anniversary. Always make it up to your woman.

3. Surprise her with gifts, even when the occasion is not special.
4. Tells her regularly that you loves her, and mean it oh😀...Don't say she will get tired of hearing it.. Ive said that to my Wife for long, and she still wants more & more of it.. It will only be boring to her if she doesn't really love you.
5. Know how to make love to your wife. Don't just ride your Car into her without caressing and romancing her first. Foreplay matters a lot if you want a lasting sex life.
6. Know how to caress, hug, kiss and fulfill her heart’s romantic desires.
7. Feel her pain when she goes through hard times.
8. Be glad to see her happy and rejoice with her.
9. Always make out quality time to spend with your wife!
10. Don't ever physically or emotionally abuse her.
11. If you're still Dating her, don't wait too long before marrying her
12. Always forgive and forget—whenever she apologize for hurting your
feelings.
13. Don't use Her weaknesses or secrets against her.
14. Be patient and willing to work on your Relationship/Marriage problems.
15. Spend time with her friends and family members.
16. NEVER CHEAT on her!
17. Don't flirt with her girlfriends to the point of annoying her.
18. Do not make her jealous.
19. Always respect her in the presence of your/her friends and family members.
20. Once in a while, Surprise her by cooking for her..
21. Support her dreams and ambitions.
22. Never "Shut her up" when talking to you. Be a good Listener.
23. Care a great deal about her thoughts, feelings and opinions.
24. Always be available to help when she needs you.
25. Know that your way is not the only way.
26. Always help her with chores around the house.
27. Give her KITCHEN & HOUSE CHORES BREAK twice a week! ...Women are not meant to kill themselves with work naaa..
28. Kindly SHARE this to Educate other Men.

HUSBAND SCARCITY

THIS may not be d best time for me to write on this because of misinterpretations, but I can no longer resist d push.
"Husband scarcity" has become one of d challenges faced by many young girls today. If you go to prayer houses, majority of d intentions are prayer for a life partner. And this calls for concern.
Casting our minds back to d time of our mothers and grand mothers, was there really much of a "husband scarcity" problem? Or, may be there were more men than women then, or there was an adequate corresponding numbers of both genders. I don't think so, I think then, the women had values and were prepared to build a home and not park into a built home. Then, once a young man comes of age and can at least feed himself and his wife, he goes out in search of a wife and d woman really appreciates him and helps him to build a future.
What am I really trying to say? We created what we now see as "husband scarcity" for ourselves. Today, d reverse is d case. Ask an average girl to define her dream husband, u get things like "he has to b tall, handsome, fair, rich, owns a house at least, presentable" and then she adds "God fearing" In order not to sound so worldly. Then, check d number of girls around u n d number of men that meet that standard, and u will see d problem. U hear girls say, "I cannot suffer in my father's house and then go and start suffering with a man" What a wonderful dream! What if from d beginning, u have everything u want and there is no suffering, and later in d marriage, d ball turns around, then comes suffering. Will u run away? No one prays for suffering, but it is Good to start small and end big, than start big and end small.
The problem is that d description majority of d girls give of their ideal man is virtually d same. When 50 girls want d same kind of man and d man that fits what they want is just 1 man, and d man can only pick 1. then, what becomes of 44 others? They simply start lamenting of "husband scarcity".
Another irony of our time is that it is hard, due to d face of our economy to find a man who is of marriage age who possesses all those things these ladies want, legally, (except those involved in d internet fraud) even d number of those in internet fraud is not enough to match all those searching for already made husbands.
If you look around, majority of d ladies of substance, of Good value and virtue, who are ready to build a home with a man who has prospects, are married and not complaining of husband scarcity.
The easiest way to find a husband now, is to change your view of who a husband is. A husband is that man God made and then saw that it may b hard for him to really actualize His purpose for making him, without a help meet and then made d woman and gave to him and he felt complete and fulfilled. MARRIAGE IS NOT A POVERTY ALLEVIATION PROGRAM. It is a mission of building d family of God here on earth. For those who see marriage as a way out of poverty, it is a way into bondage.
Women are HOME BUILDERS, not HOME WARMERS.....DON'T CONFUSE A MAN'S PATH WITH HIS DESTINY. . Where he is today, may only be a route to where God has destined him to be tomorrow . Another truth is that YOU MAY B D ONLY FAST MEANS TO THAT HIS DESTINATION.
Join in alleviating "husband scarcity". PICK UP THE RIGHT VALUE.
I am not saying that you should pick anyone that comes your way and talks of marriage, because, of a truth, not all men are husband materials. What I am saying is that u should stop setting ur standard on material acquisitions or physical appearances. Look beyond d physical. WHAT MAKES A MAN WHO HE IS IS NOT WHAT HE OWNS OR HOW HE LOOKS, IT IS WHAT HE IS MADE UP OF. And that which he is made of is most times not seen with d physical eyes, only its effect can be seen. marriage is a permanent thing. Whatever is seen is temporal and that which is not seen is permanent.
Relax and go to God in prayer. God did not just make Eve for making sake, He made her for Adam's need to b met. God did not make u for making sake either (unless He has a special calling on u) He made u to meet a particular man's need. AND THAT MAN MAY BE THAT ONE THAT DOESN'T FIT INTO THAT YOUR "ALMIGHTY STANDARD" .
Just Try this, LOOK FOR THE MAN INSIDE THAT MAN, THEN YOU WILL FIND YOUR HUSBAND.

“Know the Way and Have the Keys”

“The preacher”
And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.
The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth. Eccl 12:9-10
THE unrighteous feel somewhat secure in their doings because God is patient in exacting judgment for the wrongs they continue to perform in this world……..
O LORD, are not thine eyes upon the truth? Thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.
THEY do not know how truly poor they are by not understanding the way and operation of God’s judgments …
Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, nor the judgment of their God.
THE great men are those who know the “Way” of the Lord …
I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the LORD, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.
GOD IS going to break them down slowly and by degrees ….
Go ye up upon her walls, and destroy; but make not a
full end: take away her battlements; for they are not the LORD'S. Jer 5:3-10
THE REAL WAY of Holiness is Exclusive and Inclusive …
And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall
be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.
No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: Isaiah 35:8-9
BINDING and LOSING is a function of those whom God has given “KEYS” ………….
And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall
be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose
on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Matt 16:19
THE TRUE and REAL Preachers of God; Preach This ……
For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. Romans 14:17-18
NO DOUBT ABOUT IT… !!!
And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. John 14:4-7
WE ARE TO EAT THE BREAD OF LIFE …!!!!!!!
YOU Must Believe to get the Understanding of this KEY …
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
I am that bread of life. …
I am the living bread which came down from heaven:
if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. …
Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. …
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
But there are some of you that believe not. John 6:47-64

*** BEWARE THE EVENT HORIZON **

What do you do when you sense that you’re in the presence of serious danger? Say it’s a dark night in a big city and you see a gang of thugs emerging from the shadows of a deserted alley. Do you saunter up to them and ask the time? Do you casually observe that it’s a nice evening for a walk? Or do you turn tail and run?
The “young man” who figures so memorably in Mark’s narrative of the events of Maundy Thursday evening (probably Mark himself) didn’t have time to ponder the question. He had a pretty strong inkling of what was coming when the Temple guards, after arresting Jesus, turned and grabbed him by his linen night shirt. Under the circumstances, he didn’t wait to hear his rights read. Instead, he left his garment in their hands and took off like the wind, becoming the first (and only) streaker in biblical history. Indecent exposure was the last thing on his mind that night. This was a matter of life and death.

Affairs are every bit as dangerous as muggers or hostile soldiers. They hang above the married man or woman like clouds of death. They presage the complete destruction of his or her marriage — the end of everything that makes life worth living. How odd, then, that some folks, instead of running from infidelity, seem to get a thrill out of toying with the possibility of an extramarital dalliance. They enjoy the excitement of seeing how close to the edge they can get without crossing over. If that’s you, take fair warning: sometimes sticking your toe over the line is all it takes.
You’ve probably heard of black holes. They’re a fascinating component of outer space. The defining feature of a black hole is the imaginary boundary surrounding it. Scientists call this boundary the “Event Horizon.” On one side, an object passing by can resist the black hole’s gravitational pull. But cross that imaginary line, and the gravitational field is so strong not even light can escape its pull.
An extramarital affair has its own event horizon. You may flirt with a co-worker and believe it’s innocent fun. But if this kind of behavior is allowed to go on, it will eventually lead to lunch dates and exchanging texts and e-mails. Sooner or later, you’ll cross a boundary — just one toe over the line — and guess what? It’s too late. You’re emotionally sucked in and, for all practical purposes, there’s no escape. All pretense of innocent fun will be cast aside, and you’ll throw yourself into the relationship with no thought of the consequences.
Here’s the scariest part. You can’t see an affair’s event horizon. You won’t realize you’ve crossed the line until it’s too late. That’s why the wise choice is not to stick your toe out there in the first place. If you do, there’s a good chance that you’ll end up getting sucked in. Better to go out of your way to avoid that possibility altogether. (1 Corinthians 6:18)

The In-Laws

Do you remember this verse? “A man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife.”
With no intention of sounding heartless, we have to say that you can’t allow your extended family to take your marriage down. Too many marriages falter and fail because the struggles and pain of extended family members take precedence over any kind of marital connectedness. The mandate from God is to leave your family and make your spouse your first priority. That doesn’t mean you ignore your extended family; it means keeping your marriage sacred and secure so that you remain united in the face of whatever challenges your families must confront. Protect your family and do the right thing.

That being said, learning to navigate the choppy waters of the extended family can all come down to honor. When you show honor to your extended family, you are directly showing honor to your spouse. No matter how different you are from your extended family, you can still communicate respect and learn to be as positive as possible. Regardless of whether your mother-in-law remembers your birthday, make sure she gets a nice card from you on hers. You may need to compromise your expectations in order to show your in-laws respect. This doesn’t mean you have to force yourself to be extremely connected with them. You don’t have to call them “Dad” or “Mom” and watch TV with them every Sunday night. But if you choose to marry their son or daughter, it’s your job to find ways to care for them (even if that care and respect are not always reciprocated).
Whatever you choose to do to honor your in-laws, remember that your primary job is to be supportive of your future wife or husband no matter how much or how little you have in common with their family. Make it your goal to live out this biblical principle: “Outdo one another in showing honor.”
* How are you already showing honor to your to-be in-laws? In what ways can you build upon this in the future? (Ephesians 5:23-33)

Every girl dreams that one day she will find

Every girl dreams that one day she will find
a boy that does these things for her. even
the smallest action can have the BIGGEST
impact in someones life.
• give her one of your t-shirts to sleep in.
• leave her cute text notes.
• kiss her in front of your friends.
• tell her she looks beautiful.
• look into her eyes when you talk to her.
• let her mess with your hair.
• touch her hair.
• just walk around with her.
• forgive her for her mistakes.
• look at her like she`s the only girl you see.
• tickle her even when she says stop.
• hold her hand when you`re around your
friends.
• when she starts swearing at you, tell her
you love her.
• let her fall asleep in your arms.
• get her mad, then kiss her.
• tease her and let her tease you back.
• stay up all night with her when she`s sick.
• watch her favorite movie with her.
• kiss her forehead.
• give her the world.
• write her letters.
• let her wear your clothes.
• when she`s sad, hang out with her.
• let her know she`s important.
• let her take all the photos she wants of
you.
• kiss her in the pouring rain.
• when you fall in love with her, tell her.
• and when you tell her, love her like you`ve
never loved someone before..

******INSPIRATION STORY********

A doctor entered the
hospital in hurry after being called in for an urgent surgery.
He answered the call asap, changed his clothes & went directly to the surgery block.
He found the boy's father pacing in the hall waiting for the doctor.
On seeing him, the dad yelled: "Why did you take all this time to come? Don't
you know that my son's life is in danger? Don't you have any sense of responsibility?"
The doctor smiled & said: "I am sorry, I wasn't in the hospital & I came as fast as
I could after receiving the call. And now, I wish you'd calm down so that I can do
my work."
"Calm down?! What if your son was in this room right now, would you calm down? If your own son dies now what will you do??" said the father angrily
The doctor smiled again & replied:" I will say what Job said in the Holy Book
'From dust we came & to dust we return, blessed be the name
of God.'
Doctors cannot prolong lives. Go &intercede for your son, we will do our
best by God's grace"
"Giving advises when we're not concerned is so easy "
murmured the father.
The surgery took some hours after which the doctor went out happy,
"Thank goodness!, your son
is saved!" And without waiting for the father's reply he carried on his way
running." If you have any question, ask the nurse!!"
"Why is he so arrogant? He couldn't wait some minutes so that I ask about my son's state" commented the
father when seeing the nurse minutes after the doctor left.
The nurse answered, tears coming down her face:"His
son died yesterday in a road accident, he was in the burial when we called him
for your son's surgery. And now that he saved your son's life, he left running to
finish his son's burial."
Moral-Never judge
anyone.....because you
never know how their life is &what they're going through"