₦airaland Forum

Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka has said that Nigeria is suffering greater carnage at the hands of the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram, than it did during the country’s 30-month civil war.

Soyinka, however, said the Boko Haram insurgency had made the country’s break-up less likely.

He said this in an interview with Reuters on Wednesday in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Soyinka said the horrors inflicted by the Boko Haram insurgents had shown Nigerians across the mostly Muslim north and Christian south that sticking together might be the only way to avoid even greater sectarian slaughter.

Nigeria fought a bloody civil war between 1967 and 1970 to stop the secession attempt by the Igbo of the present South-East zone.

The Nobel laureate said, “We have never been confronted with butchery on this scale, even during the civil war.

“There were atrocities (during Biafra) but we never had such a near predictable level of carnage and this is what is horrifying.”

A million people died during the Biafra war, though mostly through starvation and illness, rather than violence.

Boko Haram’s five-year-old struggle to carve out an Islamic state from its bases in the North-East has become increasingly bloody, with near daily attacks killing many thousands.

The conflict’s growing intensity has led Nigerian commentators to predict it may split the country, 100 years after British colonial rulers cobbled Nigeria together from their northern and southern protectorates.

“I think ironically it’s less likely now. For the first time, a sense of belonging is predominating. It’s either we stick together now or we break up, and we know it would be not in a pleasant way,” Soyinka said.

Boko Haram’s abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls from the Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, on April 14 drew unprecedented international attention to the insurgency and pledges of aid from Western powers, but violence has worsened.

The sect’s fighters frequently massacre whole villages, gunning down fleeing residents and burning their homes.

The insurgents on Sunday returned to the Chibok Local Government Area, attacking churches and worshippers during worship in Kwada, Kautikari and Kanagau communities. On Tuesday, the insurgents bombed a popular market in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, from where the sect started off its campaign of violence in 2009.

Soyinka said fewer people were shrugging off Boko Haram’s menace.

“It’s almost unthinkable to say: ‘well, let’s leave them to their devices.’ Very few people are thinking that way,” he said.

Attacks spreading southwards, including three bombings in the Federal Capital Territory since April, showed it was not a just a northern problem.

Soyinka said, “The (Boko Haram) forces that would like to see this nation break up are the very forces which will not be satisfied having their enclave.

“(We) are confronted with an enemy that will never be satisfied with the space it has.

“When the spectre of Sharia first came up, for political reasons, this was allowed to hold, instead of the president defending the constitution.”

He sees both Christianity and Islam as foreign impositions.

“We cannot ignore the negative impacts which both have had on African society. They are imperialist forces: intervening, arrogant. Modern Africa has been distorted,” he told Reuters.

He added that while the leadership of Boko Haram needed to be “decapitated completely”, little had been done to present an alternative ideological vision to their “deluded” followers, driven largely by economic destitution and despair.


http://www.punchng.com/news/nigerias-break-up-less-likely-says-soyinka/

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, on Wednesday said there was no truth in media reports that duty on used cars had been increased to 70 per cent with effect from July 1 based on the new National Automotive Policy.

He said contrary to the report, the duty on used cars remained 35 per cent.

Aganga said this in an interview with State House correspondents at the end of the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting, where he said the council members were appropriately briefed in order to correct the misrepresentation.

The minister explained that all those assembling cars in the country would be allowed to import at 35 per cent duty to bridge the gap that might arise between demand and supply.

He, however, said the 70 per cent duty would be applicable to those who were not ready to assemble cars locally but preferred to engage in trading by bringing the vehicles from abroad.

The decision, he explained, was aimed at protecting those assembling cars locally and make importation unprofitable and unattractive.

Aganga said, “The article (media report) had claimed that the duty on used cars is now 70 per cent from yesterday (July 1); that is incorrect. It is 35 per cent. It also claimed that all used cars now coming into the country would pay duty of 70 per cent; that again, is incorrect.

“For all those in the auto policy programme, all those assembling cars in the programme; the policy is that they will be able to import cars to meet the gap when you look at production and the demand in the country; they would be able to import those cars at 35 per cent; so, it is not 70 per cent.

“It is only for those who are putting strain on our foreign reserves, those who have no intention of creating jobs, those who want to continue to remain traders that the 70 per cent applies to and this is to discourage trading.

“It is to encourage local assembly and job creation, and stop unnecessary pressure on our foreign reserves. So, it is an economic issue and it is very deliberate.”

The minister added, “Why will you import cars at 70 per cent while others are importing at 35 per cent? So, we do not expect to see anyone importing cars at 70 per cent. It was just a measure to encourage people to go within the policy group.”

“When you look at the blended rate of those in the auto programme for the CKDs, SKD 1 and SKD 2 they bring to the country, they only pay duty of zero per cent, five per cent and 10 per cent, respectively.

“So when you look at the blended rate of what they produce locally and what they import, it is just above 20 per cent. That is the policy and that is why all the manufacturers and assemblers of cars, including some of the major distributors of cars and importers of cars have given an undertaking they will not increase their prices at all. Anyone who wants to buy cars from anyone of them, they will find out that none of them plans to or has increased prices at all.”

Aganga said the Federal Government would continue to monitor the prices of cars every week because the new policy should not lead to any price increase if the operators were to be fair to the consumers.



http://www.punchng.com/business/business-economy/duty-on-used-cars-not-70-fg/

Embarrassed by indiscriminate use of siren in Lagos State, the government yesterday directed law enforcement agencies to begin apprehension of offenders as well as their prosecution.

The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye, in a statement warned the general public, especially drivers, against the use of siren and noisy devices indiscriminately within the state.

The use of siren and other noisy devices in vehicles is prohibited under the Lagos State Road Traffic Law.

According to the AG, it was only vehicles used for emergency purposes, such as ambulances, fire engines and law enforcement vehicles on urgent call that are exempted from the rule.

Ipaye added that apart from those listed, nobody is allowed to use siren or other noisy device in a vehicle within the territorial boundary of the state.

He said: “The use of siren and other noisy devices have caused unnecessary harassment to innocent road users and resulted in many instances of traffic congestion, avoidable motor accidents, damage to property and personal injury.”

Section 24 (C ) of the Lagos State Road Traffic Law 2011, made it criminal offence to use or deploy siren or other noisy device in a vehicle within the state.

“By virtue of section 36(1) of the same law, convicted offenders may be fined up to N30,000 and/or imprisoned for up to three years,” he noted.

Ipaye said in addition to the above penalty, offenders would be held fully responsible for damage or injury caused by his contravention and the offending vehicle is also liable to be forfeited to the state by virtue of Section 36(2) of the law.

“Law enforcement officers have been directed to ensure full compliance with the Lagos State Road Traffic Law for the purpose of ensuring the peace, safety and security of all residents and visitors on our roads,” Lagos AG added.

Ipaye, while thanking the law-abiding people of Lagos State for their continued partnership in making the state a model megacity, said anyone that contravened any section of the law should be prepared to face the full wrath of the law.


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/07/lagos-begins-clampdown-illegal-siren-users/

The Federal Government on Tuesday asked investors from China to partner Nigeria in floating a national carrier for the country.

According to the government, Nigeria being the largest economy in Africa should have a national carrier.

The Supervising Minister of Aviation, Dr. Samuel Ortom, disclosed this when he received a Chinese delegation at the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Aviation in Abuja.

The Chinese delegation was led by the Director-General, China Development Bank, Wang Wensong, who was accompanied by experts from China Academy of Civil Aviation, Science and Technology.

Ortom told the delegation that there were so many opportunities in Nigeria’s aviation sector, adding that “I would not mind suggesting to you that we can go into partnership to float a national carrier which we don’t have currently.

He added, “You will agree with me that we need a national carrier as a country. The most populous country on the continent of Africa and of course based on our recently rebased figure, we are the richest country on the soil of Africa.

“So, there is no reason we should not have a national carrier. We are seeking partnership where we can get good partners who are ready to work with us to establish a national carrier and there is nothing wrong with that.”

He said the Federal Government was exploring opportunities inherent in the sector, adding that this was the reason why aviation experts from China and the China Development Bank were in Nigeria.

“At the end, they are going to make their own recommendation but we have just had preliminary discussions today,” he said.

The minister said the government was going to get experts in the sector to sit with the Chinese team to work out details on how best “we can come out with a programme that will usher us into a very sustainable and stable aviation industry.”

Ortom said, “We shall need encouragement in investing in the aviation sector and also in human capacity building so that we can meet international standard.”

He noted that the Chinese delegation was expected to go into a special technical session with Nigerian aviation experts on Thursday to outline areas of interest for Nigeria.

“China Development Bank will be glad to assist us in the Nigerian aviation sector. Just indicate your interest and we will be ready to support you. We are willing to listen and know your area of interest,” Ortom said.



http://www.punchng.com/business/business-economy/fg-woos-chinese-investors-for-national-carrier/

Whether it be their surprising Euro 2004 success a decade ago or their dramatic qualification from this year’s World Cup group stages, Greece tend to be a team of feelgood moments.

Their latest warming turn of events comes courtesy of a Greek report which suggests the squad have politely turned down a bonus from their Prime Minister, Antonis Samaras, for reaching the knockout phase for the first time in the famous tournament’s history.

Instead, they requested that the cash be used to build a brand-spanking new training centre for the national side so that they can continue to provide better results for their country.

A very brief letter read, according to NewsBomb.gr:

"We do not want extra bonus, or money. We only play for Greece and its people.

“All we want is for you to support our effort to find a land and create a sports center that will house our national team ".

Compare and contrast this to Cameroon threatening not to show up in Brazil at all prior to the World Cup kicking off over bonus rows.

Then, earlier this week, 3 million dollars had to be shipped out to Brazil so that Ghana would see through their third and final group stage match against Portugal.

Neither of those sides made it to the last-16. Greece did.

That alone says a great deal about the importance of integrity and national spirit, even in a sport as high-profile and rabidly-competitive as football.


https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/the-rio-report/greece-surprising-request-turning-down-world-cup-bonus-133423113.html

There are indications that fixed telephony may be wiped out from the telecommunications landscape of the country as fixed telecommunications operators lost more than 56 per cent of their active lines in the past one year.

Statistics obtained from industry regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commissions, on Friday, showed that the active fixed telephone lines in the country were 172,876 lines as of April ending.

A year before, the number of fixed telephone lines stood at 396,939 lines. That means that within a period of one year, the fixed operators lost 224,063 active lines. This also shows a decline of 56.45 per cent in the number of active fixed telephone lines.

Within the same period of one year, Global System for Mobile Communications operators known as GSM operators gained 10.63 million new subscribers. This shows 9.14 per cent increase in the subscriber base of GSM operators.

Other marginal operators within the industry pushed the total number of subscriber lines in the country to 129,391,392 lines as of April.

This means that the total number of subscription lines increased by 10.03 million within a period of one year. It was 119,356,665 lines a year before. This shows an increase of 7.76 per cent in the total number of subscribers within the period of one year.

The decline of fixed telephony in the country is not helped by the rapid decline in the fortunes of operators that had hitherto offered fixed wireless telephony services.

In fact, the regulatory agency has listed some of the fixed operators as inactive. The operators consist of Starcomms Limited, Reliance Telecomms, Intercellular Nigeria Limited, MTS First Communications and Disc Communications.

Others are WiTEL, O’Net (Odua Telecom), Rainbownet Limited, Monarch Communications, XS Broadband, Webcom and of course, the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited.

Over the years, NITEL had been the major provider of fixed services in the country. The hope that this former sole national operator would bounce back has been dashed by conflicting stance of different arms of government on the path of revival to follow.

The liquidator appointed for the telecomms operator by the Bureau of Public Enterprises recently announced that the Federal Government was seeking buyers for the assets of the distressed former telecomms monopoly.

The government opted to wind up NITEL in March after almost a decade of struggling to sell it due to the shambolic state of its fixed lines and high levels of debt.

The liquidator said in an advert that it wanted bidders with five years of telecomms experience and a net worth of at least $200m.

It said bids must be submitted by 1600 GMT on June 30, adding that the assets would be handed over to the preferred bidder in December.

The privatisation body said it opted for a sale method it called ‘guided liquidation’ because it wanted to protect the government from future claims and liabilities, as proceeds of the sale might be less than the value of the debt.

NITEL is said to owe creditors – mostly suppliers – around N400bn, with creditors taking a loss if the proceeds from the sale are not enough to repay the entire debt.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Privatisation, Senator Gbenga Obadara, said the Senate was opposed to the liquidation of NITEL and its mobile subsidiary, the Nigerian Mobile Telecommunications Limited.

He described the proposed guided liquidation of NITEL as fraudulent, alleging that through the exercise, the properties of NITEL, more than 5,000 across the country, would be given to cronies of people in government.

Obadara said the legislative house preferred a Build, Operate and Transfer arrangement with the private sector, arguing that the debt owed NITEL by government agencies could offset its debt.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Comnavig, a telecomms consulting firm, Mr. Olufemi Adeagbo, said the decline in fixed telephony and fixed telecommunication operators was expected, given the revolution brought about by the GSM service providers.

Adeagbo said although fixed telephony had advantages of quality, reliability and lesser consumption of spectral resources, he argued that given the infrastructure requirement for fixed telecommunication, the operators could not stand against the rampaging force of the GSM.

He said, “In Nigeria, unlike in several advanced countries, the first contact that majority of the people had with telecommunications was mobile. We never had fixed telephony culture.

“What can I get from fixed that I cannot get from mobile? We never had the fixed line culture. In Britain, fixed telephony is almost free. If it is not cheaper, I don’t see the business sense in fixed telephony.”

The Comnavig boss said fixed operators needed to refocus their businesses or face total extinction, noting that chasing domestic subscribers could not revive fixed telephony.

He said fixed telephony could only serve the corporate market because of the imperative of driving businesses with fixed lines and the need to serve contact centres that could not be breached by mobile services.

Meanwhile, through the licensing of infrastructure companies, the NCC says it hopes to revive whatever is left of fixed telephony.

The target of the seven infrastructure companies that are in the pipeline is broadband and data revolution.

Concerned stakeholders expect that the licensing of these infrastructure companies will have the indirect effect of reviving of fixed telephony in the country.

http://www.punchng.com/business/financial-punch/starcomms-intercellular-others-face-extinction/

Delectable artiste and rave of the moment, Tiwa Savage is a no-nonsense lady who doesn’t seem to spare anybody who angers her.

At the Murtala Mohammed International Airport last Monday, Saturday Beats watched how Tiwa descended on a member of staff of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company who she said was “rude” to her.

The Eminado crooner, looking chic in her black and white ensemble, was seen arguing and quarrelling with the NAHCO staff and her action drew a little crowd.


The NAHCO lady was unfazed by Tiwa’s fame and didn’t allow her to intimidate her as she told the people around that she wasn’t rude to Tiwa.

“I was not rude to her. I only told her to go and board since she had checked in her luggage. I wonder how that could mean that I was rude to her,” Saturday Beats overheard the NAHCO staff saying.

Not giving the lady another look, Tiwa eventually entered the boarding gate alongside her colleagues.

Tiwa and some other Nigerian artistes, Saturday Beats gathered, were on their way to Mauritius on board an Emirate flight.

Recall that it was reported few months ago that the singer had an encounter with a policeman and she allegedly removed his beret from his head.


http://www.punchng.com/entertainment/saturday-beats/tiwa-loses-cool-at-airport/

Hours ago, Linda Ikeji reported that ex-lovers, Yvonne Nelson and Singer Iyanya will be starring in a movie titled, ‘The Ransom. The report however, did not go own well with Yvonne Nelson as she faulted Linda’s report openly on the social media.
Yvonne immediately tweeted at Linda, saying “Please, be accurate with stories involving my name. Thank you.” The actress wrote. “I haven’t approached Iyanya or his team for any of my projects and don’t intend to do so. Thanks again.”
Linda swiftly responded; “You and Iyanya are not set to star in a movie called The Ransom? What’s inaccurate about that? It’s not your movie I hear”
A heated argument ensued afterwards, with Linda accusing Nelson of wanting to trend, while the actress insisted the blogger’s report was false and that she should quit playing mind games on her readers.

http://dailystar.com.ng/2014/01/08/yvonne-nelson-linda-ikeji-war-iyanya-story/?utm_source=&utm_medium=facebook

A 35-year-old housewife identified as Zenab Agbontine has been arrested for allegedly murdering her husband, Egberise Agbontine, in Ubiane Aviele village near Auchi, Edo State in cold blood with an axe for refusing to eat the food she prepared for him after he returned from work.

The incident was devastating so much that despite his years in the Nigeria Police and having encountered different murder cases, the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mr Foluso Adebanjo, said he still had not recovered from the shock.

Zenab murdered her husband as he slept.

According to her, they had allegedly been quarrelling for more than a week before she decided to permanently resolve the problem by sending Egberise to his grave in the most gruesome way conceivable.

On the fateful day, when the husband returned from office, she prepared his meal.

Without any foreboding that death lurked in the corner in wait for him, Egebrise took his bath and when the wife informed him that food was ready, he reportedly declined eating what she had prepared.

Narrating the chain of events that ultimately led to the tragic death of Egberise, Zenab told Sunday Sun in an interview: “I have been having quarrels with my husband for a long time. We tried to settle the matter without success. One day, my husband came back from the office and told me that he was not interested in the marriage anymore.

“I pleaded with him but he refused. I prepared food for him but he refused to eat the food. With annoyance he went to sleep. At about midnight when my husband was asleep I went to the kitchen and I took the axe and cut him on the neck several times, he struggled until he died. It was the devil that used me. I didn’t know what prompted me to kill him but maybe because he said he was not interested in the marriage again.

“The family of my husband should forgive me. I am calling on the elders in the community in Auchi to forgive me because it was ignorance and the devil that used me as I now realize that I didn’t exercise enough patience with my husband”.

Though Zenab has resigned herself to the fate that awaits her after trial, the future of the three children she bore for the late Egberise is her major concern now.

Amidst tears, she remarked on the bleak future of her children: “I know I will face the consequence of my action but the question is who will take care of my children? I have three children for him. Their father is dead and their mother is on the way to the prison. It is only God that will take care of my children”.

The police boss said that the suspect would soon be arraigned in court on murder charge.



http://www.ghanamma.com/mother-of-three-axes-husband-to-death-in-auchi/

What would ‘push’ a man with five degrees, three of them Masters and a job in a bank into being a baker? Ask Joseph Temitope Oluwadipe, that question and watch a thin smile spread across his face like butter on bread. With air of fulfillment and undiluted pride, he tells you that the profit and satisfaction from it is without measure.

Oluwadipe bagged his first degree in Business Education from the University of Benin and a postgraduate diploma in Economics at University of Lagos, (UNILAG). In between, he secured a job in the bank in 1991. After three years, he applied for study leave and returned to UNILAG for a full time Masters Degree in Economics. At the same time, he was offered another admission by the University of Benin (UNIBEN) to read Banking and Finance (Saturday only).

“So, I was doing the two together,” the chartered banker, notes. After he left the bank in 2010, he acquired yet another postgraduate diploma in Journalism at the Nigeria Instituted of Journalism, after which he proceeded to the Pan African University, School of Media and Communication for more studies.

But in spite of the chain of certificates, he strolled into the bakery and confectionary industry, ‘because I know food business is good business.

“With a bag of flour you can make a profit of N5, 000, that is, if you are not doing anything at all.”

The CEO, Global Exhibition Resources Nig. Ltd (GERN) advice to youths roaming the streets in search of elusive white-collar jobs is that they should take a cue from him and go into bakery and confectionary business.

What do you bake?

I bake bread, though on a small scale. Right now, it is a family business.



As a baker, how did you start?

I started with half a bag of flour.



How big are you now?

I have moved beyond that.



What is your assessment of the bakery/confectionary industry?

It is an industry that is large and open for new investment. Even if you don’t want to go into bread, you can go into confectionaries; and you don’t need much capital to go into it. You can see women going into cake business. It is a business that people well like to go into, especially young graduates looking for something to do. They can go into bakery or confectionaries. It will save them the problem of looking for elusive jobs. It is a big and lucrative business.



Tell us about the exhibition you’re packaging. When did you start nursing the idea?

I got the idea in 2003. Since then, I have been nursing ambition of organizing this programme because I feel that exhibition is very important; it is an avenue to expose people to something.

The Bakery Expo 2013 is a strategic platform organized to bring together the people in the bakery industry- the buyer and the suppliers of bakery equipment, and even other associated products- so as to move the bakery industry forward. Having worked at this sector, I discovered that it is a sector that is big and wide with over 450,000 bakers registered in Nigeria. I believe it is an area one has to look into in terms of job creation, and also to bring about change in the industry because most of our bakers are still using obsolete equipment. They are not really exposed to modern equipment. That is why we are bringing in all these.



What do you intend to achieve?

My primary objective is for professionals all over the world to come out and showcase their latest equipment. It is also to bring professionals together where people generate ideas and rub minds. It is like a meeting point for professionals. We need to rob minds with government and other stakeholders on how we can develop this industry so that it will be an avenue for people to get jobs, to start business on their own. People can go into pastry, snacks and so on if you can’t go into bread because bread equipment are expensive. But all other ones like snacks are easy to go into.



If we have all these things and they are very easy to go into as you said, why do we still have many unemployed youths roaming the streets?

The problem we are facing in this country is complex. For instance, when I wanted to go into this business, people asked me, you have three masters degree, why bread? Education is not an end in itself, but a means to an end. But in Nigeria, we see education as an end. The moment you have a certificate, you begin to look for white-collar job. We need to change that orientation. People have been offering me jobs, but I told them I wanted to do my own thing. That is the issue with vocational training; they think people would abuse them. If a graduate wants to learn sewing, for instance, people would say, ‘is that all you can do with your degree? I have been a victim. Even today, people still say a manner of things about me, but I am making my money. Do you know I would do 300 pieces of bread and finish selling them before 8 a.m?



How long does it take to learn how to bake?

Within two weeks you are done. It does not take time. I can do chocolate bread, coconut bread, milk bread and so on. I love special bread, that’s why I do special exhibition. I don’t want to be common with the white pan bread. I do specialized bread and I know I make money from specialized bread, because whatever you call it is what it is.

I have been growing with this confidently and that is what informed my decision to organise an exhibition. I went to the university five times, getting one degree or the other, but thank God I can do this. If I have known all these things in the past 10 years, why would I be wasting my time in somebody’s office? If I had known this about five or six years ago, I would have been bigger than this.


http://sunnewsonline.com/new/specials/aspire/regret-dumping-banking-5-degrees-go-bakery/

In New York City, even the muggers have attitudes…
During a robbery over the weekend in Central Park, a mugger was so disappointed with his victim’s flip phone that he handed it back.
Two gun-toting robbers held up 25-year-old Kevin Cook and his friend, and got away with a briefcase, a cellphone, and a wallet containing $114 in cash.


However, Cook was able to keep his flip phone.
“Once he saw my phone, he looked at it like, ‘What the [expletive] is this?’ and gave it back to me,” Cook said. “It’s like a 3-year-old generation Windows phone. I guess he didn’t think he could get anything for it. It’s kind of humorous.”
After the mugger handed back the phone, Cook put it to good use.
“He handed it back to me and a minute later I was able to call 911 and get the whole thing started,” Cook said. “It’s like, finally a pro for having something out of date.”
Police are still on the lookout for the two robbers.

Despite what you may believe, heart attacks rarely happen “out of the blue.” In fact, your body may be trying to warn you of an impending heart attack for days, weeks, perhaps even a month or two before it occurs. Unfortunately, by the time you actually recognise you’re suffering a heart attack, it could be too late to prevent death or debilitating heart damage.

Statistics show a clear link between a delay in heart attack treatment and death or disability. That’s why it’s essential to know exactly what your heart is trying to tell you with warning signs.

Not a male problem

Many people think that heart attacks are a “man’s problem,” yet heart disease is actually the number one killer of both men and women in the United States. In men, the risk for heart attack increases significantly after the age of 45. In women, heart attacks are more likely to occur in the years after menopause (usually, after the age of 50). However, younger men and women can also have heart attacks.

Besides age, factors that increase the risk for heart attack are:

•A previous heart attack or procedure to open up the coronary arteries

•Family history of early heart disease:

–Father or brother diagnosed before age 55

–Mother or sister diagnosed before age 65

•Diabetes mellitus

•High blood cholesterol

•High blood pressure

•Cigarette smoking

•Overweight

•Physical inactivity

If you have one or more of these factors, see your health care provider to find out how to reduce your risk of having a heart attack.

What happens

During a heart attack, a clot in the heart’s artery blocks the flow of blood to the heart. Heart muscle begins to die. This is technically called a “myocardial infarction,” meaning “death of heart muscle.” The more time that passes without treatment, the greater the damage. The part of the heart that dies during a heart attack cannot grow back or be repaired.

Fortunately, clot-busting drugs and other artery-opening treatments, such as angioplasty, can stop a heart attack in its tracks. Given soon after symptoms begin, these treatments can prevent or limit damage to the heart. The quicker they are started, the more good they will do and the greater the chances are of a full recovery. To be most effective, these treatments should be given within one hour of the start of heart attack symptoms. The benefit of opening the blocked artery decreases with each passing hour from symptom onset until treatment.

Learn the signs

Many people think that a heart attack is sudden and intense, like the “Hollywood” heart attack depicted in the movies, where a person clutches his or her chest and falls over. The truth is that many heart attacks start as a mild discomfort in the centre of the chest. Someone who feels such a warning may not be sure what is wrong. The discomfort (and other symptoms) may even come and go.

Even people who have had a heart attack may not recognise the signs, because the next one can have entirely different symptoms. However, the following signs are pointers…

•Chest discomfort: Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the centre of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes or that goes away and comes back. The discomfort can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, or fullness.

•Discomfort in other areas of the upper body: [/b]Symptoms can include discomfort in one or both arms or in the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.

[b]•Shortness of breath: This symptom often accompanies chest discomfort. However, it can also occur before the chest discomfort.

•Other signs: These may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or light-headedness. Some patients report a sense of impending doom.

Timing is everything

People who experience the warning signs of a heart attack often deny how serious the situation is and take a wait-and-see approach. But time is very important, and anyone with these warning signs needs to get medical evaluation and treatment right away. Don’t wait more than a few minutes — five minutes at most — to get to the doctor!

Remember: Don’t delay

The best way to find out if symptoms are due to a heart attack is to get them checked at a hospital emergency department. In a heart attack, every minute that passes causes more of the heart muscle to die. You can save a life — your own or someone else’s — by getting to the hospital right away.

Doctors and emergency personnel want anyone who may be having a heart attack to come to the emergency department without delay, even if the symptoms turn out to be a false alarm.

Plan ahead

Make a plan now for what you would do if a heart attack should happen. It will save time and could help save a life. To plan ahead:

•Learn the heart attack warning signs listed in this article.

•Talk to your doctor about your heart attack risk and what you can do to reduce it. Ask specifically about aspirin and the use of nitroglycerin.

•Talk with your doctor, family members, friends, and co-workers about the heart attack warning signs and the importance of acting fast.

Knowing what to do if a heart attack occurs could save your life or theirs.


http://www.punchng.com/health/healthwise/what-happens-right-before-a-heart-attack/

Despite the huge amount that Nigerians spend on constructing their houses and the 16 million unit housing deficit, experts have demonstrated that affordable homeownership is possible. MAUREEN AZUH writes on the choices that are available to the people

Owning a home is perhaps the most important achievement in life. The journey towards that can be daunting, especially in a growing economy where individuals are responsible for their own welfare.

For those who depend on the federal and state governments’ minimum wage, and even those who earn less than N3m per annum, building a house or accessing mortgages to buy into the various private housing projects is a near impossibility.

Experts in the built environment, however, say that building a house to suit one’s pocket and needs, is not rocket science but an achievable dream.

According to experts, an individual who wishes to build a personal house for a budget of between N2.5m and N3m must first consider the location they can acquire land cheaply, which in most cases will be on the outskirt of cities.

A piece of land in the heart of any major town will require the entire money and more.

“If you must build a house with between N2.5m and N3m, you must know that you can’t acquire land in the city. You have to go to the outskirts where you can get a plot of land or half for N300, 000 to N500, 000. That is the first step,” the Managing Director, Bolyn Construction Company, Elder Rufus Akinrolabu, says.

Akinrolabu adds that care must also be taken not to invest in a marshy or swampy area as sand filling and piling may be as expensive as building a house itself.

According to him, to be able to do a good job of managing the money, there must be an estimate for the builder and the owner on the quantity and quality of materials required.

“There will be a need to examine all the items for construction one after the other without leaving any. A material specification is essential as there are different types of items that can be used for the same purpose,” he states.

Location of the building also plays an important role, according to a quantity surveyor and Managing Partner, JIMS Partnership, Mr. Jide Oke.

“A building in Lekki area will cost more than a building in Ibafo, for instance, because of the soil condition. We also have to look at the specifications or the choices available to the owner. That will depend on the kind of materials to be used; if you are using granite, marble or some expensive tiles in the sitting room, you know you have to spend more than someone using PVC tiles or something cheaper,” he explains.

But for someone who wants to live in an affordable place, on a farm or dry land, the odds are that N2.5m can build a standard and comfortable two-bedroom bungalow with quality but affordable materials.

Oke says, “Your roof may not be so expensive; you may be looking at using a typical 0.55 gauge of long span aluminium instead of 0.7, which is more expensive.

“If you are looking at what you can do with a half or even a quarter plot of land, you can look at a two-bedroom of about five metres by 13 metres, which is barely less than 70 square metres. By the time you provide a frontage and a parking lot for one or two cars, you may be having around 150 square metres that is like quarter of a plot because a plot of land is about 600 square metres.

“If one quarters of a plot is maximised, it will build a standard family-sized house that is not opulent but has minimum level of comfort.”

The immediate past President, Nigerian Institute of Building, Mr. Chucks Omeife, says direct labour procurement method, where an individual buys his own materials and engages the services of a builder to manage the construction process, is another way of saving cost.

“Once the substructure is well constructed, the building would have met with good quality standard and reduce to the barest minimum the problem of maintenance,” he explains.

According to him, this method saves cost by between 20 and 25 per cent.

For a two-bedroom flat consisting a sitting room, dining room, kitchen, store, toilet and bathroom, Akinrolabu estimates that the foundation will require about 40 bags of cement, four loads of granite, three loads of sharp sand and about 420 pieces of nine-inch sandcrete blocks at a cost of about N400,000.

For labour, he says clearing of the site, digging of foundation trench, concreting, laying of block walls and filling, and back filling will cost about N110, 000, with a sub total of N450, 000 for the foundation work.

The brick wall to roof level will require about 5,160 blocks, 101 pieces of half-inch rods, 31 quarter-inch rods, binding wire, one load of gravel, three loads of sharp sand, 25 bags of cement, planks and nails at the cost of about N720,000, including labour.

Roofing and ceiling, ground floor and screeding work are estimated at N490, 000 and N173, respectively.

“A unit of two-bedroom house, including preliminary work, foundation up to DPC, walling above DPC, lintel, beams and columns, doors, windows and lock fixing, plastering, painting, electrical works, plumbing and sanitary wares will cost about N2.8m,” Akinrolabu says.

Building a three-bedroom flat with the same materials, on the other hand, will cost an estimated N3.4m.

The Marketing Director, Nigerite Limited, manufacturers of roofing products and accessories, Mr. Toyin Gbede, says the foundation to ceiling level of an affordable two-bedroom building should not be more than N1.1m assuming that the land is already available.

According to him, the problem is with the finishing, which takes up between 40 and 50 per cent of the total cost of the building.

For this, he suggests starting little and working with the budget until the job is done. For the roofing, he suggests the use of fibre cement, which according to him, is not expensive but can give the desired result.

Gbede adds that if the building is about 80 square metres, and the fibre cement costs N1,200, and the ceiling, N800 to N900 per square metre respectively, that will give approximately N168 ,000 to N170,000.

For the windows and floor, he suggests the use of conventional louvers and normal floor rendering.

He says, “The beauty of finishing is that you can start little, if you are really desperate to get your own house. You have to look at your needs and not what the society dictates.

“As your income grows, you can change some of those things to suit your needs and new status as long as the super structure is already there.”

The alternative technology route

A low income earner can also take the route of using alternative building technology, which building experts have been clamouring for, for a long time.

According to experts, one can save up to 40 or 50 per cent of the cost of the building, transportation and labour if one adopts this method that utilises materials that can be found around the site of the project. Such a technology will also provide a steady income stream after the construction of a house as others will come and hire it for their own projects.

One of the most popular locally available materials, which can be made with simple technology, is the laterite or ‘red sand’ in local parlance.

Laterite is the residual soil formed by the leaching or discharge of silica and is said to be enriched with aluminium and iron oxides, especially in humid climates.

An official of the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute, Ota, Ogun State, says the use of laterite will be a wise choice for low income earners as it is readily available, cheap and durable. The soil is available in dry areas and can be sourced by digging wells or soak away pits.

According to the NIBRI official, who chose not to have his name mentioned, all that is needed is for the user to stabilise the laterite with five per cent cement and minimal water to make it moist enough before it is fed into the brick making machine.

“Laterite is about N12, 000 for a truck load, which can make enough bricks to build a mini flat. About four moulds from the laterite will make a nine-inch brick. Although when you decide to use laterite to construct your house, you may require lots of it, but it is also available. Anywhere you dig, you will find laterite,” he notes.

Unlike cement blocks that have voids and holes, bricks made from laterite are solid and can be made within a few minutes. In addition, houses made from bricks, according to experts are cooler because bricks are heat resistant.

Houses constructed from bricks made from laterite may also not need painting, as the raw material comes in an attractive colour.

“We are used to cement-based materials and lots of imported building materials that add cost to our building construction; and so, have refused to develop the use of our own God-given materials that are abundant for housing,” Akinrolabu states.

He says the cost of procuring a brick-making machine, employing labour and putting finishing touches to a house made with bricks from laterite is far lesser than the house made with cement blocks and imported materials.

Apart from the use of laterite, which is similar to the conventional building method, architects who spoke with our correspondent, say the dry construction method can never go wrong.

A former Chairman, Nigerian Institute of Architects, Lagos State chapter, Mrs. Abimbola Ajayi, says building materials are expensive and the way to go is to start thinking of the dry construction method.

“Cement is expensive, sand is expensive and even when those things don’t cost so much, transportation takes a lot of resources. Dry solution is more affordable and should be made more popular here because that is what most people in other countries are building with,” she says.

Dry construction is a method of building that utilises light and dry materials, including boards, wood, frames and cement fibre box panels made by allowing bubbles into the cement mixtures.

The dry construction method is used in construction of floors, ceilings and fences consisting of semi-finished products and assembled on-site into complete integral structures.

According to Ajayi, the dry construction method means that apart from the foundation, which will use concrete, the building itself will come in a frame structure, either wooden or in container form, but panelled to keep heat away in a tropical region such as Nigeria.

The dry methods are specialised solutions to buildings,which reduces construction time and labour by as much as 20 per cent at the end of the day.

Ajayi says, “You don’t have to pay so much for labour. We Nigerians like to shy away from what needs to be done; with the way things are today, nobody can build a proper house for N2.5m; it is not possible even with N3m, when one bag of cement is about N2,000 and reinforcement rod costs about N160, 000 per trailer load. The sand is there and gravel or granite, you can’t even use gravel because they will mix it with mud and you won’t know.

“If granite for instance is N3,000 per tonne, gravel will be like N1,500 per tonne; meanwhile, it may be mixed with mud and the trailer will take up to N90,000 for transportation.

“Many of us are saying we should go the dry construction way, a lot of people now resort to the dry construction method as a housing solution. People may think you are building a cardboard house but it is not; such houses last longer.”

She explains that once there is a plan, the builder will bring the containers for instance, together and make the panel.

“You can stack them on top of each other like you have in housing estates in Alausa and Maryland. When you bring the shell together, you roof it. It is cheaper abroad, but here it may not be cheaper in terms of naira and kobo, but it’s cheaper than using cement and sand.”

Gbede shares Ajayi’s sentiment, he says the advantage of such a method is that the waste in the conventional building method is eliminated completely.

“When you mix cement, some will remain on the ground and you can’t do anything about it. Even when you use wood, you cut off the bad part and it wastes. If you put the waste together, it may amount to about 15 to 20 per cent of the total cost of construction,” he notes.

Gbede says the way to start is to have an organic design for the house with an elaborate foundation. Organic design, he says aids dry construction and encourages anyone who wishes to build a house to do it in stages.

He says, “A young man working in a bank, for instance, gets a N3.5m loan to build a house. Does he really need a three-bedroom house at this stage? He doesn’t need more than a sitting room, bedroom, kitchen and toilet.

“All he needs is an organic design for a start; and as his family grows, the building grows too. You can have a bigger picture by making an elaborate foundation for expansion. The only thing with this design is that you have to see the future from the beginning.”

A professor of Architecture at the University of Lagos, Olumide Olusanya, advocates alternative building technology, albeit a different method.

He is of the opinion that the idea of everyone trying to build his own house is primitive and wasteful.

“Only very rich people should be building their own houses because they can afford the money. For everyone else, the sanest method is through mass development and a pulling together of resources to get optimal result and distribution of wealth,” he says.

To him, when people come together, building becomes easier and affordable as no technology can crash the cost of building for an individual.

He advocates a system called ‘sustainable system’s building’, which is a situation where all the materials used for a particular construction project are locally sourced and can be taken to another site.

According to him, building with bricks saves money, but admits that despite its beauty and durability, the material can only be used for a storey building.

Olusanya says, “People think bungalows are the way out, but they are eyesores in the city centres; they are most often built on the outskirts where there are no infrastructure.

“I feel there should be a law banning bungalows in the cities. I believe that every use of land must justify the infrastructure that has been put in place.”

His opinion is that people who intend to own their homes should come together in thrift societies and build high-rise structures.

This, he says, will involve the fabrication of equipment that are low cost but of high performance, which can be from old tins and used metals.

“We can build high and still retain the ambience of the street depending on the technology that we deploy. The solution to the housing needs must be in the marriage of the architectural design and the building technology for actualising it. I call it the marriage of product and process,” he explains.

Building with about N2.5m or N3m, according to Olusanya, is possible through collective efforts, adding, “Once it is through collective work combined with technology, it makes it easier. People should begin to form strong cooperative societies.”

Why alternative technology is not popular

According to Olusanya, a country suffers a problem of underdevelopment where the people cannot solve their own problems but wait for government’s intervention.

“A country cannot move forward when there is a critical lack of mass of idea. I have been talking about this alternative method of home ownership for several years now. People should take their destinies in their hands,” he says.

Ironically, when our correspondent spoke with people on alternative building technology, most of them say they are not aware of its existence in the country.

“If building with mud is what you call alternative technology, I’m sorry; I can’t build my house with that. That ‘technology’ is out of fashion,” says Samuel Mba.

Mba says he can think of using baked bricks but definitely not mud, because “that will make people begin to look at me as if I’m poor,” he says.

For Akinrolabu, the alternative building method, either with laterite or other materials, needs more awareness.

“It is only when people are aware of the options available to them that they can begin to apply them,” he says.

Another respondent, Akin Akinwale, a civil servant, says he will most likely try the dry method when he is ready to build his own house but definitely not laterite.

He, however, feels that the government should intervene and build houses for the masses, as this will be cheaper and more affordable for everyone.

But Ajayi disagrees. She says there is nowhere in the world that the government puts money down for housing, but rather creates an environment that is conducive for investors.

She says, “Government cannot provide mass housing, what the government can do is to provide an enabling environment for these technologies to thrive; an environment whereby investment will not be a problem. Right now the problem of approval alone takes up to one year and more; then land is expensive. If the government can allocate land, it will go a long way.

“Take Ikoyi, for instance, a plot of land is about N1.2bn before you even think of what to build on it. In Lagos, can you get a plot of land that is less than N2m? In fact if you see cheap land, be sure you are going to fall into the hands of Omoniles; that is why housing cannot be cheap.”

For Gbede, the only way out of the housing crisis in the country is creativity.

“We need to use our home grown solutions because even when the money is available, it will be an enormous task to build 16 million houses,” he says.



http://www.punchng.com/business/homes-property/with-n3m-you-can-build-your-own-house/

DPOs’ confessions: We run police stations on bribes and charity” and “No computers, no uniforms: Sorry state of Nigeria Police,” Punch's Temitayo Famutimi captures the sorry state of police barracks in Lagos.

It was on a sunny Friday afternoon. Inspector Joy (not real name) stopped by at the stall of a pepper seller on the premises of the Obalende Police Barracks, Lagos. After buying some spices she dashed into a beer parlour adjacent the pepper sellers’ spot.

“I really need to step down. It’s been a long and tiring day. You can join me if you wish,” she advises this correspondent who had requested to have an audience with her as she walked into the beer parlour.

This exposé captures the true state of the rot in Nigeria today. Please read on...
The traffic policewoman who later requested a bottle of stout resides in the Women Police Barracks, situated behind the Obalende Barracks.

In a chat with this correspondent in the drinks joint, she laments that her experience over the years in service has made her desist from raising her hopes too high over improvement in welfare of policemen and women.

“Do I need to explain how I feel about the state of the barracks where we (policemen and women) live in? You have seen it all yourself here. It is the same situation in many places. Please, let’s talk about other things because it appears that we have long been forgotten,” she laments as she sips a glass of beer.

After finishing the bottle of beer, Inspector Joy, who notes that she is delighted to make the acquaintance of this correspondent, asks him to join her as she heads for home.

On getting to her room-and-parlour apartment in the Police Women’s Barracks meant for spinsters, the first item which strikes the attention of the journalist is a photo frame hung on the wall of the sitting room showing Joy and a well-built man.

Asked if she is married, Inspector Joy explains that she is “somehow married”, adding that she cohabits with her man who also happens to be a policeman.

“Don’t mind the inscription you see at the entrance of this barracks as it does not apply here. In this barracks, everyone is for himself or herself. My man stays here with me and goes to work from here just as it is the practice among other couples irrespective of if they are married or not.

“Nobody conducts checks on how we are faring and that also explains why the barracks is not being maintained and has become a total eyesore,” she explains.

No rehabilitation

The policewoman who occupies an apartment on one of the two-storey buildings in the barracks laments that since she moved in, no rehabilitation works have ever been undertaken in the barracks. But she said in the course of this year, she has, through the resident association, paid for sundry petty rehabilitation.

“The soak away recently got filled up and we had to contribute N4,000 each to get it fixed. Even the toilet we are talking about, there is nothing to write home about it. About 10 of us from three apartments make use of that dilapidated toilet and only one bathroom is usable on this floor and tens of people make use of it.

“This barracks can at best be described as a refugee camp as it is simply an eyesore and yet rent is being deducted in my salaries monthly.”

From meagre allocations that put police stations across the country at the mercy of charity from communities and criminals, the appalling dwelling places of policemen adds up to the several factors which make the Nigeria Police Force one of the most uninspiring institutions to work for many people.

From Obalende, Surulere, Iponri, Bar Beach to Women’s Police barracks, all in Lagos the story is that of a sad tale of utter neglect. But the picture is similar in other states of the federation. While the sewage pipes in many of the barracks visited are damaged, their rooftops bristling with satellite dishes were adorned with largely broken, sagging roofing sheets – many of which have indeed fallen off.

At the Obalende Barracks, many wives of policemen have simply turned their respective kitchenettes into shops of some sorts where they sell their wares. At some other sections of the barracks, wives of policemen have resorted to cooking in the open due to the dilapidated conditions of their kitchens.

A visitor to the Surulere Police Barracks could think that it has been turned into a motor park as seven commuter buses were parked on the premises during this correspondent’s visit. Besides, two drinking joints sited on the premises of the barracks have also eaten up available breeding space, thus confirming the lack of close monitoring from the authorities.

At the Bar Beach Barracks, only four of the over 20 blocks occupied by inspectors show signs of renovation. All others were in dilapidated conditions.

During our correspondent’s tour of the dwelling places of the policemen, the Alausa Barracks, however, stands out amongst its peers as it is generally in a good condition. It was gathered that the police authorities recently carried out renovation works on it.

Home to rodents and reptiles

On the whole, apart from lacking in basic aesthetics, the barracks are largely in dilapidating conditions with many structures fallen off or on the verge of giving way. For instance, at the Surulere Barracks, it was observed that rodents and reptiles moved in freely into the kitchens, toilets and bathrooms as the windows and doors have been broken off and have yet to be fixed. Also, the cement castings covering the decking on some of the storey buildings are already giving way.

Besides, the open drainages and broken sewage pipes oozed out a repugnant smell while houseflies and other insects capable of transmitting diseases had a field day.

Sadly the budget of the Federal Government makes provision for the rehabilitation of police barracks on a yearly basis. For instance, in the just concluded year, the National Assembly allocated the sum of N425,060,826 for the rehabilitation and repairs of police stations and barracks across the country. Yet the state of many of these structures remain abysmal across the country.

No alternative to broken barracks

Findings reveal that in spite of the sorry state of the barracks, policemen and women still jostle to get accommodated in them. It was gathered that police officers and men usually ‘water the ground’ often by giving bribes to some officials attached to the provost offices in the various state police commands.

A police corporal at the Bar Beach Barracks, Lagos explains that before he got his apartment, a colleague of his who was moving out influenced the allocation to him.

“After meeting with the colleague of mine parking out of the barracks, I tipped him and he took me to the office of the provost where we also watered the ground. Afterwards, I got the apartment allocated to me,” the police corporal says.

Asked why he chose what looks like a life of squalor with his family in the barracks, the corporal explains that he opted for the barracks due to the exorbitant rents that many landlords place on their properties.

He says, “This barracks is not too good for human habitation. But I think I have got no other choice than to move out of the civilian residential apartment as my landlord was not fair with the rent as he put it up at will.

“Although I can’t put a specific figure to the amount I pay monthly due to the newly introduced e-payment regime, the rent in the barracks can’t be more than N5,000, which is far less than how much I paid in my former place of residence.”

At the Surulere Barracks, a police sergeant attached to the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters Annexe in Obalende, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, notes that he hardly makes use of the toilet he shares with other residents of his block. He explains that due to the dilapidated state of the toilet, he always makes use of rest rooms of one of the banks opposite the barracks whenever he is pressed.

“I try as much as possible to empty my bowels at the office but whenever I am pressed at home, I rush down to the bank opposite the barracks and act as if I’m one of their customers with a view to passing out waste.

“This is the third barracks I have resided in. I once stayed in Sunrise Barracks in Olodi-Apapa area of Lagos as well as in Obalende Barracks and I can tell you that the barracks are also in very worrisome states,” he laments.

The police sergeant says he has refused to allow his family to stay with him in the barracks due to the level of deterioration adding that the environment is not good enough to raise his kids.

In spite of the cooperation among the policemen occupying the barracks, which led to the formation of a development association on block basis, the police sergeant notes that only little has been done to salvage the situation.

“During the rainy season, this whole place leading up to my apartment is always waterlogged and to add salt to injury, the human faeces in the broken sewage adds to the stagnant water around and pollutes the whole environment. This has been the trend for the three years I have been leaving here as no renovation has taken place. My children and wife stay in Ibadan where I got them a decent accommodation. To be realistic, it is not easy staying away from one’s family but this environment is not good enough. My children are still young and any of these structures around are hanging precariously and could fall on them,” he adds.

Senior officers embrace self help

But just as the rank and file of the police lament the state of the barracks, those in the officer cadre are not left out in the sad tale of neglect of their housing units. At the Ikeja GRA Police Officers’ Quarters occupied by those in the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police up to those in the Deputy Commissioner of Police cadre, it was gathered that residents have been forced to self help to make their apartments and indeed the environment habitable.

A deputy superintendent of police who resides in the quarters explains that their various apartments appear to be in a fair state compared to other barracks because of the huge sums of money they expend on general maintenance.

The police officer who lives in a three-bedroom apartment in the quarters says, “It’s frustrating that one is being forced to expend huge sums of money on critical maintenance and sometimes outright reconstruction and renovation of a place you pay monthly rents. In the course of the year, the roofing and ceilings of my apartment got damaged, I spent close to N100,000 to get it fixed.”

Asked if she made an attempt to claim the money from the relevant authorities, she says, “Who will repay you? The fact is that there is this culture of self-help that has grown tightly interwoven amongst officers and men due to the neglect we have been facing for many years now.”

Endangered psychology

A clinical psychologist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Leonard Okonkwo, says the poor state of the barracks may account for one of the several factors causing the “not-too-pleasant behaviour of many policemen in the country.”

According to him, shelter is one of the basic physiological needs of humans which should not be toiled with .

He observes that in the case of the police, housing needs ought not to be “partially met.”

The psychologist notes that there is a correlation between shelter and performance.

“When a policeman is made to live under shabby conditions you can’t get the best from him or her,” he says.

Okonkwo explains that toiling with the adequate shelter of those saddled with the responsibility of internal security of the country will only breed a police force populated with “disorganised and disorderly thinking” officers and men.

He adds, “If a man is not well sheltered he is not well motivated as shelter is a symbol of safety. When a policeman goes out to work, he should come back to the safety and comfort of his house. But in a situation where the barracks is not in a good shape, the policeman’s performance is affected.

“The policeman is always thinking about his or her welfare. If you are not well sheltered in a tidy and decent environment, the level of disorganised thinking is promoted and concentration on the job is affected. It is worthy of note that where you live boosts your confidence and in view of this, taking proper care of barracks improves the ego of the policeman as they are proud of their job, thereby ultimately boosting their performance.”

He explains that one of the potent methods some organisations from around the world have been devising to boost the performance of their staff is to provide them with good accommodation and a conducive working environment , adding that the Nigeria Police should not be an exception.

“Until our policemen and women are well taken care of in terms of the provision of decent shelter, Nigerians are not likely to get the best from them. I advise that their welfare should be a top priority.

“Since they are saddled with the responsibility of maintaining law and order and in the course of doing that their lives are at stake, the authorities concerned should know that our policemen will be more courageous to do their job when they know that their welfare is not been taken with levity,” Okonkwo adds.

Apart from the men and women who are on the receiving end of the negative consequences of staying in barracks that are of poor and bad conditions, experts are of the opinion that children raised in such environments are also at risks.

Trouble for barracks children

A lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Dr. Oludele Ajani, says while the morale of an average policeman or woman who lives in a slum-like barracks is dampened, experience has shown that their offspring tend to exhibit deviant behaviours.

Ajani , whose area of specialty is development studies and social change, argues that the environment where one lives dictates and influences once behaviour, conduct and attitude to life.

He says, “The effect of the dilapidating state of our barracks is one of the issues we as academics have raised over the years. And that is why when you interact with our law enforcement officers, they are always on the edge, you begin to wonder who annoyed them. Poor environment and housing units affects their output and interaction.

“But more worrisome is the fact that children raised in such environments are generally deviant and become social misfits as they tend to take after the behaviour of their parents. And that is why people tag children raised in the barracks as “omo barracks” (barracks kids) – to depict those traits they exhibit which are against social norms. We are products of the environment.

“Allowing policemen and women as well as their children to stay in overcrowded housing units, which lack drainages and basic amenities, is not in the best interest of this all important institution. These children may not see beyond their immediate environment and this may affect their life goals.”

When our correspondent contacted the Provost of the Lagos State Police Command, Busari Okunola, who is in charge of allocation of barracks in the state, he declined comments over the issue.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, who was at his office during our correspondent’s visit, says she is not in the best position to address issues relating to barracks maintenance and allocations.

“We operate a centralised police system. Please, direct your enquiries to them at the Force Headquarters in Abuja,” Braide notes.

However, successive attempts to get the Force Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba, to speak on the conditions of the barracks proved abortive. On December 24, Mba told our correspondent on the telephone that he was in Yobe State and was not in a position to grant any interviews at the time.

On December 27 when our correspondent called him again, he simply went silent on the telephone after this correspondent introduced himself, in an apparent move to dodge him.

Also, an electronic mail as well as a text message sent to him to get his reaction was not replied to as at 9pm press time on Sunday.

http://www.punchng.com/news/policemen-live-like-refugees-in-dilapidated-barracks/

Omexonomy: Anetuno avu dashi.
Anreshi wo ?
Compliment of the season.
Seriously speaking This people are given us bad names. People should be sensitise about Drug related issue from kindergarteen.

Ma dashi! Anreshi e dashi!! Compliments of the season to u too. how far?

Share this post with your friends, this info might help them a lot, too!
Share these NINE CRUCIAL TIPS with you parents, your significant other & everyone you know!
1. Tip from Taekwondo (martial arts): the ELBOW is the strongest point of your body. If you are attacked and are close enough to use it, DO!
2. If a ROBBER demands your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away! He is more interested in your possessions than in you. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!
3. If you are ever THROWN INTO A TRUNK OF A CAR, kick out the tail lights, stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy! The driver won't see you, but everybody else will. THIS TRICK HAS SAVED LIVES.
4. Sometimes after shopping, eating, working, etc., some people get into their cars and just sit there, doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON'T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR , LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE!
If someone is in the car and is threatening you with a weapon, DO NOT DRIVE OFF! Instead, gun the engine and speed into anything, wrecking the car. Your airbag will save you. If the person is in the backseat, they will get the worst of it. As soon as the car crashes, bail out and run.
5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:
A) BE AWARE: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger sidefloor, and in the back seat.
If you are parked next to a BIG VAN, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while they are getting into their cars.
C) Look at the car parked on both the driver and the passenger’s sides of your vehicle. If a male sits alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY.
6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at NIGHT!
7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; and even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN, preferably in a zigzag pattern!
8. NOTE TO EVERYONE, BUT ESPECIALLY WOMEN: STOP being sympathetic! It might get you raped, or killed! Often, serial killers would be a good-looking, well-educated man who play on the sympathies of unsuspecting victims! They walk with a cane, or a limp, and often ask to help them get into his vehicle.
9. DO NOT OPEN YOUR DOOR TO STRANGERS! There was a case when a woman heard a crying baby on her porch, and she called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird. The police WARNED HER AGAINST OPENING THE DOOR, as a serial killer had a baby's cry recorded and used it to coax women out of their homes.
Everyone should take 5 minutes to read this. It may save your life or a loved one's life. In daylight hours, refresh this INFO OF WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF EMERGENCY! This is for your SAFETY, and for you to pass it onto YOUR LOVED ONES, too.

https://www.facebook.com/naijcom/posts/582858871811014

Chizoba Anya, a Nigerian lady, has excreted wraps of substance that tested positive for methamphetamine on-board a Qatar Airline Flight from Malaysia to Nigeria, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, said on Monday.

NDLEA said the 32-year old suspect was said to have aroused suspicion following her frequent visits to the toilet.

“On arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos, three wraps of methamphetamine were found in her possession,” said Mitchell Ofoyeju, NDLEA spokesperson.

NDLEA commander at the Lagos Airport, Mr. Hamza Umar, said that the suspect while under observation excreted two additional wraps.

“The suspect was found with three wraps which she excreted in the aircraft. While she was under observation at the Lagos airport, she excreted two additional wraps of drugs. The five wraps which tested positive for methamphetamine weighed 80 grammes,” Umar said.

Preliminary investigation also revealed that the suspect left Ghana where she ingested the drugs to Malaysia.

“In Malaysia, she was denied entry and made to board another flight back to Nigeria. She started excreting the drugs at the airport in Malaysia,” NDLEA said.

The agency quoted the suspect as saying in her statement that she was offered half a million naira to smuggle the drugs to Malaysia.

“I was promised the sum of half a million naira but my problem started when I had immigration problem in Malaysia. I was denied entry and made to return to Nigeria after two days. While in the aircraft, I excreted three wraps and two other wraps in the NDLEA office,” Vivian stated.

Vivian, who hails from Onitsha, said that she just completed her Higher National Diploma (HND) in Business Administration at the Federal Polytechnic Oko, Anambra State.

“I just completed my HND programme and I am from a very poor family. I wanted to use the money they promised me to assist my siblings by smuggling the drug to Malaysia,” she added.


http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2013/12/30/nigerian-lady-excretes-hard-drugs-inside-aircraft/?utm_source=&utm_medium=facebook

He is head of the world’s biggest family – and says he is ‘blessed’ to have his 39 wives.

Ziona Chana also has 94 children, 14-daughters-in-law and 33 grandchildren.

They live in a 100-room, four storey house set amidst the hills of Baktwang village in the Indian state of Mizoram, where the wives sleep in giant communal dormitories.
You treat this place like a hotel: With 100 rooms, the Ziona mansion is the biggest concrete structure in the hilly village of Baktawng in Mizoram, India
Mr Chana told the Sun: ‘Today I feel like God’s special child. He’s given me so many people to look after.

‘I consider myself a lucky man to be the husband of 39 women and head of the world’s largest family.’
The family is organised with almost military discipline, with the oldest wife Zathiangi organising her fellow partners to perform household chores such as cleaning, washing and preparing meals.
Largest Family The Trent 3
One evening meal can see them pluck 30 chickens, peel 132lb of potatoes and boil up to 220lb of rice.

Coincidentally, Mr Chana is also head of a sect that allows members to take as many wives as he wants.
Feeling peckish? The senior ladies of the Chana family show what it takes just to make a meal
The wives and me: Mr Ziona Chana poses with his 39 wives at their home in Baktawng
Largest Family The Trent 4
He even married ten women in one year, when he was at his most prolific, and enjoys his own double bed while his wives have to make do with communal dormitories.
He keeps the youngest women near to his bedroom with the older members of the family sleeping further away – and there is a rotation system for who visits Mr Chana’s bedroom.
Rinkmini, one of Mr Chana’s wives who is 35 years old, said: ‘We stay around him as he is the most important person in the house. He is the most handsome person in the village.

She says Mr Chana noticed her on a morning walk in the village 18 years ago and wrote her a letter asking for her hand in marriage.

Another of his wives, Huntharnghanki, said the entire family gets along well. The family system is reportedly based on ‘mutual love and respect’
And Mr Chana, whose religious sect has 4,00 members, says he has not stopped looking for new wives.
‘To expand my sect, I am willing to go even to the U.S. to marry,’ he said.
One of his sons insisted that Mr Chana, whose grandfather also had many wives, marries the poor women from the village so he can look after them.

http://akposjokesandriddles..com/2013/12/omg-meet-worlds-largest-family-181.html?spref=fb

Red palm oil is healthier than olive oil and coconut oil and has been proven to reverse the symptoms of heart disease and protect against certain cancers

Move over olive and coconut—there’s a new oil in town proven even more effective at cutting the risk of heart disease and degenerative illnesses: red palm oil.

Red palm oil has been celebrated as a healing tonic among ancient civilizations, but has been overlooked by modern health practitioners due to its mistaken similarities to palm kernel oil. Both palm kernel and red palm oil originate from the oil palm Elaeis guineesis. But palm kernel oil is derived from the seed, while red palm oil is extracted from the fruit.

Recent research suggests that the two aren’t as alike as previously thought, as red palm oil has shown superior health benefits to not only palm kernel oil, but to virtually every other edible oil on the planet! In fact, Dr. Oz claims, “none compare to the powerful nutritional virtues of red palm oil.”

A Nutritional Powerhouse

Rich in phytonutrients, red palm oil owes the majority of its antioxidant super powers to its high concentration of carotenes and tocotrienols. You’ve probably heard about carotenes such as lycopene and beta-carotene, which lend the bright red and orange hues—and powerful health benefits—to tomatoes and carrots. Red palm oil significantly contains more potent levels of these phytonutrients.

Tocotrienols are a superior form of vitamin E (40 to 60 times more powerful than tocopherols) that control free radicals and inflammation (the primary cause of heart disease). Tocotrienols are also powerful anti-cancer agents that help ward off cancers of the skin, stomach, pancreas, liver, lung, colon, prostate and breast.

Over 700 published studies have shown that tocotrienols have an unprecedented number of health benefits when combined with the other super nutrients in red palm oil, which include: a unique complex of phytosterolsplant squaleneco-enzyme Q10carotenes

Unprecedented Health Benefits

Red palm oil is an overall immune system tonic that improves liver detoxification and can help treat non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NFLAD). It protects against osteoporosis and arthritis. Both tocotrienols and mixed carotenes naturally accumulate in the outermost layer of the epidermis, thereby shielding hair and skin from harmful ultraviolet rays.

However, the most well-documented and scientifically validated nutritional benefit of red palm oil relates to heart health. Even though red palm oil is high in saturated fat, it actually helps prevent and reverse heart disease. Studies have shown that the oil breaks down plague buildup in the arteries and prevents blockages from forming.

Red palm oil is a potent natural anti-inflammatory, and as such helps to prevent inflammation in the artery lining. Science has now confirmed that inflammation in the arterial linings is the major cause of cholesterol buildup! Red palm oil naturally improves cholesterol and lowers high blood pressure.

A study funded by the National Institutes of Health found that red palm oil reduces your risk of stroke by 50% due to its protective effects on brain cells. The super vitamin E in red palm oil stimulates blood flow to the brain and also defends against Alzheimer’s disease and dementia!

Sustainable Red Palm Oil

Unfortunately, red palm oil is the subject of much controversy. Production and demand of red palm oil have led to deforestation and the demise of the orangutan population. In 2004, a nonprofit organization called the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) was founded to partner conservation groups with palm oil firms in order to create more sustainable manufacturing practices. When looking for palm oil, make sure it carries the RSPO stamp of approval.

Red palm oil should also carry the labels “virgin” and “organic.” When processed and refined, red palm oil loses not only its dark color… but also all of its nutritional benefits. If ever you see red palm oil listed as an ingredient in processed snack food, you can be sure it’s not the heart healthy kind.

Experts recommend that to treat a chronic health condition or for a dose of extra protection, supplement with one to two tablespoons of virgin organic RSPO-approved red palm oil daily.= = = = = = = = = = =

This is such a revelation and a relief from all the myths. I have really been wondering how it didn’t affect our fathers who lived so long in great health yet had palm oil completely as part of their life.
One main delicacy - white yam and palm oil

One main delicacy – white yam and palm oil

I had believed that cold pressed Palm oil is the best as most of the nutrients are destroyed from cooking, surprisingly & interestingly I read from Abeng News Magazine, that unlike many other foods that lose their nutrients when heated, much of the nutrients of palm oil remains intact after extensive boiling of the fruit to extract the oil.

According to Dr. Gourmet ‘Palm oil is taken from the fruit of the palm, however Palm kernel oil is pressed from the seeds (kernels) of the fruit and is much higher in saturated fat – at about 80% vs. only 50% in palm oil. Palm oil also has a higher ratio of “good fats” though and early research shows that palm oil has similar effects on cholesterol profiles (total cholesterol, HDL and LDL cholesterol) as olive oil’.

Abeng News Magazine explained further that It is high in Vitamin E (tocotrienols and tocopherols), which maintains healthy, supple skin. Palm oil’s potent Vitamin E tocotrienols is described as a super-antioxidant that neutralizes disease causing free radicals—it has the highest level of tocotrienols among all vegetable oils. Could palm oil be secret behind Africans’ radiant complexion and renowned ageless features?

Palm oil is also an excellent source for combating Vitamin A deficiency to prevent night blindness and vision loss. It has 16 times more beta-carotene — the source of its red colour — than carrots. This high level of carotene is a powerful anti-carcinogenic. The unremitting health pleas of the West for avoidance of saturated fats, such as palm oil, due to their supposed link to heart disease are now viewed as unjustified particularly regarding palm oil.

The health benefits of palm oil are said to far out weigh the health risks, especially when blended with other healthy oils. In addition, no health statistic has revealed West Africans, whose diet for the past 5,000 years has included palm oil, are more susceptible to high levels of cholesterol or heart disease than any other population.

http://vogocares.com/blog/2013/12/27/interesting-findings-on-our-dear-red-palm-oil/

DID YOU KNOW...
~~DRINK WATER ON EMPTY STOMACH~~ It is popular in Japan today to drink water immediately after waking up every morning. Furthermore, scientific tests have proven its value. We publish below a description of use of water for our readers. For old and serious diseases as well as modern illnesses the water treatment had been found successful by a Japanese medical society as a 100% cure for the following diseases:

Headache, body ache, heart system, arthritis, fast heart beat, epilepsy, excess fatness, bronchitis asthma, TB, meningitis, kidney and urine diseases, vomiting, gastritis, diarrhea, piles, diabetes, constipation, all eye diseases, womb, cancer and menstrual disorders, ear nose and throat diseases.

METHOD OF TREATMENT
1. As you wake up in the morning before brushing teeth, drink 4 x 160ml glasses of water

2. Brush and clean the mouth but do not eat or drink anything for 45 minute

3.. After 45 minutes you may eat and drink as normal.

4. After 15 minutes of breakfast, lunch and dinner do not eat or drink anything for 2 hours

5. Those who are old or sick and are unable to drink 4 glasses of water at the beginning may commence by taking little water and gradually increase it to 4 glasses per day.

6. The above method of treatment will cure diseases of the sick and others can enjoy a healthy life.

The following list gives the number of days of treatment required to cure/control/reduce main diseases:
1. High Blood Pressure (30 days)
2. Gastric (10 days)
3. Diabetes (30 days)
4. Constipation (10 days)
5. Cancer (180 days)
6. TB (90 days)
7. Arthritis patients should follow the above treatment only for 3 days in the 1st week, and from 2nd week onwards – daily..

This treatment method has no side effects, however at the commencement of treatment you may have to urinate a few times.
It is better if we continue this and make this procedure as a routine work in our life. Drink Water and Stay healthy and Active.

This makes sense .. The Chinese and Japanese drink hot tea with their meals not cold water. Maybe it is time we adopt their drinking habit while eating!!! Nothing to lose, everything to gain...

For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you.
It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion.

Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine.
Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

A serious note about heart attacks:

· Women should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting,
· Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line.
· You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack.
· Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms.
· 60% of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up.
· Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know, the better chance we could survive.

Culled From The Internet

How many folks do you know who say they don't want to drink anything before going to bed because they'll have to get up during the night.
Heart Attack and Water - I never knew all of this ! Interesting.......
Something else I didn't know ... I asked my Doctor why people need to urinate so much at night time. Answer from my Cardiac Doctor - Gravity holds water in the lower part of your body when you are upright (legs swell). When you lie down and the lower body (legs and etc) seeks level with the kidneys, it is then that the kidneys remove the water because it is easier. This then ties in with the last statement!
I knew you need your minimum water to help flush the toxins out of your body, but this was news to me. Correct time to drink water...
Very Important. From A Cardiac Specialist!
Drinking water at a certain time maximizes its effectiveness on the body
2 glasses of water after waking up - helps activate internal organs
1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal - helps digestion
1 glass of water before taking a bath - helps lower blood pressure
1 glass of water before going to bed - avoids stroke or heart attack
I can also add to this... My Physician told me that water at bed time will also help prevent night time leg cramps. Your leg muscles are seeking hydration when they cramp and wake you up with a Charlie Horse.
Mayo Clinic Aspirin Dr. Virend Somers, is a Cardiologist from the Mayo Clinic, who is lead author of the report in the July 29, 2008 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Most heart attacks occur in the day, generally between 6 A.M. and noon. Having one during the night, when the heart should be most at rest, means that something unusual happened. Somers and his colleagues have been working for a decade to show that sleep apnea is to blame.
1. If you take an aspirin or a baby aspirin once a day, take it at night.
The reason: Aspirin has a 24-hour "half-life"; therefore, if most heart attacks happen in the wee hours of the morning, the Aspirin would be strongest in your system.
2. FYI, Aspirin lasts a really long time in your medicine chest, for years, (when it gets old, it smells like vinegar).
Please read on...
Something that we can do to help ourselves - nice to know. Bayer is making crystal aspirin to dissolve instantly on the tongue.
They work much faster than the tablets.
Why keep Aspirin by your bedside? It's about Heart Attacks.
There are other symptoms of a heart attack, besides the pain on the left arm. One must also be aware of an intense pain on the chin, as well as nausea and lots of sweating; however, these symptoms may also occur less frequently.
Note: There may be NO pain in the chest during a heart attack.
The majority of people (about 60%) who had a heart attack during their sleep did not wake up. However, if it occurs, the chest pain may wake you up from your deep sleep.
If that happens, immediately dissolve two aspirins in your mouth and swallow them with a bit of water.
Afterwards: - Call 911. - Phone a neighbor or a family member who lives very close by.- Say "heart attack!" - Say that you have taken 2 Aspirins.
Take a seat on a chair or sofa near the front door, and wait for their arrival and ...DO NOT LIE DOWN!
A Cardiologist has stated that if each person after receiving this e-mail, sends it to 10 people, probably one life could be saved!
I have already shared this information. What about you?
Do forward this message. It may save lives!
"Life is a one time gift"

Culled From The Internet

Mine is certainly 'Glorious God' by Elijah Oyelade. What is yours? It can be in any music genre

Aren't they sexy!!!!

Avoid these if you don't want to scare her away...
Men who are confident and sure of themselves and considered 'hot' by girls sometimes end up losing dates within a first! Instead of forming solid relationships, these guys continually get dumped at the same point in every courtship. We found out about the top five mistakes a guy makes that scares women away.

Too easy to please
Men who throw out too many niceties too early on in a relationship, laugh at all the jokes that a girl makes (even when they both know they're not funny), and are always ready to do what the girl wants are the type of men women are wary off. Of course women love compliments, who doesn't? But when it is over the top then it stops working. Women feel that the 'too eager to please' are the men who are probably insecure.

Being possessive too soon
So your girlfriend is out with her own bunch of friends and it's late. You are not very happy. You start obsessively calling, texting and stalking her social networking, micro blogging sites.

You know what it's like: You are sitting at home playing Playstation while your hot new girlfriend is still out drinking with a bunch of her male colleagues. It's getting late and since you haven't heard from her for a couple of hours, you try to get hold of her. But you can't. So you start. Unfortunately, she's not going to think it's cute; she's going to think it's creepy. Even if you are growing green with envy over the fact that she was hanging with other men, you need to act like she's entitled to have a life of her own. And if you do this, she's going to want to spend even more time with you anyway.

Don't ask her to split the bill
Of course women like to pay their own bills and we know we can afford those expensive dinners. But we still feel great when a man pulls out his wallet. Women can figure what kind of a man you are by your behaviour. No, you don't need to take her to a prohibitively expensive restaurant all the time. Taking her out on a date where you pay for the meal and you do not complain about it will show her that you are someone who really knows how to take care of a woman.

Women are generally drawn to men who can protect and provide. And a girl will pay once in a while but asking her to pay up every time only convinces her that you are not someone she can have a future with, at all.

The ex-factor
Girls are not interested in listening to: 'how wonderful your ex was, how she unceremoniously dumped you, how toxic your old relationship was, or how glad you are to 'finally be rid of her'. For a girl all this is not a turn on at all and makes her feel that the man is too deep under his own baggage. It is downright boring to listen to a man whine about a relationship that does not involve her. If you are not over your ex avoid going out with someone else. And if you do go out, avoid mentioning your ex.

Let's not talk about sex, baby
If you really like a girl and are interested in forming a long-lasting relationship with her, hold off on the pressure of a physical relationship. She'll let you know when she's ready -- and it will probably be sooner than you think.


http://aythecomedian..com/2013/12/top-5-mistakes-men-make-in-relationships.html?spref=fb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFLw8aH-M2w

Guys can you take your woman to this place?

Ladies will you go with your man to such a place?

The Pastor of the Household of God Church International, Chris Okotie, recently bought a Rolls Royce Coupe, the 2014 Bespoke Edition, to mark his 30 years as born-again Christian and 27 years as a pastor, SUNDAY PUNCH learnt on Saturday.

According Okotie’s close aide, the pastor spent N120m on the luxury car and had earlier spent N33m on a Range Rover Autobiography to mark a milestone of his church.

The source, in a text message, said, “Pastor Okotie just bought a Rolls Royce Coupe, 2014 Bespoke Edition at N120m to mark his 30 years as a born-again Christian and 27 years as a pastor. He had earlier bought a Range Rover (Autobiography) 2014 Model for N33m, reputed to be the costliest SUV in the world to mark this ministry’s milestone.”

Checks on the Internet showed that the cheapest price of same Rolls Royce model is about N65m, but it could be more expensive if armoured.

Fifty-five-year-old Okotie was in the news recently for the controversial comments he made during a church service in which he claimed that “all Catholics will go to hell,” and referred to Pope Francis as anti-Christ.



http://www.punchng.com/news/okotie-buys-n120m-rolls-royce-to-mark-pastoral-anniversary/

pheyikemi: So if she has the smaller waist in the whole world, who has the smallest? Abeg change your smaller to smallest, don't kill me with your english engrish.

I hope the 'engrish' is better now . Thanks for the observation

Her waist is so tiny you can fit your hand around it, click to see more and dont forget to click the “iFollow” Button and subscribe to this channel for more exciting clips



http://ireporterstv.co/ir_fullvideo/unbelievable-girl-with-the-smallest-waist-in-the-world/

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and a four-year old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together nightly at the dinner table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating rather difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass often milk spilled on the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. "We must do something about grandfather," said the son. I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor. So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner at the dinner table. Since grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. Sometimes when the family glanced in grandfather's direction, he had a tear in his eye as he ate alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food. The four-year-old watched it all in silence.One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?" Just as sweetly, the boy responded


, "Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and mama to eat your food from when I grow up." The four-year-old smiled and went back to work. The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table.For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled. Children are remarkably perceptive. Their eyes ever observe, their ears ever listen, and their minds ever process the messages they absorb. If they see us patiently provide a happy home atmosphere for family members, they will imitate that attitude for the rest of their lives. The wise parent realizes that every day that building blocks are being laid for the child's future.Let us all be wise builders and role models. Take care of yourself, ... and those you love, ... today, and everyday!


http://akposjokesandriddles..com/2013/12/touching-story-of-night-wooden-bowl.html